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Nelly N Kabedi,1 Jean-Claude Mwanza1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; 2Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USACorrespondence: Nelly N KabediDepartment of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoTel +243-971-183-249Email nelnkabedi@gmail.comAbstract: We report three cases of optic nerve toxoplasmosis, an unusual form of ocular toxoplasmosis. In one patient, the optic nerve involvement occurred in an eye with a toxoplasmic chorioretinal scar and choroidal neovascularization in the supramacular area, subretinal fibrosis, and pigment epithelium detachment. The other two patients had papilledema without healed or active chorioretinal lesions, but both had retinal hemorrhage and macular involvement. The diagnosis was based on clinical examination and elevated serum toxoplasma antibodies. Optical coherence tomography helped uncover the structural chorioretinal changes. All patients were treated with a combination of oral antitoxoplasmic drugs, oral prednisone, and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. Visual acuity improved in all of them. Optic nerve involvement in ocular toxoplasmosis must be considered when papilledema occurs both in isolation and/or in the presence of an active or scarred chorioretinal lesion.Keywords: optic nerve toxoplasmosis, neuroretinitis, neovascularization, retinal hemorrhage

Prcis: Initial presentation of glaucoma at a major eye clinic mostly features advanced disease with a high proportion of blindness. This is likely a microcosm of a nationwide issue requiring concerted strategies to detect glaucoma early., Purpose: To characterize the severity stage of new glaucoma patients in Congolese attending a university eye clinic., Methods: New glaucoma patients (n=118) were labeled as early or late presenters based on visual field sensitivity in the worse eye., Results: Mean age was 58.9±15.7 years, 51.7% were males. Overall, the worse eye had advanced, whereas the better eye had moderate glaucoma, with an asymmetry of -7.4 dB ( P <0.001). Blindness was present in 30.5% of worse and 5.1% of better eyes. Seventy-two patients (61.0%) were late presenters. Visual acuity was lower ( P <0.001), intraocular pressure (IOP) higher ( P =0.02), cup-to-disc ratio larger ( P =0.011), and retinal nerve fiber layer thinner ( P =0.001) in late presenters' worse than better eye. The worse and better eyes of late presenters had advanced glaucoma, with a -9.6 dB interocular asymmetry ( P <0.001); 40.3% and 8.3% were blind, respectively. In early presenters, the worse and better eyes had moderate and early disease, respectively; the asymmetry was -3.2 dB ( P <0.001), and 15.2% were blind. Overall, 58.5% and 65.3% presented with advanced disease in the worse eye based on visual field and cup-to-disc ratio criteria of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society staging scale, respectively., Conclusions: Most new glaucoma patients had bilateral advanced but asymmetric disease. These findings call for the establishment of community-based measures for early detection of glaucoma and a referral network system connecting community healthcare to tertiary eye clinics., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the response of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in eyes treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (BVZ) and untreated fellow eyes in black Africans., Methods: We studied 22 eyes (12 patients) divided into 12 treated and 10 untreated eyes from January 2017 to January 2020. Treated eyes received 1 monthly injection of BVZ 2.5mg for 3 months, with optional additional injections depending on the patient's course. Both groups of eyes were evaluated at presentation and then at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after treatment. Outcome measures were visual acuity (VA) and ophthalmoscopic and OCT findings., Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.3±5.6 years. In treated eyes, VA remained stable from 0.10±0.12 at baseline to 0.20±0.30 at month 12, P=0.84. VA was stable in 83.3% and improved in 16.7% of eyes. On OCT, 41.7% of eyes showed decreased and another 41.7% disappearance of subretinal fluid (SRF) at 12 months. Pigment epithelial detachment (PED) height decreased in 9 eyes (75.0%) but remained unchanged in 3 eyes (25%). In untreated eyes, no difference was observed between the baseline (0.53±0.42) and 12-month VA (0.58±0.40), P=0.82. VA improved in 2 eyes, decreased in one eye, and remained unchanged in 7 eyes. OCT lesions remained stable in 6 eyes. The PED enlarged in one eye but remained stable in 3 other eyes., Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of BVZ 2.5mg led to stabilization of VA, resorption of SRF, and reduction in the size of the PED in the majority of eyes with PCV but was ineffective on the polyps. The one-year prognosis in untreated eyes with PCV was favorable and marked by functional and structural stability., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the quality of timolol eye drops sold in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)., Methods: Seven samples of timolol maleate 0.5% were purchased over the counter in seven randomly selected public pharmacies in 3 neighborhoods in Kinshasa. They were submitted to a quality assessment that included visual inspection, spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and bacteriologic assessment., Results: The samples came from France (n=2), India (n=2) and DRC (n=3). Overall, 3 (2 from India and 1 from the DRC) of the 7 samples, or 3 out of the 5 from developing countries, showed various abnormalities consistent with substandard drugs. One sample (India) demonstrated an incorrect pH, while 3 (2 from India and one from the DRC) had lower than stated volumes as well as lower than required concentrations of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. In addition, one sample from the DRC was bacteriologically contaminated., Conclusion: These results suggest that some timolol maleate eye drops from Congolese and Indian manufacturers sold in Kinshasa are of substandard quality. This may reflect deficiencies in the manufacturers and local authorities charged with regulation of the quality control and sale of pharmaceuticals. Passing a visual inspection does not necessarily indicate that a drug is not substandard. Analytical chemistry testing and bacteriologic analysis are required to determine with certainty the quality of the drug., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To determine the frequency and types of retinal diseases and the extend of the related visual loss in adult patients attending two public eye clinics of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo., Methods: Review of medical records of patients with retinal diseases seen in the major eye clinics in Kinshasa, the University Hospital of Kinshasa (UHK) and Saint Joseph Hospital (SJH), from January 2012 to December 2014. Demographics and diagnoses were retrieved and analyzed. Outcome measures were frequency and prevalence of retinal diseases, blindness and low vision., Results: A total of 40 965 patients aged 40y or older were examined during this period in both clinics. Of these, 1208 had retinal disease, giving a 3-year and an annual prevalence of 3% and 1%, respectively. Mean age was 61.7±10.7y, and 55.8% of the patients were males. Arterial hypertension (68.1%) and diabetes (43.3%) were the most common systemic comorbidities. Hypertensive retinopathy (41.8%), diabetic retinopathy (37.9%), age-related macular degeneration (AMD; 14.6%), and chorioretinitis and retinal vein occlusion (7.3% each) were the most common retinal diseases, with 3-year prevalence rates of 1.3%, 1.0%, 0.43%, and 0.21% respectively. Bilateral low vision and blindness were present in 26.8% and 8.4% of the patients at presentation. Major causes of low vision and blindness were diabetic retinopathy (14.8%), AMD (4.9%), retinal detachment (2.8%), and retinal vein occlusion (2.5%). The prevalence was significantly higher among males than females, and at the UHK than SJH., Conclusion: Retinal diseases are common among Congolese adult patients attending eye clinics in Kinshasa. They cause a significant proportion of low vision and blindness., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Objective: To assess the impact of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) on quality of life (QoL) and mental health in a cohort of Congolese patients., Methods: Fifteen PCV patients and 26 age-matched controls completed the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. Outcome measures were QoL and HADS scores, frequency of anxiety and depression, correlations between best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) and QoL and HADS scores. Risk factors for anxiety and depression were also determined., Results: The QoL composite score was (54.9 ± 24.2) in patients and (94.5 ± 4.5) in controls, p <.001. Patients scored higher on HADS-A (9.5 ± 3.4) and HADS-D (6.7 ± 4.7) than controls (3.0 ± 2.7 and 1.5 ± 2.6), all p <.001. Anxiety and depression were present in 73.3% and 46.7% of patients, respectively, versus 1% each of controls ( p <.001). Every unit improvement in best eye's BCDVA increased QoL composite score by 24.3, but decreased HADS-D by 5.9. Macular lesions decreased QoL by 34.5 while increasing HADS-A and HADS-D scores by 4.2 and 4.4, respectively. A history of stroke also increased the HADS-A score by 5.9., Conclusions: PCV impairs the QoL and induces both anxiety and depression in Congolese PCV patients. Screening for QoL, anxiety and depression in PCV patients at first presentation will help detect those in need of psychological support.

