Early macular and peripapillary vasculature dropout in active thyroid eye disease.

PURPOSE: To compare macular and peripapillary vasculatures in active thyroid eye disease (TED), not active not compressive (NANC) TED, and control eyes. METHODS: Twenty-one eyes of 12 active TED patients, 77 eyes of 43 NANC patients, and 65 eyes of 35 healthy normal subjects were recruited in this observational study. The participants underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A) of the peripapillary and macular areas. Macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) was measured in addition to peripapillary and macula superficial and deep vasculatures. RESULTS: Linear mixed models accounting for inter-eye correlation showed that whole macular and parafoveal superficial vessel densities were significantly lower in the active TED with values of 50.6 ± 4.3% and 52.7 ± 4.8%, respectively, compared with control group values of 53.7 ± 3.0% and 56.3 ± 3.2% (P = 0.03, P < 0.001, respectively). In contrast, only the nasal sector of parafoveal vasculature value was significantly lower in the NANC TED than in control eyes (P = 0.03) and in the active group than in the NANC group (P < 0.001). Similarly, the average peripapillary vessel density was lower in the active TED than in the NANC and control groups. No significant differences were observed in GCC thickness among active, NANC, and control groups. Whole superficial macular and parafoveal vessel densities were significantly correlated with visual field MD (r = 0.32, r = 0.30, respectively, both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: OCT-A findings of lower peripapillary and macular vessel density values in the active TED eyes show subclinical retinal and optic nerve involvement.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of a Pale Optic Disc in Demyelinating Optic Neuritis and Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: In the setting of a pale optic disc, distinguishing a previous episode of optic neuritis (ON) from that of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) may be difficult on clinical examination. Differences in peripapillary vascular network structures, if present, might be of diagnostic utility. METHODS: Thirty-five eyes with demyelinating ON, 33 eyes with NAION, and 81 eyes of normal subjects were imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) to assess peripapillary vascular density (VD). In addition, OCT was used to measure peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were used to differentiate ON vs NAION. RESULTS: NAION eyes had significantly thinner RNFL thickness than ON eyes. Age-adjusted analysis showed that the peripapillary VD values were significantly reduced in NAION (48.3 ± 7.4%) and ON eyes (54.7 ± 6.1%) compared with healthy controls (62.1 ± 4.6%); pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant differences among all 3 groups. After adjustment for severity of optic nerve injury according to mean RNFL thickness, all VD parameters were not significantly different between ON and NAION eyes. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for differentiating NAION from ON eyes was similar for VD (0.75) and RNFL thickness (0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Peripapillary VD measurement performs as well as RNFL thickness for distinguishing previous episodes ON and NAION. VD decline might be secondary to RNFL damage and, therefore, VD data have a limited role differentiating these 2 disorders.

Augmented superior rectus transposition procedure in Duane retraction syndrome compared with sixth nerve palsy.

PURPOSE: Superior rectus transposition (SRT) with medial rectus recession has been used for the treatment of sixth nerve palsy and esotropic Duane retraction syndrome (DRS). The purpose of this study was to compare the results of augmented SRT (with scleral fixation) without medial rectus recession in DRS and sixth nerve palsy. METHODS: Patients with unilateral esotropic DRS (DRS group) and sixth nerve palsy were included in this prospective, comparative study and underwent SRT. Preoperative forced duction testing was negative or slightly positive in both groups. Prospective measurements were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 11 patients in the DRS group and 11 patients in the sixth nerve palsy group. The mean preoperative esotropia decreased from 20.9 ± 6.0 prism diopter (PD) at far to 13.2 ± 5.8 PD in the DRS group (P = 0.003). The same measurement improved from 28.0 ± 8.5 PD to 8.4 ± 7.3 PD in the sixth nerve palsy group (P = 0.003). In the sixth nerve palsy group, the improvement in primary gaze esotropia and abnormal head posture was more than the DRS group (Both P < 0.001).The average dose effect for SRT was 7.8 ± 2.2 PD in the DRS group and 19.2 ± 4.6 PD in the sixth nerve palsy group. Although objective intorsion was significantly induced after SRT, subjective torsion was not significant after surgery in both groups. CONCLUSION: SRT appears to be more effective in improving primary gaze deviation and head posture in sixth nerve palsy compared with DRS. Subjective torsional and vertical diplopia were rare in both groups.

An investigation on optic nerve head involvement in Fuchs uveitis syndrome using optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography.

