1/114. Sebaceous carcinoma presenting as a unilateral papillary conjunctivitis.PURPOSE: To describe a previously unreported presentation of sebaceous carcinoma, an aggressive tumor that often presents insidiously with minimal symptoms and nonspecific signs. methods: We report a 71-year-old man who presented with unilateral ocular irritation and ipsilateral, idiopathic, papillary changes of the superior palpebral conjunctiva. The patient underwent incisional biopsy of the palpebral conjunctiva followed by full-thickness excision of the involved eyelid. RESULT: Histopathologic examination established the diagnosis of sebaceous carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Unexplained asymmetric, papillary changes of the palpebral conjunctiva should arouse suspicion of sebaceous carcinoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/114. Ocular surface neoplasia masquerading as chronic blepharoconjunctivitis.PURPOSE: To present the clinical characteristics and difficulties in the diagnosis of various ocular surface malignancies mimicking features of chronic blepharoconjunctivitis and to summarize the current therapeutic approach and prognosis of patients. methods: Six patients with slowly evolving signs of persistent inflammation underwent a conjunctival biopsy after a prolonged course of medical treatment. The medical records of the patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination of the biopsy specimens revealed intraepithelial squamous neoplasia (one patient), invasive squamous cell carcinoma (one patient), sebaceous carcinoma (two patients), and conjunctival lymphoma (two patients). CONCLUSION: Although uncommon, ocular surface malignancies may involve the conjunctiva diffusely and present as chronic conjunctivitis. A high index of suspicion and an early histopathologic examination are essential to not delay diagnosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/114. Linear IgA disease.PURPOSE: A case of linear IgA disease is reported to alert ophthalmologists and physicians to this unusual cause of chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis. methods: Clinical records of a patient suffering from linear IgA disease were reviewed. RESULTS: A 65-year-old woman with a complicated medical history experienced rapidly progressive chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis leading to corneal perforation. Undiagnosed gingivitis and palatal ulceration had been present for 5 years prior to the onset of ocular symptoms and vitamin C deficiency had followed the consequent dietary restrictions. A diagnosis of linear IgA disease was made on conjunctival biopsy, which demonstrated linear deposits of IgA along the epithelial basement membrane. The perforation was managed successfully with a conjunctival pediculate flap. Control of the inflammation was achieved with systemic prednisolone and cyclophosphamide but at the expense of serious systemic side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: Linear IgA disease causes progressive conjunctival cicatrization in many affected individuals.Although dapsone generally controls the inflammation, heavier systemic immunosuppression was required in this case. Involvement of skin or other mucosal surfaces may become symptomatic before the conjunctivitis, and physicians must be educated to refer patients for ophthalmological review on diagnosis. Conversely, ophthalmologists encountering ocular linear IgA disease should be aware of the possibility of other mucosal involvement requiring physician intervention.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/114. bacteremia, meningitis, and brain abscesses in a hospitalized infant: complications of pseudomonas aeruginosa conjunctivitis.This report describes a preterm infant hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit who developed pseudomonas aeruginosa conjunctivitis associated with bacteremia, meningitis, and multiple brain abscesses. P. aeruginosa conjunctivitis can rapidly progress to an invasive eye infection, such as corneal ulceration or endophthalmitis, leading to poor vision or blindness. Progression of this infection may lead to systemic disease. However, as illustrated in this report, P. aeruginosa conjunctivitis may be associated with the development of systemic complications such as bacteremia and meningitis in the absence of invasive eye disease. P. aeruginosa is a relatively common cause of conjunctivitis in hospitalized preterm and low birth weight infants. Given the severity of the ocular and systemic complications of Pseudomonas conjunctivitis, clinicians are reminded that prompt detection and treatment of neonatal conjunctivitis is critical.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/114. Ligneous conjunctivitis: biochemical evidence for hypofibrinolysis.Ligneous conjunctivitis (LC) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by the growth of "woody" plaques on ocular and extraocular mucosa. These lesions are comprised of fibrin and both direct and indirect evidence implicates hypofibrinolysis as the primary defect in LC. To further elucidate the pathophysiology of LC we investigated the biochemical aspects of ligneous lesions with respect to the fibrinolytic system. Ligneous lesions were obtained from the right eye of a 15 year-old female patient with longstanding LC since age 2.5 year. Ligneous conjunctivitis in this patient has exhibited a chronic recurrent coarse and has involved multiple muscosal sites. Samples analyzed included an abundant mucoid thread from the conjunctival fornix and the ligneous plaque attached to the inferior tarsus. Samples were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to characterize protein profiles and by a variety of zymographic methods to visualize fibrinolytic enzymes. We found that mucoid and ligneous samples were distinct entities. Specifically, ligneous samples contained polypeptides with electrophoretic profiles characteristic of intact fibrin, and were replete in fibrin-bound tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Despite the presence of ample t-PA, ligneous samples were essentially devoid of fibrinolytic activity. In contrast, neither proteins nor t-PA could be detected in mucoid samples when fractionated by 7.5-15% SDS-PAGE or analyzed by fibrin zymography, respectively. Despite the absence of t-PA, mucoid samples were replete in fibrinolytic activity. This activity was plasminogen independent, heterogenous and inhibited by PMSF. Degradation profiles suggested that this activity represented in part alpha-chymotrypsin, consistent with this patient's treatment regime, as well as plasmin, elastase and an unidentified neutrophil-derived activity. Interestingly, ligneous samples contained both latent and activated forms of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), whereas mucoid samples contained predominantly activated forms of MMP-9. LC is characterized by defective fibrinolysis, despite the presence of ample t-PA and intact fibrin, and by an abundant mucoid thread which binds both endogenous and exogenous enzymes including serine protease(s) and collagenase(s). The implications of these results with respect to a role for exuberant mucus production or abnormal mucins in the development of a relative mucosal-site specific plasmin(ogen) deficiency is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/114. Ligneous conjunctivitis in a girl with severe type I plasminogen deficiency.BACKGROUND: Ligneous conjunctivitis is a rare form of chronic recurrent pseudomembranous disease and may be associated with systemic membranous pathological changes. Recently ligneous conjunctivitis has been linked to severe type I plasminogen deficiency. We report on a patient with plasminogen deficiency and severe bilateral ligneous conjunctivitis. A new treatment approach and its outcome in this patient are described. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 9-month-old Turkish girl with massive swelling of the eyelids and hard white pseudomembranes on both lids. The conjunctival smear was positive for streptococcus pneumoniae. The clinical diagnosis was: ligneous conjunctivitis with superinfection. Histological investigation showed fibrin as major component of the pseudomembranes. The coagulation analyses revealed decreased plasminogen activity (<5%; normal 80-120%) and decreased plasminogen antigen (<0.4 mg/dl; normal 6-25 mg/dl). The failure of surgical therapy led to the attempt at treatment with intravenous lys-plasminogen. A significant improvement of the ocular symptoms occurred; stabilization with no recurrent pseudomembranes could be achieved for 6 months after treatment. DISCUSSION: The initial amelioration of symptoms in our patient after systemic replacement therapy confirms the etiological importance of plasminogen deficiency in the development of ligneous conjunctivitis. Curative treatment of ligneous conjunctivitis is still not available. However, intravenous application of plasminogen offers new possibilities in therapy, although long-term treatment seems necessary.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/114. Effective treatment with topical cyclosporin A of a patient with cogan syndrome.The purpose of this report is to describe the effective treatment of severe anterior segment inflammation due to cogan syndrome through the use of topical administration of cyclosporin A. A 47-year-old female patient had been experiencing headaches and difficulties with her vision. Subsequent examination revealed the sudden onset of bilateral conjunctival injection and swelling of bilateral auricles. Despite the multiple treatment (systemic and topical corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy), necrotizing scleritis had appeared bilaterally and the scleral wall was thinning. Topical administration of 1% cyclosporin A was applied to both eyes 4 times a day. After 2 months of this therapy, the epithelial tissue covered the necrotizing tissue and her symptom of ocular pain was relieved and her corrected visual acuity was improved. This is the first case exhibiting that topical cyclosporin A is an effective treatment for severe anterior segment inflammation associated with cogan syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/114. Immunopathological diagnosis of cicatricial pemphigoid with desquamative gingivitis. A case report.Cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) is a chronic subepidermal bullous dermatosis which primarily involves the mucous membranes. The oral cavity and the eye are most frequently involved. Since extension of the lesion into the pharynx and esophagus causes sore throat and dysphagia and progressive ocular lesions may cause blindness, early and valid diagnosis is very important. Here we present a case of cicatricial pemphigoid with onset at age 45 in a patient who manifested severe periodontal disease and showed the lesion on the mucous membranes of the mouth (desquamative gingivitis), skin, and eyes. Since definite diagnosis is very important, we describe how we made a differential diagnosis from other diseases which also accompany desquamative gingivitis. We examined the clinical manifestations, blood test results, HLA-genotype, histopathologic findings of the affected tissue, and immunological findings in relation to autoimmunity. Since many of the CP cases are first referred to periodontists or dentists, we believe that the diagnostic strategy described in the present study will be quite informative for making rapid and definite diagnoses of similar cases.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/114. Chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis in a patient with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and fatal wegener granulomatosis.PURPOSE: To describe a case of chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis in a patient with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and wegener granulomatosis. methods: Observational case report. A retrospective study. RESULTS: An 80-year-old man presented with chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis, peripheral corneal thinning, and wegener granulomatosis, which were diagnosed by his referring physician based on clinical (recurrent epistaxis, sinus congestion) and histopathologic features of nasal mucosa (granulomatous inflammation, vasculitis). A conjunctival biopsy performed by us disclosed features of active wegener granulomatosis and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, which indicate lack of control of both diseases with methotrexate treatment. The patient died of pulmonary complications from Wegener granulomatosis 1 week after our evaluation. CONCLUSION: Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and wegener granulomatosis are both potentially fatal autoimmune diseases. Ocular involvement in wegener granulomatosis indicates poor control of the underlying systemic condition and is a marker for active vasculitis, which indicates the need for treatment with cyclophosphamide.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/114. Clinical application of living-related conjunctival-limbal allograft.PURPOSE: To report one successful case of conjunctival-limbal allograft for the treatment of a severe ocular surface disorder. methods: Interventional case report. A 9-year-old patient suffering from stevens-johnson syndrome with total keratinization of the ocular surface of both eyes was treated in the left eye by corneal and conjunctival stem cell transplantation. Oral cyclosporin A and topical autologous serum and corticosteroids were administered. RESULTS: Mucosal epithelial phenotype was maintained in the left eye at most recent examination for more than 3 years after ocular surface reconstruction. CONCLUSION: A total keratinized ocular surface may be treated with the combination of conjunctival and corneal stem cell transplantation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |