To investigate the success and failure rates of scleral lens correction in severe keratoconus. Retrospective case series. Study population comprised patients with keratoconus who attended the keratoconus clinic at the Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. The included eyes had maximal keratometry values ≥ 70 diopters, as measured using the sagittal curvature map that was obtained by Scheimpflug tomography. The exclusion criteria included amblyopia, mental retardation, and concomitant ocular disease that limited their visual potential. Scleral lens fitting was proposed for the 75 eyes included in the study. Eight eyes underwent transplant surgery because of insufficient visual acuity with the lenses, lens intolerance, and issues with handling the lenses. Twelve eyes did not have lenses fitted because of good visual acuity in the other eye or a contraindication for lens wear. Three eyes were successfully fitted with corneal or hybrid lens wear. Scleral lenses were prescribed in 51 of 75 eyes. The mean gain in visual acuity (lens vs spectacle-corrected visual acuity) was 0.54 ± 0.18 (decimal fraction, Snellen eye chart). Seven eyes were lost to follow-up, 4 eyes abandoned wearing the scleral lens because of an inability to handle the lenses, and 40 eyes wore the lenses at their last follow-up visit, with a mean follow-up interval of 30.15 ± 12.83 months. Forty of the 51 eyes with severe keratoconus that would otherwise have undergone transplant surgery were successfully treated with long-term scleral lens wear. In this way, the indication for keratoplasty was more than halved in our keratoconus population.

Purpose: Rubella virus (RV) has a central role in the etiopathogenesis of Fuchs’ uveitis syndrome (FUS). We aim to offer new insights by comprehensive analysis of recent laboratory and epidemiologic data. Methods: We conducted a literature search for laboratory data and papers on etiopathogenesis. Results: Aqueous humour samples of FUS patients show immunoreactivity to RV, in a specific and sensitive manner. Identification of RV genome confirm intraocular infection in a subset of FUS patients. Epidemiologic findings further support causality. The clinical spectrum of RV-associated uveitis is similar but not identical to FUS. FUS eyes exhibit a predominance of CD8 + T cells, high IFN-? and IL-10 levels. Conclusions: RV is the leading cause of FUS. Cytokine-based findings mirror a viral etiology and chronic low-grade inflammation. RV-associated FUS represents a common pathway of intraocular RV inoculation after congenital or acquired infection. Other causes, including HSV and CMV, may lead to FUS.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of mini-scleral lenses on visual acuity (VA) and visual functioning in patients with keratoconus. Methods: This prospective, interventional study examined the effects of mini-scleral lenses on VA and visual functioning in patients with keratoconus. Patients younger than 18 years or with a history of refractive surgery or corneal graft surgery were excluded. Patients were fitted with mini-Misa lenses, Senso mini-scleral lenses, or Zenlens mini-scleral lenses. Outcome measures were scleral lens–corrected VA and vision-related quality of life as assessed with the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-39). Results: Eighty-nine eyes of 50 keratoconus patients were included in the study. Median baseline logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution VA with habitual correction was 0.22 (range 0.02–1.04). Mini-scleral lens fitting resulted in a statistically significant visual improvement (median 0; P < 0.0001). At the 6-month follow-up, 11 patients (22%) had abandoned mini-scleral lens wear, primarily because of difficulties with lens handling (7 patients). Of the 39 patients with continued wear, 33 patients (84.6%) wore their lenses for a daily average of 12 hours. NEI-VFQ scoring in these patients showed significantly improved results for both visual functioning and socioemotional scales after scleral lens fitting (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Mini-scleral lenses significantly improve VA and visual functioning on NEI-VFQ in patients with keratoconus. Difficulties with lens insertion and removal are the principal reason for lens dropout.