PURPOSE: To investigate optic nerve head involvement in patients with Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS). METHODS: Optic nerve head of 43 FUS eyes without clinical optic disc edema and 37 unaffected fellow eyes were evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT) of peripapillary retina and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and fundus fluorescein angiography. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of FUS eyes showed optic nerve head hyperfluorescence. The mean average RNFL thickness in FUS eyes was 115.0 ± 11.9 µm, which was thicker than unaffected eyes (103.0 ± 10.7 µm, p < 0.001). Mean average of peripapillary retinal thicknesses in FUS eyes was also greater than unaffected eyes (p < 0.001). In addition, RNFL and peripapillary retinal thicknesses in FUS eyes without optic nerve hyperfluorescence were thicker than unaffected eyes (all p = < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: OCT demonstrates peripapillary total retinal and nerve fiber layer thickening in FUS eyes without clinical swelling of optic disc that is not always associated with optic nerve head leakage.

CHOROIDAL THICKNESS CHANGES IN PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY TREATED WITH PANRETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION VERSUS PANRETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION WITH INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB.

PURPOSE: To compare choroidal thickness (CT) and retinal thickness (RT) between eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) or PRP with intravitreal bevacizumab (PRP + IVB). METHODS: Thirty-three patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were randomized to have one eye treated with PRP and the other with PRP + IVB. Change in CT was compared with baseline using enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography at baseline and Months 1, 3, 6, and 10 after treatment. Change in RT was similarly assessed using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Changes in both CT and RT were assessed in all nine macular areas as defined by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study subfields. RESULTS: The PRP + IVB group had a significant decrease in subfoveal CT at 3 and 10 months (323.9 ± 62 µm at baseline vs. 320.7 ± 64.8 µm at Month 3 [P = 0.024] and 304.7 ± 65.6 µm at Month 10 [P = 0.003]). Subfoveal CT significantly decreased at 10 months compared with baseline in the PRP group (320.8 ± 57.7 at baseline to 297 ± 66.3 µm at 10 months, P = 0.01). Subfoveal CT was not significantly different between the 2 groups at 10 months. The best-corrected visual acuity did not change after treatment in the two groups, and there was no correlation between BCVA and CT changes (r = 0.222, P = 0.37 in the PRP group and r = 0.387, P = 0.12 in the PRP + IVB group). Significant increases in RT were seen in the PRP + IVB group at 6 months and in the PRP group at Months 1, 3, 6, and 10. A correlation between changes in CT and RT was only seen in the PRP group at 10 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy treated with PRP + IVB and PRP both had significant reduction in CT at 10 months; however, the eyes that were also treated with IVB also underwent an earlier but transient reduction at 3 months. Patients treated with IVB underwent less increase in RT.

Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss Precedes Retinal Nerve Fiber Thinning in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Loss of retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness has been shown in different optic neuropathies. In this study, we evaluated the capability of GCIPL analysis by optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect early neuronal loss during the time course of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). METHODS: Twenty-four patients with unilateral NAION participated in this prospective, comparative study. Affected and unaffected eyes underwent spectral domain OCT measurement of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), total macula, and GCIPL thicknesses. These measurements were recorded in the acute phase (within 7 days) and at 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: At the initial presentation and 1, 3, and 6 months, the mean RNFL thickness in the NAION eyes was 236.5 µm ± 74.2, 157.1 µm ± 45.7, 61.4 µm ± 6.1, and 55.0 µm ± 19.5, respectively. Similar to RNFL, thinning of the mean total macular thickness in inner and outer rings started after 3 months and thicknesses decreased to 307.7 µm ± 15.3 and 273.1 µm ± 21.2 after 3 months and to 309.1 µm ± 15.0 and 273.4 µm ± 13.8 after 6 months, compared with unaffected contralateral eyes, respectively (all P < 0.0001). Thinning of the GCIPL was first evident in the affected NAION eyes at 1 month, and the mean inner and outer GCIPL thicknesses were 62.8 µm ± 14.6 and 53.9 µm ± 7.2 at 1 month in the NAION eyes compared with unaffected eyes (P < 0.001). After 3 and 6 months, the inner and outer GCIPL thicknesses were 51.1 µm ± 8.1 and 47.4 µm ± 5.31, and 50.6 µm ± 11.5 and 47.9 µm ± 5.6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Thinning of the GCIPL is first detectable at 1 month after NAION and persists for 3 months. GCIPL thinning occurs before RFNL thinning in NAION.

Medial rectus muscle elongation, a technique to treat very large-angle esotropia.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to describe the medial rectus muscle elongation (MRE) procedure to treat very large-angle esotropia (ET) with surgery on a lower number of muscles. METHODS: Twenty patients with very large-angle ET (more than 70 PD) underwent the MRE procedure. In the MRE procedure, the muscle was split longitudinally into three parts. The wider central part was sutured with 6/0 vicryl and disinserted. The distal end of the peripheral parts (still attached to the original insertion), 7-9 mm away from the insertion, was sutured to the proximal end of the central part. At the end of the procedure, the distance of the anastomosis site from the insertion was named as the final elongation. The dose-response effect of the final elongation was calculated in bilateral MRE cases. The mean of the dose-response effect, obtained in the binocular surgery group, was used in the monocular surgery group to calculate the resection effect of lateral rectus (LR) muscle. RESULTS: Eleven patients underwent bilateral MRE and nine patients underwent unilateral MRE and LR muscle resection. The mean preoperative far and near deviation was 94.10 ± 19.33 PD. The mean postoperative deviation was 14.60 ± 18.07 PD for far and 14.50 ± 18.23 PD for near deviation. In bilateral MRE cases, the mean dose-response effect of the elongation was 5.53 ± 0.67 PD/mm for far and 5.58 ± 0.69 PD/mm for near deviation. The mean LR muscle resection effect was 6.41 ± 1.99 PD/mm for far and 6.28 ± 1.93 PD/mm for near deviation. CONCLUSION: The MRE procedure seems an acceptable method to treat very large-angle ET with surgery on a lower number of muscles.

The prevalence of amblyogenic factors in children with persistent congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the prevalence of amblyopia risk factors in children that underwent probing for persistent congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO). METHODS: The medical records of children with CNLDO (after 1 year of age) that underwent probing were reviewed. Amblyopia risk factors, based on the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus referral criteria in 2013, were sought in the patientsʹ records before probing. The proportion of the patients with anisometropia >1.5 diopters (D) was separately calculated. In unilateral cases of CNLDO, sphere, astigmatism, and spherical equivalent of the eyes with CNLDO were compared with contralateral eyes in order to assess the effect of CNLDO on refractive error. In the follow-up examinations, the success of the probing or the need for additional procedures (Crawford intubation, Monoka intubation, or dacryocystorhinostomy) was evaluated. The prevalence of anisometropia between 'successful probing' and 'failed probing' groups was compared. RESULTS: A total of 433 cases were included in the study. 41 cases (9.46 %) had amblyopia risk factors. Twenty-four cases (5.5 %) had anisometropia >1.5 D (spherical or cylindrical). In unilateral cases of CNLDO, the sphere and spherical equivalent of the eyes with CNLDO were significantly greater than those of the contralateral eyes (p < 0.001 for both). Thirty-nine patients (9 %) required other interventions due to failure of probing (failed probing group). There were significantly more anisometropia prevalence in this group, compared with the successful probing group, at the initial examination (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of greater prevalence of anisometropia >1.5 D (compared with the prevalence in the general population) and significantly greater sphere and spherical equivalents in the eye with CNLDO (compared with contralateral eye) in unilateral cases with CNLDO, suggested some relationships between anisometropia and long-term untreated CNLDO. The finding of more anisometropia in failed probing cases may support the theory of structural abnormality as an explanation for the possible relationship between congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction and anisometropia.

Bilateral Optic Nerve Head Angiomas and Retrobulbar Haemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

A 39-year-old man presented with progressive visual loss in both eyes. His past medical history was remarkable for biopsy-proven bilateral adrenal phaeochromocytomas. Ophthalmoscopy revealed an optic nerve head angioma and macular lipid exudates in the right eye and a regressed optic nerve head angioma in the left eye. A fluorescein angiogram revealed a lobulated pattern of leakage and venous staining from the optic nerve head angioma. Brain and orbital magnetic resonance imaging showed haemangioblastomas of the right intraorbital and left paraclinoid optic nerves and in the left cerebellopontine angle area. These findings were consistent with a clinical diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Correlation of optical coherence tomography parameters with clinical and radiological progression in patients with symptomatic optic pathway gliomas.

