Corneal densitometry in bilateral keratoconus patients with unilateral corneal Vogt's striae: a contralateral eye study.

PURPOSE: To investigate corneal densitometry and correlations with corneal morphological parameters in patients with bilateral keratoconus (KC) with unilateral Vogt's striae. METHODS: This prospective contralateral study enrolled 112 patients (224 eyes) with evident KC characteristics (corneal topography with asymmetric bow-tie pattern, inferior steepening), and at least one KC sign (conical protrusion of the cornea at the apex, corneal stromal thinning, Fleischer ring, Vogt's striae) on slit-lamp examination. Corneal densitometry and morphological parameters were measured using Pentacam HR. RESULTS: The mean age was 23.93 ± 6.81 years. Fifty-two (23.22%), 111 (49.55%), and 61 (27.23%) eyes were in mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. Corneal densitometry values of the anterior 0-2 mm and 2-6 mm, intermediate 0-2 mm and 2-6 mm, posterior 2-6 mm, and total cornea 2-6 mm were significantly higher in eyes with Vogt's striae (P < 0.05), whereas those of the anterior 6-10 mm, posterior 0-2 mm, and total cornea 6-10 mm were significantly lower in eyes with Vogt's striae (P < 0.05). Anterior 0-2 mm and total cornea 2-6 mm corneal densitometry values were positively correlated with anterior K1 (A-K1), K2 (A-K2), Km (A-Km), Kmax (A-Kmax), anterior corneal elevation, and posterior corneal elevation (P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with central corneal thickness and thinnest corneal thickness in eyes with Vogt's striae (P < 0.05). A-K2, A-Km, and A-Kmax were significantly correlated with the densitometry values of the anterior 0-2 mm and intermediate 0-2 mm in eyes without Vogt's striae (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vogt's striae mainly occur on the anterior and intermediate layers during KC progression.

Re-vitrectomy for recurrent retinal detachment in post-vitrectomy eyes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent retinal detachment (Re-RD) usually affects the prognosis of surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Previous clinical studies of Re-RD were not specific. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of Re-RD in post-vitrectomy eyes with RRD and surgical outcomes after revitrectomy without combining it with retinectomy or scleral buckling. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series analyzed the ocular characteristics of 20 recurrent and contralateral eyes, evaluated the significance of the associations between variables before reoperation and the final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and calculated the outcome of revitrectomy. RESULTS: Patients with phakic eyes, those undergoing only one surgery, and those with more than one break had better final BCVA. The final BCVA was negatively correlated with the axial length and positively correlated with the preoperative BCVA. Among the 12 eyes with no break detected before surgery, 11 (92%) were found to have a small crevice-like break beside the pigment scar of a large number of original laser spots. The single-operation complete retinal reattachment rate was 75%, the complete retinal reattachment rate was 80%, and the final incomplete retinal reattachment rate was 90%. The BCVA improved from 1.2 ± 0.6LogMAR (0.06 ± 0.25) before surgery to 0.8 ± 0.7LogMAR (0.15 ± 0.2) at the last follow-up. The BCVA of 16 patients with complete retinal reattachment improved from 1.0 ± 0.5LogMAR (0.1 ± 0.3) to 0.6 ± 0.4LogMAR (0.25 ± 0.4). In the contralateral eyes, 15% already had vision-damaging disease, and the incidence of eyesight-threating lesions was 5.9% during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Revitrectomy without retinectomy or scleral buckling can effectively treat Re-RD in post-vitrectomy eyes. In Re-RD patients with no definite retinal break detected preoperatively, the retinal hole usually shows small crevice-like changes alongside a large number of original laser pigment scars.

Effect of Extended Release Steroid Implants on the Contralateral Eye.

