Acute monocular visual loss: time to call the stroke team?

A man in his 90s presented with acute monocular loss of vision; the emergency department triage alerted the stroke team. He underwent urgent parallel assessments by the stroke and ophthalmology teams and was diagnosed with central retinal artery occlusion. The ultimate decision was made to manage him conservatively, rather than with intravenous thrombolysis, and his visual function has remained poor. We discuss the current evidence for using intravenous thrombolysis in people with central retinal artery occlusion and use this case to exemplify the practical issues that must be overcome if ongoing randomised clinical trials of central retinal artery occlusion confirm a definite benefit from using intravenous thrombolysis.

Acute exudative serous macular detachment with intraretinal oedema following uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

We report a case of a white man in his 80s presenting with reduced vision, 1 day following uncomplicated cataract surgery. Optical coherence tomography scan showed evidence of a large collection of subretinal and intraretinal fluid. There was no ocular abnormality of note to explain these macular findings. The findings were presumed to be caused by cefuroxime toxicity despite a standard intraoperative dose of 1 mg/0.1 mL injected into the anterior chamber. We have postulated that the process of discarding excess cefuroxime onto the corneal wound or surface may inadvertently lead to a higher dose entering the eye than intended. This patient was treated with topical prednisolone 1%, ketorolac 0.5% and chloramphenicol 0.5% in place of the standard Maxitrol (dexamethasone 0.1% with neomycin) prescribed as a postoperative regimen in our unit. There was complete resolution of the retinal changes with restoration of normal vision at 3-week follow-up.

Safety of nurse-led intravitreal injection of dexamethasone (Ozurdex) implant service. Audit of first 1000 cases.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety of nurse-led services of intravitreal injection of dexamethasone implant. METHODS: An audit of intravitreal injection of dexamethasone implant service in our unit revealed a significant delay in the delivery of injection from the time a clinical decision was made. The limiting factors were an inadequate number of injectors and limited capacity. The constraint in capacity was addressed by moving the service from the theatre to the cleanroom in the outpatients setting. Two senior nurse practitioners in the existing pool of injectors, experienced in intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, were trained to deliver the intravitreal dexamethasone implant service. A safety audit was carried out after they had completed 1000 cases. RESULTS: The nurse practitioners administered 1006 injections from February 2017 to October 2019. There was no case of endophthalmitis (0%) or other visually significant complications like retinal detachment, vitreous haemorrhage, hypotony or iatrogenic cataract. One patient had incomplete scleral penetration of the implant, but this resolved without any sequelae. The waiting time to inject the implant nearly halved from 29.5 to 15 days in the nurse-led service. A patient satisfaction survey was overwhelmingly positive, with the majority advocating for the continuation of the nurse-led service. CONCLUSION: The current cohort of experienced nurses providing anti-VEGF injections can be trained under supervision to inject the intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex). This is safe, additionally effective in streamlining the service and reducing the waiting time for delivery of the steroid implant.

Incomplete scleral penetration of dexamethasone (Ozurdex) intravitreal implant.

Ozurdex (Allergan, Irvine, California, USA) is a biodegradable sustained release intravitreal implant containing 0.7 mg dexamethasone in a solid polymer drug delivery system. In the UK, it is approved for use in patients with macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion, diabetic maculopathy and non-infectious uveitis. Although the implant is meant to be injected into the vitreous cavity, it can be inadvertently injected into the crystalline lens. This can also migrate into the anterior chamber, under altered anatomical conditions of the anterior segment. We report a case of incompletely penetrated dexamethasone implant, in a patient undergoing treatment for macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. The partially penetrated implant was managed conservatively with a good outcome.

Rapidly progressive neovascular glaucoma following coronary artery bypass graft surgery in a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Proliferative diabetic retinopathy leading to vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment, and neovascular glaucoma is a major cause of severe sight impairment in adults of working age worldwide. Neovascular glaucoma occurs in 2.5% of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which is difficult to treat and often leads to blindness. Onset of neovascular glaucoma with rapid progression to blindness within a few weeks of a successful coronary artery bypass graft procedure is not known with this clinical entity. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old white man with type 1 diabetes mellitus presented to our hospital with severe, rapidly progressive bilateral neovascular glaucoma following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The patient was previously treated for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with complete peripheral pan-retinal photocoagulation. Prompt and adequate treatment with antiglaucoma medication and cyclodiode laser did not halt the progression of the disease. The patient ended up with no perception of light within a few weeks of initial presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Vision loss following coronary artery bypass graft surgery is usually associated with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Rapid progression to bilateral blindness resulting from neovascular glaucoma within a few weeks of presentation following coronary artery bypass graft is not a common presentation with this clinical entity. Our patient had been treated with erythropoietin-stimulating factor for severe anemia preceding and following his coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The improvement in ocular perfusion following coronary artery bypass graft surgery, coupled with the administration of erythropoietin-stimulating factor, could have contributed to the onset and rapid progression of neovascular glaucoma. Close monitoring of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, even if adequately treated, is advised because there is increased ocular morbidity leading to blindness.

Unilateral retinal venous beading.

Inherited retinal venous beading is a rare retinal vascular disorder that is characterised by tortuosity and beading of the retinal veins. This can potentially lead to vision-threatening complications such as vitreous haemorrhage, macular hard exudation and ischaemia. We report a case of sporadic unilateral retinal venous beading in an 18-year-old white man who was referred by his optician following a routine eye examination. This malformation was unilateral and did not involve any other ocular structure. He had no associated ocular or systemic disorders. When last seen, he did not have any visual complications due to this vascular anomaly.

Recurrent chikungunya retinitis.

Chikungunya is a systemic viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes in endemic areas of Africa, Asia and more recently in the Americas. Chikungunya infection produces a sudden onset of fever, joint pains and erythematous skin eruption. A plethora of ocular manifestations have been described ranging from a non-specific conjunctivitis to exudative retinal detachment. Ocular chikungunya seems to respond well to corticosteroid therapy, and outcomes are usually better if treated early. Our patient acquired this infection on a travel to Mexico jungle. This was confirmed by ReverseTranscriptase-PCR test once she returned to the UK. The peculiarity of the case is the inordinate delay of almost a year in the onset of eye symptoms, from acquiring the viral infection. The ocular inflammation responded to systemic corticosteroid therapy with a favourable visual outcome. She developed a recurrence many months later which again responded well to a course of oral steroids.

Serratia marcescens endogenous endophthalmitis in an immunocompetent host.

A systemically well 66-year-old white Caucasian man presented to the urgent care department with a short history of progressive pain and blurring of vision in his left eye. He denied a history of trauma, intraocular surgery or use of illicit drugs. He was diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis. Vitreous biopsy grew Serratia marcescens, a Gram negative bacteria. In spite of extensive investigation, there was no obvious source of infection. He had an indwelling urine catheter for prostate hypertrophy, but urine culture was negative. There was no evidence of immunocompromise. He was treated with systemic as well as intravitreal antibiotics. In spite of appropriate treatment, the patient lost vision. S. marcescens endophthalmitis, seen even in immunocompetent people, carries a poor visual prognosis.

Chronic postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Actinomyces neuii.

Uneventful phacoemulsification with implantation of a foldable, acrylic posterior chamber intraocular lens was performed in the right eye of a 73-year-old white man. Postoperatively, the patient developed a chronic, low-grade intraocular inflammation. Cultures from the aqueous specimen grew Actinomyces neuii, an unusual gram-positive bacillus. The low-grade intraocular inflammation persisted with intensive topical steroid-antibiotic medication and systemic antibiotics. A diagnostic, 3-port, pars plana vitrectomy was performed, and aqueous aspirate specimens were sent for culture and sensitivity and to look for abnormal cells. Intracameral antibiotics were not injected. The specimens were sterile to culture, and chronic inflammatory cells were reported on the vitreous specimen. On examination 6 months later, inflammation had not recurred and the best corrected visual acuity was 6/18.

Unilateral Optic Disc Papilloedema following Administration of Carboplatin Chemotherapy for Ovarian Carcinoma.

A 48-year-old woman with a positive BRCA1 gene mutation was diagnosed with stage 3b high-grade ovarian endometrioid carcinoma. She was treated with adjuvant carboplatin at a dose of 740 mg (AUC 6) in 3-weekly cycles. Five days after her fifth cycle of carboplatin, she awoke with new-onset blurred vision in her left eye. An ophthalmology review showed left-sided disc oedema with normal optic nerve function tests and 6/24 visual acuity. A CT scan of the head and orbits was performed which showed no evidence of metastasis or raised intracranial pressure. An autoimmune screen was performed which did not reveal any explanation for her visual symptoms. Fundus fluorescein angiography showed bilateral intense late disc leakage with no evidence of vasculitis. Her chemotherapy was stopped in view of a radiological and biochemical remission and her visual symptoms were monitored. She was also started on a tapering dose of prednisolone 40 mg daily. Five months after the initial review, she has developed left optic disc atrophy with 6/18 visual acuity, while the right eye remains asymptomatic. The diagnosis was felt to be that of carboplatin-induced unilateral disc oedema, a very rare side effect of this chemotherapy.

Early spontaneous closure after reopening of a previously repaired macular hole.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of early spontaneous closure of macular hole after reopening after previous successful surgical repair. METHODS: A 72-year-old female patient was treated for stage 2 idiopathic macular hole in the right eye. The hole remained anatomically closed for 2 months postoperatively, before reopening 1 month later. RESULTS: The patient was listed for revision surgery; however, on the day of the operation, which was 2 months after the reopening, the hole seemed to have closed spontaneously. Two years later, the macular hole remains closed with best-corrected visual acuity of 6/9. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous closure of macular holes after reopening is a rare phenomenon. The case presented here demonstrates that for early reopening of macular holes, a period of observation with serial optical coherence tomography may allow the hole to close spontaneously before proceeding with further surgical intervention.

Keratectasia as a presentation of surgically induced necrotizing sclerokeratitis (SINS).

PURPOSE: A case of keratectasia is reported as a severe presentation of surgically induced necrotizing sclerokeratitis (SINS). METHODS: A 72-year-old white woman had a painful, raised lesion on the superior cornea of her right eye 3 years after uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation. Examination showed a large ectatic area of the superior cornea with inflamed sclera adjacent to the surgical wound, which was diagnosed as SINS. RESULTS: No underlying systemic autoimmune condition or vasculitis was identified on investigation. Progressive painful keratectasia necessitated enucleation, which confirmed on histopathologic examination features of chronic nodular episcleritis and nongranulomatous scleritis with evidence of keratitis and fibrovascular scarring. CONCLUSION: The predominant inflammatory response in the cornea represents surgically induced necrotizing keratoscleritis (SINK) as a new variant presentation of SINS. Oral corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents should not be delayed to prevent progressive tissue destruction and poor outcome.