Leprosy is a chronic systemic disease with ocular complications including lagophthalmos, uveal diseases, and corneal diseases. Blindness may result unless appropriate treatment is done. The authors report the ocular leprosy with generalized systemic nodules associated with severe proptosis, corneal opacity and retinal pathology.
Blindness ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Opacity ; Exophthalmos ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Pathology ; Retinaldehyde ; Uveal Diseases

Leprosy is a chronic systemic disease with ocular complications including lagophthalmos, uveal diseases, and corneal diseases. Blindness may result unless appropriate treatment is done. The authors report the ocular leprosy with generalized systemic nodules associated with severe proptosis, corneal opacity and retinal pathology.
Blindness ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Opacity ; Exophthalmos ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Pathology ; Retinaldehyde ; Uveal Diseases

To evaluate the inhibiting effect of Homoharringtonine (HHT) on the corneal haze after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbits. 18 healthy rabbits which underwent PRK were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C). The refractive degree of ablation was - 10.0DS in each group. Group A was locally treated with a piece of filter paper soaked with 1 mg/mL HHT for 5 min, and then the entire cornea was repeatedly irrigated with balance solution; Group B was dropped with 0.1 mg/mL HHT after PRK for 3 months; Group C was the control group. Corneal haze, histopathology, response, ect. were investigated. The corneal haze was significantly less in group A, while the difference between group B and group C was insignificant. Keratocytes and fibrocytes in corneal stroma were more active up to 3 months in group B and group C. Intraoperative use of topical HHT can reduce corneal haze after PRK in rabbits.
Corneal Opacity/etiology ; Corneal Opacity/*prevention & control ; Endothelium, Corneal/pathology ; Harringtonines/*administration & dosage ; Myopia/*surgery ; Photorefractive Keratectomy/*adverse effects ; Random Allocation

PURPOSE: In this study, we evaluated the results of PTK(phototherapeutic keratectomy) for granular corneal dystrophy. METHODS: 5 eyes (4 patients) with granular corneal dystrophy were treated by PTK using Summit ExiMed UV200 and VSIX Star excimer laser systems. The epithelium was removed mechanically with a surgical blade. We used methylcellulose 1.0% as a surface modulator before laser ablation. Focal ablations of the central cornea with an ablation zone of 6.0 mm were performed. Mean ablation depth was 105 +/- 15.81 micrometer (range; 80~120 micrometer) Additional hyperopic PRK was performed on 4 eyes out of 5 eyes at the corneal mid-periphery up to maximum +5.00 D to prevent post-PTK hyperopic shift. Mean follow up period was 54.4 +/- 23.43months (range; 24~84months). RESULTS: Removal of corneal opacities allowed for improvement in both uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity in all patients. There was an improvement in best-corrected visual acuity of a mean of 2.6 lines on the Snellen chart. Mean corneal thickness in the area of pathology decreased from 490.5 micrometer before surgery to 391.5 micrometer after surgery. There was a hyperopic shift in all the eyes in spite of additional hyperopic PRK by a mean of +2.44 +/- 0.99 D. There was mild recurrent dystrophic change in an eye but not significant enough to affect visual acuity during the follow up period. No major complications developed in any patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that PTK is a safe and effective alternative to penetrating and lamellar keratoplasty in patients with granular corneal dystrophy. Mild post-PTK hyperopic shift occurred in all patients in spite of combined hyperopic PRK up to maximum +5.00 D correction at the corneal mid- peripheral zone according to the refractive powers.
Cornea ; Corneal Opacity ; Corneal Transplantation ; Epithelium ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Excimer ; Methylcellulose ; Pathology ; Visual Acuity

A tectonic keratoplasty was performed with a keratoprosthesis using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene as a supporting skirt, on the left eye of a 23-year-old woman who needed an emergency corneal transplantation due to corneal perforation. The keratoprosthesis implanted, consisted of a supporting skirt which was made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and an optic portion which was made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The optic portion and the supporting skirt were attached by cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive (Histoacryl(R)). Two months post-operatively, the keratoprosthesis was extruded, leaving an opacified, vascularized cornea. A penetrating keratoplasty was performed 1 month later. The excised cornea was composed of granulation tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first case of tectonic keratoprosthesis using expanded PTFE as a supporting skirt in humans.
Adult ; Cornea/pathology/*surgery ; Corneal Opacity/pathology ; Female ; Granuloma/pathology ; Humans ; *Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; *Polytetrafluoroethylene ; *Prostheses and Implants ; Reoperation

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between corneal thickness and postmortem interval (PMI) in rabbit. METHODS: The rabbit model was established by air embolism. The rabbit cornea was sampled at 6-hour-interval from 0 to 72 h postmortem. After routine HE staining, the whole cornea image was collected by the optical microscope. Three markers were observed including corneal epithelial thickness (x1), corneal stromal thickness (x2) and whole corneal thickness (x3) using Motic Images Plus 2.0 image analysis software and the data were statistically analyzed to establish the regression function with PMI (y). RESULTS: Within 72 h postmortem, rabbit corneal stromal thickness and whole corneal thickness increased at 12h postmortem and reached the peak at 54h postmortem. The two markers showed positive correlation with PMI. The regression functions of the two markers were y = -0.070 2 x2(2) +11.398 x2 + 1634 (R2 = 0.712 2, P < 0.05) and y = -0.074 9 x3(2) +12.036 x3 + 1819.4 (R = 0.675 0, P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION The two markers of corneal stromal thickness and the whole corneal thickness showed the strong linear correlation with PMI. The correlation of the corneal stromal thickness is better than the whole corneal thickness. The two markers can be used to estimate PMI.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Cornea/pathology* ; Corneal Opacity/pathology* ; Corneal Stroma/pathology* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Postmortem Changes ; Rabbits ; Time Factors

No abstract available.
Adult ; Corneal Opacity/etiology/pathology/*surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Monitoring, Intraoperative/*methods ; Photorefractive Keratectomy/*adverse effects ; Postoperative Complications/etiology/pathology/*surgery ; Young Adult

A 62-year-old female visited our clinic with progressively decreased vision in both eyes beginning 12 years prior. Idiopathic corneal opacity in all layers of the cornea was found in both eyes. One year later, we performed penetrating keratoplasty on the undiagnosed right eye. During post-surgical follow-up, corneal edema and stromal opacity recurred, and penetrating keratoplasty was performed two more times. The patient's total serum protein level, which had previously been normal, was elevated prior to the final surgery. She was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. We made a final diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy-associated crystalline keratopathy after corneal biopsy. Monoclonal gammopathy-associated crystalline keratopathy is difficult to diagnose and may lead to severe visual loss. A systemic work-up, including serologic tests like serum protein or cholesterol levels, is needed in patients with unexplainable corneal opacity.
Corneal Edema/etiology/*metabolism/physiopathology/surgery ; Corneal Neovascularization/etiology/*metabolism/physiopathology/surgery ; Corneal Opacity/etiology/*metabolism/physiopathology/surgery ; Crystallins/*metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance/*complications/pathology ; Reoperation ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To identify the long term clinical course of amblyopia and strabismus that developed secondary to a monocular corneal opacity following suspected epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) in infancy. METHODS: This was a retrospective study analyzing the medical records of seven patients, treated in our clinic, who were followed for more than five years. RESULTS: Four patients in our clinic underwent a corneal ulcer treatment following suspected EKC. Each developed a monocular corneal opacity. Three patients with a chief complaint of corneal opacity were transferred to our clinic from other clinics. These patients had documented histories of treatment for EKC in infancy. All patients were treated with early occlusion therapy, but amblyopia persisted in four patients. Furthermore, all patients had strabismus and showed a significant reduction of stereoscopic vision. CONCLUSIONS: Although infants with EKC are not always cooperative, slit lamp examination should be performed as early as possible, and appropriate medical treatment should be performed, thus reducing the development of corneal opacity. Careful follow up should be regularly performed, and the occurrence of amblyopia or strabismus should be verified at an early stage using visual acuity or ocular alignment examination. Ophthalmologic treatments, including active occlusion therapy, should also be pursued.
Adenoviridae Infections/*complications/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Amblyopia/*etiology/pathology/physiopathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Corneal Opacity/*complications/pathology ; Disease Progression ; *Epidemics ; Eye Infections, Viral/*complications/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Keratoconjunctivitis/*complications/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Male ; Prognosis ; Refraction, Ocular ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Strabismus/*etiology/pathology/physiopathology ; Vision, Binocular ; Visual Acuity