Herpes simplex virus PCR in 2230 explanted corneal buttons

Purpose: To determine herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA prevalence and mean cycle threshold of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in corneal tissue of patients with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), with (HSK+) and without (HSK−) previous clinical herpetic keratitis history. Methods: Retrospective review of recipient corneal buttons which were explanted through PKP between March 2010 and September 2018 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center in Homburg/Saar, Germany. Corneal tissue samples were analysed by real-time PCR for the presence of HSV DNA. For each subject, clinical data, including patients’ demographics and clinical diagnoses, were collected. Results: In total, 2230 corneal samples (age at the time of the surgery 57.3 19.2 years) of 1860 patients were analysed. HSV PCR was positive in 137 (6.1%) corneal samples, with a 30.57 6.01 (range 14–39) mean cycle threshold (Ct) value. Two hundred ninety-eight (13.4%) corneas of 266 patients were clinically HSK+, and 1932 (86.6%) corneas of 1600 patients were clinically HSK−. HSV DNA was detected significantly more frequently (p < 0.0001) in HSK+ corneal samples (108 corneal samples; 36.2%), than in HSK− corneal samples (29 corneal samples; 1.5%). Ct value was significantly lower in HSK+ than in HSK- corneal samples (29.8 5.8 versus 32.6 5.9; p = 0.008). Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that a positive clinical history of HSK is related to HSV PCR positivity in about every 2.8th patient. In addition, about every 66th explanted corneal tissue is HSV PCR-positive despite the lack of clinical suspicion. These patients may need additional local/systemic antiviral treatment to avoid newly acquired HSK following penetrating keratoplasty

Clinicopathological Review of 547 Bulbar Enucleations in Hungary (2006–2017)

Purpose. To analyse current clinicopathological enucleation indications in a large third-referral centre in a developed country (Hungary) over a period of 12 years. Methods. Retrospective review was performed on 547 enucleated eyes of 543 patients (48.6% males, age 52.7 ± 24.5 years) who were operated on between 2006 and 2017 at the Department of Ophthalmology of Semmelweis University, in Budapest, Hungary. For each subject, clinicopathological data, including patient demographics, indications for enucleation, B-scan ultrasound reports, operative details, and histopathological analyses, were reviewed. Primary enucleation indications were classified into trauma, tumours, systemic diseases, surgical diseases, infections or inflammations, miscellaneous diseases, and unclassifiable groups. Clinical immediate enucleation indications were classified as tumours, atrophia or phthisis bulbi, infection or inflammation, painful blind eye due to glaucoma, acute trauma, threatening or spontaneous perforation, cosmetic causes, and expulsive bleeding. Results. The most common primary enucleation indications were tumours (47.3%), trauma (16.8%), surgical diseases (15.7%), infection or inflammation (11.6%), systemic diseases (5.1%), miscellaneous diseases (2.0%), and unclassifiable diseases (1.5%). Clinical immediate enucleation indications were tumours (46.1%), atrophia or phthisis bulbi (18.5%), infection or inflammation (18.5%), painful blind eye due to glaucoma (11.2%), acute trauma (3.7%), threatening or spontaneous perforation (1.3%), cosmetic reasons (0.5%), and expulsive bleeding (0.4%). Conclusions. Intraocular tumours represent the most common clinicopathological indication for ocular enucleation in our study population. Following ocular trauma and systemic diseases, the rate of enucleation decreased in the last decade, compared to those previously reported in other developed countries. However, changes were not observed for surgical diseases, infectious and inflammatory causes, or for miscellaneous and unclassified diseases. Orbital implant financing should be increased to ensure better postoperative aesthetic rehabilitation, following enucleation in Hungary

Clinical Review of Microbial Corneal Ulcers Resulting in Enucleation and Evisceration in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Hungary

