Anatomical configurations of vitreomacular traction syndrome: influence on clinical course and surgical outcomes.

PURPOSE: To develop a new classification system for vitreomacular traction (VMT) syndrome according to spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging and to investigate the clinical course of VMT patients. METHODS: This study included 68 eyes of 68 consecutive patients who were followed with observation or treated with vitrectomy for idiopathic VMT. Eyes were classified into one of three groups according to SD-OCT findings: group A (foveal pseudocyst, which was defined as the formation of cystoid cavity located in the inner part of the central fovea along with foveal thickening), group B (parafoveal retinoschisis, which was defined as intraretinal cysts or clefts along with no apparent foveal thickening), and group C (outer retinal dehiscence at the fovea, which is sometimes accompanied by foveal thinning). The minimum required follow-up period was 1 year. Clinical course and anatomical and functional outcomes were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Twenty-seven eyes (39.7%) were included in group A, 22 eyes (32.4%) were included in group B, and 19 eyes (27.9%) were included in group C. Among the 24 eyes that were managed by observation, a significantly larger percentage of patients in group A (6/10 [60%]) exhibited more spontaneous resolution of VMT compared with those in groups B (9.1%) or C (0%) (P = 0.010). In the 44 eyes that were managed with vitrectomy, a significantly larger percentage of patients in group C (4/16 [25%]) experienced subsequent full-thickness macular hole development following vitrectomy compared with those in groups B (0%) or C (0%) (P = 0.014). The percentage of patients with photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment disruption was significantly reduced in group A after vitrectomy, with group C exhibiting the lowest recovery rate. Postoperatively, group A experienced a significantly better visual outcome than group C (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: A novel configuration system offering insight into the clinical course of VMT is proposed. According to this system, anatomical and functional outcomes were favorable in group A and worse in group C.

Association of ARMS2 genotype with response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether genetic risk variants for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with response to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 95 treatment-naïve patients that underwent anti-VEGF treatment for PCV for 12 months. Patients were genotyped for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms in eight AMD-relevant genes. Genotypic association with visual and anatomic outcome measures at 12 months after initial treatment, including mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and total foveal thickness, visual gain of ≥ 15 letters, dry status on optical coherence tomography (OCT), pigment epithelial detachment (PED) regression on OCT, polyp regression on indocyanine green angiography, and injection numbers, were investigated using regression models with adjustment for non-genetic covariates under additive genetic model. RESULTS: In 81 patients who completed 12-month anti-VEGF monotherapy without photodynamic therapy, significant pharmacogenetic association was found between ARMS2 rs10490924 and PED regression on OCT. Proportions of PED regression were 26.4% for TT, 45.7% for TG, and 63.6% for GG genotype, showing additive effect of G allele for higher chance of PED regression (OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.38-6.36; corrected P = 0.043). For entire 95 patients, no significant association was found between candidate polymorphisms and receiving photodynamic therapy within 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In PCV patients, ARMS2 rs10490924 showed association with anatomic therapeutic response to anti-VEGF, suggesting pharmacogenetic relationship.

RECOVERY OF FOVEAL PHOTORECEPTOR INTEGRITY AFTER VITRECTOMY IN EYES WITH AN IMPENDING MACULAR HOLE WITH VITREOMACULAR TRACTION SYNDROME.

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with the recovery of foveal photoreceptor disruption in eyes with an impending macular hole (MH) with vitreomacular traction syndrome after surgery. METHODS: This study comprised 33 consecutive patients who underwent vitrectomy for Stage 1 impending macular hole with disrupted photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) layer and were followed up for a minimum of 1 year after surgery. Preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters were compared between eyes that achieved complete restoration of the IS/OS layer (Group A) and those that did not (Group B). Postoperative serial changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and IS/OS disrupted length were also investigated. RESULTS: Smooth and symmetric foveolar contour was restored in 29 eyes (87.9%). Complete recovery of IS/OS disruption was observed in 11 of 33 cases (33.3%, Group A). Group A exhibited a larger percentage of foveal pseudocysts (54.5% vs. 13.6%, P = 0.033) and a smaller mean aperture size (102.1 ± 182.1 µm vs. 241.5 ± 163.8 µm, P = 0.031) than Group B. Postoperatively, Group A revealed a significantly better visual outcome than Group Be, which was the same as Group B, but with the four eyes that developed a full-thickness macular hole excluded. CONCLUSION: Restoration of the foveal photoreceptor layer was more likely to occur in eyes with a foveal pseudocyst and smaller aperture size.

