Bimanual Technique With Perfluoro-N-Octane for Human Amniotic Membrane Transplantation in Refractory Optic Disc Pit Maculopathy.

Purpose: To describe a patient with optic disc pit (ODP) maculopathy who presented with poor vision and treatment outcomes. Methods: An amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) was performed using a bimanual technique with perfluoro-N-octane endotamponade after failure of other techniques to yield resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF). Results: Successful adhesion of the human amniotic membrane graft to the host resulted in sustained resolution of the SRF and significant improvement in visual acuity within 2 weeks. Conclusions: AMT is a viable therapeutic option for patients with vision loss associated with submacular fluid from ODPs. The bimanual technique with perfluorocarbon assistance provides the vitreoretinal surgeon with an additional technical alternative for surgical treatment of ODP maculopathy.

Analysis of the Long-term Visual Outcomes of ForeseeHome Remote Telemonitoring: The ALOFT Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate long-term visual acuity (VA) and performance of a monitoring strategy with a self-operated artificial-intelligence-enabled home monitoring system in conjunction with standard care for early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SUBJECTS: Patients with dry-age-related macular degeneration from 5 referral clinics. METHODS: Clinical data of patients monitored with ForeseeHome (FSH) device from August 2010 to July 2020 were reviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual acuity at baseline, VA at diagnosis of nAMD for eyes that converted while monitored, and VA from the final study follow-up, weekly frequency of use, duration of monitoring, modality of conversion diagnosis (system alert vs. detection by other standard care means), and duration and number of treatments since conversion to final study follow-up were collected. RESULTS: We reviewed 3334 eyes of 2123 patients with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 74(8) years, monitored for a mean (SD) duration of 3.1 (2.4) years, with a total of 1 706 433 tests in 10 474 eye-monitoring years. The mean (SD) weekly use per patient was 5.2 (3.4), and it was persistent over the usage period. Two hundred eighty-five eyes converted while monitored at an annual rate of 2.72% and were treated with a mean (SD) 17.3 (16.5) injections over a mean (SD) 2.7 (2.0) years, with 6.4 (3.1) injections per year for eyes treated for > 1 year. The median VAs at baseline and at final follow-up for eyes that did not convert were 20/27 and 20/34 with a median change of 0.0 letters. The median VAs at baseline, conversion, and final follow-up for eyes that converted during the monitoring period were 20/30, 20/39, and 20/32 with a median change from baseline to conversion, baseline to recent, and conversion to recent of -4, -4, and 0 letters, respectively. Fifty-two percent of conversions detected had a system alert before conversion. Forty-eight percent of patients were detected by symptoms or routine visit. Patients experienced a non-nAMD alert on average every 4.6 years. At conversion and at final follow-up, the proportion (95% CI) of eyes that maintained ≥ 20/40 was 84% (78% to 88%) and 82% (76% to 86%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the FSH monitoring program showed excellent long-term VA years after conversion to nAMD.

Current status of home monitoring technology for age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Evidence suggests that patients present with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a delayed fashion. Increased lesion size associated with this delay directly impacts visual acuity. Upon treatment initiation, patients are monitored largely with optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology to determine the need for treatment. Home-monitoring systems using preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP) and OCT may optimize management. RECENT FINDINGS: Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials study and American Academy of Ophthalmology's Intelligent Research in Sight registry data suggest smaller lesion size and better visual acuity upon choroidal neovascularization (CNV) capture are associated with better final visual acuity with therapy. The HOME study and recent PHP-based ForeseeHome data indicate that this modality leads to earlier detection of CNV. Results of a real-world data analysis demonstrate 82% retention of ≥20/40 vision with median visual acuity of 20/40 at time of CNV detection using PHP home-monitoring. Home OCT data suggests excellent patient useability, with >90% of patients obtaining analyzable images. The Notal OCT Analyzer demonstrates superiority over human interpreters regarding the ability to detect intraretinal and subretinal fluid (82% vs. 47% sensitivity). SUMMARY: PHP may improve treatment outcomes for exudative AMD by allowing for earlier detection of lesions. Home OCT platforms could allow for more convenient monitoring of patients undergoing treatment for exudative AMD and better enable true PRN models.

