Investigation of choroidal structure changes after intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy for retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) on the posterior segment structures of the eye and its changes with intravitreal anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) treatment. METHODS: This prospective longitudinal study included 29 eyes of 29 patients with RVO (17 males and 12 females) followed for 6 months. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), macula, choroid ticknesses and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) obtained by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were recorded at baseline and the first, third, and sixth months after the first injection. Results were compared with fellow eyes (non-affected eyes) and age- and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: BCVA increased significantly in the 6th month, more in the first month of injection (p < 0.05 for each). Central macular tickness, subfoveal choroid tickness, stromal and total area of choroid decreased significantly after injection (p < 0.05 for each). CVI values increased significantly, especially in the 1st month after injection (p < 0.05 for each). In eyes with Branch RVO, there was a significant decrease in the macular thickness of the occlusive areas with treatment, while there was no statistically significant change in the non-occlusive macular thickness. CONCLUSION: Observation of changes in choroidal structure may be useful to assess the activity of RVO and predict the efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy.

The role of oxidative damage in cataract etiopathogenesis.

Background: Cataract usually occurs due to age and diabetes, but the mechanisms of cataract formation have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, the relationship between cataract and oxidative stress was evaluated by examining the aqueous humor reflecting lens metabolism. Objective: In this study, the effect of oxidative stress on the etiopathogenesis of cataract was investigated through the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and arylesterase (ARE) levels in aqueous humor samples of patients with cataract. Design: A prospective cohort study. Methods: This study was conducted on patients who were scheduled for cataract surgery between June 2020 and March 2021. The patients were divided into four groups according to their cataract density as grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. TOS, TAS, and ARE levels of aqueous humor samples were measured spectrophotometrically, and comparisons were made between groups. Results: A total of 100 eyes of 100 patients were included in this study. TAS levels were found significantly higher in the grade 2 group compared with the grade 4 group (p = 0.006). In addition, a significant negative correlation was present between cataract grade and TAS level (r = -0.237; p = 0.018). There was no significant difference between diabetic and nondiabetic patients in terms of TAS, TOS, OSI, and ARE levels. Conclusion: The aqueous humor of patients with a high degree of cataract is characterized by low antioxidant capacity. Decreased antioxidant capacity has a role in cataract formation and progression.

Tear Fluid and Serum Vitamin D Concentrations in Unilateral Pterygium.

SIGNIFICANCE: Vitamin D has antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties, which may play an inhibitory role on pterygium formation. Vitamin D concentration was measured in few studies, and contradictory results have been reported. There is no study investigating tear fluid concentration of vitamin D in pterygium patients. PURPOSE: This study evaluated tear fluid and serum vitamin D concentrations of pterygium patients in comparison with healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty-five (21 male, 14 female) patients with unilateral pterygium and 25 (18 male, 7 female) healthy controls were included in this case-control study. After full ophthalmic examination, blood samples were taken, and basal tear fluid was collected using glass microcapillary tubes. Tear fluid and serum vitamin D concentrations were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation age of patients was 51.7 ± 16.7 years in the study group and 50.6 ± 18.7 years in the control group, respectively (P = .82). The mean tear fluid vitamin D concentration was statistically significantly higher than the mean serum concentration in the study groups (P < .0001). The mean tear fluid (P = .76) and serum vitamin D concentrations (P = .53) did not reveal statistically significant difference between patients and controls. There was no statistically significant difference for tear fluid vitamin D concentration between pterygium eyes and fellow eyes (P = .93). The difference in concentrations was compared within the pterygium subgroups, and it was found that the mean serum vitamin D concentration trended toward lower values as the stage of pterygium increased, and the mean tear fluid vitamin D concentration trended toward higher values as the stage of pterygium increased, although these differences were not statistically significant (all, P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Tear fluid and serum vitamin D concentrations do not seem to have a role in pterygium pathogenesis.

Evaluation of the effects of selective laser trabeculoplasty on anterior segment parameters by anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

To prospectively examine the effects of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) on the anterior chamber angle (ACA) and its related parameters using anterior segment-optic coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Fifty eyes of 50 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension were included in the study. AS-OCT was performed before SLT application, immediately after and at 1 day and 1 month. Intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were also recorded and evaluated. No statistically significant difference was determined in ACA and other AS-OCT parameters (AOD, angle opening distance at 500 and 750 mm; TISA, trabecular-iris space area at 500 and 750 mm) before and 1 day after SLT application (p > 0.05). However, a statistically significant increase was determined in both the temporal and nasal ACA, AOD and TISA values between the baseline and day 30 (p < 0.001). No statistically significant change was observed in the CCT or ACD values (p > 0.05). SLT resulted in an increase in ACA, AOD and TISA when evaluated using AS-OCT. We think that this study provides a different perspective concerning the effects of SLT in the angle region and the involved mechanism.

