Medical Hypothesis, Discovery and Innovation Ophthalmology Journal
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Spring 2017

Here, we report on the prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis and positive skin prick test (SPT) results in relation to respiratory allergic conditions among patients with symptoms of allergies at a respiratory outpatient clinic. A questionnaire survey of symptoms (i.e., asthma-like, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis symptoms) involving 1522 patients was carried out. The responses of 1242 patients indicated that they had allergic conjunctivitis, asthma, rhinitis, or a combination of these conditions, and 869 of these patients underwent SPTs that assessed responses to 40 allergens.
Allergic conjunctivitis was found to be very common (40%, 497 out of 1242 patients) among those with symptoms of allergies. Conjunctivitis was slightly more common among women, while rhinitis was more common among men. Patients with both conjunctivitis and rhinitis were more likely to undergo SPTs, and they had a higher rate of positive SPTs. The coexistence of two or more comorbidities increased the risk of having an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy (based on the SPT results) compared to having each of the conditions alone. In conclusion, allergic conjunctivitis can occur either alone or with asthma and/or rhinitis. It is not always accompanied by rhinitis, but the coexistence of these conditions was the strongest indicator of IgE-mediated allergies.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of death due to cancer. We do not have effective tools for the early detection of lung cancer, so patients are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. However, novel therapies based on molecular pathways (such as those involving the epidermal growth factor receptor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS, c-Met proto-oncogene protein, and RET proto-oncogene protein) are now commonly used in the treatment of lung cancer. In particular, these therapies are considered as first-line treatments for non-small-cell lung cancer. This manuscript outlines previous research on these targeted treatments, focusing on whether they are effective against eye metastasis.

Despite being a posterior segment ocular surgery, pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) may also affect anterior segment parameters. We aimed to investigate anterior segment alterations following PPV using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) to visualize the structural anatomy of the eye.
In this study, we enrolled phakic patients undergoing PPV (as the sole procedure). The anterior chamber depth, crystalline lens anterior-posterior (AP) diameter, anterior chamber angle, ciliary body dimensions, and integrity of the ciliary zonules and posterior capsule were assessed using UBM before and at least 3 months after PPV. Seven eyes from seven patients were included in the study. The indications for PPV were rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (57%), epiretinal membrane (29%), and macular hole (14%). The mean age of the patients was 57.86 ± 6.56 years, and they were followed up for a mean of 131.57 ± 29.99 days.
The crystalline lens AP diameter was the only parameter that changed significantly following PPV (p = 0.042). Thus, increases in the crystalline lens AP diameter, without significant changes in the anterior chamber depth, can be expected after PPV due to the development of nuclear sclerotic cataracts.

Among the numerous contributions by the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) to the improvement of ophthalmology in Latin America, it has played an invaluable role in the development of the retina and vitreous subspecialty in the region.
The quality of the research published in Latin America demonstrates the development of the retina subspecialty at this region and also the worldwide collaboration pioneered by PAAO and the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group (PACORES).
We would suggest further academic relationship at the regional as well as international levels as well as funding research institutes to assist retinal researchers in the region since it is generally thought that there is frequently a lack of government funding at all levels, from patient education to support for health teams to tertiary health care centers.