The Risk of Sympathetic Ophthalmia Associated with Open-Globe Injury Management Strategies: A Meta-analysis.

TOPIC: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a sight-threatening granulomatous panuveitis caused by a sensitizing event. Primary enucleation or primary evisceration, versus primary repair, as a risk management strategy after open-globe injury (OGI) remains controversial. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This systematic review was conducted to report the incidence of SO after primary repair compared with that of after primary enucleation or primary evisceration. This enabled the reporting of an estimated number needed to treat. METHODS: Five journal databases were searched. This review was registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (identifier, CRD42021262616). Searches were carried out on June 29, 2021, and were updated on December 10, 2022. Prospective or retrospective studies that reported outcomes (including SO or lack of SO) in a patient population who underwent either primary repair and primary enucleation or primary evisceration were included. A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Random effects modelling was used to estimate pooled SO rates and absolute risk reduction (ARR). RESULTS: Eight studies reporting SO as an outcome were included in total. The included studies contained 7500 patients and 7635 OGIs. In total, 7620 OGIs met the criteria for inclusion in this analysis; SO developed in 21 patients with OGI. When all included studies were pooled, the estimated SO rate was 0.12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00%-0.25%) after OGI. Of 779 patients who underwent primary enucleation or primary evisceration, no SO cases were reported, resulting in a pooled SO estimate of 0.05% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.21%). For primary repair, the pooled estimate of SO rate was 0.15% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.33%). The ARR using a random effects model was -0.0010 (in favour of eye removal; 95% CI, -0.0031 [in favor of eye removal] to 0.0011 [in favor of primary repair]). Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations analysis highlighted a low certainty of evidence because the included studies were observational, and a risk of bias resulted from missing data. DISCUSSION: Based on the available data, no evidence exists that primary enucleation or primary evisceration reduce the risk of secondary SO. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Antimicrobial resistance in ocular infection: A review.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat with significant impact on treatment outcomes. The World Health Organization's Global Action Plan on AMR recommended strengthening the evidence base through surveillance programs and research. Comprehensive, timely data on AMR for organisms isolated from ocular infections are needed to guide treatment decisions and inform researchers and microbiologists of emerging trends. This article aims to provide an update on the development of AMR in ocular organisms, AMR in bacterial ocular infections and on AMR stewardship programs globally. The most common ocular pathogens are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae in ocular infections. A variety of studies and a few surveillance programs worldwide have reported on AMR in these infections over time. Fluoroquinolone resistance has increased particularly in Asia and North America. For conjunctivitis, the ARMOR cumulative study in the USA reported a slight decrease in resistance to ciprofloxacin. For keratitis, resistance to methicillin has remained stable for S. aureus and CoNS, while resistance to ciprofloxacin has decreased for MRSA globally. Methicillin-resistance and multidrug resistance are also emerging, requiring ongoing monitoring. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes have a critical role in reducing the threat of AMR and improving treatment outcomes. To be successful AMS must be informed by up-to-date AMR surveillance data. As a profession it is timely for ophthalmology to act to prevent AMR leading to greater visual loss through supporting surveillance programmes and establishing AMS.

Epithelium-on versus epithelium-off corneal collagen crosslinking for keratoconus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) is the primary treatment for progressive keratoconus which has a significant impact on vision and quality of life. Our study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of epithelium-on versus epithelium-off CXL to treat keratoconus. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. We included studies that compared standard epithelium-off with epithelium-on CXL. The primary outcome measures were changes in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and maximum keratometry (Kmax), and the secondary outcomes were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), central corneal thickness (CCT), and adverse events. A meta-analysis was performed on the primary and secondary outcomes based on the weighted mean differences between baseline to 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: The search retrieved 887 publications with 27 included in the systematic review. A total of 1622 eyes (1399 patients; age 25.51 ± 4.02 years) were included in comparisons of epithelium-off to epithelium-on CXL in keratoconus. Epithelium-off CXL treated 800 eyes and epithelium-on CXL for 822 eyes. At 12-month follow-up, CDVA and Kmax showed no significant difference between the epithelium-off and epithelium-on CXL. The secondary outcomes showed that UDVA was better in epithelium-off CXL (- 0.11D, 95% CI - 0.12, - 0.1; p < 0.001) and there was more thinning in CCT in epithelium-off CXL (- 3.23 µm, 95% CI - 4.64, - 1.81; p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Epithelium-off and epithelium-on CXL were both effective to treat progressive keratoconus. Further research is needed to compare the long-term outcomes and safety of both CXL protocols for adaptation into clinical practice.

