PURPOSE: To establish the strength of the association between routine tear function tests and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) and to determine whether they simulate the morphological and cytological changes that occur on the ocular surface in dry eye. What are the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of these tests when CIC is considered the gold standard? METHODS: The tear film profile included tear film break up time (TBUT), Schirmer's-1, Rose Bengal scores (RBS), and impression cytology. CIC samples were obtained from the inferior bulbar conjunctiva and stained with periodic acid-Schiff and counter stained with hematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS: The mean Schirmer's value was 11.66 +/- 5.90 in patients and 17.17 +/- 2.97 in controls (p < 0.001). The mean TBUT in participants was 8.88 +/- 3.54 and 13.53 +/- 2.12 in controls (p < 0.001). Patients had a mean goblet cell density (GCD) of 490 +/- 213, while the value for controls was 1,462 +/- 661 (p < 0.001). Abnormal CIC was observed in 46.7% cases of dry eye and in 32.8% of controls. The correlation coefficient (L) for Schirmer's was 0.2 and 0.24 for participants and controls, respectively, while TBUT values were 0.26 and 0.38, RBS were 0.5 and 0.5, and GCD was 0.8 and 0.6 in cases and controls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GCD, RBS, and TBUT were better predictors of morphological and cytological changes in the conjunctiva than Schirmer's in dry eye syndrome. The sensitivity of tear function tests in diagnosing dry eye was TBUT > Schirmer's > RBS, and the specificity was Schirmer's > TBUT > RBS in decreasing order when CIC was considered the gold standard.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Conjunctiva/pathology ; Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological/*standards ; Dry Eye Syndromes/*diagnosis/*pathology ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS)/diagnostic use ; Female ; Goblet Cells/pathology ; Hematoxylin/diagnostic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmology/*standards ; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction/standards ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Rose Bengal/diagnostic use ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; *Tears ; Young Adult

Objective: To describe a unique situation of a sewing needle lodged in the parapharyngeal space and elucidate the problems encountered in its successful removal. Methods: Design: Case Report. Setting: Tertiary Private Hospital. Patient: One. Result: A 24-year-old male tailor accidentally swallowed a sewing needle that pierced the oropharyngeal wall and was wedged in the parapharyngeal space. After a thorough physical examination, 70 degree rod endoscopy, radiography and doppler ultrasonography and intraoperative C-arm X-ray for intraoperative localization and as a guide for extraction all yielded less than optimal guidance. Although an intra-oral approach was initially taken, the transcervical approach provided the best access. Conclusion Removal of a sharp foreign body in the parapharyngeal space should be considered a surgical emergency owing to its close proximity to vital structures and the potential for serious complications. Identifying the exact location may require a variety of imaging modalities, and foreign body extraction may entail multiple surgical approaches.
Foreign Bodies ; Parapharyngeal Space