INTRODUCTION: Little research has examined the effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), choroidal blood flow, aqueous flare, and humor levels of growth and inflam...INTRODUCTION: Little research has examined the effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), choroidal blood flow, aqueous flare, and humor levels of growth and inflammatory factors in patients with macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: In 58 patients with macular edema due to CRVO treated by intravitreal ranibizumab injection (IRI), we retrospectively assessed best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, assessed as the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]), 8 aqueous factors (by suspension array), mean blur rate (MBR; estimated by laser speckle flowgraphy as a measure of choroidal blood flow), aqueous flare (with a laser flare meter), and SCT and central macular thickness (CMT; by optical coherence tomography). RESULTS: After 4 weeks, IRI resulted in a significant improvement in BCVA and CMT and a significant reduction in SCT, choroidal MBR, and aqueous flare. SCT was significantly positively correlated with placental growth factor and significantly negatively correlated with platelet-derived growth factor-AA, and change in SCT was significantly negatively correlated with change in BCVA (logMAR). Aqueous flare was significantly negatively correlated with SCT. CONCLUSION: Growth and inflammatory factors may be associated with SCT, and changes in SCT may be associated with changes in BCVA after IRI to treat macular edema due to CRVO.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined trabeculotomy-non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (CTNS) in the treatment of Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) secondary glaucoma. METHODS: Th...INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined trabeculotomy-non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (CTNS) in the treatment of Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) secondary glaucoma. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed cases that underwent CTNS as initial surgery for SWS secondary glaucoma at our Ophthalmology Department center from April 2019 to August 2020. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mm Hg with (qualified success) or without (complete success) the use of anti-glaucoma medications. IOP >21 mm Hg or <5 mm Hg despite 3 or more applications of anti-glaucoma medications on 2 consecutive follow-up visits or at the last follow-up, performance of additional glaucoma (IOP-lowering) surgery, or with vision-threatening complications were classified as failure. RESULTS: A total of 22 eyes of 21 patients were included. Twenty-one eyes were of early-onset type and 1 eye was of adulthood onset. For Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the overall success rates at 1st and 2nd years were 95.2% and 84.9%, while the complete success rates at 1st and 2nd years were 42.9% and 36.7%. At the last follow-up (22.3 ± 4.0 months, range: 11.2∼31.2), overall success was achieved in 19 (85.7%) eyes and complete success in 12 (52.4%) eyes. Postoperative complications included transient hyphema (11/22, 50.0%) and transient Ⅰ degree shallow anterior chamber (1/22, 4.5%), and retinal detachment (1/22, 4.5%). No other severe com plications were detected during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: CTNS significantly reduces IOP in SWS secondary glaucoma patients who have serious episcleral vascular malformation. CTNS in SWS secondary glaucoma patients is safe and effective for short and medium periods. A randomized controlled study comparing the long-term prognosis of SWS early-onset and late-onset glaucoma underwent CTNS is worth conducting.
INTRODUCTION: The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a member of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and is important in cell-cycle regulation. Increased expression of EZH2 has been reported in retinoblastoma (RB...INTRODUCTION: The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a member of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and is important in cell-cycle regulation. Increased expression of EZH2 has been reported in retinoblastoma (RB). The aim of the study was to determine EZH2 expression, compare this with clinicopathological parameters in RB, and assess its relationship with tumor cell proliferation. METHODS: Ninety-nine retrospective cases of enucleated RB were included in the present study. Expression of EZH2 and the marker of cell proliferation, Ki67, were investigated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Among the 99 cases of RB in this study, EZH2 was found highly expressed (positive expression rate ≥70%) in 92 cases. EZH2 was expressed in tumor cells but absent in normal retinal tissues. The expression of EZH2 was positively linked to Ki67 expression (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Elevated EZH2 expression was found in most RB cases, indicating that EZH2 could be a potential therapeutic target for RB.
