Clinical features, management, and outcomes of patients with sterile endophthalmitis associated with intravitreal bevacizumab injection: retrospective case series.

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical features, treatment protocol, outcomes, and complications that developed in this case series of 24 patients who had consecutive sterile endophthalmitis after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, IVB was repackaged in individual aliquots from the three batches that were used on the same day. IVB was injected into 26 eyes of 26 patients due to diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and branch retinal vein occlusion. All patients had intraocular inflammation. Patients were divided into two groups severe and moderate inflammation according to the intraocular inflammation. The medical records of all patients were reviewed. At each follow-up visit, the complete ophthalmologic examination was performed, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, biomicroscopy, and posterior fundus examination. RESULTS: Twenty-four of 26 patients were included in the study. Two patients were excluded from this study since they didn't come to follow-up visits. The mean BCVA was 1.00 ± 0.52 Log MAR units before IVB. At the final visit, the BCVA was 1.04 ± 0.47 Log MAR units. These differences were not significant (p = 0.58). Of the 24 eyes, 16 eyes had severe, and 8 eyes had moderate intraocular inflammation. Eleven eyes in the severe inflammation group underwent pars plana vitrectomy due to intense vitreous opacity. Smear, culture results, and polymerase chain reaction results were negative. CONCLUSION: Sterile endophthalmitis may occur after IVB injection. Differential diagnosis of sterile endophthalmitis from infective endophthalmitis is crucial to adjust the appropriate treatment and prevent long-term complications due to unnecessary treatment.

Evaluation of Long-Term Posterior Segment Parameters in Children Who Had Recovered From Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term posterior segment findings in children recovering from multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our study included 22 patients who were admitted to an intensive care unit with a diagnosis of MIS-C between November 2021 and March 2022, and 25 healthy controls. The study included pediatric patients who had an eye examination an average of 12.35 ± 2.18 months after recovery from MIS-C. Detailed eye examinations and measurements of all participants were obtained retrospectively from patient files. Posterior segment parameters were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography (OCT-A); these parameters included peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), macular vascular densities (VD), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area. RESULTS: Mean age was 9.7 ± 3.6 years in the MIS-C group and 10.6 ± 2.8 years in the healthy control group (P = 0.316). There were no statistically significant differences between the MIS-C group and the healthy control group in terms of pRNFL thickness, CMT, and SCT. However, in the MIS-C group, the macular superficial vascular plexus and deep vascular plexus showed significantly lower VD in the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants compared to the healthy controls (P < 0.05 for all). A comparison of the superficial and deep FAZ area parameters of both groups showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We showed that patients who had recovered from MIS-C had retinal vascular damage at the long-term follow-up. Following up with these patients after recovery with OCT and OCT-A, which are noninvasive methods commonly used in the detailed evaluation of the posterior segment of the eye, could be beneficial for understanding the long-term effects of MIS-C on retinal microvasculature. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:XX-XX.].

Comparison of posterior segment ocular parameters of Familial mediterranean fever with homozygous M694V mutation and carriers with heterozygous M694V mutation in children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to comparatively evaluate the posterior segment ocular parameters of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients, asymptomatic FMF carriers, and the healthy controls in the pediatric age group. METHODS: The study included 30 FMF patients with homozygous M694V mutation in remission under colchicine therapy, 12 asymptomatic FMF carriers with heterozygous M694V mutation, and 41 age-sex-matched healthy controls. All patients underwent detailed eye examination, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), macular vascular densities, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) areas were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. RESULTS: In this study, the mean pRNFL thickness was statistically significantly thinner (p = 0.010) in the FMF patients group compared to the FMF carriers group and the healthy control group, especially in the inferior quadrant of pRNFL (p = 0.042). The CMT in asymptomatic FMF carriers group was statistically significantly thicker than in FMF patients group (p = 0.037), especially the superior and inferior quadrants of macula were affected (p = 0.024; p = 0.020, respectively). In addition, this study showed that the changes of pRNFL thickness and CMT in pediatric patients with FMF were moderately correlated with the duration of diagnosis. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of macular vascular densities and FAZ values. CONCLUSION: FMF is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease that causes multi-organ involvement, and this study showed that posterior segment ocular parameters could be affected not only in FMF patients but also in asymptomatic FMF carriers.

From an asymptomatic lesion to a vision-threatening condition: Congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium complicated by choroidal neovascular membrane.

We reported a case of congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE) complicated by choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM). A 41-year-old woman presented to our clinic with visual loss in the left eye. She was diagnosed as CHRPE complicated by a CNVM. The patient was treated with 2 consecutive monthly intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved and stabilized at 6/6. Subretinal fluid depending on CNVM resolved completely. CHRPE complicated by CNVM in the macular area is a rare condition and these cases can be treated with IVA therapy.

