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• Streptococcus mitis isolated from a human with infectious crystalline keratitis was injected intrastromally into corneas of adult New Zealand white rabbits that were treated with tetracycline hydrochloride, methylprednisolone acetate, or a combination of tetracycline and methylprednisolone. Animals were followed up for up to 44 days; untreated corneas and those treated with tetracycline developed no disease or "fluffy" stromal infiltrates with overlying epithelial defects representing an abscess. Corneas treated with the combination of tetracycline and corticosteroid usually developed crystalline stromal opacities that on histopathologic examination were shown to be intrastromal aggregates of cocci. Transmission electron microscopy of crystalline lesions within 10 days of infection revealed typical cocci intermixed with a fibrillar material having periodicity characteristic of fibrinogen or fibrin, and immunoperoxidase staining for fibrinogen was positive. By 1 month, electron microscopy revealed aggregates of degenerated bacteria that were surrounded by cellular processes of activated keratocytes. Our studies demonstrate a model for crystalline keratitis in which organisms are seen to reside within the stroma for up to 44 days without an inflammatory response. Periocular corticosteroids appear to be necessary to create this model. It is possible that the organisms are isolated from the host response by fibrin or by keratocytes.

• Computer-assisted photokeratoscopy was used to evaluate the topographic characteristics of corneas preoperatively and postoperatively in seven patients who underwent surgery for correction of postkeratoplasty astigmatism. The steep hemimeridians were typically separated by an angle other than 180° (mean, 162.5°) and the flat hemimeridians were often not orthogonal to the steep hemimeridians. Asymmetry of power (1.5 or more diopters) between these two major hemimeridians was also observed in three patients. Relaxing incisions were placed in the two steep hemimeridians and compression sutures were placed in the flat hemimeridians. The mean percent of reduction of astigmatism (vector-corrected) was 81.1%. The amount of keratometric astigmatism, and the degree of asymmetry of the hemimeridians were not correlated with the percent of reduction of astigmatism after placement of the relaxing and compression sutures. Computer-assisted topographic analysis may prove useful in planning transverse keratotomies centered on the steep hemimeridians and in placement of compression sutures in flat hemimeridians.

• Topical steroids potentiate Pseudomonas keratitis in the absence of concomitant antibiotic therapy. The effects of other anti-inflammatory agents on microbial keratitis are unknown, but if these agents do not intensify the infection, they may be useful in the initial management of microbial keratitis by limiting ulceration and thus the size of the resultant corneal scar. In rabbit models of untreated Pseudomonas keratitis and pneumococcal keratitis, topical 1% prednisolone phosphate, 0.03% flurbiprofen sodium, and vehicle were applied hourly. In cases of Pseudomonas keratitis, prednisolone worsened the clinical disease, and flurbiprofen further worsened the disease. When combined with effective antibiotic therapy, neither anti-inflammatory agent worsened the disease. In pneumococcal keratitis, neither anti-inflammatory agent worsened the disease. Topical anti-inflammatory agents should be used with caution in cases of microbial keratitis at least until effective antibiotic therapy has been instituted.