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare two surgical revision techniques in failed trabeculectomies after 6 months. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy in...INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare two surgical revision techniques in failed trabeculectomies after 6 months. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy in at least one eye with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) after trabeculectomy performed at least 6 months before were enrolled in this prospective trial. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmological examination at baseline. Randomization was performed to one eye per patient to double-masked trabeculectomy revision or needling. Patients were examined on the first day, 7 days, 14 days, and then monthly until completing 1 year after surgical intervention. All follow-up visits included the following: patients reported ocular and systemic events, best-corrected visual acuity, IOP, slit-lamp examination, and optic disc evaluation for cup-to-disc ratio. Gonioscopy and stereoscopic optic disc photographs were taken at baseline and 12 months. After 1-year, the IOP and number of medications were compared between the groups. Absolute success criteria in the study were IOP <16 mm Hg, for 2 consecutive measurements without using a hypotensive medication. RESULTS: Forty patients were included in this study. Among them, 38 completed 1-year follow-up (18 in revision group and 20 in needling group). The age ranged from 21 to 86 years, with a mean of 66.82 ± 13.44. At baseline, the average IOP was 21.64 ± 5.12 mm Hg (range from 14 to 38 mm Hg) in the entire group. All patients were using at least two classes of hypotensive eye drops, and 3 patients were using oral acetazolamide. The mean use of hypotensive eye drop medications was 3.11 ± 0.67 at the baseline for the entire group. In the present study, 58% of the patients presented complete success, 18% qualified success, and 24% failed in both groups. After 1-year treatment, both techniques were similar for IOP parameters and also for number of medications (p = 0.834 and p = 0.433, respectively). Regarding intra- or postoperative complications, one patient in each group needed a new surgical intervention, one in the needling group due to shallow anterior chamber and one in the revision group due to spontaneous Seidel sign, and one patient in the needling group underwent posterior revision due to fail. CONCLUSIONS: Both techniques were safe and effective for IOP control after 1 year of follow-up in patients who underwent to trabeculectomy more than 6 months before.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate retinal layer thickness and vessel density differences between patients with reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (iAMD...INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate retinal layer thickness and vessel density differences between patients with reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (iAMD). METHODS: Participants included in the study were patients diagnosed by retinal specialists with RPD, iAMD, and both RPD and iAMD at our academic referral center, seen from May 2021 until February 2022. The central 3 mm retinal thickness was measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Heidelberg Spectralis HRA+OCT System; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). Individual retinal thickness measurements were obtained from the innermost layer (nerve fiber layer) until the outermost layer (retinal pigment epithelium [RPE]). Each thickness measurement was subdivided into nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) sectors. For the vessel density, OCT angiography from the Heidelberg Spectralis System was measured using proprietary third-party software (AngioTool; National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD). Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared across the three groups (iAMD, RPD, iAMD and RPD) and analyzed with necessary adjustments. Linear mixed-effects models with necessary corrections were employed to compare continuous eye-level measurements between our three groups as well as in pairwise fashion using the R statistical programming software (R version 4.2.1). RESULTS: A total of 25 eyes of 17 patients with RPD, 20 eyes of 15 patients with iAMD, and 14 eyes of 9 patients with both iAMD and RPD were analyzed. Retinal thickness analysis identified that the superior inner (p = 0.028) and superior outer (p = 0.027) maculas of eyes with both iAMD and RPD were significantly thinner than those with iAMD alone. In eyes with RPD, the superior inner and superior outer RPE (p = 0.011 and p = 0.05, respectively), outer plexiform layer (p = 0.003 and p = 0.013, respectively), and inner nuclear layer (p = 0.034 and p = 0, respectively) were noted to be thinner compared to eyes with iAMD alone. In addition, the macular deep capillary plexus vessel density was significantly reduced in eyes with RPD compared to eyes with iAMD (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Patients with RPD had inner retinal structural as well as vascular changes compared to iAMD patients. Inner retinal vascular attenuation should be investigated further to see if there is a causal association with retinal thinning.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess retinal neurodegenerative changes with optical coherence tomography (Cirrus HD-OCT) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without diabetic retinopath...INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess retinal neurodegenerative changes with optical coherence tomography (Cirrus HD-OCT) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) and evaluate their relationships with insulin resistance (IR) and associated systemic indicators. METHODS: 102 T2DM patients without DR and 48 healthy controls were included in this observational cross-sectional study. The OCT parameters of macular retinal thickness (MRT) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses were evaluated between diabetic and normal eyes. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate the discrimination power of early diabetes. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were performed between ophthalmological parameters and T2DM-related demographic and anthropometric variables, and serum biomarkers and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) scores. RESULTS: MRT and GCIPL thicknesses showed significant thinning in patients, especially in inferotemporal area. High body mass index (BMI) correlated with decreased GCIPL thicknesses and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). A negative correlation between waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR) and GCIPL thicknesses was also found. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and fasting C-peptide (CP0) were associated with GCIPL thickness but only in inferotemporal region (r = 0.20, p = 0.04; r = -0.20, p = 0.05, respectively). Multiple regression analysis showed that increased HOMA-IR scores independently predicted both average (β = -0.30, p = 0.05) and inferotemporal (β = -0.34, p = 0.03) GCIPL thinning. CONCLUSION: Retinal thinning in early T2DM was associated with obesity-related metabolic disorders. IR as an independent risk factor for retinal neurodegeneration may increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
INTRODUCTION: The Understanding New Interventions with GBM ThErapy (UNITE) study was designed to assess the effect of prophylaxis for ocular side effects (OSEs) in patients with glioblastoma receiving the antibody-drug c...INTRODUCTION: The Understanding New Interventions with GBM ThErapy (UNITE) study was designed to assess the effect of prophylaxis for ocular side effects (OSEs) in patients with glioblastoma receiving the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) depatuxizumab mafodotin. UNITE (NCT03419403) was a phase 3b, open-label, randomized, exploratory study performed at 18 research sites in 5 countries. METHODS: The study enrolled adult patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-amplified, histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma or grade IV gliosarcoma, and a Karnofsky Performance Status ≥70, receiving depatuxizumab mafodotin. All patients were administered depatuxizumab mafodotin during concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide and with adjuvant temozolomide. Ninety patients were to be randomized (1:1:1) to OSE prophylactic treatments with each depatuxizumab mafodotin infusion: (a) standard steroid eye drops, (b) standard steroid eye drops plus vasoconstrictor eye drops and cold compress, or (c) enhanced steroids plus vasoconstrictor eye drops and cold compress. A Corneal Epitheliopathy Adverse Event (CEAE) scale was devised to capture symptoms, grade OSEs (scale of 0-5), and inform ADC dose modifications. The primary endpoint was the frequency of a required change in OSE management due to inadequate control of OSEs, defined as decline from baseline in visual acuity (using logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [LogMAR] scale) or a Grade ≥3 CEAE event, in the worst eye in the first 8 weeks of treatment; unless otherwise specified, the treatment period refers to both the chemoradiation and adjuvant phases. RESULTS: The UNITE study was stopped early after interim analysis of separate phase III trial showed no difference in survival from depatuxizumab mafodotin. Forty patients were randomized (38 received depatuxizumab mafodotin). Overall, 23 patients experienced inadequate control of OSEs that required change in OSE management within 8 weeks of treatment, with 21 (70.0%) experiencing ≥+0.3 change on LogMAR scale in baseline-adjusted visual acuity and 12 reporting a grade ≥3 CEAE. There were no definitive differences among prophylactic treatments. CONCLUSIONS: The premature cessation of the study precludes definitive conclusions regarding the OSE prophylaxis strategies. No new clinically significant safety findings were noted. Despite these limitations, this study highlights the need for novel assessment tools to better understand and mitigate OSEs associated with ADCs.
INTRODUCTION: To measure copper (Cu), lysyl oxidase (LOX) activity, and collagen levels in aqueous humour (AH) of primary glaucoma patients and correlate with clinical parameters. METHODS: 120 patients with 40 each of pr...INTRODUCTION: To measure copper (Cu), lysyl oxidase (LOX) activity, and collagen levels in aqueous humour (AH) of primary glaucoma patients and correlate with clinical parameters. METHODS: 120 patients with 40 each of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and cataract controls were recruited in this case-control study. AH samples were collected during the trabeculectomy and cataract surgeries. Cu levels were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. LOX unit activity was determined by Amplex Red assay and collagen concentration by Sirius red assay. RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of Cu expressed as median (IQR) µmol/L were observed in POAG (p = 0.008) and PACG (p = 0.005) compared to controls. The LOX activity was increased in POAG and PACG (p = 0.04) compared to controls represented as median (IQR) µmol/min. The collagen levels given as median (IQR) mg/ml showed an insignificant increase in POAG and PACG compared to controls (p = 0.78). The LOX unit activity was correlated with visual field index (VFI), which showed a significant increase with the progression of the diseases (p < 0.05), whereas Cu levels were negatively correlated with LOX activity in AH. Cu and LOX activity showed weak correlation with YAG peripheral iridotomy (YAGPI), duration of anti-glaucoma medications, and highest preoperative intraocular pressure. CONCLUSION: Elevated Cu and LOX activity was observed in both POAG and PACG groups compared to controls. LOX activity showed notable increase with VFI as the severity of the disease. Although Cu levels are increased in glaucoma, it's insufficient to significantly increase the activity of LOX.
