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Keratoprostheses offer a therapeutic alternative to patients with bilateral corneal blindness who cannot undergo corneal allograft. The goal of this work was to evaluate the indications and limitations of Boston keratoprosthesis.Seven patients underwent unilateral implantation of a Boston type I keratoprosthesis between December 2012 and November 2016. The following data were collected: surgical indication, preoperative visual acuity, postoperative visual acuity at D1, D7, D30, 6 months and 12 months, complications and postoperative treatment.The mean age of implantation was 58.7±23.4 years. The surgical indications included 1 case of congenital bilateral aniridia, 2 cases of chemical burn and 4 graft decompensations after multiple keratoplasties. Preoperative visual acuity was limited to "light perception" in 6 cases and "hand motion" in one case. A gain in visual acuity was observed in 4 patients, which corresponded to a mean gain of 1.53 logMAR at last follow-up. Postoperative visual acuity averaged 2.33 logMAR. All patients experienced an improvement in their quality of life and independence.Patients should be selected carefully, favoring patients with a remaining functional potential and able to engage in close postoperative follow-up, in order to ensure the best possible treatment success.Boston keratoprosthesis provides improved vision and improved quality of life for patients suffering from bilateral corneal blindness.

Dry eye disease is a multifactorial pathology of the ocular surface. The high incidence of this pathology, as well as its significant impact on quality of life and vision and its financial cost, makes it a real public health problem. While the treatment of mild cases is generally simple and effective, treatment of severe forms is often disappointing. The use of autologous serum tears (AST) represents a therapeutic alternative for the most severe cases. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of long-term AST treatment in patients with severe dry eye disease refractory to conventional treatment or secondary to systemic diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome or Graft versus Host disease (GVH), or ocular pathologies such as neurotrophic keratitis, chemical burns and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.This is a monocentric retrospective observational study conducted on 47 patients, with 83 eyes treated with autologous serum eye drops for isolated or secondary dry eye disease at the Marseille Public Hospitals between April 2014 and April 2017. The patients' subjective symptoms (ocular surface disease index [OSDI] score), their degree of satisfaction and the side effects were collected using questionnaires. Tear Break Up Time (BUT) and Schirmer scores were noted. A clinical evaluation based on fluorescein staining (Oxford score) was carried out prior to treatment with AST at P0 followed by 5 periods: P1 (between 1 and 3 months), P2 (3 to 9 months), P3 (9 to 15 months), P4 (15 months to 24 months), and P5 (24 months).Out of the 83 eyes treated, the mean age was 54.39±21.56. There were 20 males (42.55 %) and 27 females (57.44 %); treatment indications consisted mainly of 25.53 % GVH, 21.27 % severe dry eye disease and 19.14 % Sjögren syndrome. The mean duration of follow-up was 9.82 months±15.50. The OSDI score decreased by 19.32 points±29.37 (P0.05) between P0 and P1 and by 23.06 points±18.41 (P0.05) between P0 and P4. The Oxford clinical score showed a significant decrease by the third month of treatment, between P0 and P2, by 1.32 points±1.76 (P0.05). The Schirmer test and the BUT also showed an improvement in dry eye symptoms over time with AST, significantly at P1 (P0.05).Complementary biological analyzes on the composition of AST are under way in order to identify predictive factors of effectiveness; patients not responding to AST treatment might respond to allogeneic serum from healthy donor cord blood.On this first series of 83 eyes treated with ASD, clinical efficacy was noted in most of the patients. No infectious complications were reported, and the satisfaction rate was very high.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking on stabilization of progressive keratoconus.This was a retrospective study from March 2013 to March 2015. Patients with progressive keratoconus who underwent accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking were included. Visual acuity with and without correction, biomicroscopy, corneal elevation topography (maximum and mean keratometry values, minimum pachymetry, densitometry) and side effects were recorded at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months (M).One hundred and ten eyes of 84 patients were included. At month 6, we found an improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) with a small improvment of 0.069±0.15 logMAR (P=0.009). Uncorrected distance visual acuity remained unchanged. The mean minimum corneal pachymetry was 455μm at baseline and 449μm at m6 (P0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between pre- and postoperative mean keratometry values (M1, M3, M6). We likewise found no difference in maximum keratometry between pre- and postoperative values at M1, M3 and M6 (P0.1). With regard to safety, we report 1 case of postoperative infectious keratitis and 1 case of anterior non-granulomatous uveitis after treatment in patients without any known past ocular history.The results we found in this study after accelerated corneal crosslinking are similar to those with conventional crosslinking protocols published in the literature.High irradiance accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking appears to be a reliable and effective therapeutic alternative for progressive keratoconus, allowing for a more brief procedure.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the progression of lamellar corneal grafts after endothelial keratoplasty by Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and the effect of their characteristics on the clinical and functional results.This was a prospective study in which 74 patients who had undergone endothelial keratoplasty by DSAEK were included. The corneal grafts were obtained from a French tissue bank and were delivered in a preservation medium containing a deturgescent agent (CorneajetOverall, 74 corneal grafts, from donors of mean age 69.7±13.3 years (37 to 92 years) were transplanted into 67 patients aged 70.3±12.1 years. Predissection pachymetry was statistically significantly thicker in the case of short deturgescence time (r=-0.383, P=0.001). For the same deturgescence time, predissection pachymetry was statistically significantly thicker in the Stemalpha 3The preservation medium affects predissection pachymetry with no consequence on clinical results. In our study, preoperative visual acuity and donor age were correlated with visual acuity after DSAEK.Although donor age was associated with better visual acuity at D5, the other donor characteristics had no effect on clinical results.

To evaluate the efficacy of eplerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, in the treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).We conducted a retrospective study of 27 patients treated with eplerenone for chronic CSCR of at least 3 months duration. For each patient, visual acuity and macular OCT (central retinal thickness, height of foveal subretinal fluid (SRF), central choroidal thickness) were evaluated before treatment and at 1 month and 3 months. In the case of complete disappearance of SRF at 1 month, treatment was discontinued and follow-up was performed at 3 months.Central retinal thickness was 371.6μm (266-573μm) before treatment. A clear decrease in retinal central thickness and height of SRF was observed at 1 month in 74% of patients (20 of 27 patients, central retinal thickness: 322.6μm at 1 month, P=0.01), with improvement of visual acuity in all of these patients. Follow-up at 3 months also found a decrease in SRF and central retinal thickness (294.3μm, P=0.002). Six patients had complete resolution of SRF at 1 month, without recurrence at 3 months. Six other patients had complete resolution of SRF at 3 months. No side effects requiring treatment discontinuation were observed.In our study, eplerenone was associated with regression of central retinal thickness and height of SRF. Eplerenone appears to be a safe and effective treatment for chronic CSCR, with a probable mechanism of action on the pathophysiology of this disease.

To evaluate and compare the efficacy of subconjunctival bevacizumab injections alone, photodynamic therapy alone and combined treatments for reduction of corneal neovascularization.This study was conducted as a prospective case series. A total of seven eyes of 7 patients with corneal neovascularization caused by ocular surface disorders including fungal infectious keratitis and penetrating keratoplasty were included in the study. Patients were randomized into the three following groups: patients in group A received a single subconjunctival injection of 10mg (0.4mL) of bevacizumab, patients in group B were treated with photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (6mg/m(2)) to the neovascularized area and those in group C received a subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab and photodynamic therapy 7 days later. Morphological changes in neovascularization were evaluated over 6 months using slit-lamp biomicroscopy and digital corneal photography. A computer-assisted semi-automatic analysis of the area of corneal neovascularization was performed with Image J software.Recession of corneal vessels was observed in all eyes at 1 month post-treatment. The neovascularized surface area in all groups combined showed a decrease in the first month after treatment and this decrease continued up to the 6th month. The surface area of corneal neovascularization decreased by 34.05±8.28% in group A (subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab), by 42.06±28.36% in group B (photodynamic therapy with verteporfin) and by 51.67±18.93% in group C (combined subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab and photodynamic therapy). A combined treatment consisting of a subconjunctival injection followed by a PDT session 7 days later might be more effective for the treatment of corneal neovascularisation. No serious local or systemic adverse events were observed.Our medium-term results suggest that combined subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab and photodynamic therapy with verteporfin might be used safely and effectively to reduce corneal neovascularization surface. This combined therapy may show a tendency toward greater efficacy than the individual monotherapies. Controlled prospective randomized multicentric trials with a larger sample size are necessary to assess long-term efficacy and to confirm these results.

According to the literature, the treatment of retinopathy of Valsalva (VR) by laser is recommended when the macular hemorrhage has not regressed after 3 weeks.We report five cases of VR treated early (≤ 24 hours) by Nd:YAG laser membranotomy (LM). Clinical examination was performed before and after LM (D1, D7, M1, M3 and M6). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis was performed to determine the precise location of the macular hemorrhage.Good visual recovery was obtained early by LM with a stable outcome at 6 months. The hemorrhage was located under the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and posterior hyaloid in two patients and only under the ILM in three patients.The literature review and our study confirm the good functional results for patients treated by LM for VR. Furthermore, very few side effects are reported with this type of treatment compared with the natural course of the disease, which may certainly regress spontaneously, but carries a risk of secondary preretinal fibrosis. However, to obtain optimal efficacy, the treatment should be carried out as soon as possible, in order to avoid clotting of the hematoma, preventing any subsequent evacuation by laser.LM for VR is an effective, safe and inexpensive technique compared to the surgical management of these patients presenting with a persistant premacular hematoma after a period of observation.

Clinical evaluation of Alphacor keratoprosthesis in patients at high risk of corneal allograft rejection.Retrospective case series.Alphacor implantation was performed via a two-step procedure with intrastromal insertion followed by secondary exposure of the optic after 6 months. Visual acuity and occurrence of postoperative complications were evaluated.Fourteen eyes of 14 patients underwent Alphacor keratoprosthesis implantation. Mean follow-up was 15.6 ± 5.6 months (from 2 to 24 months). Postoperative mean visual acuity gain was 2.5 ± 3.1 lines (from 0 to +11 lines). Visual acuity was superior or equal to 20/200 in 21% of cases. Seven cases of stromal melt (50%) occurred, of which one case (7.1%) experienced spontaneous extrusion of the implant, three cases (21.4%) required tectonic penetrating keratoplasty, and three patients underwent lamellar keratoplasty on top of the implant. Three cases (21.4%) of retroprosthetic membrane were observed and successfully managed. One patient (7.1%) developed late endophthalmitis.Alphacor is an alternative to corneal allograft in cases of corneal blindness at high risk of allograft failure. Throughout the preoperative evaluation, it is imperative to take into account the limitations of this keratoprosthesis in terms of indications, and additional studies are necessary in order to determine and refine the optimal surgical technique for implantation as well as the efficacy of postoperative treatments.

microbial keratitis is a significant health concern for the one million wearers of contact lenses and their ophthalmologists, with some potentially modifiable risk factors. The number of risk factors for contact lens-related microbial keratitis has been described, but many of them still remain assumed or unknown. a multicenter prospective case-control study was conducted in 12 French university hospitals (Besançon, Bordeaux, Dijon, Fort-de-France, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg) beginning in July 2007 on contact lens wearers presenting with microbial keratitis and on healthy contact lens wearers. Patients and healthy wearers were interviewed using a 51-item anonymous standardized questionnaire to determine subject demographics and contact lens wear history. two hundred and fifty-six patients with microbial keratitis were included. One hundred and thirteen healthy contact lenses wearers were surveyed. Cosmetic contact lens wear highly increased the relative risk (RR) of microbial keratitis (RR, 16.5). Time since the last visit to an ophthalmologist longer than 1 year (RR, 3.4) or prescription by someone other than an ophthalmologist (RR, 7.6) also increased the risk of microbial keratitis. Education on lens care and handling was deficient (hand washing: RR, 2.2; rub and rinse: RR, 2.7). a standardized questionnaire is a powerful tool to determine risk factors for contact lens-related microbial keratitis, but also to analyze individual mistakes in contact lenses use and care.

To assess the results of intracorneal ring segment implantation assisted by the Tecnolas Perfect Vision(®) femtosecond laser (Heidelberg, Germany).Retrospective observational study.The patients were operated on with the Tecnolas Perfect Vision(®) femtosecond laser. The following parameters were evaluated before and after surgery: uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal topography, wavefront analysis, and central corneal thickness. The Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis.Seventeen eyes of 15 patients were included. The mean follow-up was 6.9±0.71 months. Significant improvement of UCVA and BCVA was observed in 82.35% (P=0.027) and 94.12% (P=0.003) of the eyes, respectively. The subjective refraction showed a significant decrease of the sphere from -10.29±5.54 to -6.5±5.03D (P=0.002). The subjective cylinder significantly decreased from 5.43±3.20 to 3.69±2.30D (P=0.026). The SAI also decreased significantly (P=0.011).Femtosecond-assisted intracorneal ring segment implantation is an effective treatment for corneal ectasia. Further studies are needed to improve surgical parameters and outcomes.

To quantify the course of papilledema using the OCT 3 Stratus (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA) after lateral sinus stent placement in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).Ten consecutive patients with a diagnosis of IIH underwent OCT examination before and after lateral sinus stenting, between March 2006 and April 2008, in Timone Hospital's Ophthalmology Department (Marseille, France). All patients had criteria for IIH (International Headache Society, 2004) and sinus abnormalities were diagnosed using three-dimensional rotational gadolinium-enhanced MR venography. In all cases, a direct retrograde cerebral venography with manometry was performed. We used the Cordis PRECISE® RX Nitinol Stent system (ref. 10136245-3, JohnsonJohnson), 30-40 mm in length and 8 mm in diameter, all placed by a single operator via a femoral venous puncture. For each eye, the mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was noted using the RNFL Thickness (3.4) strategy, before stenting, and three times after stent placement. The other parameters considered were age, sex, weight, height and body mass index.A significant decrease in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was observed after stent placement. This parameter was considered normal 3 months after stent placement for eight of ten patients.Even though this pathology remains misunderstood, we observed a significant decrease in papilledema in IIH after lateral sinus stent placement, suggesting that high intracranial venous pressure could play a role in this pathology.

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to precisely measure both the localization and size of the cortical projections of artificial scotomas in healthy subjects as well as the size of a reversible retinal scotoma in a patient with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).Using a 3T MRI scanner, anatomical and functional data were acquired on two healthy subjects and a patient with CSCR. Retinotopic maps were first reconstructed using phase mapping techniques. Next, a block paradigm consisting of a grey background alternating with a full-field, flickering checkerboard was used to stimulate the complete central (19.5 degrees) visual field. A condition with artificial peri-foveal scotomas of different sizes and eccentricities was interleaved in healthy subjects. Differential maps were computed to obtain the cortical representation (size and location) of artificial scotomas. Full-field functional data were also acquired in the CSRC patient, at the acute stage and after recovery.Cortical projections of each scotoma were identified using differential maps and carefully characterized with quantitative analysis: the measured cortical positions of the inactivated cortical zones were compared with the known radius and eccentricity values in the scotomas in the visual field. We also compared the size of the inactivated cortical zones to the known size of scotomas. However, we found a consistent relationship between the size of the scotomas and their cortical projections, albeit with the absolute size smaller than expected from known cortical magnification factors. The cortical deactivation zone was also observed in the CRSC patient, which disappeared at recovery stage.Cortical retinotopic mapping can be performed successfully for both artificial and retinal scotomas. This study can serve as a basis for the future investigation of cortical plasticity in the visual cortex.