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Results indicate that using 5% povidone-iodine for 15 minutes or 10% povidone-iodine for 5 minutes can prevent the growth of most post-cataract surgery endophthalmitis bacterial isolates.

Background: Thalassaemia major is associated with characteristic findings in craniofacial bony structures and thereby may render abnormal bony orbit and subsequently distinctive ocular biometry. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ocular refractive and biometric characteristics in patients with thalassaemia major. Methods: This case-controlled study comprised 94 eyes of 47 patients with thalassaemia major and 88 eyes of 44 age-and sex-matched healthy control subjects. All participants had a complete ocular examination including slitlamp biomicroscopy, fundoscopy, ocular biometry, keratometry, refraction and analysis using Fourier transformation. Results: There were no significant differences in spherical equivalent (p = 0.66) and total astigmatism (p = 0.83) between groups. Mean uncorrected vision and visual acuities (logMar) were similar (p = 0.32 and p = 0.71, respectively). Compared with controls, thalassaemic patients had a shorter axial length (23.01 Ϯ 0.12 [SEM] mm versus 23.46 Ϯ 0.12 mm, p = 0.035), thicker crystalline lens (4.01 Ϯ 0.11 mm versus 3.87 Ϯ 0.1 mm, p = 0.046) and steeper average keratometry (44.02 Ϯ 0.24 D versus 43.44 Ϯ 0.24, p = 0.03). Fifty-seven per cent of thalassaemic patients had against-the-rule astigmatism (total), while 64.6 per cent of controls showed a with-the-rule pattern (p < 0.05). These patterns were also found for corneal astigmatism. The magnitudes of total, corneal and lenticular astigmatism were similar among groups. Regression analysis showed significant correlation between corneal ( J0 and J45) and total ( J0 and J45) astigmatism. The correlations were less prominent between lenticular and total J0 and J45. The mean intraocular pressure was 14.68 Ϯ 0.27 mmHg and 13.3 Ϯ 0.26 mmHg in the thalassaemia and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Six eyes (12.8 per cent) of four patients in the thalassaemia group had posterior subcapsular cataract, while the condition had not been observed in controls (p = 0.049). Conclusions: Shorter axial length, thicker lens, steeper corneal curvature and more against-the-rule pattern were characteristic findings in patients with thalassaemia major. Key words: astigmatism, biometry, refraction, thalassaemia major Haemoglobin is essential for normal oxygen delivery to tissues. Betathalassaemia is one of the most common haemoglobinopathies (with an incidence of up to 14 per cent in some populations) and has an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. In this disorder, abnormalities in b-globin biosynthesis diminish production of haemoglobin tetramers, resulting in hypochromia and microcytosis. Management of thalassaemia major consists of regular long-life blood Functional changes such as abnormalities in the electro-retinogram, the electrooculogram, the visual-evoked potentials and contrast sensitivity function have been demonstrated in these patients. 13Thalassaemia major patients have characteristic skeletal changes, including typical craniofacial changes and deformities of the long bones that result from expansion of t...

Purpose:To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with ocular trauma.Materials and Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 278 children (aged 15 years or less) hospitalized with ocular injuries and treated as inpatients at a tertiary referral center in Shiraz, Iran, from 2005 to 2008. Nominal variables were evaluated with a Chi-square test. A P-value less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance.Results:The cohort was comprised of 205 (74%) males, outnumbering females by a ratio of 2.81/1. The mean age was 7.6 ± 3.96 years. Rural residents comprised 125 (45%) of the cohort. Sharp objects caused ocular injury in 211 (76%) cases, and 207 (74%) cases had open-globe injuries. The lens was injured in 62 (30%) cases at initial examination and 89 (43%) patients according to ultrasound examination (P = 0.006). Twenty-eight cases (10%) developed post-traumatic endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis was associated with needle injury [odd ratio (OR) = 19.25] and presence of intraocular foreign body (OR = 3.48). Visual acuity of patients with closed-globe injuries was 20/200 or better on both initial and final examinations. Visual acuity of patients with open-globe injuries were in the range of light perception to 20/200.Conclusions:Trauma is an important cause of childhood ocular morbidity in southern Iran. Playing with sharp objects is an important cause of ocular trauma in children, and most injuries can be prevented by careful supervision.

