PURPOSE: To investigate risk factors, clinical features, pathogenic organisms, and outcomes in patients with infectious scleritis. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of 20 patients with infectious scleritis who were admitted from January 2011 to December 2018 in a single tertiary hospital, with at least 3 months of follow-up. We analyzed age, risk factors, clinical manifestations, pathogenic organisms, treatment, and outcomes of infectious scleritis. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 69.2 ± 8.4 years and the mean duration of hospitalization was 11.3 ± 5.8 days. Furthermore, the mean duration of symptoms before presentation was 16.8 ± 13.9 days; patients were followed for a mean duration of 23.3 ± 25.4 months. All patients had prior pterygium surgery. Eighteen patients (90%) were culture-positive and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was identified in 12 eyes. In the acute stages, adjuvant surgical intervention was performed for 18 patients (90%) for these patients, the mean duration of hospitalization before surgery was 4.1 ± 4.4 days. CONCLUSIONS: The most common risk factor and pathogenic organism for infectious scleritis were prior pterygium surgery and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Identification of specific causative organisms and corresponding antibiotic treatment with adjuvant surgical intervention may improve visual prognosis in patients with infectious scleritis.
Eye Infections ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Pterygium ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Scleritis ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSEOcular trauma is one of the most common causes of acquired blindness in children. It measures about 8%-14% of total childhood injuries. This study aims to determine the epidemiological profile of ocular trauma in the pediatric age group attending a tertiary hospital in northern India.

METHODSA retrospective study was conducted in our hospital between June 2014 to July 2015 and all the children aged 0-16 years presenting with ocular trauma in eye outpatient department and emergency were enrolled in the study. Various epidemiological parameters like age, sex distribution, duration of presentation, mode of injury, type of injury and final visual outcome were analyzed.

RESULTSOf total 357 patients, 271 (76%) were below the age of 12 years; 41.1% of children with ocular trauma belonged to age group 2-6 years. The male to female ratio was 2.9:1. Out of total patients, 242 (67.8%) presented with closed globe injury. Among the closed globe injury, the history of fall was present in about 35% of children, followed by trauma while playing with bat/ball (15.7%) and finger nail trauma (13.2%). Among open globe injury, trauma with needle, knife, glass and pen were common causes. Home was the most common place of injury (47.8%), followed by streets (17.9%) and playground (14.9%).

