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Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of quantitative corneal subbasal nerve plexus (CSNP) analyses using semi-automated software. Patients and Methods: Forty volunteers who applied to the Ophthalmology Department of the Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine between 20 December 2021 and 20 January 2022 were enrolled in the study. Images showing CSNP were obtained from the right eyes of the participants by using Heidelberg Retina Tomograph III with Rostock Cornea Module. Three best quality images were selected from each case. NeuronJ plugin for ImageJ software was used to trace nerve fibers and calculate nerve fiber length (NFL), nerve fiber density (NFD), and nerve branch density (NBD). All these measurements were performed by two different observers, and repeated for the second time by one of the observers with an interval of one week, and interobserver and intraobserver reliability were determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The mean age of 40 participants (12 female and 28 male) was 34.70±5.86 years. The ICCs for interobserver reproducibility were 0.967 (95% CI 0.939-0.982) for NFL, 0.826 (95% CI 0.696-0.904) for NFD, and 0.949 (95% CI 0.906-0.973) for NBD indicating good to excellent reliability. The ICCs for intraobserver repeatibility were 0.964 (95% CI 0.932-0.981) for NFL, 0.803 (95% CI 0.657-0.891) for NFD, and 0.890 (95% CI 0.802-0.941) for NBD indicating good to excel lent reliability. Conclusion: Quantitative CSNP analyzes using semi-automated software have high interobserver and intraobserver reliability and can therefore be used in both clinical practice and clinical studies for detection and follow-up of corneal nerves' well-being, damage, and evaluation of response to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate systemic inflammation in patients with pterygium using the monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and hematologic indexes of inflammation. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with primary pterygium and 31 age-and sex-matched healthy participants were enrolled in this retrospective study. The MHR, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-eosinophil ratio, mean platelet volume-to-platelet count ratio, platelet distribution width, and red cell distribution width were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was not a statistically significant difference in terms of the MHR between the pterygium group and the control group (P = 0.693). The NLR was higher in the pterygium group than in the control group (P = 0.028). In the other hematologic indexes, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: The MHR is not associated with the presence of pterygium. An increased NLR in patients with pterygium may be an indicator of systemic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of pupillary dilatation on intraocular pressure and corneal biomechanical properties using ocular response analyzer in patient with primary open angle glaucoma. Patients and Methods: Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure, corneal corrected intraocular pressure, corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor were all respectively evaluated in 28 eyes of 15 patients with primary open angle glaucoma before and 30 minutes after tr opicamide 0.5% instillation. Results: The mean age was found as 57.7±13.2 (range 45-65) years. The mean corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure and corneal corrected intraocular pressure measurements were 9.5±2.2 mmHg, 10.1±2.1 mmHg, 16.9±3.5 mmHg, 18.2±4.0 mmHg before instillation of tropicamide, and 9.7±2.2 mmHg, 10.1±2.0 mmHg, 16.2±2.8 mmHg, 17.2±3.6 mmHg 30 minutes after instillation of tropicamide, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found between Goldmann correlated intraocular pressures and corneal corrected intraocular pressures measured before and after tropicamide instillation (p=0.043, p=0.015, respectively), while no statistically significant differences were found between before and after measurements in terms of corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor (p=0.057 p=0.702, respectively). Conclusions: Pupillary dilatation with tropicamide 0.5% seems to have a decreasing effect on intraocular pressure while no effect was noted for corneal biomechanical properties of primary open angle glaucoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of repeated intravitreal ranibizumab injections on corneal sensitivity, corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SBNP) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Sixty-six eyes of 33 patients who had received unilateral repeated intravitreal ranibizumab injections (0.5 mg/0.05 ml) for the treatment of AMD and 25 eyes of 25 healthy subjects were included in the study. Central corneal sensation was measured using the contact Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. The laser scanning in vivo corneal confocal microscope was used to determine corneal SBNP parameters. The peripapillary RNFL thickness was assessed with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Data obtained from the ranibizumab-injected eyes were compared with those of the fellow non-treated eyes and the eyes of the healthy control subjects. Results: The mean number of ranibizumab injections per eye was 8.9±5.0 (range 3–20). There were no statistically significant differences in the central corneal sensitivity threshold and corneal SBNP parameters between the ranibizumab-injected eyes and the fellow untreated eyes or between those with neovascular AMD and the healthy control group (P>0.05 for all). The average peripapillary RNFL thickness of the treated eyes did not differ significantly to the fellow eyes (P = 0.237), and the eyes of healthy control subjects (P = 0.918). There were no significant correlations between the number of ranibizumab injections and any of the study parameters. Conclusions: Multiple intravitreal injections of ranibizumab seem to have no harmful effects on corneal sensitivity, innervation and peripapillary RNFL thickness in patients with AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess how having a first-degree relative who underwent corneal transplantation influenced people's attitudes regarding corneal donation and transplantation., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2023, in the Ophthalmology outpatient department and cornea division of Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Konya, Turkiye, and comprised first-degree relatives of patients who had undergone corneal transplantation in group A and controls matched age and gender without family history of transplantation in group B. All the participants filled out a 13-item survey form regarding socio-demographic characteristics and their perspectives on corneal transplantation and donation. Data was analysed using SPSS 20., Results: Of the 263 subjects, 133(50.6%) were in group A; 78(58.6%) females and 55(41.4%) males with mean age 46.5±15.2 years. There were 130(49.4%) subjects in group B; 70(53.8%) females and 60(46.32%) males with mean age 44.3±15.8 years (p>0.05). There were 110(82.7%) participants in group A and 72(55.4%) in group B who knew what corneal transplantation meant (p<0.001). In group A, 81(60.9%) subjects wanted to donate their corneas after death compared to 40(30.8%) in group B (p<0.001). In group A, 108(83.7%) participants stated that a first-degree relative's corneal transplantation positively affected their view of organ and tissue donation., Conclusions: Individuals whose first-degree relatives had had a cornea transplant showed higher awareness of cornea transplantation and willingness to donate their corneas.