Purpose: To describe the characteristics of the donor and recipient, indications, surgical techniques, and survival results obtained from patients with corneal transplants performed at Fundación Oftalmológica Nacional (FUNDONAL) between 2010 and 2017. Methods: Descriptive, observational study. Medical records of patients who underwent corneal transplantation were reviewed. Demographic data, surgery indication, transplantation technique, graft transparency, and presence of rejection are evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS software version 21.0. Results: Seven hundred and twelve eyes from 690 patients who underwent corneal transplantation were analyzed. The median age of the recipient was 42 years (interquartile range 21.8 years) and 392 participants (56.8%) were men. Corneal ectasias was the first indication for transplantation. The technique performed most often was penetrating keratoplasty (PK) (89.6%), followed by deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (5.3%), endothelial keratoplasty (3.5%), and sclerokeratoplasty (1.5%). 22.25% of the cases presented at least one rejection episode. Transparency of the graft is >80% up to 36 months from follow-up. Conclusions: In 712 eyes that underwent corneal transplantation between 2010 and 2017, the most frequent indications were corneal ectasias, pseudophakic/aphakic bullous keratopathy, and previous graft failure. Although the most common technique is PK, there is a tendency to perform more lamellar transplants over the years. Survival up to the last control was 78% with graft rejection at 22.23%, which are comparable with results reported in the scientific literature. This study constitutes the first corneal transplant registry in Colombia, with survival results and description of variables that will allow for the identification of risk factors for undesirable outcomes.

Background: Pterygium is an ocular surface lesion that causes chronic eye irritation and eventually, vision impairment. Pathologically, prolonged ultraviolet (UV)-induced radiation damage leads to conjunctival and limbal stem cell damage. As such, rural, high-altitude equatorial communities are at particular risk due to proximity to the sun, outdoor work, and a lack of access to eye care. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the epidemiology of pterygium in the Chimborazo region of Ecuador. Adults presenting to Clinical FIBUSPAM's medical clinics for both ocular and nonocular reasons were examined by optometrists/ophthalmologists to identify pterygium. Affected patients completed a questionnaire about self-reported known risk factors, treatment, and barriers to care, and received UV-blocking sunglasses. Results: Of 296 patients, 165 (55%) had pterygium. The mean age was 60.2 years (range 19–88), 69% were female; 63% had unilateral pterygia, and 37% had bilateral pterygia. Symptoms occurring daily included severe photophobia (36%), foreign body sensation (28%), eye pain (24%), burning (31%), and itching (28%). In addition, 40% reported concern about eye appearance. Risk factors included spending >5 h outdoors each day working (93%), smoking (8%), and alcohol (14%). For prophylaxis, while 91% routinely wore hats outdoors, only 16% used sunglasses. For treatment, 30% used eye drops, of which two-thirds were natural remedies. About 93% wanted treatment (medications or surgical removal), 78% were concerned about access to treatment, and 43% reported cost as the major concern. Conclusions: Pterygium is highly prevalent (55%) among adults presenting for care in community health clinics in the Chimborazo Province of Ecuador. This treatable and potentially preventable cause of ocular irritation and vision loss greatly impacts the quality of life in this region. This and similar communities would benefit from improved education and outreach through care delivery models that bring affordable prevention and eye care services closer to home.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in uveal melanoma (UM) to evaluate its potential utility as a therapeutic target. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded enucleated eyes of UM patients, as well as 11 eyes and 11 pulmonary metastases from a rabbit model of human UM, were collected. All samples were stained for ALK using a fully automated immunohistochemical procedure. Human UM cases were classified according to cell type in spindle or epithelioid. Differences in ALK positivity according to cell type were determined using Pearson's Chi-square test. Results: In human UM specimens, ALK was positive in 2 of 39 spindle cell type cases (2.5%) and in 13 of 41 (16.25%) epithelioid cell type cases. The difference in ALK expression between cell types was statistically significant (P = 0.002). In the animal model of human UM cells, all cases (100%) were positive for ALK in both ocular and pulmonary lesions. Conclusion: ALK is expressed in a small proportion of UM, with statistically significant more expression in the more aggressive epithelioid cell type. Furthermore, when ocular tumors and corresponding lung metastasis from a highly metastatic animal model of UM were examined, ALK was positive in all samples. Collectively, our data suggest that ALK expression may be associated with more aggressive tumors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the potential of ALK as a therapeutic target in human UM, particularly in aggressive tumors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiological profile and prescription of optical, nonoptical, and electronic devices in the elderly aged 80 years or older, in a low-vision rehabilitation center in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, descriptive study held in a low-vision rehabilitation center in Belo Horizonte, from 1992 to 2016. A total of 448 medical records were analyzed and 375 (83.7%) were included. Age, gender, occupation, diagnosis, ocular and systemic diseases associated, best-corrected visual acuity, refractive error, goal to be achieved, optical, nonoptical, and electronic devices, and visual hallucination were considered. Results: Of the 375 medical record evaluated, 310 (82.6%) cases were of patients aged 80–89 years old, 218 cases (58.1%) were female and 262 cases (69.8%) were of retired patients. The age-related macular degeneration was the most prevalent disease, 296 (78.9%), followed by glaucoma in 31 patients (8.2%) and diabetic retinopathy in 9 (2.4%). Low myopia was the most prevalent refractive error, present in 148 (39.4%). A severe visual loss occurred in 145 patients (38.6%) while reading was the main goal, with 339 cases (90.4%). Optical and/or electronic devices were prescribed to 361 patients (96.2%), in a total of 418 optical and 66 electronic devices. Among the electronic devices, video magnifiers (CCTV) were indicated for 37 patients (9.8%) and handheld electronic magnifiers for 29 patients (7.7%). Visual hallucinations were reported in 11 cases (2.9%). Conclusions: This study shows that vision rehabilitation is possible in the elderly.