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the association between macular optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) metrics, characteristics of ultrawide field (UWF) imaging, and cerebrovascular disease in patien...INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the association between macular optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) metrics, characteristics of ultrawide field (UWF) imaging, and cerebrovascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: 516 eyes of 258 DM patients were enrolled in two centers (Milan and Belfast). UWF color fundus photos (CFPs) were obtained with Optos California (Optos, PLC) and graded for both DR severity and predominantly peripheral lesions presence (>50% of CFP lesions) by two independent graders. OCT-A (3 × 3 mm), available in 252 eyes of 136 patients, was used to determine perimeter, area, and circularity index of the foveal avascular zone and vessel density (VD); perfusion density (PD); fractal dimension on superficial, intermediate (ICP), and deep capillary plexuses; flow voids (FVs) in the choriocapillaris. RESULTS: Out of 516 eyes, 108 eyes (20.9%) had no DR, and 6 eyes were not gradable. The remaining 402 eyes were as follows: 10.3% (53) had mild nonproliferative DR (NPDR), 38.2% (197) had moderate NPDR, 11.8% (61) had severe NPDR, and 17.6% (91) had proliferative DR. A worse DR stage was associated with a history of stroke (p = 0.044). Logistic regression analysis after taking into account sex, type of DM, age, DM duration, and OCT-A variables found that PD and VD on ICP were significantly associated with presence of stroke and DR severity. CONCLUSION: OCT-A metrics show an association with the presence of cerebrovascular complications, providing potentially useful parameters to estimate vascular risk in patients with DM.
BACKGROUND: The iStent (Glaukos Corporation; Laguna Hills, CA, USA) is one of the minimally invasive glaucoma devices. It can be inserted at the time of phacoemulsification or as a stand-alone procedure to lower the intr...BACKGROUND: The iStent (Glaukos Corporation; Laguna Hills, CA, USA) is one of the minimally invasive glaucoma devices. It can be inserted at the time of phacoemulsification or as a stand-alone procedure to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP). OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the effect of iStent insertion at the time of phacoemulsification with phacoemulsification alone in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. METHODS: We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE (OVID and PubMed), CINAHL, and Cochrane Library for articles published between 2008 and June 2022 (PRISMA 2020 for the checklist). Studies comparing the IOP-lowering effect of iStent with phacoemulsification versus phacoemulsification alone were included. The endpoints were IOP reduction (IOPR) and the mean reduction in the number of glaucoma drops. A quality-effects model was used to compare both surgical groups. RESULTS: Ten studies were included, reporting on 1,453 eyes. Eight hundred fifty three eyes had the combined iStent and phacoemulsification, and 600 eyes underwent phacoemulsification alone. IOPR was higher in the combined surgery at of 4.7 ± 2 mm Hg compared to 2.8 ± 1.9 mm Hg in phacoemulsification alone. A greater decrease in postoperative eye drops was noted in the combined group having a decrease of 1.2 ± 0.3 eye drops versus of 0.6 ± 0.6 drops in isolated phacoemulsification. The quality effect model showed an IOPR weighted mean difference (WMD) of 1.22 mm Hg (confidence interval [CI]: [-0.43, 2.87]; Q = 315.64; p < 0.01; I2 = 97%) and decreased eye drops WMD 0.42 drops (CI: [0.22, 0.62]; Q = 42.6; p < 0.01; I2 = 84%) between both surgical groups. Subgroup analysis shows that the new generation iStent may be more effective in reducing IOP. CONCLUSION: iStent has a synergetic effect with phacoemulsification. The reduction of IOP and glaucoma eye drops was higher when iStent is combined with phacoemulsification compared with isolated phacoemulsification.
INTRODUCTION: Accurate assignment of procedural codes has important medico-legal, academic, and economic purposes for healthcare providers. Procedural coding requires accurate documentation and exhaustive manual labour t...INTRODUCTION: Accurate assignment of procedural codes has important medico-legal, academic, and economic purposes for healthcare providers. Procedural coding requires accurate documentation and exhaustive manual labour to interpret complex operation notes. Ophthalmology operation notes are highly specialised making the process time-consuming and challenging to implement. This study aimed to develop natural language processing (NLP) models trained by medical professionals to assign procedural codes based on the surgical report. The automation and accuracy of these models can reduce burden on healthcare providers and generate reimbursements that reflect the operation performed. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of ophthalmological operation notes from two metropolitan hospitals over a 12-month period was conducted. Procedural codes according to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) were applied. XGBoost, decision tree, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and logistic regression models were developed for classification experiments. Experiments involved both multi-label and binary classification, and the best performing model was used on the holdout test dataset. RESULTS: There were 1,000 operation notes included in the study. Following manual review, the five most common procedures were cataract surgery (374 cases), vitrectomy (298 cases), laser therapy (149 cases), trabeculectomy (56 cases), and intravitreal injections (49 cases). Across the entire dataset, current coding was correct in 53.9% of cases. The BERT model had the highest classification accuracy (88.0%) in the multi-label classification on these five procedures. The total reimbursement achieved by the machine learning algorithm was $184,689.45 ($923.45 per case) compared with the gold standard of $214,527.50 ($1,072.64 per case). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates accurate classification of ophthalmic operation notes into MBS coding categories with NLP technology. Combining human and machine-led approaches involves using NLP to screen operation notes to code procedures, with human review for further scrutiny. This technology can allow the assignment of correct MBS codes with greater accuracy. Further research and application in this area can facilitate accurate logging of unit activity, leading to reimbursements for healthcare providers. Increased accuracy of procedural coding can play an important role in training and education, study of disease epidemiology and improve research ways to optimise patient outcomes.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this large-scale long-term retrospective study was to show the enlargement rate (ER) of geographic atrophy (GA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), defined as complete retinal pigment epit...INTRODUCTION: The aim of this large-scale long-term retrospective study was to show the enlargement rate (ER) of geographic atrophy (GA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), defined as complete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy (cRORA), to find predictors of progression in a clinical routine setting and to compare GA evaluation methods. METHODS: All patients available in our database with follow-up of at least 24 months and cRORA in at least one eye, regardless of neovascular AMD being present, were included. SD-OCT and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) evaluations were performed according to a standardized protocol. The cRORA area ER, the cRORA square root area ER, the FAF GA area, and the condition of the outer retina (inner-/outer-segment [IS/OS] line and external limiting membrane [ELM] disruption scores) were determined. RESULTS: 204 eyes of 129 patients were included. Mean follow-up time was 4.2 ± 2.2 (range 2-10) years. 109 of 204 (53.4%) eyes were classified as MNV-associated GA in AMD (initially or during follow-up); 95 of 204 (46.6%) eyes were classified as pure GA in AMD. The primary lesion was unifocal in 146 (72%) eyes and multifocal in 58 (28%) eyes. A strong correlation was observed between the area of cRORA (SD-OCT) and the FAF GA area (r = 0.924; p < 0.001). Mean ER was 1.44 ± 1.2 mm2/year, mean square root ER 0.29 ± 0.19 mm/year. There was no significant difference in mean ER between eyes without (pure GA) and with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (MNV-associated GA) (0.30 ± 0.19 mm/year vs. 0.28 ± 0.20 mm/year; p = 0.466). Eyes with multifocal atrophy pattern at baseline had a significantly higher mean ER compared to eyes with unifocal pattern (0.34 ± 0.19 mm/year vs. 0.27 ± 1.19 mm/year; p = 0.008). There were moderate significant correlations between ELM and IS/OS disruption scores and visual acuity at baseline, 5 and 7 years (all r values ca. -0.5; p < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, a multifocal cRORA pattern at baseline (p = 0.022) and a smaller baseline lesion size (p = 0.036) were associated with a higher mean ER. CONCLUSION: SD-OCT-evaluated cRORA area might serve as a GA parameter comparable to traditional FAF measurement in clinical routine. The dispersion pattern and baseline lesion size might be predictors of ER, whereas anti-VEGF treatment seems not to be associated with ER.
