Results of a modified non-penetrating deep sclerectomy in the treatment of open angle glaucoma with or without cataract.

PURPOSE: To present the technique of a modified deep sclerectomy, which we will call "reversed" deep sclerectomy (RDS) and the results and our observations of its use in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) and with or without cataract extraction (phacoemulsification). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 132 eyes which underwent RDS: 37 eyes (group A) with uncontrolled OAG and 95 eyes (group B) with OAG and visually significant cataract. Mean pressure preoperatively for group A was 24.48 +/- 4.92 mmHg and for group B was 22.99 +/- 3.00. The mean number of antiglaucoma drugs received was 2.97 +/- 0.69 and 2.56 +/- 0.73 for groups A and B respectively. The RDS was performed where the deep scleral stroma is prepared in 2 parts, folded and inserted under the lateral sides of the sclerectomy, and the Schlemm's canal is opened prior to deep scleral stroma preparation. Cataract was extracted by phacoemulsification through the same scleral opening. The follow-up for group A was 22.23 +/- 10.18 months and for group B, 25.36 +/- 10.12 months. RESULTS: Postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP)

A modified deep sclerectomy with or without external trabeculectomy: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the removal of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal (external trabeculectomy) improves the effectiveness of a modified method of deep sclerectomy (DS), which we will call "reversed" deep sclerectomy (RDS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: We conducted a prospective study of two groups of patients. Group A included 22 eyes of 18 patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) under maximum medical treatment, which underwent RDS - a modified method of performing DS - with the removal of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal (external trabeculectomy) and without using any implant. Group B included 20 eyes of 17 patients which had undergone RDS alone. Demographic and tonometric data of patients of Group A revealed no significant difference from data of patients in Group B. A mean follow up period for Group A was 22.8 months and for Group B was 23.4 months. The outcome of the operations was termed a total success when intraocular pressure (IOP) was <21 mmHg postoperatively, without additional treatment, relative success when IOP was <21 mmHg with additional treatment and a total failure when IOP >21 mmHg with medical treatment. RESULTS: Total success was achieved in 18/22 eyes (81.8%) for Group A and in 8/20 eyes (40%) for Group B (P < 0.05). Relative success was achieved in 22/22 (100%) for Group A and in 17/20 eyes (85%) in Group B (P = NS). Total failure occurred in 0/22 eyes (0%) in Group A and in 3/20 (15%) eyes in Group B (P = NS). The mean postoperative IOP in Group A was 13.5 +/- 2.8 mmHg with a reduction of 12.4 +/- 4.6 mmHg (48.1%) and in Group B mean postoperative IOP was 18 +/- 4.3 mmHg with a reduction of 6.2 +/- 6.9 (25.6%) (P < 0.001). Mean drug reduction postoperatively was 3.2 +/- 0.9 drugs in Group A and 1.7 +/- 1.2 in Group B (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In the follow up time during which the two groups were under study (12-36 months), the removal of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal while performing RDS proves an important factor in improving its effectiveness.

Findings of an experimental study in a rabbit model on posterior capsule opacification after implantation of hydrophobic acrylic and hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE: Study on cell growth on the posterior capsule after implantation of hydrophobic acrylic (Acrysof SA 60 AT) and hydrophilic acrylic (Akreos Disc) intraocular lenses (IOL) in a rabbit model and comparison of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). METHODS: Phacoemulsification was performed in 22 rabbit eyes, and two different IOL types (Acrysof SA60 AT and Akreos Disc) were implanted. These IOLs had the same optic geometry (square edged) but different material and design. Central PCO (CPCO), peripheral PCO (PPCO), Sommering's ring (SR) formation, type of growth, extension of PCO, cell type, inhibition, and fibrosis were evaluated three weeks after surgery. Histological sections of each globe were prepared to document the evaluation of PCO. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed between a hydrophobic acrylic IOL and a hydrophilic acrylic IOL in relation to the CPCO, PPCO, type of growth, extension, cell type, inhibition, and fibrosis. Statistically significant difference was observed in relation to the formation of SR with Acrysof SA 60 AT group presenting more SR than Akreos Disc group. CONCLUSION: PCO was not influenced by the material of the IOL or the design of the haptics of the IOLs we studied.

Foveomacular retinitis and associated optical coherence tomography findings.

