PURPOSE: We report a case of a horizontally penetrating injury of corneal stroma via an ejected irrigating needle during stromal hydration in cataract surgery. CASE SUMMARY: A 79-year-old woman presented with decreased visual acuity in her right eye. Her best corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 0.3. The cataract score of her right eye was nuclear opacity 3, cortical opacity 1−2, and posterior subcapsular opacity 1. She underwent phacoemulsification using a clear corneal approach while under topical anesthesia, and an intraocular lens was successfully implanted in the bag. A plastic syringe with an irrigating needle was used to hydrate the corneal stroma at the clear cornea site. As a result of the increased pressure applied to the connection between the syringe and irrigating needle, the loosened irrigating needle was forcefully ejected toward the corneal endothelium, horizontally penetrating the stroma without injuring the corneal epithelium. On the 1st postoperative day, her right eye exhibited a visual acuity of 0.5, astigmatism of −1.25 diopter (D) cyl., corneal edema with Descemet's folds, and insignificant scarring of the corneal endothelium. Three weeks after surgery, the visual acuity was 0.9, the astigmatism was −0.50 D, and any other abnormalities such as corneal opacity were no longer present. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a penetrating needle injury through the corneal endothelium and stroma, the corneal wound healing process did not result in corneal opacity or worsened astigmatism. To prevent sequela due to an ejected irrigating needle, operators and assistants should be actively aware of tight locking between the needle and syringe.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Astigmatism ; Cataract ; Cicatrix ; Cornea ; Corneal Edema ; Corneal Opacity ; Corneal Stroma ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Epithelium, Corneal ; Female ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Needles* ; Phacoemulsification ; Plastics ; Syringes ; Visual Acuity ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal injection on the corneal endothelium according to the injected drug. METHODS: The present study included 118 eyes of 113 patients who received intravitreal injection. Before each injection and 1 month after the injection, specular microscopy was performed to evaluate the corneal endothelial changes and central corneal thickness. We classified the patients according to the injected drug (bevacizumab 21 eyes, ranibizumab 20 eyes, aflibercept 47 eyes, dexamathasone implant 30 eyes), phakic or pseudophakic eyes, single or multiple injections and analyzed them retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean corneal endothelial cell density was 2,693.2 ± 298.2 cells/mm² before injection and 2,686.8 ± 288.7 cells/mm² 1 month after injection, and there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.731). According to the kind of drug, the mean corneal endothelial cell density and central corneal thickness were not significantly different before and 1 month after injection in any of the 4 groups. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant changes in corneal endothelium before and 1 month after intravitreal injection of the various drugs.
Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections* ; Microscopy ; Ranibizumab ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of intracameral bevacizumab in patients with neovascular glaucoma. METHODS: This retrospective study included 26 eyes of 26 neovascular glaucoma patients who received intracameral bevacizumab injection between January 2013 and May 2015, and were followed-up for at least 1 year. All patients were treated with topical and/or systemic intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medications, intracameral bevacizumab, and panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). The main outcome measures were changes in visual acuity, IOP, and neovascularization of the iris (NVI) and the anterior chamber angle (NVA). To assess the safety of intracameral bevacizumab, corneal endothelial changes were also determined using specular microscopy. Patients whose IOP was uncontrolled received IOP-lowering surgery. Clinical factors associated with IOP-lowering surgery were also investigated. RESULTS: In all patients, intracameral bevacizumab resulted in a rapid and marked reduction of IOP, NVI, and NVA within 1 week. At 12 months after initial injection, 19 of 26 eyes (73%) underwent IOP-lowering surgery. The average interval between initial injection and surgical treatment was 33.6 ± 26.9 days. Baseline IOP (p = 0.018), NVA grade (p = 0.029), and incomplete PRP (p = 0.005) were identified as predictive factors for IOP-lowering surgery. During the follow-up period, there were no statistically significant corneal endothelial changes after intracameral bevacizumab injection. CONCLUSIONS: During 1 year of follow-up after intracameral bevacizumab, the procedure was found to be safe for the corneal endothelium. However, the IOP-lowering effect was transient, and 73% of patients eventually required IOP-lowering surgery. Predictive factors for IOP-lowering surgery were high baseline IOP and NVA grade, and incomplete PRP.
Anterior Chamber ; Bevacizumab* ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Neovascular* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris ; Light Coagulation ; Microscopy ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Retrospective Studies ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of preoperative corneal endothelial status on postoperative corneal endothelium density after cataract surgery. METHODS: We evaluated 228 eyes of 158 patients who underwent cataract surgery. Corneal endothelial status and central corneal thickness were measured before surgery and 1 day, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Patients were classified by preoperative endothelial cell density (three groups) and their coefficients of variation and hexagonality (two groups). Clinical parameters, including corneal endothelial cell losses, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, spherical equivalent refraction and central corneal thickness were measured to compare the intergroup indices. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in corneal endothelial cell losses at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery in any of the groups based on corneal endothelial cell density. There were increases in corneal thickness at 1 day and 1 month after surgery that were significantly higher in the low-endothelial cell density group than the 2,000-2,500 cells/mm² cell density group (p < 0.05), but there were no differences after the 3-month time point. There were no significant differences in clinical parameters for the coefficient of variation and hexagonality groups until 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We observed reversible corneal edema in the low endothelial group; however, there were no significant intergroup differences in corneal endothelial cell loss due to preoperative corneal endothelial status. Our results suggest that cataract surgery is relatively safe for patients with morphologically abnormal corneal endothelium and/or low endothelial density; the safety is primarily due to improved equipment and surgery techniques.
Cataract* ; Cell Count ; Corneal Edema ; Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Phacoemulsification ; Visual Acuity

This study was conducted to establish the feasibility of corneal transplantation using the big-bubble technique (BBT) to perform deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in three dogs. After the cornea was trephined 750 µm, 4 mL of air was injected, and the blanched stroma was removed to expose Descemet's membrane (DM). The donor corneal button, which was gently stripped off the DM, was sutured onto the bare DM of the recipient cornea. The dogs received topical antibiotics every 6 h for 7 days and 2% cyclosporine ointment every 12 h for 1 month. The eyes were examined post-operatively at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 150 days. The central portion of the transplanted cornea stayed transparent while corneal haze developed around the transplanted margin. Menace response was normal even though the transplanted cornea was edematous until 3 weeks after surgery. A marginal haze was rarely observed between the donor and recipient corneas at 150 days after the operation. A spotted haze developed in the central part of the deep stroma near the DM. Upon histopathological examination, the stroma and epithelium of the donor cornea had normal structures. Corneal transplantation using DALK with BBT can be performed in dogs preserving the healthy endothelium.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cornea ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Cyclosporine ; Descemet Membrane ; Dogs* ; Endothelium ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUNDThe endothelium should be carefully evaluated when choosing a surgical technique for cataract removal. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of different cataract surgery techniques on endothelial cell loss in transplanted corneal grafts.

METHODSA total of 54 patients who received complicated cataract surgery in post-penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) eyes at the Shandong Eye Institute between February 2001 and June 2014 were included, and clinical records were reviewed. Baseline demographic details, clinical characteristics, endothelial cell density (ECD), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were recorded. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to test the equality of medians. A regression model was constructed to compare the reduced rate of ECD.

RESULTSOf the 54 eyes included in this study, extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) was performed in 34 eyes of 33 patients (ECCE group) whereas phacoemulsification was performed in 20 eyes of 20 patients (phacoemulsification group). There was no significant difference in the median age (P = 0.081) or preoperative ECD (P = 0.585) between the two groups. At 6 months after cataract surgery, ECD in ECCE group was significantly higher than that in phacoemulsification group (P = 0.043). In addition, the endothelial cell loss rate in ECCE group was significantly lower than that in phacoemulsification group at 2 months (P = 0.018), 4 months (P < 0.001), and 6 months (P < 0.001) after cataract surgery. Endothelial cell loss rate after cataract surgery increased over the 6-month study duration in both ECCE group (P < 0.001) and phacoemulsification group (P < 0.001), but phacoemulsification resulted in a greater reduction in ECD than that of ECCE in transplanted corneal grafts (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in postoperative BCVA between the two groups (P = 0.065).

