Nepalese Journal of Ophthalmology最新文献

Introduction: In Nepal, females suffer from disproportionately higher burden of blindness and vision impairment with low access to eye care. The available knowledge is inadequate to address the issues related to gender and generate information to reduce the gender disparity. The aim of this study was to determine female clients' satisfaction with services at eye facilities in Nepal and to estimate the cost of cataract surgery.

Materials and methods: Exit interviews were conducted in 2018 with 308 female clients from eight facilities in five districts. Face to face interviews were conducted using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire adopted from the midterm review of Vision 2020.

Results: The mean age of participants was 54±17 years. Ninety seven percent (97%) of the participants reported that they received service as per their expectation and were satisfied with the service of the facilities. Major factors for satisfaction were: thorough eye examination (54%), behavior of health staff (40%), and cleanliness of health facility (39%). Another eighty percent (80%) of the participants mentioned that they would recommend or return to the same facility. Fifteen percent of the participants perceived that they faced problems at the eye facility because of their gender. Around three quarters (73%) paid health expenses from their pocket. Most (83%) of the participants rated user fees as either reasonable or inexpensive.

Conclusion: The majority of participants reported receiving service as expected and willingness to return to the same eye health facility for future consultation. However, most participants had to pay the health care expenses out-of-pocket.

Introduction: The routine technique of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery for simple congenital blepharoptosis with poor levator action is cosmetically less rewarding due to either an absence or asymmetry of the postoperative eyelid crease. The objective of this study was to assess the eyelid crease quality after a modified open method of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery compared to the closed method.

Materials and methods: This was a retrospective comparative study reviewing the case sheets of all the patients undergoing unilateral tarso-frontalis suspension surgery with silicon rod employing Fox pentagon design from September 2017 to February 2019 at Mechi Eye Hospital, Jhapa, Nepal. A review of 40 case sheets of congenital lid ptosis with poor levator function(<4mm) aged 9 years or more was done. Tarso-frontalis suspension surgery, modified with a mini blepharoplasty incision, direct attachment of silicon rod to tarsus, completion of pentagon design with supra-brow incisions, and skin-orbicularis-tarsus-orbicularis-skin suture (open method) was done in 20 cases whereas other 20 cases underwent surgery with supraciliary stab incisions (closed method).

Results: The mean age of the patients was 21.1+5.9 years (range 9-30 years). The ptosis amount ranged from 3-10mm. At the 6th postoperative month, most of the cases had good ptosis correction (90% open group, 85% closed group, p=0.74). However, cosmetic outcomes were better in the open group compared to the closed group: 100% symmetrical eyelid crease compared to 40% (p<0.001) and 90% acceptance rate for eyelid contour compared to 70% (p=0.23).

Conclusion: Predictable, targeted, and symmetrical lid crease can be obtained using the modified open method of tarso-frontalis suspension surgery.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Thr715Pro P-Selectin gene polymorphism in patients with Diabetic Retinopathy in North Indian population and establish its role in the pathophysiology as an independent factor.

Materials and methods: This is a prospective clinical study conducted on 60 patients at a tertiary care centre in North India over a period of eighteen months. Sixty patients satisfying the inclusion criteria were selected from the Vitreoretina clinic in the department. They were categorised equally in three groups namely Diabetics with diabetic retinopathy (DwDR), Diabetics without diabetic retinopathy (DwoDR), and non diabetics. The non-diabetics group was further divided into healthy controls, Hypertensive Retinopathy (HR) and Non-exudative Age Related Macular Degeneration (NEAMD). All the patients underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation and blood samples were drawn for the genetic study with their informed consent. Data was analysed using SPSS software version 16.

Results: The genotypic analysis between DwDR, DwoDR and the three subgroup of controls comprising of healthy controls, HR and NEAMD showed that Thr715Pro (A/C) polymorphism prevalence was significantly high in DwDR (p = 0.003) and DwoDR (p = 0.003) compared to healthy controls. No significant difference was noted between DwDR, DwoDR and the HR and NEAMD groups.

Conclusion: Thr715Pro P-Selectin gene Polymorphism could not be established as an independent factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, as its association is found with other systemic diseases which create a prothrombotic state.