PURPOSE: To study the optical coherence tomography (OCT) characteristics in children with optic pathway glioma (OPG) to determine if OCT changes occur alongside clinical/radiological changes at diagnosis and during the second-year follow-up. METHODS: Twenty-three patients (38 eyes) diagnosed with symptomatic OPG in a single institution were enrolled in this longitudinal observational cohort study. Complete ophthalmologic evaluation, including determination of visual acuity, visual fields, retinal nerve fiber layer ,and posterior pole retinal thickness scanning with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and neuroimaging was performed at the time of diagnosis and 6 months and 1 and 2 years after presentation. Patients who experienced visual decline or radioagraphic tumor enlargement of the OPG were classified as progressors. OCT data were compared between progressors and nonprogressors. RESULTS: The average age at diagnosis was 5.8 years. All patients were followed up for 24 months. Five patients (21%) (eight eyes) had clinical or radiological progression of their OPG during follow-up and were classified as progressors. Mean changes in average nerve fiber layer and posterior pole retinal thickness were significantly higher for progressors compared with nonprogressors (P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curves comparing average nerve fiber layer and posterior pole retinal thinning between the progressors and nonprogressors were 0.94 and 0.95 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography of average nerve fiber layer and posterior pole retinal thickness may be helpful in monitoring OPG.

Pain score of patients undergoing single spot, short pulse laser versus conventional laser for diabetic retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: To compare pain score of single spot short duration time (20 milliseconds) panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) with conventional (100 milliseconds) PRP in diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Sixty-six eyes from 33 patients with symmetrical severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (non-PDR) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. One eye of each patient was randomized to undergo conventional and the other eye to undergo short time PRP. Spot size of 200 µm was used in both laser types, and energy was adjusted to achieve moderate burn on the retina. Patients were asked to mark the level of pain felt during the PRP session for each eye on the visual analog scale (VAS) and were examined at 1 week, and at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months. RESULTS: Sixteen women and 17 men with mean age 58.9 ± 7.8 years were evaluated. The conventional method required a mean power of 273 ± 107 mW, whereas the short duration method needed 721 ± 406 mW (P = 0.001). An average of 1,218 ± 441 spots were delivered with the conventional method and an average of 2,125 ± 503 spots were required with the short duration method (P = 0.001). Average pain score was 7.5 ± 1.14 in conventional group and 1.75 ± 0.87 in the short duration group (P = 0.001). At 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months following PRP, the mean changes of central macular thickness (CMT) from baseline in the conventional group remained 29.2 µm (P = 0.008), 40.0 µm (P = 0.001), and 40.2 µm (P = 0.007) greater than the changes in CMT for short time group. CONCLUSION: Patient acceptance of short time single spot PRP was high, and well-tolerated in a single session by all patients. Moreover, this method is significantly less painful than but just as effective as conventional laser during 6 months of follow-up. The CMT change was more following conventional laser than short time laser.

Sectoral loss of myelin and axons in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE: We report a case of focal myelinated nerve fiber (MNF) loss caused by anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. CASE REPORT: A 62-year-old woman with segmental MNF presented with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. One year later, MNF lost superiorly, with preservation of inferior segment MNF. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of the optic nerve head and posterior pole retinal thickness showed localized thinning of superior nerve fibers (axons) and retinal thickness. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the focal nature of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and may be the first patient in whom sectoral loss of myelinated nerve fiber has been photographically documented.

Lacrimal sac empyema incision and drainage followed by early external dacryocystorhinostomy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the success of lacrimal sac empyema incision and drainage followed by early external dacryocystorhinostomy. METHODS: Interventional consecutive case series conducted in Farabi Eye Hospital between August 2007 and November 2010. Patients with acute dacyocystitis and lacrimal sac empyema underwent incision and drainage, followed by early (less than 4 weeks) external DCR. Data collection included patient demographics, past medical history, procedure technique, culture results, and formation of a persistent cutaneous fistula. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients were included: 87.5% had a positive history of chronic epiphora before dacryocystitis. Of these 32 cases, 55.6% had positive culture. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism with 8 isolates (38%). The average number of days between empyema drainage and DCR was 11.44 days. All patients had complete resolution of dacryocystitis, with no recurrence during the follow-up period. Neither of 32 patients treated with early DCR after primary empyema drainage, developed a persistent lacrimal-cutaneous fistula. CONCLUSIONS: Incision and drainage of the lacrimal sac empyema followed by early external dacryocystorhinostomy can be an appropriate treatment strategy for acute dacryocystitis.

