Introduction. In recent years, the number of contact lens wearers has dramatically increased in Iran, particularly in youngsters. The purpose of current study was to assess the clinical presentation and antibiotic susceptibility of contact lens related microbial keratitis in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran. Methodology. A cross-sectional investigation of 26 patients (33 eyes) with contact lens induced corneal ulcers who were admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahwaz City, from June 2012 to June 2013 was done. In order to study microbial culture and susceptibility of corneal ulcers, all of them were scraped. Results. Eight samples were reported as sterile. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (80%) in positive cultures was the most widely recognized causative organism isolated. This is followed by Staphylococcus aureus 12% and Enterobacter 8%. The results showed that 84% of the microorganism cases were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, while imipenem, meropenem, and ceftazidime were the second most effective antibiotics (76%). Conclusion. Results of current study show the importance of referring all contact lens wearers with suspected corneal infection to ophthalmologists for more cure. The corneal scraping culture and contact lens solution should be performed to guide antibiotic therapy.

No abstract

To evaluate the demographic and clinical features of orbital cellulitis (OC) and preseptal cellulitis (PC) in a tertiary eye hospital over a 10-year period. This is a retrospective study of files of patients defined as OC or PC admitted to Labbafinejad Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in which clinical specificities and results of treatment and complications were reviewed. A total of 93 records of patients with OC or PC were identified from 1997 to 2007. 42 % of the patients had orbital and 58 % had PC. OC was found to be twice as common in males but PC occurred equally in both sexes. The mean ages ± SD of patients with OC and PC were 27.4 ± 23.9 and 19.1 ± 23.3 years, respectively. 97.8 % of involvements were unilateral. The most common complaint of the patients was change in lid appearance and the most common season of involvement was spring in both groups. Sinusitis was the most common background in 53.8 % of OC and 24.1 % of PC patients, and the sinus most commonly involved was the ethmoid. Surgical intervention was needed in 48.7 % of orbital and 14.8 % of PC. The only complication seen in OC was external ophthalmoplegia in a case which needed operation. In our geographical region, orbital and PC are seen most frequently in young patients in spring and their most common background is ethmoiditis; complications may be prevented by appropriate medical and/or surgical management.

Meningitis is a life-threatening infection associated with a high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the most prevalent infectious agents that cause bacterial meningitis (BM). The objective of this study was to determine the frequencies of these three bacteria using bacterial cultures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In our cross-sectional study, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were obtained from 196 patients who were suspected of having BM and referred to the pediatric ward of Abuzar Hospital (Ahvaz, Iran). The samples were monitored by gram stain, cultures, and the PCR method. The patients' age mean was 23 ± 0.56 months. The 196 patients comprised 92 (46.9%) boys and 104 (53.06%) girls. Based on bacterial cultures, just three isolates of H. influenzae were detected. However, PCR detected this bacterium in eight patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected in five (2.5%) patients by the amplification of the lytA gene and in one (0.5%) patient by ply. In this study, no N. meningitidis isolate was in the CSF samples, based on the bacterial culture or PCR results. Streptococcus agalactiae was detected only in one patient, based on PCR. In conclusion, in the present study, the PCR method was more sensitive and rapid than culture for detecting the infectious agents in BM. For this reason, this diagnosis method is recommended for BM.

This study was designed to compare the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) among 3 to 7-year-old strabismic and nonstrabismic children in an Iranian population.In this cross-sectional study, 108 preschool children with equal numbers of strabismic/non-strabismic disorder (age 3–7 years) were randomly selected from exceptional strabismus clinics of Ahvaz and were evaluated with the preschool and primary scale of intelligence versions of Wechsler (WPPSI).In the current study, 108 children were evaluated. In strabismic patients the mean performance, verbal and total IQ were 89.46±19.79, 89.57±21.57 and 91.54±22.08 respectively. These mean scores in normal children were 91.89±47.53, 87.56±15.6 and 89.96±17.62consecuently. The results showed that these three different IQ subscales were not significantly different among 3 to 7 years old strabismic and nonstrabismic children ((P>0.05 for all comparisons). There was no significant difference in IQ between two sexes (P>0.05) while Persian tribe children had greater IQ score compared to other tribes (P<0.05). Also, higher paternal educational status of children related to higher IQ score. IQ score was better in combined deviations and was higher in exotropes than esotropes; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05).In this evaluation, we did not found a significant negative interference of strabismus on IQ score of preschool children. It can be concluded that paternal educational level and tribe have a significant effect on intelligent quotient, while this is not the case on sex and ocular deviation.