Search

Neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) is a rare degenerative disease in which damage to the corneal nerves leads to corneal hypoesthesia or anesthesia. Neurotrophic corneal ulcers are notoriously difficult to treat and can lead to blindness. Corneal neurotization (CN) is a recent surgical technique aimed at restoring corneal sensation and may offer a definitive treatment in the wake of NK. Herein, we review the surgical techniques utilized in direct and indirect CN. Technical considerations, outcomes, current limitations and future perspectives are also discussed. This article highlights the key points of this promising procedure and biological aspects that will help provide the best treatment options for patients with severe NK.

Congenital aniridia is a rare panocular disease defined by a national diagnostic and care protocol (PNDS) validated by the HAS. In most cases, it is due to an abnormality in the PAX6 gene, located at 11p13. Aniridia is a potentially blinding autosomal dominant disease with high penetrance. The prevalence varies from 1/40,000 births to 1/96,000 births. Approximately one third of cases are sporadic. Ocular involvement includes complete or partial absence of iris tissue, corneal opacification with neovascularization, glaucoma, cataract, foveal hypoplasia, optic disc hypoplasia and ptosis. These ocular disorders coexist to varying degrees and progress with age. Congenital aniridia manifests in the first months of life as nystagmus, visual impairment and photophobia. A syndromic form such as WAGR syndrome, WAGRO syndrome (due to the risk of renal Wilms tumor) or Gillespie syndrome (cerebellar ataxia) must be ruled out. Systemic associations may include diabetes, due to expression of the PAX6 gene in the pancreas, as well as other extraocular manifestations. Initial assessment is best carried out in a referral center specialized in rare ophthalmologic diseases, with annual follow-up. The management of progressive ocular involvement must be both proactive and responsive, with medical and surgical management. Visual impairment and photophobia result in disability, leading to difficulties in mobility, movement, communication, learning, fine motor skills, and autonomy, with consequences in personal, school, professional, socio-cultural and athletic life. Medico-socio-educational care involves a multidisciplinary team. Disability rehabilitation must be implemented to prevent and limit situations of handicap in activities of daily living, relying on the Commission for the Rights and Autonomy of People with Disabilities (CDAPH) within the Departmental House of People with Disabilities (MDPH). The general practitioner coordinates multidisciplinary medical and paramedical care.

Regression after corneal refractive surgery is a complex phenomenon which seems inevitable. The choice of surgical technique has very little influence on regression for low myopia or myopic astigmatism. However, LASIK and SMILE are the two techniques of choice in the correction of high myopia. LASIK is also better for the correction of hyperopia, hyperopic astigmatism and mixed astigmatism. Intraoperatively, the choice of a wide optical zone and adherence to a thick residual stromal bed provide stability. Regression may also be reduced by modulating anti-inflammatory therapy, treating dry eye, and using mitomycin C in PKR. In all cases, obtaining keratometry during patient follow-up helps to identify the cause of the regression. The objective of this review is to synthesize recent data from the literature on regression in refractive surgery as a function of the ablation profiles used.

Visual rehabilitation in keratoconus is a challenge, notably because of the significant irregular astigmatism and optical aberrations that it induces. Many surgical techniques have been developed in addition to, or in the case of failure of, spectacles and rigid gas permeable contact lenses: intracorneal ring segments, intraocular lenses, excimer laser and, as a last resort, keratoplasty. Excimer laser photoablates the cornea, allowing remodeling of its surface. There are various treatment modes (wavefront-optimized, wavefront-guided and topography-guided), allowing performance of a customized treatment if needed. Its use in keratoconus has been described since the 2000s, alone or in combination with other procedures. For example, the combination of photoablation and corneal cross linking, a technique that increases corneal rigidity and in so doing can slow or even stop the progression of keratoconus, proved its efficacy and safety in many studies, and various protocols have been described. A triple procedure, including intracorneal ring segments, excimer laser and cross linking, has also given some very promising results in progressive keratoconus, providing a significative improvement in visual acuity and topographic data. The combination of excimer laser and intraocular lenses remains a poorly explored lead that might provide some satisfactory results. The objective of this review is to summarize the recent data on excimer laser in keratoconus management.

