Conjunctivitis with Monkeypox Virus Positive Conjunctival Swabs

A 39-year-old man consulted for unilateral red eye and itchiness (Fig A, C) 5 days after positive monkeypox virus (MPOX) cutaneous polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab from chin and lip lesions (Fig B). Slit-lap examination showed conjunctival follicular reaction and the presence of small white vesicles on the nasal bulbar conjunctiva (Fig C, arrow). The rest of the anterior and posterior segment were normal, and the fellow eye remained uninvolved during follow up. Two separate conjunctival PCR swabs were positive for MPOX, confirming indirectly similar loads of the virus on conjunctival and eye secretions compared with cutaneous lesions (26.7 vs 24.8 [cycle threshold] respectively), raising the possibility of transmission via eye contact, i.e., during ophthalmologic examination. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this fact and employ adequate personal protection.</p

The SWISS IOL technique (Small-Width Incision Scleral Suture): a mini-invasive technique

To evaluate the outcomes and safety of a minimally invasive technique for sutured IOL scleral fixation in case of compromised capsular and iris support. Materials and Methods. In this retrospective study, we explain our mini-invasive technique and assess the outcomes in terms of visual acuity, pre- or postoperative complications, and IOL position (Sensar AR40e, AMO) in a case series of three patients. Results. The expected best corrected visual acuity could be achieved after one month. Surgeries were uneventful with a stable eye. No postoperative complications occurred except for one patient who had a conjunctival disinsertion. Neither postoperative hypotony nor raised IOP was found. Additionally, no patient experienced corneal edema at one week control, IOL dislocation, vitreous hemorrhage, or new pupil's irregularity. Conclusions. In conclusion, each scleral technique has its own advantages and its inherent postoperative complications. To date, there is no evidence of superiority of any single technique. By improving our scleral sutured lens techniques, we could improve peroperative ocular stability, potentially decrease postoperative complication rate, and offer a rapid recovery with a stable visual acuity within a mont

Functional and anatomical characterization of atrophic age-related macular degeneration in an aged mouse model

Purpose: To develop an animal model of atrophic age-related macular degeneration (aAMD) in aged mice that more closely mimics the natural progression of the disease. Methods: 12- and 18-month-old CBl57/6JRj mice were immunized with murine serum albumin (MSA) conjugated with carboxyethyl pyrrole (CEP). The immunization, given into the hock, was followed by 3 booster injections into the neck over a 3-month period. Immunized mice and age-matched controls were trained for a visual discrimination and an optokinetic response task to determine the objective visual threshold (OVT) at arrival and at 3 months; funduscopy and ocular coherence tomography were performed. After sacrifice, the eyes were enucleated for histological, immunofluorescent and electron microscopy analyses. Results: Retinal imaging confirmed that all mice had normal retinas upon arrival. Three months after mice were immunized the normal retinal age-related alterations were significantly more pronounced in CEP-immunized than in control mice as evidenced by drusenoid alterations, increased retinal thickness, immune activation, signs of retinal degeneration, decreased OVT. Electron microscopy indicated degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Conclusions: The retinal and behavioral changes in the aged CEP-immunized mice will be useful for the investigation of novel treatments of aAMD. Translational relevance: The enhanced Aged-CEP-Mouse model enables the generation of results highly transferable to human patients and promotes the development of efficient, safe AMD therapies