Ali A. Haydar

Purpose: To report a case of perforated fungal keratitis after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) treated with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 41-year-old woman presented with culture-proven unilateral fungal keratitis 4 days after uneventful SMILE. Her visual acuity was hand motion. The patient was treated with voriconazole irrigation (50 μm/0.1 ml) of the pocket and intrastromal voriconazole injection, in addition to systemic and topical antifungals. Despite aggressive management and decreased infiltration, the cornea was perforated and subsequently treated with PKP. Conclusions: Infectious keratitis after SMILE is unusual. To our knowledge, this is the first report of perforated fungal keratitis post-SMILE. PKP eradicated the infection.

PURPOSE: To investigate predicting factors of visual acuity improvement and achieving uncorrected (UDVA) or corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity supernormal vision (⩾ 15/10; Snellen 20/13) 1 year after refined transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK). METHODS: In this retrospective case series, a total of 155 eyes with myopia (mean ± standard deviation = −3.53 ± 1.81 diopters) with and without astigmatism (range = 0.25 to 4.50 diopters) were recruited and observed for 1 year. Patients underwent refined single-step TransPRK using the SCHWIND AMARIS 500 laser (SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH, Kleinostheim, Germany). The main predicting factors of postoperative supernormal vision and visual acuity improvements were sought by statistical modeling. RESULTS: Logistic models showed mesopic contrast sensitivity, high laser fluence, and coma higher-order aberration (HOA) as predicting factors for both UDVA and CDVA super-normal vision. Myopia, astigmatism, dynamic cyclotorsion correction, optical zone, and transitional zone showed associations only in simple models and were not retained in multivariable models. According to the linear regression models, CDVA, mesopic contrast sensitivity, coma HOA, and keratometry were common predictors of both postoperative UDVA and CDVA improvement compared to preoperative UDVA. Astigmatism, optical and transitional zones, and high laser fluence were common predictors only in simple regression models. CONCLUSIONS: Through statistical modeling, preoperative CDVA, mesopic contrast sensitivity, coma HOA, and simulated keratometry were found to be the main factors that predicted improvement of both postoperative CDVA and UDVA compared to preoperative CDVA. Furthermore, mesopic contrast sensitivity, coma HOA, and high laser fluence were the common predictors of achieving both CDVA and UDVA supernormal vision 1 year after refined single-step TransPRK. [ J Refract Surg. 2019;35(12):771–780.]

Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) was introduced to prevent complications from conventional PRK and femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). In the 2-step platform, phototherapeutic keratectomy is followed by PRK. It did not show notable safety or efficacy superiorities over conventional PRK. In the conventional single-step transepithelial PRK, ablation of epithelium and stroma occurs in a single continuous session by an Amaris laser. It showed better comparative safety results. Reverse single-step transepithelial PRK and the platform using smart-pulse technology were recent improvements in the single-step Amaris laser. They provide a smoother postablative stromal bed counter. In the refined single-step platform, a modified nomogram is used for determination of ablation parameters, along with modifications in postablative measures. It yielded better comparative results in hyperopia. Controlled trials comparing reverse, smart-pulse technology-equipped, or refined platforms of single-step transepithelial PRK with other modern laser-assisted methods could provide more robust evidence on the topic. Some key elements with significant roles in post-transepithelial PRK outcomes are discussed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report an unusual first manifestation of Coats’ disease presenting as an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack in an adult patient. Patients and Methods: A 37-year-old African woman presented to the emergency department with severe headache, ocular pain, and no light perception in the left eye. The left pupil was middilated and nonreactive, and the intraocular pressure (IOP) by applanation tonometry was 47 mm Hg. Slit-lamp examination revealed anterior subcapsular opacification (glaukomflecken), posterior synechiae, and total angle closure with iris bombé. A fundus examination revealed macular exudation, inferior vascular dilation, and tortuosity with peripheral telangiectasia and macroaneurysms, in addition to partial exudative retinal detachment involving the macula. On the basis of these findings, Coats’ disease was diagnosed. Results: The patient was treated with antiglaucoma medications and laser peripheral iridotomy to control the IOP, which had decreased to 21 mm Hg the following day. Diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation was performed to further decrease the IOP. After completing a 360 degree laser, the IOP decreased to 8 mm Hg and then stabilized around 12 mm Hg. The vision remained no light perception; however, the patient felt major symptomatic relief. Conclusions: The present case describes acute angle-closure glaucoma as an initial presentation of Coats’ disease in adults. Clinicians should be aware that this unique presentation in Coats’ disease can occur even without retinal detachment.

