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Background/Aims:Information on eye diseases in blind school children in Allahabad is rare and sketchy. A cross-sectional study was performed to identify causes of blindness (BL) in blind school children with an aim to gather information on ocular morbidity in the blind schools in Allahabad and in its vicinity.Study Design and Setting:A cross-sectional study was carried out in all the four blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity.Materials and Methods:The students in the blind schools visited were included in the study and informed consents from parents were obtained. Relevant ocular history and basic ocular examinations were carried out on the students of the blind schools.Results:A total of 90 students were examined in four schools of the blind in Allahabad and in the vicinity. The main causes of severe visual impairment and BL in the better eye of students were microphthalmos (34.44%), corneal scar (22.23%), anophthalmos (14.45%), pseudophakia (6.67%), optic nerve atrophy (6.67%), buphthalmos/glaucoma (3.33%), cryptophthalmos (2.22%), staphyloma (2.22%), cataract (2.22%), retinal dystrophy (2.22%), aphakia (1.11%), coloboma (1.11%), retinal detachment (1.11%), etc. Of these, 22 (24.44%) students had preventable causes of BL and another 12 (13.33%) students had treatable causes of BL.Conclusion:It was found that hereditary diseases, corneal scar, glaucoma and cataract were the prominent causes of BL among the students of blind schools. Almost 38% of the students had preventable or treatable causes, indicating the need of genetical counseling and focused intervention.

BACKGROUND/AIMS:The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the visual outcome and complications of various techniques of secondary intraocular lens (IOL) (i.e., anterior chamber IOL [ACIOL], suture-fixated posterior chamber IOL [PCIOL], and glue-fixated PCIOL).STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING:This was a randomized, prospective, interventional, comparative, clinical trial study.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Patients of either sex having aphakia and lacking posterior capsular support were included in the study, and patients having corneal or scleral pathology, optic atrophy, uncontrolled glaucoma, retinal detachment, and other retinal pathology were excluded from the study. The patients were divided into three groups after comprehensive ophthalmological examination – Group A (secondary ACIOL) included 44 patients, Group B (secondary scleral-fixated sutured PCIOL) included 32 patients, and Group C (fibrin glue-fixated sutured PCIOL) included 34 patients.RESULTS:A total of 110 patients were included in this study, of which 59 (53.63%) were males and 51 (46.37%) were females. The best-corrected visual acuity (VA) after 6 weeks was in the range of 20/60–20/40 in 36.4% of Group A and 40.6% of Group B patients. In Group C, 52.9% of patients had best-corrected VA in the range of 20/30–20/20. The overall complications were less in glued PCIOL group.CONCLUSION:It can be concluded that fibrin glue-assisted PCIOL implantation provides better visual outcome with minimal complications in eyes with deficient capsular support.

Eosinophilic infiltration of the thyroid gland has higher association with Hashimoto thyroiditis.

Summary Leprosy is primarily a disease of the peripheral nerves and a technique that is simpler than nerve biopsy is required to evaluate nerve involvement, especially in pure neuritic (PN) leprosy. This study was designed to evaluate the role of FNAC of the nerve in the diagnosis and classification of leprosy. A prospective study was carried out on 25 patients with clinically active leprosy and at least one thickened peripheral sensory nerve. Nerve aspirates were evaluated by May-Grunwald Giemsa and Fite's staining. Lepromin test, slit skin smears (SSS), skin biopsies (except PN cases) and nerve biopsies were performed and compared with FNAC.FNAC of nerve from 23 cases (92%) yielded diagnostic aspirates. Acid fast bacilli were observed in six cases by FNAC. FNAC and nerve pathology were equally comparable with the other parameters evaluated. Based on the results, cytological criteria were developed for interpreting nerve aspirates and the cases were classified as paucibacillary (18), BB (2), BL (2), LL (1) and non-diagnostic (2). All PN cases showed diagnostic paucibacillary type cytology. FNAC of the nerve yields diagnostic aspirates in leprosy comparable with nerve pathology and the proposed cytological criteria may be useful in classification of nerve aspirates.Although leprosy is primarily a disease of the peripheral nerves, the main criteria for diagnosis and classification are related to skin parameters such as slit skin smears (SSS) and skin biopsies. 1 -3 Several studies have shown discrepancies between skin and nerve histopathology, with a higher bacterial load in the peripheral nerves when compared to the skin. 4 -S In addition, pure neuritic (PN) leprosy, which involves the nerves alone with out any skin changes, is a definite entity recognized in the Indian classification of leprosy. 9 The diagnosis of this form of leprosy can be confirmed only by a nerve biopsy?