Subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab immediately after surgical excision of primary pterygium is well-tolerated, but it cannot significantly prevent the recurrence of this condition.

Pterygium is a common ocular lesion whose exact etiology is a point of contention. Chronic inflammation and angiogenesis are two major proposed mechanisms of the disease in the current literature. The objective of this study is to examine these two mechanisms in a very well-designed setting. In a case-control study, 24 tissue specimens from the patients with primary moderate pterygium (cases) and 15 specimens excised from the nasal bulbar region in healthy counterparts (controls) were compared in terms of the count of mast cells (inflammation), as well as the status of Cd31/vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression (angiogenesis) in Tabriz Nikookari and Sina Teaching Hospitals. The case (mean age: 58.08 +/- 10.03 years, 84% males) and control (Mean age: 62.33 +/- 9.19 years, 80% males) groups were age-and sex-matched (p = 0.19, 0.75, respectively). The mean mast cell count was significantly higher in the case group (27.72 +/- 15.19 versus 12.00 +/- 7.09 cells mm(-2), p = 0.001). The study of immunoreactivity revealed that the positive expression (moderate-severe) of CD31 was significantly more frequent in the case group (88 versus 26.7%; p<0.001; Odds ratio = 20, 95% confidence interval 3.85-100). There was also higher rate of VEGF-positive (moderate-severe) cells in the group with pterygium (88 versus 20%; p<0.001; Odds ratio= 33.3, 95% confidence interval 5.00-100). This study indicates that both inflammation and angiogenesis play pivotal role, in parallel, in pathogenesis of pterygium.

BackgroundCorneal ulcers often lead to scarring and astigmatism, and significant loss of vision is a common consequence.ObjectiveTo determine the rate of graft rejection, one of the most serious concerns with this procedure, and to evaluate the recovery of visual function in those patients for whom the operation was successful.MethodsWe describe a retrospective study of 33 corneal ulcer patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty (PK) at the Tabriz Nikookari Eye Hospital.ResultsMean age of the patients was 44 ± 14 years. Most common risk factors for active keratitis were trauma, dry eye, and malnutrition. Culture-positive results included bacterial keratitis (n = 15) and fungal keratitis (n = 5). Perforation was a significant risk factor for therapeutic failure (P < 0.05). Age or gender had no statistically significant effects on the PK outcome (P > 0.05). Postoperative visual acuity had a significant association with preoperative visual acuity (P < 0.01). Graft rejection rate (27.2%) was similar to that reported in the literature.ConclusionAlthough lamellar keratoplasty has recently been established, there are practical reasons for continuing the use of PK in centers such as ours, with due attention to the requirement for topical immunosuppression to diminish the rate of graft rejection and antimicrobial treatment to prevent postoperative infection.

Structural ocular abnormalities are frequently found in patients with long-term history of mustard gas intoxication. These abnormalities are more common in severe respiratory system involvement.

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