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Satoshi Iraha,1–5 Yasuhiko Hirami,1,2 Sachiko Ota,1,2 Genshiro A Sunagawa,3 Michiko Mandai,1–3 Hidenobu Tanihara,5 Masayo Takahashi,1–4 Yasuo Kurimoto1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 3Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, 4Application Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 5Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of valproic acid (VPA) use in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).Patients and methods: This was a prospective, interventional, noncomparative case study. In total, 29 eyes from 29 patients with RP whose best-corrected visual acuities (BCVAs) in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) ranged from 1.0 to 0.16 with visual fields (VFs) of ≤10° (measured using Goldmann perimeter with I4) were recruited. The patients received oral supplementation with 400 mg of VPA daily for 6 months and were followed for an additional 6 months. BCVAs, VFs (measured with the Humphrey field analyzer central 10-2 program), and subjective questionnaires were examined before, during, and after the cessation of VPA supplementation.Results: The changes in BCVA and VF showed statistically significant differences during the internal use of VPA, compared with after cessation (P=0.001). With VPA intake, BCVA in logMAR significantly improved from baseline to 6 months (P=0.006). The mean deviation value of the VF significantly improved from baseline to 1 month (P=0.001), 3 months (P=0.004), and 6 months (P=0.004). These efficacies, however, were reversed to the baseline levels after the cessation of VPA intake. There were no significant relations between the mean blood VPA concentrations of each patient and the changes in BCVA and VF. During the internal use of VPA, 15 of 29 patients answered “easier to see”, whereas blurred vision was registered in 21 of 29 patients on cessation. No systemic drug-related adverse events were observed.Conclusion: While in use, oral intake of VPA indicated a short-term benefit to patients with RP. It is necessary to examine the effect of a longer VPA supplementation in a controlled study design. Keywords: retinitis pigmentosa, valproic acid, clinical trial, retina

Takahiro Kawaji,1,2 Tomoki Sato,2 Hidenobu Tanihara11Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, 2Sato Eye & Internal Medicine Clinic, Kumamoto, JapanPurpose: To report the results of sutureless scleral fixation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) by using our developed simple technique.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 48 eyes of 47 patients who underwent sutureless intrascleral IOL fixation by using our modified technique. A 25-gauge microvitreoretinal knife was used to perform sclerotomies and create limbus-parallel scleral tunnels with lamellar dissection in which the haptics were fixed.Results: The IOLs were fixed and centered well. The mean follow-up period was 26.7 months. Postoperative complications included smooth vitreous hemorrhage in four eyes (8.3%), cystoid macular edema in two eyes (4.2%), and iris capture of the IOL in two eyes (4.2%). No other complications, such as breakage of the IOL, spontaneous IOL dislocation, or retinal detachment, were detected during the follow-up period.Conclusion: The lamellar dissection of the limbus-parallel scleral tunnel can simplify the forceps-assisted introduction of the haptics into the scleral tunnel, and this technique seemed to be safe.Keywords: intraocular lenses, ophthalmologic surgical procedures, intrascleral fixation, sutureless fixation

Utako Kuroda, Toshihiro Inoue, Nanako Awai-Kasaoka, Kohei Shobayashi, Sachi Kojima, Hidenobu TaniharaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, JapanPurpose: To compare the surgical outcomes of limbal-based and fornix-based trabeculectomy in eyes with a history of ocular incisional surgery.Methods: Twenty-six eyes underwent limbal-based trabeculectomy (group LB), and were condition matched with 26 eyes that received fornix-based trabeculectomy (group FB). Surgical failure was recorded retrospectively if the intraocular pressure value was either ≥21, ≥18, and ≥15 mmHg (conditions A, B, and C, respectively) or

Sachi Kojima, Toshihiro Inoue, Takahiro Kawaji, Hidenobu TaniharaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, JapanPurpose: To determine the clinical features of tear fluid signs associated with filtration blebs via three-dimensional anterior segment optical coherence tomography (3D AS-OCT).Methods: In total, 152 eyes (130 patients) with glaucoma that underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C were evaluated retrospectively. We investigated tear fluid signs associated with filtration blebs, using 3D AS-OCT with custom software, and compared the findings of lower tear meniscus. We also analyzed postoperative intraocular pressure and the bleb parameters of filtration blebs between eyes with and without tear fluid signs.Results: We found tear fluid signs associated with filtration blebs in 45 (30%) of 152 eyes. The mean postoperative intraocular pressure of the eyes with the tear fluid sign in a filtration bleb was significantly lower than that in eyes without the tear fluid sign (P

Akira Haga,1 Masaru Inatani,1,2 Kohei Shobayashi,1 Sachi Kojima,1 Toshihiro Inoue,1 Hidenobu Tanihara11Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, JapanPurpose: To evaluate the risk factors for choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC).Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 420 patients (420 eyes) with glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy with MMC between June 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010 at Kumamoto University Hospital, Japan. Choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy was defined as a solid-appearing elevation of the retina and choroid. Logistic multivariable analysis was applied to determine the risk factors for choroidal detachment. The following factors were assessed: gender, age, subtypes of glaucoma, eye laterality, history of previous cataract surgery, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP; mean of three Goldmann applanation readings recorded on different days), postoperative IOP (mean of seven Goldmann applanation readings recorded on 7 consecutive days after trabeculectomy), and postoperative laser suture lysis.Results: Of the 420 patients, 79 (18.8%) revealed choroidal detachments. The mean period between trabeculectomy and choroidal detachment was 6.1 ± 3.6 days. The mean IOP at the time of the choroidal detachment was 5.5 ± 3.6 mmHg. Age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.028/year, P = 0.0068) and postoperative IOP (OR = 0.887/mmHg, P < 0.0001) were risk factors for choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy. The subgroup analysis for eyes with open angle glaucoma (201 patients) revealed that age (OR = 1.060/year, P = 0.0040) and postoperative IOP (OR = 0.898/mmHg, P = 0.0110) were significant risk factors for choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy with MMC.Conclusion: Among glaucoma patients, older age and lower postoperative IOP are risk factors for choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy with MMC. In eyes with open angle glaucoma, older age and lower postoperative IOP are risk factors for choroidal detachment after trabeculectomy with MMC.Keywords: choroidal detachment, intraocular pressure, mitomycin C, trabeculectomy

PurposeTo investigate the effects of laser suture lysis (LSL) on filtration openings after trabeculectomy.MethodsProspective study analyzing the changes in the location and width of filtration openings, fluid cavity height, total bleb height, bleb wall thickness, and bleb wall intensity before and after LSL using three-dimensional anterior segment optical coherence tomography (3D AS-OCT).ResultsFourteen patients had clear scleral flap image analysis. As five patients underwent LSL twice and two patients underwent LSL thrice, 23 comparison studies were possible. After LSL the intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased (P=0.0015) from 20.5±5.3 to 14.9±6.4 mm Hg, and the fluid cavity height increased significantly from 0.2±0.2 mm to 0.3±0.1 mm (P=0.0094). Other bleb parameters were not significantly different when comparing before and after LSL. When the IOP reduction ratio was >25% following LSL, the width of the filtration openings on the LSL side, the total bleb height, and the fluid cavity height increased (P=0.0273, 0.0342, and 0.0024, respectively). In multiple regression analysis the changes in fluid cavity height, the wall thickness, the wall intensity, and the width of the filtration opening were positively associated with the IOP reduction rate (P=0.0428, 0.0226, 0.0420, and 0.0356, respectively).Conclusions3D AS-OCT allowed a detailed examination of the internal morphology of filtration blebs and openings before and after LSL. The changes in the internal morphology were closely associated with the success of LSL to decrease IOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The caveolin 1 to caveolin 2 (CAV1-CAV2) gene region on chromosome 7q31 has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in previous studies. We investigated whether genetic variants in the CAV1-CAV2 region are associated with NTG in Japanese patients. Two hundred and ninety-two Japanese patients with NTG and 352 Japanese healthy controls were recruited. We genotyped three single-nucleotide polymorphisms; that is, rs1052990, rs4236601, and rs7795356, in the CAV1-CAV2 gene region and assessed the allelic diversity among cases and controls. The frequency of the minor allele (G) of rs1052990 was significantly decreased in NTG cases compared with controls (P=0.014, OR=0.71), whereas NTG or POAG cases had a significantly higher frequency of the allele than controls in previous studies. Conversely, rs7795356 did not show any significant association with NTG cases, and rs4236601 was monomorphic in the Japanese study population. Our findings did not correspond with previous positive results, suggesting that CAV1-CAV2 variants studied in the present study are not important risk factors for NTG susceptibility in all populations. Further studies are needed to elucidate the possible contribution of the CAV1-CAV2 region to the development of glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between normal tension glaucoma and the candidate disease locus glaucoma 1, open angle, B (GLC1B) on chromosome 2. There are many reports describing the results of association or linkage studies for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), with GLC1B as one of the loci associated with normal or moderately elevated intraocular pressure. However, there are few reports about the association of genes or defined genomic regions with normal tension glaucoma, which is the leading type of glaucoma in Japan. The GLC1B locus is hypothesized to be a causative region for normal tension glaucoma. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood of normal tension glaucoma (n = 143) and healthy controls (n = 103) of Japanese origin. Results: Fifteen microsatellite markers within and/or near to the GLC1 B locus were genotyped, and their association with normal tension glaucoma was analysed. Two markers D2S2264 and D2S176 had significant positive associations. Conclusion: The D2S176 marker had the strongest significant association and it is located 24 kb from the nearest gene NCK2, which now becomes an important new candidate gene for future studies of its association with normal tension glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]