Instability of Tear Film after Novel Coronavirus Disease: A Noninvasive and No Contact Method by a Scheimpflug-Placido Disc Topographer

Author(s):  
Yakup Acet ◽  
Baris Çil ◽  
Mehmet Kabak ◽  
Esra Vural

Abstract Purpose To compare the topographical tear film break-up time (T-BUT) between individuals recovering from COVID-19 and control subjects using a noninvasive and noncontact technique with a Scheimpflug-Placido disc topographer. Methods One-hundred and twenty-two eyes from 61 post-COVID-19 patients and 124 eyes from 62 control subjects were included in this prospective study. All participants underwent detailed ophthalmological examination including best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurements, slit lamp examination, and fundoscopy as well as qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the noninvasive first tear film break-up time (NIF-BUT) and noninvasive average tear film break-up time (NIAvg-BUT) with T-BUT measured with a Sirius (CSO – Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici S. r. l., Italy) corneal topography device. Results The mean NIF-BUT in post-COVID-19 and control patients was 5.2 ± 3.4 vs. 6.5 ± 3.2 sec, respectively. The mean NIAvg-BUT in the corresponding groups was 7.5 ± 3.5 vs. 8.8 ± 3.0 sec, respectively. Both NIF-BUT and NIAvg-BUT were significantly lower in the post-COVID-19 group than in controls (p = 0.004 vs. 0.020). Topographical tear film break-up at any time during the test (17 sec) was observed qualitatively in 79 eyes (64.8%) in the post-COVID-19 group and 57 eyes (46%) in the control group (p = 0.003). Moreover, temporal quadrant involvement occurred significantly more frequently in the post-COVID-19 group (p = 0.028). Conclusion Tear film stability assessment based on T-BUT showed shorter NIF-BUT and NIAvg-BUT in post-COVID-19 patients as compared to the control group. Our results suggest that post-COVID-19 patients have impaired stability of tear film, and therefore require closer monitoring regarding dry eye. In addition, tear film instability in post-COVID-19 patients can be reliably detected using a noninvasive and noncontact technique that is more comfortable for both patients and physicians.

Author(s):  
Mustafa Can ◽  
Muhammet Kocabaş ◽  
Melia Karakose ◽  
Hatice Caliskan Burgucu ◽  
Zeliha Yarar ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose: In our study, we aimed to determine the frequency of thyroid nodules in patients with acromegaly according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) classification and its relationship with acromegaly disease activity. Methods: A total of 56 patients with acromegaly and age, sex, and body mass index matched with 56 healthy control subjects were included in our study. Thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, and anti-thyroperoxidase antibody levels of patients and control subjects were measured. In addition, patients and healthy controls were evaluated by ultrasonography to determine thyroid structure, thyroid volume, and thyroid nodules and to make ACR TI-RADS classification. Results: Thyroid nodules were present in 31 (55.4%) of 56 patients in the acromegaly group and 20 (35.7%) of 56 subjects in the control group, and the frequency of thyroid nodules was significantly higher in the acromegaly group (p=0.038). The mean number of nodules in the acromegaly group and control group was 1.27±1.43 and 0.48±0.73, respectively, and the mean number of nodules was significantly higher in the acromegaly group (p=0.003). The number of patients with TI-RADS 1, TI-RADS 2, and TI-RADS 4 nodules in the acromegaly group was higher than the control group (p=0.026, p=0.049, p=0.007, respectively). No difference was found in terms of cytological findings between those who have undergone FNAB in the acromegaly group and control group. Conclusion: In our study, we found that the frequency of thyroid nodules, the number of thyroid nodules, and the number of TI-RADS 1, TI-RADS 2, and TI-RADS 4 nodules increased in patients with acromegaly. There was no significant difference between acromegaly disease activity and thyroid nodule frequency, number of thyroid nodules, and TI-RADS classifications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
Heydari Behrooz ◽  
◽  
Zarban Asghar ◽  
Hosseini Rad Abbas ◽  
Feizmohammadi Akram ◽  
...  

