Soumya Sharat

Abstract

We report a case of a young, healthy male with sudden neurological collapse in the bathroom, presenting 3 weeks later with bilateral progressive dimunition of vision. Patient’s initial investigations including computed tomography (CT) brain was normal. At the time of presentation, he had severe visual impairment with defective colour vision and disc pallor bilaterally. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain was suggestive of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. A visual evoked potential (VEP) showed characteristic positive-negative-positive (PNP) waveform. Retrospective history confirmed the use of gas geysers in his bathroom. Patient was treated with intravenous steroids for 3 days followed by oral steroids to which he responded with improvement in visual acuity. Parenteral vitamin B12 was also administered. Optic neuropathy is a rare presentation of CO poisoning with very few cases reported in literature.   Keywords: Carbon monoxide, Gas geyser, Globus pallidus, Optic neuropathy, Visual evoked potential

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Abstract

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of ocular trauma and extent of visual loss in geriatric patients at a tertiary care eye hospital in South India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged above 60 years, of both genders, who presented to the ophthalmology OPD of a tertiary care eye hospital, with history of ocular trauma. The study period was of 3 months. The patients underwent a detailed interview and standardized ocular evaluation. An eye was considered blind due to trauma if best corrected visual acuity for distance was worse than 3/60 due to trauma. Patients with preexisting low vision in the affected eye were excluded in the study. Results: Of the 50 patients included in the study, 30 patients (60%) gave a history of self-inflicted injury. 28 patients (56%) had blunt trauma to the eye, and the rest had penetrating injury. 42 patients (84%) belonged to lower socioeconomic status; 38 patients (76%) were males and the rest females. 24 patients (48%) had an acute onset of presentation ( Conclusion: Though majority of the trauma resulting in blindness occurs during childhood, geriatric population also needs extra care and attention due to associated co morbidities. Ocular trauma in geriatric population is being increasingly recognized as a significant public health problem worldwide. Keywords: Morbidity, Geriatric, Ocular trauma.

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Abstract

Introduction: To study the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus as an incidental finding in patients with pterygium. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care eye hospital among patients with pterygium, who had been posted for pterygium excision surgery. The study was conducted over a period of three months. 25 patients were enrolled under the study. All cases of operable pterygium were taken up for surgery and studied. Only patients with primary pterygium were included in the study. The random blood sugar levels were monitored, and if found deranged, patients were further investigated for fasting blood sugar levels, post-prandial blood sugar levels and glcosylated hemoglobin levels. Previously diagnosed diabetics and patients with other systemic comorbidities were excluded from the study. Results: Out of the 25 patients enrolled under the study, the mean age was 43 years. 15 patients (60%) were males, and rest were females. Of these, 10 patients (40%) had deranged random blood sugar levels (>130 mg/dl), which were further investigated by fasting blood sugar levels, post-prandial blood sugar levels and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. After these investigations, 6 patients (24%) were newly detected type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, and they were referred to physician for further management of the condition. Conclusion: The etiology of pterygium is multifactorial, though, none can explain the development or the recurrence of pterygium. Though the relationship between pterygium and diabetes is not significant, the role of oxidative stress in these patients needs further investigations. Keywords: pterygium, diabetes, correlation

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