Peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration - clinical and histopathological features.

Purpose: To refine the diagnostic criteria for peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration (PHSD) and characterize its clinical phenotype, histopathology and immunohistochemical features.

Methods: Diagnostic criteria were refined on the basis of literature data. Fourteen patients (13 women and one man; median age 52 years, range 33-66) were identified based on these criteria.

Peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration: characterization, treatment and association with human leucocyte antigen genes.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of keratectomy in treating irregular astigmatism caused by peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration (PHSD) and to study the possible underlying immunological risk factors.

Materials And Methods: Patients (14 eyes) with diagnosed PHSD were treated with superficial keratectomy with or without the assistance of phototherapeutic keratectomy (VisX S4; VisX Inc., Santa Ana, CA, USA).

Long-term outcome of central toxic keratopathy after photorefractive keratectomy.

Purpose: To describe long-term postoperative results of 5 eyes that had central toxic keratopathy after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Method: In a period of 2 months, 74 eyes were subjected to refractive surgery (21 by PRK and 53 by laser in situ keratomileusis) in 2006. Laser ablations were performed with a VISX S4 (VISX, Santa Ana, CA) excimer laser.

Refractive surgery in anisometropic adult patients induce plastic changes in primary visual cortex.

Purpose: To prospectively study the effect of refractive surgery in the primary visual cortex of adult anisometropic and isometropic myopic patients.

Methods: Two anisometropic and two isometropic myopic patients were examined with multifocal functional magnetic resonance imaging technique (mffMRI) before refractive surgery and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postoperatively. Two controls without refractive surgery were also examined with mffMRI in the beginning and in the end of the study.

Corneal sensitivity in diabetic patients subjected to retinal laser photocoagulation.

Purpose: To determine the changes in corneal sensitivity to different stimulus modalities in diabetes mellitus (DM)1 and DM2 patients with retinopathy, and to explore whether argon laser photocoagulation exacerbates sensitivity loss in diabetic patients.

Methods: Corneal sensitivity to different modalities of stimulus was determined in one randomized eye in 52 patients with DM1 (n = 35) or DM2 (n = 17), and in 27 healthy subjects. Medical history was obtained from all the patients, including age, sex, time from DM diagnosis, type of diabetes, time from onset of retinopathy, type of diabetic retinopathy, and type of argon laser treatment.

Long-term follow-up of photorefractive keratectomy for myopia: Comparative study of excimer lasers.

Purpose: To compare the long-term results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for low to moderate myopia performed using a broad-beam laser system or a scanning-slit laser system.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Design: Case-control study.

UBIAD1 mutation alters a mitochondrial prenyltransferase to cause Schnyder corneal dystrophy.

Background: Mutations in a novel gene, UBIAD1, were recently found to cause the autosomal dominant eye disease Schnyder corneal dystrophy (SCD). SCD is characterized by an abnormal deposition of cholesterol and phospholipids in the cornea resulting in progressive corneal opacification and visual loss. We characterized lesions in the UBIAD1 gene in new SCD families and examined protein homology, localization, and structure.

Selective changes in human corneal sensation associated with herpes simplex virus keratitis.

Purpose: To determine corneal sensitivity to selective mechanical, chemical, and thermal (heat and cold) stimulation in patients with a history of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis.

Methods: Corneal sensitivity to different modalities of stimulus was determined in both eyes of 16 patients with unilateral HSV keratitis diagnosed 1 to 12 months before the study. On slit lamp examination, 13 HSV-affected eyes showed corneal scarring or opacities, and three had no signs of previous keratitis.

Laser refractive correction of myopia in visually impaired patients improves visual acuity.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the visual and refractive outcome of visually impaired adults treated with refractive surgery (photorefractive keratectomy or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis).

Methods: We searched a refractive surgery database comprising 1716 mildly visually impaired patients [best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) on a logMAR scale ≤ -0.1 (Snellen ≤ 0.

Altered expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors as possible contributors to corneal droplet formation in climatic droplet keratopathy.

Purpose: Climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) is an acquired corneal disease characterized by progressive scarring of the cornea. In several corneal diseases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated during the degradation of epithelial and stromal tissues. We investigated the levels, degree of activation and molecular forms of MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-8 and MMP-13 and their tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in tear fluid of patients with CDK.

Seven-year follow-up of LASIK for myopia.

Purpose: To assess the long-term refractive results, subjective parameters, and late sequelae of LASIK.

Methods: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted on 38 eyes of 21 patients (17 with bilateral treatment and 4 with unilateral treatment) who had LASIK surgery between 1999 and 2000. Laser ablations were done with an excimer laser (VISX STAR and STAR S2).

LASIK for myopia of -9.00 to -17.00 D with the VISX STAR S2: 2- to 5-year follow-up.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term results of LASIK in the correction of high myopia.

Methods: Preoperative and early postoperative data, including uncorrected and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity and refraction, were collected retrospectively from 77 eyes of 47 patients who underwent LASIK for myopia of at least -9.00 diopters (D) performed with the VISX STAR S2 excimer laser in our hospital from 1999 to 2003.