PURPOSE: To investigate the contralateral effect of extended release steroid implants on cystoid macular edema (CME). METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with bilateral CME receiving intravitreal injections of long-acting intravitreal corticosteroid implants in one eye. Changes in CME and central subfield thickness (CST) in the contralateral eye on optical coherence tomography (OCT) were compared to an untreated control group. The main outcome measures were the change in central subfield thickness (CST) and the change in the macular volume. RESULTS: Thirteen study patients and 14 controls were included in the study. There was no difference in the baseline LogMAR visual acuity (0.32 ± 0.35 vs 0.43 ± 0.26, p = 0.37) or the baseline central subfield thickness (341.4 ± 76.6 vs 296.5 ± 65.0 µm, p = 0.12) between groups. In the treatment group CST remained stable in 92.3% of the patients. Of the controls, CST worsened in 21.4% and remained stable in 78.6%. The mean change in CST (6.3 ± 30.3 vs. 27.5 ± 66.1 µm, p = 0.2) and the mean change in macular volume (0.08 ± 0.34 vs. -0.05 ± 0.21 mm3, P = 0.8) were not statistically different between the treatment group and control group. In the post-hoc analysis restricting the treatment group to patients who had not received intravitreal injections in the study eye within 6 months, CST decrement was not statistically significant (p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: In this study there was no statistically significant effect on CME of contralateral intravitreal corticosteroid implants.

Clinical characteristics and treatment of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) with diamond burr debridement.

OBJECTIVE: To document the characteristics of unilateral, bilateral SCCEDs, and unilateral SCCED with a subsequent SCCED in the contralateral eye that are treated with diamond burr debridement (DBD). PROCEDURE: Medical records of canine SCCEDs who have received DBD between 2010 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Signalment, eye(s) affected, procedures performed, time to detected healing, and complications were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-nine dogs had unilateral SCCEDs (85.0%), 13 dogs (4.4%) had bilateral SCCEDs, and 31 dogs (10.6%) had unilateral SCCED with a subsequent SCCED in the contralateral eye, 26 of which occurred within 24 months following the unilateral SCCED. No significant differences in healing rates after one DBD were found between different presentations of SCCEDs. Boxers are 2.3 times more likely to have subsequent SCCED in their contralateral eye than non-Boxer breeds. Of the 341 SCCEDs (293 dogs) in the total study population, 252 eyes (73.9%) achieved healing after undergoing one DBD. Fifteen cases were lost to subsequent follow-up, and 58 eyes (17.0%) required additional intervention after a DBD. Complications occurred in 16 eyes (4.7%) including 13 cases of keratomalacia and three cases of anterior uveitis. CONCLUSION: Diamond burr debridement is a safe and effective treatment for different presentations of SCCEDs. No significant differences in healing rates after one DBD were found between different presentations of SCCEDs. Particularly in Boxers, a new SCCED may develop in the contralateral eye, typically within 24 months following a presentation of unilateral SCCED.

Can VEP-based acuity estimates in one eye be improved by applying knowledge from the other eye?

PURPOSE: It is desirable to make VEP-based acuity estimates match standard subjective acuity numerically, as the latter is familiar to ophthalmologists and optometrists. This is achieved by applying an empirical conversion factor, and previous studies found the resulting values to be within ±1 octave of subjective acuity. This leaves room for improvement. In the present study, we tested for the case of a monocular acuity deficit whether the known difference between subjective and objective acuity in the trusted fellow eye can be used to get a more precise objective estimate in the eye of which the acuity is to be estimated. In other words, we tested whether it would make sense to determine a patient-specific conversion factor. METHODS: In 19 subjects, we obtained monocular objective and subjective acuity estimates with both eyes. Normal vision and artificially degraded vision were tested. Subjective acuity was taken as the veridical value. We computed the differences between objective and subjective acuity and reasoned that if these were correlated between eyes and acuity levels, the valid information from the trusted healthy eye could be used to improve the precision of the acuity estimate in the other, potentially impaired, eye. RESULTS: The difference between objective and subjective acuity values was neither correlated significantly between eyes, nor was it correlated significantly between acuity levels. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge about the discrepancy between objective and subjective acuity values in one eye does not help improving the accuracy of acuity estimates in the other eye. The lack of a significant correlation between eyes even at the same acuity level suggests that a major part of the discrepancies between subjective acuity and VEP-based acuity is not the result of factors that would equally apply to both eyes, such as cortical morphology.

