Purpose: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors and visual impairment and the correlation between personal characteristics, including age, sex, weight, and height, with different types of refractive errors in a population of university students in the south of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a number of university majors were selected as clusters using multi-stage sampling in all universities located in Kazerun (27 clusters of 133 clusters). Then, proportional to size, a number of students in each major were randomly selected to participate in the study. Uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, non-cycloplegic objective refraction and subjective refraction were measured in all participants. Results: The prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of presenting visual impairment and blindness was 2.19% (1.48–3.23) and 0.27% (0.12–0.62), respectively. Refractive errors comprised 75% of the causes of visual impairment. The prevalence (95% CI) of myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ –0.5 D], hyperopia (SE ≥ 0.5 D), and astigmatism (cylinder power < –0.5 D) was 42.71% (39.71–45.77), 3.75% (2.85–4.51), and 29.46% (27.50–31.50), respectively. Totally, 49.03% (46.39–51.68) of the participants had at least one type of refractive error. There was a positive association between weight and myopia (1.01; 95% CI: 1.01–1.02), anisometropia (1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.06), and refractive errors (1.01; 95% CI: 1.01–1.02). In comparison with the age group 18–19 years, the odds ratio (OR) of astigmatism in the age group 26–27 years was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.03–2.61), and the OR of anisometropia in the age group ≥ 30 years was 0.21 (95% CI: 0.04–0.98). Conclusions: The prevalence of refractive errors, especially myopia, is higher in university students than the general population. Since refractive errors constitute a major part of visual impairment, university students should receive special services for providing corrective lenses and glasses to reduce the burden of these disorders.

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Purpose: To assess the visual outcome and complications following retropupillary-fixated iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Methods: For this retrospective, non-comparative study, chart review of patients who underwent retropupillary iris-claw IOL implantation for the correction of aphakia from July 2014 to October 2018 and had a minimum postoperative follow-up of 2 months was carried out. Postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and complications were noted. Results: One hundred and twenty-two eyes of 122 patients (mean follow-up: 7.48 ± 5.2 months, range, 2 months-3.5 years) were enrolled in the study. The mean logMAR CDVA improved from 1.36 ± 0.52 preoperatively to 0.5 ± 0.42 postoperatively, at the last follow-up visit (P < 0.0001). The final CDVA improved in 110 eyes (90.2%), remained unchanged in 8 eyes (6.6%), and worsened in 4 eyes (3.3%). In cases of pre-existing cystoid macular edema (CME) or excessive intraoperative manipulations, 0.05 ml of 4 mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) was injected at the end of the surgery. Twenty eyes (16.4%) had transient ocular hypertension (OHT), 6 eyes (4.9%) had persistent OHT, and 2 eyes (1.6%) progressed to glaucoma. Choroidal detachment was noted in 2 eyes (1.6%), CME in 6 eyes (4.9%), 2 eyes (1.6%) had retinal detachment, 20 eyes (16.4%) had significant ovalization of pupil, 8 eyes (6.6%) had one haptic disenclavation, 1 eye (0.8%) had corneal decompensation, and 1 eye (0.8%) had endophthalmitis. Conclusions: Retropupillary iris-claw IOL provides good visual rehabilitation with a few complications. Its ease of insertion and short surgical time makes it a good option to correct aphakia in patients with an inadequate capsular support.

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Purpose: To describe the association of change in the baseline hemoglobin levels with the development of interferon (INF) retinopathy after the start of pegylated INF (PEG INF) and ribavirin for hepatitis C virus treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review conducted on 12 patients on PEG INF and ribavirin with baseline examination and follow-up during the treatment regimen: 6 developed INF-induced retinopathy and 6 patients were without retinopathy. Serial hemoglobin values for both the groups were recorded at the time of the retinopathy diagnosis in affected patients and the nadir in those without retinopathy. The total percent reduction of hemoglobin was calculated for both the groups. Results: Hemoglobin concentration levels between control and INF retinopathy patients tended to be slightly lower in the group that developed retinopathy. There was no threshold hemoglobin concentration under which the rate of developing retinopathy significantly increased. Greater than 25% drop in hemoglobin conferred a statistically significant risk in the development of INF-associated retinopathy. Conclusion: Patients starting PEG INF and ribavirin require baseline testing and subsequent follow-up based on the rapidity of the decrease in hemoglobin levels to identify the development of retinopathy with treatment.