Photorefractive keratectomy retreatment after LASIK.

Purpose: To study the results of late photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in corneas originally subjected to LASIK.

Methods: Seven eyes of seven patients who had LASIK for myopia were retreated with PRK at least 2 years after LASIK. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refraction, and haze were evaluated before and after LASIK and after retreatment by PRK.

Observational failures/distraction and disease attack/incapacity as cause(s) of fatal road crashes in Finland.

Objective: To study the incidence of health-related conditions and observational failures/distraction (OFD) as an immediate cause for fatal motor vehicle accidents (FMVA) and to correlate them with driver's age.

Methods: Retrospective study of all FMVA in Finland secondary to OFD from January 1995 to December 2005 and FMVA secondary to a disease attack/incapacity (DA) from January 2003 to December 2004. The data were based on the final investigation reports of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre.

Alterations in corneal sensitivity and nerve morphology in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

The aim of the study was to assess subjective symptoms and objective clinical signs of dry eye in relation to corneal nerve morphology and sensitivity in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Twenty eyes of 20 primary Sjögren's syndrome patients and ten eyes of 10 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire and visual analog scales were used to assess subjective symptoms.

Excimer laser refractive correction of myopia after episcleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effects of excimer laser treatment for ametropia after surgical treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with scleral buckles.

Setting: Helsinki University Eye Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Methods: Ten patients (10 eyes) who had 1 or more surgeries for RRD followed by refractive surgery for myopia were retrospectively enrolled in this study and were examined after excimer laser refractive surgery.

Improvement of visual acuity following refractive surgery for myopia and myopic anisometropia.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that anisometropic adults without significant amblyopia suffer from mild visual impairment probably due to aniseikonia, which might be improved by corneal refractive surgery.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients presenting with myopic anisometropia > or = 3.25 diopters (D) and 174 myopic controls appropriate for refractive surgery were included.

Dry eye and corneal sensitivity after high myopic LASIK.

Purpose: To assess subjective symptoms and objective clinical signs of dry eye and investigate corneal sensitivity after high myopic LASIK.

Methods: Twenty eyes of 20 patients with a mean age of 34 +/- 7.5 years who had undergone high myopic LASIK 2 to 5 years previously and 10 eyes of 10 controls with a mean age of 39.

Phototherapeutic keratectomy for epithelial irregular astigmatism: an emphasis on map-dot-fingerprint degeneration.

Purpose: To study the changes in irregular astigmatism in patients with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome due to map-dot-fingerprint degeneration and to demonstrate that both symptomatic and asymptomatic map-dot-fingerprint degeneration/recurrent corneal erosion syndrome may be related to irregular astigmatism, which can effectively be corrected by phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) or standard spherical photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Methods: Eleven eyes with irregular astigmatism related to map-dot-fingerprint degeneration/recurrent corneal erosion syndrome with and without changes at the slit-lamp microscope were treated with PTK or spherical PRK, which was performed with a VISX S2 or S4 excimer laser. All eyes underwent videokeratography performed pre- and postoperatively using either the Tomey TMS-2N Topographic Modeling System or EyeSys Technologies Corneal Analysis System 2000.

Interaction of purified tear lipocalin with lipid membranes.

Purpose: The principal lipid-interacting protein in human tears has been reported to be tear lipocalin (Tlc). Tlc has been suggested to scavenge harmful lipophilic substances from the corneal epithelium and to maintain the integrity of the anterior tear film lipid layer by binding and releasing lipid(s) that are accommodated within the protein. Although lipids can be extracted from Tlc, it is still unclear whether Tlc can actually bind to lipid membranes and accept membrane lipids and whether it possesses lipid transfer activity.

Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus aureus ulcerative keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis treated with antibiotics and phototherapeutic keratectomy.

Purpose: To report a method of treatment for through-the-flap multibacterial ulcerative keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Methods: Bacterial ulcerative keratitis after LASIK was treated with topical and systemic antibiotics followed by flap lifting, cleaning, and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Follow-up examinations included in vivo confocal microscopy, corneal topography, and wavefront analysis.

Phospholipid transfer protein is present in human tear fluid.

The human tear fluid film consists of a superficial lipid layer, an aqueous middle layer, and a hydrated mucin layer located next to the corneal epithelium. The superficial lipid layer protects the eye from drying and is composed of polar and neutral lipids provided by the meibomian glands. Excess accumulation of lipids in the tear film may lead to drying of the corneal epithelium.

Neurosarcoidosis mimicking Sjögren's syndrome.

Purpose: To describe a patient with a long disease history who was finally diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis and to discuss the reasons behind the delayed diagnosis.

Case Report: A 58-year-old man with sick sinus syndrome and bradycardia, which was treated with a pacemaker, developed first right and then left facial palsy. Subsequently, multiple cranial nerve palsies developed and later spontaneously resolved.

Recovery of corneal sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stimulation after laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose: To evaluate the time course of changes in corneal sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stimuli produced by laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in humans.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 17 LASIK-operated eyes (VisX S2, equipped with version 2.50-3.