INTRODUCTION: Preoperative measurements of apparent chord mu length above 0.6 mm have been associated with higher risks for photic phenomena after cataract surgery with multifocal intraocular lenses (MFIOLs). METHODS: Th...INTRODUCTION: Preoperative measurements of apparent chord mu length above 0.6 mm have been associated with higher risks for photic phenomena after cataract surgery with multifocal intraocular lenses (MFIOLs). METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated patients scheduled for elective cataract surgery at a single tertiary medical center between 2021 and 2022. Pupil diameter and apparent chord mu length were analyzed for eyes with biometry measurements from IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec, AG) under photopic light conditions, before and after pharmacological pupil dilatation. Exclusion criteria were visual acuity worse than 20/100, prior intraocular surgery, refractive surgery, iris-related procedures, or pupil abnormalities affecting dilatation. Apparent chord mu lengths before and after pupil dilatation were compared. In addition, multivariate linear regression analysis, using a stepwise method, was conducted to assess possible predictors of apparent chord values. RESULTS: Included were 87 eyes of 87 patients. Mean chord mu length increased after pupillary dilatation from 0.32 ± 0.17 mm to 0.41 ± 0.17 mm for right eyes (p < 0.001) and from 0.29 ± 0.16 mm to 0.40 ± 0.22 mm for left eyes (p < 0.001). Seven eyes (8.0%) had an apparent chord mu of 0.6 mm and above pre-dilatation. Fourteen eyes (16.1%) with an apparent chord mu under 0.6 mm pre-dilatation had apparent chord mu of 0.6 mm or above post-dilatation. CONCLUSION: Apparent chord mu length significantly increases after pharmacological pupillary dilatation. Pupil size and dilatation status should always be considered during patient selection for a planned MFIOL using apparent chord mu length as a reference marker.
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether data preprocessing and augmentation could improve visual field (VF) prediction of recurrent neural network (RNN) with multi-central datasets. METHODS: This...INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether data preprocessing and augmentation could improve visual field (VF) prediction of recurrent neural network (RNN) with multi-central datasets. METHODS: This retrospective study collected data from five glaucoma services between June 2004 and January 2021. From an initial dataset of 331,691 VFs, we considered reliable VF tests with fixed intervals. Since the VF monitoring interval is very variable, we applied data augmentation using multiple sets of data for patients with more than eight VFs. We obtained 5,430 VFs from 463 patients and 13,747 VFs from 1,076 patients by setting the fixed test interval to 365 ± 60 days (D = 365) and 180 ± 60 days (D = 180), respectively. Five consecutive VFs were provided to the constructed RNN as input and the 6th VF was compared with the output of the RNN. The performance of the periodic RNN (D = 365) was compared to that of an aperiodic RNN. The performance of the RNN with 6 long- and short-term memory (LSTM) cells (D = 180) was compared with that of the RNN with 5-LSTM cells. To compare the prediction performance, the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the total deviation value (TDV) were calculated as accuracy metrics. RESULTS: The performance of the periodic model (D = 365) improved significantly over aperiodic model. Overall prediction error (MAE) was 2.56 ± 0.46 dB versus 3.26 ± 0.41 dB (periodic vs. aperiodic) (p < 0.001). A higher perimetric frequency was better for predicting future VF. The overall prediction error (RMSE) was 3.15 ± 2.29 dB versus 3.42 ± 2.25 dB (D = 180 vs. D = 365). Increasing the number of input VFs improved the performance of VF prediction in D = 180 periodic model (3.15 ± 2.29 dB vs. 3.18 ± 2.34 dB, p < 0.001). The 6-LSTM in the D = 180 periodic model was more robust to worsening of VF reliability and disease severity. The prediction accuracy worsened as the false-negative rate increased and the mean deviation decreased. CONCLUSION: Data preprocessing with augmentation improved the VF prediction of the RNN model using multi-center datasets. The periodic RNN model predicted the future VF significantly better than the aperiodic RNN model.
INTRODUCTION: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare degenerative retinal disease caused by mutations in approximately seventy genes. Currently, despite the availability of large-scale DNA sequencing technologies, ∼30-40% o...INTRODUCTION: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare degenerative retinal disease caused by mutations in approximately seventy genes. Currently, despite the availability of large-scale DNA sequencing technologies, ∼30-40% of patients still cannot be diagnosed at the molecular level. In this study, we investigated a novel intronic deletion of PDE6B, encoding the beta subunit of phosphodiesterase 6 in association with recessive RP. METHODS: Three unrelated consanguineous families were recruited from the northwestern part of Pakistan. Whole exome sequencing was performed for the proband of each family, and the data were analyzed according to an in-house computer pipeline. Relevant DNA variants in all available members of these families were assessed through Sanger sequencing. A minigene-based splicing assay was also performed. RESULTS: The clinical phenotype for all patients was compatible with rod cone degeneration, with the onset during childhood. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous 18 bp intronic deletion (NM_000283.3:c.1921-20_1921-3del) in PDE6B, which co-segregated with disease in 10 affected individuals. In vitro splicing tests showed that this deletion causes aberrant RNA splicing of the gene, leading to the in-frame deletion of 6 codons and, likely, to disease. CONCLUSION: Our findings further expand the mutational spectrum of the PDE6B gene.