Purpose: To describe sociodemographic findings, frequency, and clinical characteristics of patients with corneal dystrophy who consulted an ophthalmologic national reference center in Bogotá-Colombia in 10 years. Methods: Observational, descriptive case series study was carried out. The information was obtained from reviewing medical records of patients who consulted the cornea service at an ophthalmologic national reference center in Bogotá-Colombia between 2008 and 2018. The diagnosis of corneal dystrophy was done according to the International Committee for Corneal Dystrophies classification, as well as the currently accepted specific name of the dystrophy. The type of dystrophy, clinical, diagnostic findings, sociodemographic characteristics, and type of treatment were evaluated. Results: A total of 151 eyes of 79 patients were analyzed; 68.3% of subjects were female. The mean age was 57.6 ± 18.9 years, with a range between 2 and 95 years. The median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in all the groups at diagnosis was 0.30 LogMAR (interquartile range 0.5) or 20/40 Snellen. Lattice dystrophy type 1 and its variants had the worse BCVA. Fuchs' dystrophy (FD) was the most frequently identified. Regarding treatment, 80.1% (n = 121) did not require any, and 11.9% (n = 18) had a corneal transplant. Thirteen underwent penetrating keratoplasty. Of those, two had a clinical diagnosis of TGFB1 dystrophy, three of stromal dystrophy, and eight of endothelial dystrophy. DSAEK was performed in 5 eyes four had endothelial dystrophy and one had unclassified dystrophy. Conclusions: Adults and females were the most affected groups. FD was the most frequent and unclassified dystrophies were the second most frequently diagnosed. This highlights the importance of complementary studies such as optical coherence tomography of the anterior segment and genetic markers which are not currently universally available in our healthcare system. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Purpose: To report the demand of ophthalmic services and the prevalence of the main ophthalmic pathologies in a rural population of Costa Rica. Study Design: A cross-sectional study of all individuals seen at the ophthalmology outpatient clinic during March 2016 to February 2017. Methods: All cases presenting to the ophthalmology outpatient clinic during March 2016 to February 2017 were reviewed (n = 895 patients, 1790 eyes). Visual acuity was measured using the Snellen chart. Results: The most common reasons for consultation were decreased visual acuity in 37.7% (326/865), foreign-body sensation 20.2% (175/865), glaucoma control 5.9% (51/865), screening or follow-up of diabetes mellitus (DM) 5.8% (50/865), and blunt trauma in 5% (43/865) of patients. A total of 252 (14.1%) eyes presented with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≤20/200; 357 (19.9%) eyes had a BCVA <20/40 and >20/200; and 1181 (65.9%) had a BCVA ≥20/40. There were 40 (4.5%) patients that had a BCVA ≤20/200 bilaterally. The most common ophthalmic findings included cataract in 552 (30.8%) eyes, pterygium in 296 (16.5%) eyes, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in 187 (10.4%) eyes, age-related macular degeneration in 168 (9.4%) eyes, and 131 (7.3%) eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Conclusions: The most common cause of ophthalmic consultation was decreased vision, of which 14% had a BCVA ≤20/200. The common findings included cataract, pterygia, POAG, age-related macular degeneration, and DR. Seventy-five percent of bilateral visual loss is avoidable.

Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its complications is rising globally. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and is the most common cause of blindness in adults globally. The aims of this study were to determine the pooled prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria and to identify the associated risk factors. Methods: Medical databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals online, Cochrane library, EMBASE, and SCOPUS were searched for studies on diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria between the years 2000 and 2020 using the MESH terms “diabetic retinopathy,” “prevalence,” “risk factors,”, “Nigeria.” The gray literature was also searched. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were strictly adhered to in selecting the studies. The outcome variables of interest were prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria as well as risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality and bias of the selected studies. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 14.3. DerSimonian and Laird random-effect model was used. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic. Results: Twenty studies met the eligibility criteria and they were selected for the studies. The total sample size was 3299. I² statistic was 99%, which suggests a high level of heterogeneity among the selected studies. Using the random-effect model, the pooled prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria was 21.3% (95% confidence interval 21.1–21.5). The most common risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria were duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, and hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Nigeria is high and there is a need to improve the glycemic control of patients with diabetes so as to prevent or delay its onset.

Purpose: To report intraocular pressure (IOP) after use of difluprednate ophthalmic solution 0.05% (Durezol^®; Novartis AG, Basilea, Switzerland) post corneal cross-linking (CXL) versus prednisolone (Pred-Forte^®; Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA). Methods: A retrospective single-center case series evaluation of 34 keratoconus patients ages 16-“41 (36 eyes) who underwent CXL with Avedro's KXL System^® (Avedro Inc; Waltham, MA) between August 2016 and August 2017. Post-CXL, six eyes were given difluprednate and 30 were given prednisolone. IOP was recorded using Reichert model 30 pneumatonometer. Those that exhibited increased IOP at 3 days were given anti-glaucoma medications and changed to fluorometholone or loteprednol. Results: IOP's 3 days' postoperative (24.167 ± 5.23) in the difluprednate group were significantly higher than preprocedure (16.5 ± 2.258). In the prednisolone group, 3 days postprocedure the mean IOP (14.2 ± 3.199) was not significantly higher than preoperatory IOP mean (16.8 ± 4.232). The difference between IOP 3 days' postprocedure and before was 7.667 ± 4.546 for the difluprednate group and 2.567 ± 2.648 for the prednisolone group. These were compared using an unpaired t-test (t value = 3.750 ± 1.297) with P = 0.0007. Discussion: This study shows statistically significant difference in postoperative and preoperative IOP values after the use of difluprednate or prednisolone in young patients postCXL. Measuring the pachymetry on follow-up examinations could help see if changes in corneal thickness affect measured IOP. A controlled prospective double-blind study could confirm a greater increase in IOP following difluprednate versus prednisolone use, but due to the high risk, we do not recommend this study.

Anterior uveitis is the most common form of uveitis, with varying incidences reported in the literature. Anterior uveitis can be benign at the time of presentation; however, it often can lead to severe morbidity if not managed appropriately. The present article assists ophthalmologists in correctly diagnosing anterior uveitis and improving the quality of patient care. It is essential to go into the detailed history of the patient complaints. A thorough and detailed extraocular and ocular examination should be done. Ophthalmologists need to work up each case in a systematic manner.

Introduction: The etiologies of congenital and developmental cataracts are diverse. Most are not syndromic and have no identifiable cause, thus creating a diagnostic dilemma. We investigated the utility of chromosomal microarray in identifying the etiology of isolated childhood cataracts. Methods: Patients with congenital or developmental cataracts without other associated abnormalities received a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray. copy number variations (CNV) and regions of homozygosity (ROH) were compared with previous literature reports and analyzed for candidate genes to assess pathogenicity. Results: We enrolled 37 patients. The mean age of the patient population was 10.98 years old. Nineteen patients (51.4%) had bilateral cataract. Positive family history was found in 11 patients (29.7%). Eighteen patients (48.7%) had a variant on microarray: 10 (27%) with CNV, 5 (13.5%) with ROH, and 3 patients (8.1%) with both CNV and homozygosity. In five patients (13.5%), we found a potentially causative cataract gene within an ROH. Discussion: There is a high rate of notable findings among the CNV and ROH detected. Three patients were homozygous in a region known to have a cataract gene suggesting a possible autosomal recessive disease. In those with CNV, segregation would help to affirm the pathogenicity of these regions and may lead to the identification of new genes. Conclusion: SNP microarray had a surprisingly high rate of notable findings in patients with isolated cataract and may reveal the opportunities for genetic counseling, lead to discovering new cataract genes and identify additional affected genes that could lead to other clinical abnormalities.