Five-year corneal cross-linking outcomes: A Save Sight Keratoconus Registry Study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the long-term outcomes of epithelium-off cross-linking (CXL) in keratoconus patients. METHODS: An observational registry study from 41 centres across 5 countries was carried out. Primary outcomes included the mean change in visual acuity (VA), Kmax, K2, and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT) at 1-5 years. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of eyes with worsening, stable and improving outcomes. RESULTS: There were 976 eyes of 794 patients with 1-year of complete follow-up, 501 eyes with 2-years, 355 with 3-years, 235 with 4-years and 162 with 5-years. There was a significant improvement in mean VA from baseline by 3.7 logMAR letters (p < 0.001) in year 1, and 6.9 (p < 0.001) in year 5. Mean Kmax decreased by 1.2 dioptres (D; p < 0.01) in year 1. During subsequent years the Kmax flattening appeared sustained but this was not statistically significant. K2 flattened significantly from baseline in year 1 and then remained stable. At 1 year, 4.1% patients were poor responders to CXL in terms of VA, losing ≥15 letters. The proportion of the poor responders remained unchanged: 4.9% at 5-years. The proportion of poor responders in terms of Kmax remained similar: 5.9% steepening by ≥2D at 1-year and 7.5% at 5-years. The proportion of K2 poor responders remained stable with 4.7% steepening by ≥2D at 1-year and 5.8% at 5-years. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-linking is effective at stabilising keratoconus up to 5 years in most patients. However, a small proportion of eyes failed to stabilise and had reduced vision.

Mucous membrane grafting for cicatricial entropion repair: review of surgical techniques and outcomes.

Mucous membrane graft (MMG) is used for moderate-to-severe cicatricial entropion repair either in primary or recurrent cases. We conducted a review to comprehensively summarize the various surgical techniques, outcomes, and complications of using MMG for cicatricial entropion. Though the comparison between different techniques is limited by multiple factors like small numbers of cicatricial entgropion patients, variable severity and success criteria across studies, and different underlying cicatricial entropion etiologies, the author has brought forth the nuances of the use of MMG for cicatricial entropion repair along with its outcomes and complications. MMG use in moderate-to-severe cicatricial entropion gives favourable outcomes. The shortened tarsoconjunctiva is lengthened using MMG, which is used either with terminal tarsal rotation or anterior lamellar recession (ALR) or tarsotomy alone. Non-trachomatous entropion has poor outcomes compared to trachomatous entropion. The most common source of MMG is labial or buccal mucosa and the exact size of MMG harvested is variable according to the defect, and very few prefer oversizing the graft by 10-30%. The outcomes of ALR+MMG appear similar to tarsal rotation and MMG for severe cicatricial entropion. The recurrences of trichiasis or entropion can occur for up to one year after surgery, irrespective of the technique used. Factors affecting the outcomes of cicatricial entropion repair are not well known. There is a non-uniformity in data reporting across literature; hence, future studies with details on severity of entropion, ocular surface changes, forniceal depth and ocular surface inflammation, and the degree of dry eye disease would be informative.