AIM: To investigate the comparison of total antioxidant capacity in the serum of patients with pterygium and control subjects. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on all persons referred to Ophthalmology Clinic of teaching Hospital of Vali-Asr (peace upon to him) with clinical symptoms of pterygium during the year 2016. The control group was selected among patients referred to the Ophthalmology Clinic of Vali-Asr (peace without pterygium) that the two groups were matched in terms of age, gender and place of residence. Sixty-six persons [31 people (47%) in patient group and 35 people (53%) in the control group] were enrolled by convenience sampling. Venous blood sample was taken from all patients after the sampling using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP); FRAP- as a quick 10min measurement, the antioxidant power measurement of samples according to the conversion of ferric iron (Fe3+) to ferrous iron (Fe2+) was checked. The collected data ware entered to software SPSS 21 and were analyzed by chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests at the level of α =0.05. RESULTS: The mean of antioxidant capacity in patients was 842/55±161/46 μmol/L and antioxidant capacity in healthy controls was 856/77±209/41 μmol/L (P=0.8). In the comparison of mean serum antioxidant capacity in healthy individuals and in the serum of people with pterygium based on gender the results showed that the antioxidant capacity mean in male control subjects has been 894/05± 176/82 μmol/L and in females control 780/01±118/33 μmol/L that the observed difference have been reported statistically significant (P=0.008) but the other comparison according the gender between cases and control does not show any significant difference. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the full level of serum antioxidant capacity in patients has been less than the mean of antioxidant capacity in control subjects; however, the observed difference has not been significant. The results of this study were consistent with basic results carried out on the damaging effects of oxidative stress in the pterygium pathogenesis. Recommending diet with minerals and vitamins containing antioxidants may be preventing the onset and progression of pterygium.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Brautaset ◽  
R. Rosén ◽  
A. Cerviño ◽  
W. L. Miller ◽  
J. Bergmanson ◽  
...  

Purpose.The aim of the present study was to compare macular thickness in patients with keratoconus (KC) with macular thickness in healthy subjects.Subjects and Methods.Twenty-six patients with KC and 52 control subjects were included. The macular structure was evaluated using a Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT. The scan pattern used was 512 × 128, which covers an area of approximately 6 × 6 mm of the retina. The cube volume was assessed as well as macular thickness in each of the 9 sectors defined by the software.Results.The mean signal strength was significantly lower in the KC group (mean 8.4, range 6–10) compared with the control group (mean 9.7, range 7–10),P<0.0001(unpairedt-test). There were no significant differences in cube volume (unpairedt-test), cube average thickness, or macular thickness between the KC group and the control subjects in any of the retinal locations (one-way ANOVA).Conclusion.Macular structure as measured by OCT in KC subjects should be expected to lie within the range of age and sex matched controls.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Guarnieri ◽  
Elena Carnero ◽  
Anne-Marie Bleau ◽  
Nicolás López de Aguileta Castaño ◽  
Marcos Llorente Ortega ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tear film stability is the key event in ocular surface diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate spatial and temporal progression of the tear film break-up using an automatic non-invasive device. Methods Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) parameters, such as First NITBUT (F-NITBUT) and Average NITBUT (A-NITBUT), were evaluated in 132 glaucoma and 87 control eyes with the Keratograph 5M device. Further analysis of this data was used to determine size, location and progression of tear film break-up with automatically identified break-up areas (BUA). The progression from First BUA (F-BUA) to total BUA (T-BUA) was expressed as Dry Area Growth Rate (DAGR). Differences between both groups were analysed using Student t-test for parametric data and Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between parametric variables and Spearman in the case of non-parametric variables. Results F-NITBUT was 11.43±7.83 seconds in the control group and 8.17±5.73 in the glaucoma group (P=0.010). A-NITBUT was 14.04±7.21 and 11.82±6.09 seconds in control and glaucoma groups, respectively (P=0.028). F-BUA was higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group (2.73 and 2.28; P=0.022) and was more frequently located at the centre of the cornea in the glaucoma group (P=0.039). T-BUA was also higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group (13.24% and 9.76%; P=0.012) and the DAGR was steeper in the glaucoma group than in the control group (34.38º and 27.15º; P=0.009). Conclusions Shorter NITBUT values and bigger, more central tear film break-up locations were observed in the glaucoma group than in the control group. The DAGR indicates that tear film rupture is bigger and increases faster in glaucomatous eyes than in normal eyes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanne L. Nicholas ◽  
Wayne D.H. Gillan