BLOOD CHROMIUM-COBALT LEVELS IN PATIENTS AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE RETINAL NERVE FIBER LAYER AND MACULAR GANGLION CELL COMPLEX.

PURPOSE: To study blood cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) levels in patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty and their effect on the retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell complex. METHODS: One hundred patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty and 50 healthy individuals who had no implants were included in the study. The patients were separated into two groups based on how long ago the prosthesis had been implanted (Group 1: 1 to 5 years; Group 2: 5 to 10 years). After a complete ophthalmological examination, retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell complex of the patients were evaluated with optical coherence tomography, performed on dilated pupils. To assess the metal ion levels of the patients, venous blood samples were drawn from each patient. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 64.72 ± 6.26 years in Group 1, 67.80 ± 8.07 years in Group 2, and 63.42 ± 7.90 years in the control group. In the comparison of age and sex, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups and the control group. Co and Cr levels were statistically higher in Group 1 and Group 2 compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Mean retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses and mean macular ganglion cell complex thicknesses in Group 1 and Group 2 were statistically lower than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Levels of Co and Cr are higher in patients who undergone total knee arthroplasty than healthy subjects, and these higher levels were associated with changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell complex.

Strain and Shear Wave Elastography in Diagnosis of Retrobulbar Neuritis.

BACKGROUND: In the early stages of retrobulbar neuritis (RN), the optic disc appears normal on ophthalmoscopy. Therefore, the diagnosis of RN is usually made clinically. However, imaging tools are needed for precise diagnosis of RN, and usually MRI is used. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic performance of strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) in patients with RN. Elastography is a new sonographic technique and a noninvasive ultrasound method for evaluating the elastic properties of tissues based on static compression: the elastographic techniques of SE compress the tissues axially, and SWE uses waves that are generated by transducers and interact with the tissue. METHODS: The study included 40 eyes of 20 patients with sudden visual loss, who were diagnosed with RN. The eyes of the patients were divided into 2 groups: the eye with a diagnosis of RN was the group of RN eyes, and the healthy second eye was the group of control eyes. Ophthalmologic examination, orbital and brain MRI, SE, and SWE were performed. SE color mapping was divided into 3 types: blue-hardest tissue (Type 1), blue/green-hard tissue (Type 2), and green-intermediate tissue (Type 3). All patients were treated with high-dose corticosteroids. The measurements of SE and SWE were made immediately after diagnosis and 1 month after treatment. RESULTS: The mean age of 11 male and 9 female patients was 38.3 ± 12.2 years. At the time of diagnosis, the mean shear wave values for the control eyes were 18.47 ± 7.26 kPa (kilopascals), and the mean shear wave values for the RN eyes were 37.21 ± 8.24 kPa. There was a statistically significant difference between the control and RN eyes at the time of diagnosis (P < 0.001). The mean shear wave value was 19.92 ± 4.77 kPa in the RN eyes after treatment. There was a statistically significant difference in values at the time of diagnosis and after treatment (P < 0.001). Strain types found in the RN eyes before treatment were Type 1 in 60% of eyes, Type 2 in 25%, and Type 3 in 15%; at the end of the treatment, Type 2 was observed in 25% of eyes and Type 3 in 75%, while Type 1 was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: SE and SWE may be important alternative diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of RN.

Evaluation effectiveness of 0.1% nepafenac on injection-related pain in patients undergoing intravitreal Ozurdex injection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the analgesic effect of topical 0.1% nepafenac solution during intravitreal Ozurdex injection. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study included 59 patients who were diagnosed with retinal vein occlusion or pseudophakic cystoid macular edema and were selected to receive intravitreal Ozurdex injection. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1, consisting of 31 eyes of 31 patients, received topical 0.1% nepafenac with topical anesthesia (0.5% proparacaine HCl, Alcaine; Alcon, TX, USA), and group 2, consisting of 28 eyes of 28 patients, received placebo with topical anesthesia. RESULTS: There were 14 (45.2%) men and 17 (54.8%) women in group 1 and 16 (57.1%) men and 12 (42.9%) women in group 2. The mean age of the subjects was 64.42 ± 5.51 years in group 1 and 62.32 ± 7.54 years in group 2. The median visual analog scale pain score was 2 (1-3) in group 1 and 4 (1-6) in group 2. The visual analog scale pain score was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Topical 0.1% nepafenac has an additive analgesic effect when combined with topical anesthesia for intravitreal Ozurdex injection.

