Pattern of Intermediate Uveitis in an Egyptian Cohort

Purpose: To describe the clinical experience with intermediate uveitis at six Egyptian tertiary eye centers.Methods: A multicenter retrospective chart review of all patients with intermediate uveitis seen at six ocular inflammation referral clinics in Egypt between January 2010 and January 2017.Results: The study included a total of 781 patients with intermediate uveitis. The study cohort comprised of 282 male and 499 female patients. In over half of our cohort (58.77%), no specific cause could be confirmed. The remaining patients had sarcoidosis (16.26%), tuberculosis (14.85%), multiple sclerosis (9.09%), and TINU (1.02%). By the end of our study, 62% of the affected eyes had a BCVA better than 20/40Conclusion: More than 40% of our patients with intermediate uveitis had sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, or TINU as the underlying etiology. Owing to their potential morbidity, these diseases need to be considered in Egyptian patients presenting with intermediate uveitis.

Combined femtosecond laser-assisted intracorneal ring segment implantation and corneal collagen cross-linking for correction of keratoconus

Purpose

To assess the safety, predictability, and effectiveness of Keraring intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) insertion assisted by femtosecond laser and corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for keratoconus correction.

Patients and methods

In this prospective, noncomparative, and interventional case series, 160 eyes of 100 adult keratoconus patients with poor best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (less than 0.7) and intolerance to contact lens wear were included. Patients underwent femtosecond laser-assisted placement of ICRS and CXL. All patients were examined for a complete ophthalmological test: uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), BCVA, spherical equivalent, keratometry (K1-flat and K2-steep), pachymetry, and Scheimpflug imaging with the Pentacam at 1 week and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

Results

At 6 months, a significant difference was observed (P<0.001) in mean UCVA and BCVA from 0.92±0.677 and 0.42±0.600 logMAR preoperatively to 0.20±0.568 and 0.119±0.619 logMAR, respectively. Mean spherical equivalent refractions were significantly lower (P<0.001) at 6 months. Mean keratometry (K) also significantly reduced (P<0.001) from 50.93±5.53 D (K1-flat) and 55.37±5.76 D (K2-steep) to 47.32±4.61 and 51.08±5.38 D, respectively. In terms of pachymetry, no significant difference was observed preoperatively versus postoperatively (P=1.000).

Conclusion

Keraring ICRS insertion assisted by femtosecond laser and corneal CXL provided significant improvement in visual acuity, spherical equivalent, and keratometry, which suggests that it may be effective, safe, and predictable for keratoconus correction.