Outcome of solid-state 532 nm green laser in high-risk retinopathy of prematurity at a tertiary care centre in India.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the outcome of solid-state green laser in high-risk retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at a tertiary centre in India. METHODS: Fifty-nine eyes of 30 infants with high-risk ROP were recruited in this prospective, interventional study. High-risk ROP included prethreshold type 1 ROP and APROP. Laser photocoagulation was performed with 532 nm solid-state green laser (Novus Spectra, Lumenis, GmbH, Germany). RESULTS: Of the 30 infants, 18 were males (60%) and 12 were females (40%). The mean birth weight was 1102.83 ± 196.27 g. The mean gestational age was 29.5 ± 1.47 weeks. Zone 1 disease was present in 10 eyes (16.95%) and zone 2 disease in 49 (83.05%) eyes. Out of 57 eyes with prethreshold type 1 ROP, 39 eyes (68.42%) had stage 2 and 18 eyes (31.58%) had stage 3. The postconceptional age at the time of treatment was 36.03 ± 2.32 weeks. The infants received mean 2710.24 ± 747.97 laser spots. Fifty (84.8%) eyes underwent laser in a single sitting and 9 eyes (15.2%) required 2 laser sittings. Mean time for regression of ROP was 5.8 ± 3.8 weeks (range 3-11 weeks). Total ROP regression was seen in 55 eyes (93.22%). Despite laser treatment, 4 (6.78%) eyes of three infants had unfavourable outcome. One infant developed intra-procedural bradycardia. Vitreous haemorrhage was seen in five eyes (8.4%). CONCLUSION: Solid-state 532 nm green laser is a safe and effective treatment for high-risk retinopathy of prematurity.

Evaluating peripheral blood inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers as predictors in diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Purpose: To determine the correlation between serum inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 100 diabetic patients. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (patients with no DR, n = 27), group 2 (DR with DME, n = 34), and group 3 (DR without DME, n = 39). Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by quantitative turbidimetric immunoassay and sandwich chemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively. Metabolic parameters such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), serum creatinine, and blood urea were determined by automated analyzer om-360 after standardization. Results: The levels of IL-6 and CRP differed significantly in patients with DR and without DR (P < 0.001 and P = 0.045, respectively). We also found a positive correlation between IL-6 and CRP with the severity of DR. When DR patients with DME were compared to patients without DME, only IL-6 was observed to be significantly elevated (P < 0.001). None of the metabolic markers correlated significantly with DR and DME. Conclusion: Significantly raised levels of serum inflammatory biomarkers can be used to elucidate the significant role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of DR. Therefore, circulating biomarkers can serve as diagnostic and therapeutic predictors for monitoring the onset and progression of DR and DME.

Evaluation and correlation of corneal endothelium parameters with the severity of primary glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate and correlate corneal endothelium parameters with the severity of primary glaucoma. Methods: This prospective case-control study was conducted on 150 eyes of 80 newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma (cPACG), and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients in a tertiary care center. Endothelial parameters including endothelial cell count (ECC), percentage of hexagonal cells, and coefficient of variation of cell size were analyzed. Glaucoma cases were further sub-grouped into early, moderate, and severe glaucoma and compared for endothelial parameters. Chi-square, Fischer's exact test, independent sample t-test, and analysis of variance were performed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 28. Results: The ECC was markedly reduced in cases (2281 cells/mm2) versus controls (2611 cells/mm2) (P < 0.001). The POAG (2251 cells/mm2) and cPACG (2287 cells/mm2) eyes had significantly a lower ECC compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001), whereas NTG eyes had a lower mean ECC (2538 cells/mm2), but it was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when compared with controls. The ECC decreased with an increase in severity as patients with early glaucoma had an ECC of 2284 cells/mm2, moderate 2261 cells/mm2, and severe 2086 cells/mm2, and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: A significant decrease in corneal ECC was observed in POAG and cPACG patients when compared with healthy controls of the same age group. Mechanical damage following an elevated intra-ocular pressure for a longer duration may be attributed to morphological and consequent functional damage to endothelial cells.

Evaluation and comparison of conjunctival swab polymerase chain reaction results in SARS-CoV-2 patients with and without ocular manifestations.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in tears of patients with and without ocular symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. METHODS: The prospective observational study conducted on 60 consecutive SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with ocular complaints was compared with 60 controls who had no ocular manifestations. The tear samples were taken within 48 h of admission from both the eyes of the enrolled patients for evaluating the presence SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Eleven cases (18.33%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in tears on RT-PCR from cojunctival swab compared to 10 (16.66%) controls. The difference was not statistical significant. The difference between mean age of patients who tested positive or negative was also without statistical significance (P = 0.652), but the difference between patients who tested positive or negative by conjunctival swab for SARS-CoV-2 was statistically significant in terms of severity of COVID-19 disease (P = 0.0011), presence of comorbidity (P = 0.0015), mean TLC (P = 0.00498), and mean d dimer (P = 0.00465). CONCLUSION: Though the percentage of patients with positive RT PCR from conjunctival secretions is significantly less than nasopharyngeal swabs, potential risk of transmission of SARS-Co-2 through tears cannot be ruled out. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 can be present in tears irrespective of ocular involvement.

Study of prevalence of ocular manifestations in HIV positive patients.

