VOLUME 73 - ISSUE 3

Purpose: To evaluate the conjunctival bacterial microbiota and antibiogram profile in the preoperative of antiangiogenic intravitreous injection for age-related macular degeneration, and compare to the preoperative microbiota of patients submitted to cataract surgery. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational, case series study. Two groups were organized: group I (macular degeneration) with 26 eyes from 26 patients (12 men/14 women) with mean age of 69.2 ± 11.5 years; group II (cataract) with 27 eyes from 27 patients (9 men/18 women) with mean age of 67.6 ± 7.9 years. The groups were similar regarding age (p=0.538) and gender (p=0.787). The lower conjunctival sac was swabbed and the obtained material was immediately put in a tube filled with liquid culture media BHI ("brain heart infusion"). Samples were processed according to standard laboratory techniques and antibiogram was determined for each bacterial colony. Results: Twenty-six bacterial colonies growth in group I, with 2 eyes showing no growth and 30 colonies growth in group II. Gram positive bacteria were more prevalent in both groups: 23/26 colonies (88.4%) in group I and 29/30 colonies (96.7%) in group II, with a Staphylococcus aureus predominance in both groups, with 16 samples (61.5%) and 17 (56.7%), respectively. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was the second most common identified bacteria, with 19.2% in group I and 20.0% in group II. No differences between the groups reached statistical significance. No statistically significant difference was noted on the antibiotic sensibility between both groups. Conclusions: There was no difference in the distribution of bacteria and antibiogram profile of the conjunctival microbiota in the preoperative of intravitreous injection of antiangiogenic for macular degeneration compared to the preoperative of cataract surgery.

Keywords: Conjunctiva; Eye infections; bacterial; Macular degeneration; Cataract extraction; Antibiotic prophylaxis; Injections; Angiogenesis inhibitors

Purpose: To determine normative values for pattern-reversal electroretinogram (PERG) in healthy adult volunteers according to the standard protocol recommended by the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision-ISCEV. Methods: Participants were 30 healthy volunteers (15 males) with ages from 18 to 61 years (mean= 30.8 ± 8.7 yrs.; median= 29.5 yrs). Inclusion criteria were: visual acuity of 0.0 logMAR (20/20 Snellen) in each eye, absence of visual complaints, absence of media opacities, negative history for ocular or neurological diseases, negative family history for ocular and informed consent. PERG was recorded from each eye in a darkened room at 1 m from a high resolution display monitor. Stimuli were monochromatic checkerboards subtending 60, 15 e 7.5 minutes of visual angle reversing at 1.9 Hz. Responses were obtained from modified disposable fiber electrodes developed at UNIFESP. Latency (ms) for N35, P50 and N95 components as well as peak-to-peak amplitudes (µV) for N35-P50 and P50-N95 were determined. For normative values only one randomly chosen eye was included. Normal limits were calculated as 97.5% percentiles for latency and 2.5% percentile for amplitudes for each stimulus size. Results: Normal limits for N35, P50 and N95 latencies for 60', 15' and 7.5' stimuli were respectively: N35 - 40.1; 39.9 and 41.3 ms; P50 - 60.5; 64.4 and 65.6 ms and N95 - 103.4; 104.6 and 104.6 ms. For amplitude the normative values for N35-P50 and P50-N95 for 60', 15' and 7.5' were respectively: N35-P50 - 1.7; 1.6 and 0.9 µV; P50-N95 - 3.8; 2.8 and 1.5 µV. No gender differences were found either for latency or for amplitude in the three stimulus sizes. There was no correlation between PERG latency and amplitude with age, except for P50 amplitude for stimulus 15'(r=0.39; P=0.035). Conclusions: Normative values were determined for PERG parameters of amplitude and latency for three stimulus sizes. These parameters are important for evaluating the normal functioning of retinal ganglion cells and the macula. The normative values obtained in this study are comparable to previous studies in the literature.

