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Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has initiated an unparalleled global vaccination campaign, raising concerns about the vaccine's effects on various health conditions, including the risk of corneal transplant rejection. This systematic review aimed to identify the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and rejection of corneal transplant, filling a significant gap in the existing medical literature. Methods A literature search was performed across multiple databases up to February 12, 2024, to identify studies evaluating the risk of corneal transplant rejection post-COVID-19 vaccination. Eligible studies were original research that reported outcomes of corneal graft rejection following vaccination. Nested Knowledge web software facilitated screening and data extraction. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was employed for quality assessment. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the aggregated relative risk (RR) utilizing R software version 4.3. Results Six studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, with four meeting the criteria for meta-analysis. These studies varied in geographic location, surgical techniques, and types of vaccines used. The pooled RR for corneal transplant rejection following COVID-19 vaccination was 0.816 (95% CI 0.178–1.453), indicating no significant risk of rejection. No statistical heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I 2 = 0%). Conclusions This review and meta-analysis found no significant evidence that COVID-19 vaccination increases the risk of corneal graft rejection. However, the current evidence is insufficient to conclusively determine the vaccine's safety for corneal transplant recipients. These findings underscore the need for additional research to confirm these preliminary results and investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccination on corneal transplants, aiming to provide evidence-based guidance to healthcare providers and patients.

Purpose: To study the pupil dynamics with premixed intracameral anesthetic mydriatic combination of phenylephrine (0.31%), tropicamide (0.02%), and lidocaine (1%) in pediatric cataract surgery. Methods: Consecutive children aged ≤12 years planned for cataract surgery were recruited. A commercially available premixed combination of phenylephrine (0.31%), tropicamide (0.02%), and lidocaine (1%) was injected at the beginning of surgery without any topical/infusion drugs for mydriasis. Pupil sizes at various points of surgery were studied. Results: We recruited 75 patients with a mean age of 24.3 ± 33.4 months (range: 1 month–11 years). Adequate mydriasis with a single injection was achieved in 93.5% (n = 73 eyes of 70 patients) without additional pharmacotherapy or intervention. The mean pupillary diameter increased from 1.8 ± 0.79 to 6.1 ± 1.4 mm after injection (mean change of 4.2 ± 1.25 mm from baseline). The mean variability in pupillary diameter was 0.73 ± 1.3 mm. In five eyes, good dilatation was not possible even after repeat injection. Conclusion: Fixed-dose premixed intracameral injection is effective in pupil dilatation. It alleviates the need for any topical dilators or additional intraoperative supplementation for pediatric cataract surgery.

Summary: Background: The phenotypical profile of cardiovascular malformations in patients with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is varied. We aimed to describe the profile of cardiac defects among CRS patients detected in the sentinel CRS surveillance in India during 2016–22. Methods: Sentinel sites enrolled infants with suspected CRS based on presence of cardiac defects, hearing impairment, eye signs, or maternal history of febrile rash illness. Suspected CRS cases underwent detailed systemic examination, including echocardiography and serological investigation for rubella. Cardiac defects were categorized as ‘Simple’ or ‘Complex’ as per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute classification. We compared the distribution of cardiac defects among laboratory confirmed CRS cases and seronegative discarded cases. Findings: Of the 4578 suspected CRS cases enrolled by 14 sites, 558 (12.2%) were laboratory confirmed. 419 (75.1%) laboratory confirmed cases had structural heart defects (simple defects: n = 273, 65.2%, complex defects: n = 144, 34.4%), with ventricular septal defect (42.7%), atrial septal defect (39.4%), patent ductus arteriosus (36.5%), and tetralogy of Fallot as the commonest defects (4.5%). Laboratory confirmed CRS cases had higher odds of left to right shunt lesions (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.15–2.17). This was mainly on account of a significant association of PDA with CRS (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.42–2.21). Mortality was higher among CRS patients with complex heart defects (HR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.26–3.30). Interpretation: Three-fourths of the laboratory confirmed CRS cases had structural heart defects. CRS patients with complex cardiac defects had higher mortality. Detecting CRS infection early and providing timely intervention for cardiovascular defects is critical for the management of CRS patients. Funding: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Introduction: Because of COVID's impact on social behavior, students have become more reliant on computer-facilitated communication to continue their studies and interact with friends. While it is known that the association between screen exposure and psychological well-being is both harmful and stronger among adolescents than younger children, what is less studied are the causal factors that may mediate the relationship. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between screen exposure and two psychological outcomes, sleep quality and loneliness, using digital eye strain as a mediating factor. Eye strain is expected to have a direct and harmful influence on psychological well-being. Materials and Methods: A structured and validated questionnaire was transcribed and administered online. A nonrepresentative sample of 497 female college students in a North Indian city participated in the study. Digital eye strain, quality of sleep, and feeling of loneliness scores were assessed using latent class analysis. Results: The selected latent model suggested that Class 2 had a high percentage of students with network issues, the problem with space and noise, and various financial hardships, which had almost doubled the rate of loneliness (53.28%) and sleep–wake difficulties (75.41%) among the students affected with computer vision syndrome (89.75%). Conclusion: There is an urgent need to examine the implications of digital exposure across gender and age to prevent future complications. Further, awareness for improving holistic well-being in the digital era should be promoted through various platforms.