Intracorneal ring segments (ICRS), used in the management of keratoconus since the 2000s, have enjoyed significant technological development. Various types of ICRS exist, whose arc length, thickness, and diameter can be chosen according to the desired effect on the spherical equivalent, keratometry and asphericity. Individualized implantation strategies, based on each patient's topographic and tomographic pattern, are constantly evolving. The surgical procedure is standardized, and complications remain very rare. Combined procedures (corneal collagen cross-linking and refractive photokeratectomy±topo-guided, phakic and pseudophakic intraocular lenses) are increasingly used and require a good knowledge of the effect of ICRS alone on the keratoconic cornea. The objective of this review is to summarize clinical practices used in the visual rehabilitation of keratoconic patients using the ICRS+- combined procedures.

The limbus is the anatomical and functional barrier between corneal and conjunctival epithelia. It is characterized by presence of the limbal stem cell niche which allows corneal homeostasis to be maintained. Limbal stem cell deficiency is characterized by a dual process: insufficient regeneration of corneal epithelium, which cannot therefore assure its function of physiological support, associated with corneal invasion by conjunctival proliferation. Diagnosis is currently made via routine clinical examination, corneal impression cytology and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). Slit lamp examination shows abnormal limbal anatomy, thin and irregular epithelium with late fluorescein staining, and superficial vascularization. With its high resolution, IVCM allows identification of limbal and corneal epithelial changes at a cellular level in en face views, parallel to the corneal surface, but with a restricted viewing field of the corneal surface. It shows a poor transition between the corneal and conjunctival epithelia, associated with a loss of the normal corneal epithelial stratification, low basal cell and sub-basal nerve plexus densities, even with sub-epithelial fibrosis. Optical coherence tomography in central cornea and at the limbus, with scans in different orientations, allows a quick, global and non-invasive analysis of normal eyes and those with limbal stem cell deficiency. It shows a thin limbal epithelium, lacking normal thickening, featuring absence of stromal undulations and limbal crypts in cross-sections and sections parallel to the limbus, lack of visible limbal crypts in en face sections, loss of clear transition between the hyporeflective corneal epithelium and the hyperreflective conjunctival epithelium, and hyperreflective sub-epithelial fibrosis.

New direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have been approved for treatment and prevention of some thromboembolic diseases: acute and chronic phase of thromboembolic disease, deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis in orthopedic surgery and prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. These molecules are an alternative to heparins and vitamin K antagonists. Among these, rivaroxaban (Xarelto

Infectious keratitis are a frequent cause of ocular morbidity. Today, new treatments are necessary to combat the emergence of antibiotic resistant germs. Corneal collagen cross-linking has been suggested to treat corneal infectious (PACK-CXL). Its action would be both antimicrobial and protective for the cornea, increasing its biochemical resistence to proteolytic enzymes. In vivo, PACK-CXL might demonstrate good efficacy against bacterial keratitis, contrary to herpetic keratitis for which it is contraindicated. For fungal or amoebic keratitis, results are uncertain regarding its safety and efficacy. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the use of corneal collagen cross-linking to treat infectious keratitis.

A 48-year-old woman with no significant past history underwent bilateral simultaneous laser in situ keratomileusis for correction of her myopia. On the tenth postoperative day, the patient complained of visual decrease and photophobia. Slit lamp exam showed corneal epithelial irregularities. Confocal microscopy was performed and revealed a characteristic appearance of epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). The patient was successfully treated with artificial tears and autologous serum eyedrops. EBMD may be missed before LASIK surgery, even after a careful pre-operative examination. Exacerbation of EBMD after LASIK surgery is rare. It should be considered when unexplained corneal epithelial defects or irregularities occur following LASIK. Confocal microscopy is very useful to confirm the diagnosis.

