Search

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Background: An isolated oculomotor nerve (CN III) palsy is a diagnostic concern because of the potential for serious morbidity or life-threatening causes. We present 5 unusual causes of oculomotor nerve palsy that escaped initial diagnosis in order to raise awareness of their associated features that will facilitate correct diagnosis., Methods: This study consisted of a retrospective analysis of clinical features and imaging of 5 patients who were referred for neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation with presumed diagnosis of oculomotor nerve palsy of unknown reasons., Results: A complete CN III palsy and an inferior division CN III palsy were diagnosed with a schwannoma in the cavernous sinus and orbital apex portion, respectively; a middle-aged woman with aberrant regeneration was found to have a small meningioma; an adult man with ptosis was diagnosed with cyclic oculomotor paresis with spasms; and a patient after radiation was diagnosed with neuromyotonia., Conclusions: Localizing the lesion of oculomotor nerve palsy and careful examination of the imaging is crucial. Aberrant regeneration, cyclic pupil changes, and past medical history of amblyopia, strabismus, or radiation are also very helpful for diagnosis., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) rhythms in winter and summer in the healthy population of Shanghai, China.This is a cross-sectional study in which 24-hour IOP measurements were taken for all eligible healthy volunteers in winter and summer, respectively, and the temperature, hours of sunlight (sunlight time), and circulatory parameters, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, were also recorded. The 24-hour IOP curves and IOP parameters (mean, peak, trough, and fluctuation of IOP together with the diurnal-to-nocturnal IOP change) in winter and summer were obtained and compared. The magnitude of IOP changes from summer to winter was also calculated.A total of 29 participants (58 eyes), 14 (48.28%) male and 15 (51.72%) female, aged 43.66 ± 12.20 (19-61) years, were considered eligible for this study. Generally, IOP decreased progressively before noon, increased notably in the nocturnal period, and peaked at 12:00 AM in winter and at 2:00 AM in summer. The pattern of 24-hour IOP in winter and summer was significantly different (P = 0.002). The average IOPs from 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM, except for 6:00 AM, were significantly higher in winter (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were shown after adjusting for temperature and/or sunlight time. From summer to winter, the extent of IOP increase was mostly around 0 to 3 mm Hg, and the IOPs increased more significantly in the nocturnal period than in the diurnal period (P = 0.05).The 24-hour IOP rhythms were different in winter and summer, with higher IOP level in winter. Temperature and sunlight time, which are independent of heart rate and blood pressure, affected the 24-hour IOP rhythms in healthy people in Shanghai, China. Further investigations are expected for the rhythm of some endogenous substance secretion and the inner mechanism of regulation of IOP.

To evaluate and compare macular microvasculature changes in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) to normal eyes, and to assess associations among the retinal microvasculature, neural structural damage, and visual field loss.Ninety-nine eyes (68 patients with POAG and 31 normal subjects) were enrolled in this study. Thirty-five eyes with early-stage glaucoma (EG), 33 eyes with advanced-stage glaucoma (AG), and 31 normal eyes were included. An optical coherence tomography system with a split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography algorithm was used to measure the macular capillary vessel area density and retinal thickness. Visual field testing (30-2 and 10-2 programs) was performed using a Humphrey field analyzer. Correlations between the capillary vessel area density, retinal thickness, and visual field parameters were analyzed.Compared to normal eyes, those with EG and AG had a lower macular capillary vessel area density and lesser retinal thickness (P < 0.001, all). Results of multivariate linear regression analyses showed that each standard deviation (SD) decrease in the vessel area density was associated with a 1.5% and 4.2% thinning of the full retinal thickness and inner retinal layer thickness, respectively. Each SD decrease in the vessel area density was also associated with a 12.9% decrease in the mean sensitivity and a 33.6% increase in the pattern standard deviation (P < 0.001, both). The Pearson partial regression analysis model showed that the vessel area density was most strongly associated with the inner retinal layer thickness and inferior hemimacular thickness. Furthermore, a lower vessel area density was strongly associated with a more severe hemimacular visual field defect and the corresponding hemimacular retinal thickness.The macular capillary vessel area density and retinal thickness were significantly lower in eyes with POAG than in normal eyes. A diminished macular microvasculature network is closely associated with visual field defects, which are dependent on structural damage due to POAG.