A 45-year-old man presented with clinical manifestations of foveomacular retinitis, including visual symptoms and foveal lesions characteristic of solar retinopathy, but repeated questions failed to elicit a history of sun gazing. Cross-sectional retinal images produced by optical coherence tomography revealed localized loss of retinal pigment epithelium cells in both eyes. A different pattern of reflectivity at the level of the photoreceptor layer was observed between the right and left eye, reflecting asymmetry in tissue damage. This case is described to provide additional evidence that solar retinopathy and foveomacular retinitis are the same entity and may also have common optical coherence tomography findings.

Psychiatric manifestations and personality traits associated with compliance with glaucoma treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of psychological distress and personality traits on self-rated compliance with glaucoma treatment. METHODS: One hundred patients with primary open-angle glaucoma participated in the study. General Health Questionnaire, Symptom Distress Checklist, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Defense Style Questionnaire, and Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire were used. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of patients with glaucoma classified as "noncompliers," those who omitted more than two doses per week. Noncompliers presented more severe symptoms of glaucoma. Depression was found to be associated with poor compliance, whereas adoption of immature defensive style further increased the risk for noncompliance with glaucoma treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is associated with self-reported noncompliance with glaucoma treatment, whereas certain personality traits are involved in the increased risk for noncompliance. Further assessment of the depressive feelings by an ophthalmologist and treatment of depression as well as proper psychotherapeutic approaches for maladaptive personality features could be an essential strategy to diminish compliance problems.

Choroidal metastasis from breast carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of intraocular metastasis from breast carcinoma. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: A 54-year-old woman diagnosed with multifocal ductal adenocarcinoma, grade III, of the left breast presented with blurred vision of the left eye. Funduscopy under pupil dilation in the left eye revealed a plateau-shaped, yellow choroidal focus measuring 4 optic disc diameters and located 3 optic disc diameters below the fovea. The patient was treated with two cycles of docetaxel and capecitabine. One month later the patient's visual acuity improved. Funduscopy confirmed reduction of oedema. CONCLUSION: This case shows that impaired vision can be an alarming symptom in a breast cancer patient and a description is given of the morphological features that could help in recognizing the smallest detectable breast cancer metastasis.

Artisan aphakic intraocular lens implantation in cases of subluxated crystalline lenses due to Marfan syndrome.

PURPOSE: To assess implantation of an Artisan aphakic intraocular lens (IOL) in cases with subluxated lenses due to Marfan syndrome. METHODS: Retrospective study of a small case series comprised of seven eyes (two children and three adults) with subluxated lenses due to Marfan syndrome that underwent lens extraction and Artisan aphakic IOL implantation. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity and endothelial cell status were the key elements of follow-up examinations. RESULTS: No complications occurred during surgery. Visual acuity was improved by > or = 4 Snellen lines in all seven eyes. These results were maintained at the last follow-up. Endothelial cell status remained constant in all cases at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In seven eyes with a subluxated crystalline lens due to Marfan syndrome, implantation of an Artisan aphakic IOL improved visual acuity while preserving anterior chamber status.

A large GLC1C Greek family with a myocilin T377M mutation: inheritance and phenotypic variability.

PURPOSE: POAG is a complex disease; therefore, families in which a glaucoma gene has been mapped may carry additional POAG genes. The goal of this study was to determine whether mutations in the myocilin (MYOC) gene on chromosome 1 are present in two POAG families, which have previously been mapped to the GLC1C locus on chromosome 3. METHODS: The three exons of MYOC were screened by denaturing (d)HPLC. Samples with heteroduplex peaks were sequenced. Clinical findings were compared with genotype status in all available family members over the age of 20 years. RESULTS: A T377M coding sequence change in MYOC was identified in family members of the Greek GLC1C family but not in the Oregon GLC1C family. Individuals carrying both the MYOC T377M variant and the GLC1C haplotype were more severely affected at an earlier age than individuals with just one of the POAG genes, suggesting that these two genes interact or that both contribute to the POAG phenotype in a cumulative way.

Breast carcinoma metastasis to the orbit and paranasal sinuses: a case report.

This is the case of a 34 years old female patient, with known history of disseminated, invasive, ductal adenocarcinoma, grade II, of the left breast, who presented with two distinct localizations of metastasis affecting the orbits. One in the right orbit and a second one in the frontal sinuses, the latter infiltrating the cognate ethmoid, exerting pressure on the inner wall of the left orbit. We present the symptoms, the ophthalmic signs and the imaging techniques that aided the localization of these metastasis, while literature review shows that such combination is rare.