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Purpose: To report a rare occurrence of ocular dirofilariasis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and provide a short overview on clinical characteristics and treatment options for ocular dirofilariasis. Methods: A 75-year-old woman was admitted to the University Clinical Centre Tuzla with pain and redness in her left eye. A live, white, coiled, and active worm was noticed in subconjunctival space of bulbar conjunctiva. Results: After successful surgical extraction, the parasite was identified as the adult form of Dirofilaria repens. There were no signs of intraocular or systemic inflammation. Conclusion: Ophthalmologists should have in mind a possible infestation, especially in cases with repeated inflammatory reactions and swelling of the ocular region, which does not respond to conventional therapy.

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Purpose: To report a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treatment with imatinib mesylate in the remission phase who developed unilateral macular choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: A 45-year-old male marketer with a 5-year history of CML treated with imatinib mesylate presented with 2 months history of progressive vision loss and metamorphopsia in the right eye. Results: Fundus examination of the right eye revealed grey-white elevated retinal lesion with indistinct borders in the macula and retinal telangiectasia in the temporal macula. Fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) confirmed the presence of CNV in the right eye. After treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), macular CNV regressed significantly. Conclusion: Macular CNV must be kept in mind as a rare ophthalmic manifestation of patients with CML under treatment with imatinib even in the remission phase.

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Purpose: To present a rare case report of Onodi cell-associated optic neuropathy, conducting a review of the literature. Methods: A 36-year-old male presented with an 18-h history of acute deterioration of vision in his left eye (LE). Ophthalmic examination and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were consistent with an Onodi cell-associated compressive optic neuropathy. Results: Despite immediate, successful surgical decompression, severe optic nerve atrophy and permanent visual loss occurred during early postoperative period. The reported case gives rise to different hypotheses regarding pathophysiology that may lead to irreversible blindness. A systematic review of the respective literature is provided attempting to compare different approaches in the management of Onodi cell-associated compressive optic neuropathy and assess their efficacy in the final visual outcome. Poor initial visual acuity (VA) may represent a bad prognostic factor. Moreover, age and gender do not seem to significantly influence the outcome. Conclusion: This report and associated literature review highlight the importance of the radiologic characteristics and early diagnosis in the final visual outcome of the Onodi cell-associated optic neuropathy. High level of suspicion is crucial for early diagnosis of mucoceles, which must be treated promptly by surgical and medical means to enhance visual recovery.

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Purpose: To investigate the impact of glaucoma-associated vision loss on quality of life and social functioning in Indians. Methods: A cross-sectional study with prospective enrollment was conducted. Participants were divided as: mild, moderate, and severe. Severity of glaucoma was stratified by the degree of binocular visual field loss in accordance with the Nelson Glaucoma Severity Scale (NGSS). The Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 (GQL-15) and a self-developed social function scale (SFS) were utilized to assess patients' wellbeing. Results: A total of 260 patients (mean ± SD age = 58.1 ± 12.01 years; 106 females) participated in the study. Univariate analyses revealed a significant relationship between final quality of life score and number of anti-glaucoma medications (P = 0.01), previous surgeries (P = 0.00), patients age (P = 0.00), patients education level (P = 0.02), and severity of glaucoma (P = 0.00). Previous surgeries (P = 0.04) and severity of glaucoma (P = 0.00) were significant predictors of GQL-15 summary score. With increasing glaucoma severity, patients noted greater difficulty with peripheral vision, glare and dark adaptation, and outdoor tasks (P < 0.0001). Severe glaucoma also impacted patients' functional performance—a significant decline was observed in sense of personal (P < 0.0001) and social wellbeing (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Patients with advanced glaucoma report significant decline in functioning, their ability to interact in community, take care of self, and do leisure activities. Glaucoma imposes greater social burden on the elderly by impacting their sense of personal safety. Targeted visual and social rehabilitative programs are necessary to improve their wellbeing and independent functioning.