Electrical Characterization of 3D Au Microelectrodes for Use in Retinal Prostheses.

In order to provide high-quality visual information to patients who have implanted retinal prosthetic devices, the number of microelectrodes should be large. As the number of microelectrodes is increased, the dimensions of each microelectrode must be decreased, which in turn results in an increased microelectrode interface impedance and decreased injection current dynamic range. In order to improve the trade-off envelope between the number of microelectrodes and the current injection characteristics, a 3D microelectrode structure can be used as an alternative. In this paper, the electrical characteristics of 2D and 3D Au microelectrodes were investigated. In order to examine the effects of the structural difference, 2D and 3D Au microelectrodes with different base areas but similar effective surface areas were fabricated and evaluated. Interface impedances were measured and similar dynamic ranges were obtained for both 2D and 3D Au microelectrodes. These results indicate that more electrodes can be implemented in the same area if 3D designs are used. Furthermore, the 3D Au microelectrodes showed substantially enhanced electrical durability characteristics against over-injected stimulation currents, withstanding electrical currents that are much larger than the limit measured for 2D microelectrodes of similar area. This enhanced electrical durability property of 3D Au microelectrodes is a new finding in microelectrode research, and makes 3D microelectrodes very desirable devices.

Pharmacogenetic associations with long-term response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in neovascular AMD patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the pharmacogenetic associations between the genetic risk variants of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and long-term outcome after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in Korean neovascular AMD patients. METHODS: This prospective study included 394 treatment-naïve patients (394 eyes) that underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular AMD for at least 12 months. Patients were genotyped for 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms within 13 AMD-relevant genes. Initially, patients underwent three monthly injections of intravitreal ranibizumab and were retreated as needed with ranibizumab or bevacizumab. For each candidate polymorphism, genotypic associations with treatment outcome measures at months 12 and 24, including mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline, visual gain of ≥15 letters, mean change in central subfield macular thickness (CSMT) from baseline on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), presence of fluid on OCT, and mean number of injections, were investigated using logistic or linear regression models with adjustment for non-genetic covariates. RESULTS: At month 24, BCVA improved by 4.5 ± 22.5 letters and CSMT decreased by 69.4 ± 112.6 µm from baseline. Regression analysis with Bonferroni correction showed that the TT genotype for VEGFA rs3025039 was associated with a significantly higher chance of a visual gain of ≥15 letters at month 24 than other genotypes (odds ratio, 4.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.89 - 11.1; corrected p = 0.0434). As for tomographic outcome, the minor allele homozygotes for ARMS2 rs10490924 and HTRA1 rs1100638 (GG genotype for both) were associated with a larger CSMT reduction at month 12 than other genotypes, with borderline significance after Bonferroni correction (118.6 ± 132.7 µm versus 62.7 ± 89.7 µm, corrected p = 0.0656 for rs10490924; 115.7 ± 131.7 µm versus 63.6 ± 89.8 µm, corrected p = 0.0528 for rs11200638). No polymorphism showed a significant association with the number of injections. CONCLUSIONS: In this Korean neovascular AMD cohort, treatment outcome after anti-VEGF was found to differ by the genotypes of VEGFA rs3025039, ARMS2 rs10490924, and HTRA1 rs11200638. Given more evidence of pharmacogenetic associations with the anti-VEGF agent, individualized therapeutic approaches based on genetic background could lead to optimal treatment in neovascular AMD.

