Purpose: To assess the prevalence, associated conditions, diagnostic and treatment modalities, and provider education regarding the diagnosis and management of keratoconus (KCN) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) based on the currently available body of literature. Methods: Peer-reviewed publications from any year and any language were included. The databases included Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, and Ovid. A separate search of African Journals Online was conducted using the same Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms as the database search. Additional publications were identified in the references during full-text extraction. The abstracts of all publications were evaluated by two reviewers. The full text was then examined by one reviewer for inclusion. A data extraction tool was used by a single reviewer to document the findings. Results: Sixty-two publications were included in data extraction. Fourteen countries in SSA were represented. Prevalence was reported in eight SSA countries and ranged from 0% to 2.8%. The highest prevalence of 1.2% was found in a cross-sectional study in Banjul, Gambia. Diagnosis in urban areas is often made using slit lamps, although some sites had access to keratometry and/or topography, whereas rural areas use penlight exams alone. Penetrating keratoplasty was reported as an available treatment in 14 manuscripts, glasses and hard contact lenses in 10, and corneal cross-linking in two. Publications discussing provider education reported a knowledge gap. Conclusions: There is a need for increased data on KCN in SSA to better inform public health policy to improve KCN patients’ access to care and quality of life.
The effect of patient age on some new and older IOL power calculation formulas
AbstractPurposeTo assess the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in different age groups using various IOL calculation formulas.MethodsData from 421 eyes of 421 patients ≥60 years old (ages: 60–69, n = 131; 70–74, n = 105; 75–84, n = 158 and ≥85, n = 27), who underwent uneventful cataract surgery with SN60WF IOL implantation at John A. Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, USA, were retrospectively obtained. The SD of the prediction error (PE), median and mean absolute PEs and the percentage of eyes within ±0.25, ±0.50, ±0.75 and ±1.00 D were calculated after constant optimizations for the following formulas: Barrett Universal II (BUII), Emmetropia Verifying Optical (EVO) 2.0, Haigis, Hoffer Q, Hoffer QST, Holladay 1, Kane, Radial Basis Function (RBF) 3.0 and SRK/T. Results were compared between the different age groups.ResultsPredictability rates within 0.25D were lower for the eldest age group compared with the other groups using the EVO 2.0 (33% vs. 37%–53%, p = 0.045), Kane (26% vs. 35%–50%, p = 0.034) and SRK/T (22% vs. 31%–49%, p = 0.002). Higher median absolute refractive errors for all formulas were observed in the oldest group [range: 0.39 D (Haigis, Hoffer QSR)–0.48 D (Kane)], followed by the youngest group [range: 0.30 D (RBF 3.0)–0.39 D (Holladay 1, SRK/T)] but did not reach statistical significance. No significant differences between the groups in the distribution parameter were seen.ConclusionCurrent IOL power calculation formulas may have variable accuracy for different age groups. This should be taken into account when planning cataract surgery to improve refractive outcomes.
Geographic Representation of Authorship in Ophthalmic Research from Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Purpose: The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of graft fixation using interrupted, full-thickness sutures on graft detachment after Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK). Methods: All DSEK procedures performed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, from 2015 through 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Risk factors for graft detachment were defined as previous incisional glaucoma surgery, previous penetrating keratoplasty, or absence of the normal lens–capsule barrier. Cases were categorized into sutured, high-risk grafts; unsutured, high-risk grafts; and unsutured, low-risk grafts. The primary outcome was graft detachment, and secondary outcomes were early graft failure and graft clarity at 12 months after surgery. Results: Demographics between the high-risk groups were similar for sex and age at the time of surgery. Graft detachment occurred in 4 of 97 sutured, high-risk eyes (4.1%) and 24 of 119 unsutured high-risk eyes (20.2%) (P = 0.002). In comparison, graft detachment occurred in 18 of 181 unsutured low-risk eyes (9.9%). The incidence of early graft failure was 2.1%, 5.0%, and 3.3% and late graft failure by 12 months was 9.8%, 12.8%, and 4.2%, respectively. Conclusions: In eyes with high-risk factors for graft detachment, suture fixation of the graft in DSEK decreased graft detachment to a rate at least as low as that in low-risk eyes.