Comparison of the Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Capsulotomy Rate with Viscoimplantation and the Hydroimplantation Intraocular Lens Technique.

PURPOSE: To investigate the rate of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy in the hydroimplantation intraocular lens (IOL) technique. METHODS: This retrospective study was comprised of 6,192 eyes in 3,790 patients who underwent surgery from January 2013 to September 2017 and then were followed up for at least 1 year. The eyes of these patients were divided into two groups: either viscoimplantation or hydroimplantation. The follow-up examinations were carried out on the 1st day, 4th day, 1st month, and 3 months to 1 year postoperatively. The Nd:YAG capsulotomy rates were evaluated by the different IOL implantation techniques and IOL materials. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration of the patients was in the viscoimplantation group 14.85 ± 2.43 and 15.05 ± 1.93 months in the hydroimplantation group. The Nd:YAG capsulotomy rate was significantly lower in the hydroimplantation group compared with the viscoimplantation group for the entire hydrophilic IOL model (p < 0.001). In addition, the Nd:YAG rate was lower in the hydroimplantation group that used a hydrophilic IOL than it was in the viscoimplantation group, which used a hydrophobic IOL. CONCLUSIONS: The hydroimplantation technique reduced the Nd:YAG capsulotomy rate.

Purtscher-Like Retinopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoid (Bonzai) Use

Purtscher's retinopathy is a microvascular occlusive disease initially described as retinal edema, cotton wool-like exudation, and hemorrhages occurring after severe head trauma. A similar clinical presentation called Purtscher-like retinopathy is associated with systemic diseases instead of trauma. In the present case, ophthalmic eksamination of a patient with complaints of blurred vision related to substance (Bonzai) use revealed bilateral cotton-wool spots. Purtscher-like retinopathy was diagnosed based on fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography findings. This is the first case of Purtscher-like retinopathy associated with Bonzai use described in the literature.

Corneal thickness and endothelial changes in long-term hydroxychloroquine use.

Objective: To determine possible associations between long-term HCQ use and corneal changes in patients who used HCQ for at least 3 years. Materials and methods: The study included 62 healthy controls and 62 consecutive patients who used HCQ for the treatment of rheumatologic disease and were referred to the ophthalmology department between August 2018 and November 2018 for HCQ retinal toxicity screening. Central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), the coefficient of variation (CV) of cell size, and the percentage of hexagonal cells (HEX%) were measured to evaluate changes in the cornea. Results: The mean age of the patient group and control group was 50.10 ± 10.91 and 50.53 ± 10.67 years, respectively. The mean ECD was 2742 ± 347 (cells/mm2) in the patient group and 2875 ± 188 cells/mm2 in the control group. There was a significant difference between groups (p = 0.01). The mean CCT was 567.05 ± 32.35 µm in the patient group and 540.15 ± 38.50 µm in the control group. CCT was significantly higher in the patient group compared with control group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of mean CV and HEX values (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Patients using long-term HCQ demonstrated lower ECD and higher CCT than the control group. However, the CV of cell sizes and the HEX % values were not significantly different from the controls.

Limbal stem cell defficiency associated with primary adrenocortical insufficiency.

Objective: To report a female patient with bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) due to primary adrenocortical insufficiency (PAI). Methods: Case report Results: A 40-year-old female patient had blurry vision, foreign body sensation, tearing, and photophobia for several years. On examination, corneal epithelial haze, surface irregularity, and superficial neovascularization were observed. There was a dull and irregular reflex from the conjunctivalized corneal surface. Medical history revealed that she had a diagnosis of PAI for 11 years and received hormone replacement (fludrocortisone acetate) therapy. With the clinical presentation and examination, the diagnosis was compatible with LSCD. Frequent ocular lubricant and topical steroid drops were initially started and topical cyclosporine treatment was planned for the long term. After 3 weeks, there was no corneal superficial neovascularization and epithelial haze, peripheral stromal haze was still observed. Conclusion: LSCD may rarely be associated with PAI. In patients with LSCD, systemic evaluation should be made to rule out PAI.

