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Microwave thermokeratoplasty (MTK) is a surgical procedure for the correction of pathologic corneal steepening. The purpose of this study was to examine the postoperative outcomes of eyes with advanced keratoconus that underwent femtosecond-laser zig-zag penetrating keratoplasty (z-PK) following MTK for reshaping of the central cornea. This study involved 32 eyes of 32 consecutive advanced keratoconus patients; i.e., 25 eyes of 25 patients who underwent MTK prior to z-PK (MTK + z-PK group), and 7 eyes of 7 patients who underwent z-PK alone (z-PK group). In all treated eyes, visual acuity (VA) and corneal topography were measured before surgery and at 6-months postoperative. At 6-months postoperative, the mean uncorrected distance VA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) and surface regularity index (SRI) of the MTK + z-PK group was 0.62 ± 0.39 (mean ± standard deviation) and 1.26 ± 0.45, respectively, while that in the z-PK group was 1.02 ± 0.18 and 7.64 ± 3.22, respectively. Both variables were significantly better in the MTK + z-PK group than in the z-PK group (P

Background: Presbyopia treatment in pseudophakic patients with a monofocal IOL is challenging. This study investigates the refractive results of femto-PresbyLASIK and analyzes presbyopia treatment in pseudophakic eyes. Methods: 14 patients with 28 pseudophakic eyes were treated with femto-PresbyLASIK. The dominant eye was targeted at a distance and the non-dominant eye at −0.5 D. The presbyopic algorithm creates a steepness in the cornea center by using an excimer laser that leads to corneal multifocality. Results: 6 months after surgery a refraction of −0.11 ± 0.13 D (p = 0.001), an uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0.05 ± 1.0 logMAR (p &lt, 0.001) and an uncorrected near visual acuity of 0.15 ± 0.89 logMAR (p = 0.001) were achieved in the dominant eye. For the non-dominant eye, the refraction was −0.28 ± 0.22 D (p = 0.002), the uncorrected distance of visual acuity was 0.1 ± 1.49 logMAR, and the uncorrected near visual acuity was 0.11 ± 0.80 logMAR (p &lt, 0.001). Spherical aberrations (Z400) were reduced by 0.21–0.3 µm in 32% of eyes, and by 0.31–0.4 µm in 26% of eyes. Conclusion: By steepening the central cornea while maintaining spherical aberrations within acceptable limits, PresbyLASIK created a corneal multifocality that safely improved near vision in both eyes. Thus, femto-PresbyLASIK can be used to treat presbyopia in pseudophakic eyes without performing intraocular surgery.

Aim: To assess the central corneal thickness (CCT) and endothelial cell loss after manual small-incision cataract surgery and phacoemulsification in patients with white cataract. Material and methods: This is a comparative, prospective, non-randomized study on 42 patients with white cataract, who underwent cataract surgery. The patients were divided into manual small-incision cataract surgery (21 eyes, MSICS group) and phacoemulsification cataract surgery group (21 eyes, phaco group). The endothelial cell density (ECD), central cornea thickness (CCT), and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were evaluated at 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively. The results of 20 cases of nuclear sclerosis grade II-III (LOCS III) who underwent phacoemulsification by the same surgeon were also compared. Propensity scoring was used to adjust for confounding by selection bias. Results: The CCT increased after surgery in both groups. The thickness was greater in the phaco group on first day postoperatively (73 µ increase in MSICS group and 138 µ in phaco group, p=0.008) and it returned to preoperative levels 1 month postoperatively. The endothelial cell loss was lower in the MSICS group at 3 months postoperatively (11.8% in MSICS group and 15.8% in phaco group, p=0.111). The CDVA was not different in both groups at 1 week and 4 weeks postoperatively (p>0.05). Conclusions: Manual small-incision cataract surgery for white cataract provided less central corneal thickness changes compared to conventional phacoemulsification. Abbreviations: CCT = central corneal thickness; ECD = endothelial cell density; CDVA = corrected distance visual acuity; APT = absolute phacoemulsification time; EPT = effective phacoemulsification time; MSICS = Manual small-incision cataract surgery in white cataract; Phaco II = Phacoemulsification in white cataract; Phaco I = phacoemulsification in NS 2 + Cataract; Phaco = Phacoemulsification in white cataract; APACRS = Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