Keratoconus is a debilitating condition where the cornea develops a conical shape rather than the characteristic round shape due to various physiological and structural changes taking place within the layers of the cornea. As a result of the pathogenesis of keratoconus, there are numerous changes that may occur within the tears of these patients. Research has shown changes in the tear metabolome, the presence of degradation products as well as loss of goblet cells into the tears. Could the changes occurring within the tear structure of these patients affect the results of various tear quantity and quality tests? Non-invasive tear break up time (NTBUT) is a diagnostic test used to determine the quality of the tear film and has been used extensively when diagnosing dry eye disease. This test is utilised in order to determine the time taken for the tear film to begin breaking apart, signalling thinning of the tears. Shorter break up times are therefore indicative of instability or changes occurring within the tear film which could be diagnostic of dry eye disease. Tear meniscus height (TMH) measurements have also been utilised in clinical practice, where these measurements provide an indication of the volume of tears contained within the upper and lower menisci. Lower tear volumes have been shown to be present in cases of dry eye disease where either tear production or tear drainage may be affected. Changes in the quality and quantity of the tear film in subjects with dry eye disease have been thoroughly investigated; however, the same cannot be said for subjects with keratoconus. Could the same findings be possible in subjects with keratoconus? Is it possible that the changes occurring within the tears of keratoconic subjects could lead to abnormal NTBUT and TMH measurements when compared to those of control subjects? Could the results of the NTBUT and TMH tests be related to one another? This study compares the NTBUT and TMH measurements of both keratoconic and control subjects by making use of a single type of instrumentation, namely the Oculus Keratograph 4 (OK4). The results of this study reveal that the values obtained for each of the two subject groups are not shown to be statistically significantly different and that there is no significant correlation between the NTBUT and TMH measurements when comparing keratoconic and control subjects.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Guarnieri ◽  
Elena Carnero ◽  
Anne-Marie Bleau ◽  
Nicolás López de Aguileta Castaño ◽  
Marcos Llorente Ortega ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tear film stability is the key event in ocular surface diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate spatial and temporal progression of the tear film break-up using an automatic non-invasive device. Methods Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) parameters, such as First NITBUT (F-NITBUT) and Average NITBUT (A-NITBUT), were evaluated in 132 glaucoma and 87 control eyes with the Keratograph 5M device. Further analysis of this data was used to determine size, location and progression of tear film break-up with automatically identified break-up areas (BUA). The progression from First BUA (F-BUA) to total BUA (T-BUA) was expressed as Dry Area Growth Rate (DAGR). Differences between both groups were analysed using Student t-test for parametric data and Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between parametric variables and Spearman in the case of non-parametric variables. Results F-NITBUT was 11.43±7.83 seconds in the control group and 8.17±5.73 in the glaucoma group (P=0.010). A-NITBUT was 14.04±7.21 and 11.82±6.09 seconds in control and glaucoma groups, respectively (P=0.028). F-BUA was higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group (2.73 and 2.28; P=0.022) and was more frequently located at the centre of the cornea in the glaucoma group (P=0.039). T-BUA was also higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group (13.24% and 9.76%; P=0.012) and the DAGR was steeper in the glaucoma group than in the control group (34.38º and 27.15º; P=0.009). Conclusions Shorter NITBUT values and bigger, more central tear film break-up locations were observed in the glaucoma group than in the control group. The DAGR indicates that tear film rupture is bigger and increases faster in glaucomatous eyes than in normal eyes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alparslan Şahin ◽  
Muhammed Şahin ◽  
Harun Yüksel ◽  
Fatih Mehmet Türkcü ◽  
Yasin Çınar ◽  
...  

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the mean platelet volume (MPV) of patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).Methods. Hundred and ninty-three patients with the diagnosis of RVO and 83 healthy control subjects were included in this retrospective study. Retinal vein occlusion was diagnosed based on clinical examination. All patients and control subjects underwent complete ocular examination. MPV, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and platelet count of the participants were recorded. The data of patients with RVO was compared with the control subjects.Results. Patients with RVO had significantly higher MPV values ( fL) compared with the control subjects ( fL) (). No significant difference was found in platelet counts between RVO group and the control group ( 109/L and  109/L, resp., ), Mean platelet volume was an independent predictor of RVO (odds ratio (OR) = 1.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–1.89; ).Conclusion. Our results demonstrated that the MPV values were significantly higher in patients with RVO, suggesting that larger platelets may contribute to the pathogenesis of the RVOs.


Medicina ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiva Imbrasienė ◽  
Jūratė Jankauskienė ◽  
Daiva Stanislovaitienė

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in extraocular muscle thickness and to assess its correlation with the degree of proptosis in patients with Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). Material and methods. A total of 242 patients (207 females and 35 males) with Graves’ ophthalmopathy were enrolled into the study (GO group). Their mean age was 53.83±14.49 years. In addition, we examined an age-matched (53.51±12.79 years) control group of 40 healthy persons. All the participants underwent ophthalmological examination, including eye protrusion measurement and ultrasonographic evaluation of extraocular muscles thickness. Results. The mean exophthalmos in the GO and control groups was 17.84±2.79 mm and 16.0±1.58 mm, respectively. The enlargement of inferior rectus muscle was recorded in 92.1% of patients, lateral rectus muscle in 81.2%, and medial rectus muscle in 50.8% (P<0.001). A significant correlation between exophthalmos and muscle thickness sum was found in the GO group (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.515; P<0.0001). Conclusions. Graves’ ophthalmopathy is more frequent in medium-aged women than men. A significant enlargement of inferior, lateral, and medial straight muscles was noticed in the GO group. With increasing proptosis, the sum of the muscle thickness was increasing, and exophthalmos moderately correlated with muscle thickness sum.