Cataract surgery requires a well-dilated and stable pupil for a good outcome. Unexpected pupillary constriction during surgery increases the risk of complication. This problem is more pronounced in children. There are now pharmacological interventions that help tackle this unforeseen happening. Our review discusses the simple and quick options available to a cataract surgeon when faced with this dilemma. As cataract surgical techniques continue to improvise and get faster, an adequate pupil size is of paramount importance. Various topical and intra-cameral drugs are used in combination to achieve mydriasis. Despite good pre-operative dilation, the pupil can be quite unpredictable during surgery. Intra-operative miosis limits the field of surgery and increases the risk of complications. For example, if the pupil size decreases from 7 mm to 6 mm, this 1 mm change in pupil diameter will lead to a decrease of 10.2 mm2 in the area of surgical field. Making a good capsulorhexis with a small pupil can be a challenge, even for an experienced surgeon. Repeated touching of the iris increases the risk of fibrinous complications. Removal of cataract and the cortical matter becomes increasingly difficult. Intra-ocular lens implantation in the bag also requires adequate dilation. When dealing with challenging cases like lens subluxation, pseudo-exfoliation, and zonular dehiscence, a small pupil further increases the risk and adversely affects the surgical outcome. Hence, achieving and maintaining adequate mydriasis throughout surgery is essential. This review highlights the risk factors for small pupils during surgery and current management strategies.

Purpose: To assess the perception of college-going girls toward corneal donation in Northern India. Methods: An online survey with a pre-structured, pre-validated questionnaire was conducted on 1721 college-going girls in Northern India. The knowledge and attitude scores were regressed, and latent class analysis was carried out. Results: The average of scores for all participants was computed individually for the knowledge questions and the attitude questions, and based on this score, total participants were divided into two groups: Better corneal donation behaviors (BCDB) and poor corneal donation behaviors. The binomial logistic regression model of knowledge domain for predicting BCDB, age of the participant, their awareness about corneal donation, and willingness to discuss eye donation among family members were found significant. Similarly, for the attitude domain, awareness about corneal donation, knowledge about hours within which ideal eye donation needs to be undertaken, and knowledge about eye donation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were found to be significant. Latent class analysis identified one subset of participants having poorer knowledge and attitude scores and that they were more from a rural background, were having more than first order as birth order, were belonging to SC/ST classes, had illiterate or secondary education of father and mother, and were living in rented houses. Conclusion: The findings of the study significantly contribute to devising a mechanism to improve knowledge and influencing the attitude about eye donation among the youth, especially young women, who can act as counselors and motivators for the masses as well as their own families, in the generations to come.

