A case of recurring acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy successfully treated with intravitreal Ozurdex injection.

INTRODUCTION: We describe a case of acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy (AEPVM) that recurred 9 years after the initial event. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of recurrent AEPVM showing recovery of retinal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) function and good visual outcome following treatment with intravitreal corticosteroid. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 45-year-old Caucasian woman first presented with AEVPM in 2009. Her condition spontaneously resolved and she remained stable over several years. 9 years later, her condition recurred with bilateral reduction in visual acuity. Fundus examination revealed multiple small yellowish subretinal lesions across the posterior pole in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed bilateral cystoid macular oedema (CMO). She was referred for electrophysiology and her electrooculogram findings were in keeping with severe generalised RPE dysfunction bilaterally, with a light peak to dark trough ratio (Arden index) of 110%, comparable to her initial presentation 9 years earlier. She was initially treated with oral steroids with some improvement. However, the maculopathy in the left eye recurred on cessation of oral treatment. A sustained-release 700ug dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®) was inserted in the left eye to which she responded remarkably, with improvement in visual acuity and complete resolution of the CMO. A year later, at her most recent clinic visit in March 2021, there was no evidence of any further recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our case demonstrates clinical and imaging findings consistent with recurrence of AEPVM with CMO that has been successfully treated with Ozurdex®.

Management of Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defects with Human Amniotic Membrane-derived Dry Matrix.

OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of using human amniotic membrane-derived dry matrix (AMDDM) in the management of persistent corneal epithelial defects (PEDs) of various etiologies. METHODS: A cohort study of 84 patients age range 7 to 92 years with 93 PEDs were treated with AMDDM (Omnigen® using OmniLenz® at two centers (Queen Victoria Hospital and Maidstone Hospital) in the UK. The main outcome measures were healing response of PED and time to heal after application of AMDDM. RESULTS: A total of 106 applications of AMDDM were recorded for 81 patients (52 males, 29 females) with a spectrum of different etiologies. Fifty-eight percent of the eyes showed complete healing, and 28% showed partial decrease of the size of PEDs with average treatment length recorded as 22.4±12.3 days. In patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (n=44; aniridia=12, chemical injury=9, Stevens-Johnson syndrome=10), 50% of PEDs showed complete healing and 27% showed partial healing. In patients with microbial keratitis (n=21) (bacterial: 13, fungal: 4, herpetic: 3, acanthamoeba: 1) 57% of PEDs showed complete healing and 33% were partially healed. In patients with keratoplasty (n=16), 56% of PEDs showed complete healing and 31% were partially healed. Vision remained stable in 59% and improved in 27% of the study the population. CONCLUSION: AMDDM can be easily applied in the clinical setting and has demonstrated its efficiency as a new tool to treat persistent epithelial defects.

Insidious enemy: downside to prolonged survival in prostate cancer.

An 83-year-old man, a prostate cancer survivor of 10 years with multiple vertebral metastases presented with sudden onset of double vision. On examination he was found to have an isolated partial left abducens palsy with no other neurological deficits. Despite having microvascular risk factors, given his history of prostate cancer, aMRI brain scan was requested to look for a neurological cause. The scan revealed a metastatic lesion in the clivus encasing the cavernous sinus and carotid artery. He was referred to his oncologist for further management, however he opted out of further treatment and succumbed to his illness a month later. This case report includes a literature review of cases with clivus metastases secondary to prostate cancer. It highlights the importance of carefully examining eye movements and having a high index of suspicion for the subtlest sign that may suggest brain metastases in elderly patients with prostate cancer with prolonged survival.

Acceptability, Usability, and Views on Deployment of Peek, a Mobile Phone mHealth Intervention for Eye Care in Kenya: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The Portable Eye Examination Kit (Peek) is a mobile phone-based ophthalmic testing system that has been developed to perform comprehensive eye examinations. Shortages in ophthalmic personnel, the high cost, and the difficulty in transporting equipment have made it challenging to offer services, particularly in rural areas. Peek offers a solution for overcoming barriers of limited access to traditional ophthalmic testing methods and has been pilot tested on adults in Nakuru, Kenya, and compared with traditional eye examination tools. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study evaluated the acceptability and usability of Peek in addition to perceptions regarding its adoption and nationwide deployment. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and analyzed using a framework approach. This included analysis of interviews from 20 patients, 8 health care providers (HCPs), and 4 key decision makers in ophthalmic health care provision in Kenya. The participants were purposefully sampled. The coding structure involved predefined themes for assessing the following: (1) the context, that is, environment, user, task, and technology; (2) patient acceptability, that is, patients' perceived benefits, patient preference, and patient satisfaction; (3) usability, that is, efficiency, effectiveness, learnability, and flexibility and operability of Peek; and (4) the benefits of Peek in strengthening eye care provision, that is, capabilities enhancer, opportunity creator, social enabler, and knowledge generator. Emerging themes relating to the objectives were explored from the data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Patients found Peek to be acceptable because of its benefits in overcoming the barriers to accessing ophthalmic services. Most thought it to be fast, convenient, and able to reach a large population. All patients expressed being satisfied with Peek. The HCPs perceived it to satisfy the criteria for usability and found Peek to be acceptable based on the technology acceptance model. Peek was also found to have features required for strengthening ophthalmic delivery by aiding detection and diagnosis, provision of decision support, improving communication between provider and patient and among providers, linking patients to services, monitoring, and assisting in education and training. Some of the deployment-related issues included the need for government and community involvement, communication and awareness creation, data protection, infrastructure development including capacity creation, and training and maintenance support. CONCLUSIONS: According to all parties interviewed, Peek is an acceptable solution, as it provides a beneficial service, supports patients' needs, and fulfills HCPs' roles, overall contributing to strengthening eye health.

Decompensation of ocular torsion following malrotation of a toric intraocular lens.

Toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are being increasingly used to correct corneal astigmatism in cataract surgery. A quarter of patients that undergo cataract surgery may benefit from a toric rather than a spherical IOL. However, these implants must be positioned accurately, because postoperative rotation of the toric IOL can have clinically significant consequences. We present the first documented case of a 78-year-old woman who presented with diplopia as a result of exacerbation of a preexisting torsion following toric lens implantation.