Keywords: Reference values; Electroretinography; Electrophysiology; Retinal ganglion cells

Purpose: To determine the frequency of asymmetries greater than 0.2 in the cup-to-disc ratio of a population of adolescents. Methods: Fundus photographs of both eyes of 123 adolescents were digitized at the resolution of 300 pixels per inch (300 dpi), 8 bits, with a RBG color pattern. The measurements were performed using the Image J software, version 1.42, developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Java platform version 1.6. Results: The values of the differences in the cup-to-disc ratio between the two eyes of the same individual ranged from 0 to 0.30. The mean difference was 0.07, the median 0.06 and the standard deviation 0.05. About 54.4% of the studied population had asymmetries up to 0.06 and 79.7% had asymmetries up to 0.1. Two individuals presented asymmetries of more than 0.2, corresponding to 1.63% of the evaluated subjects. Conclusion: The frequency of asymmetries in the group of adolescents studied was similar to that detected in studies of the normal adult population.

Keywords: Glaucoma; Optic disc; Optic nerve diseases; Fundus oculi; Visual fields; Retina; Photography; Adolescents

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to identify a possible association between allergic conjunctivitis and Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 104 eyes of 52 patients with diagnosis of vernal conjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis. Conjunctival cytology was performed in all the 52 patients, once it can evidence eosinophils presence and inclusions corpuscles in the conjunctival scraping smear, as well as the direct immunofluorescence that is the choice exam for Chlamydia trachomatis infection confirmation. All procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board Ethics Committee. Results: Of the 52 patients, 41 (78.8%) presented vernal conjunctivitis and 11 (21.2%) atopic keratoconjunctivitis. Forty-one patients (78.8%) were male and 11 (21.2%) female. The ages varied from 3 to 19 years, with an average of 9.8 years. Regarding racial distribution, 16 (30.8%) patients were caucasian, 14 (26.9%) were black and 22 (42.3%) were brown. Regarding systemic allergic diseases, it was observed that 25 (48.1%) patients presented asthma, 20 (38.5%) allergic rhinitis and 5 (9.6%) atopic dermatitis. The main symptoms complained by the patients were coryza (59.6%), ocular itching (98.1%), burning (61.5%), tearing (65.3%) and photophobia (61.5%). The main clinical signs were: ocular hyperemia (100%), bilaterality (100%), superior tarsal papilla (92.3%) and mucous secretion (82.7%). The cytology of the conjunctival scrapings found eosinophil in 86.5% of the cases. Only seven patients did not present eosinophils in the conjunctival scrapings. Three patients (5.8%) presented positive immunofluorescence for Chlamydia, evidencing an association between allergic conjunctivitis and trachoma. Conclusion: It is important to determine the simultaneous coexistence of Chlamydia trachomatis and allergic conjunctivitis, due to the possibility to change the visual prognostic and of symptoms potentiation in case of double attack. Therefore, it is necessary to performe direct immunofluorescence for the correct diagnosis in patients with allergic conjunctivitis.

Keywords: Conjunctivitis; allergic; Trachoma; Chlamydia trachomatis; Eye infections; bacterial; Fluorescent antibody technique

Purpose: To investigate whether the time interval between type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosis and the first fundoscopic examination is related with the presence and the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) observed. Methods: A survey of 105 type 2 DM patients referred to ophthalmologic evaluation in the "Hospital das Clinicas" (HC), University of São Paulo Medical School (USPMS). Results: Regarding classification of DR in the 105 patients, 15 (14.28%) did not show signs of DR, and 90 (85.72%) exhibited them on fundoscopy. Sixty patients underwent laser therapy, and 46.66% reported poor control of DM. Only 15.23% of DM patients were adequately screened for DR on the first year of their DM diagnosis. Among the 36 patients (34.30%) examined within five years of DM diagnosis, 58.33% did not present or demonstrate signs of mild DR and 22.20% of proliferative DR; 30 patients underwent an ophthalmologic examination after more than eleven years of DM diagnosis, 21.62% did not exhibit signs of DR and 59.46% were classified as proliferative DR. Conclusion: This study showed a statistically significant relationship between the time interval from the diagnosis of type 2 DM and the first fundoscopic examination with the severity of DR.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic retinopathy