Efficacy of treatments for neurotrophic keratopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Management of NK can be difficult, involving a range of treatments with variable efficacy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of medical and surgical treatments for neurotrophic keratitis (NK). METHOD: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrial.gov, and ScienceDirect were searched for studies assessing efficacy of NK treatments. We computed random-effect meta-analyses on corneal healing, time to complete healing, and visual acuity changes between baselines and after treatment, stratified on treatment classes. We followed the PRISMA guidelines (registration number CRD42021225721). RESULTS: We included 20 studies: 571 patients and 5 treatment classes (2 surgical and 3 non-surgical). The percentage of patients with complete corneal healing did not differ between specific treatments (nerve growth factor eyedrops (NGF), 75%, 95CI 46 to 104%; autologous serum (AS), 92%, 86 to 98%; neurotization, 99%, 95 to 103%; amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT), 86%, 78 to 94%). All specific treatments had better percentage of complete healing (p < 0.001) than non-specific treatment groups, i.e., mainly lubricants (23%, 14 to 32). Time to complete healing was 24.2 days (5.4 to 43.1) with NGF, 27.6 days (15.2 to 40.0) with AS, 117 days (28.8 to 205.2) with neurotization, and 16.4 days (11.1 to 21.7) with AMT. Only NGF and AMT improved visual acuity. Efficacy outcomes were not affected by sociodemographic (age, sex) nor severity of disease (Mackie stages). CONCLUSION: We confirmed the efficacy of specific treatments in NK. Further comparative trials are needed to investigate the medical and economic benefits of innovative therapies.

Eye injuries from fireworks used during celebrations and associated vision loss: the international globe and adnexal trauma epidemiology study (IGATES).

PURPOSE: To report on the factors associated with severe vision loss from fireworks-related ocular trauma during celebrations, including festivals. METHODS: Tertiary eye care hospitals in 5 countries and private ophthalmology practices in the Netherlands. Patients included received treatment for fireworks-related ocular trauma during celebrations. Demographic and clinical data for patients affected were analyzed and associations with severe vision loss reported. RESULTS: Of 388 patients, 71 (18.3 %) had severe vision loss (worse than 6/60) at 4-week follow-up due to fireworks-related ocular trauma. Mean age overall was 20.6 years (range 2 to 83 years), and there was a male predominance of 4:1. Clinical factors associated with severe vision loss included penetrating injury (OR 4.874 [95% CI 1.298-18.304; p = 0.02]) and lens injury (OR 7.023 [95% CI 2.378-20.736; p = 0.0004]). More patients with closed-globe injuries (CGIs) had improved vision after 4 weeks (OR 3.667, 1.096-12.27) compared to those with open-globe injuries (OGI) (p = 0.035). Eye protection use was reported by 7 patients, and 39.4% patients < 18 years were unsupervised by an adult at the time of injury. CONCLUSIONS: Severe vision loss from fireworks-related ocular trauma occurred during celebrations in a variety of countries and was associated with penetrating and/or lens injury and poor presenting vision. New initiatives are needed to prevent severe vision loss associated with these injuries.

The application of clinical registries in ophthalmic trauma-the International Globe and Adnexal Trauma Epidemiology Study (IGATES).

Ophthalmic trauma is a leading cause of preventable monocular blindness worldwide. The prevalence of ophthalmic trauma varies considerably based on geographic location, socio-economic status, age groups, occupation, and cultural practices such as firework celebrations. Clinical registries are known to be valuable in guiding the diagnosis, management, and prognostication of complex diseases. However, there is currently a lack of a centralized international data repository for ophthalmic trauma. We draw lessons from past and existing clinical registries related to ophthalmology and propose a new suitable international multicenter clinical registry for ophthalmic trauma: the International Globe and Adnexal Trauma Epidemiology Study (IGATES). IGATES is hosted on a secure web-based platform which exhibits user-friendly smart features, an integrated Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) prognosis calculator, efficient data collection points, and schematic graphical software. IGATES currently has 37 participating centers globally. The data collected through IGATES will be primarily used to develop a more robust and improved ophthalmic trauma prognostic classification system, the Ocular Trauma Score-2 (OTS-2), which builds on previous systems such as the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System (BETTS) and Ocular Trauma Score (OTS). Furthermore, IGATES will act as a springboard for further research into the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of ophthalmic trauma. Ultimately, IGATES serves to advance the field of ophthalmic trauma and improve the care that patients with ophthalmic trauma receive.

Infectious keratitis: A review.

