RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has affected everyday clinical practice, having an impact on the quality of healthcare provided, even in eye clinic departments. The aim of this study is to evaluate the consequences of this worldwide pandemic on cataract surgery in a Greek tertiary university hospital. METHODS: A total of 805 patients were included in this study. The number of cataract surgeries (CS), the type, the unilateral or bilateral appearance as well as the stage of cataract were recorded for the months between January and June 2019 (pre-COVID period) and compared with the same period in 2021 (during the pandemic outbreak) in the Department of Ophthalmology of Thessaloniki General Hospital G. Papanikolaou. RESULTS: A significant reduction in the number of CS as well as a significant increase in advanced and/or bilateral cataracts in 2021 compared to the pre-COVID period were observed. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected equally the value of ophthalmic interventions as well as the patients' quality of life, being a powerful reminder of the significant physical and psychological benefits of CS, especially for older adults and patients with comorbidities.
RESUMEN
Hidrocystomas are benign lesions with frequent localization on the eyelids and common appearance as isolated translucent cystic lesions. The multiple and bilateral localization has been associated with systemic diseases or epidermodysplasia. The histological and ultrastructural study contributes to the distinction in eccrine or apocrine. In this clinical case, multiple bilateral skin lesions of the eyelids were removed surgically from a 55-year-old male patient with free medical history. The lesions were fully removed surgically without rupture of the cysts. The obtained tissues were fixed and prepared for an anatomical pathology study as well as observation under the electron microscope. The histological study revealed cystic lesions with low cuboid epithelium and presence of cells and collagen fibrils, while the ultrastructural study also revealed the presence of apoptotic and secretory cells as well as vacuolization of the cytoplasm. No relapse of the lesions was obtained. In conclusion, the histological and ultrastructural study of multiple hidrocystomas can highlight special features that help to better classify and diagnose eccrine or apocrine hidrocystomas, while surgical removal without rupture of the cyst can prevent reappearance.