Clinical features of retinopathy after cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical patterns of retinopathy in patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using wide-field fundus photography and slit-lamp fundus examination. METHODS: The medical records of patients aged ≥ 18 years who survived after receiving CPR and underwent wide-field fundus photography and slit-lamp fundus examination within 3 months were retrospectively analyzed. Fundus findings, including retinal hemorrhage and cotton wool spots, were investigated. The subjects were categorized into the retinopathy and non-retinopathy groups based on the presence of fundus findings. Systemic and CPR-related factors were analyzed to compare the two groups. RESULTS: Twenty eyes (10 patients) and 28 eyes (14 patients) were included in the retinopathy and non-retinopathy groups, respectively. The retinopathy group had longer CPR time than the non-retinopathy group (15 ± 11 min vs. 6 ± 5 min, p = 0.027). In the retinopathy group, retinal nerve fiber layer hemorrhage was observed in all eyes, and intraretinal hemorrhage was observed in 55% of the eyes. 80% of hemorrhages were located in the peripapillary or posterior pole. There were no interval changes in visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and central retinal thickness for 6 months. The average remission periods of retinal hemorrhage and cotton wool spots were 6.8 ± 2.6 month and 5.6 ± 2.1 months, respectively. No retinopathy progression was observed. CONCLUSION: The signs of retinopathy, such as retinal hemorrhages and cotton wool spots, which are found after CPR, mainly occur in patients who receive longer time of CPR and improve over time.

Paracentral acute middle maculopathy and cotton wool spots in a patient with ocular migraine: A case report.

In this study, we report paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) and cotton wool spots (CWS) in a patient with ocular migraine. A 74-year-old man presented with persistent paracentral scotoma in the right eye that began a week prior. His visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left. Dilated fundoscopy revealed CWS in the right eye. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed hyper-reflective bands in the inner nuclear layer corresponding to parafoveal lesions seen on near-infrared imaging in the right eye consistent with the diagnosis of PAMM. Further laboratory studies were unremarkable, and a transthoracic echocardiogram and a carotid ultrasound were unrevealing. The patient was started on brimonidine three times daily in both eyes. The patient reported subjective improvement in the paracentral scotoma and the absence of ocular migraine symptoms at two-month follow-up. We conclude from this case that PAMM and CWS can occur simultaneously in ocular migraine, and we suggest that retinal vascular changes associated with ocular migraine may contribute to ischemia underlying both entities. Additionally, we suggest a potential therapy in brimonidine due to its proposed beneficial effects on retinal vasculature and neuroprotection.

Spectrum of retinal microvascular ischemia in patients with COVID-19 based on multimodal imaging.

Purpose: To describe and evaluate the multimodal imaging findings in retinal microvascular ischemia associated with COVID-19 infection. Methods: Patients with COVID-19 associated retinal microvascular ischemia and visiting the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital from December 2022, to February 2023, were documented and their multimodal images were retrospectively reviewed. Retinal microvascular ischemia was defined as the presence of isolated or multiple focal retinal whitening(s) on color fundus images. Patients with retinal vessel occlusion or retinopathies secondary to systematic disorders diagnosed before infection were excluded. Results: A total of 32 eyes from 21 patients were included, 24 (75.00 %) eyes with multiple retinal whitenings, while 8 (25.00 %) eyes with isolated lesions. When divided by the types of ischemia, 9 (28.13 %) eyes had only inner retinal involvement (known as cotton wool spot, CWS), 4 (12.50 %) eyes had only middle retinal involvement (known as paracentral acute middle maculopathy, PAMM), and 19 (59.38 %) eyes had both. In addition, 4 (12.50 %) eyes had coincident angular sign of Henle fiber layer hyperreflectivity (ASHH). Patients with hypertension tended to have multiple lesions rather than isolated lesion of retinal microvascular ischemia (P = 0.008). Transient uncontrolled high blood pressure or acute kidney injury was simultaneously detected in some cases. Conclusions: Ocular manifestation of COVID-19 associated microvascular ischemia can be variable, including CWS, PAMM and ASHH. Multimodal fundus imaging technologies are useful tools to reveal involved retinal layers, extent, and severity. Moreover, ocular manifestations may serve as a window of COVID-19 related microcirculation in other systems throughout the body.

