Retinal Artery and Vein Occlusion Risks after Coronavirus Disease 2019 or Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of new retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) after the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or vaccination against COVID-19 and compare the incidences with the population with neither. DESIGN: Nationwide population-based cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: From a nationwide population-based cohort, 8 418 590 patients were categorized into control (group 1), COVID-19 infection (group 2), and COVID-19 vaccination (group 3) groups. METHODS: The cumulative incidence of RAO and RVO was calculated in groups 1, 2, and 3 using the Kaplan-Meier method. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on the Poisson distribution for RAO and RVO according to each group and subgroup using Cox proportional hazards models, with group 1 as the reference. We conducted univariable and multivariable analyses for the risk factors of RAO and RVO according to each subgroup. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cumulative incidence and risks of incidence of RAO and RVO from the index date to day 60. RESULTS: In multivariable analysis, no significant increase in RAO and RVO risks after COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination were observed in either men or women. These results were observed consistently across various conditions in sensitivity analyses. In subgroup analysis, individuals who were vaccinated before infection showed no significant increase in RAO or RVO risks in both sexes compared with the control group. In the subgroup analysis of vaccinated patients, the HRs of RAO and RVO for different vaccine types did not show an increase compared with the control group; however, an exception was observed in women who received mRNA-1273 vaccines, who showed a higher RAO HR (4.65; 95% CI, 1.27-17.03; P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Within 60 days of COVID-19 diagnosis or vaccination, RAO and RVO occurred rarely. We observed no increase in the HR of RVO and RAO relative to COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination except for a possible increase in the RAO HR in women who received mRNA-1273, for which the raw incidence was extremely low. Further investigation is required to validate this result. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Changes in intraocular pressure following intravitreal dexamethasone implant in patients with history of glaucoma filtration surgery.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate changes in intraocular pressure following intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection, specifically in patients undergoing glaucoma filtration surgery. METHODS: The degree of increase in intraocular pressure was compared retrospectively among three groups. Group 1 comprised patients who underwent prior glaucoma filtration surgery (54 eyes). Group 2 included patients with or suspected glaucoma without such surgical history (20 eyes). Group 3 included patients without glaucoma (33 eyes). Pressure measurements were taken before the injection and at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months post-injection. A subgroup analysis was performed for pressure > 35 mmHg, > 30 mmHg, > 25 mmHg, and a difference > 10 mmHg between the peak and baseline pressure. RESULTS: Group 1 consistently displayed lower pressures compared with Group 2, with significant difference at both 1- and 6-month post-injections (15.09 mmHg vs. 18.10 mmHg, P = 0.042 and 13.91 mg vs. 17.25 mmHg, P = 0.040). The proportion of patients in Group 1 and Group 3 with pressures > 25 mmHg, > 30 mmHg, and a difference > 10 mmHg did not significantly differ (15.6% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.231; 3.1% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.867; and 17.1% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.231). Notably, Group 2 exhibited a significantly higher proportion within each category (> 25 mmHg, 24.0%; > 30 mmHg, 20.0%; > 10 mmHg difference, 28.0%). CONCLUSION: Intravitreal dexamethasone implant did not increase the risk of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with a history of glaucoma filtration surgery compared with patients with suspected glaucoma; the risk was similar to those without glaucoma.

Exploring the Challenges of Distinguishing Punctate Inner Choroidopathy from Multifocal Choroiditis and Panuveitis.

PURPOSE: This retrospective case series aimed to assess the concordance between clinical diagnoses of punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) and multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis (MCP) using the 2021 Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) Working Group criteria. METHODS: Using the medical records of the patients, we reevaluated 100 eyes of 75 patients with idiopathic multifocal chorioretinal inflammatory lesions based on SUN criteria and compared the result to the clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 100 eyes, 29 eyes (29%) were diagnosed as PIC and 15 eyes (15%) were diagnosed as MCP using SUN criteria, and 56 (56%) eyes could not be diagnosed as either. Clinically diagnosed PIC eyes were significantly more myopic than the clinically diagnosed MCP eyes (mean spherical equivalent -6.65 ± 4.63 vs. -3.85 ± 2.31, P = 0.01). Sixteen eyes with vitreous inflammation were all clinically diagnosed as MCP, but four (25%) could not be diagnosed as MCP using SUN criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The existing diagnostic criteria showed limitations in capturing all clinical cases of PIC or MCP, and adding or revising criteria on features such as vitreous inflammation or myopia, could be considered to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

PROGRESSION OF MYOPIC MACULOPATHY IN PATIENTS WITH MYOPIC TRACTION MACULOPATHY AFTER VITRECTOMY.