BACKGROUND: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined air tamponade has many advantages compared with PPV combined gas tamponade. However, there are controversial outcomes in...BACKGROUND: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined air tamponade has many advantages compared with PPV combined gas tamponade. However, there are controversial outcomes in RRD cases involving the lower quadrants. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PPV combined air tamponade in patients with RRD compared with PPV combined gas tamponade and whether it could be a safe alternative to PPV combined gas tamponade. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases published until September 2022 were comprehensively searched for studies that compared PPV combined with air tamponade and gas tamponade in patients with RRD. The rate of primary treatment success, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and postoperative complications were extracted from the final eligible studies. Study quality was assessed using the Jadad scale and Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). The mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR) were calculated for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals. The systematic review and meta-analysis were prospectively registered with PROSPERO (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/</ext-link>; registration number CRD42022353479). RESULTS: A total of 8 studies with 668 eyes in the air tamponade group and 944 in the gas tamponade group were included. There was no significant difference in the rate of primary treatment success between the air tamponade group and the gas tamponade group (RR = 1.00, p = 0.79). In addition, the subgroup analysis suggested that whether retinal breaks were located above or below, there was no significant difference in either rate of primary treatment success (RR = 0.99, p = 0.89; RR = 1.02, p = 0.45). There was no significant difference in mean BCVA 3 months after surgery (MD = -0.02, p = 0.50). For postoperative complications, mean postoperative intraocular pressure was lower in the air tamponade group at 1 day (MD = -4.24, p < 0.001), and there was no significant difference between the two groups at 7 days (MD = -0.45, p = 0.71), 1 month (MD = -0.69, p = 0.33), and 3 months (MD = 0.69, p = 0.35) after surgery. The rate of epiretinal membrane development was lower in the air tamponade group (RR = 0.48, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with uncomplicated RRD, PPV combined air tamponade is a feasible and safe alternative to PPV combined gas tamponade, regardless of the position of retinal breaks, with a similar primary treatment success rate, postoperative BCVA, and fewer postoperative complications.
INTRODUCTION: Handheld retinal imaging cameras are relatively inexpensive and highly portable devices that have the potential to significantly expand diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening, allowing a much broader populatio...INTRODUCTION: Handheld retinal imaging cameras are relatively inexpensive and highly portable devices that have the potential to significantly expand diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening, allowing a much broader population to be evaluated. However, it is essential to evaluate if these devices can accurately identify vision-threatening macular diseases if DR screening programs will rely on these instruments. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the detection of diabetic macular pathology using monoscopic macula-centered images using mydriatic handheld retinal imaging compared with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT). METHODS: Mydriatic 40°-60° macula-centered images taken with 3 handheld retinal imaging devices (Aurora [AU], SmartScope [SS], RetinaVue 700 [RV]) were compared with the Cirrus 6000 SDOCT taken during the same visit. Images were evaluated for the presence of diabetic macular edema (DME) on monoscopic fundus photographs adapted from Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) definitions (no DME, noncenter-involved DME [non-ciDME], and center-involved DME [ciDME]). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for each device with SDOCT as gold standard. RESULTS: Severity by ETDRS photos: no DR 33.3%, mild NPDR 20.4%, moderate 14.2%, severe 11.6%, proliferative 20.4%, and ungradable for DR 0%; no DME 83.1%, non-ciDME 4.9%, ciDME 12.0%, and ungradable for DME 0%. Gradable images by SDOCT (N = 217, 96.4%) showed no DME in 75.6%, non-ciDME in 9.8%, and ciDME in 11.1%. The ungradable rate for images (poor visualization in >50% of the macula) was AU: 0.9%, SS: 4.4%, and RV: 6.2%. For DME, sensitivity and specificity were similar across devices (0.5-0.64, 0.93-0.97). For nondiabetic macular pathology (ERM, pigment epithelial detachment, traction retinal detachment) across all devices, sensitivity was low to moderate (0.2-0.5) but highly specific (0.93-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to SDOCT, handheld macular imaging attained high specificity but low sensitivity in identifying macular pathology. This suggests the importance of SDOCT evaluation for patients suspected to have DME on fundus photography, leading to more appropriate referral refinement.