To compare the surgical duration and clinical outcomes of nasolacrimal recanalization versus external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in the treatment of failed nasolacrimal duct intubation.This is a retrospective, comparative, and interventional study. We evaluated the outcomes of 66 consecutive patients undergoing either nasolacrimal recanalization (n = 32) or DCR (n = 34) in a tertiary lacrimal disease referral center. Length of surgical duration, clinical outcomes, and rate of recurrence at 18 months postoperatively were compared.The mean surgical duration was 18.5 minutes (range, 15-25 minutes) for nasolacrimal recanalization and 48.2 minutes (range, 45-61 minutes) for DCR, respectively (P < 0.001). The rate of success was 84.4% in the recanalization group and 85.3% in the DCR group, respectively (P = 0.91). The time to recurrence was 2.6 ± 1.1 months in the recanalization group and 5.6 ± 2.1 months in the DCR group (P < 0.001). Five failed cases in each group received a secondary DCR surgery with the same resolution rate (40%). The absence of ocular discharge at baseline was a significant predictor for a successful outcome in the recanalization group (P = 0.04) but not in the DCR group (P = 0.63).Nasolacrimal recanalization is an effective, safe, and time-saving alternative to DCR for the treatment of failed nasolacrimal duct intubation. Clinicians should be cautious in patients with discharge., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of hospitalized patients with glaucoma at Shanghai Eye and Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital in the relative well economic condition area Eastern China.Researchers reviewed the 10 years charts of patients with a discharge diagnosis of glaucoma at this hospital from January 2004 to December 2013. With the criteria used for diagnoses of different types of glaucoma, the constitution of this disease between the first and last 5 years was compared and analyzed.A total of 11,864 cases were enrolled according to the criteria of diagnoses for 10 years. Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) was the main type (51.69%) followed by secondary glaucoma (SG, 28.14%), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (10.41%), and congenital glaucoma (7.16%). Other glaucoma types were less prevalent (2.61%). PACG has seen a declining trend (from 57.75% to 48.41%), while the proportion of SG has increased (from 23.68% to 34.21%). For the POAG group, there is no increasing trend and the same is true of CG. The mean age of PACG patients was 62.28 year-old, while it was 46 year-old for the POAG and SG groups. The patients of PACG had more women than men (M/F ratio: 1:1.92). The reverse was the case with regard to POAG (M/F ratio: 1.97:1).In Eastern China, although PACG has some decreased, but still is the most commonly encountered type of glaucoma, while SG has significantly increased, and POAG has slightly decreased in hospitalized patients during recent 10 years., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans infection is a rare and easily misdiagnosed ocular disease. In this article, the authors report a chronic, purulent, and difficult-to-treat case of A actinomycetemcomitans keratitis following a glaucoma infiltration surgery.A 56-year-old man with a long-standing history of open-angle glaucoma in both eyes presented with a 12-week history of ocular pain, redness, and blurred vision in his right eye. He underwent a glaucoma infiltration surgery in his right eye 6 months ago. Three months postoperatively, he developed peripheral corneal stromal opacities associated with a white, thin, cystic bleb, and conjunctival injection. These opacities grew despite topical treatment with topical tobramycin, levofloxacin, natamycin, amikacin, and metronidazole eye drops.Multiple corneal scrapings revealed no organisms, and no organisms grew on aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, or mycobacterial cultures. The patient's right eye developed a severe purulent corneal ulcer with a dense hypopyon and required a corneal transplantation. Histopathologic analysis and 16S ribosomalribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction sequencing revealed A actinomycetemcomitans as the causative organism. Postoperatively, treatment was initiated with topical levofloxacin and cyclosporine, as well as oral levofloxacin and cyclosporine. Graft and host corneal transparency were maintained at the checkup 1 month after surgery.Although it is a rare cause of corneal disease, A actinomycetemcomitans should be suspected in patients with keratitis refractory to topical antibiotic therapy. Delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment can result in vision loss., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

In patients with primary canaliculitis, conservative medical therapy is associated with a high recurrence rate. Surgical treatments carry a great resolution rate but sometimes can result in the lacrimal pump dysfunction and canalicular scarring. The aim of this study is to introduce a minimally invasive approach, intracanalicular ophthalmic corticosteroid/antibiotic combination ointment infiltration (IOI, intracanalicular ointment infiltration), and to report our preliminary results for treating primary canaliculitis. In this retrospective, interventional case series, 68 consecutive patients with newly developed primary canaliculitis at a major tertiary eye center between January 2012 and January 2015. Thirty-six patients received conservative medical treatment alone (group 1; 36 eyes). Twenty-two patients and 10 medically uncontrolled patients from group 1 underwent IOI therapy (group 2; 32 eyes). Ten patients and 26 recurrent patients from group 1 and group 2 underwent surgery (group 3; 36 eyes). Patients were followed-up for at least 8 weeks. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed and compared. In this study, patients' age, sex, onset location, and durations of disease among 3 groups showed no significant difference. The resolution rate in group 2 was 72.7% (16/22) for new patients and 68.8% (22/32) for gross patients, respectively, both of which are higher than that of group 1 (22.2%, 10/36) but lower than that of group 3 (100%, 36/36). Of group 3, 2 patients received 2 surgical interventions and resolved finally. Microbiological workup was available in 51 patients. The most common isolates were staphylococcus species (27.9%) and streptococcus species (20%). Canalicular laceration developed in 1 patient during the IOI procedure and 1 patient undergoing surgery. Only 2 had postoperative lacrimal pump dysfunction and 1 had canalicular scarring in group 3. The IOI may be an effective and minimally invasive technique for treating primary canaliculitis and obviate the need for further intensive surgery.

