Search

Roberto Vessani, Thalyta Frota, Gabriella Shigetomi, Priscila Correa, Eduardo B Mariottoni, Ivan Tavares Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Paulista School of Medicine, São Paulo Hospital, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilCorrespondence: Roberto VessaniFederal University of São Paulo, Rua Pará 222, Apto 92, São Paulo, 01243020, BrazilTel +55 1132370707Email rmvessani@gmail.comPurpose: To evaluate the magnitude of change in optic disc, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular parameters measured by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) in glaucomatous eyes after filtration surgery, and to determine any possible relationship between these measurements and baseline factors.Patients and Methods: This multicenter, prospective, consecutive observational study included patients with open-angle glaucoma who required glaucoma filtering surgery (surgical group, 29 eyes) and those with stable disease (control group, 25 eyes). Patients from the surgical group underwent measurement of optic disc, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular parameters before and after surgery.Results: In the surgical group, there was a significant increase in rim area and a significant decrease in the linear cup/disc ratio, vertical cup/disc ratio and cup volume 1 and 2 months postoperatively (p< 0.05). No significant change in the mean RNFL thickness and also sectorial measurements were observed from baseline to 1 and 2 months after surgery (p> 0.05). Furthermore, significant increases in macular parameters were observed until 2 months after surgery (p< 0.05). No significant changes were observed for all SS-OCT measurements in the control group. There was a significant correlation between the magnitude of the structural measurements change and the IOP reduction for two topographic parameters (rim area and linear cup-disc ratio) and macular average thickness 1 month and 2 months postoperatively.Conclusion: In open-angle glaucoma patients submitted to surgical IOP reductions, improvements in topographic and macular OCT parameters measured by SS-OCT were observed for at least 2 months.Keywords: filtering surgery, intraocular pressure, optic disc, macula, optical coherence tomography

Background and ObjectivesTo determine optic nerve and retinal damage in aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in a large international cohort after previous studies have been limited by small and heterogeneous cohorts.MethodsThe cross-sectional Collaborative Retrospective Study on retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) in neuromyelitis optica collected retrospective data from 22 centers. Of 653 screened participants, we included 283 AQP4-IgG–seropositive patients with NMOSD and 72 healthy controls (HCs). Participants underwent OCT with central reading including quality control and intraretinal segmentation. The primary outcome was thickness of combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform (GCIP) layer; secondary outcomes were thickness of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and visual acuity (VA).ResultsEyes with ON (NMOSD-ON, N = 260) or without ON (NMOSD-NON, N = 241) were assessed compared with HCs (N = 136). In NMOSD-ON, GCIP layer (57.4 ± 12.2 μm) was reduced compared with HC (GCIP layer: 81.4 ± 5.7 μm, p < 0.001). GCIP layer loss (−22.7 μm) after the first ON was higher than after the next (−3.5 μm) and subsequent episodes. pRNFL observations were similar. NMOSD-NON exhibited reduced GCIP layer but not pRNFL compared with HC. VA was greatly reduced in NMOSD-ON compared with HC eyes, but did not differ between NMOSD-NON and HC.DiscussionOur results emphasize that attack prevention is key to avoid severe neuroaxonal damage and vision loss caused by ON in NMOSD. Therapies ameliorating attack-related damage, especially during a first attack, are an unmet clinical need. Mild signs of neuroaxonal changes without apparent vision loss in ON-unaffected eyes might be solely due to contralateral ON attacks and do not suggest clinically relevant progression but need further investigation.

