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The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the oral procedures used in osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) surgery, and the demographics and oral findings of candidate patients in Singapore. The OOKP procedure utilizes an autologous tooth-bone complex to mount a poly-methylmethacrylate optical cylinder, as an artificial cornea, stabilized by an overlying autologous buccal mucosal graft. Consecutive patients referred over 3 years for dental evaluation prior to OOKP surgery were included. A total of 21 patients underwent oral clinical and radiographic evaluation. The aetiology of blindness included Stevens-Johnson's syndrome (11 cases), chemical burns (9 cases) and multiple failed corneal grafts (1 case). Evaluation revealed that 12 patients were suitable for OOKP surgery, 8 were at risk of complication or failure and 1 had no usable teeth. Fourteen patients have undergone unilateral OOKP Stage 1 surgery successfully. Complications included fracture of a tooth from its lingual bone necessitating the harvesting of a second tooth (1 case), oronasal perforation (1 case), exposure of adjacent roots (5 teeth), lower lip paresthesia (2 cases) and submucosal scar band formation in the buccal mucosal graft donor site (10 cases). Thirteen patients have completed Stage 2 surgery, with attainment of their best possible visual potential following OOKP surgery.

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and antiinflammatory efficacy of placing two Surodex (Oculex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) in the eye after cataract surgery in comparison with steroid eyedrops and to compare anterior versus posterior chamber placement. DESIGN: Randomized, masked, controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred four eyes of 104 Asian patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation were examined. Of these, 33 eyes of 33 patients served as control eyes (group A). INTERVENTION: Two Surodex pellets were inserted in the anterior chamber (AC) of 35 eyes (group B), and two Surodex pellets were inserted in the ciliary sulcus of 36 eyes (group C) at the conclusion of surgery. Control eyes received neither Surodex nor a placebo implant, but were prescribed conventional 0.1% dexamethasone eyedrops four times daily for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anterior chamber flare and cells were graded clinically at the slit lamp. Anterior chamber flare was assessed objectively with the Kowa FC500 Laser Flare Meter (Kowa Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Intraocular pressure and corneal endothelial specular microscopy with morphometric cell analysis were performed for up to 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Lower flare meter readings occurred in both Surodex groups at all postoperative visits, as compared with the dexamethasone eyedrop group, with statistical significance at days 4 (P = 0.001), 8 (P = 0.001), and 15 (P = 0.02). No difference in flare occurred between AC and ciliary sulcus placement. Clinical slit-lamp assessment of anterior chamber flare and cells showed no difference between Surodex-treated eyes and dexamethasone-treated eyes. Nine of 33 eyes (27.3%) in group A required steroid augmentation, as opposed to 4 of 71 eyes (5.6%) in groups B and C. Inflammatory symptoms were reduced in the Surodex-treated eyes, with statistical significance for ocular discomfort (P = 0.001), photophobia (P = 0.04), and lacrimation (P = 0.01). No complications occurred with Surodex-treated eyes, and no significant difference in endothelial cell loss was noted between Surodex-treated eyes and dexamethasone-treated eyes up to 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Intraocular placement of two Surodex is a safe and effective treatment method to reduce intraocular inflammation after cataract surgery and clearly is superior to eyedrops in reducing inflammatory symptoms and aqueous flare as measured with the laser flare meter. No difference in efficacy between AC placement and ciliary sulcus placement of Surodex was detected in this study.

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The Micromass Platform LCZ mass detector parameters were optimized for simultaneous recording of the protonated (CsA-H+), sodium adduct (CsA-Na+) and potassium adduct (CsA-K+) of cyclosporin A eluted from a Symmetry Shield RP8 column. The optimized procedure allows a precise analysis of CsA in whole blood or serum without removal of salts prior to analysis. The ratio of the three forms of CsA varied depending on the assay condition and the types of specimens being analyzed. The summation of three ionic forms of CsA detected by LC-ESI-MS is a reliable and simple method to assess CsA concentration in the blood.

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PURPOSE: To present a rare case of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis in an otherwise healthy contact lens wearer without human immunodeficiency virus infection who responded to treatment with systemic albendazole and topical fumagillin. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHOD: A cornea epithelial scraping from a man with unilateral keratoconjunctivitis previously treated with topical steroids was evaluated by modified trichome staining. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patient was evaluated for his symptoms, visual acuity, clinical observations, and pathologic examination of corneal scrapes. RESULTS: Modified trichome staining of an epithelial corneal scraping revealed pinkish to red organisms characteristic of microsporidia. Results of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test were negative. The symptoms of ocular discomfort and clinical signs of keratoconjunctivitis resolved after 2 months of treatment with albendazole and topical fumagillin. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular infection with microsporidia, although classically occurring in patients with HIV infection, may occur rarely in healthy individuals, especially if previously treated with systemic immune suppression or topical steroids. Microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a contact lens wearer with atypical multifocal diffuse epithelial keratitis.

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to culture and identify the spectrum of organisms (and their sensitivities) that contaminate the extended wear contact lenses of seamen in their working environment. A secondary aim was to identify the most appropriate first-line antibiotic regimen to be used on seamen who sustain contact lens-related corneal keratitis on board ship. METHODS: Twenty pairs of contact lenses of 20 seamen in one group and 24 pairs in another group wearing contact lenses were collected at the end of 1 week of extended wear. Groups one and two differed only in the way lenses were stored prior to culturing. All contact lenses were then brought to the microbiological lab within 24 hours for culture and sensitivity testing. RESULTS: The most common contaminants on the contact lenses in this study were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, organisms resident on the normal eyelids. Enterobacterand Pseudomonas species, present in a shipboard environment, were also identified as contaminants on the contact lenses. The organisms cultured from the contact lenses correlated well with those of normal lid flora as well as from the ship environment and are probably derived from these sources. Storage in saline-containing preservatives yielded significantly less positive bacterial cultures from the contact lenses in our study. All bacterial isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin whereas several bacteria resistant to cefazolin and gentamicin were identified. CONCLUSION: The most common contaminants on the contact lenses in this study were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, organisms resident on the normal eyelids. Enterobacter and Pseudomonas species, which are normally present in a shipboard environment, were also identified as contaminants on the contact lenses. Ciprofloxacin is effective against all organisms identified as contaminants on the contact lenses in this study. Of all the antibiotics tested, it is probably the most suitable agent against contact lensrelated keratitis under such shipboard circumstances and is thus recommended in these situations.

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Capsular block syndrome (CBS) has been recognized as a cause of immediate or delayed postoperative accumulation of fluid behind an intraocular lens/capsulorhexis complex. Hydrodissection-related rupture of the posterior capsule may be considered a variant of CBS that can manifest intraoperatively. We describe another intraoperative situation related to CBS in which fluid loculation during hydrodissection mimics a threatened expulsive hemorrhage.

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Capsular block syndrome (CBS) or capsular bag distension syndrome has been described after cataract removal with in-the-bag placement of a posterior chamber intraocular lens in the presence of an anterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis. Features of CBS include shallowing of the anterior chamber and an unexpected myopic overrefraction; occasionally, there is a persistent uveitis. The patient may be mistakenly diagnosed with pupil block glaucoma or endophthalmitis. We report 9 cases of CBS and their initial diagnoses and management. In 1 case, the capsular bag distention and anterior chamber shallowing are illustrated by ultrasound biomicroscopy.

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AIM: In Caucasian populations, premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) have been reported to have higher risks of developing refractive errors and strabimus. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rate of these complications in Asian premature infants with and without ROP. METHODS: A retrospective case review of all premature infants referred to the Singapore National Eye Centre for ophthalmology screening. These included all neonates born earlier than 34 weeks gestational age and less than 1500 grams in birth weight. Standardized ophthalmology examinations including cycloplegic refraction and fundus examination at regular intervals were performed to determine the presence of ROP, refractive errors, squints and other ocular abnormalities until the patients were 3 years old. RESULTS: During 1991 to 1993, a total of 113 neonates were reviewed. Of these, 16 (14.2%) developed ROP. The risk of ROP was higher with lower birth weights and earlier gestational ages. At 1-year follow-up, the rate of myopia was 33.3% in babies with ROP compared to 3.7% in babies with no ROP (p < 0.001). The higher rates of myopia in babies with ROP remained with longer follow-up (33.3% and 25% in ROP group versus 3.4% and 3.8% in no ROP group, at 2 and 3 years respectively). There was no difference in rates of astigmatism or hyperopia throughout the 3 years. At 1 year follow-up, the rate of strabismus was 20% in the ROP group compared to 4.9% in the no ROP group (p = 0.07). However, this difference in rates of strabismus was not significant at 2 and 3 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Premature babies with ROP had higher rates of myopia and strabismus than those without ROP. Long-term follow-up of these babies is important for early detection and treatment of these ocular problems.

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The management of ocular surface disease presents a significant challenge to ophthalmologists. Recent advances in the etiology and pathophysiology of ocular surface diseases, such as chemical and thermal burns or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, include the concept of the limbal stem cell. Limbal stem cell theory suggests that the corneal limbus contains epithelial stem cells that are responsible for a continuous supply of corneal epithelial cells, which not only migrate from the deep to superficial epithelial layers, but also progress in a centripetal direction, inward from the limbus. Support for this concept is provided indirectly by the relatively poor prognosis for penetrating keratoplasty for these types of ocular surface diseases. In such cases, it is suggested that limbal damage and depletion is present and is a significant factor in loss of integrity of the ocular surface; therefore, conventional penetrating keratoplasty, which does not include limbal tissue, does not have a high success rate.

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