A 13-year-old Japanese female diagnosed with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) was referred for ophthalmologic evaluation. Examination with slit-lamp and optical coherence tomography revealed bilateral thin cornea with diffuse corneal opacity which was localised at the posterior stromal depth in the central cornea. Unlike the two previously reported cases of diffuse and nodular patterns of corneal opacity in SEDC, the current case exhibited a rare form of corneal opacity. SEDC is one of the type II collagenopathies, characterised by dwarfism because the mutations in COL2A1 prevent bone growth. Although the existence of type II collagen has not been reported in the human corneal stroma, the aetiology of the opacity in the corneal stroma in SEDC type II collagenopathy is of interest.

To investigate the corneoscleral shape in Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients.Thirty eyes of 15 participants with molecularly proven MFS were included in this prospective, cross-sectional study. Optical biometry, Scheimpflug imaging, and corneoscleral topography (Eye Surface Profiler) were performed in all patients. Topographic data were compared to data from controls (25 emmetropes and 17 myopes). The raw three-dimensional anterior height data from MFS eyes and control eyes were exported for further analysis. Custom-made software was used to demarcate the limbal radius and to calculate the sagittal height in different concentric annuli centred at the corneal apex, placed in a pupil plane, for the central cornea (0-4 mm radius), peripheral cornea (4-6 mm radius) and sclera (6-8 mm radius) and the corneoscleral asymmetry.Marfan syndrome (MFS) eyes had significantly lower values of mean sagittal height compared to non-MFS eyes in all three annuli (central cornea, corneal periphery and sclera (independent t-test, p 0.01 except for the inferior area of the scleral radius: p 0.05). The sclera was significantly more asymmetric in MFS eyes compared to myopes (independent t-test, p 0.01 for both eyes), but similar to emmetropes (independent t-test, p = 0.17 and p = 0.93 for right and left eyes, respectively). In MFS eyes, scleral asymmetry was not found to be correlated with axial length (Pearson correlation coefficient, r 0.30, p 0.05).The peripheral cornea and sclera of Marfan syndrome patients have a significantly different shape compared to healthy controls.

The clinical study of the cornea&ndash, contact lens relationship is widely used in the process of adaptation of the scleral contact lens (SCL) to the ocular morphology of patients. In that sense, the measurement of the adjustment between the SCL and the cornea can be used to study the comfort or potential damage that the lens may produce in the eye. The current analysis procedure implies the manual inspection of optical coherence tomography of the anterior segment images (AS-OCT) by the clinical experts. This process presents several limitations such as the inability to obtain complex metrics, the inaccuracies of the manual measurements or the requirement of a time-consuming process by the expert in a tedious process, among others. This work proposes a fully-automatic methodology for the extraction of the areas of interest in the study of the cornea&ndash, contact lens relationship and the measurement of representative metrics that allow the clinicians to measure quantitatively the adjustment between the lens and the eye. In particular, three distance metrics are herein proposed: Vertical, normal to the tangent of the region of interest and by the nearest point. Moreover, the images are classified to characterize the analysis as belonging to the central cornea, peripheral cornea, limbus or sclera (regions where the inner layer of the lens has already joined the cornea). Finally, the methodology graphically presents the results of the identified segmentations using an intuitive visualization that facilitates the analysis and diagnosis of the patients by the clinical experts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the epithelial thickness in the cornea and limbus in limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study. OCT images of 30 eyes of 19 patients with LSCD collected by AS-OCT were scanned. Corneal epithelial thickness was recorded at the central cornea and the superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal limbus. Measurment of the same region of 30 normal eyes served as control. Epithelial thickness in all locations was measured by 2 independent observers. Results: The mean epithelial layer thickness was 61.3 ± 2.9 μ in the central cornea and 62.7 ± 4.3 μ in the limbus in the control. The epithelial thickness in LSCD patients was found to be 41.33 ± 2.8 μ. An average reduction of 22.2% in the central cornea and 32.15% in the limbus was found in patients with LSCD (P < 0.05). Epithelial thinning correlated with the severity of LSCD in both cornea and limbus. In eyes with sectoral LSCD, a similar degree of epithelial thinning was also detected in the clinically unaffected limbal regions. Conclusion: Both corneal and limbal epithelia become progressively thinner in LSCD. Epithelial thickness assessment using AS-OCT as a noninvasive tool could be used as a diagnostic measure of LSCD.