Prechiasmatic transection of the optic nerve in optic nerve glioma: technical description and surgical outcome.

Optic pathway glioma (OPG) encompasses a spectrum of findings ranging from lesions confined to the optic nerve only, lesions affecting the optic chiasm and hypothalamus, and lesions with diffuse involvement of a large part of the optic pathway and neighboring structures. The majority of pediatric low-grade astrocytomas in the optic/chiasmatic region are typical pilocytic astrocytoma. The rest of them (10 %) may be other gliomas such as fibrillary pilomyxoid astrocytoma (grade 2 WHO). The postsurgical local recurrence rate of 55 to 76 % has been reported in some histological subtypes such as pilomyxoid astrocytoma (grade 2). Performing a prechiasmatic transection might offer a new surgical option to avoid further tumor growth toward the chiasm in the optic nerve glioma with predominantly orbital manifestations. In this retrospective study, four patients (three children, two without neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and one with NF1 and one adult without NF1) with optic nerve glioma without involvement of the chiasm but blindness, disfiguring proptosis, and pain of the affected eye were included. The surgical approach was performed as a combined approach from pterional extradural and intradural. Without any exceptions, vision of the contralateral eye could be preserved and did not show any deterioration after surgery or during the follow-up time between 17 and 106 months. Furthermore, in all patients, gross total tumor resection could be achieved. During follow-up observation in all patients, no further tumor progress or recurrences could be observed. None of the patients were treated postoperatively by radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Prechiasmatic transection of the optic nerve in optic nerve glioma without affecting the chiasm might offer a surgical treatment option to control tumor growth and to preserve vision of the contralateral eye.

Changes in the uninjected contralateral eye after intravitreal brolucizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: Herein we describe the change in the amount of macular oedema in one eye after contralateral intravitreal brolucizumab injections in a patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). CASE REPORT: A patient with bilateral nAMD underwent intravitreal bevacizumab injections in both eyes with little improvement in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular exudation. The treatment was switched to aflibercept, but there was incomplete drying of the macula in both eyes. After uneventful cataract extraction, the central macular thickness (CMT) increased markedly in the operated left eye (LE), which was unresponsive to subtenon triamcinolone and further intravitreal aflibercept. Cataract surgery was also performed in the right eye (RE) combined with an intravitreal sustained-release dexamethasone implant. Nevertheless, the CMT increased. Intravitreal brolucizumab injections were performed in the RE with almost complete disappearance of the oedema in the treated eye. Concurrently, the contralateral uninjected eye showed a remarkable decrease in CMT. Five months after the first brolucizumab injection, the macular exudation increased again in both eyes. A second brolucizumab injection was performed in the RE only, and was followed by a prompt reduction in CMT in both the injected RE and uninjected LE. CONCLUSIONS: Although contralateral retinal changes have been described for many other vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, there is little evidence for brolucizumab. We describe a repeated dose- and time-related effect on the uninjected eye in a case of nAMD.

Lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma with contralateral eye and systemic metastasis: A rare case report and review of the literature.

Lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma is very rare. It has a high risk of recurrence and metastasis, however, it rarely metastasizes to the contralateral eye in clinical practice. Here, we present a case of a 52-year-old man with lacrimal gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma who developed multiple recurrences and metastases of another eye and other sites throughout the body after receiving surgical intervention and regular radiotherapy, which will be of ophthalmic interest and unique. Clinical features, imaging findings, histopathology, treatments, and outcomes of this very rare case are provided. A literature review of previously published cases of this disease is performed, with an emphasis on the latest diagnosis and treatment. The prognosis of tumor recurrence and metastasis is poorer, surgery with a negative margin in conjunction with adjuvant therapies is crucial for preventing local recurrence and distant metastasis and enhancing the survival rate.

Sympathetic Nerve-Mediated Fellow Eye Pain During Sequential Cataract Surgery by Regulating Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor CSF3.