PURPOSE: To compare the progression of myopic maculopathy with or without vitrectomy in patients with myopic traction maculopathy (MTM). METHODS: Seventy-seven eyes with MTM were classified into either the observation group (n = 38) or the vitrectomy group (n = 39). Progression of myopic maculopathy was assessed with fundus photography using infrared images. Progression within stage was evaluated as an increase in the area of atrophic lesions on infrared images using ImageJ software. The rate of progression was compared using the paired t -test. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 60.0 ± 47.5 months. The initial mean stage of myopic maculopathy for the observation group was 1.86 ± 0.86, and it progressed to 2.00 ± 0.83 ( P = 0.023) at the last visit. For the vitrectomy group, the stage progressed from 1.82 ± 0.96 to 2.05 ± 1.09 ( P = 0.011). Four eyes (10.5%) in the observation group showed progression at 87.3 months, and seven eyes (17.9%) in the vitrectomy group showed progression at 31.3 months. CONCLUSION: Surgery in patients with MTM may accelerate the progression of myopic maculopathy. Therefore, care should be taken when considering surgery for patients with MTM.

PERIPHERAL EXUDATIVE HEMORRHAGIC CHORIORETINOPATHY IN ASIAN POPULATIONS.

PURPOSE: Peripheral exudative hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (PEHCR) is a rare degenerative disease that affects the peripheral retina. Reports of PEHCR in Asian patients are rare. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of PEHCR in Asian patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 33 eyes of 29 Asian patients with PEHCR. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 70 years, and 75.9% of them were women. Vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 51.5% of eyes during a mean follow-up of 43.1 months. The occurrence of vitreous hemorrhage was associated with a thicker baseline subfoveal choroid ( P = 0.001) and the male sex ( P = 0.005). Final visual acuity was less than 20/200 in 29.2% of eyes. The predictive factors for a final visual acuity worse than 20/200 included poor initial visual acuity ( P = 0.002), initial lesion involvement of more than 180° of the peripheral retina ( P = 0.03), an extension of subretinal hemorrhage to the macula ( P = 0.040), and absence of complete tumor regression ( P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Asian PEHCR patients seem to be more frequently associated with vitreous hemorrhages, especially in male patients with thicker choroids. Although PEHCR was largely self-limiting, approximately one-third of the eyes ended up with a visual acuity of less than 20/200 with extensive lesion involvement.

Short-Term Safety and Efficacy of Intravitreal Brolucizumab Injections for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Multicenter Retrospective Real-World Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to determine the short-term real-world safety and efficacy of intravitreal brolucizumab injections in Korean patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study involved 294 eyes (treatment naïve 20 eye [6.8%] and nontreatment naïve 274 eyes [93.2%]) of 290 patients from 13 hospitals or retinal centers in South Korea. Patients with nAMD who received brolucizumab injection(s) between April 1 and November 30, 2021, with a follow-up ≥1 month, were included. Primary outcomes were safety, incidence of intraocular inflammation (IOI), and potential risk factors. The secondary outcome was efficacy, i.e., change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography-measured macular thickness and retinal fluid. RESULTS: The mean age was 71.63 ± 8.66. The follow-up period was 2.38 ± 0.79 months. The mean number of brolucizumab injections during the follow-up was 1.52 ± 0.58. The overall incidence of IOI was 13.9% (n = 41 eyes). Most IOI cases were of anterior uveitis (8.8%, 26 eyes), followed by retinal vasculitis (2.4%, seven eyes) and occlusive retinal vasculitis (0.3%, one eye). Most eyes showed IOI resolution (n = 40, 97.5%) and BCVA restoration (n = 39, 95.1%) with or without corticosteroid treatment during the follow-up. Age, sex, IOI history, or other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection histories were not associated with the occurrence of IOI. However, only thin subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was associated with the occurrence of IOI (odds ratio = 0.995, p = 0.020). BCVA at 1 month improved from baseline (baseline 0.518 ± 0.356 vs. 1 month 0.503 ± 0.383, p = 0.023), but the improvement was not maintained. Anatomical improvement was significant after 3 months. CONCLUSION: In Korean patients with nAMD, the incidence of IOI following brolucizumab injections was 13.9%. IOI was well-controlled with or without steroid treatment. Most IOI eyes (95.1%) were restored to the level of vision before. IOI occurrence and occlusive vasculitis was rare. In the short term, brolucizumab injection effectively improved vision at 1 month and dried retinal fluid for 3 months.