INTRODUCTION: HIV/AIDS is a disorder which affects multiple systems in our body but ophthalmic manifestations do occur in 70-80% of patients sometime during their lifetime. Eye is affected either directly by HIV virus or indirectly through various opportunistic infections. HIV related ophthalmic manifestations are wide and can affect any part of eye from a dnexal disorders to posterior segment diseases including the optic nerve and the optic tract. This study was done to know the prevalence of ocular manifestations in the known HIV positive case & to correlate the ocular manifestations in HIV positive patients with their CD4+ lymphocyte count and duration of disease. MATERIAL & METHODS: In the present study, we examined 200 known cases of HIV infection who attended the Out Patient Department of Government Eye Hospital, Amritsar, Punjab. Detailed ocular examination was done and the findings were correlated with CD4+ count and duration of the disease. RESULT: In the present study it was found that dry eye and HIV retinopathy were amongst the most common ocular manifestations accounting for 20.5% and 20% of the total cases. Next in the series was neuro ophthalmic complications which include dpapilledema, optic nerve atrophy, papillitis and also third nerve abnormalities. It consisted of 5.5% of the total cases. Almost equal in incidence was anterior uveitis consisting of 5% of the total. Next of importance was CMV retinitis of which 5 cases were seen which constituted 2.5% of the total and all these cases were observed in the patients with CD4+ count less than 50/mm3. p value for this was 0.008 which was statistically significant. Few cases of blephar it is, conjunctivitis, cellulitis, herpes zoster ophthalmic us and keratitis were also found which consisted of 2.5%, 0.5%, 1%,3%, and 2% respectively. CONCLUSION: Any HIV-infected person who at any stage experiences ocular symptoms also should get competent ophthalmologic care at the earliest. Any delay in treatment can lead to permanent visual loss. An improved coordination between two branches of ophthalmology and HIV medicine will need long coordination against this dreadful disease.

A study of endothelial cell count pre- and post-neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser iridotomy in subacute angle closure using specular microscope.

AIM: The aim of this study was to study the effect of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser iridotomy on corneal endothelial cell count in patients with subacute angle closure using specular microscope. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 50 cases of narrow-angle Grade 1 and Grade 2 (Shaffer gonioscopic grading) visiting the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Amritsar underwent Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridotomy. After obtaining informed written consent, specular microscopy was performed before and after iridotomy at 1 week, 1 month, 3rd month, and at 6th-month follow-up visits. Central, nasal, and temporal endothelial cell counts were evaluated through noncontact specular microscopy. RESULTS: The mean participant age was 51.52 ± 7.9 years, and majority of the participants were females (76%). The mean IOP before the laser was 19.25 ± 1.914 mmHg and it varied from 18.50 ± 1.647 to 18.25 ± 1.699 mmHg (day 1, p = 0.06 and at 6 months, p = 0.04) following laser procedure. The mean corneal endothelial cell count at superotemporal site before laser peripheral iridotomy was 2844 ± 260, and this value decreased to 2807 ± 263, 2699 ± 267, 2656 ± 270, and 2591 ± 275 cells/mm2 at postiridotomy, 1, 3, and 6 months' follow-up visits, respectively; these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean total energy required to produce iridotomy was 14.88 ± 6.71 mJ, ranging from 5 to 37 mJ. The linear regression analysis indicated no statistical correlation between change in endothelial cell count at the treated site and total mean energy used. No significant difference was found between preiridotomy and postiridotomy corneal thickness at any site. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a significant endothelial cell loss at the treated site in 6 months' follow-up and suggested that Nd:YAG laser iridotomy may pose hazard to the corneal endothelium, although corneal decompensation at the treated site or as a whole was not seen.

Automated achromatic perimetry.

Visual field (VF) testing is an important diagnostic tool for Glaucoma. The current gold standard for VF testing is automated perimetry. This article is an attempt to familiarize the reader with components of an achromatic (white on white) automated perimetry printout. It addresses use of Humphrey perimeter to interpret the results. For the purpose of this review, a PubMed search was made using perimetry, Humphrey VFs review as key words and the relevant articles were studied. The references appended with these articles were also analyzed, and any appropriate article was also included. A systematic approach has been outlined that results in a thorough interpretation of the printout. One should be able to identify a normal field and establish glaucomatous progression, detect the presence of a field defect, determine whether it is due to glaucoma or neuro-ophthalmic disease if any. Comprehensive evaluation using clinical examination, tonometry, and perimetry should be considered together to make a proper diagnosis of glaucoma and judge its progression over time.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in a pubertal paediatric Indian patient.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is characterised by raised intracranial pressure (ICP) with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition and absence of hydrocephalus or space occupying lesions. IIH is a rare disease in children. It can lead to visual impairment but prompt diagnosis and treatment in most of the cases will prevent potentially permanent visual loss. OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in a pubertal child, clinical features, and findings of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and visual field of this case. CASE: An adolescent girl aged 14 years presented with headache and transient visual obscuration for two weeks. On examination, findings (fundus, visual field and MRI) were suggestive of Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. She did not have any classical predisposing risk factors. She recovered very well with acetazolamide and short term steroid therapy with no sequelae and clinical recurrence over a follow up of 12 months. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case of IIH in a child, which was confirmed on the MRI and visual field testing.