Background: patients with anti-aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive (AQP4-IgG+) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) frequently suffer from optic neuritis (ON) leading to severe retinal neuroaxonal damage. Further, the relationship of this retinal damage to a primary astrocytopathy in NMOSD is uncertain. Primary astrocytopathy has been suggested to cause ON-independent retinal damage and contribute to changes particularly in the outer plexiform layer (OPL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL), as reported in some earlier studies. However, these were limited in their sample size and contradictory as to the localisation. This study assesses outer retinal layer changes using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a multicentre cross-sectional cohort. Method: 197 patients who were AQP4-IgG+ and 32 myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein antibody seropositive (MOG-IgG+) patients were enrolled in this study along with 75 healthy controls. Participants underwent neurological examination and OCT with central postprocessing conducted at a single site. Results: no significant thinning of OPL (25.02 +/- 2.03 mu m) or ONL (61.63 +/- 7.04 mu m) were observed in patients who were AQP4-IgG+ compared with patients who were MOG-IgG+ with comparable neuroaxonal damage (OPL: 25.10 +/- 2.00 mu m; ONL: 64.71 +/- 7.87 mu m) or healthy controls (OPL: 24.58 +/- 1.64 mu m; ONL: 63.59 +/- 5.78 mu m). Eyes of patients who were AQP4-IgG+ (19.84 +/- 5.09 mu m, p=0.027) and MOG-IgG+ (19.82 +/- 4.78 mu m, p=0.004) with a history of ON showed parafoveal OPL thinning compared with healthy controls (20.99 +/- 5.14 mu m); this was not observed elsewhere. Conclusion: the results suggest that outer retinal layer loss is not a consistent component of retinal astrocytic damage in AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD. Longitudinal studies are necessary to determine if OPL and ONL are damaged in late disease due to retrograde trans-synaptic axonal degeneration and whether outer retinal dysfunction occurs despite any measurable structural correlates., Guthy Jackson Charitable Foundation (GJCF); German Research Foundation (DFG)

PurposeTo propose a reference standard for the definition of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) consisting of objective parameters from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP), and to apply it to the development and evaluation of a deep learning (DL) algorithm to detect glaucomatous damage on fundus photographs.DesignRetrospective, cross-sectional study.MethodsData were extracted from the Duke Glaucoma Registry and included 2,927 eyes of 2,025 participants with fundus photos, SDOCT and SAP acquired within six months. Eyes were classified as GON versus normal based on a combination of objective SDOCT and SAP criteria. A DL convolutional neural network was trained to predict the probability of GON from fundus photos. The algorithm was tested on an independent sample with performance assessed by sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and likelihood ratios (LR).ResultsThe test sample included 585 eyes of 405 participants. The median DL probability of glaucoma in eyes with GON was 99.8% versus 0.03% for normal eyes (P < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.92 and sensitivity of 77% at 95% specificity. LRs indicated that the DL algorithm provided large changes in the post-test probability of disease for the majority of eyes.ConclusionsThe DL algorithm had high performance to discriminate eyes with GON from normal. The newly proposed objective definition of GON used as reference standard may increase the comparability of diagnostic studies of glaucoma across devices and populations, helping to improve the development and assessment of tests in clinical practice.

Julia D Rossetto, Luiz Alberto S Melo Jr, Mauro S Campos, Ivan M Tavares Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Paulista School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Objectives: To assess agreement among ophthalmology residents and a glaucoma expert in the evaluation of cross-sectional glaucomatous optic nerve head characteristics using stereoscopic photographs. Methods: Twenty stereo photographs were analyzed by ophthalmology residents just after completion of their first (First-Year Group) or third (Third-Year Group) year of residency and by a glaucoma expert. The agreement was assessed using the kappa statistic (κ) and limits of agreement. Results: Agreement among resident groups and the expert ranged from poor to moderate. Agreement between Third Years and the expert seems to be better than that between First Years and the expert, especially in the evaluation of “nasal cupping”, “barring circumlinear vessel,” “notching”, and “retinal nerve fiber layer defect” criteria. However, no improvement was seen in the agreement with the expert regarding glaucomatous optic neuropathy, which was 64% (κ=0.19) for First Years and 63% (κ=0.20) for Third Years. Conclusion: Agreement between residents and the expert was poor to moderate and similar when comparing both groups. This may suggest that the residents learn how to identify glaucoma signals during the first year of training, and the results of this study may facilitate the creation of targeted teaching tools in residency training. Keywords: optic disk, residency and internship, medical education, glaucoma&nbsp