Patients were found to experience more pain during their second eye cataract surgery compared with their first eye surgery. This study aimed to explore the inflammatory alterations along time in the fellow eye after the first eye surgery and to reveal the underlying mechanism. Eighty patients with bilateral cataracts were recruited and were divided into four groups based on the time of having the second eye surgery. The second eye aqueous humor samples were collected just before surgery and analyzed by mass spectrometry and PCR array. Cytokine activity was enriched in the aqueous humor of the contralateral eye with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor CSF3 significantly upregulated at both gene and protein levels. Rabbits with or without superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) were subjected to lensectomy to mimic human situations. In both human and rabbit models, the fellow eye CSF3 peaked at 1 week post the first eye surgery. Consistently, more neutrophils were recruited to the contralateral eye aqueous humor. Corneal sensitivity and trigeminal electrophysiology were recorded to imply the pain severity in rats receiving capsulorrhexis with or without SCGx. A more intense pulse was detected in the contralateral trigeminal ganglion after the rat received one eye surgery. SCGx could effectively reduce the fellow corneal sensitivity and trigeminal nerve pain. These alterations were under direct regulation of the sympathetic nerves on the surgical eye side. Our results suggest that CSF3 and sympathetic activity could serve as potential analgesic targets during ocular surgeries.

Retinal Changes in Astrocytes and Müller Glia in a Mouse Model of Laser-Induced Glaucoma: A Time-Course Study.

Macroglia (astrocytes and Müller glia) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. In a glaucoma mouse model, we studied the effects of unilateral laser-induced ocular hypertension (OHT) on macroglia in OHT and contralateral eyes at different time points after laser treatment (1, 3, 5, 8 and 15 days) using anti-GFAP and anti-MHC-II, analyzing the morphological changes, GFAP-labelled retinal area (GFAP-PA), and GFAP and MHC-II immunoreactivity intensities ((GFAP-IRI and MHC-II-IRI)). In OHT and contralateral eyes, with respect to naïve eyes, at all the time points, we found the following: (i) astrocytes with thicker somas and more secondary processes, mainly in the intermediate (IR) and peripheral retina (PR); (ii) astrocytes with low GFAP-IRI and only primary processes near the optic disc (OD); (iii) an increase in total GFAP-RA, which was higher at 3 and 5 days, except for at 15 days; (iv) an increase in GFAP-IRI in the IR and especially in the PR; (v) a decrease in GFAP-IRI near the OD, especially at 1 and 5 days; (vi) a significant increase in MHC-II-IRI, which was higher in the IR and PR; and (vii) the Müller glia were GFAP+ and MHC-II+. In conclusion, in this model of glaucoma, there is a bilateral macroglial activation maintained over time involved in the inflammatory glaucoma process.

Aqueous Humor Cytokine Response in the Contralateral Eye after First-Eye Cataract Surgery in Patients with Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma, High Myopia or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral sequential cataract surgery within a short period is becoming more prevalent because of the efficiency and safety of modern cataract surgery. It has been reported that the first surgical eye might affect the contralateral eye. This study investigated the cytokines involved in the immunopathogenesis of pre-existing ocular or systemic conditions, as well as the inflammatory biomarkers in response to topical stimuli, by analyzing the cytokine profile of aqueous humor (AH) from cataract patients without these morbidities as control and with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) or high myopia (HM) in each eye at the beginning of first (defined as baseline) and second eye cataract surgery. METHODS: Forty patients were recruited in this cohort study (10/group). Bilateral sequential cataract surgeries were conducted at intervals of 12.08 ± 1.2 days. Aqueous humor samples (100-200 µL/eye) were separately collected from 40 first-eyes and 40 second-eyes at the beginning of the cataract surgeries. Twenty-seven selected cytokines were detected with Luminex-multiplex immunoassay. The concentrations of cytokines in the aqueous humor and their association with pre-existing ocular or systemic conditions were analyzed and compared between and within the groups. RESULTS: Before first-eye surgery (baseline), the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ra, IL-13 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were significantly increased in PACG compared with controls. The levels of IL-13 were increased while that of IL-15 were decreased in HM. Compared with controls, 11 cytokines were significantly increased in DM. In the AH of the contralateral eye after first-eye cataract surgery, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was significantly more abundant in PACG and HM, while the levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) were decreased in PACG. We also identified 6 significantly upregulated cytokines in DM compared with controls. Compared with baseline, there was an overlap of 5 altered cytokines in the AH of contralateral eyes after first-eye surgery between the four groups. Some were exclusively altered in each subgroup, with 1 in the control group, 4 cytokines in the PACG and HM groups, and none in the DM group. CONCLUSIONS: From the initial profile, it is observed that patients with pre-existing ocular or systemic conditions have some degree of inflammation in their eyes before surgery and in the contralateral eye after the first eye cataract surgery, which could be peculiar of the morbid conditions of the patients. Inflammation was more detectable in patients with type 2 DM before surgery. PACG and HM patients showed stronger intraocular inflammatory reactions to topical stimuli compared with controls and DM patients. Our data suggest that ophthalmologists should pay closer attention to inflammatory responses, especially in cataract patients with pre-existing conditions, although the clinical significance of these changes following surgery remains to be further investigated.