Low-fluence photodynamic therapy versus ranibizumab for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy: one-year results of a randomized trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety between low-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, single-center, parallel-arm, controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four eyes of 32 patients with chronic CSC with >6 months' duration of symptoms or recurrent CSC were randomly placed into the low-fluence PDT group (n = 18) or the ranibizumab group (n = 16). INTERVENTION: The patients underwent a single session of low-fluence PDT or 3 consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab. Rescue treatment was available from month 3 if the subretinal fluid (SRF) persisted or recurred after primary treatment; low-fluence PDT was given to the ranibizumab group and intravitreal ranibizumab to the low-fluence PDT group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion of eyes with complete resolution of SRF without rescue treatment. Secondary outcomes included the mean changes in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), and angiographic findings from baseline to 12 months. RESULTS: At month 12, 16 eyes (88.9%) of the low-fluence PDT group maintained complete resolution of SRF without rescue treatment versus 2 eyes (12.5%) in the ranibizumab group (P <0.001). Two eyes (11.1%) in the low-fluence PDT group and 11 eyes (68.8%) in the ranibizumab group met the criteria for rescue treatment (P = 0.001). In the low-fluence PDT group, the mean decrease in CRT from baseline was significantly greater than that in the ranibizumab group until month 6 (P <0.05), but the differences became insignificant thereafter. The improvement in BCVA from baseline was superior in the low-fluence PDT group to that in the ranibizumab group, but the differences were not statistically significant except at month 3 (P = 0.025). On indocyanine green angiography, a significantly greater proportion of the low-fluence PDT group (16 eyes; 88.9%) showed a marked reduction in choroidal hyperpermeability after primary treatment than that of the ranibizumab group (0 eyes; P <0.001). No serious adverse events related to the drugs or procedures were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the overall superiority of low-fluence PDT compared with intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of chronic CSC.

Genetic factors associated with response to intravitreal ranibizumab in Korean patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between genetic risk variants for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and response to intravitreal ranibizumab in Korean patients with neovascular AMD. METHODS: This prospective study included 273 treatment-naive patients (273 eyes) who underwent 5 monthly injections (Months 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) of intravitreal ranibizumab for neovascular AMD. Patients were genotyped for 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within 12 AMD-relevant genes. For each polymorphism, genotypic association with good response at Month 5, predetermined as visual improvement of ≥ 8 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters from baseline, was investigated with logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, smoking, baseline Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter, central retinal thickness, lesion area, and type of choroidal neovascularization. RESULTS: At Month 5, visual acuity improved by 9.1 ± 17.6 letters from baseline, and 136 patients (49.8%) were classified as good responders. In logistic regression, no tested polymorphism showed statistically significant association with favorable visual outcome at Month 5. When unadjusted for multiple tests, AA genotype for VEGF rs699947 had an increased chance of good response compared with other genotypes (odds ratio, 3.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-9.18; P = 0.0071). CONCLUSION: In this Korean neovascular AMD cohort, there was no statistically significant effect of genotype on early visual outcome after ranibizumab treatment.

Comparison of 1-year therapeutic effect of ranibizumab and bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization: a retrospective, multicenter, comparative study.

BACKGROUND: To compare the long-term efficacy of ranibizumab versus bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter, comparative, non-randomized study of 64 consecutive patients with myopic CNV treated with ranibizumab (22 patients) or bevacizumab (42 patients). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography were evaluated before and after treatment. All the patients were followed for at least 12 months. RESULTS: BCVA (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution) improved from 0.63 ± 0.30 to 0.43 ± 0.27, 0.41 ± 0.37, 0.40 ± 0.39, 0.39 ± 0.43, and 0.39 ± 0.42 at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in the ranibizumab group, and from 0.67 ± 0.28 to 0.52 ± 0.31, 0.49 ± 0.31, 0.47 ± 0.31, 0.42 ± 0.32, and 0.46 ± 0.43 in the bevacizumab group (all P < 0.05 compared with baseline BCVA in each group). CFT decreased by 20.21%, 19.58%, and 22.43% from the baseline 304 ± 76 µm at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in the former group, and by 15.20%, 15.67%, and 15.56% from the baseline 297 ± 62 µm in the latter group (all P < 0.05 compared with baseline CFT in each group). BCVA improvement and CFT reduction did not statistically differ when compared at the same periods from treatment between 2 groups. Neither ocular nor systemic safety problems appeared during follow up. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a similar functional and anatomical improvement after treatment of ranibizumab and bevacizumab for myopic CNV over a 12-month follow-up period.

Intraoperative iatrogenic peripheral retinal break in 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy versus 20-gauge conventional vitrectomy.