Objective To study the automated segmentation of retinal layers using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the impact of manual correction over segmentation mistakes. Methods This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, comparative study that compared the automated segmentation of macular thickness using Spectralis™ OCT technology (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) versus manual segmentation in eyes with no macular changes, macular cystoid edema (CME), and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Automated segmentation of macular thickness was manually corrected by two independent examiners and reanalyzed by them together in case of disagreement. Results In total, 306 eyes of 254 consecutive patients were evaluated. No statistically significant differences were noted between automated and manual macular thickness measurements in patients with normal maculas, while a statistically significant difference was found in central thickness in patients with CNV and with CME. Segmentation mistakes in macular OCTs were present in 5.3% (5 of 95) in the normal macula group, 16.4% (23 of 140) in the CME group, and 66.2% (47 of 71) in CNV group. The difference between automated and manual macular thickness was higher than 10% in 1.4% (2 of 140) in the CME group and in 28.17% (20 of 71) in the CNV group. Only one case in the normal group had a higher than 10% segmentation error (1 of 95). Conclusion The evaluation of automated segmented OCT images revealed appropriate delimitation of macular thickness in patients with no macular changes or with CME, since the frequency and magnitude of the segmentation mistakes had low impact over clinical evaluation of the images. Conversely, automated macular thickness segmentation in patients with CNV showed a high frequency and magnitude of mistakes, with potential impact on clinical analysis.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a espessura central da cornea (ECC) e a pressao intraocular (PIO) em recem-nascidos (RN) a termo, correlacionando seus valores entre as variaveis peso, sexo e idade pos-concepcao (PCA). Metodos: A pressao intraocular e a espessura central da cornea foram determi­nadas em 52 recem-nascidos a termo com idade gestacional media de 39,43 ± 1,03 semanas, peso medio de nascimento de 3.273 ± 558 g. A media de idade durante as medicoes apos o nascimento foi 1,15 ± 1,38 dias. A pressao intraocular foi determinada com Tono-pen. A espessura central da cornea foi determinada com paquimetro ultrassonico portatil. Resultados: A pressao intraocular media foi de 14,0 ± 2,91 mmHg em ambos os sexos, de 13,77 ± 2,88 mmHg nos recem-nascidos do sexo masculino e 14,32 ± 3,05 mmHg nos recem-nascidos do sexo feminino. A espessura central da cornea media foi de 605,87 ± 62,98 µm em ambos os sexos; de 626,70 ± 67,46 µm recem-nascidos do sexo masculino e de 577,45 ± 45,50 µm nos recem-nascidos do sexo feminino. A maior media da espessura da cornea foi no sexo masculino. A variavel idade pos-concepcao teve uma relacao decrescente com espessura central da cornea, pressao intraocular e peso, porem, a correlacao so foi significante com a espessura central da cornea. Na comparacao entre os sexos houve diferencas significativas para duas variaveis: peso e espessura central da cornea. Conclusoes: Nao houve relacao entre a espessura central da cornea e a pressao intraocular neste estudo, entretanto verificou-se que existe uma relacao de aumento de peso com a espessura central da cornea.

CAPES/Ministry of Education of Brazil CNPq/Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil Our objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracies of and to determine the correlations between the disc damage likelihood scale (DDLS) and anatomical and functional tests used for glaucoma detection. A total of 54 healthy subjects (54 eyes) and 47 primary open-angle glaucoma patients (47 eyes) were included in this cross-sectional observational study. DDLS scores and cup-to-disc (C/D) ratios were evaluated. Subjects underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP), optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) imaging with time and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (TD and SD-OCT), Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT II), and scanning laser polarimetry (GDx-VCC). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AROCs) for DDLS and diagnostic tests parameters were calculated. DDLS correlations (Spearman's rank) among these parameters were analyzed. Fifty-four eyes were healthy and 47 had glaucoma, including 16 preperimetric glaucoma. DDLS, vertical and horizontal C/D ratios had the largest AROCs (0.92, 0.94 and 0.91, respectively). DDLS diagnostic accuracy was better than the accuracies of HRT II parameters, TD and SD-OCT RNFL thicknesses, and SAP mean deviation (MD) index. There were no significant differences between the accuracies of the DDLS and the C/D ratios, TD-OCT vertical (0.89) and horizontal (0.86) C/D ratios, TD-OCT C/D area ratio (0.89), and GDx-VCC NFI (0.81). DDLS showed significant strong correlations with vertical (r = 0.79) and horizontal (0.74) C/D ratios, and with the parameters vertical C/D ratio and C/D area ratio from HRT II (both 0.77) and TD-OCT (0.75 and 0.72, respectively). DDLS had significant moderate correlations with most of the other structural measurements and SAP MD. The optic disc clinical evaluation with DDLS system and C/D ratio demonstrated excellent accuracy in distinguishing glaucomatous from healthy eyes. DDLS had moderate to strong correlations with most structural and functional parameters. These findings stress the importance of optic disc clinical examination to detect glaucoma in a clinical scenario. Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Ophthalmol & Visual Sci, Glaucoma Div, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Ophthalmol & Visual Sci, Glaucoma Div, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil CAPES CNPq Web of Science

Purpose. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) counts as estimated by combining data from standard automated perimetry (SAP) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).Methods. Healthy individuals and glaucoma patients were included in this cross-sectional study. All eyes underwent 24-2 SITA SAP and structural imaging tests. RGC count estimates were obtained using a previously described algorithm, which combines estimates of RGC numbers from SAP sensitivity thresholds and SD-OCT retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) average thickness.Results. A total of 119 eyes were evaluated, including 75 eyes of 48 healthy individuals and 44 eyes of 29 glaucoma patients. RGC count estimates performed better than data derived from SD-OCT RNFL average thickness or SAP mean deviation alone (area under ROC curves: 0.98, 0.92, and 0.79;P<0.001) for discriminating healthy from glaucomatous eyes, even in a subgroup of eyes with mild disease (0.97, 0.88, and 0.75;P<0.001). There was a strong and significant correlation between estimates of RGC numbers derived from SAP and SD-OCT (R2=0.74;P<0.001).Conclusion. RGC count estimates obtained by combined structural and functional data showed excellent diagnostic accuracy for discriminating the healthy from the glaucomatous eyes and performed better than isolated structural and functional parameters.

André Soares de Camargo, Luiz Alberto Soares Melo Jr, Flavio Eduardo Hirai, Ivan Maynart Tavares Glaucoma Service, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Paulista Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil Purpose: To analyze the influence of manual correction of the automatically determined edge of the optic nerve head (ONH) in optic disc measurements in cases in which the optical coherence tomography did not identify the disc limits correctly. Methods: The study included 127 eyes from 127 consecutive patients with glaucoma, suspects, and healthy individuals. In a retrospective analysis, eyes that underwent testing with the Stratus OCT (software version 4.0, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA) Fast Optic Disc protocol were evaluated. Forty-seven eyes in which either the manual assignment was not necessary or the signal strength was below six were excluded. After image acquisition and processing, one expert examiner manually corrected the determination of the edge of the ONH, identified as the end of the retinal pigment epithelium/choriocapillaris complex. Disc area, cup area, rim area, and cup/disc area ratio results were compared before and after the optic disc margin manually corrected determination. Paired t-test was performed to evaluate the differences, and Bland–Altman plots were used to display the relationships between measurements. Results: Eighty eyes from 80 individuals were included in the analyses. No statistically significant difference (P=0.538) was found when analyzing results obtained with automated and manual determination of rim area (mean ± standard deviation; 1.30±0.45 mm2 and 1.29±0.39 mm2, respectively). Cup area (1.39±0.58 mm2 and 1.31±0.55 mm2, respectively), cup/disc area ratio (0.50±0.16 mm2 and 0.49±0.15 mm2, respectively), and disc area results (2.69±0.55 mm2 and 2.60±0.51 mm2, respectively) were significantly different. Conclusion: The Stratus OCT ONH Report results were little influenced when optic disc limits were manually determined. Therefore the standard automated Stratus OCT disc margin assignment is adequate, and manual correction is not necessary. Keywords: optical coherence tomography, optic nerve head, glaucoma, diagnosis

To establish a reference range for normal fetal eye volume (FEV) by three-dimensional ultrasound using Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis (VOCAL) method and compare the reproducibility between the two trace modes (manual and sphere).This prospective, longitudinal observational study was performed at a single center and involved 71 eyes of 37 fetuses between 17 and 40 weeks of gestational age. Only pregnancies without fetal growth restriction, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or major fetal malformation were included. Fetuses' eye measurements were obtained by a single observer during routine ultrasonographic examination.Mean FEV manual mode ranged from 309.5 ± 80.1 mm(3) at 17-18 weeks to 2552.1 ± 384.9 mm(3) at 39-40 weeks. Mean FEV sphere mode ranged from 394.8 ± 71.8 mm(3) at 17-18 weeks to 2682.1 ± 343.4 mm(3) at 39-40 weeks. Correlations ranged from R² = 0.85 (transversal diameter and gestational age) to R² = 0.91 (FEV sphere mode and gestational age). All correlations were statistically significant (P0.001). Although highly correlated (R² = 0.97, P0.001), there was a fixed bias between manual and sphere measurements. The agreement between these measurements showed no proportional bias (P = 0.89).The present study establishes reference values for FEV using the VOCAL method manual mode. These normal growth parameters can be used in routine ultrasound assessment of the fetal eye, especially in families at risk of genetic diseases that affect ocular growth, such as congenital glaucoma.

Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a progressive optic neuropathy with intraocular pressure (IOP) within the statistically normal range (≤21 mmHg). The prevalence of NTG varies widely among different population studies, being the most prevalent open-angle glaucoma subtype in some reports. The etiology of NTG possibly is multifactorial and still not well defined. Alternative treatments have been proposed based on pathogenesis details. However, in clinical practice, adequate reduction of IOP remains the keystone of managing patients with NTG. We review the pathogenesis of NTG and the available therapies for this optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect of anecortave acetate, delivered by anterior juxtascleral depot injection, in eyes with various forms of glaucoma. METHODS A prospective, interventional case series was carried out. Twenty-eight uncontrolled glaucoma patients received a single injection of anecortave acetate (24 to 30 mg) in 1 selected eye under topical anesthesia. Postinjection assessments were scheduled at week 1 and months 1, 2, and 3. RESULTS Mean ± SD age of patients was 58.2 ± 18.6 years. Twelve patients had open-angle glaucoma and 16 had angle-closure glaucoma. Uveitic/steroid-induced glaucoma was the most frequent diagnosis (11 patients, 39.2%). Mean baseline IOP was 30.7 ± 9.3 mm Hg. Mean IOP at week 1 and months 1, 2, and 3 were 21.3 ± 6.1, 19.8 ± 6.3, 20.9 ± 7.3, and 21.7 ± 6.8 mm Hg, respectively. Significant mean IOP reductions were observed at week 1 and months 1, 2, and 3 (29.3%, 33.8%, 30.1%, and 27.2%, respectively; P

To assess the influence of glaucoma filtration surgery on anatomical and functional tests for glaucoma evaluation.Twenty-five eyes (25 patients) with primary open-angle glaucoma were evaluated, prospectively. Data were collected on vision acuity, intraocular pressure, standard automated perimetry, frequency doubling technology perimetry, scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT II) before and 3-6 months after surgery.Mean (+/-SD) pre- and postoperative visual acuities (logMAR) were 0.28 (+/-0.18) and 0.30 (+/-0.17), respectively (P=0.346). In a mean time of 4.5 (+/-1.1) months after surgery, the mean preoperative intraocular pressure of 20.7 (+/-5.4) mmHg decreased to 11.04 (+/-2.52) mmHg (P0.001). The results of the standard automated perimetry, frequency doubling technology perimetry, scanning laser polarimetry and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy diagnostic methods revealed no significant difference (P0.162) between pre and postoperative values and no significant correlation (P0.296) between intraocular pressure reduction and value changes.No significant change on any test variable was detected after glaucoma filtration surgery. Trabeculectomy does not appear to influence standard automated perimetry, frequency doubling technology perimetry, scanning laser polarimetry and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT II) results after a 4.5-month period of surgery in early to moderate glaucoma.

Normal tension glaucoma is an optic neuropathy in which the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is reduced, the optic nerve is pathologically excavated, and the visual field is disturbed, although intraocular pressure is classified as normal. Patients with normal tension glaucoma are a heterogeneous group in which many systemic pathologic conditions may be present, and presenting ocular clinical signs that are difficult to be identified in the early stages of the disease. Treatment is more challenging than in hypertensive glaucomas. The authors sought to review the pathophysiology and differential diagnosis of this condition assessing vascular, rheumatic, neurological and genetic aspects that should be studied, as well as its treatment. The sources of references are PubMed (MEDLINE), LILACS and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases.

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a influência da utilização do colírio anestésico, bem como verificar o comportamento da medida da pressão intra-ocular (Po) com a adaptação (aprendizado) do paciente à tonometria de não-contato (TNC). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo clínico randomizado duplo-mascarado em que se avaliaram 24 olhos de 24 voluntários normais, sem experiência prévia com a TNC, divididos em 2 grupos: grupo I (TNC com instilação prévia de colírio anestésico seguido de tonometria de aplanação de Goldmann (TAG)) e grupo II (TNC com instilação prévia de colírio placebo seguido de TAG). As medidas da Po foram realizadas em três visitas com intervalo de um a três dias aproximadamente no mesmo horário. RESULTADOS: Constatou-se a Po por meio da TAG como a única variável preditora estatisticamente significante (p < 0,05) para a TNC. Não houve diferença na variação da Po entre os grupos (p = 0,884), tampouco entre as visitas (p = 0,144). Houve melhor correlação entre a TNC e TAG no grupo II em relação ao grupo I em todas as visitas, porém esta diferença não se mostrou estatisticamente significante (p = 0,4853). CONCLUSÕES: A utilização de anestésico tópico e a adaptação de indivíduos normais ao exame de tonometria de não-contato não demonstraram influência significante sobre a medida da Po obtida por este método. PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of the previous instillation of anesthetic eye drops, as well as to verify intraocular pressure (IOP) performance with adaptation to noncontact tonometry (NCT). METHODS: A randomized double-masked study in which 24 eyes of 24 normal volunteers were studied, divided into group I (NCT with anesthetic instillation) and group II (NCT with placebo instillation). Subjects in both groups were submitted to Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) after NCT. IOP was measured on three different visits, with an interval of 1 to 3 days. RESULTS: IOP measured with GAT was the only statistically significant predictor variable (p

Background To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in eyes of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuritis (CRION). Methods Evaluation of 62 patients with RRMS, NMO, and CRION in a cross-sectional study with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Results A total of 124 eyes were evaluated (96 RRMS, 18 NMO, and 10 CRION). Frequency of optic neuritis for each disease was: 34% for RRMS, 84% for NMO, and 100% for CRION. Visual acuity and RNFL thickness were significantly worse in NMO and CRION eyes than in RRMS, but there were no differences between NMO and CRION eyes. A RNFL of 41 μm was 100% specific for optic neuritis associated with NMO and CRION when compared to RRMS. Conclusion This study established RNFL values to differentiate optic neuritis of RRMS from NMO and CRION. Although similarities observed between NMO and CRION eyes might suggest that they are within the same disease spectrum, it is still recommended that these 2 conditions be differentiated on clinical grounds. Optical coherence tomography serves as an additional diagnostic tool and can be used to monitor disease progression.

To evaluate the spatial association between visual field (VF) sensitivity loss and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus.Fifty-one eyes of 51 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients and 22 eyes of 22 control subjects were enrolled. Patients were evaluated using the Fast RNFL scan strategy on Stratus OCT and the 24-2 full-threshold program on the Humphrey Matrix frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimeter. Associations between RNFL thickness and VF sensitivity were evaluated globally, in 12 clock-hour optical coherence tomography sectors and in 21 VF zones; linear and quadratic regression models were used in the statistical analysis.The linear and quadratic regression associations between the FDT Matrix pattern standard deviation and the average RNFL thickness in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients were r2 = 0.185 and r2 = 0.218 (P0.05), respectively. The correlation between the FDT Matrix mean deviation and the average RNFL thickness was not significant (P0.05). Stronger associations were found when regional RNFL thinning was compared with locally measured FDT Matrix pattern deviation, especially between nasal RNFL measurements and temporal VF zones, and between superior RNFL measurements and inferior VF zones.Retinal nerve fiber layer thinning was related to VF sensitivity loss in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients and regional associations between optical coherence tomography and FDT Matrix sectors were stronger than the associations between global measurements.

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences UNIFESP, EPM, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences SciELO

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a resposta inflamatória associada com o uso de pericárdio suíno processado e esclera homóloga preservada em glicerina no recobrimento de tubo de drenagem de silicone utilizado em cirurgia de glaucoma em modelo experimental. MÉTODOS: Oito olhos de 8 coelhos albinos da raça Nova Zelândia receberam enxertos do mesmo tamanho de esclera homóloga, preservada em glicerina ou pericárdio suíno processado, suturados à esclera recobrindo um tubo de silicone. Os olhos foram avaliados quanto à hiperemia conjuntival de modo mascarado na primeira, terceira e sétima semanas de pós-operatório. Após a sétima semana os olhos foram enucleados e submetidos a estudo histopatológico. Os olhos também foram avaliados quanto à presença de afinamento do enxerto, exposição do tubo e quemose. RESULTADOS: Não ocorreram casos de afinamento do enxerto ou exposição do tubo, porém o pericárdio suíno esteve associado clinicamente a uma maior inflamação. Achados à microscopia óptica incluíram intensa reação inflamatória em torno do enxerto de pericárdio com formação de granuloma do tipo corpo estranho. Por outro lado, no grupo que recebeu esclera, ocorreu formação de granulomas apenas em torno dos fios de sutura. CONCLUSÃO: O pericárdio suíno esteve associado a maior inflamação tanto à histopatologia quanto clinicamente, quando usado no recobrimento de tubo de silicone, em comparação à esclera homóloga preservada em glicerina, durante o período de acompanhamento de sete semanas. PURPOSE: To evaluate the inflammatory response associated with the use of processed porcine pericardium and glycerin-preserved homologous sclera as silicone glaucoma drainage device coverage in a rabbit experimental model. METHODS: Eight New Zealand white rabbits' eyes received an equal-sized glycerin-preserved homologous scleral patch or a double-layered processed porcine pericardium that was sutured to the bare sclera covering a silicone tube. Conjunctival hyperemia was graded using the double-blind method during the immediate postoperative period and during the first, third, and seventh postoperative weeks. After the seventh week, the enucleated eyes were histopathologically examined. They were also evaluated for signs of patch graft melting, tube erosion and chemosis. RESULTS: There was no occurrence of graft melting or tube exposure, although porcine pericardium was associated with greater inflammation through clinical observation. Light microscopy revealed marked inflammation surrounding the porcine pericardium with foreign body granuloma formation. On the other hand, the sclera group presented milder inflammation with foreign body granulomas only around the sutures. CONCLUSIONS: Porcine pericardium is associated with significant inflammation when used as tube coverage in a rabbit model, at both histopathologic and clinical levels, when compared to glycerin-preserved homologous sclera during the seven-week follow-up period. Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - UNIFESP Departamento de Oftalmologia UNIFESP Departamento de Oftalmologia UNIFESP Departamento de Oftalmologia Setor de Glaucoma UNIFESP Departamento de Patologia UNIFESP, Depto. de Oftalmologia UNIFESP, Depto. de Oftalmologia UNIFESP, Depto. de Oftalmologia Setor de Glaucoma UNIFESP, Depto. de Patologia SciELO