Contralateral Eye Involvement and Retinal Detachment in Patients with Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Treated with Intravitreous Ganciclovir.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of contralateral eye involvement and retinal detachment in HIV-infected patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with repeated intravitreous ganciclovir.Methods: In a prospective cohort study in Northern Thailand, HIV-infected patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis were treated with antiretroviral therapy and intravitreous ganciclovir injections and followed for 3 months for contralateral cytomegalovirus retinitis and retinal detachment.Results: Of 49 participants with unilateral cytomegalovirus retinitis at enrollment, 7 developed contralateral eye involvement (4.8/100 person-months, 95% CI 1.9-9.8). Of 105 eyes without a retinal detachment at enrollment, 6 developed a retinal detachment (2.0/100 eye-months, 95% CI 0.7-4.3). Baseline clinical factors were not associated with the development of either outcome.Conclusion: Eyes treated with intravitreous ganciclovir experienced retinal detachment at a rate similar to other populations treated with systemic antivirals. The risk of contralateral eye involvement was relatively high during the first 3 months after initial diagnosis despite the institution of antiretroviral therapy.

Oral Eplerenone Versus Observation in the Management of Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Prospective, Randomized Comparative Study.

In this prospective, interventional case-control study, 58 patients with unilateral acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) were recruited. Patients ≥ 18 years age, presenting with first episodes of acute CSCR, were included. Acute CSCR was defined by the presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) and symptoms for <12 weeks duration with no clinical or imaging features of chronicity. Patients were alternately divided into treatment (Table Eplerenone 50 mg/day for minimum 1 month) and observation groups. Vision, SRF height and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were checked at 1-, 2- and 3-months in both eyes of each group. Each group had 29 eyes. Mean age was 40.4 ± 7.1 and 43.3 ± 8.34 years in treatment and observation group, respectively. Mean symptom duration was 6.46 ± 1.45 and 5.87 ± 2.09 weeks, respectively. Vision improvement to 6/6 was seen in 92%, 100% and 100% cases in treatment group and 74%, 86% and 100% in control group at each visit, respectively. Complete SRF resolution in the treatment group was noted in 45%, 55% and 62% cases at each respective monthly visit. In the observation group, complete SRF resolution was noted in 10%, 21% and 31% at 1-, 2- and 3-month visits, respectively. SRF (p < 0.001) and SFCT (p < 0.001) reduction was noted in the affected eye of both groups. SFCT was reduced in the fellow eye after treatment (p = 0.005) compared to the observation group (p = 0.276). In conclusion, oral eplerenone achieves faster SRF resolution and vision improvement in acute CSCR. Additionally, it shows beneficial effects on the fellow eye.

Effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant on the contralateral eye in recalcitrant radiation maculopathy.

