Purpose This study intends to add to previous reports on acute corneal graft rejection following anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 vaccination, providing data to corroborate a possible causative relationship between anti-COVID-19 immunization and corneal graft rejection, regardless of vaccine or graft type. Methods and Results This report describes 4 cases of acute-onset rejection as early as 5 days following the first dose of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 vaccine types not yet referred for corneal allograft. Patients were individually given the Moderna messenger RNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine (2 patients) and the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, AZD1222 (2 patients). Conclusions Even though a direct causative effect is hard to prove, temporal proximity between anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 vaccines of different types and consecutive reports of corneal graft rejection indicates the need for further investigation. Consistent advice must be given to corneal transplant patients regarding such risk.

Purpose To report the clinical course of a typical young patient presenting with asymmetric keratoconus (KC), that demonstrates that stabilization of the ectatic process is possible without cross-linking (CXL) procedure. Methods Case report and review of the literature. Results A 17-year-old male patient was referred due to the diagnosis of keratoconus. Patient complained of loss of vision in the left eye (OS). Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/25+ in the right eye (OD) and 20/80 in the left eye; wavefront-assisted manifest refraction gave best corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/20 in OD and 20/40 in OS. The diagnosis of keratoconus was confirmed with Placido disk-based topography (Oculus Keratograph 4), and Pentacam HR corneal tomography (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany). Femtosecond laser-assisted intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation was performed in the left eye and treatment for allergy was prescribed for both eyes, along with patient education and advice not to rub the eyes. After 3 months, significant improvement was observed on UDVA (20/30) and CDVA (20/20) in the left eye. Topometric and tomographic stability of ectasia was observed in the right eye in a 4-year follow-up. Conclusion Intracorneal ring segment caused significant regularization of the corneal shape and improvement on visual acuity. Ectasia stability was achieved with no need for CXL, despite the patient's young age. This case raises the point that the indication of CXL for every keratoconic patient should be reconsidered. How to cite this article de Oliveira Corrêa R, Canedo ALC, Beildeck R, Salomão MQ, de Politis PB, Ambrósio R Jr. Longterm Stability of Ectasia in a Young Patient with Asymmetric Keratoconus. Int J Kerat Ect Cor Dis 2015;4(2):66-68.

One of the restrictive measures of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic control is the prohibition of accompanied clinic visits. The specific features of ophthalmological patients imply different degrees of dependency that directly affect their response to such measures. This study aims to assess the effects of unaccompanied medical appointments on outpatients’ stress levels and their retention of medical advice. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted at a large ophthalmic clinic in northern Greece during September 2020. Suitable subjects were asked to self-administer a 7-item questionnaire addressing their subjective perception of stress and their ability to fully understand and remember their doctor's instructions, given the fact that they would be alone during the consultation. The analysis was based on 200 patients who completed the survey. Sixty-three patients (31.5%) reported that unaccompanied clinic visits increased their stress, with a median value of 7.5 (mean 6.77 ± .2.7) on a scale from 1 to 10. A large number of the patients (30%) claimed it was difficult to remember the doctor's comments or instructions, and 24.6% indicated that they would not fully understand them if they were to attend the clinic unaccompanied. A marked impact on women and on the elderly (up to threefold) over 70 years of age was identified. This is the first study specifically addressing practical repercussions of unaccompanied clinic visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. A negative effect on patients’ emotional status and on counseling effectiveness was demonstrated. Female gender and advanced age were found to be determinants of the highest vulnerability.

Die traumainduzierte korneale Ektasie (engl. trauma-induced corneal ectasia, kurz: TICE) ist durch eine progressive pathologische Ausdehnung und Ausweitung der Hornhaut charakterisiert, die nach einem physischen Trauma der Hornhaut auftritt. Die TICE ist sehr selten und nur wenige Fälle sind in der Literatur bislang beschrieben worden, wobei die traumatische Genese in diesen Kasuistiken ausschließlich auf Verkehrsunfälle mit konsekutiver Airbagauslösung zurückgeführt wird [1 -3]. Hier präsentieren wir erstmalig die Entwicklung einer einseitigen Keratektasie nach okularem Trauma, das in der Kindheit stattgefunden hat und einen unilateralen Keratokonus vortäuscht.