Novel Eye Drop Delivery Aid Improves Outcomes and Satisfaction.

PURPOSE: To compare a nose-pivoted drop delivery device (NPDD) with traditional eye drop delivery in glaucoma subjects. DESIGN: Repeated-measures case series. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty glaucoma subjects (100 eyes) who reported difficulty self-administering eye drops. METHODS: We compared eye drop delivery using a NPDD against traditional delivery techniques at baseline (baseline traditional) and after standardized teaching (post-teaching traditional). Subjects used a 1-to-10 scale (10 being easiest) to rate the ease of delivery with each technique and completed a satisfaction survey. Two graders used digital video to independently review eye drop delivery and recorded: (1) accurate placement: the eye drop reached the ocular surface; (2) no contact: no bottle tip contact against the ocular or periocular surface; and (3)number of eye drops dispensed. We defined primary success as accurate placement and no contact; secondary success as primary success with only 1 drop dispensed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used logistic-transformed generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression to compare technique satisfaction, accuracy, no contact, and primary and secondary success. Number of drops dispensed was compared using a Cox model. RESULTS: Forty-seven of 50 subjects (94%) preferred the NPDD over traditional eye drop delivery. The mean score for ease of use was higher for the NPDD (8.9 ± 1.1) than baseline traditional (6.7 ± 2.1; P < 0.001) and post-teaching traditional (7.0 ± 2.0; P < 0.001). Forty-nine of 50 (98%) subjects thought the NPDD was comfortable to use and would recommend the device. The eye drop reached the ocular surface in a similar percentage of subjects (>90%) with each method. The bottle tip contacted fewer eyes with the NPDD (10 eyes) than baseline traditional (33 eyes; P < 0.001) and post-teaching traditional (25 eyes; P = 0.009). The number of drops dispensed was lower with the NPDD (1.7 ± 1.2) than baseline traditional (2.2 ± 1.6; P = 0.017) and post-teaching traditional (2.4 ± 1.8; P = 0.006). The NPDD increased primary and secondary success of eye drop delivery (86% and 54%, respectively) compared to baseline traditional (66% [P = 0.001] and 28% [P < 0.001]) and post-teaching traditional (70% [P = 0.005] and 40% [P = 0.018]). CONCLUSIONS: Eye drop users preferred the NPDD over traditional eye drop delivery. The NPDD improved eye drop delivery success, reduced bottle tip contact, and decreased the number of eye drops wasted.

Mutational status of IDH1 in uveal melanoma.

Uveal (intraocular) melanoma is an uncommon malignancy that comprises a small percentage of all melanoma cases. While many uveal melanomas harbor mutations in the BRCA-Associated Protein 1 (BAP1) gene, the genetics of non-BAP1 associated tumors are not completely understood. Recent studies have shown that a small subset of non-uveal melanomas hold mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), but the mutational status of IDH in uveal melanoma is unclear. Mutations in IDH are strongly prognostic and predictive of tumor behavior in other cancers, mainly diffuse gliomas, which commonly contain the IDH1-R132H mutation. For this study, we hypothesized that uveal melanoma may contain the IDH1-R132H mutation, similar to non-uveal melanoma and other cancers. A search of our institutional pathology files identified 50 consecutive cases of uveal melanoma with additional material utilized for retrospective IDH1-R132H immunohistochemical testing. The demographics of these patients included similar ages, gender distributions, and other clinical characteristics as described in previous studies. Similarly, histological subtype distributions and the presence of high risk pathologic features were consistent with other reports. All 50 of the uveal melanoma cases demonstrated negativity for IDH1-R132H by immunohistochemistry. This rate is unlike that of non-uveal melanoma and further supports their distinct molecular oncogenic profile.

Posterior displacement of the lamina cribrosa in glaucoma: in vivo interindividual and intereye comparisons.

PURPOSE: We assessed in vivo lamina cribrosa (LC) position within the optic nerve head in glaucoma. METHODS: For interindividual comparison, glaucoma patients at various stages and normal subjects were recruited. For intraindividual, intereye comparison, glaucoma patients with visual field (VF) defects in only one eye were recruited separately. Serial horizontal and vertical enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI OCT) B-scans of the optic nerve head were obtained prospectively from each participant. Mean and maximum anterior LC depths were measured in 11 equally spaced horizontal B-scans, excluding the LC insertion area under the Bruch's membrane and scleral rim. RESULTS: Totals of 47 glaucomatous eyes (47 patients; VF mean deviation, -12.7±8.2 dB) and 57 normal eyes (57 subjects) were enrolled for the interindividual comparison. Mean and maximum LC depths were significantly greater in the glaucomatous than in the normal eyes in all 11 scans (all P<0.03). There were 54 glaucoma patients with VF defects in only one eye (VF mean deviation, -15.6±8.8 dB) included in the intereye comparison. Mean and maximum LC depths were significantly greater in the eyes with VF defects than in the fellow eyes with no VF defects in all 11 scans (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The central and midperipheral LC is located more posteriorly in glaucomatous than in normal eyes, as well as in eyes with VF defects compared to fellow eyes with no VF defects. These results support the concept of posterior LC displacement in glaucoma and provide the basis for future in vivo human studies.

Parafoveal scotoma progression in glaucoma: humphrey 10-2 versus 24-2 visual field analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of 10-2 versus 24-2 visual fields (VFs) in detecting progression of initial parafoveal scotoma (IPFS) in glaucomatous eyes. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study. PARTICIPANTS: Glaucoma patients with the following criteria: (1) an IPFS (≥ 3 adjacent points with P<0.05 within the central 10° degrees of fixation, 1 point or more with P<0.01 lying at the innermost paracentral points, and no scotoma outside the central 10°) in either hemifield based on 2 reliable Humphrey 24-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm standard VFs, and (2) 5 or more 10-2 and 24-2 VFs. METHODS: Based on threshold map sensitivities, VF progression, defined as having 1 or more significantly progressing point(s) with a slope of sensitivity of less than -1.0 dB/year at P<0.01, was evaluated using pointwise linear regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of progressing eyes in 10-2 and 24-2 VF analyses. RESULTS: Fifty eyes (50 patients) were included (mean age ± standard deviation, 62 ± 9 years). Mean follow-up period (5.7 vs. 5.6 years) and number of VFs (7.6 vs. 7.8) were similar between 10-2 and 24-2 analyses (all P>0.3). Significantly more progressing eyes were detected in 10-2 than in 24-2 analyses (24 vs. 11 eyes; P = 0.007). This difference became greater within the central 10° (24 vs. 4 eyes; P<0.001). Four of the 11 progressing eyes in 24-2 analysis were missed in 10-2 analysis, whereas 17 of the 24 progressing eyes in 10-2 analysis were missed in 24-2 analysis. The 4 progressing eyes missed in 10-2 analysis had progressing point(s) only outside the central 10° in 24-2 analysis. The other 3 eyes with progressing point(s) only outside the central 10° in 24-2 analysis were detected as progressing in 10-2 analysis. Similar results were obtained when more stringent criteria (at least 2 significantly progressing points within the same hemifield) were used for VF progression. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-2 VF detects more progressing eyes than the 24-2 VF in glaucoma patients with IPFS, suggesting that closer surveillance of the central VF using testing algorithms with closely spaced grids is warranted in eyes with parafoveal scotomas. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.