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Purpose: We compared the distribution of the HLA-B27 allele among Ethiopian patients with acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and controls without that disease., Methods: The clinical features of patients were collected from their medical records. HLA-B27 genotyping was performed for 64 patients, with AAU using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the results were compared to those from a panel of 192 healthy, unrelated volunteer control participants (refraction patients and volunteers) free of signs of anterior uveitis. Other outcomes were assessed comparing HLA-B27 positive vs. negative patients., Results: The histocompatibility antigen HLA-B27 was identified in 6 out of 64 (9.4%) AAU patients, compared with 1.0% in controls (Odds Ratio = 9.8, 95% CI (1.93, 50.01)). Sub-group analysis of the cases revealed that patients with HLA-B27 positivity had a higher incidence of ocular hypertension (Odds Ratio = 5.93, 95% CI (1.29, 27.2))., Conclusion: The antigen HLA-B27 was represented ~10-fold more frequently in the patient group than in the control group. HLA-B27 allele distribution in both cases and controls is lower than in reports from Caucasian and Asian populations, but similar to South Africa.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the pattern of spheroidal degeneration of cornea (SDC) and its association with other eye diseases at the anterior segment clinic (ASC) in Menelik II Tertiary Referral Hospital., Methods: A hospital-based prospective descriptive study was conducted at ASC, in Menelik II Tertiary Referral Hospital, from May 2021 to September 2022. All enrolled patients meeting the inclusion criteria were selected and assessed with a structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the study variables in terms of frequency and percentage. The results were presented using tables and figures., Results: Out of 62 cases of SDC, 48 (77.4%) were male and 14 (22.6%) were female. It was more prevalent in the age groups of 60-69 and 70-79. Most respondents had outdoor activity (91.9%). A total of 24.2% of patients were found to have Stage I; 35.5% were found to have Stage II; and 40.3% were in Stage III. Posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) was found in 10 (16.1%) SDC cases, post-trachomatous corneal opacity (CO) in 10 (16.1%) SDC cases, and non-trachomatous CO in 8 (12.9%) SDC cases, but none of them had an association with SDC., Conclusion: Between May 2021 and September 2022, sixty-two cases of SDC were found at the ASC in Menelik II Tertiary Referral Hospital. The data showed a preponderance of SDC in males and older subjects. Stage III and primary types are the leading presentations. It was observed predominantly in individuals who spent most of their time outdoors. Pterygium, corneal opacity, pseudoexfoliation (PXF), PSC, and glaucoma were noted; however, none of these had a significant association with SDC., Competing Interests: The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Tesfay and Shibeshi.)

Purpose: A community-based study was conducted to determine the prevalence and sociodemographic factors of pseudoexfoliation syndrome among adults in Southern Ethiopia., Patients and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among subjects aged 40 years or older. Subjects underwent standardized examination, including portable slit-lamp biomicroscopy before and after pupillary dilatation, and intraocular pressure measurement using Tono-Pen. Pseudoexfoliation was diagnosed on slit-lamp examination by the presence of white dandruff-like material on the pupillary margin and/or on the anterior lens capsule of one or both eyes., Results: Among 760 participants, the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation was 12.0% (95% confidence interval: 9.7-14.3%). The mean age of pseudoexfoliation cases was 63.9 years (SD 9.96, age range 40-90 years). The prevalence increased with increasing age, with 26.9% of those 60 or older affected. Slightly higher proportion of males (12.4%) were found to have pseudoexfoliation in either of the eyes than females (11.6%) which was not statistically significant (p = 0.738). Mean IOP in subjects with pseudoexfoliation was found to be 20.65 ± 5.15 mmHg, while it was 15.0 ± 2.3 mmHg for those without pseudoexfoliation. The difference between the two populations was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation in eyes of people in Southern Ethiopia appears greater than that reported in other places of Africa and Asia. Pseudoexfoliation occurs at a relatively younger age in our population. Increasing age is associated with the presence of pseudoexfoliation, and pseudoexfoliation in turn is associated with higher intraocular pressure., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in relation to this work., (© 2022 Melese et al.)