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Treatment of lagopthalmos can include both supportive care methods as well as surgical. If unable to receive surgery, artificial tears should be administered at least four times a day to the cornea to preserve the tear film. Leading up to a surgery, a patient can undergo a tarsorrhaphy which partially sews the eye shut temporarily to further protect the cornea as the patient waits for care. Multiple surgical treatments exist for Lagopthalmos but the most prevalent method includes weighing the upper eyelid down by surgically inserting a gold plate. Due to possible complications in conjunction with both the upper and lower eyelid, it might also be required to undergo a second surgery to tighten and elevate the lower eyelid to ensure both the upper and lower eyelids can fully close and protect the cornea.
A punctal plug may be inserted into the tear duct by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, decreasing the removal of natural tears from the affected eye.
The use of contact lenses may help prevent the abrasion during blinking lifting off the surface layer and uses thin lenses that are gas permeable to minimise reduced oxygenation. However they need to be used for between 8–26 weeks and such persistent use both incurs frequent follow-up visits and may increase the risk of infections.
Alternatively, under local anaesthetic, the corneal layer may be gently removed with a fine needle, cauterised (heat or laser) or 'spot welding' attempted (again with lasers). The procedures are not guaranteed to work, and in a minority may exacerbate the problem.
Anterior Stromal Puncture with a 20-25 gauge needle is an effective and simple treatment.
An option for minimally invasive and long-term effective therapy is laser phototherapeutic keratectomy. Laser PTK involves the surgical laser treatment of the cornea to selectively ablate cells on the surface layer of the cornea. It is thought that the natural regrowth of cells in the following days are better able to attach to the basement membrane to prevent recurrence of the condition. Laser PTK has been found to be most effective after epithelial debridement for the partial ablation of Bowman's lamella, which performed prior to PTK in the surgical procedure. This is meant to smoothen out the corneal area that the laser PTK will then treat. In some cases, small-spot PTK, which only treats certain areas of the cornea may also be an acceptable alternative.
With the eye generally profusely watering, the type of tears being produced have little adhesive property. Water or saline eye drops tend therefore to be ineffective. Rather a 'better quality' of tear is required with higher 'wetting ability' (i.e. greater amount of glycoproteins) and so artificial tears (e.g. viscotears) are applied frequently. Also recommended is Muro 128 5% Ointment (Sodium Chloride Hypertonicity Ophthalmic Ointment, 5%) which is a great relief overnight, it lasts longer than most regular tears and provides protection for those with severe cases.
Nocturnal Lagophthalmos (where one’s eyelids don’t close enough to cover the eye completely during sleep) may be an exacerbating factor, in which case using surgical tape to keep the eye closed at night can help.
Whilst individual episodes may settle within a few hours or days, additional episodes (as the name suggests) will recur at intervals.
Where episodes frequently occur, or there is an underlying disorder, one medical, or three types of surgical curative procedures may be attempted:
use of therapeutic contact lens, controlled puncturing of the surface layer of the eye (Anterior Stromal Puncture) and laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). These all essentially try to allow the surface epithelium to reestablish with normal binding to the underlying basement membrane, the method chosen depends upon the location & size of the erosion.
Some of the adverse outcomes associated with intra-operative injuries include:
- Increased length of stay. This is due to ophthalmology consults required, associated infections and treatment.
- Increased costs. This is due to increased length of stay, cost of treating the complications.
- Pain and discomfort for the patient. Corneal abrasions are extremely painful for the patient and the treatment consists of drops and ointments applied in the eye which may cause further discomfort for the patient.
Nocturnal lagophthalmos is the inability to close the eyelids during sleep. It may reduce the quality of sleep, cause exposure-related symptoms or, if severe, cause corneal damage (exposure keratopathy). The degree of lagophthalmos can be minor (obscure lagophthalmos), or quite obvious.
It is often caused by an anomaly of the eyelid that prevents full closure. Treatment may involve surgery to correct the malposition of the eyelid(s). Punctal plugs may be used to increase the amount of lubrication on the surface of the eyeball by blocking some of the tear drainage ducts. Eye drops may also be used to provide additional lubrication or encourage the eyes to increase tear production.
The condition is not widely understood; in at least one instance a passenger was removed from a US Airways flight because of it.
The most commonly employed method is to use tape or a general purpose adhesive dressing. Unfortunately the adhesive used on the tape or dressing will generally be inappropriate for this use. The adhesive strength may change when reaching body temperature, or over time.
As the operation progresses this can cause the adhesive to stop working and become gooey, allowing the eyelids to move apart, and leaving behind a sticky residue. This leaves the cornea exposed to epithelial drying and/or abrasions, sometimes caused by the tape that was originally applied to protect the cornea. Alternatively, the adhesive strength may increase, which upon removal can result in eyelid bruising, tears, or eyelash removal.