BACKGROUND: To compare the incidence of intraoperative iatrogenic peripheral retinal breaks (IPRBs) during 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) and conventional 20-gauge vitrectomy for various indications. METHODS: This was a single-center, comparative, retrospective, interventional case series of 973 23-gauge TSVs and 402 conventional 20-gauge vitrectomies done by two surgeons between January 2004 and December 2009. The incidence rate of intraoperative IPRBs and risk factors were analyzed in association with various clinical and surgical factors. RESULTS: IPRBs occurred significantly less often during 23-gauge TSV (16 of 973 cases, 1.6 %) than during conventional vitrectomy (25 of 402 cases, 6.2 %, P<0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that conventional vitrectomy and operation time were risk factors for the complication. Multivariate logistic regression analysis also revealed that conventional vitrectomy (P=0.03, OR=2.91), operation time (P<0.01, OR=1.01), and intraoperative induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD, P=0.04, OR=1.97) were risk factors for IPRBs. CONCLUSIONS: The 23-gauge TSV procedure with the trocar system has a lower incidence of intraoperative IPRBs than conventional 20-gauge vitrectomy. Longer operation time and induction of PVD are also independent risk factors of the complication.

Associated factors and treatment outcome of presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis occurring after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the associated factors and treatment outcomes in patients with presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection. METHODS: Among 219 consecutive cases of 186 patients who had undergone IVTA injection for macular diseases, presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis was diagnosed if the patient showed severe inflammation in the anterior chamber and vitreous cavity within 7 days after injection but no organism was isolated on microbiological examination. Clinical features and previously performed surgical procedures were evaluated to assess their association with presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis using logistic regression. After surgical or medical treatment for endophthalmitis, the visual outcome was evaluated in all patients. RESULTS: Noninfectious endophthalmitis developed in six of 219 eyes (2.7 %). Previous vitrectomy, history of IVTA injection, and pseudophakia were significantly associated with the occurrence of presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis after IVTA injection (p = 0.049, 0.034, and 0.009, respectively). Internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling during vitrectomy also showed statistically significant association (odds ratio = 13.6, p = 0.017). Five of six patients (83.3 %) regained pre-injection vision. CONCLUSION: In addition to previous vitrectomy, history of IVTA injection, internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, and pseudophakia may render the eye vulnerable to presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis following IVTA injection. Visual outcome shows generally good prognosis after treatment.

EXTEND III: efficacy and safety of ranibizumab in South Korean and Taiwanese patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg in South Korean and Taiwanese patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: This was a 12-month, open-label, single-arm, multi-center, phase III study. Ninety-five patients (Taiwanese: 51; South Korean: 44) were included in the study. Key outcome measures assessed included: mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to months 4 (primary endpoint) and 12 (secondary endpoint); other secondary endpoints comprising categorized mean change in BCVA from baseline at month 4 and month 12, mean change in BCVA from baseline at month 4 and month 12 per baseline characteristics; and incidence of ocular and non-ocular adverse events and serious adverse events (SAEs) at month 12. RESULTS: The mean BCVA change improved significantly (p < 0.0001) from baseline to both month 4 (+9.3 letters) and month 12 (+10.1 letters). At month 12, the proportion of patients who gained ≥5, 10, or 15 letters from baseline was 75.8%, 54.7%, and 32.6% respectively. Total and CNV lesion area significantly decreased from baseline (p < 0.0001). About 57% of patients showed complete absence of fluorescein leakage at month 12. Mean change from baseline visual acuity scores also increased significantly over time for all subgroups. At month 12, ocular SAEs occurred in 2.1% of patients (out of which one patient [1.1%] experienced endophthalmitis) and 16.8% of patients experienced non-ocular SAEs. There were no deaths reported during the study. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous studies in Caucasian and Japanese populations, EXTEND III confirms that monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab 0.5 mg administered over 12 months is effective and well-tolerated in South Korean and Taiwanese patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD.