Clinical Characteristics of recurrent intraocular lens dislocation after scleral-fixated sutured intraocular lens and long-term outcomes of intraocular lens re-fixation.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with recurrent intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation after scleral-fixated sutured IOL implantation and evaluate the long-term outcomes of scleral re-fixation of IOL. METHODS: The medical records of patients who underwent surgery for IOL dislocation between January 2011 and January 2021 were reviewed. The study included 164 patients (male: 131, female: 33) (176 eyes). Patient demographics, preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data, and the ocular and systemic conditions associated with IOL re-dislocation were analyzed. RESULTS: The study included 176 consecutive cases of scleral-fixated sutured IOL. Twenty-six eyes (14.8%) showed re-dislocation of IOL after the initial IOL scleral fixation and underwent reoperation (mean 75.5 ± 62.5 months after the first surgery); three (11.5%) of them required a third surgery. Younger adults (aged less than 40 years), and patients who underwent IOL scleral fixation in complicated cataract surgery or aphakic state had a higher risk of re-dislocation. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the only statistically significantly higher risk factor in the re-dislocated group (p = 0.041). The complication rate with scleral re-fixation was higher than that in the non-re-dislocated group. No statistically significant differences were observed, except for vitreous hemorrhage (p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be exercised when performing sutured scleral fixation of IOL in younger patients, cases of complicated cataract surgery and aphakia, and patients with DM to prevent IOL re-dislocation. Scleral-fixated sutured IOL in eyes with recurrent IOL dislocation seems to be a safe and effective procedure with a relatively low complication rate.

Complications, treatments, and visual prognosis of choroidal osteomas.

PURPOSE: This study aims to report complications, treatments, and visual prognosis of choroidal osteoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records and multimodal images of 41 patients with choroidal osteoma. RESULTS: Visually significant complications included choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in 21 (47.7%) eyes and subretinal fluid (SRF) without CNV in 14 (31.8%) eyes. The most common treatment was intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection: 13 (61.9%) eyes with CNV received an average of 6.3 injections, and 6 (42.9%) eyes with SRF but without CNV received 1.8 injections. As the first-line treatment, intravitreal anti-VEGF injection induced complete or partial remission in 93.4% of eyes with CNV and 57.1% of eyes with SRF. The probability of legally low vision estimated at 3 and at 5 years was 29.1% and 34.2%, respectively. The presence of CNV and outer retinal tubulation (ORT) was independent risk factors for vision loss (adjusted odds ratio, 8.08 and 6.94, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The development of CNV and ORT was strong risk factors for visual impairment. Due to the frequent recurrence of complications and poor visual prognosis, regular check-ups and appropriate treatment choices are warranted.

EFFICACY OF COMBINED SYSTEMIC CORTICOSTEROID AND EARLY IMMUNOMODULATORY THERAPY WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF ONSET IN VOGT-KOYANAGI-HARADA DISEASE.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of combined systemic corticosteroid and early immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) within 3 months of onset in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease compared with conventional therapy. METHODS: This retrospective observational case series included 73 eyes of 38 patients with VKH, categorized into the conventional (n = 41) and the early IMT (n = 32) groups. Clinical information was gathered from patients' medical records. Primary outcome measures were visual acuity, subfoveal choroidal thickness, and uveitis outcome including occurrence of sunset glow fundus. RESULTS: The logarithm of minimal angle of resolution visual acuity of both groups improved, with statistically significant difference at the last follow-up (P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U test). Their mean subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased, with no statistically significant difference at the last follow-up (P = 0.21, T-test). In the conventional and early IMT groups, 27 (65.9%) and 15 (46.9%) eyes, respectively, had chronic or chronic recurrent VKH and sunset glow fundus was observed in 33 (80.5%) and 16 (50.0%) eyes, respectively. CONCLUSION: Combined systemic corticosteroid and early IMT within 3 months of onset was superior to conventional therapy in the final visual and uveitis outcome of patients with VKH disease. Therefore, IMT may be added early in cases of VKH disease, even when under control with high-dose corticosteroid.

