VOLUME 75 - ISSUE 4

PURPOSE: To evaluate the proliferation rate of recurrent pterygium and normal Tenon's capsule fibroblasts after exposure to triamcinolone. METHODS: Explants of recurrent pterygia and normal Tenon's capsule of the same carrier were cultured. The fibroblasts were cultured and subcultured until the third passage and subsequently exposed to triamcinolone. The cell proliferation rate was evaluated 3, 6, 12 and 18 days after the exposure. RESULTS: Fibroblasts exposed to triamcinolone had significantly lower proliferation rate (P <0.05) compared to those not exposed, when the evaluation was performed 3, 6 and 12 days later. In the 18th day after exposure, there was a return in the proliferation rate, with statistical significance, only in the pterigyum fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Both the fibroblasts from normal Tenon's capsule as from recurrent pterygia showed significantly lower proliferation rate after exposure to triamcinolone. After 18 days from the exposition, pterygium fibroblasts recovered the proliferation. The results suggested the triamcinolone might be useful as adjuvant in pterygium treatment.

Keywords: Pterygium; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts; Cell culture techniques; Cell proliferation; Recurrence; Triamcinolone; In vitro

PURPOSE: To evaluate the quality of life in visually impaired children followed in the Early Visual Stimulation Ambulatory of Unifesp in two moments, before and after rehabilitational intervention of multiprofessional team. METHODS: A CVFQ quality of life questionnaire was used. This instrument has a version for less than three years old children and another one for children older than three years (three to seven years) divided in six subscales: General health, General vision health, Competence, Personality, Family impact and Treatment. RESULTS: The correlation between the subscales on two moments was significant. There was a statistically significant difference in general vision health (p=0,029) and other important differences obtained in general health, family impact and quality of life general score. DISCUSSION: The questionnaire showed to be effective in order to measure the quality of life related to vision on families followed on this ambulatory. The multidisciplinary interventions provided visual function and familiar quality of life improvement. CONCLUSION: The quality of life related to vision in children followed in Early Visual Stimulation Ambulatory of Unifesp showed a significant improvement on general vision health.

Keywords: Quality of life; Vision, low; Rehabilitation services

PURPOSE: To determine the proportion of blindness and investigate the relationships between risk factors based on clinical characteristics and development of blindness in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) treated for at least 15 years. METHODS: A retrospective observational chart review was performed with 403 patients referred to a tertiary level hospital, each with a diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma, treated for at least 15 years. Blindness attributable to glaucoma was defined based on visual acuity and/or visual field tests. Variables considered to be possible risk factors for blindness were evaluated using odds ratio (OR), confidence interval (95% CI), and univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients became blind [13/53 (24.5%) - unilaterally and 18/53 (34%) - bilaterally] during the follow-up period of treatment (19.5 ± 4.6 years, range 15-31 years). Multivariate statistics with regression analysis revealed that persistency on initial therapy ≤6 months was significantly associated with blindness, both unilateral (OR: 8.4; 95% CI: 1.3-56.4) and bilateral (OR: 7.2; 95% CI: 1.3-39.6). Other potential factors such as race, age, gender or number of medications were not associated with blindness. CONCLUSION: Blindness from primary open-angle glaucoma was not uncommon in this population of treated patients after the long follow-up period proposed. Persistence rates with the first therapy, as measured by a medical decision to change, were low. Persistence ≤6 months was statistically associated with the development of unilateral and bilateral blindness from glaucoma.

Keywords: Glaucoma, open-angle; Blindness; Optic disk; Glaucoma, open-angle; Visual acuity; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Fungal keratitis is an important cause of corneal infection mainly in tropical countries. With high morbidity due to delay in diagnosis, laboratory examination is mandatory in these cases. However, technical difficulties in obtaining samples generate a large number of false negatives. In these cases a detailed patient assessment for specific characteristics of this entity may help in diagnosis. PURPOSE: To create an epidemiological profile of patients with keratomycosis to assist in early diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed by searching patients with keratomycosis diagnostic on the corneal ulcers database. Information about gender, household location, educational level, occupation, age, predisposing and precipitating factors (ocular and systemic), initial etiological hypothesis, laboratory results, healing time, complications, and adjuvant treatments were collected. RESULTS: Of 599 patients with corneal ulcer, 150 (25%) were diagnosed as fungal infection. There was a higher prevalence in males of working age and low educational level. Trauma with plant material was involved in 74 (49.33%) cases. Other factors such as workers and residents of rural areas also supports trauma with vegetal as the main risk factor identified in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the collected data, it was possible to form a profile of patients with fungal ulcers treated by HC-UNICAMP.