Purpose: To determine the morphology of pediatric cataracts and assess the status of the anterior and posterior capsules preoperatively on swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) and compare the findings to those of intraoperative examination. Secondly, we aimed to obtain biometric measurements on ASOCT and compare them to those obtained on A-scan/optical methods. Methods: This was a prospective and observational study carried out at a tertiary care referral institute. ASOCT scans for anterior segment were obtained preoperatively for all patients, aged

Socio-ecological determinants of high myopia incidence among school students largely remain unexplored, especially in developing countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural schools in North India to assess the relationship between these determinants and myopia among adolescent students. A public health nurse used a pre-tested questionnaire (demographics, family ocular status, and screen time) and Snellen's chart for testing visual acuity, and referred suspected cases for cycloplegic refraction assessment. Among the total of 955 students, the median (range) age was 14 (13–15) years. The prevalence of myopia was 5.03% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.99–5.07). Myopia was found to be associated with computer usage at school (P = 0.058), malnutrition (P = 0.001), and familial myopia (P = 0.079) in the bivariate analysis. Significant predictors of myopia in the regression model were females (odd ratio [OR]: 6.29; 95% CI: 2.69–14.72), higher maternal age (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1–1.17), and reading distance

Background: In India, facility-based surveillance for congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was initiated in 2016 to estimate the burden and monitor the progress made in rubella control. We analyzed the surveillance data for 2016–2021 from 14 sentinel sites to describe the epidemiology of CRS. Method: We analyzed the surveillance data to describe the distribution of suspected and laboratory confirmed CRS patients by time, place and person characteristics. We compared clinical signs of laboratory confirmed CRS and discarded case-patients to find independent predictors of CRS using logistic regression analysis and developed a risk prediction model. Results: During 2016–21, surveillance sites enrolled 3940 suspected CRS case-patients (Age 3.5 months, SD: 3.5). About one-fifth (n = 813, 20.6%) were enrolled during newborn examination. Of the suspected CRS patients, 493 (12.5%) had laboratory evidence of rubella infection. The proportion of laboratory confirmed CRS cases declined from 26% in 2017 to 8.7% in 2021. Laboratory confirmed patients had higher odds of having hearing impairment (Odds ratio [OR] = 9.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6–16.2), cataract (OR = 7.8, 95% CI: 5.4–11.2), pigmentary retinopathy (OR = 6.7, 95 CI: 3.3–13.6), structural heart defect with hearing impairment (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.2–12.2) and glaucoma (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.2–8.1). Nomogram, along with a web version, was developed. Conclusions: Rubella continues to be a significant public health issue in India. The declining trend of test positivity among suspected CRS case-patients needs to be monitored through continued surveillance in these sentinel sites.

Abstract Long axial length is one of the ocular protective factors in development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this study we examined the effect of axial length (AL) on aqueous humor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in patients with diabetes mellitus with or without DR. Forty-eight eyes of 48 participants were divided into three groups of 16 each. Group A consisted of non-diabetic patients, Group B had diabetic patients without DR, and Group C had diabetic patients with treatment-naive non-proliferative DR (NPDR). The groups were further subdivided based on axial lengths i.e., AL ≤ 23.30 mm (A1, B1, C1) and AL > 23.30 mm (A2, B2, C2). Undiluted aqueous humor was obtained during cataract surgery to measure the VEGF levels. We observed significant decrease in VEGF concentration in patients with AL ≥ 23.30 mm as compared with AL ≤ 23.30 mm in non-diabetic as well as diabetic patients. As the eye elongates, there is less secretion of VEGF in non-diabetics as well in diabetics with or without DR. Our findings strengthened the concept that an increase in AL leads to less VEGF in diabetic eyes, thus leading to less severe DR changes.