Clinical characteristics of endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis: a 13-year experience.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and risk factors for poor visual outcomes in patients with endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKE). METHODS: This retrospective interventional case series reviewed the medical records of 17 patients (21 eyes) with EKE from January 2007 to December 2019. Clinical findings, treatments, visual outcomes, and potential prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 55.9 years and 13 patients (76.5%) were males. Diabetes (23.5%) was the most commonly associated systemic disease and liver abscess (70.6%) was the major infection source. Poor initial visual acuity worse than counting fingers was significantly associated with poor final visual outcome (p = 0.003). In this study, adjunctive intravitreal dexamethasone injection and primary vitrectomy were not associated with final visual outcome. Secondary enucleation/evisceration was performed in 14.3%. CONCLUSIONS: EKE usually has a poor visual prognosis, and early diagnosis with fair initial visual acuity would be crucial in saving vision.

Pachydrusen, choroidal vascular hyperpermeability, and punctate hyperfluorescent spots.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between pachydrusen and features of choroidal vascular hyperpermeability (CVH) and punctate hyperfluorescent spots (PHS) on serial imaging in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) or pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV). METHODS: Patients diagnosed between January 2007 and June 2016 at 2 high-volume, tertiary hospitals were retrospectively reviewed with serial multimodal imaging assessment. The primary outcome was the association between drusen subtypes (hard/soft drusen, subretinal drusenoid droplets, or pachydrusen) with CVH and PHS, previously described in central serous chorioretinopathy. RESULTS: Among the 105 eyes (105 patients; mean age, 67.0 years), 87 (82.9%) were diagnosed with PCV and 18 (17.1%) with PNV. Pachydrusen was the most frequently identified subtype (54 eyes, 51.4%). CVH (72.2% vs 41.4%, P = 0.021) and PHS (72.2% vs 44.8%, P = 0.041) were observed with greater frequency in PNV eyes. Significant correlations were found between CVH and PHS (phi coefficient φ 0.30, P = 0.003), and PHS with pachydrusen (φ 0.20, P = 0.040). Over a mean follow-up of 74.8 months, new drusen co-localizing to PHS were noted in 22 (21.0%) eyes (φ 0.54, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We observed a trend of pachydrusen appearing in conjunction with PHS in PCV or PNV. Frequent localization of new drusen to these choroidal lesions was observed over long-term follow-up. PHS may be a form of late-staining "forme fruste" drusen, possibly associated with micro-ischemic changes to the choriocapillaris.

MICROCYSTIC MACULAR EDEMA AND CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA BEFORE AND AFTER EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE SURGERY.

PURPOSE: To investigate the types of intraretinal cysts that are associated with epiretinal membranes and to evaluate the effects of each type of intraretinal cyst on postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional study design. Patients who underwent preoperative fluorescent angiography and epiretinal membrane surgery from February 2014 to May 2019 were included. Intraretinal cysts were subdivided into cystoid macular edema with angiographic leakage and microcystic macular edema (MME) without angiographic leakage. RESULTS: A total of 100 eyes from 100 patients were enrolled. Intraretinal cysts were present in 54 (54.0%) eyes before surgery, of which 27 (27.0%) eyes showed MME, 18 (18.0%) eyes showed cystoid macular edema, and 9 (9.0%) eyes showed cystoid macular edema and MME. After surgery, the number of eyes with cystoid macular edema decreased significantly (P < 0.001), whereas the number of eyes with MME did not (P = 0.302). Absence of preoperative MME, poorer initial visual acuity, increased central foveal thickness, and intact ellipsoidal zone were associated with favorable visual recovery (P = 0.035, 0.033, 0.018, and 0.035, respectively). CONCLUSION: Microcystic macular edema associated with epiretinal membranes was a poor prognostic factor for epiretinal membrane surgery. The persistent existence of MME after surgery affirms related chronic structural changes. Further studies should investigate whether earlier surgical intervention (possibly before the development of MME) benefits visual outcomes.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RETINAL VASCULAR OCCLUSION IN MOYAMOYA DISEASE: Case Series and Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Although moyamoya disease primarily affects the carotid artery in the ophthalmic artery bifurcation area, retinal vascular abnormalities in moyamoya disease have rarely been reported. The purpose of this report is to describe clinical findings of patients with retinal vascular occlusion in patients with moyamoya disease and present its clinical significance. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed patients with moyamoya disease with retinal vascular occlusions. For this, a retrospective medical chart review was performed in a tertiary medical center and a literature search was performed using PubMed and EMBASE until September 2020. RESULTS: Patients with retinal artery occlusion (RAO) were significantly younger than patients with retinal vein occlusion (25.0 vs. 40.1 years, P = 0.023). Of 14 patients, retinal vascular occlusion was the presenting sign of moyamoya disease in 8 (57.1%) patients. The occlusion site at the carotid artery was proximal to the ophthalmic artery bifurcation area in 8 (57.1%) patients. Legal blindness occurred in 8 (57.1%) patients at final visits. CONCLUSION: Retinal vascular occlusion is a rare but sight-threatening ocular complication in patients with moyamoya disease. Overall, younger age may be a risk factor for RAO, whereas older age for retinal vein occlusion. Retinal vascular occlusion can be an important indicator of moyamoya disease screening, especially in relatively younger and healthy patients.