Globally, infectious keratitis is the fifth leading cause of blindness. The main predisposing factors include contact lens wear, ocular injury and ocular surface disease. Staphylococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Fusarium species, Candida species and Acanthamoeba species are the most common causal organisms. Culture of corneal scrapes is the preferred initial test to identify the culprit organism. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and in vivo confocal microscopy can complement the diagnosis. Empiric therapy is typically commenced with fluoroquinolones, or fortified antibiotics for bacterial keratitis; topical natamycin for fungal keratitis; and polyhexamethylene biguanide or chlorhexidine for acanthamoeba keratitis. Herpes simplex keratitis is mainly diagnosed clinically; however, PCR can also be used to confirm the initial diagnosis and in atypical cases. Antivirals and topical corticosteroids are indicated depending on the corneal layer infected. Vision impairment, blindness and even loss of the eye can occur with a delay in diagnosis and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Quality of life impact of eye diseases: a Save Sight Registries study.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the quality-of-life (QoL) impact of eye diseases (keratoconus; neovascular age-related macular degeneration, AMD; retinal vein occlusion, RVO; and diabetic macular edema, DME) using the Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) questionnaire, and to determine the relationship between the IVI scores and visual acuity. METHODS: This cross-sectional, multicentre, real-world study utilised the prospective, web-based Save Sight Registries. The IVI was completed by 1557 patients: 307 with keratoconus, 1049 with AMD, 148 with RVO and 53 with DME. Statistical analysis included Rasch analysis, Welch t-test, one-way ANOVA, Tukey's test, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The IVI scales (Overall; Visual Function, VF; Emotional, EM) had robust psychometric properties. The keratoconus patients had the worst Overall (adjusted mean: 48.2 vs. DME 58.8, RVO 64.6, AMD 67.6 units), VF (47.7 vs. DME 59.4, RVO 65.9, AMD 68.9 units) and EM (50.8 vs. DME 63.1, RVO 69.2, AMD 71.8 units) scores (all p < 0.05). The IVI scales scores weakly correlated with better and worse eye visual acuity (Pearson's r 0.24-0.39, all p < 0.05). The correlations were similar in the better eye (Overall 0.35, VF 0.39, EM 0.24) and the worse eye (Overall 0.31, VF 0.33, EM 0.25) visual acuity. Correlations with visual acuity were stronger for VF than for the EM scores. CONCLUSIONS: The IVI was a psychometrically robust QoL questionnaire. Keratoconus patients had worse IVI scores than patients with retinal diseases. The low strength of correlations between visual acuity and QoL scores, although statistically significant, suggested that a complex relationship exists.

The Management of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN).

The rise of primary topical monotherapy with chemotherapeutic drugs and immunomodulatory agents represents an increasing recognition of the medical management of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN), which may replace surgery as the standard of care in the future. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the best way to manage OSSN with no existing guidelines to date. This paper seeks to evaluate evidence surrounding available treatment modalities and proposes an approach to management. The approach will guide ophthalmologists in selecting the most appropriate treatment regime based on patient and disease factors to minimize treatment related morbidity and improve OSSN control. Further work can be done to validate this algorithm and to develop formal guidelines to direct the management of OSSN.

Pregnancy and the eye.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this study was to summarize common eye changes that may occur during pregnancy, and how pregnancy may affect preexisting eye conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Challenges and complexities surrounding the treatment of these eye conditions during pregnancy are also highlighted. RECENT FINDINGS: Refractive changes are common and may persist in the postpartum in patients with keratoconus. Although new medical and surgical glaucoma treatments are available, their safety in pregnancy is unknown. Limited use of topical and systemic glaucoma therapies is recommended, with a preference for selective laser trabeculoplasty as first line treatment in appropriate cases. The impact of pregnancy on diabetic retinopathy remains unclear. Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents are first-line treatment for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy, their effect on the developing foetus remains unknown and are therefore best avoided in the first and second trimesters. Noninfectious uveitis tends to become less active during pregnancy, allowing the potential tapering of systemic therapy and the use of local topical or injected corticosteroid treatment for active disease as required. SUMMARY: Significant changes can occur to the eye during pregnancy, wherein the optimal treatment for many ocular conditions remains uncertain, highlighting the need for further research to develop clear recommendations that best balance the need to preserve the mother's sight, and the health of the developing foetus. The need for preconception planning, and collaborative multidisciplinary care between the obstetrician, physician, ophthalmologist and paediatrician is paramount.

