Life (Basel)
August 2025
There is growing interest in the application of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitors (ROCKI) to the treatment of corneal diseases. ROCK is a key regulator of several cellular processes in the cornea, including cytoskeletal organization, cell proliferation, migration, inflammation, and wound healing. ROCKI, such as ripasudil and netarsudil, enhances endothelial cell migration, and promotes repair in conditions characterized by endothelial dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate the imaging, clinical, and tear proteomic profiles between neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and dry eye disease (DED), and to identify potential imaging and molecular biomarkers for the differentiation of NCP from DED.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 54 NCP patients (105 eyes), 53 DED patients (106 eyes), and 54 healthy controls (108 eyes). All subjects were evaluated with ocular surface assessment, ocular pain assessment survey (OPAS), and in-vivo confocal microscopy to characterize corneal nerves, microneuromas (MNs), immune cells, and epithelial cells.
Importance: Anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) has broad clinical and research utility. The utility of quantitative data derived from AS-OCT is, however, dependent on the quality and consistency of the cumulative evidence base.
Objective: To develop consensus-based nomenclature that supports standardized reporting of AS-OCT image acquisition and analyses as a foundation to improve research reproducibility.
Purpose: To identify areas of consensus among global experts for the management of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) in clinical practice, including its diagnosis, evaluation, decision-making principles with respect to intervention, and recommendations for performing cataract surgery in patients with FECD, including when to combine with keratoplasty.
Design: Modified Delphi-based global consensus.
Participants: Thirty-seven ophthalmologists from around the world with significant expertise in the management and mechanisms of FECD.
Purpose: To evaluate changes in corneal densitometry and optical aberrations using Scheimpflug imaging in early Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and to assess their association with CTG trinucleotide repeat expansion.
Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.
Subjects: Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy eyes diagnosed between 2018 and 2022 were included.
Human corneal endothelial cell therapy has recently emerged as a novel solution to treat corneal endothelial diseases. We previously demonstrated the potential of utilizing non-cultured primary corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs) isolated from donor corneas with low endothelial cell density for simple non-cultured endothelial cell injection (SNEC-I) therapy. This study aimed to develop a robust and semi-automated approach for cell counting, characterize the extent of cellular manipulation, and evaluate the translational workflow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor many corneal diseases, transplantation is the gold standard for curative treatment and restoration of vision. Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), performed by Zirm in 1905, was the first successful corneal transplantation procedure. Since then, relentless advancement in the field has occurred, most importantly with the development of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), which have been rapidly increasing in usage and are poised to take over PKP in prevalence and effectiveness in treating specific stromal and endothelial pathologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery was developed in 2008 as an extension of the femtosecond lenticule extraction procedure. Over the years, SMILE has become a highly popular laser refractive surgery offering a minimally invasive alternative to LASIK for correcting myopia and myopic astigmatism. Despite its benefits such as a flapless femtosecond laser procedure with reduced corneal nerve disruption, the procedure's relative novelty necessitates standardization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report provides an evidence-based review of current strategies to manage dry eye disease (DED). First-line management focuses on methods to replenish, conserve and stimulate the tear film, with an emphasis on ocular supplements, which remain the cornerstone of DED treatment. Meibomian gland dysfunction, a primary contributor to DED, is typically treated with warm compresses and a wide variety of in-office treatments, including device-driven technologies to warm the eyelids, intense pulsed light therapy, low-level light therapy and other new and emerging technologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The early detection of conjunctival fornix shortening is essential for the effective management of progressive cicatrising conjunctival diseases. Establishing a baseline reference for conjunctival scarring by determining the normative conjunctival fornix depths (FDs) allows for the measurement and monitoring of changes in the conjunctiva. This study explored anatomical variations in conjunctival FDs amongst an Asian Chinese population, providing valuable information for conjunctival fibrosis assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We aim to study the structure of collagen in cicatrizing conjunctivitis (CC), a disease with significant morbidity, to find sensitive and quantitative measures of severity of scarring as current progression of conjunctival scarring is reliant only on clinical assessment.
Methods: We used two-photon excitation and second harmonic generation to scan conjunctival tissues from patients with CC from Stevens-Johnson syndrome and its relation to disease severity by correlation with a validated clinical severity assessment tool. Collagen morphometry in region of interest was analyzed with FibroIndex software (HistoIndex Pte Ltd.
Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) is a corneal endothelial disease that causes microenvironment alterations and endothelial cell loss, which leads to vision impairment. It has a high global prevalence, especially in elderly populations. FECD is also one of the leading indications of corneal transplantation globally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report the long-term recurrence and complication rates after femtosecond laser-assisted pterygium excision surgery (FLAPS) with conjunctival autograft surgery.
Methods: Single-center retrospective study of consecutive cases of primary nasal and/or temporal pterygia who underwent primary pterygium excision surgery with femtosecond laser-assisted conjunctival autograft. All subjects underwent manual pterygium excision, followed by femtosecond laser (Femto LDV Z8)-assisted conjunctival autograft surgery and with follow-up duration up to 5 years.
Eye Vis (Lond)
April 2025
Background: To investigate and compare the corneal denervation, tear neuromediators, and ocular surface changes following corneal lenticule extraction for advanced refractive correction (CLEAR) versus small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).
Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 19 patients were randomized to undergo CLEAR in one eye and SMILE in the other eye. Ocular surface assessments, in vivo confocal microscopy for seven corneal nerve parameters, four corneal dendritic cell parameters, three corneal epithelial parameters, and tear neuromediator analysis were performed preoperatively and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.
ACS Appl Bio Mater
March 2025
Corneal lenticules can be deposited and retrieved for vision-restoring surgeries. Extended transportation logistical delays from the lenticule bank to the clinic could be a concern. To investigate this, corneal lenticules were cryopreserved at a Ministry of Health of Singapore-licensed lenticule bank for 1 year and were then transported at 4 °C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cataract Refract Surg
March 2025
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
February 2025
Purpose: Donor tissue shortfalls and postsurgical complications are driving novel corneal tissue regeneration approaches. Corneal stromal keratocytes (CSKs) have shown promise in promoting corneal repair and restoring transparency. We investigated the impact of intrastromal CSK injection on corneal ultrastructure and proteoglycan (PG) distribution in a rat injury model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Med (Lausanne)
January 2025
Aim: To analyze the clinical outcomes of repeat keratoplasties following a failed primary optical keratoplasty in an Asian population.
Methods: In this prospective cohort study, clinical data of consecutive patients who had repeat keratoplasty at Singapore National Eye Centre from 2007 to 2020 were recorded from our ongoing Singapore Corneal Transplant Registry.
Results: A total of 284 first regrafts (181 Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (EK), 63 penetrating keratoplasty (PK), 21 Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty, and 19 deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK)) were analyzed.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
February 2025
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine anatomic relationships between Descemet's membrane (DM) and neighboring tissues.
Methods: Human eyes enucleated due to malignant uveal melanoma were histomorphometrically examined.
Results: In all 50 eyes included in the study (age = 59.