Purpose: To evaluate the association of daily screen time and quality of sleep with the prevalence of dry eye among college-going women. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, comparative questionnaire-based study of 547 college-going women in northern India. A 10-item Mini Sleep Questionnaire was used to check the quality of sleep, and the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) scale was used to examine the prevalence of dry eye among college-going women. Results: Multinomial logistic regression showed a significant association between dry eye with daily screen time spent (P < 0.05) and the quality of sleep (P < 0.05) among college-going girls. Using Latent Class Analysis, two latent classes were selected based on the Bayesian Information Criteria. It was found that the majority population falls in class two and was having Severe Sleep-Wake difficulty. It was seen that the participants in class two belonged to the age bracket of 18–21 years, were from stream Humanities, education of father and mother equal to graduation, father working only, belonging to the nuclear family, having one sibling, hailing from the urban locality, spending more than 6 h daily on-screen, a majority of them using mobile phones, not using eye lubricants, and reported an increase in screen time during COVID-19. Conclusion: Dry eye and sleep quality are essential global health issues, and coupled with increased screen time, may pose a challenge in the present era. Preventive strategies need to be incorporated in school and college curriculums to promote physical, social, and psychological well-being and quality of life.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of corneal neurotisation using sural nerve graft coaptation of the contralateral supratrochlear nerve in unilateral neurotrophic keratopathy and corneal anesthesia. Corneal neuralization has emerged as a potential option in the treatment of neurotropic keratopathy, however not free from the predicament. We evaluated the long-term outcome of corneal neurotisation in the treatment of unresponsive unilateral neurotropic keratopathy using surgical variations to mimic and expedient the surgical procedure.MethodsA Prospective interventional study involving patients with unilateral neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) who did not respond to medical measures was conducted. The study parameters evaluated were best-corrected visual acuity improvement, ocular surface evaluation parameters [tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer's 1, and ocular surface staining scores (corneal and conjunctival staining)], central corneal sensation (Cochet Bonnet esthesiometer), sub-basal nerve fiber length (SBNFL), and sub-basal nerve fiber density (SBNFD) determined by central confocal microscopy at recruitment and during follow-up at 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 9-month and 12-month respectively, following corneal neurotization.ResultsEleven eyes of 11 patients with unilateral neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) who underwent corneal neurotisation were studied. The mean follow-up was 10.09±2.31months (range, 6-12). Mean best corrected visual acuity in log MAR at baseline, 1.35±0.52 improved significantly to 1.06±0.76 (P = 0.012) at 3 months and continued to 0.55±0.60 (P = 0.027) at 12 months. There was a significant reduction in NK grade severity and improvement in the ocular surface as early as 1 month, and central corneal sensations (P = 0.024) as soon as 3 months. Mean corneal SBNF improved from 3.12±1.84 mm/mm2 to 4.49±1.88 at 1 month (P = 0.008), 13.31±3.61 mm/mm2 (P = 0.028) at 12 months. Mean central corneal SBNFD evident at 6 months was 1.83±2.54no/mm2 (P = 0.018) and 4.90±3.12no/mm2 (P = 0.028) at 12 months.ConclusionThis study substantiates the routine practice of corneal neurotisation by simplifying the intricacies observed during the procedure.

Background: The accurate estimation of the prevalence of mpox-induced ophthalmic lesions will enable health departments to allocate resources more effectively during the ongoing mpox pandemic. The aim of this meta-analysis was to estimate the global prevalence of ophthalmic manifestations in mpox patients. Methods: A systematic search was carried out in seven databases—Pub Med, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, ProQuest, EBSCOHost, and Cochrane—for studies published on or before 12 December 2022. The pooled prevalence of ophthalmic manifestations was estimated by the random effects model. Risk of bias assessment of the studies and sub-group analysis to explain heterogeneity were undertaken. Results: Overall, 12 studies were included, with 3239 confirmed mpox cases, among which 755 patients reported ophthalmic manifestations. The pooled prevalence of ophthalmic manifestations was 9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 3–24). Studies from Europe reported a very low prevalence of ocular manifestations of 0.98% (95% CI 0.14–2.31), compared to studies from Africa with a substantially higher prevalence of 27.22% (95% CI 13.69–43.26). Conclusions: A wide variation in the prevalence of ocular manifestations among mpox patients was observed globally. Healthcare workers involved in mpox-endemic African countries should be aware of ocular manifestations for early detection and management.

Purpose: To discuss the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the pediatric cataract surgery services in a tertiary care institute in India, as well as the protocol followed for these surgeries. Methods: COVID-19 has hampered outpatient and elective services and surgeries throughout the world. During the national lockdown imposed in March in India, outpatient services were suspended in our institute, leading to a tremendous backlog of pediatric patients with cataract. Since the delay in surgery in pediatric cataract can cause amblyopia, our institute had resumed pediatric cataract surgeries in June 2020 at the time of Unlock-1 in the country. Results: We have discussed the percentage of reduction in pediatric cataract surgeries in 2020 during the Unlock 1, 2, 3, and 4, as compared to the number of surgeries done by the pediatric ophthalmology unit in the same months last year. We had introduced triage and telemedicine in our department. We have discussed the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative protocol followed in our institute for children with pediatric cataract, and also the measures which can be taken for the safety of patients and staff. Conclusion: It is essential to ensure COVID-19 protocol, i.e., wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequent hand hygiene, among the patients and health care personnel. Redesigning pediatric cataract surgery practices is essential to ensure the safety of the health care workers and the patients.

We describe a novel device, Jagat and Bala Intraocular lens Supporting System (JBISS), an artificial Intraocular lens (IOL) platform that facilitates IOL fixation in an aphakic patient with poor capsular support and also facilitates IOL exchange in case of myopic shift or refractive surprise. Implantation of JBISS along with IOL was carried out in four patients and results are promising without any adverse events.

Purpose: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted medical professionals in all fields of medicine and surgery in their academic, clinical and surgical training. The impact of surgical training has been described as 'severe' by most ophthalmology residents worldwide due to their duties in COVID-19 wards, disruption of outpatient and camp services. Methods: Ophthalmic surgery demands utmost accuracy and meticulousness. Fine motor proficiencies, stereoscopic skills and hand–eye coordination required can only be achieved by practice. So, a multileveled structured wet-lab teaching schedule was prepared for the residents and implemented to bridge this gap between theory and practice at our tertiary care institute. A semester-wise training schedule was made with the proper distribution of wet-lab and simulator training. Surgeries like phacoemulsification, scleral buckling, pars plana lensectomy and vitrectomy, trabeculectomy and intravitreal injections were practised by the residents on the goat eyes. Simulator training was provided for phacoemulsification and vitrectomy to increase the hand–eye coordination of the residents. Results: Residents noticed improvement in their surgical skills and ambidexterity post wet-lab and simulator training . It also increased their confidence and provided essential surgical skills required to be used in the operation theater later. Conclusion: It is imperative that wet-lab training be included in the residency training programme in this COVID-19 era.

Eye care professionals are susceptible to contract COVID-19 infection due to the presence of the virus in tears and conjunctival secretions and, also, partly due to the proximity required during ophthalmic examination. Although infrequent, ocular features include conjunctivitis (predominant), chemosis, follicles, itching, dry eye, and tearing. In this article, we have outlined salient safety recommendations at outpatient, inpatient and operation theater level for both patients as well as health care workers. Some of them being, creation of special triage areas at ophthalmology clinic for the screening of patients, things to be avoided at each level, procedures to manage appointments, examination room modifications, operation theater protocols, a suggestion for prioritizing cases, and finally airflow and hospital staff management. These suggestions, along with local hospital-specific modifications, will help us to go a long way in the battle against COVID-19.

Abstract Background Primary objective of this review was to measure compliance with spectacle use in children with refractive errors. Secondary objective was to understand the reasons for non-compliance. Methods The databases searched were Ovid, EMBASE, CINAHL and Pubmed. All studies up to March, 2018 were included. The search terms were- ((((((Compliance [Title/Abstract]) OR Adherence [Title/Abstract]) OR Compliant [Title/Abstract]) OR Adherent [Title/Abstract])) AND (((Spectacle [Title/Abstract]) OR Spectacles [Title/Abstract]) OR Eye Glasses [Title/Abstract])) AND ((((Child [Title/Abstract]) OR Children [Title/Abstract]) OR Adolescent [Title/Abstract]) OR Adolescents [Title/Abstract]). Two researchers independently searched the databases and initial screening obtained 33 articles. The PRISMA guidelines were followed for conducting and writing the systematic review. Two reviewers assessed data quality independently using the Quality Assessment tool for systematic reviews of observational studies (QATSO). Poor quality studies were those, which had a score of less than 33% on the QATSO tool. Sensitivity analysis was done to determine if poor quality studies effected compliance. Galbraith plot was used to investigate statistical heterogeneity amongst studies. A random effects model was used to pool compliance. Results Twenty-three studies were included in the review, of which 20 were included in the quantitative analysis. All the studies were cross sectional. The overall compliance with spectacle use was 40.14% (95% CI- 32.78-47.50). The compliance varied from 9.84% (95% CI = 2.36–17.31) to 78.57% (95% CI = 68.96–88.18). The compliance derived in sensitivity analysis was 40.09%. Reasons for non-compliance were broken/lost spectacles, forgetfulness, and parental disapproval. Conclusion Appropriate remedial measures such as health education and strengthening vision care services will be required to address poor compliance with spectacle use among children.

We describe a novel technique “alternate iris bypass technique” of iridodialysis repair in four patients experiencing traumatic iridodialysis along with cataract. In these cases, we have combined iridodialysis repair with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The main advantage of this technique is that edges of the iridodialysis can be visible till the end of the repair by bypassing the iris tissue in alternate bites which helps in minimizing the corectopia of the pupil and localized iris clumping.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of cataract surgery in children with uveitis. Methods: Retrospective, noncomparative review of medical records of children (≤16 years) with uveitic cataract who had undergone cataract surgery between January 2001 and December 2014 at a tertiary care center was done. The main outcome measures were visual acuity and postoperative complications. Results: We recruited 37 children (58 eyes) who were diagnosed with uveitic cataract and underwent cataract surgery. The etiology of uveitis included juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n = 19), presumed intraocular tuberculosis (n = 8), idiopathic (n = 4), Behçet's disease (n = 2), Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome (n = 2), human leukocyte antigen B-27 associated uveitis (n = 1), and toxocariasis (n = 1). Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation was performed in 17 patients (27 eyes; 46.55%), while 20 patients (31 eyes; 53.44%) were left aphakic after pars plan lensectomy and vitrectomy. At an average follow-up of 3.69 ± 7.2 (SD) years, all cases had significant improvement in corrected distance visual acuity post cataract extraction; visual acuity of 20/40 or more was achieved in 32 eyes (55.17%). The most common complication was capsular opacification (37.93%). Incidence of secondary procedures as well as glaucoma was not statistically different in patients undergoing IOL implantation from those who were aphakic. Conclusion: Even though number of secondary procedures was more in pseudophakic group, meticulous choice of surgical technique and adequate immunosuppression lead to a modest gain of visual acuity in children undergoing IOL implantation in uveitis. However, scrupulous case selection and aggressive control of pre- and postoperative intraocular inflammation are the key factors in the postoperative success of these patients.

BACKGROUND:Government of India is committed to eliminate measles and control rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020. In 2016, CRS surveillance was established in five sentinel sites. We analyzed surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of CRS in India. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We used case definitions adapted from the WHO-recommended standards for CRS surveillance. Suspected patients underwent complete clinical examination including cardiovascular system, ophthalmic examination and assessment for hearing impairment. Sera were tested for presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against rubella. Of the 645 suspected CRS patients enrolled during two years, 137 (21.2%) were classified as laboratory confirmed CRS and 8 (1.2%) as congenital rubella infection. The median age of laboratory confirmed CRS infants was 3 months. Common clinical features among laboratory confirmed CRS patients included structural heart defects in 108 (78.8%), one or more eye signs (cataract, glaucoma, pigmentary retinopathy) in 82 (59.9%) and hearing impairment in 51. (38.6%) Thirty-three (24.1%) laboratory confirmed CRS patients died over a period of 2 years. Surveillance met the quality indicators in terms of adequacy of investigation, adequacy of sample collection for serological diagnosis as well as virological confirmation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:About one fifth suspected CRS patients were laboratory confirmed, indicating significance of rubella as a persistent public health problem in India. Continued surveillance will generate data to monitor the progress made by the rubella control program in the country.

Purpose: To report the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and treatment of a rare case of keratitis caused by pigmented fungi Bipolaris hawaiiensis. Case Report: A 55-year-old man presented with a history of trauma with vegetative matter in his left eye. Slit lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed the presence of a brownish-black pigmented plaque with surrounding infiltrates. Corneal scrapings revealed multiple septate hyphae. Culture revealed growth of the Bipolaris species. The patient was treated with topical natamycin 5%, topical voriconazole 1%, and oral itraconazole followed by intracameral amphotericin B (5 μg/mL). The patient responded well to the treatment. Conclusion: Brown pigmented infiltrates are an important clinical feature of dematiaceous fungi. B. hawaiiensis is a rare cause of corneal phaeohyphomycosis. Our patient responded well to intracameral amphotericin B, which obviated the need for penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: To study the clinicopathological findings of Persistent Fetal Vasculature (PFV) in patients with congenital cataract and PFV. Methods: Six eyes with anterior or combined PFV with cataract underwent phacoaspiration with primary posterior capsulotomy with anterior vitrectomy with intraocular lens implantation followed by histopathological evaluation of the PFV stalk and membrane. Results: Four and two patients had combined and anterior PFV respectively. There was no postoperative hyphema, vitreous haemorrhage, glaucoma or retinal detachment in six months. Haematoxylin and eosin staining showed inflammatory cells predominantly with extramedullary hematopoeisis and vascularisation. Conclusion: We recommend IOL implantation in PFV, with early and aggressive amblyopia therapy.

Corticosteroids are known to cause many ocular and systemic side effects when administered by oral or parenteral routes. Corticosteroid induced systemic toxicity secondary to topical steroid eye drops is rare. A 6-week-old, male infant was brought to our tertiary eye care center with bilateral congenital cataracts. The child underwent phacoaspiration with primary posterior capsulotomy without intraocular lens implantation in both eyes at an interval of 6 weeks. Child was initiated on topical betamethsone 0.1% eight times a day, tobramycin 0.3% six times a day, homatropine 2% twice a day, and carboxymethylcellulose 0.5% four times a day. Two and four weeks later he underwent surgical membranectomy in the right and left eye respectively followed by frequent use of topical steroids, initially given 1 hourly and then tapered weekly in the follow-up period. The patient showed increase in intraocular pressure and gain in body weight along with development of cushingoid habitus nearly 6 to 8 weeks after starting topical steroids. These side effects started weaning off following the reduction in dose of topical steroids, suggesting the role of the corticosteroid-related systemic side effects. This case highlights the serious systemic side effects secondary to increased frequency and duration of topical corticosteroid use in infancy. Hence, dosage of topical steroids should be adjusted in its therapeutic range to prevent their ocular and systemic side effects. Therefore, close monitoring is advocated for children using topical corticosteroids to prevent serious ocular and systemic side effects.

A 25-year-old man, with a history of hyperthyroidism presented with herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with neurotrophic ulcer and superadded infection 4 weeks after a sudden decrease in his thyroid hormones, caused by overtreatment of hyperthyroidism and radioactive iodine therapy. He underwent lateral tarsorrhaphy and was started on conservative treatment for the ulcer. The ulcer had resolved after 2 months. HZO is caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus by a decline in cell-mediated immunity. The decrease in thyroid hormones can also reactivate varicella-zoster by immunosuppression. This case highlights the importance of stability in thyroid hormones in a patient with thyroid disease and history of varicella.