CONCLUSIONChildren are vulnerable to ocular trauma and need more supervision. Sharp objects like needles, knives, household chemicals like acids should be out of reach of children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eye Injuries ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; India ; epidemiology ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND: Malignant hyperthermia is a rare but potentially fatal complication of anesthesia, and several different cognitive aids designed to facilitate a timely and accurate response to this crisis currently exist. Eye tracking technology can measure voluntary and involuntary eye movements, gaze fixation within an area of interest, and speed of visual response and has been used to a limited extent in anesthesiology. METHODS: With eye tracking technology, we compared the accessibility of five malignant hyperthermia cognitive aids by collecting gaze data from twelve volunteer participants. Recordings were reviewed and annotated to measure the time required for participants to locate objects on the cognitive aid to provide an answer; cumulative time to answer was the primary outcome. RESULTS: For the primary outcome, there were differences detected between cumulative time to answer survival curves (P < 0.001). Participants demonstrated the shortest cumulative time to answer when viewing the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) cognitive aid compared to four other publicly available cognitive aids for malignant hyperthermia, and this outcome was not influenced by the anesthesiologists’ years of experience. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to utilize eye tracking technology in a comparative evaluation of cognitive aid design, and our experience suggests that there may be additional applications of eye tracking technology in healthcare and medical education. Potentially advantageous design features of the SPA cognitive aid include a single page, linear layout, and simple typescript with minimal use of single color blocking.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesiology ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education, Medical ; Eye Movements ; Malignant Hyperthermia* ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVE: Uveitis is the most common extra-articular manifestation occurring in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study examined the characteristics of uveitis in patients with AS using a questionnaire survey. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was given to patients enrolled in an AS registry at a rheumatology clinic in a tertiary hospital between September 2015 and December 2015. The patients responded to several questions and sub-questions related to uveitis. RESULTS: A total of 750 patients participated in the survey. The number of patients diagnosed with uveitis in the ophthalmology department was 218 (29%). The most common symptoms in patients with uveitis were ocular injection (61%), eye pain (54%), and decreased visual acuity (51%). Interestingly, 91 of the 532 patients (17%) who had not been diagnosed with uveitis before also experienced similar symptoms, such as tearing, ocular injection, and eye pain. The number of patients who experienced a flare of uveitis more than once a year was 109 (50%), and 124 patients with uveitis responded that the treatment of AS had no significant effect on the prevention of uveitis recurrence. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of uveitis that patients experience was investigated through surveys. Because uveitis in patients with AS is not well diagnosed and treated, active screening for suspected symptoms and the prevention of a recurrence is needed.
Eye Pain ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Ophthalmology ; Recurrence ; Rheumatology ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tears ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Uveitis ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of dry eye in patients before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) and changes in ocular surface in the acute stage after aHSCT. METHODS: We evaluated 56 eyes of 28 patients after aHSCT at a tertiary hospital. All patients underwent a full ophthalmic examination at 1 month before aHSCT (baseline) and 1, 2 and 3 months after aHSCT and answered the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire to assess ocular involvement in the form of dry eye syndrome or any other ocular manifestation at each visit. Subjects were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence of dry eye at baseline. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity, tear break-up time, corneal fluorescein staining, Schirmer test, tear osmolarity and OSDI questionnaire. RESULTS: Dry eye was already present in 40 eyes of 20 patients (71.4%) suffering from hematological disease before aHSCT. Tear osmolarity was significantly increased at 1, 2 and 3 months after aHSCT compared with baseline in the dry eye group (each p < 0.01). Tear osmolarity also increased at 2 months after aHSCT and tear break-up time decreased at 3 months after aHSCT, which were statistically significant (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Other changes in ocular surface indices were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In the acute stage, changes in ocular surface indices such as Schirmer test and OSDI were not statistically significant. However, significant changes in tear osmolarity in both groups indicate that ophthalmic examination 1 or 2 months after aHSCT is recommended. Additionally, aggressive treatment is warranted when patients have dry eyes at baseline.
Dry Eye Syndromes ; Fluorescein ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematologic Diseases ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Humans ; Osmolar Concentration ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prevalence ; Tears ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: We report the first case in Korea of rapid bone formation on a subperiosteal orbital hematoma after trauma. CASE SUMMARY: A 10-year-old boy who was in the intensive care unit after trauma showed proptosis and ocular movement limitation of the right eye associated with subperiosteal hematoma. On ocular examination, 3 mm of proptosis and limitation of right eye movement were observed; however, visual acuity was not decreased. At 1 month after the trauma, orbital computed tomography (CT) showed new bone formation at the margin of the hematoma border although the size of the hematoma decreased. The patient underwent hematoma and bony tissue removal using anterior orbitotomy approach. A new bone was formed between the orbital border and hematoma from the anterior orbital margin to the orbital apex. During pathological examination, woven bone tissue with fibrotic tissue was observed in the hematoma wall. One year after surgery, the patient's proptosis and limitation of ocular movement disappeared without any evidence of new bone formation. CONCLUSIONS: Waiting for spontaneous absorption of orbital subperiosteal hematoma is usually recommended unless there is significant functional impairment. However, as in our case, new bone formation could occur during a short period of less than 1 month; imaging follow-up is necessary in patients having intensive care or showing delayed absorption of a hematoma.
Absorption ; Bone and Bones ; Child* ; Exophthalmos ; Eye Movements ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Male* ; Orbit* ; Osteogenesis ; Visual Acuity

Chromosome 11q13 deletion syndrome has been previously reported as either otodental syndrome or oculo-oto-dental syndrome. The otodental syndrome is characterized by dental abnormalities and high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, and by ocular coloboma in some cases. The underlying genetic defect causing otodental syndrome is a hemizygous microdeletion involving the FGF3 gene on chromosome 11q13.3. Recently, a new form of severe deafness, microtia (small ear) and small teeth, without the appearance of eye abnormalities, was also reported. In this report, we describe a 1-year-old girl presenting with ptosis of the left upper eyelid, right auricular deformity, high-arched palate, delayed dentition, simian line on the right hand, microcephaly, and developmental delay. In this patient, we identified a deletion in the chromosome 11q13.2-q13.3 (2.75 Mb) region by using an array-comparative genomic hybridization analysis. The deletion in chromosome 11q13 results in a syndrome characterized by variable clinical manifestations. Some of these manifestations involve craniofacial dysmorphology and require a functional workup for hearing, ophthalmic examinations, and long-term dental care.
Coloboma ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Congenital Microtia ; Deafness ; Dental Care ; Dentition ; Eye Abnormalities ; Eyelids ; Female ; Hand ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Microcephaly ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Palate ; Tooth ; Tooth Abnormalities