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of visual field (VF) defects in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) to control groups of eyes with high-tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal-tension glaucoma...INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of visual field (VF) defects in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) to control groups of eyes with high-tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: Forty-eight eyes with PACG were enrolled, and control eyes with HTG and NTG matched for age, sex, and mean deviation of VF defect were selected. VF tests were performed using the 24-2 program of the Humphrey field analyzer. VF defects were classified into six patterns with the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study classification system and were categorized into three stages (early, moderate, and advanced). Each hemifield was divided into five regions according to the Glaucoma Hemifield Test (GHT). The mean total deviation (TD) of each GHT region was calculated. RESULTS: Compared with HTG and NTG groups, the partial arcuate VF defects were more common in the PACG group. In the PACG group, the nasal GHT region in the inferior hemifield had the worst mean TD (-8.48 ± 8.62 dB), followed by the arcuate 1 (-7.81 ± 7.91 dB), arcuate 2 (-7.46 ± 7.43 dB), paracentral (-7.19 ± 7.98 dB), and central (-5.14 ± 6.24 dB) regions; the mean TD of the central region was significantly better than those for all other regions (all p < 0.05). A similar trend was observed in the superior hemifield in the PACG group but not the VF hemifields of the HTG and NTG groups. CONCLUSION: Patterns of VF defect in PACG patients differ from those with HTG and NTG. This discrepancy might be due to the differences in the pathogenic mechanisms of glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
INTRODUCTION: Vascular endothelial cell injury and angiogenesis induced by hyperglycemia are the main pathological basis of vascular complications in diabetes mellitus. Our study aimed to investigate the role and mechani...INTRODUCTION: Vascular endothelial cell injury and angiogenesis induced by hyperglycemia are the main pathological basis of vascular complications in diabetes mellitus. Our study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of miR-210-3p in high glucose (HG)-induced angiogenesis. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with HG to mimic the pathological process of hyperglycemia. HUVECs were divided into the control group, HG group, HG+inhibitor-NC group, and HG+miR-210-3p inhibitor group. Proliferation and migration were tested by wound healing assay, tube formation, and Transwell assay. Quantitation real-time PCR and Western blots were performed to determine the expression of miR-210-3p and relative proteins, respectively. RESULTS: The level of miR-210-3p significantly increased in HUVECs treated by HG. The knockdown of miR-210-3p attenuated the tube formation, proliferation, and migration of cultured HUVECs in vitro to inhibit angiogenesis by increasing the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor-like 1 (FGFRL1) and then attenuating the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), extracellular regulated protein kinases, and protein kinase B (Akt). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that miR-210-3p might be a promising target for treating diabetic-associated vascular injury.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of epiretinal traction in idiopathic lamellar macular hole (LMH) with or without lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP). METHODS: A...INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of epiretinal traction in idiopathic lamellar macular hole (LMH) with or without lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP). METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series included 108 eyes diagnosed with LMH in a single tertiary referral center. Epiretinal traction was determined by the presence of epiretinal membrane (ERM), attached posterior hyaloid, or vascular traction with multimodal imaging studies and intraoperative findings in those received surgical interventions. RESULTS: The 53 LMHs with LHEP had similar age, refraction, initial, and final visual acuity to the 55 LMHs without LHEP. Both groups exhibited high incidences of vascular traction (with and without LHEP: 92% and 84%, p = 0.36, respectively) and ERM and/or attached posterior hyaloid (both 100%, p = 1.00). The vision improved 10.5 and 14 ETDRS letters (p = 0.60) in the 30 eyes with and 19 eyes without LHEP that underwent vitrectomy. Vascular tractions released postoperatively in 88% and 100% of LMHs with and without LHEP, respectively (p = 0.27). The LMH, ERM foveoschisis, and mixed subtypes exhibited epiretinal traction in 100% of cases in all subtypes (p = 1.00). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that epiretinal traction, evaluated by multimodal imaging, is the norm rather than the exception in LMHs showing LHEP. The presence of tractional forces should be taken into consideration when treatment was planned in LMHs.