Resume Introduction La pathogenie des fossettes colobomateuses compliquees de decollement sereux retinien (DSR) de la macula reste controversee. Son traitement l’est aussi. A travers cette etude, qui a la particularite de comprendre la plupart des techniques proposees, nous rapportons notre experience dans le traitement de cette pathologie. Patients et methodes C’est une etude monocentrique retrospective a propos de vingt patients presentant un DSR maculaire secondaire a une fossette colobomateuse entre 1983 et 2009. Differents traitements ont ete realises : les patients au tout debut de l’etude ont eu un traitement simple par laser peripapillaire. Puis, un traitement associant le laser peripapillaire et une injection intravitreenne de gaz (C3F8) avec positionnement tete vers le bas pendant deux semaines a ete realise apres echec du laser, puis d’emblee. Au cours des dernieres annees, les patients ont ete traites en premiere intention par une vitrectomie avec ou sans pelage de la membrane limitante interne (MLI), laser peripapillaire peroperatoire et tamponnement par gaz (C2F6). Resultats Notre serie est composee de vingt patients : Neuf hommes et 11 femmes. L’âge moyen des patients au moment du diagnostic etait de 29 ans (neuf a 60 ans). La duree moyenne entre le debut des symptomes et la prise en charge therapeutique etait de 6,1 mois. Aucun patient n’avait eu de decollement posterieur du vitre lors du diagnostic. Six patients ont ete traites par du laser peripapillaire avec succes dans deux cas. Onze patients (dont trois avaient eu un echec au laser seul) ont eu un traitement par laser associe a l’injection intravitreenne de gaz avec 72 % de succes. Huit patients (dont deux avaient eu un echec au laser gaz) ont eu une vitrectomie avec dissection de la hyaloide posterieure associee au laser gaz avec succes dans 87 % des cas sans recidive. Parmi eux, cinq ont eu un pelage de la MLI au cours de la vitrectomie. La duree de suivi moyenne globale de tous les patients etait de 60 mois allant de deux mois a dix-sept ans. Conclusion Notre etude montre qu’en cas de DSR maculaire compliquant une fossettte colobomateuse, un traitement precoce par vitrectomie, pelage de la MLI, laser peripapillaire et tamponnement par gaz s’accompagne d’un bon resultat anatomique et fonctionnel. Ce traitement est superieur aux autres traitements moins invasifs. La tomographie en coherence optique (OCT) constitue un outil important permettant le diagnostic et le suivi postoperatoire des patients.

