Search

Purpose: To assess the effect of clinical factors on the development and progression of atrophy and fibrosis in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) receiving long-term treatment in the real world. Methods: An ambispective 36-month multicentre study, involving 359 nAMD patients from 17 Spanish hospitals treated according to the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society guidelines, was designed. The influence of demographic and clinical factors, including the presence and location of retinal fluid, on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and progression to atrophy and/or fibrosis were analysed. Results: After 36 months of follow-up and an average of 13.8 anti-VEGF intravitreal injections, the average BCVA gain was +1.5 letters, and atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 54.8% of nAMD patients (OR = 8.54, 95% CI = 5.85-12.47, compared to baseline). Atrophy was associated with basal intraretinal fluid (IRF) (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.09-3.20), whereas basal subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with a lower rate of atrophy (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.23-0.71) and its progression (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.26-0.75), leading to a slow progression rate (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14-0.83). Fibrosis development and progression were related to IRF at any visit (p < 0.001). In contrast, 36-month SRF was related to a lower rate of fibrosis (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.81) and its progression (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.81). Conclusion: Atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 1 of 2 nAMD patients treated for 3 years. Both, especially fibrosis, lead to vision loss. Subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with good visual outcomes and lower rates of atrophy and fibrosis, whereas IRF yields worse visual results and a higher risk of atrophy and especially fibrosis in routine clinical practice.

Current management of diabetic macular edema (DME) predominantly involves treatment with short-acting intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGFs) and/or corticosteroids; however, short-acting therapies (lasting between 1 and 6 months) require frequent injections to maintain efficacy, meaning a considerable treatment burden for diabetic patients with multiple comorbidities. Continuous injections needed in some cases are an economic burden for patients/healthcare system, so real-life clinical practice tends to adopt a reactive approach, ie, watch and wait for worsening symptoms, which consequently increases the risk of undertreatment and edema recurrence. On March 7th 2019, a group of experts in retinal medicine and surgery held a roundtable meeting in Madrid, Spain to discuss how to (1) optimize clinical outcomes through earlier use of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant (ILUVIEN®) in patients with persistent or recurrent DME despite therapy; and, (2) to provide guidance to assist physicians in deciding which patients should be treated with ILUVIEN. In this regard, a 36-month follow-up consensus protocol is presented. In conclusion, patients that achieve a complete or partial anatomical, and preferably functional, response following one or two intravitreal dexametha-sone implants, but with recurrence of edema after 3–4 months, are deemed by the authors most likely to benefit from ILUVIEN, and the switch to FAc implant should not be delayed more than 12 months after the initiation of at least the first dexamethasone implant.

Background: To assess the retinal sensitivity in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients evaluated with standard automated perimetry (SAP). And to correlate the functional SAP results with structural parameters obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: This prospective, observational, case-control study consisted of 63 eyes of 63 OSAHS patients (mean age 51.7 ± 12.7 years, best corrected visual acuity =20/25, refractive error less than three spherical or two cylindrical diopters, and intraocular pressure < 21 mmHg) who were enrolled and compared with 38 eyes of 38 age-matched controls. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was measured by Stratus OCT and SAP sensitivities and indices were explored with Humphrey Field Analyzer perimeter. Correlations between functional and structural parameters were calculated, as well as the relationship between ophthalmologic and systemic indices in OSAHS patients. Results: OSAHS patients showed a significant reduction of the sensitivity for superior visual field division (p = 0.034, t-student test). When dividing the OSAHS group in accordance with the severity of the disease, nasal peripapillary RNFL thickness was significantly lower in severe OSAHS than that in controls and mild-moderate cases (p = 0.031 and p = 0.016 respectively, Mann-Whitney U test). There were no differences between groups for SAP parameters. We found no correlation between structural and functional variables. The central visual field sensitivity of the SAP revealed a poor Pearson correlation with the apnea-hipopnea index (0.284, p = 0.024). Conclusions: Retinal sensitivity show minor differences between healthy subjects and OSAHS. Functional deterioration in OSAHS patients is not easy to demonstrate with visual field examination.

Pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) is the most common complication of cataract surgery, leading in some cases to a decrease in vision. Although the pathogenesis of PCME is not completely understood, the contribution of postsurgical inflammation is generally accepted. Consequently, anti-inflammatory medicines, including steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have been postulated as having a role in both the prophylaxis and treatment of PCME. However, the lack of a uniformly accepted PCME definition, conflicting data on some risk factors, and the scarcity of studies comparing the role of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to steroids in PCME prevention make the problem of PCME one of the puzzles of ophthalmology. This paper presents an updated review on the pathogenesis, risk factors, and use of anti-inflammatory drugs in PCME that reflect current research and practice.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of glaucoma drainage device Ex-PRESS® P-50 for combined cataract surgery and glaucoma. Methods: Patients having cataract and open angle glaucoma or patients with open advanced glaucoma which needed two or more antiglaucoma medications were included. Combined cataract surgery and glaucoma with Ex-PRESS® P-50 model placed under scleral flap was performed. Results: Out of 40 eyes of 40 patients (55% male and 45% female) completed the study during one-year follow-up. The mean of age was 76.6±11.02y. The intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased significantly during the 12-month follow-up from 23.5 mm Hg to 16.8 mm Hg (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, P

A finite element model (FE) of the eye including cornea, sclera, crystalline lens, and ciliary body was created to analyze the influence of the silicone encircling bandwidth and the tightness degree on the myopia induced by scleral buckling (SB) procedure for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was applied to the reference geometry of the FE model and then SB surgery was simulated with encircling bandwidths of 1, 2, and 2.5 mm. Different levels of tightening and three values of IOP were applied. The anterior segment resulted as unaffected by the surgery. The highest value of Cauchy stress appeared in the surroundings of the implant, whereas no increment of stress was observed either in anterior segment or in the optic nerve head. The initial IOP did not appear to play any role in the induced myopia. The wider the band, the greater the induced myopia: 0.44, 0.88, and 1.07 diopters (D) for the 1, 2, and 2.5 mm bandwidth, respectively. Therefore, patients become more myopic with a wider encircling element. The proposed simulations allow determining the effect of the bandwidth or the tightness degree on the axial lengthening, thus predicting the myopic increment caused by the encircling surgery.

El etambutol e isoniacida son tuberculostáticos para la tuberculosis multirresistente cuyo efecto adverso es la neuropatía óptica, con pérdida de visión, alteración de percepción de los colores y escotomas cecocentrales. Se presenta el caso de una mujer nigeriana de 59 años con antecedentes de tuberculosis miliar que desarrolló neuropatía óptica bilateral severa secundaria aetambutol e isoniacida La presión intraocular, fondo de ojo y polo anterior eran normales. La campimetría mostraba constricción periférica de 360º y escotoma central. La resonancia magnética craneal y orbitaria fue normal. Diez meses tras suspender el tratamiento recuperó la visión con mejoría del campo visual. La toxicidad de los antituberculosos se puede asociar en raras ocasiones a la pérdida de visión. Ambos ojos se suelen afectar de forma simétrica mostrando déficits en la percepción de colores y escotomas cecocentrales. Para establecer el tratamiento de esta pérdida de visión hay que hacer diagnóstico diferencial entre infección tuberculosa y efecto adverso de los fármacos. Por ello es fundamental la exploración oftalmológica antes y durante el tratamiento. Aethambutol and isoniazid are antimicrobial agents used to treat multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. The most commonly recognized toxic effect of these drugs is optic neuropathy, usually manifesting as a decrease in visual acuity, deficits in colour vision and cecocentral scotomas. This study presents the case of a 59-year-old Nigerian woman diagnosed of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis who developed a severe bilateral optic neuropathy induced by aethambutol and isoniazid. Ophthalmologic examination revealed normal intraocular pressure, normal funduscopic examination and normal biomicroscopy. Automated visual field revealed 360º peripheral constriction and central scotoma. Magnetic resonance images of the brain and orbits were normal. Ten months after suspending treatment, the patient recovered complete visual function. Visual loss is a rare complication that can be related to ethambutol and isoniazid toxicity. Both eyes are usually symmetrically affected with deficits in colour vision and cecocentral scotoma. For successful treatment of visual loss, it is important to make a differential diagnosis between infection and adverse effects of anti-TB drugs. Ophthalmological examination is thus important before and after treatment.

