OBJECTIVES To evaluate corneal densitometry and anterior segment parameters of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compare these results with those of age-matched healthy control subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Anterior segment parameters and corneal densitometry of patients with RA and healthy control subjects were assessed by Scheimpflug corneal topography. For densitometry analysis, the...

Abstract Understanding the physical basis of corneal transparency has been a subject interest amongst physicists, basic scientists and ophthalmologists. Impairment clarity is significant cause visual morbidity worldwide. Thus, it essential to understand mechanisms behind how alterations due pathologies affect vision. We use Maxwell’s equations model light propagation in ocular tissues nodal dis...

Purpose. To evaluate longitudinal functional and anatomical results after combined pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) using a wide-field Landers intraoperative temporary keratoprosthesis (TKP) in patients with vitreoretinal pathology and corneal opacity due to severe ocular trauma. Material and Methods. Medical records of 12 patients who had undergone PPV/PKP/KP due ...

Corneal clarity is maintained by its endothelium, which functions abnormally in the endothelial dystrophies, leading to corneal opacification. This group of conditions includes Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy of the cornea (FECD), one of the commonest indications for corneal transplantation performed in developed countries, posterior polymorphous dystrophy (PPCD) and the congenital hereditary endo...

Integrins were first described just over 20 years ago and have been studied in the cornea by many groups interested in how the cornea functions in health and disease. There are a minimum of 12 different integrin heterodimers reported to be expressed by the major resident cells of the cornea: the corneal and limbal epithelial cells, keratocytes/fibroblasts, and corneal endothelial cells. These d...

PURPOSE To report the results of one 60 degrees conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) combined with amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation for an eye with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). METHODS One eye of a patient with chronic total LSCD and symblepharon caused by chemical burn was subjected to symblepharon lysis, removal of pannus from corneal surface, AM transplantation to cover ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical outcome of a new sutureless approach for a temporary amniotic membrane patch (ProKera; Bio-Tissue, Inc, Miami, Florida) in eyes with acute burns. METHODS Retrospective review of 5 eyes of 5 patients with grades I to III acute alkaline burns, receiving ProKera insertion within 8 days of injury. RESULTS These eyes had either total (2 cases) or extensive (60%...

Keratocytes are fibroblast-like cells that maintain the optical clarity and the overall health of the cornea. The ability to measure precisely their density and spatial distribution in the cornea is important for the understanding of corneal healing processes and the diagnostics of some corneal disorders. A novel computerized approach to detection and counting of keratocyte cells from ultra hig...

PURPOSE To report the clinical results, postoperative progress, and complications after therapeutic keratoplasty for corneal perforation. METHODS Twenty consecutive eyes (20 patients) that underwent therapeutic keratoplasty between December 2003 and May 2006 were included. The eyes were evaluated retrospectively for the cause of the corneal perforation, the type of surgical technique and intr...

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is the most common cause of corneal blindness in the Western world. Despite effective anti-viral drugs such as acyclovir (ACV), disease recurrence due to the virus establishing latency within the corneal nerves and possibly cells makes treatment very challenging. Furthermore, although effective, current systemic and topical preparations of anti-viral drugs d...