Resume Introduction Etudier les caracteristiques des keratites bacteriennes afin d’identifier des facteurs de risque et des facteurs pronostics. Patients et methodes Etude retrospective sur 111 yeux de 105 patients hospitalises entre 2005 et 2006 pour une keratite bacterienne confirmee (identification d’un germe au laboratoire) ou fortement suspectee (evolution favorable sous traitement antibiotique sans germe identifie sur les prelevements). Resultats Les principaux facteurs de risque retrouves etaient le port de lentilles de contact (39,6 %), une pathologie de la surface oculaire (36,9 %), une chirurgie oculaire (27,9 %) et un traumatisme oculaire (11,7 %). Les cocci Gram+ representaient 46,8 % des cas ( Staphylococcus ), les bacilles Gram− 19,8 % ( Pseudomonas ), les bacilles Gram+ 7,2 % ( Proprionibacterium et Corynebacterium ), les cocci Gram− 2,7 % ( Branhamella ) et les coccobacille Gram− 0,9 % ( Moraxella ). Dans 22,5 % des cas aucun germe n’a ete retrouve. Dans 25,6 % des cas, deux germes ou plus ont ete retrouves. Le suivi moyen etait de 6,5 mois. Le taux de guerison de l’infection etait de 77,5 % avec un traitement purement medical et 99,1 % avec un traitement medicochirurgical. Une greffe de membrane amniotique a ete realise dans 16,2 % des cas et une keratoplastie a chaud dans 8,1 %. L’acuite visuelle moyenne initiale etait a 0,04 et l’acuite visuelle finale a 0,14. L’acuite visuelle finale moyenne est 0,09 pour les Gram+ et 0,44 pour les Gram− ( p = 0,03). Conclusion Les keratites bacteriennes sont des infections graves engageant le pronostic visuel. Les keratites a germe Gram+ sont les plus frequentes, sauf chez les porteurs de lentilles, et plus severes.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a cyclic undecapeptide, which is an immunosuppressive drug in the calcineurin inhibitor class. CsA was initially used as a systemic immunosuppressant to minimize rejection of solid organ transplants. In ophthalmology, topically applied CsA was first used to inhibit corneal allograft rejection in the 1980s and later in various inflammatory ocular surface disorders (OSD). Currently, topical ophthalmic CsA is available as a licensed commercial emulsion or is prepared by hospital pharmacies with concentration ranging from 0.05 to 2%. Many of its pharmacological effects on the ocular surface are direct consequences of its ability to inhibit T ciclosporine activation and apoptosis. Topical CsA differs from topical steroids in its favourable local and systemic tolerability at the concentrations used. Most clinical studies have evaluated topical CsA in moderate to severe dry eye disease (DED) and demonstrated its efficacy for improvement of signs and symptoms, thus providing the sole indication for market approval and treatment protocols. For the other indications - corneal graft rejection, blepharitis, allergic or viral keratitis, and ocular surface disease due to graft versus host disease or post-operative DED - evidence-based medicine remains unclear due to the lack of major randomized controlled trials. Despite the lack of standardized protocols or market approval for these conditions, numerous studies suggest clinical efficacy.

Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) is, at present, the only treatment that can slow or even stop the progression of keratoconus. It uses riboflavin and ultraviolet A (UVA) to create covalent bonds ("crosslinks") between collagen fibrils thus increasing corneal rigidity. Although to date there has been no direct evidence of intrastromal corneal crosslinking, several studies have reported the safety and efficacy of the conventional CXL protocol. This protocol is indicated for progressive keratoconus with a minimal corneal thickness (without the epithelium) of at least 400 μm. It should be performed as early as possible in patients under 18 years with keratoconus or with post-LASIK ectasia. Because of the epithelial debridement, it may rarely induce complications such as infectious keratitis or stromal scars. A variety of new protocols is under investigation and may reduce the rate of these complications. In addition, combination of CXL with other surgical treatments (intracorneal ring segments or photorefractive keratectomy) may improve visual outcomes in patients with keratoconus. Finally, the antimicrobial and anti-edematous properties of CXL have been shown, suggesting new therapeutic indications of this procedure such as infectious keratitis or stromal edema in the future.

Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy are key elements for a good prognosis in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). AK should be considered in any case of corneal trauma complicated by exposure to soil or contaminated water, and in all contact lens (CL) wearers. A presumptive diagnosis of AK can be made clinically and with in vivo confocal microscopy, although a definitive diagnosis requires identification of Acanthamoeba on direct scraping, histology, or identification of Acanthamoeba DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We use cysticidal drugs for treating AK because encysted forms are more resistant than trophozoites to treatment. The treatment protocol used a biguanide (PHMB 0.02% or chlorhexidine 0.02%) and a diamidine (propamidine 0.1% or hexamidine 0.1%). New diagnostic modalities and more specific topical anti-amoebic treatments would substantially benefit patients with AK.

Purpose To analyze the influence of various factors on the post-operative refractive power after anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) and penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in eyes with corneal diseases not involving the corneal endothelium. Methods Retrospective comparative case series. Two hundred and thirty-eight consecutive eyes of 238 patients with clear graft and at least one post-operative Orbscan examination performed after suture removal were retrospectively analyzed. Multivariate analysis of recipient and surgical parameters was performed by multivariate regression. Results The average Orbscan 3-mm corneal power was 47.1 D with a wide 95%-confidence interval [40.3 D; 53.9 D]. It was 47.9 D for ALKs and 46.2 D for PKs (p 0.5). Conclusion The post-operative, suture-out, corneal refractive power is higher after ALK compared with PK and it features important variability. In ALK eyes, non-oversized grafts result in post-operative corneal power close to normal values and corneal diseases associated with stromal thinning result in higher post-operative corneal power. Taking into account these parameters at the time of surgery may help decreasing the post-operative spherical refractive error.

To compare corneal characteristics of eyes with high myopia with those of eyes with no spherical ametropia using Orbscan and ultrasonic pachymetry.Orbscan and ultrasonic pachymetry values were prospectively recorded in a study group of 105 patients with high myopia (i.e., axial length greater than 26mm in both eyes) and in a control group of 105 patients with no spherical ametropia (absolute value of spherical equivalent less than 1.25D regardless of cylinder value). Astigmatism data were expressed by rectangular coordinates in a dioptric plane. Axis was decomposed in 2 components (WTR/ATR and oblique) which were analyzed by Cos2axis and Sin2axis trigonometric functions. Enantiomorphism (mirror-image symmetry) between fellow eyes was quantified by a Euclidean distance for the location of the thinnest point and by the difference (in absolute value) between 180° and the sum of both axes for astigmatism.In the study group, the mean axial length and subjective spherical equivalent were, respectively, 27.82±2.14mm (26.00 to 34.06) and -9.00±3.46D (-4.71 to -19.82). The mean corneal astigmatism was +0.92D×91.3° in the study group and +0.65D×89.3° in the control group. The mean corneal cylinder was higher in the study group (1.44D versus 0.91D; P0.001) whereas axis showed no significant differences between both groups. The mean maximal keratometry was steeper in the study group (44.53D versus 44.13D; P=0.03) whereas the mean keratometry and minimal keratometry displayed no significant differences between both groups. No significant differences in central corneal thickness (540.2μm versus 546.9μm; P=0.10), peripheral corneal thickness, corneal diameter, corneal irregularity, asphericity, and irregular astigmatism were found between both groups. There were no significant differences in enantiomorphism parameters between both groups. In the study group, correlation with axial length was significant only for spherical equivalent (r=-0.86; P0.001) and corneal cylinder (r=0.16; P=0.04).High myopia exhibits corneal characteristics similar to corneas of eyes with no spherical ametropia, except for toricity. While the posterior segment elongates, development of high myopia appears not to affect corneal characteristics. Corneal toricity may be associated with evolution toward high myopia by perturbing mechanisms of emmetropization.

A 48-year-old woman with no significant past history underwent bilateral simultaneous laser in situ keratomileusis for correction of her myopia. On the tenth postoperative day, the patient complained of visual decrease and photophobia. Slit lamp exam showed corneal epithelial irregularities. Confocal microscopy was performed and revealed a characteristic appearance of epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). The patient was successfully treated with artificial tears and autologous serum eyedrops. EBMD may be missed before LASIK surgery, even after a careful pre-operative examination. Exacerbation of EBMD after LASIK surgery is rare. It should be considered when unexplained corneal epithelial defects or irregularities occur following LASIK. Confocal microscopy is very useful to confirm the diagnosis.

In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) is an increasingly utilized tool in studying complex corneal and anterior segment pathologies. We illustrate the role of this imaging technique in the irido-corneo-endothelial (ICE) syndromes through a case report.A 47-year-old woman presented unilateral decreased vision associated with ocular hypertension and peripheral anterior synechiae. Slit lamp examination of the cornea was unremarkable but IVCM showed pleomorphism and polymegathism of the corneal endothelium and highly reflective nuclei resulting in an epithelial-like cell morphology. This appearance led to the diagnosis of ICE syndrome.Confocal microscopic findings in ICE syndromes are similar to histopathologic findings. This technique may be for a useful diagnostic adjunct in ICE syndromes by revealing specific characteristics, particularly in difficult diagnostic situations, such as when corneal edema impedes specular microscopy or when the iris fails to demonstrate pathognomonic anomalies.