Azzopardi Phenomenon in a Non-neoplastic Phthisical Eye: A Case Report

Objective: The Azzopardi phenomenon, known as the deoxyribonucleic acid deposition on various structures due to cellular necrosis, has never been reported in non-neoplastic eyes. Methods: We report a case of a 48-year-old man who had congenital nystagmus with poor vision in both eyes, presented with decreased vision and photophobia in his left eye. An exudative retinal detachment was found, which did not respond to systemic steroid treatment. Glaucoma due to occlusio pupillae was later developed. Laser iridotomy and anti-glaucoma medications decreased intraocular pressure to an acceptable level. Vision in the left eye gradually deteriorated during the 10-year clinical course. Evisceration was finally performed due to persistent dull aching ocular pain along with signs of ocular hypotony Results: Histopathological examination showed phthisis bulbi and focal nodular retinal gliosis. The Azzopardi phenomenon was found at the retinal vessel walls, within the retinal layers and along the internal limiting membrane. There was neither evidence of intraocular tumors nor foreign bodies. Conclusion: This case demonstrated that the Azzopardi phenomenon could be present in a non-neoplastic eye with a longstanding disease that proceeds to phthisis bulbi.

Visual outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis in Thailand

To evaluate a 10-year visual outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) patients. A 10-year retrospective chart review of EE patients. Thirty-eight patients (40 eyes) were diagnosed with EE at the mean age of 42. Among the identifiable pathogens (71.1% culture positive), the causative agents were predominantly gram-negative bacteria (48.1%). The most common specie was Klebsiella pneumoniae (25.9%). About a quarter of the patients required surgical eye removal, and the remaining 45.7% had visual acuity (VA) worse than hand motion at one month after the infectious episode. The most common complication was ocular hypertension (52.5%). Poor initial VA was significantly associated with a worse visual outcome in the early post-treatment period (p 0.12, adjusted OR 10.20, 95% CI 1.65–62.96). Five patients continued to visit the clinic for at least ten years. One patient had gained his vision from hand motion to 6/7.5. Two patients had visual deterioration, one from corneal decompensation, and the other from chronic retinal re-detachment. Two patients developed phthisis bulbi, with either some VA perception of light or no light perception. Poor initial VA is the only prognostic factor of a poor early post-treatment visual outcome of EE.

Concurrent Pseudomonas Periorbital Necrotizing Fasciitis and Endophthalmitis: A Case Report and Literature Review

(1) Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an infection involving the superficial fascia and subcutaneous tissue. Endophthalmitis is an infection within the ocular ball. Herein we report a rare case of concurrent periorbital NF and endophthalmitis, caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). We also conducted a literature review related to periorbital PA skin and soft-tissue infections. (2) Case presentation: A 62-year-old male had left upper eyelid swelling and redness; orbital cellulitis was diagnosed. During eyelid debridement, NF with the involvement of the upper Müller’s muscle and levator muscle was noted. The infection soon progressed to scleral ulcers and endophthalmitis. The eye developed phthisis bulbi, despite treatment with intravitreal antibiotics. (3) Conclusions: Immunocompromised individuals are more likely than immunocompetent hosts to be infected by PA. Although periorbital NF is uncommon due to the rich blood supply in the area, the possibility of PA infection should be considered in concurrent periorbital soft-tissue infection and endophthalmitis.

Clinical Review of Ocular Traumas Resulting in Enucleation or Evisceration in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Hungary