Purpose. To examine biomechanical parameters of the cornea in myopic eyes and their relationship with the degree of myopia in a western healthy population. Methods. Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure (IOP), and corneal compensated IOP (IOPcc) were measured using the ocular response analyzer (ORA) in 312 eyes of 177 Spanish subjects aged between 20 and 56 years. Refraction was expressed as spherical equivalent (SE), which ranged from 0 to -16.50 diopters (D) (mean: -3.88 ± 2.90 D). Subjects were divided into four groups according to their refractive status: group 1 or control group: emmetropia (-0.50 = SE < 0.50); group 2: low myopia (-0.75 = SE < 3.00 D); group 3: moderate myopia (-3.00 = SE = -6.00D); and group 3: high myopia (SE greater than -6.00D). We analyzed the relationship between corneal biomechanicsmeasuredwithORAand SE. Results. CHin the emmetropia, lowmyopia,moderatemyopia, and highmyopia groups was 11.13 ± 0.98, 11.49 ± 1.25, 10.52 ± 1.54, and 10.35 ± 1.33mmHg, respectively. CH in the highly myopic group was significantly lower than that in the emmetropic group (¿ = 0.07) and low myopic group (¿ = 0.035); however, there were no differences with the moderate myopic group (¿ = 0.872). There were no statistically significant differences regarding IOP among the four groups (¿ > 0.05); nevertheless, IOPcc was significantly higher in the moderatelymyopic (15.47±2.47mmHg) and highlymyopic (16.14± 2.59mmHg) groups than in the emmetropia (15.15 ± 2.06mmHg) and low myopia groups (14.53 ± 2.37mmHg). No correlation between age and the measured parameters was found. CH and IOPcc were weakly but significantly correlated with SE (¿ = 0.171, ¿ = 0.002 and ¿ = -0.131, ¿ = 0.021, resp.). Conclusions. Present study showed only a very weak, but significant, correlation between CHand refractive error, with CH being lower in both moderately and highlymyopic eyes than that in the emmetropic and low myopic eyes.These changes in biomechanical properties of the cornea may have an impact on IOP measurement, increasing the risk of glaucoma

Objetivo: Valorar los efectos del cerclaje escleral en cirugía vitreo-retiniana, sobre la biomecánica y morfología del segmento anterior. Métodos: Estudio prospectivo: 15 ojos con desprendimiento de retina (DR), sometidos a vitrectomía pars plana (VPP) más implante de cerclaje escleral (grupo 1), y 12 ojos con hemorragia vítrea sometidos a VPP aislada (grupo 2). Se compararon pre y postoperatoriamente las propiedades biomecánicas corneales, mediante Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA): histéresis corneal (CH) y factor de resistencia corneal (CRF), además de presión intraocular Goldmann (PIOg) y presión intraocular compensada (PIOcc). Se investigó su relación con 4 parámetros morfológicos obtenidos con Orbscan IIz: potencia media de K (Mean power), desviación estándar (DE), mínimo espesor corneal (Thinnest) y profundidad de cámara anterior (ACD) Resultados: CH descendió de 10,2+/-1,7mmHg a 7,6+/-1,1 en el grupo 1 (p=0,003), pero no en el grupo 2 (9,8+/-3,2 vs 9,6+/-2,7, p=0,465). No hubo cambios en el CRF tras la cirugía. PIOg y PIOcc aumentaron significativamente en el grupo 1 (p=0,019 y p=0,010 respectivamente), pero no en el grupo 2 (p=0,715 y p=0,273). No hubo cambios significativos en los parámetros topográficos en ambos grupos (p> 0,05). Test de Wilcoxon. Conclusiones: El cerclaje escleral en la cirugía del DR no modifica significativamente la morfología del segmento anterior, luego la miopización generada se debería exclusivamente a la elongación axial del segmento posterior. La biomecánica corneal sí se altera, disminuyendo la CH. Se aporta un argumento más a favor de la VPP aislada en estas cirugías, que supondría una técnica menos agresiva quirúrgicamente. Objective: To investigate the effects of encircling scleral buckle (SB) on corneal biomechanical properties of the cornea and its morphological parameters. Methods: We prospectively examined twelve eyes diagnosed with vitreous haemorrhage undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and fifteen eyes undergoing combined PPV and scleral buckle (PPV/SB) for repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Corneal biomechanical properties, including corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF), were measured with an Ocular Response Analyser (ORA) before and 1-month postoperatively. The ORA also determined the values of intraocular pressure (IOPg) and corneal compensated IOP (IOPcc). Finally, four morphological parameters of the cornea were measured with the Orbscan II topographer (Orbtek, Inc.): mean corneal power, thinnest corneal point (μm), and anterior chamber depth (ACD). Results: CH decreased significantly from 10.2+/-1.7mmHg to 7.6+/-1.1mmHg after PPV/SB (p=0.003), but not after PPV alone (9.8+/-3.2mmHg vs 11.6+/-2.7mmHg, P=.465). CRF did not change significantly after surgery in both groups. IOPg and IOPcc increased significantly in the PPV/SB group (P=.019 and P=.010, respectively) but not in PPV group (P=.715 and P=.273, respectively). Unlike the PPV group, values were significantly higher than IOPg values before (P=.001) and after surgery (P=.003) in the PPV/SB group IOPcc. Neither the PPV/SB group nor the PPV group showed any significant changes in the corneal morphological parameters after surgery (P>.05). Conclusions: SB surgery leads to a change in the corneal biomechanical properties without altering corneal morphological parameters. It may cause an underestimation error in IOP measurement. PPV may be a less invasive surgical approach for the repair of noncomplex RRD than PPV/SB.