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Purpose: To evaluate the macular microvasculature in smokers in comparison to healthy subjects using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: Fifty chronic, regular smokers and 50 healthy non-smokers, as a control group, were recruited for the study. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (mm²) and vessel density (VD) (%) in the superficial (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were evaluated. Results: FAZ area was 0.424 ± 0.100 mm² in the smoker group and 0.333 ± 0.093 mm² in the non-smoking control group (P = 0.002). The deep foveal VD was 31.76 ± 6.33% in the smoker group and 53.09 ± 5.88% in the non-smoking control group (P = 0.006). Superficial foveal and parafoveal, deep parafoveal VD were not statistically different between the groups (P = 0.120), (P = 0.337), (P = 0.287), respectively. Conclusion: In our study, there was an enlargement of FAZ and reduction of foveal VD at DCP in the eyes of smokers compared with non-smoking adults.

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Purpose: To determine economic inequality in unmet refractive error (RE) need and its determinants in deprived rural population of Iran. Methods: In this population-based study, two villages were randomly selected from among underserved villages of Iran. After selecting the participants, optometric examinations, including uncorrected and corrected visual acuity and subjective and manifest refraction, were done for all the participants. Then, unmet need for glasses was determined. Concentration index (C) was used to assess inequality, and Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method was applied to decompose the gap between the two groups based on the determinants. Results: Of 3851 samples, 3314 participated in the study (response rate = 86.05%). The data of 3255 participants were used for analysis. The value of C and 95% confidence interval (CI) was −0.088 (−0.157 to −0.020), indicating a pro-poor inequality in unmet need. The prevalence (95% CI) of unmet need was 11.74% (9.25–14.22) in the poor and 6.51% (4.96–8.06) in the rich, with a gap of about 5% in favor of the rich (P < 0.001). A marked percentage of the gap was due to the explained portion (b = 5.73; P = 0.031). In the explained portion, the variable of economic status (b = 3.48; P = 0.004) and myopia (b = 0.88; P = 0.031) caused inequality in favor of the rich and against the poor, respectively. In the unexplained portion (b = −0.51; P = 0.372), the variables of education (P = 0.002) and place (P = 0.001) had statistically significant effects on inequality. Conclusions: There is a significant pro-poor economic inequality in the prevalence of unmet need in rural areas of Iran. Although part of this inequality is related to variables such as education and myopia, a major portion (two thirds) of this inequality may be due to the direct effect of economic inequality.

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Purpose: To assess the postoperative surgical outcomes and the changes in deviation in patients treated by supramaximal recession and resection (R&R) of rectus muscles to correct the large-angle exotropia and esotropia. Methods: This study was a prospective interventional case series, and patients with esotropia of ≥65 prism diopter (PD) or exotropia of ≥60 PD who had undergone supermaximal R&R in non-fixating eye with lower vision in unilateral strabismus or bilateral medial rectus (BMR) recession up to 8.5 mm for esotropia and bilateral lateral rectus (BLR) recession up to 12.5 mm for exotropia in bilateral strabismus were enrolled. Successful results were achieved if postoperation deviation was <10 PD for esotropia and <15 PD for exotropia during their final examinations. Results: A total of 131 cases (48 patients with esotropia and 83 patients with exotropia) were included. The mean ages of the patients with esotropia and exotropia were 16.83 ± 15.06 and 23.19 ± 11.29 years, respectively. The mean preoperative esodeviations for bilateral and unilateral surgeries were 69.5 ± 6.5 and 80.7 ± 10.3, respectively, and these values for bilateral and unilateral exodeviations surgeries were 67.3 ± 7.6 and 74.2 ± 12.1, respectively. The overall successful outcomes were achieved in 50% of the esotropic patients and 79.5% of the exotropic patients. At final follow-up examination, no patient had diplopia on lateral gazes. Conclusion: Based on our surgical results, it is possible to consider monocular recession-resection surgery in non-fixating eye (with poor vision) or BLR and BMR recession in both eyes as a viable option for surgical treatment of large angles deviations.