Memantine for axonal loss of optic neuritis.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effect of memantine on axonal loss and visual function during the course of optic neuritis (ON). METHODS: Sixty ON patients in a single-center, institutional setting were randomly assigned to the memantine or placebo groups. Patients with first attack of acute unilateral optic neuritis, with visual symptoms of 8 days' duration or less were enrolled in this trial. No patient had known multiple sclerosis, and none had taken immunomodulatory agent prior to or at the time of presentation. For all patients, the following characteristics were recorded and compared at initial presentation and 3 months afterward: visual acuity, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, visual field parameters (mean deviation and pattern standard deviation), visual evoked potential, and contrast sensitivity. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients completed the 3-month follow up. There were no significant differences between the placebo and memantine groups for any of the characteristics at initial presentation. After 3 months, the only statistically significant difference between the two groups was in RNFL thickness. Memantine group subjects had higher thickness in nasal (P = 0.01), superior (P = 0.006), inferior (P = 0.01) quadrants and average (P = 0.01). However, temporal quadrant thickness was not different between two groups (P = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Memantine was effective in reduction of RNFL thinning, although this structural difference was not associated with improved visual function.

Optic nerve head vessel density in different stages of pseudoexfoliation disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the superficial vascular density of the optic nerve head in different stages of pseudoexfoliation disease using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 57 normal eyes, 41 eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS), 82 eyes with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG) and 27 non-glaucomatous fellow eyes of PXG (NL-PXG) that had OCTA were included. Circumpapillary RNFL (cpRNFL) thickness and circumpapillary capillary density (cpCD) were compared among the groups after adjusting for confounders using linear-mixed model. RESULTS: PXG eyes had thinner global RNFL and lower cpCD (74.2±14.3 µm and 36.7±10.0%) than control (103.3±8.6 µm and 52.5±2.3%), PXS (96.8±8.8 µm and 51.5±2.3%), and NL-PXG eyes (96.3±11.1 µm and 50.1±3.9%) (p<0.001). After adjustment for age, gender and signal strength index, global cpRNFL thickness was comparable among control, PXS and NL-PXG. NL-PXG had the lowest cpCD (p=0.045) and sectoral cpCD compared to PXS and control eyes. Although cpCD was comparable between control and PXS (p=0.425) eyes, sectoral differences (p=0.009 and 0.004, for inferonasal and temporal-inferior cpCD, respectively) were detectable between the two groups. AUROC for differentiating NL-PXG eyes from normal were better for cpCD (0.78) compared to cpRNLF (0.69). CONCLUSIONS: OCTA can detect reduced capillary density before significant changes in cpRNFL in fellow eyes of PXG patients. This can enable earlier detection of glaucomatous loss in pseudoexfoliation disease and enhance management of the disease.

Lateral rectus advancement versus medial rectus recession for consecutive esotropia.

PURPOSE: To compare lateral rectus advancement with medial rectus recession for patients with consecutive esotropia without abduction limitation. METHODS: Forty-three patients who developed consecutive esotropia following bilateral lateral rectus recession for intermittent exotropia were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-two patients underwent lateral rectus advancement (lateral rectus advancement group) and medial rectus recession was performed in 21 patients (medial rectus recession group). Success rate of the surgery was based on the percentage of postoperative esophoria or exophoria of less than 8 PD, which did not require a third surgery. Mean follow-up after second surgery was 23.5 ± 8.7 months. RESULTS: Mean consecutive esotropia in the lateral rectus advancement group was 24.8 ± 9.0 PD. Eight patients were orthophoric after second surgery; mean postoperative esophoria and exophoria/tropia was 5.4 ± 3.4 PD and 6.5 ± 5 PD, respectively. Postoperative success rate in this group was 90.9%. Mean consecutive esotropia in the medial rectus recession group was 21 ± 98.4 PD. Three patients were orthophoric after second surgery; mean postoperative esotropia/phoria and exophoria was 9.5 ± 5.0 PD and 5.2 ± 1.3 PD, respectively. Postoperative success rate in this group was 71.4%. Postoperative undercorrection rate of 4.5% in lateral rectus advancement group was significantly less than the similar measure of 28.6% in medial rectus recession group (chi-square, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Advancement of the previously recessed lateral rectus has improved consecutive esotropia better than medial rectus recession.

Effect of Smoking on Retinal Thickness and Vascular Density in Thyroid Eye Disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of smoking on retinal thickness and macular and peripapillary vascular density in thyroid eye disease (TED). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, subjects diagnosed with TED were analyzed in three groups: smokers, passive smokers, and non-smokers. Ganglion cell complex thickness, total retinal thickness, macular superficial vascular plexus densities, deep vascular plexus densities, optic nerve head, and radial peripapillary capillary density were measured in each group. RESULTS: Twenty-two eyes (21.6%) of active smokers, 11 eyes (10.8%) of passive smokers, and 69 eyes (67.6%) of non-smokers constitute the study subjects. Twenty-one eyes (12.6%) had active status (clinical activity score ≥3), 77 eyes (46.1%) were neither active nor compressive, four eyes (2.4%) of two patients constituted the compressive group. Age and disease activity adjusted analysis was performed. Ganglion cell complex thickness of smokers was significantly higher than non-smokers in the inferior hemi-parafoveal sector (p = 0.04). Active smokers had significantly higher (p < 0.01) retinal thickness in all sectors compared to non-smokers, except the foveal sector. Smokers had lower superficial vessel density in the superior parafoveal sector compared to non-smokers (p = 0.04). Considering deep vessel densities between smokers and non-smokers, no significant difference was observed. Radial peripapillary capillary densities (significant difference was observed in the whole image and infranasal peripapillary sector), Macular vascular densities (significant difference was observed in parafoveal sectors), and optic nerve head (not reaching statistical significance level in any sectors) were highest in passive smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is associated with increased total retinal thickness. Macular vascular densities were not different between smokers and non-smokers in TED.

Peripapillary Perfused Capillary Density in Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

PURPOSE: To compare peripapillary perfused capillary density (PCD) on optical coherence tomography angiography among resolved acute angle-closure (AAC), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and control eyes. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. METHODS: All patients with resolved AAC or POAG of varying severity and controls were enrolled. We obtained 4.5 × 4.5 mm2 optical coherence tomography angiography images of the optic nerve head. PCD was analyzed using customized software with major vessel removal. Continuous variables were assessed using the analysis of variance and Bonferroni correction test. A marginal model of generalized estimating equations was used to adjust for confounding factors and interocular correlation. RESULTS: The study included 44 eyes with resolved AAC (mean duration of elevated intraocular pressure, 8.1 ±â€Š10.9 days), 69 eyes with POAG, and 49 control eyes. PCD showed a similar decrease between AAC and POAG eyes (P > 0.99). After adjusting for age and sex, the mean difference in global PCD between each of the POAG stage groups and the AAC group was the highest in the severe POAG group (-3.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], -11.38 to 2.52; P = 0.211), followed by the mild POAG (0.68; 95% CI, -3.26 to 4.62; P = 0.735) and moderate POAG (0.20; 95% CI, -5.21 to 5.61; P = 0.942) groups. The duration of increased intraocular pressure did not affect PCD (P = 0.258 and 0.168 for global and annular PCDs, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The degree of microvascular attenuation in AAC eyes was not different from that in POAG eyes.

Aqueous humor nitric oxide in patients with central retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) has a role in ischemic retinopathies. Since retinal ischemia may develop in retinal vein occlusion, we investigated the presence of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: Eighteen consecutive patients with CRVO were included in this study. Aqueous humor specimens were obtained within 21 days of diagnosis. Samples of aqueous humor were also collected from 20 control patients undergoing cataract surgery. For each sample after reduction of nitrate to nitrite with vanadium chloride (VCl(3)), we used spectrophotometric method for simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite (NO(x)). RESULTS: Mean level of aqueous humor NO(x) in CRVO and control group was 94.1±23.2 µmol/l and 55.6±11.0 µmol/l, respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results may support involvement of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of CRVO.

A CASE OF NEUROFIBROMATOSIS TYPE 2 WITH UNUSUAL CLINICAL FEATURES.

PURPOSE: To report a case of a neurofibromatosis Type 2 with unusual clinical features. METHODS: Observational clinical case report. RESULTS: A 22-year-old woman was referred with bilateral blurred vision and macular "scars." Ocular examination revealed bilateral posterior subcapsular and cortical cataract, optic disk swelling, hyperpigmented macular lesions, epiretinal membrane, and macular temporal dragging. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic imaging showed bilateral epiretinal membranes, peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickening, and vitreoretinal tractional bands. In the right eye, focal choroidal excavation was noted at the site of the macular lesion. In fluorescein angiography, mild vascular leakage, capillary nonperfusion, and ground glass hyperfluorescence was seen in temporal periphery of the right eye. Brain imaging showed intracranial calcification and vestibular schwannoma, which was removed by a neurosurgeon. A clinical diagnosis of neurofibromatosis Type 2 was made. CONCLUSION: A case of neurofibromatosis Type 2 with some possibly novel or rare findings, namely, focal choroidal excavation, ash leaf spots, and intracranial calcifications was presented.