OBJECTIVE: To compare the recurrence rate after conjunctival autograft alone versus conjunctival autograft with mitomycin-C in the treatment of primary and recurrent pterygium.
METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, interventional comparative study of patients with primary and recurrent pterygium who were randomized to receive either simple excision with conjunctival autograft (CA) or simple excision with CA and mitomycM-C applied. They were followed up for 6 months and observed for recurrence of the pterygium. Statistical analyses were used to compare the 2 groups.
RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (62 eyes) diagnosed with primary and recurrent pterygium were evaluated. The mean age was 44.81 ± 12.35 years (range 25 to 70 years). Thirty eyes were treated with conjunctival autograft (15 primary, 15 recurrent) and 32 eyes (17 primary, 15 recurrent) with conjunctival autograft combined with Mtraoperati-ve application of low-dose raitomycin. -C (0.02% for 3 minutes). The mean follow-up period was 25 ± 1.40 months (range 24 to 28 months). There was a 3.22% recurrence rate (2 eyes) from the recurrent pterygium group. There was no significant difference 11.1  the rate of recurrence (p = 0.53) between the 2 treatments for both primary and recurrent pterygium. No mitomycM C-related complication was observed during the length of the study.
CONCLUSION: Conjunctival autograft surgery alone for primary and recurrent pterygium is effective and safe in reducing the recurrence rate of pterygium within" 6 months.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Pterygium ; Mitomycin ; Autografts ; Conjunctiva ; Transplantation, Autologous

Objective. To create an age-based formula to estimate the base curve needed for contact lens fitting using measured central corneal curvature (CCC) with a handheld auto keratometer from ophthalmologically normal infants.

Methods. This is a prospective cross-sectional study involving 70 ophthalmologically normal full-term infants aged 0 to 12 months. The infants were divided into four groups: 0-3 months, >3-6 months, >6-9 months and >9-12 months. CCC was measured with a handheld auto keratometer and was used to compute for the base curve. Differences in CCC between the four groups were measured and linear regression models were used for formula creation.

Results. The mean CCC was highest in group 1 at 45.5 ±2.4 diopters (D). These values slowly decreased as age increased. A formula predictive of the base curve based on the infants age was derived using linear regression analysis. It predicted that for every month increase in age, there is a 0.063 millimeter increase in the base curve (p<0.001).

Conclusion. Infant CCC is highest at birth and gradually decreases as age increases. The formula can predict the base curve needed for contact lens fitting in infants without the need for a handheld autokeratometer.

Contact Lenses ; Infant

In this report, we sought to demonstrate that freshwater sampling for migrating bird-associated novel respiratory virus incursions is possible and more desirable than the alternative approach of capturing and swabbing wild migrating birds. Freshwater sampling should be considered as an alternative approach for pre-pandemic pathogen surveillance.

Objective: This cross-sectional, prospective surveillance study sought to determine the prevalence of novel respiratory viruses among domestic ducks in Central Luzon that are known to have frequent contact with wild avian species. Such contact may lead to novel virus spillover events that may harm domestic poultry as well as humans. Methods: From March 2019 to January 2020, cross-sectional and prospective surveillance for viruses among domestic ducks (Anas luzonica) was conducted by periodically collecting oropharyngeal swabs from ducks on 54 farms across three municipalities within Central Luzon (Region III). A flock of 30 sentinel domestic ducks was also sampled four times after being confined in the Candaba swamp. The resultant 1740 swab samples were pooled (5 samples/pool, 348 pools) by site and screened with molecular assays for respiratory viruses from multiple viral families. Results: Two farms yielded samples positive for avian influenza virus in Candaba, where adolescent ducks are known to freely mix with wild birds as they graze in rice fields. Overall, the prevalence of avian influenza virus was 2.3% (8/348 pools). Sequencing revealed three pools with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6, one with low pathogenicity H5N8, and one with H5 with an unspecified neuraminidase. All the pooled specimens tested were negative for influenza C, adenoviruses, coronaviruses and enteroviruses. Discussion: Although this study had several limitations, it found supportive evidence that domestic ducks are acquiring avian influenza viruses from wild bird species. These findings underscore recommendations that duck farmers should seek to prevent domestic ducks from mixing with wild avian species.