Pteridines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Haoyu Jiang ◽  
Ying Zheng ◽  
Chang Liu ◽  
Ying Bao

AbstractBackground To evaluate sulfentanyl combined with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride on postoperative analgesia in patients who received video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and its effects on serum norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and prostaglandin (PGE2).Material and Methods Ninety-nine non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received VATS were included in the study. All the patients received intravenous inhalation compound anesthesia. Of the 99 cases, 49 subjects (control group) received sulfentanyl for patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PICA) and other 50 cases (experiment group) received sulfentanyl combined with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride for PICA after operation of VATS. The analgesic effects of the two groups were evaluated according to Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and the Bruggrmann Comfort Scale (BCS). The serum pain mediator of NE, DA, 5-HT, and PGE2 were examined and compared between the two groups in the first 24 h post-surgery.Results The VAS scores for the experiment group were significant lower than that of control group on the time points of 8, 16, and 24 h post-surgery (pall<0.05), and the BCS scores of the experiment group in the time points of 8, 16, and 24 h were significantly higher than that of controls (p<0.05). However, the VAS and BCS scores were not statistical differently in the time point of 1, 2, and 4 h post-surgery (pall>0.05). The mean sulfentanyl dosage was 63.01 ± 5.14 μg and 67.12 ± 6.91 μg for the experiment and control groups respectively with significant statistical difference (p<0.05). The mean analgesic pump pressing times were 4.30 ± 1.31 and 5.31 ± 1.46 for experiment and control groups respectively with significant statistical difference (p<0.05). The serum NE, DA, 5-HT, and PGE2 levels were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to that of control group in the time point of 12 h post-surgery (pall<0.05). The side effects of nausea, vomiting, delirium, rash, and hypotension atrial fibrillation were not statistically different between the two groups (pall>0.05).Conclusion Patient controlled intravenous analgesia of sulfentanyl combined with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride was effective in reducing the VAS score and serum pain mediators in NSCLC patients who received VAST.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmaa Ali ◽  
Mona Hasan ◽  
Shaimaa Hamed ◽  
Amir Elhamy

Abstract Background Around 25% of the world population was affected by the metabolic-related fatty liver disorder. Hepatic steatosis is frequently observed in conjunction with hypertension, obesity comorbidities, and diabetes. We evaluate the hepatic steatosis frequency found in chest CT exams of COVID-19-positive cases compared to non-infected controls and evaluate the related increased prevalence and severity of COVID. Results Our research includes 355 subjects, 158 with positive PCR for COVID-19 (case group) and 197 with negative PCR and negative CT chest (control group). The mean age in the positive group was 50.6 ± 16 years, and in the control, it was 41.3 ± 16 years (p < 0.001). Our study consists of 321 men (90.5%) and 34 women (9.5%). The number of males in both cases and control groups was greater. In the case group, 93% men vs. 6.9% women, while in controls, 88.3% men vs.11.6% women, p < 0.001. CT revealed normal results in 55.5% of individuals (i.e., CORADs 1) and abnormal findings in 45.5% of participants (i.e., CORADs 2–5). In abnormal scan, CO-RADs 2 was 13.92%, while CO-RADs 3–4 were 20.89% of cases. CO-RADs 5 comprised 65.19% of all cases. Approximately 42.6% of cases had severe disease (CT score ≥ 20), all of them were CO-RADs 5. The PCR-positive class had a greater prevalence of hepatic steatosis than controls (28.5% vs.12.2%, p < 0.001). CO-RADs 2 represented 11.1%, CO-RADs 3–4 represented 15.6%, and CO-RADs 5 represented 73.3% in the hepatic steatosis cases. The mean hepatic attenuation value in the case group was 46.79 ± 12.68 and in the control group 53.34 ± 10.28 (p < 0.001). When comparing patients with a higher severity score (CT score ≥ 20) to those with non-severe pneumonia, it was discovered that hepatic steatosis is more prevalent (73.2% vs. 26.8%). Conclusions Steatosis was shown to be substantially more prevalent in COVID-19-positive individuals. There is a relation among metabolic syndrome, steatosis of the liver, and obesity, as well as the COVID-19 severity.


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