Purpose: To assess the relationship between potential visual acuity obtained before cataract surgery using Heine Lambda 100 retinometer with best corrected visual acuity 3 months postoperatively, as well as its correlation with the morphological pattern of the dominant cataract and the intensity of nuclear opacification. Methods: Prospective study executed in the Ophthalmology Hospital Laser Vision in Santos of 121 eyes of 70 patients who underwent cataract surgery (phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation), from April to July, 2009. In the preoperative period, Heine retinometer test was performed under mydriasis and its results were compared to postoperative best corrected visual acuity three months after surgery and correlated with the morphological classification of cataracts, being considered a satisfactory result those who did not vary more than two lines in Snellen chart. Results: The satisfactory cases found in our study were 86.78%, with results of visual acuity with Heine retinometer equal to the postoperative visual acuity in 34.7% of the cases. Predominant nuclear opacity N1+ has a higher reliability than N2+ and N3+ (50%, 31.3% and 26.7%, respectively). Regarding all studied eyes, statistical significance was noted (p<0.0001). Conclusion: In most cases Heine retinometer underestimated or maintained best corrected visual acuity 3 months postoperatively in patients who underwent cataract surgery. With respect to the morphological classification of cataracts, the higher the opacity of the nuclear lens, the greater the visual acuity underestimation.

Keywords: Cataract; Visual acuity; Cataract extraction; Vision tests; Diagnostic techniques ophthalmological; Phacoemulsification; Lens implantation, intraocular; Preoperative care; Postoperative care

Scleritis are entities that may have rheumatic diseases, infections or tumors as etiologic factors or may be a disease restricted only to the eye. Purpose: To share a three year experience of a rheumato-ophthalmologic ambulatory in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with scleritis. Methods: This was a study of 29 cases. All of them were analyzed by the Ophthalmology and Rheumatology Services. Results: From the 29 cases, an underlying disease was found in 55.17%. Rheumatic diseases were present in 34.4%; infectious in 20.6%. Idiophatic forms of scleritis did not differ from the rheumatic ones although a higher number of necrotizing cases were seen in the later group (with no statistical significance). Scleritis due to rheumatic diseases was treated more frequently with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Conclusions: Patients with scleritis have a high rate of infectious and rheumatic diseases. Cooperation of rheumatologists and ophthalmologists was useful for the etiologic identification of patients with scleritis.

Keywords: Scleritis; Scleritis; Arthritis; rheumatoid; Wegener granulomatosis; Immunosuppressive agents

Purpose: To identify the donors' profile and evaluate the factors influencing the quality of the donated corneas in Santa Casa Eye Bank, from July, 2000 to January, 2004. Methods: Data from the charts of 151 patients submitted to penetrating keratoplasty, registered in Santa Casa Eye Bank, from July, 2000 to January 2004 resulted in 180 surgeries. Results: Mean age of the donors was 57.57 ± 19.74 years old (varied from 9 months to 97 years old) and 54.44% were male. The cause of death was predominantly cardiovascular (50.55%), followed by consumptive diseases (17.77%), trauma (14.44%) and others (17.22%). Considering the quality of the cornea, there was no statistically significant difference among the three main groups of cause of death (p=0.527) and time from death to corneal preservation (p=0.053). There was a statistically significant difference between quality of donated corneas above 61 years old and other ages (p=0.037). Conclusion: The most frequent cause of death was cardiovascular, followed by pulmonary diseases and trauma. We could also note that factors inherent to donor like age (>60 years old) predisposed to a worse anatomical quality of the cornea and factors like cause of death and time between death and preservation did not influence the quality of the cornea.