Epidemiology and outcomes of open globe injuries: the international globe and adnexal trauma epidemiology study (IGATES).

PURPOSE: To detail the methodology for a novel ocular trauma registry and utilize the registry to determine the demographics, nature of injury, and associations of severe visual loss for open globe injuries (OGI). METHODS: Thirteen hospitals in 7 countries used International Globe and Adnexal Trauma Epidemiology Study (IGATES) platform. Patients presenting between April 2009 and 2020 with OGI (with or without) adnexal involvement or intraocular foreign body (IOFB) were included. RESULTS: Analyses of presenting and final VA, using "severe vision loss" (VA ≤ 6/60) and "no severe loss" (VA > 6/60), were performed. Four hundred fifty-four (64%) patients had VA < 6/60 at presentation and 327 (44.8%) at final follow-up, with a highly significant association between presenting and final VA (p < 0.0001). From the cohort of 746 patients, 37 were missing VA at presentation and 16 at follow-up and complete clinical data was available for 354 patients. The male to female ratio is 6:1, and mean age 36.0 ± 20.0 years old. Relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD), zone III injury, IOFB, and eyelid injury at presentation were recorded in 50 (6.7%), 55 (7.8%), 97 (13%), and 87 (11.7%) patients, respectively, and were significantly associated with VA < 6/60 at follow-up. Older age, ≥ 61 years, was associated with 3.39 times (95% CI: 1.95-5.89) higher risk than ≤20-year-old patients (p < 0.0001) and males 0.424 times (95% CI: 0.27-0.70) lower risk than female (p = 0.0001) of severe vision loss (SVL). CONCLUSION: In OGIs from 13 hospitals, female gender, older age, zone III injury, eyelid injury, and IOFB were associated with higher risk of visual outcome of SVL.

Clinical outcomes of herpes simplex keratitis: Two-year experience from a quaternary eye care centre in Sydney, Australia.

PURPOSE: To report anti-viral therapy and outcomes for patients with herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) in a quaternary centre in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: A retrospective case review of patients who received anti-viral medications for any form of HSK was conducted. Cases were identified from pathology results, pharmacy records and hospital coding data from 2012 to 2013. Clinical details including initial anti-viral treatment and outcome were collated from the medical records. Outcome was determined from when initial anti-viral treatment was stopped or changed, and classified as either clinically resolved, partially resolved or worsened for therapeutic indication; or as either success or failure for prophylaxis. RESULTS: Anti-viral therapy was given for therapeutic and prophylactic indications at presentation in 252 (85%) and 44 patients (15%), respectively. Topical aciclovir five times daily and valaciclovir in doses ranging from 500 mg to 1 g, one to three times daily were the preferred anti-viral therapies. One hundred and fourteen patients (n = 114/296, 38.5%) also received topical corticosteroids. An outcome was determined for 210/296 (71%) patients. For therapeutic indication, half of the patients (90/174) partially resolved within 8 days, with best outcomes achieved for endothelial HSK (8/11, 73%) and keratouveitis (21/36, 58%). Adverse events, observed in 20% (35/174) of patients, included corneal perforation (n = 8) and secondary bacterial keratitis (n = 6). Prophylaxis with antiviral therapy was successful in two-thirds of patients after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and visual outcomes varied with the type of HSK and prescribed therapies. Diverse initial anti-viral therapies were identified; standardising them may improve outcomes.