Rolls of tapes are often “laying around” the operating theatre or kept in health care workers' pockets.
Therefore, they can be a source of hospital-acquired infections (HAI's) such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) & Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), with a 2010 study showing that 50% of partially used tape rolls tested positive for MRSA, VRE or both.
Most tapes and dressings are non-transparent and so it is not possible to see if the patient’s eyes are opened or closed throughout the case. It is not uncommon for the eyelids to move open as the case progresses, even with adhesive tapes stuck onto them. In a practical sense, these medical tapes/dressings may be difficult to remove from a patient because their ends can become stuck flush with the skin. The possibility of tape removal causing trauma is also significantly increased in older people, people with sensitive skin, dermatitis, dehydration or side effects of medications.
As noted above, there have been several studies looking at the efficacy and safety of eye ointments/lubricants as adjuncts with tape or as a stand-alone management for intra-operative eye closure. Unfortunately many in common use have problems. Petroleum gel is flammable and is best avoided when electrocautery and open oxygen are to be used around the face. Preservative-free eye ointment is preferred, as preservative can cause corneal epithelial sloughing and conjunctival hyperemia.
They have been implicated in blurred vision in up to 75% of patients and they do not protect from direct trauma.
Specially made eyelid occlusion dressings are available commercially, such as EyeGard (manufactured in the USA by KMI Surgical and marketed by Sharn Anesthesia), EyePro (Andsco Medical Pty Ltd, Australia) and Anesthesia-Aid (Sperian Protection). These dressings overcome most of the problems associated with tape or general purpose dressings.
A symblepharon is a partial or complete adhesion of the palpebral conjunctiva of the eyelid to the bulbar conjunctiva of the eyeball. It results either from disease (conjunctival sequelae of trachoma) or trauma. Cicatricial pemphigoid and, in severe cases, rosacea may cause symblepharon. It is rarely congenital. and its treament
1 ocular movements restricted
2 diplopia
3 lagophthalmos
4 cosmetic cause
types.
Anterior, adhesion in Anterior part
Posterior, adhesion in only fornices
total, adhesion involves whole lens
Complications.
prophylaxis, 1 sweeping a glass rod around fornices several times a day
2 therapeutic soft contact lens
curative treatment t, 1 mobilising surrounding cornea, 2 conjunctival or buccal mucosa graft, 3 amniotic membrane transplant
Esophoria is an eye condition involving inward deviation of the eye, usually due to extra-ocular muscle imbalance. It is a type of heterophoria.
Causes include:
- Refractive errors
- Divergence insufficiency
- Convergence excess; this can be due to nerve, muscle, congenital or mechanical anomalies.
Unlike esotropia, fusion is possible and therefore diplopia is uncommon.
There are varying types of intervention for ankyloglossia. Horton "et al.," have a classical belief that people with ankyloglossia can compensate in their speech for limited tongue range of motion. For example, if the tip of the tongue is restricted for making sounds such as /n, t, d, l/, the tongue can compensate through dentalization; this is when the tongue tip moves forward and up. When producing /r/, elevation of the mandible can compensate for restriction of tongue movement. Also, compensations can be made for /s/ and /z/ by using the dorsum of the tongue for contact against the palatal rugae. Thus, Horton "et al." proposed compensatory strategies as a way to counteract the adverse effects of ankyloglossia and did not promote surgery. Non-surgical treatments for ankyglossia are typically performed by Orofacial Myology specialists, and involve using exercises to strengthen and improve the function of the facial muscles and thus promote proper function of the face, mouth and tongue
Intervention for ankyloglossia does sometimes include surgery in the form of frenotomy (also called a frenectomy or frenulectomy) or frenuloplasty. This relatively common dental procedure may be done with soft-tissue lasers, such as the CO laser. However, authors such as Horton "et al." are in opposition to it. According to Lalakea and Messner, surgery can be considered for patients of any age with a tight frenulum, as well as a history of speech, feeding, or mechanical/social difficulties. Adults with ankyloglossia may elect the procedure. Some of those who have done so report post-operative pain.
A viable alternative to surgery for children with ankyloglossia is to take a wait-and-see approach. Ruffoli "et al." report that the frenulum naturally recedes during the process of a child's growth between six months and six years of age;
Even though some patients undergo spontaneous remission of symptoms within a year, many need treatment. The first step is the regulation of thyroid hormone levels by a physician.