Purtscher's Retinopathy After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Literature Review.

Purtscher's retinopathy is a rare angiopathy reported in patients with a history of severe trauma and other systemic diseases. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds, and the severity varies. A 41-year-old gentleman with underlying poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia was referred to the ophthalmology department for diabetic retinopathy screening. He denied visual complaints. Ocular examination revealed a negative relative afferent pupillary defect with a visual acuity of 6/6 bilaterally. The anterior segment examination was unremarkable. Both eye (oculus uterque, OU) fundus revealed a pink disc with a cup-to-disc ratio of 0.4 and peripapillary flame-shaped hemorrhages. Right eye (oculus dexter, OD) also showed multiple cotton wool spots along the superotemporal arcade involving zones 1 and 2 of the retina, while left eye (oculus sinister, OS) showed a single cotton wool spot along the superotemporal arcade at zone 1 of the retina. Otherwise, there were no visible retinal emboli, dot hemorrhages, or hard exudates, and the macula was normal. The retinal features were not characteristic of diabetic retinopathy. It mimicked hypertensive retinopathy, but the patient was normotensive. The absence of inner retinal thickening and hyperreflectivity on optical coherence tomography of the macula ruled out retinal vein occlusion. This prompted us to elicit further history, and the patient disclosed a recent admission for myocardial infarction in which he received cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions for seven minutes. Hence, the diagnosis of OU Purtscher's retinopathy was made, and the patient was monitored closely in the clinic. Purtscher's retinopathy remains a diagnostic dilemma and should not be neglected in complex clinical contexts.

The Application of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

A 15-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with a history of bilateral blurred vision for one day, with greater severity in the right eye. Fundus examinations revealed cotton wool spots, dot hemorrhage, and hard exudate. She underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), which showed the presence of macula ischemia, decreased vascular density, mild retinal fluid, severe ischemia, some macular edema, and vascular sheathing, indicating active vasculitis in the right eye. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect many organs in the body, including the eye. Ocular involvement is one of the most well-known features. Retinal vasculitis is a rare complication of SLE that is characterized by vascular sheathing that can progress to vaso-occlusion. We report the clinical features of SLE using OCTA.

Retinal Manifestations in Patients with COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study.

The recent outbreak of the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been declared a worldwide pandemic. Within various multi-organ involvement, several ocular manifestations have been described, such as conjunctivitis and retinopathy. The prevalence and severity of retinal lesions and their relation to the severity of the systemic disease are unknown. We performed a prospective, observational study on 172 consecutively hospitalized patients with acute confirmed COVID-19 infection. All patients underwent screening widefield fundus photography at the time of hospital admission. Despite no ocular or vision-related symptoms, we found cotton wool spots (CWS) and/or hemorrhages in 19/172 patients (11%). Diabetes history, overweight, and elevated C-reactive protein were more frequently observed among patients with retinal abnormalities, while a history of systemic hypertension was more frequently observed among patients without retinal findings. At a 3-month follow-up visit, CWS had subsided in all patients.

Serial swept source optical coherence tomography of a cotton wool spot following SARS CoV2 infection.

A 33-year-old male presented with history of blurring of vision in the left eye for two months. He was seen by the local ophthalmologist and diagnosed as nongranulomatous anterior uveitis in the left eye with normal fundus. He had history of fever 20 days back and was diagnosed positive for COVID-19 by RT-PCR. He presented with acute anterior uveitis in the left eye. Fundus examination revealed a cotton wool spot close to the fovea, which was confirmed by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) of the macula. The patient after two months' follow-up showed resolution of the cotton wool spot, which was confirmed by SS-OCT. Our case indicates that cotton wool spot can be an ocular manifestation of COVID-19 infection, and swept-source optical coherence tomography can precisely document the resolution of the lesion.

