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Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the mid-term effectiveness of a new surgical approach in the reduction of overaction of the inferior oblique muscle. Methods: A new surgical treatment was developed consisting of suturing the muscle to the sclera at the Gobin’s point with tendon sparing by way of a micro-incision to reduce any tissue damage during the surgical procedure and to enhance the healing process. The treatment was evaluated postoperatively in a group of 150 patients with primary or secondary inferior oblique overaction. Results: All patients experienced a complete resolution of the elevation in adduction, no residual vertical imbalance, lateral incomitance was improved. Conclusion: The outcome of the new equatorial scleral anchor surgical treatment has been generally accepted as favourable in our study, also if compared with the results yielded by the most frequently used anterior transposition of the inferior oblique muscle. The new surgical treatment appears to be a relatively a less invasive, safe, reversible technique, including the potential to perform the procedure with an adjustable suture.

Background This study aims to investigate the incidence and the relative risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and posterior-ROP (P-ROP): ROP in Zone I and posterior Zone II, as well as to analyze the occurrence of surgical treatment of ROP and to evaluate the short term outcome of the disease in Italy. Methods It is a prospective multicenter observational study; all infants with a birth weight (BW) ≤ 750 g and/or a gestational age (GA) ≤27 weeks born between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2009 in 25 III level Italian neonatal intensive care units were eligible for the study. Results 421 infants were examined: 265 (62.9%) developed ROP and 102 (24.2%) P-ROP. Following the multivariate analysis erythropoietin-therapy (p

PURPOSE:: To compare efficiency and safety of epithelium-off corneal cross-linking (CXL) and transepithelial cross-linking (TE-CXL) in pediatric patients with progressive keratoconus. METHODS:: Uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, corneal topography and pachymetry (Pentacam; Oculus Pentacam), and in vivo confocal microscopy (HRT II, Rostock Cornea Module, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS:: In the epithelium-off CXL group (19 patients, 23 eyes; mean age, 14.75 ± 2.1 years), a significant improvement at month 12 was present for Kmax [-1.11 diopters (D), P = 0.01], Kmin (-3.2 D, P = 0.001), mean K (-1.47 D, P = 0.01), surface asymmetry index (-0.64 D, P = 0.001), inferior-superior symmetry index (-0.54 D, P = 0.01), index of height asymmetry (-2.97, P = 0.03), and anterior elevation at the thinnest location (-2.82 D, P = 0.01) and at the apex (-2.27 D, P = 0.01). Postoperative corneal edema lasted 3 months in 16 eyes (69.5%) and more than 6 months in 2 eyes (8.7%). In the TE-CXL group (10 patients, 14 eyes; mean age, 15 ± 4.2 years), a significant improvement at month 12 was present for Kmax (-1.14 D, P = 0.02), Kmin (-2.04 D, P = 0.01), mean K (-1.63 D, P = 0.01), surface asymmetry index (-0.86 D, P = 0.001), inferior-superior symmetry index (-0.55 D, P = 0.001), index of height asymmetry (-2.95, P = 0.01), and anterior elevation at the thinnest location (-2.96 D, P = 0.01) and at the apex (-2.19 D, P = 0.01). No postoperative corneal edema after TE-CXL was observed. Changes at month 12 from baseline were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). TE-CXE was significantly less painful than epithelium-off CXL. CONCLUSIONS:: In pediatric patients with progressive keratoconus, TE-CXL was less painful, provided similar effectiveness and fewer complications than epithelium-off CXL at 12-month follow-up.

Purpose Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR) is a rare chorioretinal dystrophy characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme ornithine aminotransferase, inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Case Report We report a case of a 17-year-old girl with GACR, for whom the level of serum ornithine had been reduced by an arginine-restricted diet. The patient was responsive to an association of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) to reduce cystoid macular edema (CME). Conclusions The efficacy of topical NSAIDs and systemic CAI association indicates that the imbalance in the distribution of retinal pigment epithelium membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase could play a major role in CME pathogenesis in GACR. To our knowledge, this is the first case of therapy with CAI treatment for GACR-related CME.