PURPOSE To determine the spatial characteristics of glaucomatous visual field progression in persons with glaucomatous-appearing optic neuropathy (GON) from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS). METHODS Changes in pattern deviation (PD) plot values from the average of two baseline examinations to two follow-up examinations were evaluated in test locations. All were eligible, full threshold, pattern 24-2, standard automated perimetry (SAP) examinations (Humphrey Field Analyzer II; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA) in visual field series from 200 patients with GON confirmed on two occasions by stereophoto review. The proportion of patients exhibiting PD plot progression was determined at each of 52 locations for patients with a baseline abnormal result (P < 5% or worse) in one or more of 52 PD locations in either the first or second baseline test for a total of 2704 location pairings for each possible level of negative PD change from -1 to -50 dB. Progression was defined as any worsening of PD plot value in the follow-up test relative to the average PD plot value in the baseline tests. Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the significance of the observed patterns of PD plot progression. RESULTS Changes in PDs were dependent on their location relative to abnormal PD locations in the first test. Of those patients with an abnormality at a location at baseline (mean, 0.23 +/- 0.07), the proportion of patients changing by -2 dB or more ranged between 0.09 and 0.55 (mean, 0.29 +/- 0.06) across locations. For changes of -6 dB or more, the proportions ranged between 0.00 and 0.26 (mean, 0.08 +/- 0.04) of patients. These proportions and the proportional probabilities for each of 2704 location pairings are reported for selected levels of change. The proportional probabilities are consistent with a map of the retinal nerve fiber layer bundles. CONCLUSIONS Visual field progression occurs in retinotopically constrained patterns consistent with changes along the nerve fiber bundle.

To examine the variability and to evaluate the influence of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) on the criteria for published definition of ocular hypertension (OH).Systematic literature review.All articles about OH published between January 1995 and July 2005 from the 3 clinical journals of ophthalmology were identified by a literature search. They were reviewed to determine the criteria used to define OH, including intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness, visual field and optic disc assessment.There were 133 studies published on OH during the period under study. As a goal of the current study was to evaluate the influence of the publication of the OHTS results on the definition of OH used in the literature, all reports from the OHTS and its ancillary studies (n = 11) were excluded from the main analysis. After the exclusion of the OHTS reports, a total of 122 studies were used in the analysis. The intraocular pressure cut-off level used for OH diagnosis ranged from 18 to 26 mm Hg, with a mode of 22 mm Hg (49.2%). Only 13.1% of the articles reported central corneal thickness, and these were distributed evenly during the 10-year period under study. Visual field assessment was reported by most of the studies (110; 90.2%), but only 45% of them defined the criteria to classify a field as normal or glaucomatous. Further, only 37 of the 57 articles that reported the method of optic disc assessment described the criteria used to classify optic discs.The criteria used to define OH during the past 10 years have been highly variable. This wide variation suggests the important need for a standardized definition of OH.