Effects of Dexamethasone Implant on Multifocal Electroretinography in Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant) on multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) findings during the treatment of macular edema secondary to the central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: Fifteen eyes of 15 patients who were treated with Ozurdex implant due to CRVO-related macular edema were included in this study. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and mfERG evaluations were performed for all patients before injection of Ozurdex. After the injection, BCVA and CMT were measured at months 3 and 6 and mfERG test was performed at month 6 for all patients. RESULTS: Pre-implantation mfERG P wave amplitude values of r1, r2, r3, r4 and r5 were 57.8 ± 14.8, 25.1 ± 10.6, 17.2 ± 7.3, 12.0 ± 5.0 and 7.1 ± 3.6 nV/deg2, respectively. They increased to 72.9 ± 33.2, 31.2 ± 9.3, 22.6 ± 7.6, 15.6 ± 7.1 and 10.9 ± 5.7 nV/deg2, respectively, at month 6. However, these increases were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Pre-implantation mfERG r1, r2, r3, r4 and r5 P wave implicit times were 40.1 ± 10.9, 39.4 ± 3, 38.4 ± 3.4, 38.2 ± 3.1 and 39.3 ± 2.2 ms, respectively and these values were measured as 38.9 ± 8.2, 38.4 ± 4.7, 37 ± 3.8, 37.5 ± 4.6 and 37.7 ± 4.7 ms at 6 months. Although there were reductions in P wave implicit times in all rings, they were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this prospective study, we found that the Ozurdex implant had no effect on mfERG findings 6 months after insertion for treatment of CRVO-related macular edema.

Evaluation of Peripapillary Nerve Fiber Layer after Dexamethasone Implantation (Ozurdex) in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusions.

Purpose. To evaluate the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses of patients treated with intravitreal Ozurdex implant due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) related macular edema (ME). Methods. Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients treated with Ozurdex implant due to ME associated with BRVO were included in the study. Ophthalmic examinations including determination of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP), and central macular thickness (CMT) and peripapillary RNFL assessment with optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed before the injection of Ozurdex implant and during the 6-month follow-up period after the injection. Results. The mean age was 55.2 ± 7.4 (range: 40-68) years. The BCVAs were significantly increased and CMTs were significantly decreased at month 3 and month 6 visits compared to baseline values. The mean IOP was significantly increased from baseline at day 1, week 1, and month 1 visits (p1 = 0.008, p2 = 0.018, and p3 = 0.022, resp.). The average and inferior quadrant peripapillary RNFL thicknesses were significantly reduced at month 6 control visit compared to baseline values (both p < 0.001). Conclusions. Ozurdex implant improved the BCVA and reduced the CMT in the eyes with RVO related ME. However, IOP elevations occurred within the first month after the injection and the average and inferior quadrant RNFL thinning was found six months after the injection. Further controlled studies are warranted.

HIV-related eye disease in patients presenting to a tertiary care government hospital in Turkey.

AIM: To document the ocular involvement in HIV-infected individuals in Turkey and to compare the findings with those from other centers throughout the world. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients with HIV infection being monitored in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul were enrolled. Ocular examination was performed, and the prevalence of ocular manifestations determined. RESULTS: In total, 93 patients were enrolled, of whom 37.6% had ocular pathology. HIV retinopathy was the most frequent retinal finding, affecting 8.6% of the enrolled patients, but none of the affected individuals had any ophthalmic complaints. There were no ocular lesions suggestive of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. DISCUSSION: In contrast to the case in the developed world, sight-threatening infections are uncommon in Turkish HIV(+) patients. The reasons for this are not clear, but it is possible that there are some genetic or environmental protective factors against CMV retinitis in the population studied.

Screening for retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul: incidence and risk factors.

PURPOSE: To study the incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants examined in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul. METHODS: Data of infants screened for ROP from April 2007 to September 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Possible risk factors and eye examinations were recorded and analyzed using the chi-square test and univariate and multivariate regressions. RESULTS: ROP was detected in 177 (34.3%) of the 517 infants enrolled in the study; 64 had mild ROP (77.4%) and 38 had severe ROP (22.6%). The mean gestational age and birth weight of patients who were treated for ROP were 28.6 ± 2.3 and 1,143.5 ± 337.4, respectively. Two of these infants had a gestational age of 32 g or greater and three had a birth weight of 1,500 g or greater. The multivariate regression analyses showed gestational age, birth weight, sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, and length of oxygen therapy as independent predictors of ROP. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ROP observed in this study was higher than that in developed countries and relatively more mature infants were affected. Criteria including gestational age of less than 34 weeks or birth weight of less than 2,000 g would have identified all infants who were at risk.