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Purpose: To evaluate the multimodal imaging of acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis (ASPPC) lesions in order to elucidate their pathophysiology which seems to resemble choriocapillaritis as in primary inflammatory choriocapillaropathies such as multifocal choroiditis (MFC) and acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE). Methods: Charts of patients with ASPPC seen in the Centre for Ophthalmic Specialised Care, Lausanne, Switzerland, were retrieved. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and when available, OCT angiography were analyzed and compared to a case of MFC. Results: One woman aged 58 and 2 men aged 50 and 31 with unilateral ASPPC were analyzed. All had positive syphilis serologies (venereal disease research laboratory [VDRL] and treponema Pallidum hemagglutination assay [TPHA]). Two were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Mean best corrected visual acuity was 0.2 ± 0.1 at presentation and 1.0 for all patients 6 weeks later, after antibiotic treatment for neurosyphilis. All had central scotomata with a mean defect (MD) of 12.2 ± 2.6. Six weeks later, MD values were 3.9 ± 1.7. Microperimetry had a mean score of 25/560 at presentation and recovered to a mean of 444/560 6 weeks later. Multimodal imaging features consisted of FA tissue staining, ICGA hypofluorescent choriocapillaris non-perfusion, FAF hyperautofluorescence, and loss of the ellipsoid line in the diseased areas. The findings were consistent and identical in ASPPC and a case of MFC and pointed toward the involvement of the choriocapillaris. Conclusions: Similarities seen in multimodal imaging features in ASPPC and choriocapillaritis highlight the role of the choriocapillaris in the pathophysiologic mechanism of both conditions. Inflammatory choriocapillaris non-perfusion triggered by infectious agents seems to be the common pathway through which the eye is reacting.

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Purpose: To determine the effect of smoking on tear stability and ocular surface of the cornea among students aged between 19 and 25 years. This study also aimed to find a correlation between tear film stability with a score of McMonnies Dry Eye Questionnaire (MDEQ) and Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire (OSDI). Methods: This is a prospective, non-interventional, comparative study of 59 male (27 smokers and 32 non-smokers) undergraduates of a public university. Tear film stability was evaluated using non-invasive tear break-up time and fluorescein tear break-up time. Corneal staining was determined using Efron grading scale. MDEQ and OSDI Questionnaires were used to assess dry eye symptoms. Data were obtained from the right eye only and analyzed using descriptive and correlation analysis. Results: The age range of the participants was between 19 and 25 years. The mean age for smokers and non-smokers was 22.19 ± 2.20 and 21.22 ± 1.83 years, respectively (P = 0.07). The smoker group had statistically significant lower tear film stability than the non-smoker group (P < 0.0001). Corneal staining was statistically significant higher at the nasal and temporal parts of the cornea in smokers (P < 0.05). There was a moderate correlation between tear film stability and scores of MDEQ and OSDI. Conclusions: Tobacco smoke has a significant effect on the tear film stability, seen in reduced tear stability values among smokers. Corneal staining was found to be more extensive in the smokers. These findings would be useful to eye-care providers in the management of their dry eye patients related to smoking.

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Purpose: To assess refractive error, gender, and age-related differences in corneal topography of a normal population with Oculus Keratograph 4. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 500 normal eyes of 500 individuals with ages ranging from 10 to 70 years. All participants underwent detailed ocular examinations, including visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp examination, and refractive error evaluation. Slit-lamp examination was performed for all individuals to rule out apparent corneal diseases. Corneal topography parameters were assessed using Oculus Keratograph. The data were analyzed based on gender, refractive error, and age groups using independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Of a total of 500 participants (age: 29.51 ± 11.53 years) recruited for the present study, 66.4% were female, and 33.6% were male. The mean spherical equivalent of refraction was − 0.98 ± 1.65 diopters. Significant differences were noted in steep keratometry (P = 0.035) and corneal astigmatism (P = 0.014) between genders. Assessment of the data based on refractive error revealed significant differences in an index of vertical asymmetry (P < 0.001), index of height asymmetry (P = 0.003), and index of height decentration (P = 0.011). Considering age groups, significant differences were observed in flat keratometry readings (P < 0.001), mean corneal astigmatism (P = 0.02), minimum radius of curvature (P = 0.037), and apex power (P < 0.001). Conclusions: There was a prominent variation in some topographic parameters based on gender, age, and refractive error. The information on corneal parameters obtained with Oculus Keratograph from normal eyes provides a reference for comparison with diseased corneas.