MACULAR HOLE ASSOCIATED WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION: Pathogenesis and Surgical Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To ascertain the pathogenesis of macular hole (MH) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its surgical outcomes. METHODS: Patients with full-thickness MH associated with AMD (higher grades than intermediate) were enrolled. The mechanism of MH formation and closure rate after vitrectomy (surgical outcome) were determined using optical coherence tomography imaging. RESULTS: The mechanism of MH formation (35 eyes) associated with AMD was classified into four types: vitreomacular traction (42.9%), gradual retinal thinning caused by subretinal drusen or pigment epithelial detachment (22.9%), massive subretinal hemorrhage (20.0%), and combined (14.3%). In the 41 eyes that underwent vitrectomy, the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.82 (0.10-2.30) preoperative to 0.69 (0.10-2.30) postoperative (P = 0.001). Successful closure of the MH was achieved in 33 eyes (80.5%) after vitrectomy. No significant association was observed between the closure rate of MH after vitrectomy and mechanism of MH formation (P = 0.083). CONCLUSION: The mechanism of MH formation associated with AMD was classified into four types and was not related to its surgical outcome. Considering visual improvement and surgical outcome after vitrectomy in our study, active surgical treatment can be considered for MH associated with AMD.

Factors associated with ocular adverse event after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

Ocular adverse events (OAEs) including vision-threatening intraocular inflammation after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment have been increasingly reported; however, the risk factors associated with OAEs remain elusive. Here, we determined the factors associated with OAEs after ICI treatment. We analyzed 40 consecutive patients who experienced OAEs after ICI treatments. The OAEs included anterior uveitis, chorioretinitis, papillitis, foveal interdigitation zone thickening/serous retinal detachment (IZT/SRD), retinal vascular occlusion, and strabismus and ptosis. Of 40 patients, 18 (45%) were treated with atezolizumab, 13 (33%) with pembrolizumab, 7 (18%) with nivolumab, 1 (3%) with ipilimumab/nivolumab, and the other 1 (3%) with durvalumab/tremelimumab. BRAF/MEK inhibitors were concurrently used in 19 (48%) patients. Occurrence of intraocular inflammation was significantly associated with previous ocular surgery and trauma history (P = 0.015) and pembrolizumab use (P = 0.031). Neuro-ophthalmic complications and IZT/SRD were associated with brain metastasis (P = 0.005) and treatment with BRAF/MEK inhibitor (P < 0.001), respectively. In extensive literature review for clinical cases, we identified seven cases with intraocular inflammation, which were not observed with ipilimumab treatment, that occurred after a change of the drug to pembrolizumab. Collectively, these findings provide better understandings of OAEs after ICI treatment.

Uveitis occurrence in patients with ankylosing spondylitis according to the type of tumour necrosis factor inhibitor: a cohort study of 175 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the occurrence of non-infectious uveitis based on the type of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor used to manage spondyloarthritis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. METHODS: The occurrence (new-onset and recurrence) of uveitis was reviewed retrospectively in AS patients receiving different TNF inhibitor therapies (adalimumab [ADA], infliximab [IFX], etanercept [ETN], and golimumab [GOL]) for the management of spondyloarthritis from 2005 to 2018. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to calculate the cumulative occurrence rates of uveitis during TNF inhibitor therapy, and a log-rank test was used to analyse differences between the survival curves. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) of different TNF agents for uveitis occurrence after adjusting for concurrent confounding factors. RESULTS: The three-year cumulative occurrence rates of uveitis were significantly different according to the type of anti-TNFs used (23.1% in IFX, 18.5% in ETN, and 11.9% in ADA+GOL group) (p=0.020). The risk of new-onset uveitis was similar for different drugs. However, the IFX group showed a 5.4 times higher risk of recurrence than the ADA+GOL group (p=0.022). After adjusting for other confounding factors, IFX use was independently associated with a more frequent occurrence of uveitis in AS patients (HR=2.01; p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of AS patients who received anti-TNF therapy developed uveitis. Different types of anti-TNF drugs were associated with uveitis recurrence. Particularly, chimeric mouse-human monoclonal antibody (IFX) was found to increase the risk of uveitis occurrence compared to humanised monoclonal antibody (ADA or GOL).

