Evaluating the cost-consequence of a standardized strategy for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis (ULISSE study).

MAIN OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the cost-consequence of a standardized diagnostic strategy as to compared to an open one for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis. DESIGN: This was a prospective, non-inferiority, multicentre, randomized controlled trial. METHODS: We included all consecutive patients with uveitis who had visited at least one of the Departments of Ophthalmology. In the standardized group, patients had a minimal work-up regardless of the type of uveitis (including evaluation of the CBC, ESR, C-reactive protein, tuberculin skin test, syphilis serology and chest X-ray). Depending on ophthalmological findings, further investigations could be performed. In the open strategy, ophthalmologists were free to order any kind of investigation. The main outcome was the mean cost per patient of each strategy. RESULTS: 903 uveitis patients were included from January, 2010 to May, 2013. The mean cost per patient of the standardized strategy was 182.97 euros [CI 95% (173.14; 192.80)], and the mean cost per patient of the open strategy was 251.75 euros [CI 95% (229.24; 274.25)]. Therefore, the mean cost per patient of the standardized strategy was significantly lower than the mean cost per patient of the open strategy (p<0.001). There were significantly fewer visits (p<0.001), fewer radiological procedures (p<0.004) and fewer laboratory investigations (p<0.001) in the standardized group. CONCLUSION: A standardized strategy is a cost-saving approach for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis.

Contribution of diagnostic tests for the etiological assessment of uveitis, data from the ULISSE study (Uveitis: Clinical and medicoeconomic evaluation of a standardized strategy of the etiological diagnosis).

PURPOSE: ULISSE is the only study that prospectively assessed the efficiency of a standardized strategy, compared to an open strategy for the etiologic diagnosis of uveitis. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of the tests prescribed in the ULISSE study to clarify their relevance. METHODS: ULISSE is a non-inferiority, prospective, multicenter and cluster randomized study. The standardized strategy is a two-steps strategy: in the first step, common standard tests were performed, and in the second step, tests were guided by the clinical and anatomic type of uveitis. We reported the relevance of the diagnostic tests used in the standardized strategy, as well as the profitability of the tests that were prescribed to more than twenty patients in each group. Based on diagnostic criteria, either an ophthalmologist, or an internist, established the profitability of a test by considering whether the test lead to a diagnosis or not. RESULTS: Among the 676 patients included (standardized 303; open 373), a diagnosis was made for 152 (50.4%) in the standardized group and 203 (54.4%) in the open group. The most common entities were HLA-B27 associated uveitis (22%), spondyloarthritis (11%), sarcoidosis (18%), tuberculosis (10.7%) and herpes virus infections (8.5%). Among the first step's systematic tests, tuberculin skin test was the most contributive investigation (17.1%), followed by chest X-ray (8.4%), C reactive protein and ESR (6.6% and 5.1%), complete blood count (2.2%) and VDRL (2.0%). The second step's most often contributive tests were: HLA B27 (56.3%), chest-CT (30.3%) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) (16.5%). HLA B27 and ACE were significantly more contributive in the standardized group than in the open group. Immunological tests were never contributive. Among the free investigations, or among the investigations guided by clinical or paraclinical findings, the most often contributive tests were: Quantiferon® (24%), electrophoresis of serum protein (7.8%) and sacroiliac imagery (46.4%). Intracellular serologies (1.7%), serum calcium (2.1%) and hepatic tests (3.3%) were exceptionally contributive. Among the third intention tests, labial salivary gland biopsies were contributive in 17.9% of cases, but the profitability of other invasive investigations (anterior chamber tap, vitrectomy, bronchoscopy and lumbar puncture) or specialized imagery (18F-FDG PET, Brain MRI) could not be determined since these test were rarely performed. CONCLUSION: Only a few diagnostic tests are useful for the etiological assessment of uveitis. They are often cheap, simple, more often guided by the clinical findings, and lead to an etiological diagnosis in most patients. On the other hand, some tests are never or exceptionally contributive, such as immunological tests or intracellular serologies. Further studies are required to evaluate the profitability of third intention imagery and invasive investigations.

Lithium-induced downbeat nystagmus.

We report the case of a 76-year old lady under lithium carbonate for a bipolar disorder who presented with a suspected optic neuritis. A typical lithium-induced downbeat nystagmus was observed. Discontinuation of lithium therapy resulted in frank improvement in visual acuity and disappearance of the nystagmus.

Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating a Standardized Strategy for Uveitis Etiologic Diagnosis (ULISSE).