The contribution of aqueous humor cytology in the differential diagnosis of anterior uvea inflammations.

BACKGROUND: Cytology of the aqueous humor can confirm the diagnosis of many intraocular conditions by revealing inflammatory cells, ghost red cells, lens material, and microorganisms. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to emphasize the contribution of aqueous humor fine needle aspiration cytology in cases where there is a clinical diagnostic dilemma whether an infectious or a noninfectious inflammatory process of the uvea is present. METHODS: Collection of 0.15-0.2 ml aqueous humor was carried out with an insulin needle. The aspirated aqueous was then prepared for examination using either the Cytospin or the Thin-Prep technique and smears were stained with modified Papanikolaou and May-Grünwald-Giemsa stains. RESULTS: Cytology of the aqueous humor essentially facilitated the differential diagnosis in 16 cases with an anterior uveal inflammation clinical picture. The cases included phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis (n = 6), chronic postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis (n = 3), phacolytic glaucoma (n = 2), ghost cell glaucoma (n = 2), metastatic endophthalmitis (n = 1), post-traumatic lenticular abscess (n = 1), and iridocyclitis (n = 1). Treatment of the cases was successful. CONCLUSIONS: In selected cases, cytology of the aqueous humor reveals specific, with regard to the clinical entity, cell populations and other elements and thus contributes effectively to the differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach to some anterior uvea inflammations.

Bilateral Mooren's ulcer in six patients: diagnosis, surgery and histopathology.

We describe 6 bilateral cases of progressive Mooren's ulcer treated by performing conjunctival excision (regional or 360 degrees peritomy). The histopathological study of the conjunctiva adjacent to the lesion showed an hyperaemic and edematous stroma infiltrated mainly by plasma cells and lymphocytes without signs of vasculitis. The peripheral portion of the ulcer was characterized by necrobiotic and hemorrhagic elements along with an absence of the overlying epithelium and Bowman's membrane. Inflammation of the corneal stroma was present in the peripheral but absent in the central edge of the ulcer, a characteristic sign of a rodent ulcer. Therefore, the histopathological study was very useful for the final diagnosis and the differential diagnosis of Mooren's ulcer from other cases of peripheral ulcerative keratitis. In all 6 cases conjunctival excision appeared to be an effective procedure in halting the progression of the disease: absence of recurrences during a follow-up period of 1-2 years provided an essential healing of the cornea.

Timing of dislocated nuclear fragment management after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine the timing of vitrectomy in patients with dislocated nuclear fragments after phacoemulsification and to correlate timing with visual outcomes. SETTING: University Eye Clinic of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of the records of 26 patients who had phacoemulsification at the University Eye Clinic of Ioannina over a 5-year period. The mean age of the 13 men and 13 women was 66.9 years (range 59 to 80 years). All patients had nucleus or nuclear fragment dislocation into the vitreous cavity during phacoemulsification and had vitrectomy and removal of the dislocated nucleus. The postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 9 months. RESULTS: Eight patients (30.8%) had vitrectomy at the time of phacoemulsification (Group A), 8 (30.8%) within 3 weeks (Group B), and 10 (38.5%) after more than 3 weeks (Group C). Patients in Group A did not develop complications, and 87.5% achieved a final visual acuity of 5/10 or better. In Group B, 4 patients (50%) developed moderate intraocular inflammation and 5 patients achieved a final visual acuity of 5/10 or better. Six patients in Group C (60%) had phacoanaphylactic glaucoma and 3 (30.0%), retinal detachment; 70.0% had a final visual acuity of 3/10 or worse. CONCLUSION: Early vitrectomy (fewer than 3 weeks postoperatively) was associated with better visual results, while late vitrectomy resulted in limited visual acuity in a high percentage of patients and increased the risk for glaucoma and retinal detachment.

Orbital metastasis from prostatic carcinoma.

A rare case of orbital metastasis from carcinoma of the prostate in a 76-year-old man who presented with pain in his left eye, mild proptosis and reduced visual acuity is reported. Cranial CT scanning demonstrated large bone metastases in the left orbit. The patient underwent orbital evisceration. The histopathological studies that were based on the morphological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed the histological diagnosis of orbital metastasis arising from prostatic carcinoma with neuroendocrine features.