Long-term temporal changes of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness before and after panretinal photocoagulation in severe diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To analyze the long-term changes of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness before and after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with severe diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: In this retrospective observational case series, we reviewed the records of 46 patients (68 eyes) with severe diabetic retinopathy, who were treated with PRP and could be followed for more than 6 months. Peripapillary RNFL thickness and foveal thickness were measured at baseline, 3-month intervals until 1 year post-PRP, and 6- to 12-month intervals after 1 year post-PRP using optical coherence tomography. Long-term changes of peripapillary RNFL thickness and foveal thickness as well as the correlation between the two parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: The average RNFL thickness (360° measurement) decreased significantly from 108.4 µm to 103.5 µm at 2 years post-PRP. The average RNFL thickness increased slightly during the initial 3 months post-PRP and thereafter gradually decreased, showing statistically significant reductions at 2 years post-PRP (false discovery rate adjusted P = 0.0051). The superior and inferior quadrant RNFL thicknesses were significantly decreased at 2 years post-PRP (false discovery rate adjusted P = 0.0119 and 0.0051, respectively). The decrease in the nasal quadrant RNFL thickness showed borderline significance at 2 years post-PRP (false discovery rate adjusted P = 0.0854). However, there was no significant decrease in RNFL thickness for the temporal quadrant at any follow-up time. In addition, there was no significant difference in the foveal thickness. But, the pattern of temporal changes in foveal thickness showed a similar pattern with that of temporal RNFL thickness. CONCLUSION: This study shows that average RNFL thickness after PRP undergoes early thickening and subsequent progressive thinning throughout the 2 years post-PRP. This temporal change varies according to the peripapillary RNFL quadrant. Our results also indicate that temporal RNFL and foveal thickness have a similar pattern of long-term change after PRP.

Bilateral same-day intravitreal injections using a single vial and molecular bacterial screening for safety surveillance.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of bilateral same-day intravitreal injections using a single vial and to introduce a molecular surveillance system to screen bacterial drug contamination using eubacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of 135 patients who received 574 bilateral same-day intravitreal injections for various retinal diseases in 2 tertiary referral hospitals between January 2008 and March 2010 was performed. Data were obtained regarding the diagnosis, kinds of drugs injected, postinjection complications, and the result of molecular bacterial screening of the injected drugs. Drugs for bilateral intravitreal injections were drawn from a single vial and injected using separate syringes or needles. Molecular bacterial screening was performed using the remaining drug in the syringe by 16S ribosomal DNA real-time PCR. RESULTS: A total of 574 injections (384 bevacizumab, 154 ranibizumab, and 36 triamcinolone) were administered on bilateral eyes of 135 patients. There were no complications, including endophthalmitis, uveitis, retinal tear, or retinal detachment. Of the 278 injections screened for bacterial contamination using eubacterial PCR, no cases (0%) showed drug contamination by bacteria. The sensitivity of eubacterial PCR for molecular bacterial screening was 10 colony-forming units (CFUs)/mL or lower. CONCLUSION: Bilateral same-day intravitreal injections drawn from a single vial using separate syringes or needles are well tolerated by patients, and its safety profile may be equivalent to unilateral injections. The bacterial molecular surveillance system using eubacterial PCR demonstrated the safety of bilateral same-day intravitreal injections and may be used for safety surveillance and for timely intervention of possible drug-related endophthalmitis.

Spectrum of rhodopsin mutations in Korean patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

PURPOSE: To determine the spectrum and frequency of rhodopsin gene (RHO) mutations in Korean patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and to characterize genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with mutations. METHODS: The RHO mutations were screened by direct sequencing, and mutation prevalence was measured in patients and controls. The impact of missense mutations to RP was predicted by segregation analysis, peptide sequence alignment, and in silico analysis. The severity of disease in patients with the missense mutations was compared by visual acuity, electroretinography, optical coherence tomography, and kinetic visual field testing. RESULTS: Five heterozygous mutations were identified in six of 302 probands with RP, including a novel mutation (c.893C>A, p.A298D) and four known mutations (c.50C>T, p.T17M; c.533A>G, p.Y178C; c.888G>T, p.K296N; and c.1040C>T, p.P347L). The allele frequency of missense mutations was measured in 114 ethnically matched controls. p.A298D, newly identified in a sporadic patient, had never been found in controls and was predicted to be pathogenic. Among the patients with the missense mutations, we observed the most severe phenotype in patients with p.P347L, less severe phenotypes in patients with p.Y178C or p.A298D, and a relatively moderate phenotype in a patient with p.T17M. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal the spectrum of RHO mutations in Korean RP patients and clinical features that vary according to mutations. Our findings will be useful for understanding these genetic spectra and the genotype-phenotype correlations and will therefore help with predicting disease prognosis and facilitating the development of gene therapy.

The effect of adjunctive intravitreal bevacizumab for preventing postvitrectomy hemorrhage in proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of preoperative and intraoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection on the incidence of postoperative vitreous hemorrhage (VH) after vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seven eyes of 91 patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the management of PDR-related complications were enrolled. METHODS: One hundred seven cases were assigned randomly to either group 1 (intravitreal 1.25 mg/0.05 ml bevacizumab injection 1 to 14 days before PPV), group 2 (intravitreal 1.25 mg/0.05 ml bevacizumab injection at the end of PPV), or group 3 (no IVB injection). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the incidence of early (≤ 4 weeks) and late (> 4 weeks) recurrent VH. Secondary outcome measures were the initial time of vitreous clearing (ITVC) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: The incidences of early recurrent VH were 22.2%, 10.8%, and 32.4% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P = 0.087). A subgroup pairwise analysis showed significantly decreased early VH incidence in group 2 compared with that of group 3 (P = 0.026). The incidences of late recurrent VH were 11.1%, 16.2%, and 14.7% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P = 0.813). The ITVC in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 26.4 ± 42.5 days, 10.3 ± 8.2 days, and 25.2 ± 26.1 days, respectively. The ITVC was significantly shorter in group 2 compared with that in groups 1 and 3 (P = 0.045 and P = 0.015, respectively). The BCVA at 6 months after surgery did not differ significantly among the 3 groups (P = 0.418). CONCLUSIONS: This study found no substantial evidence to support the adjunctive use of preoperative IVB to reduce postoperative recurrence of VH in vitrectomy for PDR. For select cases in which adjunctive IVB use is considered, intraoperative administration seems to be the better option for reducing postoperative VH. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Chemokine expression of intraocular lymphocytes in patients with Behçet uveitis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the expression of chemokines in the aqueous humor and chemokine receptors in intraocular lymphocytes from Behçet and non-Behçet uveitis patients. METHODS: A total of 95 uveitis patients were included in this study. We studied 39 Behçet and 56 non-Behçet uveitis patients. Flow cytometric analysis was performed using lymphocytes from the aqueous humor and the peripheral blood during the active phase of intraocular inflammation. We compared the expression of CXCR1, CXCR3, and CCR5 in CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes and the concentration of intraocular CXCL8, CXCL10 and CCL5 in Behçet and non-Behçet patients. RESULTS: The CD4+ cell population was higher in the aqueous humor of non-Behçet patients, whereas the CD8+ cell population was higher in the aqueous humor of Behçet patients. The expressions of CXCR1 and CCR5 were not significantly different between the two groups, whereas the intraocular expression of CXCR3 was higher in the CD4+ cells of non-Behçet and in the CD8+ cells of Behçet uveitis patients. Intraocular CXCL8 and CXCL10 levels were higher in Behçet than they were in non-Behçet patients. CCL5 levels were not different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors in intraocular lymphocytes is different in Behçet compared to non-Behçet uveitis patients, which might be related to the differential phenotypes of intraocular lymphocytes among different uveitis etiologies.

Secondary macular hole formation after vitrectomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the incidence and the underlying ocular pathology of a macular hole (MH) that develops in vitrectomized eyes and to evaluate its prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed in patients who underwent vitrectomy between March 2004 and June 2009. Cases that developed an MH in vitrectomized eyes were identified, and the data from all ophthalmology examinations were collected. Patients with recurrent MHs after the initial MH surgery were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 10 cases of secondary MH during a period of 64 months (incidence, 8 of 3,279 [0.24%]). Two cases of secondary MHs were not included in the calculations because the initial vitrectomies were performed before March 2004. The initial vitrectomy was performed on four eyes with vitreous hemorrhage caused by proliferative diabetic retinopathy, three eyes with retinal detachment from high myopia, one eye with combined retinal detachment with uveitis, one eye with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and one eye with an epiretinal membrane. The macular pathology identified before MH formation included cystoid macular edema in two eyes, epiretinal membrane in four eyes, and no specific lesion in another four eyes. The secondary MHs were managed by additional vitrectomy, peeling of the internal limiting membrane, and intravitreal gas tamponade. Nine of 10 eyes achieved hole closure after the secondary surgery, and 8 eyes recovered their previous visual acuity; the other 2 eyes had visual loss within 2 Snellen chart lines, and none of the 9 patients had a recurrence during a mean follow-up of 20.7 months (range, 4-31 months). CONCLUSION: The development of secondary MHs after vitrectomy is rare. Pathogenic mechanisms other than idiopathic MH may be involved in these cases. The anatomical and functional outcome of the secondary MHs that developed after vitrectomy was good, although the final visual acuity was dependent on the underlying ocular pathology.