There is some published evidence that a total or sub-total thyroidectomy may assist in reducing levels of TSH receptor antibodies (TRAbs) and as a consequence reduce the eye symptoms, perhaps after a 12-month lag. However, a 2015 meta review found no such benefits, and there is some evidence that suggests that surgery is no better than medication; and there are risks associated with a Thyroidectomy, as there are with long-term use of anti-thyroid medication.
Topical lubrication of the ocular surface is used to avoid corneal damage caused by exposure. Tarsorrhaphy is an alternative option when the complications of ocular exposure can't be avoided solely with the drops.
Corticosteroids are efficient in reducing orbital inflammation, but the benefits cease after discontinuation. Corticosteroids treatment is also limited because of their many side effects. Radiotherapy is an alternative option to reduce acute orbital inflammation. However, there is still controversy surrounding its efficacy. A simple way of reducing inflammation is to stop smoking, as pro-inflammatory substances are found in cigarettes.
Surgery may be done to decompress the orbit, to improve the proptosis, and to address the strabismus causing diplopia. Surgery is performed once the patient's disease has been stable for at least six months. In severe cases, however, the surgery becomes urgent to prevent blindness from optic nerve compression. Because the eye socket is bone, there is nowhere for eye muscle swelling to be accommodated, and, as a result, the eye is pushed forward into a protruded position. In some patients, this is very pronounced. Orbital decompression involves removing some bone from the eye socket to open up one or more sinuses and so make space for the swollen tissue and allowing the eye to move back into normal position and also relieving compression of the optic nerve that can threaten sight.
Eyelid surgery is the most common surgery performed on Graves ophthalmopathy patients. Lid-lengthening surgeries can be done on upper and lower eyelid to correct the patient's appearance and the ocular surface exposure symptoms. Marginal myotomy of levator palpebrae muscle can reduce the palpebral fissure height by 2–3 mm. When there is a more severe upper lid retraction or exposure keratitis, marginal myotomy of levator palpebrae associated with lateral tarsal canthoplasty is recommended. This procedure can lower the upper eyelid by as much as 8 mm. Other approaches include müllerectomy (resection of the Müller muscle), eyelid spacer grafts, and recession of the lower eyelid retractors. Blepharoplasty can also be done to debulk the excess fat in the lower eyelid.
An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that treatment with selenium is effective in mild cases.
A large European study performed by the European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) has recently shown that the trace element selenium had a significant effect in patients with mild, active thyroid eye disease. Six months of selenium supplements had a beneficial effect on thyroid eye disease and were associated with improvement in the quality of life of participants. These positive effects persisted at 12 months. There were no side effects.
A summary of treatment recommendations was published in 2015 by an Italian taskforce, which largely supports the other studies.
Exophoria is a form of heterophoria in which there is a tendency of the eyes to deviate outward. During examination, when the eyes are dissociated, the visual axes will appear to diverge away from one another.
The axis deviation in exophoria is usually mild compared with that of exotropia.
In mechanical anisocoria, this is the result of damage to the iris dilator muscle, which may be caused by trauma, angle-closure glaucoma, surgery such as cataract removal, or uveitis (inflammation of the eye). Slit lamp examination is often used as a diagnostic aid: damage to the dilator muscle is indicated by anisocoria when light intensity is lowered.Anisocoria refers to a common eye condition in which the two pupils differ in size.
Anisocoria is a condition characterized by an unequal size of the eyes' pupils. Affecting 20% of the population, it can be an entirely harmless condition or a symptom of more serious medical problems.
Anisocoria is a common condition, defined by a difference of 0.4 mm or more between the sizes of the pupils of the eyes.
Anisocoria has various causes:
- Physiological anisocoria: About 20% of normal people have a slight difference in pupil size which is known as physiological anisocoria. In this condition, the difference between pupils is usually less than 1 mm.
- Horner's syndrome
- Mechanical anisocoria: Occasionally previous trauma, eye surgery, or inflammation (uveitis, angle closure glaucoma) can lead to adhesions between the iris and the lens.
- Adie tonic pupil: Tonic pupil is usually an isolated benign entity, presenting in young women. It may be associated with loss of deep tendon reflex (Adie's syndrome). Tonic pupil is characterized by delayed dilation of iris especially after near stimulus, segmental iris constriction, and sensitivity of pupil to a weak solution of pilocarpine.
- Oculomotor nerve palsy: Ischemia, intracranial aneurysm, demyelinating diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis), head trauma, and brain tumors are the most common causes of oculomotor nerve palsy in adults. In ischemic lesions of the oculomotor nerve, pupillary function is usually spared whereas in compressive lesions the pupil is involved.
- Pharmacological agents with anticholinergic or sympathomimetic properties will cause anisocoria, particularly if instilled in one eye. Some examples of pharmacological agents which may affect the pupils include pilocarpine, cocaine, tropicamide, MDMA, dextromethorphan, and ergolines. Alkaloids present in plants of the genera "Brugmansia" and "Datura", such as scopolamine, may also induce anisocoria.
