PurposeTo determine whether topical tacrolimus might prove effective in the treatment of refractory anterior segment inflammatory diseases, and to evaluate its efficacy in eyes with ocular graft versus host disease (GVHD), and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).MethodsTwenty-eight eyes of 14 patients with anterior segment inflammation refractory to steroid treatment were treated with 0.03% tacrolimus ointment at the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea from March 2008 through August 2009. Seven patients had ocular GVHD and seven had VKC. We evaluated the conjunctival and corneal inflammatory change at one, two, four, and eight weeks after treatment with a scoring system. Time to initial response of treatment and therapeutic effect between GVHD and VKC was also analyzed. After the eight-week treatment period, patients were divided into two groups (maintenance group and discontinuance group). Eight patients maintained the treatment for an additional four months, and six patients discontinued the treatments. Therapeutic effect was also compared between the groups at eight weeks and six months after treatment.ResultsThe mean conjunctival and corneal inflammation score was reduced significantly at eight weeks after treatment (p < 0.0001). The therapeutic effect in conjunctival inflammation was first noted at week two after the initial treatment (p = 0.002); reduction in corneal inflammation was first noted at one week (p = 0.0009). When compared according to diagnosis, no therapeutic difference was detected between the groups (p > 0.05). Six months after treatment, we noted no therapeutic differences between the maintenance group and discontinuance group (p > 0.05).Conclusions0.03% tacrolimus ointment was safe and effective for use in anterior segment inflammatory disease refractory to steroid.

Purpose: To investigate the error tendency between preoperative expected refraction and postoperative manifest refraction based on anterior chamber depth (ACD) and axial length (AXL) in cataract surgery cases and to report how ACD and AXL affect determination of intraocular lens (IOL) power. Methods: We retrospectively studied 82 eyes of 62 patients who underwent cataract surgery in our hospital between August 2008 and January 2009. Anterior chamber depth and AXL were measured using IOL Master Ⓡ , and IOL power was calculated using the SRK II and SRK/T formulae. Patients were divided into three groups based on ACD and into another three based on AXL. Refractive error (RE) was analyzed one month after surgery. Results: Though the RE of each group showed a tendency for hyperopic shifts, only those obtained with the SRK/T formula showed statistically significant differences between groups (p＜0.05). Using the SRK/T formula, we found that an increasing AXL was associated with an increased hyperopic shift. This was more pronounced in those with shallow ACD (<2.5 mm), though the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, an increase in ACD was associated with an increased hyperopic shift, and this difference was more pronounced in those with short AXL (＜22.5 mm), and this time the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: As ACD and AXL significantly affect RE, both should be considered when investigating postoperative RE tendency and when determining IOL power. Postoperative RE will be greatly affected by a short AXL or a shallow ACD, and therefore these factors should be considered in IOL power determination.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intravitreal gatifloxacin with intravitreal vancomycin in the treatment of Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis in a rabbit model. Methods: Albino rabbits (n=30), infected with an intravitreal inoculum of S. epidermidis (10 5 colony forming unit/0.1 mL), were divided into 6 groups (n=5). Groups I and IV received 200 µg/0.1 mL of intravitreal gatifloxacin, and groups II and V were injected 1000 µg/0.1 mL of vancomycin intravitreally. Intravitreal balanced salt solutions (untreated control) were given to Groups III and VI. Intravitreal antibiotic therapy commenced 24 hours after bacterial inoculation. The bactericidal efficacy was determined by electroretinography (ERG), clinical grading, bacterial culture of vitreous aspirates and histopathologic grading. ERGs and clinical gradings were performed only for groups I, II, and III and bacterial cultures were done only for groups IV, V, and VI. Results: Eyes in the gatifloxacin groups showed similar appearance to those in the vancomycin treated groups clinically, histologically, and functionally as proved with ERG. All aspirates from the gatifloxacin and vancomycin groups were culture-negative at 5 days after bacterial inoculation, whereas all eyes in the untreated control group were culture-positive. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that intravitreal injection of 200 µg /0.1mL gatifloxacin appeared to be equally effective compared to intravitreal 1000 µg /0.1 mL vancomycin in the treatment of S. epidermidis endophthalmitis. If proven safe and efficacious after further study in humans, intravitreal injection of gatifloxacin could be considered an effective alternative to vancomycin for the treatment of S. epidermidis endophthalmitis.

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