Radiation maculopathy, a subset of significant radiation retinopathy, is one of the most common causes of visual loss following localized, regional, or whole-brain radiotherapy. Ozurdex (Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA), a sustained-release intravitreal implant of 0.7 mg dexamethasone, has been used as an off-label treatment for treating recalcitrant radiation maculopathy. However, to the best of our knowledge, the beneficial effect of intravitreal dexamethasone in the contralateral eye in a patient with radiation maculopathy has not been described in the literature so far. In this case report, we report the efficacy of dexamethasone 0.7 mg intravitreal implant in recalcitrant radiation maculopathy which was refractory to intravitreal bevacizumab therapy. The patient showed good anatomical and functional outcomes in both the eyes after unilateral injection of intravitreal dexamethasone as evident by optical coherence tomography scans and fundus fluorescein angiography. It is noteworthy that the contralateral was not treated for 4 years. The case reveals systemic exposure of dexamethasone after intravitreal injection by demonstrating the bilateral effect after unilateral injection of intravitreal dexamethasone.

Longitudinal Morphometric Analysis of Sub-Basal Nerve Plexus in Contralateral Eyes of Patients with Unilateral Neurotrophic Keratitis.

Objectives: To investigate longitudinally corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SNP) by means of in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) in the contralateral eye (CE) of patients with unilateral neurotrophic keratitis (NK) secondary to central nervous system (CNS) diseases who underwent different treatments. Methods: Ten patients with NK and 10 matched controls were included. In 7 NK patients, conservative treatment maintained unchanged the clinical picture over the 1-year follow-up (Group 1), while NK progressed in 3 patients who underwent direct corneal neurotization (Group 2). IVCM scans of SNP of NK patients were acquired in CE at baseline (V0) ad after 1-year follow-up (V1). All images were analyzed with the automated software "ACCMetrics" and compared with controls. The following IVCM corneal nerve parameters were calculated at V0 and V1 with ACCMetrics: fiber density (CNFD), branch density (CNBD), fiber length (CNFL), total branch density (CTBD), fiber area (CNFA), fiber width (CNFW), and fractal dimension (CNFrD). Results: At V0, significantly lower mean values of CNFD and CNBD, and higher values of CNFW were detected in CE of NK patients compared to controls (respectively, 16.9 ± 8.7 vs 25.0 ± 8.3 n/mm2, P= .029; 19.3 ± 13.8 vs 33.8 ± 18.9 n/mm2, P= .023; 0.022 ± 0.002 vs 0.020 ± 0.001 mm/mm2, P< .001). From V0 to V1, all IVCM metrics of CE remained unchanged in Group 1, while they improved in Group 2. Conclusions: Contralateral eye of patients with unilateral NK secondary to CNS disease showed lower CNFD and CNBD and higher CNFW compared to controls. Unlike conservative treatment, direct corneal neurotization was able to improve SNP metrics also in CE.

Elevated Choroidal Thickness and Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in the Fellow Eyes of Patients with Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether increased choroidal thickness (CT) is associated with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH) and whether patients with CCH are predisposed to central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). METHODS: We performed a retrospective consecutive observational study of 15 fellow eyes of 15 patients who had CCH. A- and B-scan ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis of CCH. Fellow eye CT was measured using enhanced depth imaging OCT. FA, indocyanine green angiography, and OCT images of fellow eyes were reviewed for signs of CSCR. RESULTS: Mean subfoveal CT was significantly greater in the fellow eyes of patients with CCH than in age-matched normal eyes (p = 0.004). Three of 15 (20.0%) fellow eyes of CCH patients had retinal pigment epithelium disruptions and/or pigment epithelial detachments indicative of previous asymptomatic CSCR. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, elevated CT was associated with a risk of developing CCH as well as CSCR in patients of varying ages. Patients diagnosed with CCH should be screened for CSCR in the fellow eye. Further exploration of this association may reveal useful clues about the biology of abnormally elevated choroidal hyperpermeability and its various clinical manifestations.