Keywords: Eye infection, fungal; Mycosis; keratitis; Corneal ulcer

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the long term of follow-up of the recurrence rate after conjunctival autograft for pterygium surgery. METHODS: A total of 112 patients operated for pterygium with conjunctival autografts and with more than one year follow-up were registered. Patients were called for voluntary examinations of their respective ocular surface statuses. Completing the study was only possible in 44 cases. Seven had bilateral pterygium. (N=51 operated pterygium). RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 49.06 months. In 29.45% of the cases, attachment was performed using non-absorbable sutures (nylon 10/0), while fibrin glue was used in 70.55% of the cases. Six cases of recurrence (11.76%) were found. The recurrence rate between primary and recurrent pterygium, and between sutures and fibrin glue proved to be not statistically significant; p>0.05. There were no significant differences between women and men with respect to recurrence. The median of age in the recurrence group was 40 years old, in contrast to 55 in the non-recurrence group; p=0.01517. All of these recurrences were associated with patients of Hispanic origins (from Latin America); p=0.001506. CONCLUSIONS: After a long follow-up period after autograft pterygium surgery, there were no statistically significant differences in recurrence rates for the application of sutures as opposed to fibrin glue; similarly, there were no statistically significant differences between the use of autograft in primary and recurrent pterygium. The greatest risk factors for recurrence were young age and Hispanic ethnicity.

Keywords: Pterigium; Transplantation, autologous; Conjunctiva; Sutures; Fibrin tissue adhesive

PURPOSE: To describe the main success attitudes of young ophthalmologists in the first decade of their career. METHODS: This descriptive study comprised subjects selected from a sample of ophthalmologists who were participating in a congress, using a semi-structured questionnaire. The inclusion criteria were as follows: ophthalmologists under the age of 40 years, within 5-10 years from ophthalmology residency conclusion. The subjects were asked about the three main success attitudes in their personal experience during the first years of ophthalmology practice. After the initial results, the 10 most frequently mentioned attitudes were listed and volunteers were again interviewed to choose, within the latter list, the three main attitudes. RESULTS: Forty-eight ophthalmologists were interviewed, 24 (50%) were male; the mean age was 37 years (SD: 2 years, range: 33-40 years) and the mean time from ophthalmology residency conclusion was 8 years (SD: 1 year, range: 5-10 years). The frequency of such mentioned success attitudes were as follows: to invest in professional updating (22.9%), to have a good relationship with patients and professional partners (18.8%), to prioritize individual and family happiness (12.5%), initially to work in an established group (11.1%), to work in public service (9.7%), to have their own business with a homogeneous group (7.6%), to save money (7.6%), to be ready to resume work (4.2%), to get business administration skills (4.2%), and to have professional insurance (0.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The three main success attitudes consisted in investing in professional updating (22.9%), maintaining a good relationship with patients and professional partners (18.8%), and prioritizing individual and family happiness (12.5%). Although these results should not be generalized, they are helpful not only for those ophthalmologists at the beginning of a career but also those who want to reflect on what to prioritize in their professional practice.

Keywords: Professional practice; Education, medical, continuing; Ophthalmology; Job market; Health management

PURPOSE: The functional vision assessment (AVIF-2 to 6 years) for low vision children with ages from 2 to 6 years old was analyzed. The inter-rater, test-retest and the internal consistency were verified for reliability. METHODS: The test, composed by seven domains (visual fixation, visual following, visual field confrontation, eye-hand coordination and surrounding locomotion, contrast vision and color vision discrimination), was applied to 40 children, 20 with low vision and 20 without low vision. The inter-rater and test-retest reliability were analyzed with 12 children and the internal consistency with 40 children. RESULTS: Concerning test-retest reliability, six domains exhibited intra-class correlation coefficients ranging from 0.5361 to 1.000. For the movement within surroundings category, this coefficient was 0.37. For inter-rater reliability, only the category of confrontation visual field was bellow expectations (0.3901). The weighted kappa coefficient exhibited values ranged from -0.087 to 1.000. Cronbach's alfa ranged from 0.584 (movement within surroundings) to 0.973 (contrast sensitivity). CONCLUSION: AVIF-2 to 6 years presented good reliability indexes, however a few items within the domains need minor adjustments in order to improve scores' consistency of some items.

Keywords: Vision, low; Vision disorders; Vision tests; Visual acuity; Vision, ocular; Childhood development; Validation studies; Child, preschoo

PURPOSE: To estimate the trachoma prevalence in school children in Embu das Artes - SP, aiming the implementation of the disease epidemiological surveillance. METHODS: The city of Embu das Artes - SP, is 25 km far from the capital of the State. In the years of 2003-2004, a trachoma survey was conducted in a cluster sample of school children with the same methodology of the national trachoma student's survey of the Ministry of Health. Previously to the trachoma active search, activities of health education were performed in all schools. External ocular examinations were done in all students to detect trachoma according to the WHO criteria. All cases of trachoma were notified and their families were submitted to an external ocular examination. The cases were treated with 1% tetracycline ointment or systemic azithromycin. RESULTS: 2,374 students from nine sampled selected public schools were examined. The prevalence of follicular inflammatory trachoma (TF) was 3.1% (IC 95%: 2.4-3.9), varying from 0.5% to 4.2% in the examined schools. The prevalence for males was 3.2% and for females was 3.0%. The greater prevalence (8.6%) was found in 6 year-old children. CONCLUSION: The disease showed a mild behavior in this city, because no cases of intense inflammatory trachoma or cicatricial trachoma were detected. However, the prevalence was greater than the one found in the city of São Paulo. Epidemiological surveillance activities of trachoma must be continuous, mainly in places where the greater prevalence had been found.

Keywords: Trachoma; Trachoma; Epidemiological surveillance; School health; Chlamydia trachomatis

PURPOSE: To evaluate histologically the integration process of cellulose gel produced by Zoogloea sp when implanted into rabbits' eviscerated eyes. METHODS: This experimental study employed 36 eyes of 18 rabbits subjected to evisceration of their right eyes. The sclerocorneal bag was sutured and filled with biopolymer from sugar cane in the gel state. All animals were clinically examined by biomicroscopy until the day of their sacrifice which occurred on the 7th, 30th, 60th, 90th, 120th, or 240th day. The eyeballs obtained, including the left eyes considered controls were sent for histopathological study by optical macroscopy and microscopy. Tissue staining techniques used included hematoxylin-eosin, Masson trichrome (with aniline), Gomori trichrome, Van Gienson, Picrosirius red, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). RESULTS: No clinical signs of infection, allergy, toxicity, or extrusion were observed throughout the experiment. The corneas were relatively preserved. Macroscopic examination revealed a decrease of ~ 8% in the volume of the bulbs implanted with the biopolymer. After cutting, the sclerocorneal bag was solid, compact, elastic, and resistant to traction, with a smooth and whitish surface, and showed no signs of necrosis or liquefaction. The episcleral tissues were somewhat hypertrophied. The histological preparations studied in different colors revealed an initial lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, replaced by a fibroblastic response and proliferation of histiocytes, along with formation of giant cells. Few polymorphonuclearneutrophils and eosinophils were also found. Neovascularization and collagen deposition were present in all animals starting from day 30; although on the 240th day of the experiment the chronic inflammatory response, neovascularization and collagen deposition had not yet reached the center of the implant. CONCLUSION: In this model, the cellulose gel produced by Zoogloea sp proved to be biocompatible and integrated into the orbits. Morphometric, immunohistochemical and biodegradability studies should be performed in the future.

Keywords: Eye enucleation; Eye evisceration; Bioprosthesis; Eye, artificial; Saccharum; Orbital implants; Biopolymers; Models, animal; Rabbits

PURPOSE: To report the response of choroidal neovascularization to intravitreal ranibizumab or bevacizumab treatment in the setting of age-related macular degeneration with extensive pre-existing geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series of 11 eyes in ten consecutive patients retrieved from a photographic database. The patients were treated with ranibizumab or bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration with pre-existing geographic atrophy. Patients were included if they had geographic atrophy at or adjacent to the foveal center of at least 1 disc area in size that was present before the development of choroidal neovascularization. The best corrected visual acuity and optical coherence tomography analysis of the central macular thickness were recorded for each visit. Serial injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab were administered until there was complete resolution of subretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography. Data over the entire follow-up period were analyzed for overall visual and optical coherence tomography changes. RESULTS: The patients received an average of 7 ± 3 intravitreal injections over the treatment period. Seven of 11 eyes had reduced retinal thickening on optical coherence tomography. On average, the central macular thickness was reduced by 72 ± 115 µm. Six of these 7 eyes had improvement of one or more lines of vision and one had no change. The average acuity change for all patients was -0.04 ± 0.46 logMAR units, which corresponded to a gain of 0.2 ± 4.4 lines of Snellen acuity. The treatment resulted in a good anatomic response with resolution of the subretinal fluid and overall stable visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this case series suggest that the use of an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent (ranibizumab or bevacizumab) for choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration with pre-existing geographic atrophy is effective. Our results are not as striking as published results from large-scale trials of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization, presumably due to the limitation in the baseline visual acuity caused by the underlying geographic atrophy. The favorable anatomic response with the resolution of subretinal fluid and stable acuity were consistent with other ranibizumab and bevacizumab studies.

