Stromal opacity secondary to preservative in dilating drops – A case report and review of literature

This patient is a 64-year-old man who presented with painless progressive blurring of vision for one year. After a routine fundoscopy preceded by dilatation of both eyes with a drop of topical tropicamide, the left eye was noted to have stromal edema temporally. This was attributed to the preservative (BAC) in the medication. The stromal oedema persisted over the following weeks despite administration of a topical steroid, and was associated with deterioration in visual acuity to 6/30 (PH 6/21). This case reminds us that clinicians should be vigilant during instillation of any preservative-containing drops, even in routine practices like dilatation. Far from being restricted to chronic use of preservative-containing drugs, toxicity with BAC can occur even upon a single application. Ideally, all eyedrops should be single-use topical drug formulations, but in the absence of this option, it is imperative that ophthalmic drug prescription be done with adequate clinical justification

Neuroretinitis in ocular bartonellosis: a case series

Abdul-Rahim Raihan,1 Embong Zunaina,1,2 Wan-Hitam Wan-Hazabbah,1,2 Hussein Adil,1,2 Thavaratnam Lakana-Kumar1 1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 2Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MalaysiaAbstract: We report a case series of neuroretinitis in ocular bartonellosis and describe the serologic verification for Bartonella henselae. This is a retrospective interventional case series of four patients who presented in the ophthalmology clinic of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from June 2012 to March 2013. All four patients had a history of contact with cats and had fever prior to ocular symptoms. Each patient presented with neuroretinitis characterized by optic disc swelling with macular star. Serology analysis showed strongly positive for B. henselae in all of the patients. All patients were treated with oral azithromycin (except case 4, who was treated with oral doxycycline), and two patients (case 1 and case 3) had poor vision at initial presentation that warranted the use of oral prednisolone. All patients showed a good visual outcome except case 3. Vision-threatening ocular manifestation of cat scratch disease can be improved with systemic antibiotics and steroids.Keyword: cat scratch diseas

Report of a child with acute herpes zoster ophthalmicus induced partial third nerve palsy

Herpes zoster is a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which may remain dormant in the dorsal root ganglion of the trigeminal nerve for decades after the patient's initial exposure. The ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, i.e., the innervation to the ocular structures, is one of the most commonly involved dermatomes, giving rise to herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). A 10-year-old indigenous Malaysian girl presented with a complaint of painful blurring of vision in the right eye for one week. It was followed a few days later by cutaneous vesicular eruptions over the right side of her face and nose and drooping of the right upper lid, associated with double vision. In children, the disease usually follows a mild course, resolving without residual damage. However, this child achieved a best corrected visual acuity of only 6/36 in the affected eye due to corneal scarring. The rashes healed by formation of disfiguring keloids over the right nasal area. This is another rarely reported complication of HZO in immunocompetent individuals

Effect of Axial Eye Length on Retinal Vessel Parameters in 6 to 12-Year-Old Malay Girls

PURPOSE: Retinal vessel analysis is affected by both systemic and ocular factors. Malays are the major ethnicity in South East Asia. Data on the retinal microvasculature in Malays is limited, especially among children. We aim to evaluate the influence of ocular biometry on retinal vessel parameters in young Malay girls. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study involving 86 Malay girls aged 6 to 12 years old in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from 2015-2016. Ocular examination, refraction, biometry, retinal photography, and anthropometric measurements were performed. The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and overall fractal dimension (Df) were measured using validated computer-based methods (Singapore I vessel analyzer, SIVA version 3.0, Singapore). The associations of ocular biometry and CRAE, CRVE and Df were analyzed using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: The mean CRAE, CRVE and Df in Malay girls were 171.40 (14.40) um, 248.02 (16.95) um and 1.42 (0.05) respectively. Each 1 mm increase in axial length was associated with a reduction of 4.25 um in the CRAE (p = 0.03) and a reduction of 0.02 in the Df (p = 0.02), after adjustment for age, blood pressure and body mass index. No association was observed between axial length and CRVE. Anterior chamber depth and corneal curvature had no association with CRAE, CRVE or Df. CONCLUSION: Axial length affects retinal vessel measurements. Narrower retinal arterioles and reduced retinal fractal dimension were observed in Malay girls with longer axial lengths

Serological IgG avidity test for ocular toxoplasmosis

Subramaniam Suresh1, Saidin Nor-Masniwati1, Muhd Nor Nor-Idahriani1, Wan-Hitam Wan-Hazabbah1, Mohamed Zeehaida2, Embong Zunaina11Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, MalaysiaBackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunoglobulin (Ig) G avidity of serological toxoplasmosis testing in patients with ocular inflammation and to determine the clinical manifestations of ocular toxoplasmosis.Methods: A retrospective review of all patients presenting with ocular inflammation to the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia between 2005 and 2009 was undertaken. Visual acuity, clinical manifestations at presentation, toxoplasmosis antibody testing, and treatment records were analyzed.Results: A total of 130 patients with ocular inflammation were reviewed retrospectively. The patients had a mean age of 38.41 (standard deviation 19.24, range 6–83) years. Seventy-one patients (54.6%) were found to be seropositive, of whom five (3.8%) were both IgG and IgM positive (suggestive of recently acquired ocular toxoplasmosis) while one (0.8%) showed IgG avidity ≤40% (suggestive of recently acquired ocular toxoplasmosis) and 65 patients (50.0%) showed IgG avidity >40% (suggestive of reactivation of toxoplasmosis infection). Chorioretinal scarring as an ocular manifestation was significantly more common in patients with seropositive toxoplasmosis (P = 0.036). Eighteen patients (13.8%) were diagnosed as having recent and/or active ocular toxoplasmosis based on clinical manifestations and serological testing.Conclusion: Ocular toxoplasmosis is a clinical diagnosis, but specific toxoplasmosis antibody testing helps to support the diagnosis and to differentiate between reactivation of infection and recently acquired ocular toxoplasmosis.Keywords: ocular toxoplasmosis, chorioretinal scar, toxoplasmosis antibody, IgG avidity tes

Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in a young boy: a case report

FNg Guan-Fook, Abd Aziz Hayati, Mohd Noor Raja-Azmi, Ahmad Tajudin Liza-Sharmini, Wan Hitam Wan-Hazabbah, Embong ZunainaDepartment of Ophthalmology, School of Medical Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MalaysiaAbstract: We report a case of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in a young boy with no clinical visualization of nematode. The diagnosis was made based on clinical findings and detection of Toxocara immunoglobulin G by Western blot test. An 11-year-old Malay boy presented with progressive blurring of vision in the left eye for a duration of 1 year. It was associated with intermittent floaters. Visual acuity in the left eye was 6/45 and improved to 6/24 with pinhole. There was positive relative afferent pupillary defect, impaired color vision, and presence of red desaturation in the left eye. There were occasional cells in the anterior chamber with no conjunctiva injection. Posterior segment examination revealed mild-to-moderate vitritis and generalized pigmentary changes of the retina with attenuated vessels. The optic disk was slightly hyperemic with mild edema. There was presence of multiple, focal, gray-white subretinal lesions at the inferior part of the retina. Full blood picture results showed eosinophilia with detection of Toxocara immunoglobulin G by Western blot test. Investigations for other infective causes and connective tissue diseases were negative. The diagnosis of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis secondary to Toxocara was made based on clinical findings and laboratory results. He was treated with oral albendazole 400 mg daily for 5 days and oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg with tapering doses over 6 weeks. At 1 month follow-up, the inflammation had reduced, and multiple, focal, gray-white subretinal lesions were resolved; however there was no improvement of vision.Keywords: diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis, Toxocara IgG, albendazol