Purpose: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a visually debilitating disease that mostly affects people of African and Asian heritage. Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) is the recommended exploratory method for definitive diagnosis. The disease has been extensively described in Asians and Caucasians, but not in Africans. This study was conducted to document the clinical presentation and optical coherence tomography features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Congolese patients., Methods: A prospective case series of patients with PCV was performed between January 2017 and June 2019. Routine ocular examination was performed including best corrected visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp examination, dilated direct fundoscopy, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). The diagnosis was based on a combination of clinical and OCT signs., Results: Fourteen patients were diagnosed with PCV during this period. The average age was 64.7 ± 6.9 years. There were 8 females. Ten (71.4%) patients had systemic hypertension. Most patients ( n  = 9, 64.3%) had bilateral involvement. Blurred vision was the most common complaint (71.4%). The main clinical presentation was subretinal exudates, seen in 19 (82.6%) eyes of 11 (78.6%) patients and subretinal hemorrhage in 10 (43.5%) eyes. Macular localization was found in 16 eyes (69.5%) of 12 (85.7%) patients. Drusen were observed in 35.7% of the patients. On OCT imaging, thumb-like pigment epithelial detachment and subretinal exudation were the most frequent features, observed in 92.9% and 71.4% of the patients, respectively., Conclusions: PCV in Congolese patients showed features that are more similar to those observed in Caucasians. In this setting where indocyanine green angiography is not available, OCT facilitates the diagnosis of PCV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article., (Copyright © 2020 Nelly N. Kabedi et al.)

Background: Signs indicating hypertensive retinopathy can help determine the extent of hypertensive cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular damage., Objectives: To study the association between hypertensive retinopathy and cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular changes, and to determine the predictors of hypertensive retinopathy in Congolese patients., Methods: A total of 159 hypertensive subjects (mean age: 58.9 ± 13.2 years) were enrolled from the cardiology out-patient clinic. Retinopathy grade was assessed on direct ophthalmoscopy. Hypertensive cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular changes were indicated by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and stroke, respectively., Results: Hypertensive retinopathy was present in 83.6% of the patients (grade 1: 42.1%; grade 2: 11.3%; grade 3: 23.3%; grade 4: 6.9%). There was no association between hypertensive retinopathy and the presence or absence of LVH (86.5 vs 73.3%, χ(2) = 1.53, p = 0.21), chronic kidney disease (89.3 vs 83.3%, χ(2) = 0.12, p = 0.73) or stroke (85.7 vs 83.2%, χ(2) > 0.001, p = 0.99). On multivariate logistic regression, CKD was the most significant predictor of severe hypertensive retinopathy, with an odds ratio of 4.4., Conclusion: No association was found between hypertensive retinopathy and LVH, CKD or stroke. CKD was the most significant predictor of hypertensive retinopathy and there was a tendency toward increased risk of target-organ damage among patients with advanced hypertensive retinopathy.