Muhannd El Faouri

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptomatic dry eye among medical students and identify associated demographic and psychological factors. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among medical students enrolled at Jordanian universities during September 2025. Participants completed a structured electronic questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle characteristics, the validated Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and the validated Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with severe symptomatic dry eye. Results: A total of 311 medical students participated. The mean OSDI score was 34.84 ± 18.18, with 54.7% classified as having severe symptomatic dry eye. In multivariable logistic regression, perceived stress was associated with severe symptomatic dry eye after adjustment for measured covariates (adjusted OR = 1.056, 95% CI: 1.015–1.098, p = 0.007). Higher perceived stress was also associated with greater symptom severity (p = 0.001) and higher OSDI scores after adjustment (p = 0.010). Conclusions: Symptomatic dry eye symptoms were highly prevalent among medical students, and perceived stress was associated with greater symptom burden and severity after adjustment for measured covariates. These findings highlight the potential relevance of stress-related factors to ocular symptoms among medical students and encourage further investigation.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) without macular intervention on uveitis eyes with persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities in terms of visual acuity (VA), intraocular inflammation and macular profile. Methods: We carried out a single-center retrospective study of patients with uveitic eyes that underwent PPV without intervention on the macula due to persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities. The primary outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular inflammation and macular profile at 3, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Results: Twenty-seven eyes of twenty-six patients were analyzed. Overall, 77.8% had an improvement of VA (55% by 0.3 LogMAR or more); 62.5% of patients had no intraocular inflammation, and the number of patients on systemic steroids and second-line immunosuppressives was reduced by 26% at 12 months; 87.5% of patients had resolution of macular oedema at 12 months. Conclusion: PPV for persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities is safe and effective, showing beneficial outcomes in terms of improvement of BCVA and the reduction in inflammation.