DRUSEN SUBTYPES AND CHOROIDAL CHARACTERISTICS IN ASIAN EYES WITH TYPICAL NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of pachydrusen, soft drusen, and subretinal drusenoid deposits in eyes with different neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) subtypes, determine the relationship between each drusen type and the choroidal thickness, and analyze the distinct features of each nAMD subtype according to the drusen type. METHODS: Medical records involving 454 eyes from 454 patients with nAMD were retrospectively reviewed. The prevalence of each drusen type and the choroidal thickness and choroidal characteristics were evaluated according to the nAMD subtype. RESULTS: Pachydrusen were prevalent in the typical nAMD (40.4%) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (47.8%) groups and were not detected in the retinal angiomatous proliferation group. No significant drusen were detected in 24.3% of typical nAMD, 43.3% of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, and 0% of retinal angiomatous proliferation groups. Regardless of the nAMD subtype, pachydrusen, soft drusen, and subretinal drusenoid deposits were associated with a thick, moderately thick, and thin choroid, respectively. For eyes with typical nAMD, the prevalence of choroidal vascular hyperpermeability and extrafoveal neovascularization was significantly higher in the pachydrusen group than in the other groups. By contrast, the prevalence of Type 2 neovascularization was significantly lower in the pachydrusen group than in the subretinal drusenoid deposit group (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of various drusen differed according to the nAMD subtypes, and each drusen type was strongly associated with the choroidal thickness. Typical nAMD showed distinct features according to the accompanying drusen type.

Long-Term Incidence and Growth of Chorioretinal Atrophy in Patients with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term incidence and growth rate of chorioretinal atrophy (CRA) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and determine the associated risk factors. METHODS: The medical records of 88 patients with unilateral symptomatic PCV who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT) were analyzed retrospectively. Near-infrared fundus imaging and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were used to measure the CRA area and growth rate. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate the CRA incidence. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to investigate risk factors (e.g., age, frequency of abnormal OCT findings, PDT history, total injection number, and choroidal thickness) associated with the CRA incidence and growth rate, respectively. RESULTS: The overall CRA incidence was 40.8% at 5 years. The absence of subretinal fluid, the presence of intraretinal fluid, and a thin choroid were significant risk factors for CRA occurrence with a history of PDT. Overall 5-year CRA growth rate was 0.69 mm2/year. Faster CRA growth was significantly related to the presence of subretinal hyperreflective material and thin choroid. PDT history was not significantly related to CRA growth. CONCLUSIONS: Thin choroid may be a significant risk factor for long-term development and growth of CRA in eyes with PCV. Intraretinal fluid seems to promote the development of CRA, while subretinal fluid seems to be associated with CRA prevention. The history of PDT was significantly related to the occurrence of CRA, but not to the growth rate of CRA.

EFFICACY OF DOUBLE DOSE PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR CIRCUMSCRIBED CHOROIDAL HEMANGIOMA.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy using a double dose of verteporfin for patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma. METHODS: This retrospective comparative case series evaluated data from 10 patients who were treated using double dose photodynamic therapy (12 mg/m) and seven patients who were treated using the standard dose (6 mg/m). A laser was applied with a radiant exposure of 50 J/cm. The ophthalmologic examinations were performed at baseline and 1 year after the treatment and included best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and B-scan ultrasonography. RESULTS: The mean age in the double dose group was 51.60 years, compared with 50.57 years in the standard-dose group. The only significant difference between the two groups' baseline characteristics was observed in their initial tumor heights. Foveal center thickness, subretinal fluid, and subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased significantly at 1 year after treatment in both groups. Tumor height and the greatest linear dimension of the tumor's base only decreased significantly in the double dose group (P = 0.031). Both groups did not experience significant visual improvements. CONCLUSION: Double dose photodynamic therapy was effective and safe for treating circumscribed choroidal hemangioma and provided better tumor regression with similar resorption of subretinal fluid, compared with standard-dose photodynamic therapy.