Cystoid macular edema following selective laser trabeculoplasty in a patient with ocular hypertension.

PURPOSE: Presentation of a case with ocular hypertension who developed cystoid macular edema (CME) following selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). CASE REPORT: A 62-year-old male patient who had undergone phacoemulsification surgery for traumatic cataract 9 years ago was on ocular hypertension treatment for the last 5 years. Due to uncontrolled intraocular pressure and side effect of medications, a 360° SLT was performed. The patient returned with decrased visual acuity 1 week after the procedure. There was CME in the treated eye. It healed completely after topical prednisolone acetate QID and nepafenac QID for 1 week, and no recurrence was observed during follow-ups. CONCLUSION: Cystoid macular edema may occur following SLT treatment in patients with previous traumatic cataract surgery which responds to topical treatment.

Effect of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®) on corneal endothelium in retinal vein occlusion patients : Corneal endothelium after dexamethasone implant injection.

BACKGROUND: To assess corneal endothelial cell changes after intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant (Ozurdex®) injection in patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients were assessed prospectively after intravitreal 0.7 mg DEX implant injection. Twenty-two eyes of 22 healthy volunteers served as control group. Corneal endothelial cell parameters including endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation of cell size (CV), percentage of hexagonality (Hex) and central corneal thickness (CCT) were analyzed before and 1 and 3 months after injection by specular microscopy. The results of the study were compared statistically. RESULTS: There were 17 (77.3%) patients with branch RVO and 5 (22.7%) patients with central RVO. Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 14.73 mmHg before injection, 17.05 mmHg at 1 month and 17.15 mmHg at 3 months after injection. Mean IOP at 1 and 3 months were significantly higher than pre-injection value (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively). There was a statistically significant reduction in mean ECD at 3 months after injection compared to pre-injection and 1 month (p = 0.013, p = 0.009, respectively) in the injected eyes. Mean ECD showed no significant difference in the uninjected fellow eyes during the follow up (p>0.05). Mean CV and Hex did not reveal a statistically significant difference in injected and uninjected fellow eyes (p > 0.05). No significant change was observed in mean CCT values during the follow up (p = 0.8). CONCLUSION: Intravitreal dexamethasone implant may cause a transient reduction in corneal endothelial cell density in short term without changing cell morphology.

0.1% Nepafenac reduces pain and increases patient comfort during cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluates analgesic effectiveness of 0.1% nepafenac during cataract surgery. METHODS: This prospective randomized randomized double-masked, placebo-controlled study comprised 80 eyes of 40 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral cataract surgery and implantation of foldable intraocular lens with topical anesthesia with and without topical nepafenac drops. Each eye of patients was assigned to group 1 and group 2. Topical anesthesia combined with 0.1% nepafenac used three times a day the day before the surgery and once half an hour just before the surgery was group 1, consisting of 40 eyes, and topical anesthesia with using placebo was group 2 consisting of 40 eyes. Patients were asked to score their pain using a visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal pain scale (VPS) immediately following the surgery. When the patient moved or squeeze the eye during surgery, the surgical comfort was evaluated as bad and otherwise, it was evaluated as good. RESULTS: When the intensity of pain during the surgery was evaluated, the percentage of patients reporting mild or no pain in group 1 was %825 and in group 2 was %45. Mean VAS pain score and mean VPS pain score in group 1 was significantly lower than that in group 2(p = 0.024, p < 0.001). Surgical comfort in group 1 was %825 and in group 2%65(P = 0.075). CONCLUSION: 0.1% nepafenac reduces pain of patients who undergone routine clear corneal phacoemulsification with topical anesthesia and may increase patient comfort during the surgery when used preoperatively.