Introduction: Despite cataract being a condition easily treated by surgery, it continues to be the leading cause of blindness worldwide (35.15%). In Nepal, the proportion of blindness due to cataract is much higher, with cataract accounting for 62.2% of all blindness. An effective method of decreasing this figure is by addressing the main barriers preventing people from accessing cataract surgery. Knowing that these barriers are dynamic and region-specific, our study aimed to determine the current barriers faced in Morang and Sunsari districts of Nepal.

Materials and methods: Subjects were patients attending a cataract surgical camp, who had unilateral or bilateral blindness due to cataract. A survey was administered to determine the factors contributing to their delay in receiving treatment for cataract. Furthermore, the percentages of male and female subjects with bilateral blindness receiving treatment at the surgical camp were compared to the percentage of males and females with bilateral blindness due to cataract in Morang and Sunsari.

Results: The main barriers for both subjects with unilateral and bilateral blindness were the inability to afford treatment and the lack of awareness that cataract is treatable. Additionally, although more women were bilaterally blind due to cataract compared to men in Morang and Sunsari, men were more likely to receive treatment compared to women.

Conclusion: Policies targeted at reducing costs of surgery, increasing the awareness of cataract surgery, and specifically increasing women's access to cataract surgery would be effective methods in decreasing the prevalence of avoidable blindness due to cataract in Morang and Sunsari.

Introduction: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic recurrent allergic disorder of the eye more common in warm and dry climates like central India. Chronic and recurrent nature of disease requires long duration of treatment which leads to changes in ocular surface leading to cytomorphological distortion of goblet cells, that can be evaluated by impression cytology. Clinical presentation and impact of disease on cytomorphology of ocular surface was analysed in various forms of the VKC. The objective of this study was to find correlation of clinical profile and cytomorphological changes in ocular surface in patients with various forms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

Materials and methods: This cross sectional study analysed 120 eyes of 60 patients of various forms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Detailed history was taken along with complete ophthalmic examination. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis was graded as per Gokhale et al classification. Impression cytology for goblet cell morphology and metaplasia according to classification given by Saini et al was done. Cytological changes were noted for different age groups, duration of disease, and severity of disease.

Results: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis was seen more commonly in males and in the second decade of life which shows a changing trend towards higher age. Milder forms were more commonly present than moderate and severe forms. Mostly Grade 2 changes were seen on impression cytology.

Conclusion: Increasing severity, duration of disease and age of presentation was directly proportionate to greater cytological changes on ocular surface.

Introduction: Cryptophthalmus is characterized by a partial or complete casing of the eyeball by the skin. Cryptophthalmus alongside other systemic abnormalities is well-known as Fraser syndrome. It is an unusual genetic disorder with limited literature. The complexities of disease and limited experience pose challenges in its management.

Case: A two-day-male neonate was brought by his parents with a complaint of swelling in the right orbital region and deformed left eye since birth. Examination revealed bilobed globular swelling in the right orbital region covered by a continuous sheet of skin from forehead to cheek with no visible ocular tissue. On the left side, there was absence of upper lid margin and eyelashes and superior symblepharon. He also had bilateral ear abnormalities and right renal agenesis. Surgical intervention was done. On the right side, removal of the globe and cyst was done. On the left side, upper eyelid reconstruction with symblepharon release was done with amniotic membrane transplantation.

Conclusions: The management of cryptophthalmus is challenging. Reconstructive surgeries allow cosmesis but useful vision is rarely gained. This is the first case report from Nepal to date to the best of our knowledge.

Introduction: Fundus pathology in donor eyes was correlated with cross-sectional Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images and histological assessment was performed to determine the prevalence of retinal diseases without the constraints imposed during in vivo clinical imaging.

Material and methods: A fundus camera and OCT imaging system was adapted to enable posterior segment imaging of the entire post-mortem human eye. Retinas from 59 donors (57 retina pairs and two single globes) were imaged in a seven-field imaging format and cross-sectional analysis was done using OCT. To confirm that the signs observed represented true disease incidence analysis of disease markers including gliosis (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein), hemichannel expression (Connexin43), Müller cell activation (vimentin) and choroidal endothelial cells (CD-31) and macrophages (CD-68 marker) was performed.