Besides the widely accepted use of bevacizumab in cancer therapy and chorioretinal neovascularization, the initial, striking, short-term response and patients' high tolerance of local bevacizumab therapy offer encouraging results for the potential role of anti-VEGF agents in treating anterior segment neovascular disorders. Controlled prospective trials are needed to establish the long-term safety, efficacy, and dosing guidelines for the use of anti-VEGF agents in anterior segment neovascularization.

Background: Islamic Ramadan is the month of fasting, in which intake of food and drink is restricted from sunrise until sunset. The objective of the present study was to find out the effect of altered eating habits during Ramadan fasting on ocular refractive and biometric properties. Methods: In this prospective case series, 40 eyes of 22 healthy volunteers with a mean age of 60.55 Ϯ 12.20 years were enrolled. Patients with any systemic disorder and eyes with pathology or previous surgery were excluded. One month before Ramadan (at 8.00 am), during Ramadan fasting (at 8.00 am and 4.00 pm) and one month later during the non-fasting period (at 8.00 am), ocular refractive and biometric characteristics were measured using an autokeratorefractometer (Auto-Kerato-Refractometer KR-8900; Topcon Co, Tokyo, Japan) and contact ultrasonic biometry (Nidek Echoscan US 800; Nidek Co, Tokyo, Japan). Results: Anterior chamber depth was significantly increased during fasting compared with baseline measurements and returned to baseline one month after Ramadan (3.22 Ϯ 0.07 mm and 4.33 Ϯ 0.17 mm for non-fasting and fasting, respectively; p < 0.001). The anterior chamber depth measurements were significantly larger at 8.00 am during fasting compared with 4.00 pm (p = 0.01). Axial length was significantly decreased during fasting and returned to baseline one month after Ramadan (23.09 Ϯ 0.14 mm and 22.65 Ϯ 0.18 mm, for non-fasting and fasting, respectively; p < 0.001). Intraocular lens power calculations were significantly increased during fasting and returned to baseline one month after Ramadan (SRK-T formula: 21.46 Ϯ 0.27 D and 22.92 Ϯ 0.46 D, for nonfasting and fasting, respectively; p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in spherical equivalent, corneal astigmatism, mean keratometry and flatter and steeper corneal radii of curvature between time intervals. Conclusions: Ramadan fasting is associated with statistically significant alterations in anterior chamber depth and axial length that result in both statistically and clinically significant changes in intraocular lens power calculations. Therefore, relying on measurements taken during this month might lead to refractive errors after cataract surgery.

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Purpose:To determine the agreement between intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements using an automated non-contact tonometer (NCT), Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), and the ocular response analyzer (ORA) in subjects with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG).Methods:Twenty-nine eyes of 17 PCG patients underwent IOP measurements using NCT, GAT and ORA. Variables obtained by the ORA were corneal-compensated IOP (IOPcc), Goldmann-correlated IOP (IOPg), corneal hysteresis (CH), and corneal resistance factor (CRF). A difference more than 1.5 mmHg for IOP was considered as clinically relevant.Results:Mean age of the patients was 12 years. Mean IOP (±standard deviation, SD) was 15.3 ± 2.8 mmHg (GAT), 15.5 ± 6.0 (NCT), 19.2 ± 7.0 (IOPg), and 21.1 ± 7.9 (IOPcc); (P = 0.001). Except for NCT vs. GAT (P = 1.0), the average IOP difference between each pair of measurements was clinically relevant. The 95% limits of agreements were − 10.2 to 10.3 mmHg (NCT vs. GAT), −7.8 to 15.3 (IOPg vs. GAT), and − 8.1 to 19.0 (IOPcc vs. GAT). The differences in IOP measurements increased significantly with higher average IOP values (r = 0.715, P = 0.001, for NCT vs. GAT; r = 0.802, P < 0.001, for IOPg vs. GAT; and r = 0.806, P < 0.001, for IOPcc vs. GAT). CH showed a significant association with differences in IOP measurements only for IOPcc vs. GAT (r = 0.830, P < 0.001).Conclusion:Mean IOP obtained by NCT was not significantly different from that of GAT, but ORA measured IOPs were significantly higher than both other devices.