[Clinical results after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty]. / Klinische Ergebnisse nach Descemet-Membran-Endothelzelltransplantation.

BACKGROUND: Diseases of the endothelial cell layer represent a common indication for perforating keratoplasty. In recent years posterior lamellar keratoplasty techniques have undergone a revival. The latest and most promising advancement is the isolated transplantation of Descemet's membrane (DM) with the endothelial layer - also known as Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical results of our DMEK patients and to assess the perioperative management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 70 patients (75 eyes) with endothelial cell decompensation (50 eyes with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy and 25 eyes with bullous keratopathy) had undergone DMEK surgery at the Tübingen Eye Clinic. Visual acuity, refractive error, intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination, pachymetry and endothelial cell density were considered and re-examined at intervals of 1, 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively with further 3 monthly follow-ups. RESULTS: The mean age of the 45 female and 25 male patients at time of surgery was 73 years (36 to 91 years). The mean follow-up period was 12.1 months. One patient received an autologous and 4 patients a triple procedure. The mean preoperative LogMAR visual acuity was 0.87 ± 0.41. After 1 week a LogMAR visual acuity of 0.82 ± 0.4 was observed (p = 0.544). At the final examination the LogMAR visual acuity was 0.32 ± 0.35 (p < 0.001, a highly significant result as compared to the preoperative value). The most common and important complication was the dislocation of the transplant which was seen in 23 eyes (31 %). The use of intracameral air pressurisation re-appositioned most transplants. Complications such as highly elevated intraocular pressure, epithelial inclusions or endophthalmitis were not noted in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: DMEK surgery lead to a significant visual rehabilitation in a majority of patients in a relatively short postoperative period. It may be considered as a gold standard to treat isolated endothelial diseases as has been implicated by other studies. Thus, the safety and efficiency of this new type of posterior lamellar keratoplasty technique has been confirmed.

[Histological and ultrastructural analysis of the Descemet's membrane after descemetorhexis in DMEK surgery]. / Histologische und ultrastrukturelle Untersuchung der Descemet-Membran nach Descemetorhexis bei der DMEK- Operation.

BACKGROUND: In order to obtain an optimal visual outcome in the isolated transplantation of Descemet's membrane (DM) with the endothelial cell layer, a regular interface between the receiver cornea and the graft is important for the prognosis. The purpose of this histological and ultrastructural study was to investigate how precise the descemetorhexis works using the Sinskey hook and whether the precision of DM removal depends on the clinical and pathological diagnosis of the underlying corneal endothelial disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 22 DM specimens of 22 patients obtained after descemetorhexis in DMEK using a Sinskey hook were examined using histological analyses and transmission electron microscopy for the presence of residual stroma, thickness of the DM, endothelial cell count, and presence of guttae. 17 patients had a Fuchs corneal dystrophy, 5 pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. RESULTS: Light and electron microscopy showed no evidence of adherent stroma in all 22 specimes after descemetorhexis independent of the different underlying endothelial pathological abnormalities. The mean total thickness of the DM was 20.58 ± 4.23 µm in patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy and 21.31 ± 5.41 µm in patients with bullous keratopathy. There was no significant difference between both pathological abnormalities. The anterior banded layer measured a mean of 3.04 ± 0.40 µm and 3.25 ± 0.22 µm thick; the posterior non-banded layer 17. 63 ± 4.07 µm and 17.60 ± 5.0 µm thick in each case of Fuchs corneal dystrophy and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. There was no significant difference between the two diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Descemetorhexis allows a selective removal of the DM without adherent stroma in different underlying endothelial pathological abnormalities and in different variability of disease expression.

[Effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in patients with Stargardt's disease]. / Transkorneale Elektrostimulation bei Patienten mit Morbus Stargardt.

Stargardt's disease is an autosomal recessive inherited juvenile macular degeneration and at present no acknowledged science-based therapy is available for these patients. Recently, reports have been published on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in experimental animal models and in patients with neurodegenerative ocular disease, particularly retinitis pigmentosa. This study included 12 patients with Stargardt's disease who were randomized into one of three groups (n = 4) with 0% (sham), 66% or 150% of the individual electrically stimulated phosphene threshold. Outcome measures of the study were safety and efficacy of transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) with DTL electrodes in subjective and objective parameters of visual function under therapy. In general TES was well tolerated and no adverse or serious events were noted. Neither Ganzfeld, multifocal ERG, OCT nor visual field testing showed statistically significant changes in any group.

[Update on vitrectomy for pediatric uveitis]. / Vitrektomie bei Uveitis im Kindes- und Jugendalter.