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the prevalence of ocular toxocariasis (OT) in patients with uveitis of unknown etiology who visited a tertiary hospital in South Korea and assessed the success of serum anti-Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a diagnostic test for OT. METHODS: The records of consecutive patients with intraocular inflammation of unknown etiology were reviewed. All participants underwent clinical and laboratory investigations, including ELISA for serum anti-Toxocara IgG. OT was diagnosed based on typical clinical findings. Clinical characteristics, seropositivity, and IgG titers were compared between patients diagnosed with OT and non-OT uveitis. The seropositivity and the diagnostic value of anti-Toxocara IgG was investigated among patients with different types of uveitis. RESULTS: Of 238 patients with uveitis of unknown etiology, 71 (29.8%) were diagnosed with OT, and 80 (33.6%) had positive ELISA results for serum anti-Toxocara IgG. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test were 91.5% (65 / 71) and 91.0% (152 / 167), respectively. The positive predictive value of the serum anti-Toxocara IgG assay was 81.3%. Among patients with anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis, the prevalence rates of OT were 8.3%, 47.1%, 44.8%, and 7.1%, respectively; the seropositivity percentages were 18.1%, 47.1%, 43.7%, and 17.9%; and the positive predictive values were 38.5%, 95.8%, 92.1%, and 40.0%. The serum anti-Toxocara IgG titer also significantly decreased following albendazole treatment. CONCLUSIONS: OT is a common cause of intraocular inflammation in the tertiary hospital setting. Considering that OT is more prevalent in intermediate and posterior uveitis, and that the positive predictive value of the anti-Toxocara IgG assay is high, a routine test for anti-Toxocara IgG might be necessary for Korean patients with intermediate and posterior uveitis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic/*blood ; Aqueous Humor/parasitology ; Child ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eye Infections, Parasitic/*diagnosis/epidemiology/parasitology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood/*immunology ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; *Tertiary Care Centers ; Toxocara canis/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Toxocariasis ; Uveitis/*diagnosis/epidemiology/parasitology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy, refractive predictability, stability and safety of Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) and Femtosecond Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis (F-LASIK) for the correction of myopia and astigmatism.

METHOD: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Committee of the St. Luke's Medical Center. A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Vision Laser Center of the St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City. All patients that underwent SMILE from January 2014 to July 2014, with adequate follow-up at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 1 year, were included in the study. Age-matched and refraction-matched patients, who underwent F-LASIK from January 2012 to April 2014, were chosen as comparators. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), attempted refraction versus achieved refraction and adverse events at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 1 year were compared postoperatively in both groups. Primary outcome measures were efficacy expressed as the percentage of eyes achieving UCVA of 20/25 or better during the postoperative follow-up, refractive predictability, safety and stability. 

RESULTS: Thirty-five eyes of 18 patients who underwent SMILE and 38 eyes of 19 patients who underwent FLASIK were included in the study. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent of both groups had no statistical difference, with -3.84 ± 1.31 D and -4.07 ± 1.39 D for SMILE and F-LASIK, respectively (p=0.801). At 1 week postoperatively, 51% and 97% achieved UCVA of 20/25 or better in the SMILE and F-LASIK groups. At 3 months, 97% had 20/25 vision or better for the SMILE group, while 100% had 20/25 vision or better for the F-LASIK group. At 1 year, both groups achieved 100% 20/25 or better vision. Three percent lost one line of BCVA in both groups at 1 year. Mean spherical equivalent (SE) between groups at 1 year showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.21), with 0.05 ± 0.18 D in the SMILE group and -0.1 ± 0.15 D in the F-LASIK group. No significant change in mean SE was observed within groups from 1 day to 1 year post op, p=0.166 for SMILE and p=0.226 for F-LASIK. At 1 year, 100% of the SMILE and F-LASIK groups were within ± 0.5 D of target refraction. No adverse events were noted in either group. 

CONCLUSION: SMILE was comparable to F-LASIK in terms of visual outcomes (efficacy, refractive predictability, stability) and safety for the treatment of myopia and astigmatism. However, a slight delay in visual improvement during the first week was observed in the SMILE group.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ ; Astigmatism ; Eyeglasses ; Advisory Committees ; Myopia ; Visual Acuity ; Eye ; Outcome Assessment (health Care)

PURPOSE: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protect healthcare workers from pandemic outbreaks. This study was designed to identify nurses' knowledge, attitude and perceptions on PPE. METHODS: Data were collected from 154 nurses working at a tertiary general hospital, where positively diagnosed and suspected patients were accepted and admitted during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak in 2015. The PPE tool consists of 20 items for knowledge, and 5 each for attitudes and perceptions. RESULTS: Overall, knowledge for PPE was higher thanmoderate (76.95/100), but there was a lack for items related to powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). For attitudes, willingness to work in pandemic outbreaks was the most positive (4.04/5.00). Goggles and PAPR were perceived as themost uncomfortable barriers to work. There was no correlation between knowledge, attitude and perceptions, despite a strong positive correlation between attitude and perceptions. PPE training was identified as a factor to improve knowledge and attitudes on PPE. CONCLUSION: To respond to pandemic influenza, nurses need to expand their knowledge on PPE up to Level C, and be updated through regular training. Study findings suggest that repetitive studies targeting nurses and other healthcare workers at various hospital settings are necessary.
Coronavirus Infections* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Eye Protective Devices ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus* ; Middle East* ; Pandemics ; Personal Protective Equipment* ; Ventilators, Mechanical