Preoperative tranilast as adjunctive therapy to primary pterygium surgery with a 1-year follow-up.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of tranilast as an adjunctive therapy in conjunctival autograft.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients were randomly allocated to the Tranilast Group (n=15) or the Control Group (n=14). The Tranilast Group received a subconjunctival injection of 0.

In vivo ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty with a low-energy and high-frequency femtosecond laser.

This case report describes the production of an ultrathin endothelial donor corneal lamella using a femtosecond laser with low energy and a high frequency. In addition, we report its use in vivo in an eye with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. The outcomes were observed 3 months after surgery in terms of the change in endothelial donor lamella and full cornea thickness (including pachymetric mapping), visual acuity, and endothelial cell count.

Epidemiologic aspects and clinical outcome of fungal keratitis in southeastern Brazil.

Purpose: Fungal keratitis (FK) is a sight-threatening disease, more prevalent in developing regions. The present retrospective study was conducted in order to evaluate the epidemiologic and clinical aspects and the progression of FK in patients treated at two ophthalmologic reference centers in Southeast Brazil.

Methods: The charts of patients with infectious keratitis treated between 2000 and 2004 were reviewed.

Bilateral Acanthamoeba ulcer in a user of disposable soft contact lenses: a tragic incident or a consequence of the aggressive policy of soft contact lens trading?

This is the report of a case of bilateral Acanthamoeba keratitis in a 19-year-old woman who bought a pair of disposable soft contact lenses in a boutique. She wore this same pair of lenses for 3 months daily without the appropriate care. This led to bilateral corneal transplantation with cataract extraction and also trabeculectomy in the right eye.

Optical projection mires for measurements of the radii of curvature of the cornea in biomicroscopes.

Keratometry is currently achieved by projecting a circular mire onto the patient's cornea and analyzing the size and shape of its reflected image. The projection mires are decisive for the precision of the measurement. We have previously developed a keratometric module for slit lamps, and the development of four projection mires are presented.

Evaluation of a new system for obtaining donor lamellar grafts.

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of a new system for obtaining corneal lamellar grafts of preset sizes. The system consists of the combination of an artificial anterior chamber (MALKS) and an automated microkeratotome (MASYK).

Methods: A prospective study was performed.

Portable light transmission measuring system for preserved corneas.

Background: The authors have developed a small portable device for the objective measurement of the transparency of corneas stored in preservative medium, for use by eye banks in evaluation prior to transplantation.

Methods: The optical system consists of a white light, lenses, and pinholes that collimate the white light beams and illuminate the cornea in its preservative medium, and an optical filter (400-700 nm) that selects the range of the wavelength of interest. A sensor detects the light that passes through the cornea, and the average corneal transparency is displayed.