Management of Cystoid Macular Edema After Vitrectomy for Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To assess therapies for cystoid macular edema (CME) following pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 42 eyes developing CME after PVR surgery. Treatments included topical therapy, sub-Tenon's triamcinolone acetonide (STTA), intravitreal bevacizumab and combinations thereof. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) as well as central subfield thickness (CST) were tracked. RESULTS: Mean Snellen BCVA improved from 20/598 to 20/297 (logMAR change -0.21; confidence interval [CI], -0.39 to -0.03; P = .03). Mean CST improved from 448 µm to 260 µm (CI, -248.70 to -126.06; P < 0.01). There was no difference in efficacy between treatment subgroups (analysis of variance, P = 0.16, 0.43), but STTA yielded statistically significant improvement in both categories (CI, -0.79 to -0.11; P = 0.01; and CI, -333.74 to 166.51; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of CME following PVR surgery is possible with a variety of different options. STTA appears to yield anatomical and visual improvement. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:436-443.].

Aqueous levels of fluocinolone acetonide after administration of fluocinolone acetonide inserts or fluocinolone acetonide implants.

PURPOSE: To compare aqueous levels of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) after administration of FAc inserts or FAc implants (Retisert; Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY). DESIGN: Comparison of pharmacokinetics from 2 prospective, interventional, clinical trials. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-seven patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) (Fluocinolone Acetonide in Human Aqueous [FAMOUS] Study, C-01-06-002) and 7 patients with uveitis (NA-00019318). METHODS: Aqueous FAc was measured after administration of FAc implants or 0.2 µg/day (low dose, ILUVIEN; Alimera Sciences Inc., Alpharetta, GA) or 0.5 µg/day (high dose) FAc inserts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was aqueous levels of FAc. RESULTS: At 1 month after administration for subjects who received 1 treatment, mean aqueous FAc levels were 2.17 (low dose) and 3.03 ng/ml (high dose) for FAc inserts and 6.12 ng/ml for FAc implants with maximum levels of 3.83, 6.66, and 13.50 ng/ml, respectively. At 3 months, mean FAc levels were 1.76, 2.15, and 6.12 ng/ml, respectively. Between 6 and 36 months after low-dose inserts, aqueous levels of FAc were remarkably stable, ranging from 1.18 to 0.45 ng/ml. After high-dose inserts, mean FAc levels were stable between 6 and 24 months, ranging from 1.50 to 0.84 ng/ml and then decreasing to 0.35 ng/ml at 30 months and 0.15 ng/ml at 36 months. In implant-containing eyes, mean FAc levels remained >6 ng/ml through 15 months, the last time point with measurements from at least 6 eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Low- and high-dose FAc inserts both provide stable long-term release of FAc with comparable peak levels in the aqueous: slightly >2 ng/ml for approximately 3 months followed by steady-state levels between 1.0 and 0.5 ng/ml through 36 months for low-dose inserts versus levels between 1.5 and 1.1 ng/ml through 24 months for high-dose inserts. Steady-state aqueous levels after FAc implants were >6 ng/ml. These results provide new insights that aid in the interpretation of efficacy trials and indicate that there is a dose effect for steroid-induced ocular hypertension. In susceptible patients, prolonged aqueous levels of FAc >1 ng/ml moderately increased the risk of glaucoma and levels >6 ng/ml posed a markedly increase risk.

Sustained ocular delivery of fluocinolone acetonide by an intravitreal insert.

PURPOSE: To compare Iluvien intravitreal inserts that release 0.2 or 0.5 microg/day of fluocinolone acetonide (FA) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, interventional, multicenter clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: We included 37 patients with DME. METHODS: Subjects with persistent DME despite > or = 1 focal/grid laser therapy were randomized 1:1 to receive an intravitreal insertion of a 0.2- or a 0.5-microg/day insert. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was aqueous levels of FA throughout the study with an important secondary outcome of the change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at month 12. RESULTS: The mean aqueous level of FA peaked at 3.8 ng/ml at 1 week and 1 month after administration of a 0.5-microg/day insert and was 3.4 and 2.7 ng/ml 1 week and 1 month after administration of a 0.2-microg/day insert. For both inserts, FA levels decreased slowly thereafter and were approximately 1.5 ng/ml for each at month 12. The mean change from baseline in BCVA was 7.5, 6.9, and 5.7 letters at months 3, 6, and 12, respectively, after administration of a 0.5 microg/day-insert and was 5.1, 2.7, and 1.3 letters at months 3, 6, and 12, respectively, after administration of a 0.2-microg/day insert. There was a mild increase in mean intraocular pressure after administration of 0.5-microg/day inserts, but not after administration of 0.2-microg/day inserts. CONCLUSIONS: The FA intravitreal inserts provide excellent sustained intraocular release of FA for > or = 1 year. Although the number of patients in this trial was small, the data suggest that the inserts provide reduction of edema and improvement in BCVA in patients with DME with mild effects on intraocular pressure over the span of 1 year. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.