Results: Pathological signs were correlated with clinical diagnoses in eyes from 25 donors (donor ages 45-87 years) but lesions were also found in 23 eyes (donor ages 39- 83 years) with no previously reported clinical diagnosis. Retinas from six donors aged 21-89 years of age were unremarkable. Of all donors, five donors had signs of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and 14 had signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Their lesions correlated with OCT and histopathology showed signs of activated microglia, Müller cell hyper-reactivity, increased Cx43 expression and choroidal inflammation. These data indicate that with over 8% of donors showing signs of AMD and 24% of donors showing signs of DR the incidence of AMD may be 1.7 times higher and DR up to 1.6 times higher than clinically reported.

Conclusions: The detection of pathological signs characteristic of AMD and DR in donors suggests a higher prevalence of posterior segment abnormalities amongst New Zealanders donors than previously reported. A more detailed evaluation protocol of the posterior segment in patients will aid detection of lesions that are none the less pathological signs.

We read with keen interest the article by Shah et al "Pathologic Risk Factor in Retinoblastoma: An Institutional Experience Based on Analysis of Enucleated Eyes"(Shah A et al, 2012). They have highlighted high-risk histopathological features in Retinoblastoma with retrolaminar optic nerve invasion being the most common and also showed statistically significant correlation of high risk histological features with tumor size and AJCC stage of tumor. Their aim to assess the frequency and spectrum of high risk histopathological features in enucleated specimens of retinoblastoma was successful which may guide the clinician in timely planning for subsequent neoadjuvant therapy and prevent further ocular morbidity and mortality in children. We would like to congratulate authors for this article and with invoked interest it led us to go in more depth and we wish to discuss several aspects of the study that can potentially influence the results.

Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical presentations and management of various Orbito-ocular malignancies in Nepal.

Materials and methods: This is a prospective study of ocular malignant cases conducted at a tertiary care eye hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. One hundred and seventeen newly diagnosed eyes with ocular malignancy of 106 patients presenting to the clinic in a year from September 2018 to August 2019 were included for analysis. Patients' demography, clinical features, various types of malignancies seen in eyes and their management were evaluated.

Results: The mean age of patients was 30.35 years with a range from 1 month to 84 years and standard deviation of 26.63. 56% of the total were male. Red eyes and visible mass were the most common symptoms in 23% with intraocular contents in 48% being the most common site involved. Different types of ocular malignancies were detected, among which retinoblastoma was the most common in 38% of patients. Diagnosis in most patients was clinical and/or radiological; incision biopsy was required in 1.7% patients only. Surgical excision of the tumor was the most common treatment done in 29% followed by enucleation in 27% of eyes. Bilateral involvement of the eyes was seen in 10% of the patients.

Conclusion: Malignant orbito-ocular tumors can be seen in any age group. Retinoblastoma is the commonest malignancy seen. With the help of imaging, diagnosis is near accurate; hence biopsy is not required in most cases before commencing treatment.

Introduction: Eye examination and different procedures performed in close contact with eye and face, put medical and non medical staff of an eye hospital at higher risk for COVID-19. This causes increased psychological burden. The objective of this study was to find out depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia among Mechi Eye Hospital staff.

Materials and methods: A web based cross-sectional study among Mechi Eye Hospital staff was done from 1st to 20th July 2020. Insomnia Severity Scale and DASS-21 were used.

Results: Out of 220, 190 (86.6%) participated, 63.2% were female and 61.05% were medical staff with an overall mean age of 31.1±8.4 years. Overall prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress were 20.5%, 18.9%, 16.3% and 12.6% respectively and those were common in female with 63.9% (p value <0.02), 64.1% (p value 0.5), 58.4% (p value 0.2) and 100% (p value <0.01) respectively. Depression, anxiety and insomnia were common in the age group 30-39 years (50%, p value< 0.02), 20-29 years (56.4%, p value 0.1) and 20-29 years (70.9%, p value 0.8) respectively. Stress was common in 20-29 years and 30-39 years, 45.8% each (p value <0.03). Depression (75%, p value 0.2), anxiety (71.7%, p value 0.9) and stress (70.8%, p value 1.0) were common in medical staff. Insomnia was present in medical staff only (p value<0.01).

Conclusion: Mechi Eye Hospital staff had greater prevalence of psychological reaction than the national baseline during the pandemic which was more common in female, younger age and medical staff.