Purpose: To determine the validity and reliability of the clinical assessment of bulbar redness (BR) using a newly developed corneal topographer., Methods: This is a cross-sectional diagnostic evaluation study. The BR scores [Oculus Index (OI)] from 30 eyes of 26 patients with different degrees of conjunctival hyperemia were assessed and scored automatically using a new method: a keratograph equipped with scanning and scoring software. The values obtained via this system were correlated with three image-based comparative subjective scales: the Institute for Eye Research (IER), the Efron, and the Validated Bulbar Redness (VBR) grading scales. The IER and Efron scores were interpolated to 0.1 unit, and the VBR scores were interpolated to 1 unit. We also evaluated the repeatability of each method and the level of agreement between the OI score and the scores achieved using the three other image-based methods., Results: There was a significant correlation between the OI score and the scores obtained with the IER (r = 0.921, p < 0.001), Efron (r = 0.958, p < 0.001), and VBR (r = 0.965, p < 0.001) scales. The intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.947, 0.874, 0.810, and 0.920 for the OI, IER, Efron, and VBR, respectively, and the intraobserver coefficients of repeatability were 13.924, 16.111, 17.684, and 16.900, respectively. Furthermore, the interobserver intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.889, 0.880, 0.884, and 0.881 for the OI, IER, Efron, and VBR, respectively, and the interobserver coefficients of repeatability were 15.934, 16.366, 22.059, and 21.373, respectively., Conclusions: The OI is an objective and reliable method for scoring BR. Its reproducibility was the highest of all the four modalities. The keratograph is recommended, therefore, as a suitable alternative for BR assessment.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP) using the Corvis ST Tonometer (CST), ocular response analyzer (ORA), and Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) in eyes undergoing laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), as well as to analyze the relationship between the corneal biomechanical parameters of the CST and the ORA., Methods: Fifty participants who had undergone LASIK to treat myopia in the previous 3 months were enrolled. Postoperative IOP measurements of these participants were obtained using the CST, ORA (corneal-compensated IOP [IOPcc], Goldmann-correlated IOP [IOPg]), and GAT. Device agreement was calculated by Bland-Altman analysis. The metrics of corneal biomechanical properties were recorded using the ORA and the CST. Corneal biomechanical parameters were compared., Results: The Bland-Altman analysis revealed a significant bias between CST and GAT, between CST and IOPcc, and between CST and IOPg of 3.4, 1.0, and 3.8, mm Hg, respectively, with 95% limits of agreement of -0.7 to 7.5 mm Hg, -2.1 to 4.2 mm Hg, and -0.4 to 8.0 mm Hg. The ORA-derived IOP measurements, CST-derived IOP, and GAT IOP values showed good correlation with each other. The CST IOP and IOPcc were higher than the GAT IOP (all p < 0.05), whereas IOPg did not differ from the GAT IOP readings. Ocular response analyzer-derived corneal biomechanical parameters (corneal hysteresis and the corneal resistance factor) showed significant correlations with CST-derived parameters, including the maximum deformation amplitude at the corneal apex and the time from start until the first applanation., Conclusions: The CST offers an alternative method for measuring postoperative IOP in LASIK patients, and it appears to obtain higher IOP values than other tonometry techniques. The technique may facilitate the investigation of corneal biomechanical property changes in LASIK-treated eyes.

Purpose: To examine the morphology of the optic nerve head in patients with unilateral peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitations (PICCs)., Methods: The hospital-based observational study included patients with unilateral PICCs. Tomographic images of the parapapillary fundus were taken by enhanced depth imaging mode of optical coherent tomography. The ocular biometric parameters were compared between the affected eyes and the contralateral unaffected eyes., Results: The study population consisted of 30 patients with a mean age of 42.7 ± 13.8 years (range: 22-72 years), mean axial length of 26.7 ± 2.4 mm (range: 22.00-32.30 mm), and mean refractive error of -8.71 ± 5.21 diopters (range: -20.50 to +0.50 diopters). In the eyes affected by PICC as compared with the contralateral eyes, the vertical (P = 0.001) and the minimal optic disk diameters (P = 0.01) were significantly shorter, the ratio of minimal to maximal disk diameter was significantly lower (P = 0.03), and the angle of disk rotation was significantly higher (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: In patients with unilateral PICCS, the eyes with PICCs had optic disks that were more spindlelike configured because of a disk rotation around the vertical axis and around the sagittal axis as compared with the contralateral eyes.

Retinal progenitor cells could differentiate into various retinal cells that made cell-replacement therapy possible. Here, we investigated the role of cellular microenvironment on their regulation and differentiation and found that the percentage of proliferating cells and the percentage of retinal ganglion cells produced from them increased, when retinal progenitor cells were cocultured with Muller glia. Muller glia conditioned medium had the similar results. It is speculated that rather than traditional supportive roles, Muller glia may have an active regulatory role inducing retinal progenitor cells to proliferate and differentiate into ganglion cells by secreting some diffusible and membrane-associated factors. Identification of Muller glia-derived factors will be made to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis.