• A once-rare pathogen may be more prevalent than initially believed in cases of fungal keratitis, reports new research published online in Cornea.¹ Researchers identified 47 of 1,542 culture-proven cases of keratomycosis as being caused by Exserohilum, which is generally associated with paranasal sinus, skin and subcutaneous infections. 

“To our knowledge, this is the largest case series so far on keratitis caused by Exserohilum,” the researchers say. Patients in hot and humid areas appear to be most at risk, and further research is necessary to identify the best treatment protocols.

1. Rathi H, Venugopal A, Rameshkumar G, et al. Fungal keratitis caused by Exserohilum, an emerging pathogen.   

• Moisture chamber spectacles (MCS) may be useful to treat dry eye, suggests a study in the February 2016 issue of Optometry & Vision Science.¹ Researchers in China randomized 30 patients with dry eye into a group instructed to wear MCS for 90 minutes and a second group instructed to instill a drop of sterile non-preserved 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Results indicated improvements in ocular comfort, tear meniscus height (TMH) and noninvasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT) in the former. 

“The present study is the first to show that the use of MCS had a significant positive effect on TMH and NIBUT, demonstrating that tear film stability was improved after MCS wear,” the researchers say. “MCS may be a safe and promising alternative treatment for dry eye, especially for patients who work in adverse environmental conditions.” 

1. Shen G, Qi Q, Ma X. Effect of moisture chamber spectacles on tear functions in dry eye disease. 2016 Feb. 93(2):158-164.

• Bausch + Lomb has announced the release of new Ultra lenses for Presbyopia. The multifocal lenses are specifically designed to combine the company’s three-zone progressive design in the Biotrue OneDay for Presbyopia daily disposable lenses with its MoistureSeal lens technology.

• Blanchard Contact Lenses has announced its list of cities and dates for the 2016 Beyond the Limbus Scleral Lens Workshop tour. A component of the company’s educational division for the sixth year running, the workshops are designed to provide scleral lens training for eye care practitioners. The list is available at blanchardlab.com/blanchard-u/events-education/.