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Purpose: To develop the Persian version of MNREAD acuity charts and test their repeatability in a normal adult population. Methods: Two hundred sentences were constructed using the most frequent words of 8-year-olds schoolbooks. The number of characters and sentence length were adjusted based on the design principles of the Minnesota Low Vision Reading Test. Two Persian language teachers checked the sentences for syntax and meaning. The accepted sentences were read by 20 adults and then by 20 children. Using RADNER charts method, the sentences with inappropriate reading time and repeated errors were excluded. Thirty-eight sentences were approved to create charts. To check the charts' validity and repeatability, 20 adults read both charts and a paragraph of a daily newspaper. Reading acuity, critical print size, and maximum reading speed were calculated. The measured reading speeds were compared to the readers' reading speeds for a paragraph of a daily newspaper. Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreement between the two charts. Results: Thirty-eight selected sentences were used in the final printed charts. There were significant correlations between maximum reading speed for Charts 1 and 2 (r = 0.87, P <0.0001), Chart 1 and newspaper paragraph (r = 0.73, P = 0.001), and Chart 2 and newspaper paragraph (r = 0.83, P = 0.0001). Correlations were observed between reading acuities and critical print sizes of two charts (r = 0.72, P <0.002 and r = 0.77, P = 0.00). The 95% limits of agreement in reading acuity, critical print size, and reading speed between Charts 1 and 2 were ± 0.034 logMAR, ±0.11 logMAR, and ±8.00 words per minute, respectively. Conclusion: The designed Persian MNREAD charts are repeatable and could be used reliably to calculate near acuity, reading speed, and critical print size in Persian-speaking people.

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Purpose: To review various treatment methods in thyroid eye disease (TED) related strabismus. Methods: We searched in PubMed and Google Scholar and Ovid MEDLINE for keywords including TED-related strabismus, strabismus in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, Graves^' ophthalmopathy related strabismus or squint, and restrictive strabismus. Two expert strabismus specialists selected and evaluated the English articles that were related to our paper and had been published since 2000. Some articles were added based upon the references of the initial articles. Results: One hundred fifteen articles were found, 98 of which were mostly related to the topic of this review. Management of TED-related strabismus was reviewed and categorized in non-surgical and surgical. Botulinum toxin A (BTA) is a useful non-surgical management of strabismus in an active TED and residual deviation after strabismus surgery. Postoperative under-correction is relatively more common in TED-related esotropia. Lateral rectus resection and BTA are the options to manage the problem. Muscle rectus muscle resection should be performed after maximum recession of restricted muscles. It should be avoided on a restricted or enlarged muscle. Management of TED-related vertical deviation is challenging. In these cases, the surgical treatment selected depends on forced duction test (FDT) (pre and intraoperative), orbital imaging (which muscle is enlarged), and the amount of vertical deviation (in both down-gaze and primary position). Conclusions: TED-related strabismus needs careful evaluation and management to achieve optimal outcome. Different surgical and non-surgical options are available for intervention in TED-related strabismus.

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Purpose: To discuss the ocular manifestations provoked by novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease in humans, the natural history of the disease in the eye, and its treatment. Methods: We designed a narrative review of the ocular manifestations of COVID-19 based on the literature published till July 30, 2020. The databases were PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria were (1) all types of clinical studies and (2) the topic was COVID-19 and its association to the eye regarding the current guidelines. Results: From 168 abstracts screened, 61 papers fully filled the inclusion criteria after the full-text screening. The 61 records include 13 case reports, 17 prospective (case series or cross-sectional) studies, 8 retrospective studies, 12 literature reviews (one systematic review), and 11 letters to the editor. The majority of the papers agreed that ophthalmic manifestations due to COVID-19 were few and rarely encountered. The main ocular pathology seemed to be conjunctivitis, where the viral polymerase chain reaction also happened to be most detectable. Posterior segment or neuro-ophthalmic manifestations were scarce. Viral genome detection in the eye as well as viral portal of entry to the globe is still vague. Conclusion: The exact incidence of ocular manifestations in COVID-19 disease is uncertain. Conjunctivitis is the most prevalent ocular manifestation. It is still a debate whether the eye is a portal of entry for infection.

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