- Migraines
If the symptoms are severe enough, treatment may be needed. These range from medical management over mechanical ventilation (both continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) to tracheal stenting and surgery.
Surgical techniques include aortopexy, tracheopexy, tracheobronchoplasty, and tracheostomy. The role of the nebulised recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) remains inconclusive.
Exophoria can be caused by several factors, which include:
- Refractive errors - distance and near deviation approximately equal.
- Divergence excess - exodeviation is more than 15 dioptres greater for distance than near deviation.
- Convergence insufficiency - near exodeviation greater than distance deviation.
These can be due to nerve, muscle, or congenital problems, or due to mechanical anomalies. Unlike exotropia, fusion is possible in this condition, causing diplopia to be uncommon.
Non-surgical therapies include:
- Shoe modifications: wearing shoes that have a wide toe box, and avoiding those with pointed toes or high heels.
- Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help in relieving the pain and inflammation.
- Injections of corticosteroid are commonly used to treat the inflammation.
- Bunionette pads placed over the affected area may help reduce pain.
- An ice pack may be applied to reduce pain and inflammation.
Surgery is often considered when pain continues for a long period with no improvement in these non-surgical therapies.
Floppy eyelid syndrome is a disease whose most prominent features often include floppy upper eyelids that can be easily everted, as well as papillary conjunctivitis. It is often associated with patients with high body mass index and obstructive sleep apnea.
Floppy eyelid syndrome is thought to revolve around the upregulation of elastin-degrading enzymes, as well as mechanical factors. These can cause instability of the eyelid scaffold, resulting in the malposition of the eyelid.
People generally require tracheostomy and lifetime mechanical ventilation on a ventilator in order to survive. However, it has now been shown that biphasic cuirass ventilation can effectively be used without the need for a tracheotomy. Other potential treatments for Ondine's curse include oxygen therapy and medicine for stimulating the respiratory system. Currently, problems arise with the extended use of ventilators, including fatal infections and pneumonia.
Most people with CCHS (unless they have the Late Onset form) do not survive infancy, unless they receive ventilatory assistance during sleep. An alternative to a mechanical ventilator is diaphragm pacing.
Management of ear pain depends on the underlying cause.Most cases of otitis media are self-limiting, resolving spontaneously without treatment within 3–5 days. Age-appropriate analgesics or a warm washcloth placed over the affected ear can help relieve pain until the infection has passed.In some cases ear pain has been treated successfully with manual therapy.
Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis is an ocular disease characterized by episodes of recurrent inflammation of the superior cornea and limbus, as well as of the superior tarsal and bulbar conjunctiva.
Even though the pathophysiology remains unclear, it is thought that mechanical trauma from tight upper lids or loose redundant conjunctiva could lead to the disruption of normal epithelium. This mechanical hypothesis is supported by the increased lid apposition of exophthalmic thyroid patients, who are known to have an increased incidence of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis.
Patients present with red eye, burning, tearing, foreign body sensation, mild photophobia. Inflammation and thickening of the conjunctiva is observed, especially at the limbus.Lubrication is an effective treatment for this pathology.
Treatment typically is supportive and includes monitoring and observation.
The primary medications for lung barotrauma are oxygen, oxygen-helium or nitrox, isotonic fluids, anti-inflammatory medications, decongestants, and analgesics.
Pulmonary barotrauma:
- Endotracheal intubation may be required if the airway is unstable or hypoxia persists when breathing 100% oxygen.
- Needle decompression or tube thoracostomy may be necessary to drain a pneumothorax or haemothorax
- Foley catheterization may be necessary for spinal cord AGE if the person is unable to urinate.
- Intravenous hydration may be required to maintain adequate blood pressure.
- Therapeutic recompression is indicated for severe AGE. The diving medical practitioner will need to know the vital signs and relevant symptoms, along with the recent pressure exposure and breathing gas history of the patient. Air transport should be below if possible, or in a pressurized aircraft which should be pressurised to as low an altitude as reaonably possible.
Sinus squeeze and middle ear squeeze are generally treated with decongestants to reduce the pressure differential, with anti-inflammatory medications to treat the pain. For severe pain, narcotic analgesics may be appropriate.
Suit, helmet and mask squeeze are treated as trauma according to symptoms and severity.
It is normally possible to establish the cause of ear pain based on the history. It is important to exclude cancer where appropriate, particularly with unilateral otalgia in an adult who uses tobacco or alcohol.Often migraines are caused by middle ear infections which can easily be treated with antibiotics. Often using a hot washcloth can temporarily relieve ear pain.