To describe the technique of simultaneous keratolimbal autograft and penetrating autokeratoplasty to restore monocular vision of a blind patient with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). A patient with acquired monocular vision due to loss of the left eye owing to LSCD postblast injury presented with acute loss of vision in the right eye due to central retinal artery occlusion. Simultaneous keratolimbal autograft and penetrating autokeratoplasty were performed in attempt to restore his vision in the left eye. Postoperatively, the anterior chamber was well formed along with mild graft edema on day 1. Topo-guided suture removal was started at 4 months. The graft maintained clear transparency at 1-year follow-up, and the best-corrected visual acuity improved from hand movement to 20/50. Keratolimbal autograft and penetrating autokeratoplasty, as a one-stage procedure, proved to be effective in restoring monocular vision in a patient with LSCD.

Beta-thalassaemia, an autosomal recessive haemoglobinopathy, ranks among the most frequent monogenetic diseases globally. The severe form of the disease, beta-thalassaemia major, is accompanied by progressive involvement of multiple organ systems as a result of the disease pathophysiology as well as iron overload from blood transfusions on a regular basis. Some of the manifestations might also be caused by medications used to manage iron overload. The purpose of this review is to highlight the rheumatological complications of beta-thalassaemia, which include musculoskeletal manifestations, such as arthritis and arthropathies, joint effusions, osteoporosis, bone fractures and myalgias, in addition to CTDs, such as pseudoxanthoma elasticum. Rheumatologists are strongly encouraged to take part in a multidisciplinary approach to the management of this debilitating disease.

Epilepsy and seizures are reported among the neurological manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) at a prevalence rate of approximately 8%, which is nearly 10 times the prevalence of epilepsy in the general population. The association of seizures with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) is even more significant in the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this review, we discuss the epidemiological, pathophysiological, laboratory, clinical, and radiological aspects of this association, and derive suggestions on when to consider testing for aPL in epileptic patients and how to manage seizures secondary to APS based on literature data. Epilepsy due to APS should be considered in young patients presenting with seizures of unknown origin. Temporal lobe epilepsy seems to be particularly prevalent in APS patients. The pathogenesis is complex and may not only involve micro-thrombosis, but also a possible immune-mediated neuronal damage. Patients with seizures and positive aPL tend to develop thrombocytopenia and livedo racemosa more frequently compared with those without aPL. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the imaging modality of choice in these patients. The presence of SLE and the presence of neurological symptoms significantly correlate with the presence of white matter changes on MRI. In contrast, the correlation between aPL positivity and the presence of white matter changes is very weak. Furthermore, MRI can be normal in more than 30–40% of neuropsychiatric lupus patients with or without aPL. aPL testing is recommended in young patients presenting with atypical seizures and multiple hyper-intensity lesions on brain MRI in the absence of other possible conditions. New MRI techniques can better understand the pathology of brain damage in neuro-APS. The therapeutic management of epileptic APS patients relies on anti-epileptic treatment and anticoagulant agents when there is evidence of a thrombotic event. In the absence of consensual recommendations, the decision of lifelong anticoagulation is discussed on a case-by-case basis. The anti-thrombotic benefit of hydroxychloroquine and statins is supported by several studies.