Purpose. To analyse the demographic and clinical characteristics of ocular traumas resulting in enucleation/evisceration in a large tertiary referral center in a developed country (Hungary) over a period of 15 years. Patients and Methods. A retrospective review of enucleated/eviscerated eyes that underwent surgery between 2006 and 2020 at the Department of Ophthalmology of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, due to ocular trauma as the primary indication for enucleation/evisceration. For each subject, clinical history, B-scan ultrasound report, and histopathology results were reviewed. Results. There were 124 enucleated/eviscerated eyes from 124 patients (91 males (73.4%)). The mean age at the time of trauma was 37.3 ± 26.0 years while the mean age at the time of enucleation/evisceration was 46.9 ± 20.3 years. The main clinical diagnoses after ocular trauma were open globe injury (n = 96; 77.4%), ocular burns (n = 6; 4.8%), traumatic optic neuropathy (n = 4; 3.2%), bulbar avulsion (n = 3; 2.4%), traumatic cataract (n = 2; 1.6%), retinal ablation (n = 1; 0.8%), and traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula (n = 1; 0.8%). Among the 124 patients, 98 (79.0%) underwent enucleation and 26 (21.0%) evisceration. Patients who underwent primary enucleation/evisceration (n = 24 19.4%) were significantly older at the time of the injury (57.7 ± 22.7 years) than people who underwent secondary eye removal (32.4 ± 24.4 years) ( p < 0.0001 ). The mean time interval between trauma and enucleation/evisceration was 114.9 ± 163.5 months. The main clinical indications for anophthalmic surgery were atrophia/phthisis bulbi (n = 56, 45.2%), acute trauma (n = 25, 20.2%), painful blind eye due to glaucoma (n = 17, 13.7%), endophthalmitis (n = 10, 8.1%), and cosmetic reasons (n = 7, 5.6%). One patient (0.8%) had sympathetic ophthalmia. Conclusions. Primary enucleation/evisceration was performed in one-fifth of all ocular trauma-related anophthalmic surgeries in our tertiary eye care center with enucleation being the most common procedure. Atrophia/phthisis bulbi was the most frequent immediate clinical indication for enucleation/evisceration.

Pars plana vitrectomy with/without encircling scleral band for treatment of retinal detachment associated with buphthalmos

Background To evaluate the results of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and silicone oil (SO) tamponade with or without encircling scleral band for repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in children with buphthalmos. Patients and methods Retrospective comparative nonrandomized interventional case series including consecutive patients who underwent PPV with or without encircling band and SO tamponade for RRD associated with buphthalmos. Results The study included 19 eyes of 19 children. Mean age was 8 years, range 3–16 years. Mean follow-up period was 28 months, range 19–63 months. Globe survival has been achieved in 15 out of 19 eyes (79%). Phthisis bulbi was reported in four cases (22%). Eight patients (42%) achieved ambulatory vision. Most eyes initially achieved anatomical success. Conclusion Despite the poor visual and anatomical results of RRD repair in eyes with buphthalmos, globe survival might be the rationale for surgery in such cases. Globe preservation could avoid the psychological and social consequences of phthisis bulbi in non-operated children.

The prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness amongst learners at the Akropong School for the Blind in Ghana

Background: Low vision and blindness have significant implications, resulting in a generally reduced quality of life amongst the sufferers.Aim: To determine the prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness amongst learners at the Akropong School for the Blind.Setting: The study was conducted in Akropong School for the Blind, Ghana.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Eye examinations included measurements of presenting distance visual acuity (PDVA) with the Tumbling ‘E’ distance LogMAR chart. Anterior and posterior segments were examined with an ophthalmoscope and a slit lamp.Results: Two hundred and sixty-eight (N = 268) learners comprising 157 (58.6%) males and 111 (41.4%) females took part in this study and their ages ranged from 4 to 43 years (mean and standard deviation [SD] = 15.79 ± 6.15 years). The results indicated that 76.1% were classified as blind and 23.9% of the learners had low vision. The leading cause of low vision was glaucoma (39.1%) followed by pseudophakia (21.9%) and retinopathy (18.8%). The most common causes of low vision and blindness based on pathology found on ocular anatomical structures were corneal opacity/phthisis bulbi (35.5%), followed by glaucoma (25%), cataract (13.4%) and retinopathy (10.8%).Conclusion: The leading causes of low vision and blindness identified in this study were because of avoidable diseases such as corneal opacity/phthisis bulbi and glaucoma. This highlighted the need for adequate primary eye care services, equitable eye health workforce distribution and eye health awareness in Ghana to help prevent low vision and blindness.