To compare the strength of the structure-function association between scanning laser polarimetry-measured retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and visual sensitivity. Two methods of corneal compensation were evaluated, variable corneal compensation (VCC) and enhanced corneal compensation (ECC).Observational case series.One hundred twenty-seven glaucoma (repeatable abnormal visual fields [VF] by pattern standard deviation and/or glaucoma hemifield test) or glaucoma suspect (glaucomatous-appearing discs by photograph assessment without field defects) participants in the University of California, San Diego Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study.One eye of each participant was imaged using GDx VCC and GDx ECC on the same day. Visual fields tested using the Humphrey Field Analyzer (with Swedish interactive threshold algorithm) were obtained within 6 months of imaging.The associations (R2) using linear and logarithmic regression between RNFL thicknesses measured in 6 sectors (inferior, inferotemporal, temporal, superotemporal, superior, nasal) with VCC and ECC and VF sensitivities (decibel threshold measurements) measured in 6 corresponding sectors were compared. Comparisons were made using paired t tests on the log-transformed absolute values of regression residuals.Using GDx VCC, 32 scans had a typical scan score (TSS)or = 78 (lowest quartile) and no ECC scans had TSS86. Most RNFL thickness measurements obtained using GDx VCC were significantly greater than those measured using GDx ECC. Regional structure-function associations (R2) ranged from 0.03 (temporal RNFL) to 0.22 (superotemporal RNFL) for VCC and from 0.01 (temporal RNFL) to 0.26 (superotemporal RNFL) for ECC. Associations generally were slightly stronger for ECC than for VCC, although these differences were only significant for inferotemporal RNFL (R2 = 0.19 and 0.11, for ECC and VCC, respectively).The RNFL thickness associations with VF sensitivity are stronger using ECC compared with VCC, suggesting that ECC provides a better cross-sectional representation of visual function than VCC.

Purpose To assess whether baseline retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT2; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California, USA) are predictive of the development of glaucomatous change. Design Cohort study. Methods Participants were recruited from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) longitudinal Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS). One eye was studied from each of 114 glaucoma suspects with normal standard automated perimetry (SAP) and OCT RNFL imaging at baseline. The cohort was divided into two groups based on the development of glaucomatous change (repeatable abnormal visual fields and/or a change in the stereophotographic appearance of the optic disk). Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the predictive ability of OCT RNFL thickness measurements. Results Over a 4.2-year average follow-up period, 23 eyes (20%) developed glaucomatous changes and 91 (80%) did not. At baseline, thinner RNFL measurements, higher SAP pattern standard deviation (PSD), “glaucoma” stereophotograph assessment, and thinner central corneal thickness (CCT) were associated with the study endpoints in univariate analysis. After adjusting for age, intraocular pressure (IOP), CCT, and PSD in multivariate models, a 10 μm thinner average, superior and inferior RNFL at baseline was predictive of glaucomatous change [hazard ratio (95% CI); 1.51 (1.11 to 2.12), 1.57 (1.17 to 2.18), and 1.49, (1.19 to 1.91), respectively]. Results were consistent when stereophotographic assessment was included in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Thinner OCT RNFL measurements at baseline were associated with development of glaucomatous change in glaucoma suspect eyes. RNFL thinning was an independent predictor of the glaucomatous change, even when adjusting for stereophotograph assessment, age, IOP, CCT, and PSD.

PURPOSE. To assess the strength of the association between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic disc topography measured with confocal retinal tomography (HRT II; Heidelberg Engineering, Dossenheim, Germany), optical coherence tomography (StratusOCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA), and scanning laser polarimetry (GDx with variable corneal compensator, VCC; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.), and visual field (VF) sensitivity and to determine whether this association is better expressed as a linear or nonlinear function. METHODS. One hundred twenty-seven patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma and 127 healthy eyes from enrollees in the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS) were tested on HRT II, StratusOCT, GDx VCC, and standard automated perimetry (SAP, with the Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm [SITA]) within 3 months of each other. Linear and logarithmic associations between RNFL thickness (HRT II, StratusOCT, and GDx VCC) and neuroretinal rim area (HRT II) and SAP sensitivity expressed in decibels were determined globally and for six RNFL/optic disc regions (inferonasal, inferotemporal, temporal, superotemporal, superonasal, and nasal) and six corresponding VF regions (superior, superonasal, nasal, inferonasal, inferior, and temporal). RESULTS. The associations (R 2 ) between global and regional RNFL/optic disc measurements and VF sensitivity ranged from