Newer approaches to dry eye therapy: Nanotechnology, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering.

Definitive treatment of dry eye disease (DED), one of the commonest ocular surface disorders, has remained elusive despite several recent advances in better diagnostics and the introduction of newer therapeutic molecules. The current treatment paradigms rely heavily on lubricating eye drops and anti-inflammatory agents that may need to be used long-term and are mainly palliative. Research is ongoing not only for a curative treatment option but also to improve the potency and efficacy of existing drug molecules through better formulations and delivery platforms.

Relationship of Density, Depth, and Surface Irregularity of Superficial Corneal Opacification with Visual Acuity.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between the density, depth, and surface irregularity of superficial corneal opacities and vision.

Methods: This prospective imaging study included 19 patients with unilateral superficial corneal opacification due to scarring post-microbial keratitis. Each eye underwent an assessment of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), contact lens corrected visual acuity (CLCVA), and Scheimpflug and anterior segment optical tomography imaging.

Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty and Goniosynechialysis in Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome: Surgical Perspective and Long-Term Outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the long-term outcomes of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) with goniosynechialysis in eyes with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome with an emphasis on the surgical technique.

Methods: This was a retrospective series of 5 eyes of 5 patients undergoing a DMEK procedure at a tertiary eye care institute by a single surgeon. Modifications in the standard surgical technique, including the release of peripheral anterior synechiae, peripheral descemetorhexis, the release of adherent membranes, maneuvers in the anterior chamber with or without cataract extraction were logged.

Anterior segment imaging using a simple universal smartphone attachment for patients.

To assess the utility of a universal smartphone attachment to capture images of the anterior segment of the eye, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 344 images captured using a smartphone by the patients to identify factors affecting image quality, such as lack of perspective, lack of focus, improper illumination, and resolution. Based on this analysis, a universal smartphone attachment named GrabiLite and a protocol for anterior segment imaging were designed and validated in the first prospective arm of 60 patients. These images were then compared with the same eyes imaged on the gold standard slit-lamp photography.

Corneal oedema with in situ implantable collamer lens: a challenging scenario for descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty.

A 27-year-old woman had foggy vision and photophobia since 10 months after implantation of implantable collamer lens (ICL STAAR Surgical AG, Nidau, Switzerland) with evidence of corneal decompensation and no cataract formation. Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty in phakic eyes is challenging, considering presence of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (IOL), decreasing the space available in anterior chamber to manoeuvre the graft. Need of inferior peripheral iridotomy in presence of central hole technology in ICL depends on the dynamics of full chamber air bubble.

A reliable animal model of corneal stromal opacity: Development and validation using in vivo imaging.

Purpose: To validate an animal model of corneal stromal opacity by using objective vision-independent in vivo imaging metrics.

Methods: This was a prospective study, with two arms: (i) observational human arm which included 14 patients with healed unilateral ulcerative keratitis; and (ii) experimental rabbit arm, which included 6 New Zealand white rabbits. A 3-mm central wound was created in the left eye of the rabbits by manually removing 200-250 μm of the superficial stroma, followed by rotating-burr application.