Safety of hydroimplantation in cataract surgery in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

AIM: To evaluate the safety of hydroimplantation in cataract surgery in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. METHODS: This prospective randomized study comprised 100 eyes of 100 consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery and implantation of foldable intraocular lens (IOL). Each eye was assigned to group 1 or group 2. Hydroimplantation without using viscoelastic agent as group 1 (n=50), and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (Eyevisc, Biotech, India) was used in group 2 (n=50). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal endothelial cell count (ECC) between both groups at each visit and percentage change in CCT and ECC (P>0.05). The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) at postoperative 5h increased statistically significantly in group 2 (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in IOP between two groups, before and after surgery excluding the 24h postoperative IOP, but patients in group 2 had higher IOP than that in the group 1 at 24h after surgery (P=0.035). No case in either group experienced posterior capsular rupture, or zonular dialysis. Fixation of the globe during IOL implantation was better in group 1 than that in group 2. CONCLUSION: Hydroimplantation has advantages in terms of IOP changes and duration of the surgery and seems to be safe in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

Histopathological and ophthalmoscopic evaluation of apocynin on experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy in rabbit eyes.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of apocynin (APO) on the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). New Zealand-type male rabbits were randomly grouped into three as follows: (1) Sham group rabbits which were applied intraperitoneal (i.p.) vehicle without PVR; (2) PVR group rabbits where PVR was created and an i.p. vehicle was administered for 21 successive days; (3) PVR + APO group rabbits where PVR was created and i.p. APO was administered for 21 successive days. Fundus examination was conducted with an indirect ophthalmoscope before starting the experiments and at each visit afterwards. At the end of the work, the rabbits were sacrificed under high-dose anesthesia and then eye tissues were taken for histopathological analyses. In the PVR + APO group, histopathologic and ophthalmoscopic examination revealed significant decrease in PVR formation. As the result, it has been observed that APO at least partially inhibits PVR formation.

Plasma adropin level in patients with pseudoexfoliation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma adropin levels in patients with pseudoexfoliation (PEX). This retrospective case-control study included 35 patients with PEX and 35 individuals without PEX who served as controls. Plasma adropin levels with triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and haemoglobin A1c (HGBA1C) concentrations were measured in both groups. The mean serum adropin levels were 3.24 ± 0.95 ng/mL (range, 1.90-7.88 ng/mL) in patients with PEX syndrome and 5.78 ± 2.85 ng/mL (range, 2.08-5.41 ng/mL) in PEX glaucoma patients. There was no statistically significant difference in mean adropin levels between PEX syndrome and PEX glaucoma patients. However, similar adropin levels were found in the PEX glaucoma patients and the control group (P > 0.05). The mean serum adropin levels were 3.34 ± 0.89 ng/mL (range, 1.90-5.39 ng/mL) in the PEX group and 5.78 ± 2.85 ng/mL (range, 3.08-11.06 ng/mL) in the control group. The mean serum adropin level of the PEX group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of serum glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, HGBA1C, triglycerides levels, or body mass index (all P > 0.05). Adropin level is lower in patients with PEX.

Endophthalmitis after tooth extraction in a patient with previous perforating eye injury.

The aim of this stuty is to describe a case of endophthalmitis after tooth extraction in a patient with previous perforating eye injury. 50 years old male patient attempted to our clinic with complaints of sudden severe pain, reduced vision, light sensitivity and redness in the right eye. The patient stated that severe pain in his eye began approximately 12 hours following tooth extraction. The patient's ocular examination revealed a visual acuity of hand motion in the right eye. Anterior segment examination of the right eye showed intense conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, a fine keraticprespitat and corneal edema. Dental procedures of the patients who had recently underwent ocular surgery or trauma should be done in a more controlled manner under anti -infective therapy or should be postponed in elective procedures.

Effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on retrobulbar blood flow of patients with diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on retrobulbar blood flow of patients with diabetic macular edema. METHODS: Peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistance, and pulsatility indices of central retinal artery (CRA), nasal posterior ciliary artery (NPCA), temporal posterior ciliary artery (TPCA), and ophthalmic artery (OA) were assessed by color Doppler ultrasonography in injected and uninjected eyes of 37 patients at baseline and at day 1 and day 7 after the injection. RESULTS: At day 1 after the injection, peak systolic and end diastolic velocities of the CRA and NPCA in the injected eyes and peak systolic velocity of NPCA in the uninjected eyes decreased significantly (p<0.05, p = 0.025, respectively). Peak systolic and end diastolic velocities were not significantly different in the injected and uninjected eyes at day 7 after the injection (p>0.05). In the injected eyes, there was no significant change in resistance and pulsatility indices (p>0.05), but a decrease in resistance index of NPCA and resistance and pulsatility indices of TPCA occurred in uninjected eyes at day 7 after the injection (p = 0.016, p = 0.023, and p = 0.025, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal bevacizumab affects retrobulbar blood flow in injected and uninjected eyes of patients with diabetic macular edema.