Short-term outcome of bimanual 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for patients with complicated vitreoretinopathies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of bimanual 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for patients with complicated vitreoretinopathies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine eyes of 27 patients that received bimanual 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy were prospectively enrolled. Fourteen eyes with diabetic tractional retinal detachment, 13 eyes with complicated rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment (including 3 traumatic retinal detachments), and 2 eyes with massive subretinal hemorrhage received 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy. The visual and anatomical outcomes and the complications were measured. RESULTS: Visual acuity improved from 2.15 +/- 1.03 to 1.24 +/- 1.33 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) in the complicated diabetic retinopathy group (P = .002) and from 2.07 +/- 1.17 to 1.09 +/- 1.15 LogMAR in the complicated retinal detachment group (P = .009). Anatomical success was achieved in 23 of 29 (79.3%) eyes after the first vitrectomy and in 27 of 29 (94.6%) eyes after the final procedure. CONCLUSION: The bimanual 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy was feasible and reproducible in patients with complicated vitreoretinal disease. This technique might provide a safe and effective alternative to the standard 20-gauge vitrectomy for severe complicated cases.

Hereditary and clinical features of retinitis pigmentosa in Koreans.

There has been no report about hereditary and clinical features of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in Koreans. To evaluate these, data were collected from 365 RP patients including age, gender, visual acuity (VA), spherical equivalent (SE) of refractive errors, funduscopic findings, color vision test, visual field score (VFS) obtained from Goldmann perimetry, and the inheritance patterns from pedigrees. Simplex RP was the most common inheritance pattern (61.9%); followed by autosomal recessive RP (17.3%), autosomal dominant RP (12.1%) and X-linked recessive RP (8.8%). Myopia was the most common refractive errors (77.5%) including 16.1% of high myopia. The most common cataract type was posterior subcapsular cataract (25.8%). Observed retinal findings included changes of retinal pigment epithelium (88.8%), bony spicule-like pigmentation (79.7%), attenuation of retinal vessel (76.2%), waxy disc pallor (12.6%), golden ring around optic disc (2.2%), epiretinal membrane (0.8%) and cystoid macular edema (0.5%). Corrected VA and refractive errors did not show any significant difference between the inheritance patterns. VFS was significantly worse in autosomal recessive RP than in autosomal dominant RP. Color vision defect was noted in 66.1% on Hardy-Rand-Rittlers color vision test. In conclusion, Korean RP patients have the indigenous hereditary and clinical features as well as the ordinary ones.

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type with intraocular involvement: case report.

PURPOSE: To report an unusual presentation of disseminated, intraocular, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (NK/T-cell lymphoma), originating from nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 63-year-old woman who had been treated with systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy for NK/T-cell lymphoma in the nasal cavity presented with vitreous haze of the right eye. Despite anti-inflammatory therapy, the right eye showed poor clinical response and received diagnostic vitrectomy. The vitreous opacity resembled a thin sheet, with no sign of subretinal infiltrate or vascular sheathing. The vitreous specimen contained many large, pleomorphic lymphoma cells. The malignant cells were positive for CD3, CD8, and granzyme B. Systemic workups showed no involvement of other organs. A diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma in the vitreous was made; the tumor likely originated from nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma. The patient was treated with intrathecal chemotherapy and intravitreal methotrexate injection. The eye was clinically clear of malignant cells after the injections. CONCLUSIONS: Vitreous infiltration without uveoretinal involvement can be an unusual manifestation of intraocular NK/T-cell lymphoma. Clinician awareness of possible ocular involvement may assist in the diagnosis of disseminated NK/T-cell lymphoma.