© 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Purpose: To evaluate the safety of scleral-lens designs, we model and clinically assess central corneal edema induced by scleral-lens wear for healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Central corneal swelling during scleral-lens wear is measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Transport resistances are modeled for oxygen diffusion through the scleral lens and post-lens tear-film (PoLTF), and into the cornea. Oxygen deficiency in the cornea activates anaerobic metabolic reactions that induce corneal edema. Oxygen permeability, carbon-dioxide permeability, settled-lens PoLTF thickness, and scleral-lens thickness are varied in the calculations to mimic different lens fits. Results: Transport modeling predicts that for open eyes, increasing PoLTF thickness from 50 to 400 µm increases central corneal swelling by approximately 1–1.5% when oxygen transmissibility (Dk/L) is greater than 10 hBarrer/cm (i.e., hectoBarrer/cm). Although swelling is larger for oxygen Dk/L 40 hBarrer/cm. For closed eye, central corneal swelling is greater than 5% for an oxygen Dk/L range of 0–100 hBarrer/cm with typical lens-fitting parameters. For carbon-dioxide transmissibilities increasing from 50 to 250 hBarrer/cm and with a fixed oxygen Dk/L of 25 hBarrer/cm, calculated swelling diminishes by an additional 0.5%. Comparison of model calculations to clinical-swelling data is within the error range of the clinical measurements. Conclusions: Oxygen/metabolite transport calculations for open-eye scleral-lens wear show that typical PoLTF thicknesses fitted by clinicians (i.e., PoLTF thicknesses 25 hBarrer/cm) produce corneal swelling of less than 2% in agreement with experiment. Therefore, scleral lenses prescribed today evoke less than physiological hypoxic swelling (i.e., less than 4%) for healthy corneas during open-eye. Closed-eye wear, however, appears clinically unsafe.

EnglishThe aim of this study was to evaluate the morphology of endothelial cells from different areas of the cornea of dogs. Twenty healthy eyes from 10 dogs, females or males, of different ages were studied. Corneal endothelium morphology of superior, inferior, central, nasal and temporal areas was assessed by 0.2% alizarin red staining using an optic microscope. One hundred endothelial cells from each corneal area were analyzed. In all areas of the cornea studied were found endothelial cells with four sides, five sides, six sides and seven sides. There was no significant difference regarding endothelial cell morphology in all corneal regions evaluated. Thus, the morphology of the central cornea area represents the entire endothelial mosaic and may be applied to peripheral areas. Therefore, analysis of the central area is sufficient to estimate the shape of endothelial cells of peripheral areas of healthy dog corneas. Key words: canine; cornea; endothelium; alizarin red; pleomorphism portuguesObjetivou-se avaliar a morfologia das celulas endoteliais de diferentes regioes da cornea de caes. Vinte olhos saudaveis de 10 caes, femeas ou machos, de diferentes idades foram estudados. A morfologia do endotelio corneano das regioes superior, inferior, central, nasal e temporal foi avaliada pela coloracao vermelho de alizarina 0,2% com microscopio optico. Foram analisadas 100 celulas endoteliais de cada regiao da cornea. Em todas as regioes da cornea estudadas foram encontradas celulas endoteliais com quatro lados, cinco lados, seis lados e sete lados. Nao houve diferenca significativa em relacao a morfologia de celulas endoteliais da cornea em todos as regioes estudadas. Assim, a morfologia da regiao central da cornea representa todo o mosaico endotelial e pode ser aplicada em areas perifericas. Portanto, a analise da area central e suficiente para estimar a forma das celulas endoteliais das areas perifericas de corneas de caes saudaveis. Palavras-chave: canino; cornea; endotelio; vermelho de alizarina; pleomorfismo