Aims: The aim of the study is to describe and evaluate the clinical features, multimodal imaging, differential diagnoses, treatment options, and visual outcomes in patients with diagnosis of uveal effusion syndrome (UES). Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, observational case series of patients with diagnosis of UES. Variables analyzed included age, gender, medical history, initial and final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), clinical features, type of treatment, and follow-up. Results: We report three cases, consisting of 2 males and 1 female, aged 37, 58, and 72 years with the diagnosis of UES. One patient was treated with medical therapy (acetazolamide) and the other two were submited to surgical treatment including one case of two-thirds thickness sclerotomy and one case with subscleral sclerectomy. All cases had complete resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF). BCVA improved in two cases, while there was no improvement of BCVA in one case due to outer retina atrophy as a consequence of chronic SRF. Conclusions: The diagnosis of UES still remains a challenge for a clinician. It is essential to know the clinical features differential diagnosis and be familiarized with the different therapeutic approaches to establish accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction: The objective is to evaluate the concordance of intraocular pressure (IOP) values by comparing three tonometers; Corvis ST (COR), Icare Pro (ICA) and Tonopen (TOP) with the gold standard, the Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT and the effect of the measurements by the central corneal thickness (CCT). Methods: One hundred and eight eyes were selected (59 patients) who underwent IOP measurement with four instruments (Icare, Corvis, Tonopen and Goldmann). An univariate analysis was applied, and then a concordance analysis was performed in which the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated between the different instruments taking into account the corneal thicknesses to eliminate confounding effect in measurements. Results: 109 eyes (59 patients) were included, 66% women and 34% men. Average age 52.2 years (SD 13.87). Univariate analysis was performed and a mean age 52.2 (SD ± 13.87) and mean IOP were obtained for Goldman 15 (SD ± 2.94), Icare 15 (SD ± 2.47), Tonopen 14 ( SD ± 2.85), Corvis 14 (SD ± 2.67).

Objective: The aim is to assess associated factors regarding the type of pediatric ocular trauma and final visual acuity (VA) of the patients received ophthalmology service at tertiary care facility between 2013 and 2018. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. The clinical history of patients between 0 and 15 years of age diagnosed with ocular trauma was examined. The exposure variable was the type of ocular trauma (open or closed). Other variables related to ocular trauma were studied. Results: A total of 183 ocular trauma cases were studied. The median age was 9 years (interquartile range: 5–12), most patients were males (65.5%), blunt and sharp objects were the most frequent causes of ocular trauma (41% and 33.3%, respectively). Closed ocular trauma was found in 82.5% of the cases and zone 1 was the most frequently involved (76,5%). Sixty-four percent of cases required surgical management and 26% presented complications at the final follow-up. About 78.7% of the patients had VA equal or higher than 20/40. The risk factors associated with worse visual outcome (worse than 20/40) was found to be open ocular trauma (relative risk [RR] = 5.5; 95%IC: 3.3–9.2), the affected zone (higher risk in zone 3 with RR = 7.62; 95% confidence interval: 7.61–7.63) and time elapsed between the moment of trauma and receiving ophthalmological treatment (RR = 1.01; 95%IC: 1.01–1.01). Conclusion: Most patients that presented with ocular trauma had satisfactory final VA, considering that closed ocular trauma was more frequent. Open ocular trauma, the affected zone, and the time elapsed before starting treatment were associated with worse VA outcomes in our study.

Background: Several studies have shown the correlation between ocular biometry with refractive errors. Since these parameters can be influenced by race, ethnicity, and genetics, their differences between different populations can probably explain the differences in refractive errors. We present the biometric values measured in 431 eyes with normal, short, long, and extremely long axial length (AL) from the Latin American population. Patients and Methods: All eye measurements were performed using optical biometry with IOL Master and stratified according to AL and anterior chamber depth (ACD) and evaluated in relation to each other. Symmetry between right eye (RE) and left eye (LE) was also analyzed. Setting: The study was conducted at Private practice, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Results: ACD, white-to-white (WTW), and average keratometries (K) increase as AL increases in normal, short, and long eyes, but this correlation is not maintained in extremely long eyes. Most of the short eyes and eyes with normal AL have a normal ACD, but most of the long and extremely long eyes have an ACD >2.5 mm. In normal and short eyes, the AL and WTW are symmetric in both eyes, but in long and extremely long eyes, there are significant differences between RE and LE. ACD is symmetric in RE and LE regardless of AL. Conclusions: The importance of the ocular biometry in Latin American eyes relies on clarifying the assumptions of biometric measurements commonly used in various areas of ophthalmology including intraocular lens calculation formulas.