Visual impairment and blindness caused by retinal diseases: A nationwide register-based study.

Background: Retinal disorders cause substantial visual burden globally. Accurate estimates of the vision loss due to retinal diseases are pivotal to inform optimal eye health care planning and allocation of medical resources. The purpose of this study is to describe the proportion of visual impairment and blindness caused by major retinal diseases in China. Methods: A nationwide register-based study of vitreoretinal disease covering all 31 provinces (51 treating centres) of mainland China. A total of 28 320 adults diagnosed with retinal diseases were included. Participants underwent standardised ocular examinations, which included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), dilated-fundus assessments, and optical coherence tomography. Visual impairment and blindness are defined using BCVA according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (visual impairment: <20/63-≥20/400; blindness: <20/400) and the United States (visual impairment: <20/40-≥20/200; blindness: <20/200) definitions. The risk factors of vision loss were explored by logistic regression analyses. Results: Based on the WHO definitions, the proportions for unilateral visual impairment and blindness were 46% and 18%, respectively, whereas those for bilateral visual impairment and blindness were 31% and 3.3%, respectively. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) accounts for the largest proportion of patients with visual impairment (unilateral visual impairment: 32%, bilateral visual impairment: 60%) and blindness (unilateral blindness: 35%; bilateral blindness: 64%). Other retinal diseases that contributed significantly to vision loss included age-related macular degeneration, myopic maculopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and other macular diseases. Women (bilateral vision loss: P = 0.011), aged patients (unilateral vision loss: 45-64 years: P < 0.001, ≥65 years: P < 0.001; bilateral vision loss: 45-64 years: P = 0.003, ≥65 years: P < 0.001 (reference: 18-44 years)) and those from Midwest China (unilateral and bilateral vision loss: both P < 0.001) were more likely to suffer from vision loss. Conclusions: Retinal disorders cause substantial visual burden among patients with retinal diseases in China. DR, the predominant retinal disease, is accountable for the most prevalent visual disabilities. Better control of diabetes and scaled-up screenings are warranted to prevent DR. Specific attention should be paid to women, aged patients, and less developed regions.

Clinical Observation of Laser Peripheral Iridoplasty with Number of Laser Shots in the Treatment of Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

Objective: To quantitatively study the intraocular pressure (IOP) control and chamber angle opening degree of patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma (stage of attack) treated by laser peripheral iridoplasty (LPIP) with different numbers of laser shots, and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different numbers of laser shots. Methods: Fifty-five patients (60 eyes) with acute angle-closure glaucoma treated in our hospital from May 2019 to December 2020 were selected as the research subjects. All patients had poor intraocular pressure control (≥40 mmHg) after IOP-lowering drug therapy. The patients were randomly divided into three groups, 20 eyes in each group, and underwent laser peripheral iridoplasty (LPIP) with different numbers of laser shots (group I: 35 laser shots, group II: 45 laser shots, and group III: 60 laser shots). The best-corrected visual acuity, IOP, corneal condition, and opening degree of anterior chamber angle (ACA), namely, the trabecular-iris angle (TIA), angle opening distance at 500 µm (AOD500), and complications of patients before LPIP, 2 hours after LPIP, and 24 hours after LPIP were observed, and the opening degree of ACA were quantitatively measured. Results: The corrected visual acuity of the three groups after LPIP was improved to varying degrees, and the IOP decreased, TIA and AOD500 were increased compared with those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between group II and group I (P < 0.05). Four eyes in group I underwent LPIP again due to increased IOP. In group III, iris hemorrhage occurred in one eye and iris depigmentation occurred in one eye, and there was no statistical difference compared with group II (P > 0.05). Conclusions: LPIP can effectively reduce preoperative IOP and increase ACA width in patients with persistent high IOP that failed to respond to drug therapy, and moderate numbers of laser shots can achieve satisfactory results and highest safety.

[Effect of bloodletting at tip of ear with different amounts on pain in patients with early-stage stye: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the curative effect between bloodletting at tip of ear with different amounts combined with western medication and western medication alone for early-stage stye. METHODS: A total of 108 patients with early-stage stye were randomly divided into a 50 µL group (36 cases, 4 cases dropped off), a 100 µL group (36 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a western medication group (36 cases, 5 cases dropped off). The patients in the western medication group were treated with levofloxacin eye drops and levofloxacin hydrochloride eye gel. Based on the treatment of the western medication group, the patients in the 50 µL group were treated with 50 µL bloodletting (about 3 drops) at tip of ear while the patients in the 100 µL group were treated with 100 µL bloodletting (about 6 drops) at tip of ear; the bloodletting was given once a day for 3 days. After treatment, the changes of visual analogue scale (VAS) and clinical effect were observed, and the patients were followed up by telephone on the 8th day. RESULTS: After treatment, the VAS score in each group was reduced (P<0.01), and the score in the 50 µL group and 100 µL group was lower than that in the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the score in the 100 µL group was lower than that in the 50 µL group (P<0.05). After treatment, the cured rate was 76.5% (26/34) in the 100 µL group, 71.9% (23/32) in the 50 µL group and 51.6% (16/31) in the western medication group, and there were no significant differences among three groups (P>0.05). One week after the onset of the disease, all the patients in the 50 µL group and 100 µL group were cured, and one patient in the western medication group was not cured, and treated with routine surgery. CONCLUSION: Based on the conventional western medication treatment, bloodletting at tip of ear can significantly reduce the pain of stye, and the effect of 100 µL bleeding is better than 50 µL.