Distribution of phthisis bulbi and status of fellow eyes at a tertiary eye-care centre in Nigeria: a ten-year review

Background: Phthisis bulbi is an irreversible cause of visual loss with insufficient evidence about its aetiology and status of patients’ fellow eyes. Objectives: To identify the distribution of patients with phthisis bulbi and determine the status of their fellow eyes at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methods: We analysed data retrospectively retrieved from medical records of patients diagnosed with phthisis bulbi at in- itial clinic visit from January 2008 to December 2017. Information abstracted included biodata, laterality of phthisical eye, duration and aetiology of phthisis bulbi, visual acuity, and morbidities present in fellow eyes. Results: Seventy-nine patients presented with unilateral phthisis bulbi. The mean age was 51±21.2 years and forty (50.6%) were males. The commonest aetiologies of phthisis bulbi were trauma 37 (46.8%), infection 17 (21.5%) and uveitis/inflam- mation 11 (13.9%). Seventy (88.6%) patients had morbidities in their fellow eye such as glaucoma 26 (32.9%), refractive errors 23 (29.1%) and cataract 22 (27.9%). Forty (50.6%) patients were either visually impaired or blind in their fellow eye (p=0.001). Conclusion: The commonest cause of phthisis bulbi was trauma. Approximately nine out of ten patients had ocular mor- bidities in their fellow eye. A thorough follow-up of patients with phthisis bulbi is recommended. Keywords: Fellow eye; Nigeria; ocular trauma; distribution; phthisis bulbi.

Concurrence of peripunctal nevus and uveal melanoma with scleral pigment dispersion presenting as phthisis bulbi

This case report demostrates an unusual occurence of peripunctal nevus and uveal melanoma, in which the clinical diganosis of uveal melanoma was masked by the atypical presentation as phthisis bulbi. Nevertheless, peculiar scleral pigment hinted at a possible intraocular tumour. The importance of meticulous clinical examination in assessment of ocular and periocular pigmented lesions is demonstrated. Further, clinicopathological differentials of correlation scleral pigmentation in diffuse necrotic uveal melanoma are illustrated.

Outcomes and surgical management of persistent fetal vasculature

ObjectiveTo analyse outcomes in different forms of persistent fetal vasculature (PFV).Methods and analysisRetrospective cohort study at a university-based practice of children presenting with PFV between 2011 and 2020. Exclusion criteria was surgical management outside of our institution and follow-up less than 1 month. Wilcoxon and Student’s t-tests were used for statistical analysis.ResultsForty-six eyes of 45 patients presented with PFV at 16.7±31.3 (median 2.8) months old with 32.6±29.8 (median 22.5) months of follow-up. Types of PFV included: mild combined anterior-posterior (23 eyes, 50%), severe combined anterior-posterior (18 eyes, 39%), severe anterior (3 eyes, 7%), mild anterior (1 eye, 2%) and posterior (1 eye, 2%). Thirty-two eyes (70%) underwent PFV surgical correction; lensectomy (13 mild combined), vitrectomy (3 mild combined), sequential lensectomy then vitrectomy (3 severe combined), combined lensectomy-vitrectomy (11 severe anterior or severe combined), laser retinopexy (1 mild combined). Five eyes required additional vitrectomy surgery for retinal detachment, fold or cyclitic membrane. Nine eyes developed glaucoma, six requiring Intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering surgery. At final follow-up, 32 eyes had at least form vision and 6 eyes were aversive to light. Eight eyes, all which were severe combined, and four that did not undergo PFV surgery, were unable to detect light due to phthisis bulbi (7) and optic nerve hypoplasia (1).ConclusionsClassification of PFV is important in determining surgical approach with severe cases often requiring both lensectomy and vitrectomy for optimal anatomic and functional outcomes.