Purpose. To investigate changes of dry eye test results in patients who underwent pterygium surgery. Methods. Seventy-four patients who underwent primary pterygium surgery were enrolled in this study. At the baseline, 3-, 12-, and 18-month visits, measurements of tear osmolarity, BUT, and Schirmer test were performed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1, which consisted of patients in whom pterygium did not recur, and Group 2, which consisted of patients in whom pterygium recurred after surgery. Results. The patients in Group 1 had lower tear osmolarity levels after surgery than those at baseline (all P < 0.001). In Group 2 the tear osmolarity levels did not differ from baseline after 18 months (P = 0.057). The prevalence rates of dry eye syndrome (DES) were lower than that at baseline and 18 months after surgery in Group 1 (P = 0.002). In Group 2, the incidence of DES was lower after 3 months than at baseline (P = 0.03) but was similar to the baseline rate after 12 and 18 months (both P > 0.05). Conclusions. Anormal tear film function associated with pterygium. Pterygium excision improved tear osmolarity and tear film function. However, tear osmolarity deteriorated again with the recurrence of pterygium.

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of the combined procedure in the management of involutional entropion.MethodsIn this study, we reviewed 45 eyes of 36 patients who underwent the combined procedure (lateral tarsal strip, retractor tightening, and everting sutures) for the management of involutional lower eyelid entropion and compared the results with 31 eyes of 25 patients who underwent the Wies procedure. Exclusion criteria included previous lower eyelid surgery and follow-up of less than 6 months.ResultsNo patients demonstrated entropion on the first postoperative day. The mean follow-up period was 18.4 months (6 to 52 months) in the Wies group and 22.6 months (6 to 59 months) in the combined procedure group. During the follow-up period, 9 of 31 eyes in the Wies group presented with recurrence and only 1 of 45 eyes in the combined procedure group presented with recurrence (p = 0.001). The average time of recurrence was 4.8 months in the Wies group. Recurrence occurred at 2 months postoperatively in the patient in the combined procedure group. Six of the 9 recurrences in the Wies group were managed by the combined procedure. None of these patients had further recurrence after correction. Three patients complained about a visible incision line after the Wies procedure.ConclusionsThe combined procedure seems to be more effective than the Wies procedure in the management of involutional entropion. The combined procedure addresses the three major causative factors in involutional entropion and makes it possible to perform the surgery using a small incision.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) before Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma (NVG). Methods: This retrospective, comparative and consecutive case series study included 41 eyes from 41 patients who underwent AGV implantation for treatment of NVG. The study group was composed of 19 patients (19 eyes) to whom IVB was administered before surgery, while the control group was composed of 22 patients (22 eyes) to whom IVB was not administered before AGV implantation. Findings such as intraocular pressures measured before and after surgery, surgical success rates, and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. Results: There were no significant differences in preoperative data between groups. The surgical success rate in the study group (79%) was better than in the control group (64%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.28). Early postoperative complications such as fibrinous reaction in the anterior chamber as well as hyphema were less frequently observed in the study group. Conclusions: Intravitreal bevacizumab is a useful preparatory step to safely and effectively implant an aqueous shunting tube in eyes with severe NVG and intractable intraocular pressure.

Long scleral tunnel technique is beneficial in preventing conjunctival tube exposure in AGV implantation surgery.

Purpose To evaluate serum levels of YKL-40 in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in comparison with those of age-and sex-matched healthy subjects. Methods Forty patients with PEX (PEX group) and 40 age-and sex-matched control subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. An enzyme immunoassay method using the commercially available test MicroVue YKL-40 was used to measure serum YKL-40 concentration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides were also examined. Results The mean age was 54.4 ± 7.6 (ranging 41-65) years in each group. The mean serum YKL-40 level of the PEX group was significantly higher than that of the control group (Po0.001). In addition, the mean serum HsCRP, total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides levels were significantly higher, and mean serum HDL level was significantly lower in the PEX group than in the control group (all Po0.001, excluding both P ¼ 0.002 for triglycerides and HDL levels). Further, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the PEX group than in the control group (P 1 ¼ 0.001 and P 2 ¼ 0.01, respectively). Conclusion We have shown a relationship between PEX and elevated serum levels of YKL-40. We imply that a better understanding of the role of YKL-40 in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis is necessary to develop new therapies for preventing or treating PEX. Further studies are warranted to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings.

Both intravitreal steroid injection and pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling had a favorable effect on visual and anatomic results in patients with chronic pseudophakic CME. However, surgical treatment had no advantage over intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection after 12-months follow-up.

Anterior segment spectral-domain optical coherence tomography offers non-invasive, in vivo measurement of the SC, and it could be used for investigating the SC changes in patients with PEX glaucoma.

No significant decrease was observed in the thickness values of the retinal GCC and RNFL after Brilliant Blue-assisted ILM peeling for MHS. Therefore, this surgical procedure can be performed safely for the treatment of macular holes.