Objectives: To evaluate the risk factors, causative microorganisms, and presenting features of infection in patients with contact lens–associated microbial keratitis (CLAMK) admitted to a tertiary referral center in Turkey. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of 62 patients who were diagnosed as CLAMK in our clinic between 2012 and 2018 was conducted. Results: The mean age of the patients (22 men and 40 women) at the time of diagnosis was 24.5±8.3 years (range, 16–48). The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.7±0.9 log of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) (0–3) before treatment and increased to 0.1±0.1 logMAR (0–0.4) at the end of the follow-up. All patients, except one using rigid gas-permeable CL, were frequent replacement soft CL users. Thirty-one (50%) patients declared overnight wear, and 37 (58.9%) patients declared showering or swimming in CLs regularly. Cultures of either corneal scrapings or CL materials were positive in 40 (64.5%) eyes, 12 (19.4%) of which had mixed infections. Thirteen strains of microorganisms were demonstrated, among which there were seven (53.8%) gram-negative bacteria, one (7.7%) gram-positive bacteria, four (30.7%) fungi, and Acanthamoeba (7.7%). The most common pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by Serratia marcescens and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. According to culture results, P. aeruginosa infections were associated with significantly worse BCVA. Keratitis foci were either centrally or paracentrally located in 39 (62.9%) eyes, and 16 eyes (25.8%) presented with hypopyon. Conclusion: Along with growing number of CL users, CLAMK constitutes an important problem with possibly worse visual outcomes. Thus, in addition to meticulous treatment, management of risk factors and behavioral modifications is crucial.

Non‐arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy is the most common optic neuropathy of the elderly, characterised by unilateral, sudden, painless visual loss. No effective treatment has been proven to reverse or limit the course of this disease. We evaluated the role of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection in eyes with non‐arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Four eyes of four patients with acute NAION received a single intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (4 mg). The time between visual loss and intravitreal injection varied between four and 10 days. Mean age of patients was 57.25 years (range, 44 to 77 years). All patients experienced some visual gain. No complications related to the injection were observed during the following three months. Intravitreal triamcinolone injection may offer help in limiting the damage in this small group of patients with a relatively short history of visual loss due to NAION.

ABCG2-dependent dye exclusion undergoes a large expansion in explant culture and becomes associated with a high CFE. The transport increase is more pronounced at late outgrowth times, suggesting permanence of stem cells within the explant.

Purpose: To report the efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa and bilateral cystoid macular edema unresponsive to topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Case Report: A 36-year-old man with bilateral cystoid macular edema associated with retinitis pigmentosa that was unresponsive to topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors underwent bilateral 0.7-mg intravitreal dexamethasone implants two weeks apart. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography revealed resolution of macular edema one week following each injection in both eyes and his visual acuity improved. However, macular edema recurred two months later in OS and three months later in OD. Second implant was considered for both eyes. No implant-related complication was experienced during the follow-up of seven months. Conclusion: Inflammatory process seems to play a role in retinitis pigmentosa. Intravitreal dexamethasone implant may offer retina specialists a therapeutic option especially in cases unresponsive to other treatment regimens in eyes with retinitis pigmentosa-related macular edema.

The cornea is the outermost tissue of the eye and it must be transparent for the maintenance of good visual function. The superficial epithelium of the cornea, which is renewed continuously by corneal stem cells, plays a critical role in the permanence of this transparency. These stem cells are localized at the cornea-conjunctival transition zone, referred to as the limbus. When this zone is affected/destroyed, limbal stem cell deficiency ensues. Loss of limbal stem cell function allows colonization of the corneal surface by conjunctival epithelium. Over 6 million people worldwide are affected by corneal blindness, and limbal stem cell deficiency is one of the main causes. Fortunately, it is becoming possible to recover vision by autologous transplantation of limbal cells obtained from the contralateral eye in unilateral cases. Due to the potential risks to the donor eye, only a small amount of tissue can be obtained, in which only 1-2% of the limbal epithelial cells are actually limbal stem cells. Vigorous attempts are being made to expand limbal stem cells in culture to preserve or even enrich the stem cell population. Ex vivo expanded limbal stem cell treatment in limbal stem cell deficiency was first reported in 1997. In the 20 years since, various protocols have been developed for the cultivation of limbal epithelial cells. It is still not clear which method promotes effective stem cell viability and this remains a subject of ongoing research. The most preferred technique for limbal cell culture is the explant culture model. In this approach, a small donor eye limbal biopsy is placed as an explant onto a biocompatible substrate (preferably human amniotic membrane) for expansion. The outgrowth (cultivated limbal epithelial cells) is then surgically transferred to the recipient eye.Due to changing regulations concerning cell-based therapy, the implementation of cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice using xenobiotic-free systems is becoming widely accepted both in Turkey and worldwide.