Item banks for measurement of refractive error-specific quality of life.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of refractive error-specific quality of life (QoL) item banks and assess their performance using computerised adaptive testing (CAT) simulations. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study a 392-item questionnaire, grouped under 11 QoL domains, was interviewer-administered to 305 people with refractive error [mean age ± S.D., 30.5 ± 14.1 (range (18 to 83) years; male, 50.5%; mean ± S.D. spherical equivalent refractive error -2.4 ± 2.9 (range: -15.0 to +11.0) Dioptres; spectacles (n = 257), contact lens (n = 37), refractive surgery (n = 25), uncorrected refractive error (n = 57)]. Rasch analysis was conducted on each QoL domain using the Andrich rating scale model to investigate parameters including response category functioning, person- and item-reliability, infit and outfit statistics, unidimensionality, targeting, differential item functioning and local item dependency. The resulting item banks underwent CAT simulations in 1,000 cases with 'high' and 'moderate' precision stopping rules. RESULTS: Rasch analysis iterations resulted in 13 refractive error-specific item banks (Convenience, Health concerns, Economic, Activity limitation, Mobility, Emotional, Social, Visual symptoms frequency, Visual symptoms severity, Visual symptoms bothersome, Comfort symptoms frequency, Comfort symptoms severity and Comfort symptoms bothersome), containing a total of 366 items. The item banks had good psychometric properties including satisfactory measurement precision, infit and outfit statistics and unidimensionality. In CAT simulations, the mean number of items required to achieve high and moderate measurement precision was 9.4 and 4.7, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, refractive error-specific QoL item banks show promise in their ability to comprehensively and precisely evaluate a range of quality of life parameters. These items banks when administered using a CAT system offer unique outcome tools for implementation in clinical trials, healthcare and research.

Epidemiology, aetiology and outcome of paediatric ocular trauma in Sydney.

AIM: Report epidemiology, aetiology and outcomes of eye injuries in children 0-16 years treated at quaternary referral and paediatric hospitals in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: A retrospective review of cases January 2009 to December 2015 using hospital diagnostic and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Medical records confirmed open globe injury (OGI) or closed globe injury (CGI) diagnosis and demographic, injury mechanism, ocular and best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA) before and after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 295 patients, 298 eyes were included (96 OGIs, 202 CGIs.) Injuries were commonest in males (72%) with OGI peaks in 3-5-, and CGI, 12-14-year-old males. A projectile was the commonest mechanism (106, 36%) then being struck (101, 34%). Commonest agents were sporting equipment (13%), toys (10%) and sticks (10%). Another child was involved in 32.9% OGI and 27.6% CGI. Initial BCVA was a good predictor of final BCVA. Poor prognostic factors included lens injury, vitreous haemorrhage and relative afferent pupillary defect. Final BCVA 6/12 or better was achieved in 69% cases, including 40% of OGIs and 85% of CGIs. Enucleation and evisceration rates were both 1% (n = 3). CONCLUSION: Paediatric ocular trauma most commonly occurred in males from projectiles or being struck, with injuries commonly occurring from sporting equipment, toys and sticks. Vision was poorer with open than closed globe injuries.

Deep learning versus ophthalmologists for screening for glaucoma on fundus examination: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to compare deep learning versus ophthalmologists in glaucoma diagnosis on fundus examinations. METHOD: PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov and ScienceDirect databases were searched for studies reporting a comparison between the glaucoma diagnosis performance of deep learning and ophthalmologists on fundus examinations on the same datasets, until 10 December 2020. Studies had to report an area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC) with SD or enough data to generate one. RESULTS: We included six studies in our meta-analysis. There was no difference in AUC between ophthalmologists (AUC = 82.0, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 65.4-98.6) and deep learning (97.0, 89.4-104.5). There was also no difference using several pessimistic and optimistic variants of our meta-analysis: the best (82.2, 60.0-104.3) or worst (77.7, 53.1-102.3) ophthalmologists versus the best (97.1, 89.5-104.7) or worst (97.1, 88.5-105.6) deep learning of each study. We did not retrieve any factors influencing those results. CONCLUSION: Deep learning had similar performance compared to ophthalmologists in glaucoma diagnosis from fundus examinations. Further studies should evaluate deep learning in clinical situations.