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the efficiency of a standardized diagnostic approach, compared to an open strategy, for the etiologic diagnosis of uveitis. DESIGN: Noninferiority, prospective, multicenter, clustered randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Consecutive patients with uveitis, who visited 1 of the participating departments of ophthalmology, were included. In the standardized group, all patients had a minimal evaluation regardless of the type of uveitis (complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, tuberculin skin test, syphilis serology, and chest radiograph) followed by more complex investigations according to ophthalmologic findings. In the open group, the ophthalmologist could order any type of investigation. Main outcome was the percentage of etiologic diagnoses at 6 months. RESULTS: Nine hundred and three patients with uveitis were included from January 2010 to May 2013 and the per-protocol population comprised 676 patients (open 373; standardized 303). Mean age at diagnosis was 46 years. Anatomic distribution of uveitis was as follows: anterior (60.8% and 72.3%, P = .0017), intermediate (11.7% and 12.3%, P = .8028), posterior (17.8% and 8.2%, P = .0004), and panuveitis (15.3% and 15.2%, P = .9596). An etiologic diagnosis was established in 54.4% of cases in the open group and 49.5% in the standardized group (P = .2029). The difference between both strategies (standardized minus open) was -4.9% (95% CI [-12.5%; 2.6%]). There were more investigations in the open group than in the standardized group (5371 vs 3759, P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The standardized strategy appears to be an efficient diagnostic approach for the etiologic diagnosis of uveitis, although its noninferiority cannot be proved.

Screening for diabetic retinopathy by ophthalmologists and endocrinologists with pupillary dilation and a nonmydriatic digital camera.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of pupillary dilation on image quality and certitude of screening diabetic retinopathy by trained endocrinologists using a digital nonmydriatic camera. DESIGN: Prospective, comparative, observational case series. METHODS: One hundred fifty patients with diabetes attending a hospital-based photographic screening clinic had five-field (45 degree) digital retinal imaging and mosaic construction, first through dark-adapted pupils, then after a single application of tropicamide 1%. The 600 sets of images (150 patients, 300 eyes, before and after dilation) were graded independently and in a blinded manner by two endocrinologists and two ophthalmologists, with the consensual opinion on dilated images of the latter serving as the gold standard. The criteria of evaluation were assessment of image quality and certitude of detecting and grading retinopathy. RESULTS: Of 300 eyes, pharmacological mydriasis improved image quality, with an increase in the number of eyes with five good images from seven to 160 and good-quality mosaics from 99 to 233. Dilation allowed better identification of maculopathy in the second eye because there was a decrease in ungradeable central images from 127 to 15 eyes. Dilation increased the number of eyes having retinopathy detected with certainty from 153 to 252 and graded with certainty from 173 to 277. No adverse effects were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Single application of tropicamide 1% significantly improves image quality and certitude of screening diabetic retinopathy with nonmydriatic camera by endocrinologists.

Corneal endothelium self-healing mathematical model after inadvertent descemetorhexis.

UNLABELLED: An 85-year-old man presented with an unusual complication of cataract surgery. During injection of an ophthalmic viscosurgical device, Descemet membrane was accidentally dissected and removed during the capsulorhexis. Early postoperative visual acuity was counting fingers as a result of massive corneal edema. Using a mathematical model of the endothelium, we evaluated the corneal endothelial cell self-healing capacity from the periphery by calculating the theoretical endothelial cell density (ECD) after corneal endothelial cell redistribution. The calculated theoretical ECD was 1592 cells/mm(2). At 22 months, the corrected distance visual acuity improved to 20/25. The central ECD was 549 cells/mm(2), 516 cells/mm(2), 987 cells/mm(2), and 1344 cells/mm(2) at 5, 8, 16, and 22 months, respectively. The originality of this case is based on the mathematical simulation of the corneal endothelial cell's spontaneous self-healing process, deferring keratoplasty. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

In vivo confocal microscopy of pine processionary caterpillar hair-induced keratitis.

PURPOSE: Multimodal imaging of processionary caterpillar hair-induced keratitis with anterior segment optical coherence tomography and in vivo confocal microscopy. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 25-year-old woman presented with acute keratitis induced by multiple tiny processionary caterpillar hairs. She initially experienced severe pain and moderate vision loss, which gradually improved within a few weeks. Diagnosis was confirmed by in vivo confocal microscopy showing a pathognomonic image strictly comparable with ex vivo microscopy photography. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of corneal in vivo confocal imaging of a caterpillar hair with confirmation by ex vivo microscopy.

No loss of chance of diabetic retinopathy screening by endocrinologists with a digital fundus camera.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of the diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening with digital camera by endocrinologists with that by specialist and resident ophthalmologists in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and level of "loss of chance." RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 500 adult diabetic patients (1,000 eyes) underwent three-field retinal photography with a digital fundus camera following pupillary dilatation. Five endocrinologists and two ophthalmology residents underwent 40 h of training on screening and grading of DR and detection of associated retinal findings. A κ test compared the accuracy of endocrinologist and ophthalmology resident screening with that performed by experienced ophthalmologists. Screening efficiency of endocrinologists was evaluated in terms of "loss of chance," i.e., missed diagnoses that required ophthalmologist referrals. RESULTS: The mean weighted κ of DR screening performed by endocronologists was similar to that of ophthalmology residents (0.65 vs. 0.73). Out of 456 DR eyes, both endocrinologists and ophthalmology residents misdiagnosed only stage 1 DR (36 and 14, respectively), which did not require ophthalmologist referral. There were no significant differences between endocrinologists and ophthalmology residents in terms of diabetic maculopathy and incidental findings except for papillary cupping and choroidal lesions, which were not the main purpose of the study or of the training. CONCLUSIONS: The endocrinologist with specific training for DR detection using a three-field digital fundus camera with pupillary dilatation can perform a reliable DR screening without any loss of chance for the patients when compared with identical evaluation performed by experienced ophthalmologists.