Purpose. To analyse the clinical and microbiological characteristics and preexisting ophthalmic and systemic conditions of infectious keratitis resulting in enucleation/evisceration in a large tertiary referral center in a developed country (Hungary) over a period of 12 years. Patients and Methods. A retrospective review of enucleated/eviscerated eyes undergoing surgery between 2007 and 2018 at the Department of Ophthalmology of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, with infectious keratitis as the primary indication for enucleation or evisceration. For each subject, clinical history, B-scan ultrasound report, and microbiological analyses were reviewed. Results. There were 48 enucleated/eviscerated eyes from 47 patients (29 females (61.7%), age at the time of surgery 66.4 ± 18.5 years). Indication for surgery was hopeless, unmanageable keratitis (62.5%), and keratitis with endophthalmitis (37.5%). The most common preexisting ophthalmic conditions were previous cataract surgery (60.4%), previous therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) (56.3%), corneal perforation (52.1%), glaucoma (41.7%), and long-term topical steroid usage (31.3%). In order to treat keratitis, before enucleation or evisceration, 20 eyes (41.7%) underwent PKP, 12 eyes (25.0%) amniotic membrane transplantation, 8 eyes (16.7%) conjunctival autograft transplantation, 6 eyes (12.5%) tarsorrhaphy, and 4 eyes (8.3%) vitrectomy to salvage the eye prior to the final treatment of enucleation or evisceration. The most frequent preexisting systemic diseases were hypertension (62.5%), cardiac disease (20.8%), diabetes mellitus (20.8%), and rheumatoid arthritis (14.6%). Staphylococcus aureus (17.0%) and Propionibacterium acnes (12.8%) were the most commonly isolated gram-positive bacteria, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently isolated gram-negative pathogen bacterium (10.6%). Six globes (12.5%) had positive fungal cultures (1 case of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Trichosporon inkin, Acremonium sp., Fusarium sp., and Penicillium sp.). Conclusions. Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis with or without endophthalmitis represent the most common indication for ocular enucleation/evisceration in patients with microbial keratitis in a tertiary referral center in Hungary. The incidence of enucleation and evisceration related to mycotic keratitis does not seem to have increased within the last decade. Most frequent preexisting systemic diseases in cases of enucleation and evisceration are hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis

Clinical Review of Ocular Traumas Resulting in Enucleation or Evisceration in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Hungary

Purpose. To analyse the demographic and clinical characteristics of ocular traumas resulting in enucleation/evisceration in a large tertiary referral center in a developed country (Hungary) over a period of 15 years. Patients and Methods. A retrospective review of enucleated/eviscerated eyes that underwent surgery between 2006 and 2020 at the Department of Ophthalmology of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, due to ocular trauma as the primary indication for enucleation/evisceration. For each subject, clinical history, B-scan ultrasound report, and histopathology results were reviewed. Results. There were 124 enucleated/eviscerated eyes from 124 patients (91 males (73.4%)). The mean age at the time of trauma was 37.3 ± 26.0 years while the mean age at the time of enucleation/evisceration was 46.9 ± 20.3 years. The main clinical diagnoses after ocular trauma were open globe injury (n = 96; 77.4%), ocular burns (n = 6; 4.8%), traumatic optic neuropathy (n = 4; 3.2%), bulbar avulsion (n = 3; 2.4%), traumatic cataract (n = 2; 1.6%), retinal ablation (n = 1; 0.8%), and traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula (n = 1; 0.8%). Among the 124 patients, 98 (79.0%) underwent enucleation and 26 (21.0%) evisceration. Patients who underwent primary enucleation/evisceration (n = 24 19.4%) were significantly older at the time of the injury (57.7 ± 22.7 years) than people who underwent secondary eye removal (32.4 ± 24.4 years) (p<0.0001). The mean time interval between trauma and enucleation/evisceration was 114.9 ± 163.5 months. The main clinical indications for anophthalmic surgery were atrophia/phthisis bulbi (n = 56, 45.2%), acute trauma (n = 25, 20.2%), painful blind eye due to glaucoma (n = 17, 13.7%), endophthalmitis (n = 10, 8.1%), and cosmetic reasons (n = 7, 5.6%). One patient (0.8%) had sympathetic ophthalmia. Conclusions. Primary enucleation/evisceration was performed in one-fifth of all ocular trauma-related anophthalmic surgeries in our tertiary eye care center with enucleation being the most common procedure. Atrophia/phthisis bulbi was the most frequent immediate clinical indication for enucleation/evisceration