A contralateral eye study comparing characteristics of corneal endothelial cells in bilateral keratoconus patients with unilateral corneal Vogt's striae.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze and compare corneal endothelial cell morphology and characteristics in bilateral keratoconus (KCN) patients with unilateral Vogt's striae. METHODS: Fifty patients aged 20-38 years were recruited in this cross-sectional contralateral eye study. In this study, corneal endothelial cell parameters were evaluated in patients with bilateral KCN and unilateral Vogt's striae using the Topcon SP2000P specular microscope (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). RESULTS: In the current study, there were no significant differences in corneal endothelial cell parameters including endothelial cell density (ECD), hexagonal cell ratio (HEX), and coefficient of variance of cell size (CV) between the KCN groups with and without Vogt's striae, [(2968.34 ± 276.65 vs. 2980.05 ± 253.30, P = 0.618), (51.88 ± 13.57 vs. 53.24 ± 9.31, P = 0.658), and (32.50 ± 5.40 vs. 32.97 ± 4.07, P = 0.467), respectively]. Also, among study groups with and without Vogt's striae, ECD did not correlate with anterior chamber depth (ACD) [(P = 0.564, r = 0.09), (P = 0.219, r = -0.18), respectively], maximum keratometry (Kmax) [(P = 0.215, r = 0.18), (P = 0.898, r = 0.02), respectively], and central corneal thickness (CCT) [(P = 0.989, r = -0.02), (P = 0.643, r = -0.07), respectively].Our results showed significant differences in corrected and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), cycloplegic refractive error components (calculated by vectorial analysis), CCT, and Kmax between two study groups (all P < 0.05) except for J45 (Jackson cross cylinder, axes at 45 and 135°) (P = 0.131). CONCLUSIONS: We were not able to find the statistically significant differences in ECD, HEX, and CV between KCN eyes with and without Vogt's striae. Despite clinical and tomographic results, it seems that Vogt's striae cannot cause deterioration in the corneal endothelial morphology.

Effects of intravitreal ranibizumab on the untreated eye and systemic gene expression profile in age-related macular degeneration.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the systemic effects of intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis) treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The impact of intravitreal ranibizumab injections on central retinal thickness (CRT) of treated and contralateral untreated eyes, and differences in gene expression patterns in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed. The study included 29 patients aged 50 years old and over with diagnosed neovascular AMD. The treatment was defined as 0.5 mg of ranibizumab injected intravitreally in the form of one injection every month during the period of 3 months. CRT was measured by optical coherence tomography. The gene expression profile was assigned using oligonucleotide microarrays of Affymetrix HG-U133A. Studies have shown that there was a change of CRT between treated and untreated eyes, and there were differences in CRT at baseline and after 1, 2, and 3 months of ranibizumab treatment. Three months after intravitreal injection, mean CRT was reduced in the treated eyes from 331.97±123.62 to 254.31±58.75 µm, while mean CRT in the untreated fellow eyes reduced from 251.07±40.29 to 235.45±36.21 µm at the same time. Furthermore, the research has shown that among all transcripts, 3,097 expresses change after the ranibizumab treatment in relation to controls. Among these transcripts, 1,339 were up-regulated, whereas 1,758 were down-regulated. Our results show the potential systemic effects of anti-VEGF therapy for AMD. Moreover, our study indicated different gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells before and after intravitreal ranibizumab treatment.

Macro- and microglial responses in the fellow eyes contralateral to glaucomatous eyes.

Most studies employing experimental models of unilateral glaucoma have used the normotensive contralateral eye as the normal control. However, some studies have recently reported the activation of the retinal macroglia and microglia in the uninjured eye, suggesting that the eye contralateral to experimental glaucoma should not be used as a control. This review analyzes the studies describing the contralateral findings and discusses some of the routes through which the signals can reach the contralateral eye to initiate the glial reactivation.

