Week in review: Endophthalmitis linked to pandemic mask wearing, quality of life in children with glaucoma, ocular manifestations of IBD

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Increases in postsurgical endophthalmitis may be linked to pandemic mask wearing. A Japanese retrospective study assessed the effects of COVID-19 pandemic–related mask wearing on endophthalmitis rates following vitrectomy or cataract surgery. Researchers noted significantly higher postsurgical endophthalmitis rates in the COVID-masking period (July 2020 to June 2021) than in the pre-pandemic period (January to December 2019), with an even greater incidence in the vitrectomy-alone group (OR 3.05). Interestingly, among the identified pathogens, Staphylococcus lugdonensis was seen only during the COVID-masking period. British Journal of Ophthalmology

Children with glaucoma have reduced quality of life as they age. Australian researchers conducted a qualitative survey of 18 children with glaucoma aged 8–18 years to assess overall quality of life (QOL). General themes that emerged from the survey included dealing with day-to-day symptoms, the inconveniences surrounding care and treatment, coping strategies, negative emotional experiences, concerns about long-term eye health, social well-being, and the desire for autonomy. Based on the data, the authors hypothesized that QOL may decrease as patients get older (moving from childhood to adolescence and young adulthood), and that “social and ophthalmic interventions may be required to support a child as they transition into adulthood and achieve medical autonomy.” BMJ Open

How prevalent are ocular manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease? More prevalent than in the general population but still relatively rare, according to results from a French retrospective study of patients seen for inflammatory disease (IBD) at a single hospital between 2013 and 2020. Of the 1432 patients with IBD who were assessed, 87 had an ophthalmologic outpatient visit and 53 (3.7%) had an ocular extra-intestinal manifestation (EIM) or an iatrogenic effect of IBD treatment, most commonly redness, visual loss, and/or pain. No specific risk factors for ocular EIM development were identified. Journal of Clinical Medicine