Irregular Astigmatism Management Using SPOT Scleral Lenses in the Treatment of Corneal Ectasia and Penetrating Keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of SPOT scleral lenses in the management of irregular astigmatism in patients with corneal ectasia and penetrating keratoplasty. Second, we analyzed patients' characteristics and tolerance, comfort, and geometries of fitted lenses. METHOD: Over a 5-year period, we included patients experiencing irregular astigmatism fitted with SPOT scleral contact lenses, from the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France. Data collected included corneal diseases, refractive error, best-corrected visual acuity (VA) with SPOT lenses, geometry of the lens, number of adjustment consultations, and the duration of follow-up. Comfort, quality of vision, less handling, and satisfaction were evaluated using visual analog scales after a 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were included, analyzing 107 eyes. Eighty percent of patients still daily wore lenses after a follow-up of 22.3±13.8 months. Visual acuity improved by 0.47±0.51 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (average increase of 5 lines) (P<0.001) after wearing scleral lenses. Comfort, quality of vision, less handling, and satisfaction of contact lenses were excellent (>75/100). Contact lenses were daily worn 10.0±4.1 hr/day. Most patients wore size M (17 mm) lenses (53.3% of patients), with an average sagittal height of 5.2±1.2 mm. Internal toricity was used in 30% of cases. Best geometry was found after 2.69±0.87 consultations. CONCLUSION: SPOT scleral contact lenses are an effective and well tolerated method to improve the VA of patients with irregular astigmatism.

Microbial keratitis in Sydney, Australia: risk factors, patient outcomes, and seasonal variation.

PURPOSE: To provide recent data on patient demographics, clinical profile and outcomes of patients with microbial keratitis over a 5-year period at the Sydney Eye Hospital, and to identify seasonal variations of the main causative organisms. METHOD: A retrospective study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of microbial keratitis and corneal scrape performed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016. Clinical information was gathered from medical records and pathology data. RESULTS: One thousand fifty-two eyes from 979 patients with a mean age of 54.7 ± 21.5 years (range 18-100 years) were included. The majority of cases were bacterial (65%) followed by polymicrobial (2.4%), fungi (2.3%), and culture-negative (31%). Common risk factors for microbial keratitis were contact lens wear (63%) and previous topical steroid use (24%). Factors significantly associated with poor patient outcomes in the multivariate model were age, visual acuity, and epithelial defect size (p < 0.05). Patients with fungal or polymicrobial keratitis presented with worse clinical features at initial and final presentation (p < 0.05). There was a significant variation in the occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p = 0.018) and fungal keratitis (predominately made up of Candida and Fusarium species) (p = 0.056) in the hottest seasons. CONCLUSION: Poorer outcomes are more likely to be seen in older patients and those presenting with poor visual acuity and large epithelial defects at the initial presentation.

The clinical and microbiological features and outcomes of fungal keratitis over 9 years in Sydney, Australia.

To describe the clinical features, management and outcomes in patients with fungal keratitis at the Sydney Eye Hospital, Australia, over a 9-year period to guide appropriate initial therapy. A retrospective case review was conducted. Patients diagnosed with fungal keratitis from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017 were identified from hospital coding and pathology databases. Data were extracted from the medical records. A total of 55 episodes from 51 patients were included. Mean age was 60 ± 20 years (range: 19-91 years), and 33 were male. The fungal species was not identified in two patients. Predisposing factors included ocular surface disease in 17 eyes (32%); corneal disease, 15 (28%); corneal trauma, 12 (23%); and contact lens wear, 13 (24.5%). Fusarium spp. (15, 27%) and Candida parapsilosis (10, 18%) were the most common isolates. The median visual acuity at presentation was 1.3 logMAR (range: 0 to 3) and after treatment 0.7 logMAR (range: -0.02 to 3) (P = .008). Despite medical therapy, most commonly with natamycin and topical and oral voriconazole, surgical intervention was required in 21 eyes (40%); including antifungal injections in 9 (16%); corneal transplantation, 16 (30%); evisceration, 2 (4%); and enucleation, 1 (2%). A poor visual outcome was recorded in 27 of 43 (63%) patients. Fungal keratitis remains a cause of significant ocular morbidity; the majority of patients face a poor outcome despite intense medical and at times surgical treatment. In our setting, fungal keratitis was more commonly associated with corneal or ocular surface disease.