Evaluación por tomografía de coherencia óptica del ojo contralateral en pacientes con agujero macular idiopático / Optical coherence tomography evaluation of the contralateral eye of patients with idiopathic macular hole

Objetivo: identificar la aparición de signos tempranos para el desarrollo de agujero macular idiopático en el ojo contralateral, mediante tomografía de coherencia óptica. Métodos: se realizó un estudio longitudinal, prospectivo-descriptivo de serie de casos. Se estudiaron 208 ojos de 104 pacientes con diagnóstico de agujero macular idiopático atendidos en la consulta externa del Servicio de Retina del Instituto Cubano de Oftalmología "Ramón Pando Ferrer", entre diciembre del año 2008 y diciembre de 2011. Los pacientes fueron estudiados posteriormente por un periodo de cinco años. Se evaluaron las variables demográficas, la agudeza visual mejor corregida, los estadios de agujero macular por tomografía de coherencia óptica y se determinó la estabilidad, la progresión o la regresión de los hallazgos al año y a los cinco años en el ojo contralateral. En el análisis estadístico se empleó el porcentaje y las comparaciones de frecuencias, para lo cual se utilizó el estadígrafo Chi cuadrado con un nivel de significación del 95 por ciento. Resultados: la edad promedio fue de 65,8 y predominó el sexo femenino. El 43,3 por ciento del ojo contralateral tenía alteraciones en la interfase vitreomacular al inicio del estudio. En la evolución al año y a los cinco años se observaron diferencias significativas (p= 0,000) en la distribución de casos en los diferentes estadios. Al año se mostró estabilidad en el 78,3 por ciento comparado con el 54,6 por ciento a los cinco años. La progresión a estadios más avanzados fue escasa y similar en los dos periodos de estudio (8,2 y 7,2 por ciento respectivamente). Hubo regresión de un 13,4 por ciento al año y 38,1 por ciento a los cinco años. El desprendimiento posterior del vítreo completo lo presentaron más del 60 por ciento de los ojos al final del estudio. Desarrollaron agujero macular idiopático de espesor completo el 4,8 por ciento de los ojos contralaterales. Existió disminución de la visión en aquellos pacientes con progresión a estadios más avanzados (p= 0,001). Conclusiones: la tomografía de coherencia óptica resulta un método diagnóstico efectivo para la evaluación de los cambios anatómicos en los pacientes con agujero macular idiopático. Es necesario el seguimiento periódico para lograr una conducta quirúrgica temprana y una recuperación visual óptima, ya que se trata del segundo ojo afectado(AU)

Objective: identify the appearance of early signs of the development of idiopathic macular hole in the contralateral eye using optical coherence tomography. Methods: a prospective longitudinal descriptive study was conducted of a case series. The study sample was 208 eyes of 104 patients diagnosed with idiopathic macular hole attending outpatient consultation at the Retina Service of Ramón Pando Ferrer Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology from December 2008 to December 2011, after which period the patients were followed-up for five years. Evaluation was carried out of demographic variables, best corrected visual acuity and macular hole stage by optical coherence tomography, determining the stability, progression or regression of findings one and five years later in the contralateral eye. Statistical analysis was based on percentage and frequency comparisons, using the chi square statigram with a significance level of 95 percent. Results: mean age was 65.8 years. Female sex prevailed. At the start of the study, 43.3 percent of the contralateral eyes presented alterations in the vitreo-macular interface. Significant differences were found between evolution at one and five years (p= 0.000) regarding the distribution of cases in the various stages. Stability was 78.3 percent at one year and 54.6 percent at five. Progression to more advanced stages was scant, with similar values in the two study periods (8.2 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively). Regression was 13.4 percent at one year and 38.1 percent at five. Posterior detachment of the entire vitreous was present in more than 60 percent of the eyes at the end of the study. Full thickness idiopathic macular hole developed in 4.8 percent of the contralateral eyes. There was vision reduction in patients with progression to more advanced stages (p= 0.001). Conclusions: optical coherence tomography is an effective diagnostic method to evaluate anatomical changes in patients with idiopathic macular hole. Periodic follow-up is required for early determination of the most appropriate surgical management to achieve optimal visual recovery, since this is the second eye affected(AU)