Retinal Microvascular Impairment in COVID-19 Bilateral Pneumonia Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of retinal and microvascular alterations in COVID-19 patients with bilateral pneumonia due to SARS-COV-2 that required hospital admission and compare this with a cohort of age- and sex-matched controls. COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia patients underwent retinal imaging 14 days after hospital discharge with structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) measurements. Vessel density (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area were evaluated in the superficial, deep capillary plexus (SCP, DCP), and choriocapillaris (CC). After exclusion criteria, only one eye per patient was selected, and 50 eyes (25 patients and 25 controls) were included in the analysis. COVID-19 patients presented significantly thinner ganglion cell layer (GCL) (p = 0.003) and thicker retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) compared to controls (p = 0.048), and this RNFL thickening was greater in COVID-19 cases with cotton wool spots (CWS), when compared with patients without CWS (p = 0.032). In both SCP and DCP, COVID-19 patients presented lower VD in the foveal region (p < 0.001) and a greater FAZ area than controls (p = 0.007). These findings suggest that thrombotic and inflammatory phenomena could be happening in the retina of COVID-19 patients. Further research is warranted to analyze the longitudinal evolution of these changes over time as well as their correlation with disease severity.

Peripheral retinal arteriolar leakage in giant cell arteritis: a case report.

A 76-year old African American female with a history of arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) secondary to biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) presented with unilateral vision loss in her contralateral eye despite high-dose oral steroid treatment. Dilated fundus examination revealed three cotton wool spots. Fluorescein angiography showed slowed arteriolar filling with late staining of small peripheral arteries, consistent with small vessel arteritis. Laboratory tests for alternative vasculitides were negative. Review of her temporal artery biopsy specimen confirmed lymphoplasmacytic inflammation around small adventitial vessels with no destructive granulomatous or leukocytoclastic small vessel vasculitis, consistent with GCA. Our unique case demonstrates peripheral small vessel retinal arteriolar leakage in GCA, which is a rare finding. This association is of interest because GCA is commonly associated with medium to large vessel pathology without small vessel involvement.

Automatic Detection of Genetics and Genomics of Eye Disease Using Deep Assimilation Learning Algorithm.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases in human and it is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the eye retina. If it is undetected and untreated at right time, it can lead to vision loss. There are many medical imaging and processing technologies to improve the diagnostic process of DR to overcome the lack of human experts. In the existing image processing methods, there are issues such as lack of noise removal, improper clustering segmentation and less classification accuracy. This can be accomplished by automatic diagnosis of DR using advanced image processing method. The cotton wool spot (CWS), hard exudates (HE) contains a common manifestation of many diseases in retina including DR and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In the present work, super iterative clustering algorithm (SICA) is proposed to identify the CWS, HE on retinal image. Feature-based medical image retrieval (FBMIR) datasets are utilized for this purpose. Noises present on the images and histogram-filtering technique is used to convert red, green, and blue (RGB) images into a perfect greyscale image without noise. After pre-processing, SICA is used to identify the CWS, HE detection on retinal images and eliminates unnecessary areas of interest. In the third stage, after detecting CWS and HE, various statistical features are extracted for further classification using deep assimilation learning algorithm (DALA). The performance of DALA technique is examined with various classification parameters like recall, precision, and F-measure. Finally, the false classification ratios are computed to compare the performance of the trained networks. The proposed method produces accurate detection of affected regions with an accuracy ratio of 98.5% and it is higher than the other conventional methods. This method may improve the accuracy of automatic detection and classification of eye diseases.

Purtscher-like retinopathy after a stent implant for the treatment of carotid aneurysm.

Purtscher retinopathy is an occlusive microangiopathy associated with traumatic causes and usually causes visual impairment. For non-traumatic origins, it is called Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR). A 26-year-old man reported loss of vision in his left eye after the implantation of a telescoping stent for the treatment of an intracranial carotid aneurysm. The fundus of the eye showed numerous cotton-wool spots and superficial haemorrhages. The spontaneous evolution was favourable, with almost complete resolution, except for an inferior residual scotoma. The appearance of PLR may be associated with the implantation of an endovascular stent for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.