PURPOSE: To present 3 patients who required explantation of KAMRA inlays (AcuFocus, Inc., Irvine, CA) due to visual symptoms caused by postoperative corneal haze. METHODS: Case series. RESULTS: All patients had good near and distance vision immediately following implantation. They developed visual symptoms 3 to 6 years later. All patients reported a decline in distance vision. Two patients had hyperopic shift with flattening of the central cornea. Six months following explantation, all patients reported improvement in visual symptoms. A reversal of hyperopic shift was also observed, with improvement in corneal profiles on topography. Histopathology of the explanted inlays showed thin, acellular collagenous fibrotic membranes over the inlays with occasional chronic inflammatory cells. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for health care professionals to be made aware of this reversible complication following KAMRA inlay implantation. Long-term monitoring is recommended. [ J Refract Surg. 2018;34(5):357–360.]

Objective: To assess the effects of a short period of orthokeratology (OK) on corneal subbasal nerve plexus (SBNP) morphology and corneal sensitivity. Methods: Measurements were made in 56 right eyes of 56 subjects with low-to-moderate myopia who wore 2 OK lens designs (Group CRT: HDS 100 Paragon CRT, n=35; Group SF: Seefree; n=21) for a period of 1 month and in 15 right eyes of noncontact lens wearers as controls. The variables determined in each participant were corneal sensitivity using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer and 12 SBNP variables determined on laser scanning confocal microscopy images using 3 different software packages. Correlation between SBNP architecture and corneal sensitivity was also examined. Results: Few changes were observed over the 1-month period in the variables examined in the OK treatment and control groups. However, significant reductions were detected over time in the number of nerves in the central cornea in the groups CRT (P=0.029) and SF (P=0.043) and in central corneal sensitivity in CRT (P=0.047) along with significant increases in central and midperipheral corneal Langerhans cell counts in SF (P=0.001 and 0.048, respectively). Conclusions: This study provides useful data to better understand the anatomical changes induced by OK in corneal SBNP. The different response observed to the 2 OK lens designs requires further investigation.

a b s t r a c t Background/Purpose: Although scleral contact lenses are prescribed with increasing frequency, little is known about their long-term effects on ocular physiology. The main goal of this paper is to predict values of oxygen transmissibility of scleral lens systems by applying the concept of resistors in series to parameters characteristic of current scleral lenses. A second aim is to find the maximal lens and post-lens tear layer thickness combinations above which hypoxia-induced corneal swelling would be found. Methods: Theoretical calculations were used to predict the oxygen transmissibility of scleral lens systems, considering several material permeabilities (Dks 100–170), varying lens thicknesses (250–500 m), the known tear permeability (Dk of 80) and expected post-lens tear layer thicknesses (100–400 m). The Holden–Mertz Dk/t criteria of 24 Fatt units for the central cornea and the Harvitt–Bonanno criteria of 35 Fatt units for the limbal area were used as reference points. Results: Our calculations of oxygen transmissibility, with varying tear layer and lens thicknesses, ranged from 10 to 36.7 at the scleral lens centers and from 17.4 to 62.6 at the peripheries. Our calculations of maximum central lens thicknesses show a practical range of 250–495 m, in conjunction with a post-lens tear layer thickness of 100–250 m. Conclusion: Our computations show that most modern scleral lenses, with recommended fitting techniques, should lead to some level of hypoxia-induced corneal swelling. Recommendations are made to minimize hypoxia-induced corneal swelling: highest Dk available (>150) lens with a maximal central thickness of 250 m and fitted with a clearance that does not exceed 200 m.

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a bilateral chronic, seasonally exacerbated inflammation of the ocular surface that especially affects male children and young boys.To evaluate the corneal microscopic features of patients affected by VKC and to assess whether some corneal changes were associated with specific ocular symptoms and/or signs.20 children aged between 4 and 14 years were enrolled. All patients underwent corneal confocal microscopy by Confoscan CS3 (Nidek). 350 images of the central cornea of each eye were obtained with a ×40 noncontact lens 3,5 micron gap in automode.Some alterations of the sub-basal and stromal corneal nerves were detected. These alterations were more evident in patients with higher severity of photophobia. On the other hand, there were scarce other signs of the anterior segment of the eye.Our preliminary findings show that there is another group of patients affected by VKC, characterized by an intense photophobia caused by corneal damage and without other significant ocular alterations. Therefore confocal microscopy may be useful for an early identification of corneal alterations before the onset of severe ocular symptoms and to set an appropriate therapeutic management.

PURPOSE To measure vertical and horizontal thickness profiles of the central and peripheral corneal epithelium and determine if daytime changes occur. METHODS Forty eyes of 20 normal subjects were imaged by ultrahigh resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography to profile the corneal epithelial thickness from the edge of Bowman layer to the central cornea across the vertical and horizontal meridians. Measurements were made at 10:00 AM and again at 6 and 8 hours later. RESULTS The baseline vertical meridional epithelial thickness was thinnest, 42.9 ± 4.1 μm, at the edge of Bowman layer in the superior region. It increased in thickness (P < 0.01), toward the central cornea. The central epithelium averaged 52.5 ± 2.4 μm, becoming thickest, 55.2 ± 2.5 μm, in the inferior pericentral region. It thinned toward the inferior periphery, reaching 51.3 ± 5.1 μm at the edge of Bowman layer (P < 0.01). Along the horizontal meridian, the epithelium was thickest at the nasal side, 58.6 ± 5.1 μm, and temporal side, 59.3 ± 6.6 μm, near the edges of Bowman layer. It thinned toward the central cornea. There were no significant changes in the epithelial thickness at any location over 8 hours. CONCLUSIONS Epithelial thickness varied over the horizontal and vertical meridians and appeared stable during the daytime.

Christine W Sindt1, Trudy K Grout1, D Brice Critser1, Jami R Kern2, David L Meadows21University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA; 2Alcon Research Ltd, Fort Worth, TX, USABackground: The purpose of this study was to assess whether differences in central corneal dendritic immune cell densities associated with combinations of soft contact lenses and lens care solutions could be detected by in vivo confocal microscopy.Methods: Participants were adults naïve to contact lens wear (n = 10) or who wore soft contact lenses habitually on a daily-wear schedule (n = 38) or on a study-assigned schedule for 30 days with daily disposable silicone hydrogel lenses (n = 15). Central corneas were scanned using an in vivo confocal microscope. Cell densities were compared among groups by demographic parameters, lens materials, and lens care solutions (polyhexamethylene biguanide [PHMB], polyquaternium-1 and myristamidopropyl dimethylamine [PQ/MAPD], peroxide, or blister pack solution [for daily disposable lenses]).Results: Among lens wearers, no associations were observed between immune cell densities and age, gender, or years of lens-wearing experience. Mean cell density was significantly lower (P < 0.01) in nonwearers (29 ± 23 cells/mm2, n = 10) than in lens wearers (64 ± 71 cells/mm2, n = 53). Mean cell density was lower (P = 0.21) with traditional polymer lenses (47 ± 44 cells/mm2, n = 12) than with silicone hydrogel lenses (69 ± 77 cells/mm2, n = 41). Lowest to highest mean density of immune cells among lens wearers was as follows: PQ/MAPD solution (49 ± 28 cells/mm2), blister pack solution (63 ± 81 cells/mm2), PHMB solution (66 ± 44 cells/mm2), and peroxide solution (85 ± 112 cells/mm2).Conclusion: In this pilot study, in vivo confocal microscopy was useful for detecting an elevated immune response associated with soft contact lenses, and for identifying lens-related and solution-related immune responses that merit further research.Keywords: Clear Care, in vivo confocal microscopy, Langerhans, Opti-Free Replenish, ReNu Multi-Plus

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:46:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0004-27492009000600004.pdf: 926112 bytes, checksum: 8bbc20699bb4123c0c1d5dd1701dbde1 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:46:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0004-27492009000600004.pdf: 926112 bytes, checksum: 8bbc20699bb4123c0c1d5dd1701dbde1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:35:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0004-27492009000600004.pdf: 926112 bytes, checksum: 8bbc20699bb4123c0c1d5dd1701dbde1 (MD5) S0004-27492009000600004.pdf.txt: 25139 bytes, checksum: 850e8501b8c6bdeab4eebc0f71887ce1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T13:42:28Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0004-27492009000600004.pdf: 926112 bytes, checksum: 8bbc20699bb4123c0c1d5dd1701dbde1 (MD5) S0004-27492009000600004.pdf.txt: 25139 bytes, checksum: 850e8501b8c6bdeab4eebc0f71887ce1 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T13:42:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0004-27492009000600004.pdf: 926112 bytes, checksum: 8bbc20699bb4123c0c1d5dd1701dbde1 (MD5) S0004-27492009000600004.pdf.txt: 25139 bytes, checksum: 850e8501b8c6bdeab4eebc0f71887ce1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) OBJETIVO: Avaliar os aspectos clínicos e vascularização corneal (VC) induzida pelo enxerto interlamelar das membranas de colágeno nativo (MCN) e de colágeno aniônico (MCA) em córneas de coelhos. MÉTODOS: Um fragmento com 0,25 x 0,25 cm de MCN (grupo 1) e MCA (grupo 2) foi realizado no olho direito (olho tratado) por enxertia interlamelar. No olho esquerdo (olho controle) foi realizado apenas um túnel estromal. No olho direito (olho controle) foi realizado apenas um túnel estromal. Dezesseis coelhos foram utilizados e foram divididos em dois grupos experimentais composto por oito animais cada. A avaliação clínica foi realizada aos 1, 3, 7, 15 e 30 dias de pós-operatório. A análise da vascularização corneal foi realizada após 30 dias pelo Sistema de analisador de imagens Leica Qwin-550®. RESULTADOS: Após 7 dias, a vascularização corneal do limbo em direção central da córnea observada foi de 2,25 ± 0,71 mm (MCN) e 1,0 ± 1,69 mm (ACM), respectivamente. Após 15 dias a vascularização corneal aumentou em ambos os grupos (5,25 ± 1,03 mm - MCN; 2,0 ± 2,39 mm - MCA), diminuindo até o 30º dia (2,25 ± 2,10 mm - MCN; 0,75 ± 2,12 mm - MCA). A análise estatística indicou que as médias das distâncias dos vasos do limbo em direção ao enxerto observadas após 7 e 15 dias não diferiram estatisticamente (p=0,17), e 15 e 30 dias de pós-operatório houve tendência a diferir estatisticamente (p=0,09). Os olhos controles não apresentaram nenhuma alteração. CONCLUSÃO: As membranas de colágeno nativo e de colágeno aniônico induzem a vascularização corneal quando aplicadas na córnea de coelhos por meio de enxertia interlamelar, mas membrana de colágeno ativo induz a pequena vascularização corneal quando comparada à membrana de colágeno aniônico. Embora estudos adicionais sejam necessários, os resultados encontrados no presente estudo demonstraram que as membranas de CN e CA possam ser úteis em ceratoplastias. Estas membranas consistem em mais uma opção de enxerto para o tratamento cirúrgico de reparo da córnea em coelhos e outros animais, quando não há resolução com outras formas de tratamento médico e cirúrgico. PURPOSE: To evaluate the corneal vascularization (CV) and the clinical aspects induced by interlamellar graft with native (NCM) and anionic (ACM) collagen membranes in rabbits corneas. METHODS: An interlamellar graft with a 0.25 x 0.25 cm NCM (group 1) or ACM (group 2) fragment was performed in the right eye (treated eye). In the left eye, an estromal tunnel was done (control eye). Sixteen rabbits were used, and they were subdivided into two experimental groups of eight animals each. The clinical evaluation was performed at the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 15th and 30th postoperative days. Corneal vascularization analysis was performed after 30 days by the Images Analizator System Leica Qwin-550®. RESULTS: After 7 days, corneal vascularization was observed at about 2.25 ± 0.71 mm (NCM) and at about 1.0 ± 1.69 mm (ACM), respectively, from the limbus in direction to the central cornea. After 15 days, CV increased in both groups (5.25 ± 1.03 mm - NCM; 2.0 ± 2.39 mm - ACM) and then progressively decreased until day 30 (2.25 ± 2.10 mm - NCM; 0.75 ± 2.12 mm - ACM). The statistical analysis indicated that the averages of the distances from the limb vessels to the grafts observed after 7 and 15 days had not differed statistically (p=0.17), and after 15 and 30 postoperative days had a tendency to differ statistically (p=0.09). The control eyes did not present any changes. CONCLUSION: The interlamellar graft with native and anionic collagen membranes induced corneal vascularization when applied to rabbit corneas, but anionic collagen membrane induced a smaller corneal vascularization when compared to native collagen membrane. Although further studies are required, the results found in this study demonstrated the usefulness of interlamellar graft with native and anionic collagen membranes in keratoplasties. These membranes consists in one more graft option for the surgical treatment of corneal repair in rabbits and others animals, when other forms of medical and surgical treatment are not effective. Universidade de São Paulo Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP USP Instituto de Química Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biomateriais UNESP Departamento de Apoio, Produção e Sanidade Animal Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP UNESP Departamento de Apoio, Produção e Sanidade Animal

Background This study was designed to measure changes in anterior chamber depth (ACD), central cornea thickness (CCT), and axial length (AL) after scleral buckle (SB) surgery or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD). Methods We prospectively reviewed the records of 245 eyes of 245 patients scheduled to undergo SB surgery and 238 eyes of 238 patients scheduled to undergo PPV. ACD, CCT, and AL were measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and biometry, before surgery as well as 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results For both SB and PPV surgeries, ACD was observed to decrease significantly postoperatively, with this trend continuing throughout the follow-up period (p

Objective To identify morphologically the locations of equine corneal epithelial stem cells (CESCs) and to culture these cells. Animals studied We studied the eyes of 12 adult thoroughbred horses. Procedures Eye tissues were immunostained for two positive stem cell markers (p63, CK14) and one negative marker (CK3) to identify the locations of CESCs, so we could compare their immunostaining patterns with those of human stem cells previously reported. We compared the proliferation rates and morphological features of epithelial cells isolated from the corneal limbus and central cornea. Results Undifferentiated cells expressing the same immunostaining pattern as human CESCs were present in the equine corneal limbus. Cultured epithelial cells isolated from the limbus expressed the same immunostaining pattern that CESCs show histologically, but cells isolated from the central cornea did not proliferate and could not be evaluated. Conclusions Equine CESCs were localized in the epithelial basal layer of the corneal limbus, where melanocytes reside. They could be cultured without loss of their undifferentiated nature. When collecting such stem cells, it may be useful to harvest and culture corneal epithelial tissues in the limbus where melanocytes serve as an indicator of the collecting area.