Keywords: Corneal transplantation; Tissue donors; Tissue preservation; Eye banks

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in patients affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus in the city of Luzerna (SC). Methods: Cross-sectional study including all individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, all ages, both genders, residents in the city of Luzerna. The work analyzed database of 5,350 people from two Family Health Programs, where all city residents are registered. A total of 136 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus were encountered and 120 completed data gathering to the end, resulting in an inclusion rate of 89%. All patients underwent ophthalmologic examination for diagnosis of retinopathy and visual acuity examination. Patients underwent a household questionnaire to evaluate the demographic profile, duration of disease and type of treatment performed. The presence of risk factors for diabetic retinopathy: hypercholesterolemia, fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and hypertension were also assessed. Results: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 38.4% in the studied population. Moreover, a direct relationship was established between diabetic retinopathy and diabetes mellitus evolution time (p<0.0001), renal damage (p<0.0001), insulin use (p<0.0001) and glycosylated hemoglobin change (p=0.003). There was no correlation between diabetic retinopathy and hypertension (p=0.184), hypercholesterolemia (LDL p=0.745, TGC=0.163, CT=0.528), gender (p=0.299) and origin (p=0.889). Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy found among the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was of 38.4%. This result confirms the need for greater attention by public services in prevention and counseling patients with type 2 diabetes, in order to achieve early diagnosis and disease prevention.

Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Hemoglobin A; glycosylated; Risk factors

Purpose: To outline low vision (LV) patients profile of the low vision department of the Instituto Brasileiro de Oftalmologia e Prevenção da Cegueira (IBOPC). Methods: Transversal study of 82 medical charts from the low vision service at the Instituto Brasileiro de Oftalmologia e Prevenção da Cegueira of the first year of the department - 2004, considering age, gender, etiology, distance and near visual acuity with and without optical aids and prescription assistance. Results: Of the 82 available patients, 11 (13.4%) were excluded of the study because they did not present low vision. Of the 71 patients, 32 (45%) were younger than 20 years old. Regarding the gender, there was not a significant difference (51% female and 49% male). The most frequent etiology in infants and adolescents was congenital glaucoma and in patients aged between 20-39 years was ocular toxoplasmosis (21.1%). In patients with 40-59 years old, pigmentary retinosis was the most frequently pathology (19%). In elderly people it was glaucoma (49%). Thirty-three patients (40.2%) had visual acuity between 20/60 and 20/160. The telescopic system was the only optical aid indicated for distance (44%) and glasses were the most indicated for near (54.5%). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of low vision in infants and adolescents that live in developing countries like Brazil. Therefore, ophthalmologists need to be aware to promote early diagnosis and treatment to these patients, creating preventive programs and better assistance conditions.

Keywords: Vision, low; Vision, low; Vision, low; Vision, low; Visual acuity; Blindness

Purpose: To evaluate the epidemiological factors of trachoma in the Simão village. Methods: Through a field research, 412 individuals (178 men and 234 women) were examined in a village of the Araripe plateau in Ceará State. The median age was 34 years for both genders. Traditional data from trachoma epidemiology were collected and diagnosis of trachoma was performed using binocular loupes of x 2.5. Results: 304 (73.8%) individuals were normal and 108 (26.2%) were trachomatous (5 TF, 98 TS, 3 TT and 2 CO). Regarding socio-economic factors relating to individuals, the illiterate were 1.9 times more likely to have trachoma (p<0.0001), but the more affluent were more affected (p<0.0001). As for the face appearance, the disease was more prevalent in patients with dirty faces (p=0.432). A difference was noted in multivariate analysis of socio-economic factors relating to housing; only the variable number of people per room, which was higher in the normal group (p=0.010). Conclusions: The good infrastructure found in the Simão village, especially the amount of houses with piped water and the good personal hygiene habits, favored the low findings of infectious forms.

Keywords: Trachoma; Personal hygiene; Health infraestructure; Endemic diseases; Brazil; Space-time clustering; Caregivers

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the assistance quality through the perception of the users and municipal health managers (mayors, health secretaries and screening team). Methods: A transversal and descriptive study was carried out. Results: The sample was comprised by 359 users and 48 managers. Medical assistance was considered excellent by 79.6% of the users, 93.7% of the managers, 87.5% of the health secretaries and 100% of the screening team. Reception received a great evaluation by 73.8% of the users and 93.8% of the selectors. Conclusion: The assistance model used at the Ophthalmologic Clinic of Divinolândia obtained a high level of satisfaction pleasing both users and managers.

Keywords: Health facilities; Health administration; Community health services; Public assistance; Control of quality; Consumer satisfaction

Training of the proper handling of optical devices was performed: location, targeting and tracking with the 8x magnification telescope. After this step, learning to a copy from a blackboard with the adapted optical aid was initiated. Seventeen sessions were required for the child's final prescription due to severe low vision and loss of visual functions.

Keywords: Vision, low; Audiovisual aids; Early intervention (education); Training; Child; Child, preschool; Case reports

KID syndrome is a congenital ectodermal dysplasia characterized by the association of keratitis, hyperkeratotic skin lesions and neurosensorial hearing loss. Ocular involvement occurs in 95% of patients. Although KID syndrome cutaneous manifestations have been studied in-depth, the treatment and prognosis of ophthalmic impairment have not been described in detail. At present, the treatment of the ocular damage caused by the syndrome is symptomatic and there are no studies defining a treatment that could change the disease course. In this case, ophthalmologic findings of a patient with KID syndrome and the use of subconjunctival bevacizumab to treat corneal neovascularization are described. In spite of the absence of improvement in this patient and the few reports of this disease, aditional studies with bevacizumab to treat corneal deep neovascularization are suggested.

Keywords: Syndrome; Deafness; Ectodermal dysplasia; Keratitis; Corneal neovascularization; Bevacizumab; Case reports

Retinitis and panuveitis in immunocompetent patients is a rare and sight-threatening disease, of difficult diagnosis. A case of a 31-year-old male who presented with unilateral placoid retinitis and panuveitis, unsuccessfully treated as acute retinal necrosis, that in fact was syphilis, with neurosyphilis and excellent response to treatment is reported.

Keywords: Eye infections; Syphilis; Neurosyphilis; Uveitis; Retinitis; Sexually transmitted diseases; Human; Male; Adult; Case reports

Case reporting the use of one donor cornea for two transplantation procedures: deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in a case of an imminent corneal perforation caused by herpetic stromal necrosis, and Descemet stripping with endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) in an eye with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK). Descemet's membrane (DM), denuded by stromal necrosis, served as the starting point for dissection plane and creation of the recipient bed for DALK. The next steps were excision of the diseased stroma along the edge of trephination, and transplantation of a 400-450 µm thick, manually dissected lamellar graft. The remaining posterior layers of the donor cornea, 100-150 µm thick, were used as a graft in the DSEK procedure for PBK. The integrity of the globe was saved, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/40 was reached after DALK in the eye with an imminent corneal perforation. A subnormal central corneal thickness (CCT) of 430 µm did not interfere with corneal shape (43.50 x 45.50 D) and function. The graft remained attached and clear after DSEK in the eye with PBK, with BCVA of 20/30 and a CCT of 653 µm. One donor cornea can be used for two lamellar keratoplasties, DALK and DSEK. Although the described obstacles may prevent this approach from becoming widely used, it may prove useful when one is confronted with a need for an urgent anterior lamellar keratoplasty, a long list of cases for DSEK, and a shortage of donor corneas.

Keywords: Corneal transplantation; Tissue donors; Endothelium; corneal; Descemet-stripping endothelial keratoplasty; Corneal diseases

Retinal diseases are frequently causes of impaired visual acuity and blindness. Recent progress in ocular pharmacology leads to the development of new promising drugs and better functional outcomes. Drug delivery and local management of diseases affecting the choroid and retina should enable better a natomical and functional outcomes. An overview of ocular pharmacology, emerging drug technologies and drug delivery is provided. Some relevant clinical features are discussed.

Keywords: Eye diseases; Retinal diseases; Choroidal diseases; Drug delivery systems; Vitrectomy; Coloring agents

Scientific research in ophthalmology is a dynamic process usually delivered by means of written reports. Greek and Latin words are commonly used in scientific writing. This paper points out some issues related to the clarity, objectivity and precision of writing and offers a short glossary of terms from Greek and Latin languages which are commonly used in scientific writing.

Keywords: Ophthalmology; Research reports; Writing; Terminology