Keywords: Macular degeneration; Geographic atrophy; Retinal pigment epithelium; Choroidal neovascularization; Antibodies, monoclonal; Retina; Antibodies, monoclonal, humanized; Tomography, optical coherence

Corneal neovascularization (NV) not only reduces visual acuity, but it also causes loss of the cornea's immune privilege, strongly contributing to a worse prognosis in penetrating keratoplasty. Several mediators participate in corneal angiogenesis, and the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been extensively proven. Anti-VEGF agents have been shown to be effective in slowing the growth of corneal neovessels. Bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF agent, has been successfully used in the treatment of corneal neovascularization. In this paper, we report a series of patients who underwent intracorneal bevacizumab injections to treat corneal vascularization.

Keywords: Corneal stroma; Corneal neovascularization; Injections, intraocular; Antibodies, monoclonal

Neuromyelitis optica antibody (or aquaporin-4 antibody) is a well stablished serum marker associated to high-risk neuromyelitis optica syndrome that presents as an inflammatory demyelinating disease characterized by the occurrence of bilateral and simultaneous optic neuritis without complete visual recovery or it occurs as an isolated episode of transverse myelitis accompanied by longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions. On the other hand, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy is a primarily hereditary disorder that affects all tissues of the body and its clinical presentation is tissue-specific for the optic nerve and, eventually, it might reach the spinal cord. Overlapping clinical features of neuromyelitis optica and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy may suggest common target organ diseases. The case report described herein emphasizes the coexistence of serum markers of both diseases, and suggests that further investigation of this challenging clinical presentation is warranted to confirm or rule out this association.

Keywords: Neuromyelitis optic; Optic atrophy, hereditary, Leber; Optic neuritis; DNA, mitochondrial; Mutation; Humans; Male; Adult; Case reports

This case report describes the presence of bilateral macular atrophy in a patient with Alport syndrome and compares this finding with literature. At fundoscopy, there was a discrete circumscribed macular thinning showing intense retinal pigment epithelium color and the presence of whitish circular retinal lesions ("dots" and "flecks") at nasal mid periphery of both eyes. Optical coherence tomography showed bilateral partial atrophy of the neurosensory retina in the macula, with a greater extent in the temporal region. This case describes a rare ophthalmological finding in Alport syndrome and important to be recognized for a precise diagnosis as well as for determining visual prognosis.

Keywords: Nephritis, hereditary; Macula lutea; Retinal dystrophies; Retinal diseases; Optical coherence tomography

Spontaneous closure of a traumatic macular hole (TMH) is an unusual outcome. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and clinical follow-up enabled monitoring of this resolution during a period of a few weeks. We describe a case of spontaneous closure of a TMH with complete visual recovery in a 15 year-old boy and show the follow-up of the macular hole obtained using the Spectral Domain OCT.

Keywords: Eye injuries; Eye injuries; Visual acuity; Tomography, optical coherence; Retinal perforations; Case report

INTRODUCTION: Melanocytic tumors comprise a wide range of lesions. These lesions can be nevi, primary acquired melanosis with or without atypia or malignant as conjunctival melanoma. Early recognition of the clinical features allows precise diagnosis and adequate intervention, reducing the rates of metastatic disease and mortality associated with conjunctival melanoma. PURPOSE: To review clinical features, diagnosis, clinical and surgical treatment modalities of the different precursor pigmented lesions (Nevi and primary acquired melanosis) and malignant melanoma. METHODS: Literature review was performed accessing the database of MEDLINE, PUBMED, LILACS e SciELO between 1980 and 2011. The keywords used, individually or combined, were: conjunctival melanoma, primary acquired melanosis, nevi, treatment, chemotherapy, recurrence, metastasis e mortality. RESULTS: Relevant clinical information for the diagnosis of malignant melanoma and differentiation from other pigmented conjunctival lesions were accessed. Clinical and pathological features and different modalities of treatment for malignant melanoma have been reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting with a pigmented conjunctival lesion should be evaluated by an experienced ophthalmologist. Ocular history, family history of melanoma, and clinical features of the lesion need careful assessment and malignancy risk evaluation. Digital photo documentation should be performed. Clinical or surgical planning should be done based on the clinical suspicion. Careful histopathology analysis is required for treatment orientation and prognostic factors identification, mainly in cases of malignancy.

Keywords: Conjunctival neoplasms; Conjunctival neoplasms; Con-junctival neoplasms; Melanoma; Melanosis; Pigmen-tation; Nevi and melanomas; Diagnosis, differential; Neoplasm staging