Ab interno trabeculectomy versus trabeculectomy for open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of ab interno trabeculectomy with trabeculectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective, cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 115 patients who underwent ab interno trabeculectomy (study group) compared with 102 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with intraoperative mitomycin as an initial surgical procedure (trabeculectomy group). Inclusion criteria were open-angle glaucoma, age ≥ 40 years, and uncontrolled on maximally tolerated medical therapy. Exclusion criterion was concurrent surgery. METHODS: Clinical variables were collected from patient medical records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraocular pressure (IOP) and Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses with failure defined as IOP >21 mmHg or less than 20% reduction below baseline on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 1 month; IOP ≤ 5 mmHg on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 1 month; additional glaucoma surgery; or loss of light perception vision. Secondary outcome measures include number of glaucoma medications and occurrence of complications. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 27.3 and 25.5 months for the study and trabeculectomy groups, respectively. Intraocular pressure decreased from 28.1 ± 8.6 mmHg at baseline to 15.9 ± 4.5 mmHg (43.5% reduction) at month 24 in the study group, and from 26.3 ± 10.9 mmHg at baseline to 10.2 ± 4.1 mmHg (61.3% reduction) at month 24 in the trabeculectomy group. The success rates at 2 years were 22.4% and 76.1% in the study and trabeculectomy groups, respectively (P<0.001). Younger age (P = 0.037; adjusted HR, 0.98 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-0.99) and lower baseline IOP (P = 0.016; adjusted HR, 0.96 per 1 mmHg; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99) were significant risk factors for failure in the multivariate analysis of the study group. With the exception of hyphema, the occurrence of postoperative complications was more frequent in the trabeculectomy group (P<0.001). More additional glaucoma procedures were performed after ab interno trabeculectomy (43.5%) than after trabeculectomy (10.8%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ab interno trabeculectomy has a lower success rate than trabeculectomy. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

The effect of HDL mimetic peptide 4F on PON1.

Several lines of evidence indicate that serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) acts as an important guardian against cellular damage from oxidized lipids in plasma membrane, in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), against bacterial endotoxin and against toxic agents such as pesticide residues including organophosphates. In circulation, the high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated PON1 has the ability to prevent the formation of proinflammatory oxidized phospholipids. These oxidized phospholipids negatively regulate the activities of the HDL-associated PON1 and several other anti-inflammatory factors in HDL. During the acute phase response in rabbits, mice, and humans, there appears to be an increase in the formation of these oxidized lipids that results in the inhibition of the HDL-associated PON1 and an association of acute phase proteins with HDL that renders HDL proinflammatory. Low serum HDL is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and attempts are directed toward therapies to improve the quality and the relative concentrations of LDL and HDL. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has been shown to reduce atherosclerotic lesions in laboratory animals. ApoA-I, however, is a large protein and needs to be administered parenterally, and it is costly. We have developed apoA-I mimetic peptides that are much smaller than apoA-I, and much more effective in removing the oxidized phospholipids and other oxidized lipids. These mimetic peptides improve LDL and HDL composition and function and reduce lesion formation in animal models of atherogenesis. Following is a brief description of some of the HDL mimetic peptides that can improve HDL and the effect of the peptide on PON1 activity.

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria: a report of six cases and review of the literature.

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria is a rare and novel autosomal recessive inherited neurometabolic disorder. Since its first description by Duran in 1980, less than 100 cases have so far been reported. Occurring mostly in childhood, it is characterized by slowly progressive neurological dysfunction with cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal signs, intellectual decline, seizure, and extrapyramidal symptoms. MRI scanning is highly characteristic and screening for organic acid (L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid) in urine, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid is diagnostic. We investigated six Iranian children, aged 4, 14, 16, and 16 years, (the last one had two affected brothers and both of them died of similar illness at the ages of 20 and 22), by urinary organic acids assay and MRI scanning with suspicion of this rare disorder. Symptoms were suspicious for one of the leukoencephalopathies accompanied by macrocephaly. Affected cases were evaluated because of mild to moderate psychomotor retardation and regression. Head circumferences were above 2 standard deviations. Urine levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid were strongly increased. MRI scanning of the brain showed hyperintense signal on T2W images of the subcortical white matter and basal ganglia in all of them. Because of its inheritance pattern (autosomal recessive) and the high rate of consanguineous marriages in Iran, the prevalence of this disorder might be high among the mentally-handicapped patients, especially those with macrocephaly. Therefore, this entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mentally-retarded patients with macrocephaly.

Endoscopic Cycloplasty (ECPL) and Lens Extraction in the Treatment of Severe Plateau Iris Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe the anatomic and clinical results of the treatment of severe plateau iris syndrome with lens extraction and endoscopic cycloplasty (ECPL). A secondary aim was to describe 4 novel ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) measurements for plateau iris syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective case series with UBM evaluation. METHODS: Included were 12 eyes of 6 patients with plateau iris refractory to laser iridotomy and iridoplasty, miotic and other glaucoma medical treatment, with appositional angle closure in at least 3 quadrants. Treatment consisted of lens extraction and ECPL, an endoscopic diode laser treatment of the ciliary processes in the superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants. UBM measurements were taken in all quadrants before and after surgery. The untreated temporal quadrants were used as controls. Measurement parameters included: anterior chamber depth (ACD), angle opening distance (AOD 500), trabecular ciliary process distance (TCPD), iris ciliary process distance (ICPD), iris depth (ID), iridocorneal angle (ICA), and sulcus angle (SA). Four novel measurements included: ciliary process thickness (CPT), ciliary process width (CPW), ciliary process area (CPA), and iris ciliary process contact length (ICPCL). Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, glaucoma medications, and complications were also followed. RESULTS: The ACD, AOD 500, and ICA all increased significantly (P<0.001). ICPD, CPT, CPW, CPA, and ICPL all decreased significantly (P<0.01). Parameters remaining unchanged were: TCPD, ID, and SA. The untreated quadrants showed similar measurements to the preoperative measurements. There were no serious complications noted. DISCUSSION: Treating the ciliary processes with diode laser using an endoscopic approach (ECPL) and lens extraction, results in opening of the anterior chamber angle and shrinkage of the ciliary processes in the treated areas. This effect seems to be primarily a result of the laser treatment in combination rather than the lens extraction alone. This effectively reverses the anatomic cause and angle closure of plateau iris syndrome.

Testing of visual field with virtual reality goggles in manual and visual grasp modes.

Automated perimetry is used for the assessment of visual function in a variety of ophthalmic and neurologic diseases. We report development and clinical testing of a compact, head-mounted, and eye-tracking perimeter (VirtualEye) that provides a more comfortable test environment than the standard instrumentation. VirtualEye performs the equivalent of a full threshold 24-2 visual field in two modes: (1) manual, with patient response registered with a mouse click, and (2) visual grasp, where the eye tracker senses change in gaze direction as evidence of target acquisition. 59 patients successfully completed the test in manual mode and 40 in visual grasp mode, with 59 undergoing the standard Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) testing. Large visual field defects were reliably detected by VirtualEye. Point-by-point comparison between the results obtained with the different modalities indicates: (1) minimal systematic differences between measurements taken in visual grasp and manual modes, (2) the average standard deviation of the difference distributions of about 5 dB, and (3) a systematic shift (of 4-6 dB) to lower sensitivities for VirtualEye device, observed mostly in high dB range. The usability survey suggested patients' acceptance of the head-mounted device. The study appears to validate the concepts of a head-mounted perimeter and the visual grasp mode.