CONCLUSIONECCE is more suitable than phacoemulsification in cataract surgery in complicated cataract after PKP.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cataract ; pathology ; Cataract Extraction ; adverse effects ; Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Endothelium, Corneal ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phacoemulsification ; adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To report four cases of split cornea transplantation involving separate Descemet membrane keratoplasty and Deep anterior lamella keratoplasty from a single cornea. CASE SUMMARY: Four donor corneas were separated into the endothelium and other layers. The endothelial layers were transplanted into 4 pseudophakic bullous keratopathy patients, and the other layers were stored in corneal storage media. Deep anterior lamella keratoplasties were performed with the stored corneas in 2 lipid keratopathy and 2 keratoconus patients. Postoperatively, all grafted corneas were stable. CONCLUSIONS: The authors report the first 4 cases of split cornea transplantation in Korea, which is experiencing a shortage of donated corneas. Split cornea transplantation will be of benefit to a large number of patients by separating a single cornea into separate layers to be implanted into two patients.
Cornea* ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Descemet Membrane ; Endothelium ; Humans ; Keratoconus ; Korea ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To compare changes in corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) after Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation and trabeculectomy. METHODS: Changes in corneal endothelium in patients that underwent AGV implantation or trabeculectomy were prospectively evaluated. Corneal specular microscopy was performed at the central cornea using a non-contact specular microscope before surgery and 6 months and 12 months after surgery. The CECD, hexagonality of the endothelial cells, and the coefficient of variation of the cell areas were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Forty eyes of 40 patients with AGV implantation and 28 eyes of 28 patients with trabeculectomy were studied. Intraocular pressure in the AGV implantation group was significantly higher than that in the trabeculectomy group (p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in other clinical variables between the two groups. In the AGV implantation group, the mean CECD significantly decreased by 9.4% at 6 months and 12.3% at 12 months compared with baseline values (both, p < 0.001), while it decreased by 1.9% at 6 months and 3.2% at 12 months in the trabeculectomy group (p = 0.027 and p = 0.015, respectively). The changes at 6 months and 12 months in the AGV implantation group were significantly higher than those in the trabeculectomy group (p = 0.030 and p = 0.027, respectively). In the AGV implantation group, there was a significant decrease in the CECD between baseline and 6 months and between 6 months and 12 months (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). However, in the trabeculectomy group, a significant decrease was observed only between baseline and 6 months (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Both the AGV implantation group and the trabeculectomy group showed statistically significant decreases in the CECD 1 year after surgery. The decrease in CECD in the AVG implantation group was greater and persisted longer than that in the trabeculectomy group.
Cell Count ; Endothelium, Corneal/*pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma/diagnosis/physiopathology/*surgery ; *Glaucoma Drainage Implants ; Humans ; *Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Prosthesis Implantation/*methods ; Time Factors ; Trabeculectomy/*methods ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To report a case of recurred iris cyst 11 years after treatment with endodiathermy, which was treated with laser photocoagulation and cystotomy followed by intraocular pressure elevation and underwent anterior chamber irrigation. CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female presented to our department with decreased vision in her left eye that had persisted for several months. The patient had a history of surgical removal of an iris cyst with endodiathermy 11 years ago. Slit lamp examination showed an iris cyst adjacent to the nasal corneal limbus. The cyst was filled with turbid fluid. It distorted the pupil and threatened visual axis. Iris cystotomy (diameter larger than 500 microm) was done with diode laser photocoagulation and a neodymiumdoped yttrium aluminium garnet laser. At the same day, the patient's intraocular pressure elevated to 50 mm Hg in spite of maximal conservative treatment and went through anterior chamber irrigation. After six months, the iris cyst was adhered to corneal endothelium and disappeared. Visual acuity and intraocular pressure was within normal range. CONCLUSIONS: An iris cyst can recur after treatment with endodiathermy. Recurred iris cyst can be successfully treated with laser photocoagulation and cystotomy. However, turbid fluid inside the cyst may outflow to the anterior chamber and cause secondary ocular hypertension after treatment, so careful observation is needed.
Anterior Chamber ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cystotomy* ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Female ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris* ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Light Coagulation* ; Limbus Corneae ; Middle Aged ; Ocular Hypertension ; Pupil ; Reference Values ; Visual Acuity ; Yttrium

PURPOSE: To describe a case of sympathetic ophthalmia due to corneal perforation caused by exposure keratitis in a patient with recurrent sphenoid wing meningioma. CASE SUMMARY: A 34-year-old female patient presented with proptosis in her left eye caused by left sphenoid greater wing meningioma despite tumor debulking surgery and radiation treatment. The cornea was perforated with prolapsed iris due to exposure keratitis, thus enucleation of the left eye was performed. After 2 weeks, an inflammatory reaction occurred in both eyes, keratic precipitates on corneal endothelium, exudative retinal detachment, and multiple granulomatous nodules on the right eye retina. The patient was diagnosed with sympathetic ophthalmia, thus enucleation of the left eye and debulking of the tumor were performed followed by a high-dose intravenous steroid therapy. At 5 months postoperatively, slit lamp biomicroscope showed no chamber reaction; improved disc swelling and exudative retinal detachment in the right eye were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite conservative treatment for exposure keratitis due to proptosis caused by malignant sphenoid meningioma, corneal perforation can develop. Because sympathetic ophthalmia can occur, the other eye should be monitored.
Adult ; Cornea ; Corneal Perforation* ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Humans ; Iris ; Keratitis ; Meningioma* ; Ophthalmia, Sympathetic* ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment