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Purpose To measure the central corneal thickness (CCT) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in older adults with and without pterygium from the Brazilian Amazon Region Eye Survey (BARES). Methods BARES is a population-based epidemiological cross-sectional study conducted in Parintins city. Participants were residents ≥45 years of age identified through a door-to-door interview. Eligible participants were invited for a comprehensive eye exam. Pterygium occurrence and severity were assessed by ophthalmologists through slit-lamp examination considering its location (nasal or/and temporal) and severity (lesion with extension Results A total of 671 subjects, 533 (79.4%) with pterygium in at least one eye and 138 (20.6%) without pterygium in either eye, were examined. The mean CCT evaluated by multiple linear regression and adjusted for demographic variables and pterygium severity was 521 ± 34 μm (median = 521; range = 304–665). Decreased CCT was significantly associated with age and pterygium severity. Individuals aged 65–74 years had CCT 7 μm thinner than those aged 45–54 years ( p = 0.044), individuals aged 75 years and older had CCT 15 μm thinner than those aged 45–54 years ( p = 0.001), and eyes with severe pterygium had CCT 33 μm thinner than eyes without pterygium ( p Conclusions The CCT analysis in this population-based sample shows that a thinner cornea is associated with pterygium severity and older age.

Purpose To investigate the prevalence and causes of near vision impairment (NVI) in a population of older adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Methods Cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting subjects 45 years of age and older from urban and rural areas of Parintins city, Brazil. Participants underwent ophthalmic examination, including uncorrected (UCNVA), presenting (PNVA), and best-corrected near visual acuity (BCNVA) from each eye; biomicroscopy; funduscopy; and subjective refraction, including testing with additional lenses for near vision optical correction. A principal cause for NVI was assigned by the ophthalmologist and presbyopia was defined as UCNVA ≤ 20/40 changing to > 20/40 with BCNVA. Free-of-charge glasses were provided for those in need. Results A total of 2384 subjects were enumerated and 2025 had reliable NVA measurements from both eyes. The prevalence of NVI in the better-seeing eye was 96.5% with UCNVA, decreasing to 81.1% with PNVA and to 20.5% with BCNVA. Presbyopia was the principal cause of NVI in 71.8%, followed by cataract (16.5%) and pterygium (2.5%), and was associated with younger age and high schooling. Glasses for near vision were prescribed and provided to 1414 (69.8%) participants. Conclusions A high prevalence of NVI was detected even in those wearing glasses for near. Prescription and provision of low-cost reading glasses should be considered by Brazilian health authorities to address this easily and promptly correctable form of vision impairment.

OBJECTIVE: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurement of adult blue‐fronted parrots (Amazona aestiva), free from infectious, inflammatory or neoplastic systemic diseases and from any ophthalmological illness, aim at its characterization, as well as to standardize the examination technique for the species. PROCEDURE: Pupillary dilation was achieved with rocuronium bromide (5 mg/mL) at 0, 2, 15, 17, 30, and 32 minutes. The animals were sedated with midazolam maleate (0.5 mg/kg/IM) and anesthetized with propofol (5.0 mg/kg/IV). Measurements were made to evaluate the thickness of the total retina (TR), sensorineural retinal (SR), and ganglion cell complex (GCC), 2 millimeters (mm) from the pecten toward the fovea. OCT data were compared to measurements of retinal histological slides from enucleated eyes of blue‐fronted parrots, scanned in automatic fluorescence microscope and measured with by the VS‐ASW® software. RESULTS: Averages of measurements from the 43 retinas evaluated by OCT were TR: 279.40 micrometers (μm), SR: 255.90 μm, and GCC: 138.60 μm, respectively, and the measurements of six retinas using fluorescence microscopy were 260.30 μm for TR, 238.20 μm for SR, and 129.30 μm for GCC, demonstrating a high correlation coefficient between all measurements (r = .8698, P