PURPOSE: The role of vitrectomy in pediatric uveitis has as yet not been established. Addressing this question has been reinforced since the recent introduction of the new and relatively well tolerated medical treatment options using biologicals, i. e. TNFalpha blocking agents. METHODS: A systematic review of literature has been supplemented by results of vitrectomy performed in 41 consecutive eyes of 33 children and adolescents at our institution and followed for 0.5 to 10 years. RESULTS: No single controlled study on the role of vitrectomy for uveitis has been identified. Beyond a total of 44 case series including 1762 eyes within the last 25 years, 3 papers specifically focussed on vitrectomy for pediatric uveitis including 73 eyes. This series included 29 eyes of our series. Published and recent own data indicate 2 specific findings consistent for all series: reduction of CME presence from 36 to 6.9% with a resulting visual improvement in 79.1% of cases and a quietening down of inflammatory activity postoperatively allowing to taper down or stop steroid and immunosuppressive therapy from preoperatively 80 and 30% to approximately 30 and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In the absence of evidence-based results, the data from case series indicate that vitrectomy for pediatric uveitis at least meets the expectations from vitrectomy in adult forms of uveitis regarding the reduction of cystoid macular edema and required systemic steroid and immunosuppressive therapies.

[Angle closure glaucoma in association with relative anterior microphthalmus (RAM) after premature birth-retinopathy (ROP)]. / Winkelblockglaukom bei relativem anterioren Mikrophthalmus (RAM) nach Frühgeborenen-Retinopathie (ROP).

BACKGROUND: The infantile angle-closure glaucoma is a common and well characterized complication of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Progressive shallowing of the anterior chamber by retrolental fibrous masses is mostly responsible for the pressure elevation during the first years of life. Apart of this pathogenesis, ROP-associated glaucoma is totally different in cases that do not manifest until adulthood. Only few cases are described in the literature. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old female patient presented with symptoms of acute intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and fundus results of a cicatricial ROP stadium II. Control of IOP was not achieved by systemic and topical drug treatment. The biometry showed a relative anterior microphthalmus (RAM) in myopia. After peripheral iridectomy, the IOP normalized and remained stable over a long-time period. CONCLUSION: Myopia induction after ROP and ROP treatment often lead to special anatomical conditions corresponding to the classical relative anterior microphthalmus. Shallowing of the anterior chamber and development of angle-closure glaucoma increase with age. Thus, a manifestation not before the third decade of life was a typical finding in the literature review. A detailed recording of history and consideration of the biometric data are of importance for diagnosis. Peripheral iridectomy was found to be the therapy with the highest success rate. The increase of a pupillary block mechanism can prevent further visual loss to the often pre-damaged eyes. Consideration of this entity is crucial in unilateral IOP elevation, because an increasing prevalence of these patients can be expected due to the increase of premature babies since 1970.

[Current strategies for treatment of CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS]. / Aktuelle Strategien zur Behandlung der CMV-Retinitis bei Patienten mit AIDS.

BACKGROUND: CMV retinitis is the most common manifestation of active CMV infection in patients with AIDS. Before ganciclovir became available, the prognosis of CMV retinitis was very poor. Meanwhile a number of strategies for the management of CMV retinitis have evolved. To date no antiviral agent has proved effective in preventing reactivation of retinitis. Therefore the available antiviral agents delay rather than prevent relapse of CMV retinitis. Each relapse produces a more serious disease and retinitis becomes progressively less manageable. METHOD: A review of current therapeutic strategies for the treatment of CMV retinitis with regard to the challenge of clinical resistance is given. CONCLUSION: Effective treatment of clinically resistant CMV retinitis must consider the individual conditions. Thus, it is probable, that integration of both local and systemic therapies may be required to reduce the frequency of reactivation and thereby to decelerate the progression of the disease. Literature search in medline.

Clinical efficacy of haemorheological treatment using plasma exchange, selective adsorption and membrane differential filtration in maculopathy, retinal vein occlusion and uveal effusion syndrome.

The aim of the study was to test the clinical efficacy of haemorheological treatment with extracorporeal techniques in ocular diseases. We treated patients suffering from maculopathies of different origin: age-related (AMD, n = 17), uveitis-associated (n = 14) and myopia-associated maculopathy (n = 5). We also treated patients with uveal effusion syndrome (n = 3) and central retinal vein occlusion (n = 4) resistant to haemodilution or steroid therapy. The treatment consisted of plasma exchange, selective adsorption with a tryptophan-polyvinylalcohol adsorber and membrane differential filtration. Maculopathy patients underwent two treatments while the other patients received between 1 and 7 treatments. Pulsatile ocular blood flow was measured in 10 patients before and after therapy. The main parameter for evaluating clinical outcome was the change in visual acuity. Severe side-effects did not occur. The rheological parameters including plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation were statistically significantly lowered. Of 36 patients suffering from maculopathy, 25 showed an improvement of at least 1 line of visual acuity after therapy, 7/17 patients in AMD, 6/14 in uveitis and 0/5 in myopia improved 3 lines or more. All patients suffering from retinal vein occlusion improved at least 1 line and two showed an improvement of 3 lines or more. In uveal effusion syndrome, an improvement of 3 lines or more was reached in all patients. Plasma exchange, selective adsorption and membrane differential filtration are effective rheological treatment approaches to improving visual acuity in patients suffering from maculopathy except myopia-associated maculopathy. Efficacy in patients suffering from central retinal vein occlusion and uveal effusion syndrome was proven, even when the patients were resistant to previous haemodilution or steroid therapy. We conclude that a rheological approach should be considered before invasive methods such as laser coagulation, radiation therapy or surgery are applied.