Do limbal relaxing incisions during cataract surgery still have a role?

BACKGROUND: Though Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRI) were used widely to correct pre-existing corneal astigmatism during cataract surgery, they have been replaced recently with the more expensive methods like the use of toric Intra Ocular Lenses (IOL) and femtosecond during cataract surgery. We conducted our study to re-evaluate the role of (LRI) in correcting pre-existing moderate corneal astigmatism during cataract surgery in settings where other options are neither available nor affordable. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive cases of LRI performed by a single surgeon at the time of cataract surgery to correct moderate corneal astigmatism (1.5-3D) in a community hospital over a period of 6 months. Corneal astigmatism, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and best corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were recorded pre-operatively, 4 weeks and 3 months post-operatively. Data on age, intraocular lens (IOL) power, predictive refraction and post-operative spherical equivalent was also collected and analyzed. The number and position of LRI was determined based on the pre-existing corneal astigmatism using online calculator. RESULTS: 29 eyes of 25 patients with the mean age of 73.6 years (range: 46 to 90 years) and corneal astigmatism between 1.5 to 3D were included. Statistically significant reduction in the mean corneal astigmatism was recorded from 2.05 ± 0.45D preoperatively to 0.85 ± 0.56D postoperatively (P < 0.0001). All eyes showed reduction in astigmatism; 83% of eyes had < 1.0D post-operatively and 66% of eyes had < 0.75D. UDVA of 6/9 or better was recorded in 80% of eyes post-operatively (CDVA of 6/9 or better in 100%). The spherical equivalent was within 1.0D of the predictive refraction postoperatively in nearly all eyes (97%) and within 0.5D in 86% of the eyes. There were no peri-operative or post-operative complications were recorded in any case. CONCLUSION: Combining LRI and cataract surgery to address moderate degrees of corneal astigmatism is a safe, reliable and predictable option especially in areas where more expensive methods such as toric IOL or excimer laser are not available or affordable. LRI has no significant effect on the spherical equivalent and is an excellent tool in reducing patient's spectacle dependence.

Optic nerve head slope-based quantitative parameters for identifying open-angle glaucoma on SPECTRALIS OCT images.

PURPOSE: To investigate monitoring slope-based features of the optic nerve head (ONH) cup as open-angle glaucoma (OAG) occurs. METHOD: A dataset of 46 retrospective OCT cases was acquired from the SPECTRALIS Heidelberg Engineering OCT device. A set of five parameters, which are based on the ONH cup-incline, are measured on the OAG and normal subjects in the dataset. Then, three new ONH cup-shape indices were deduced. The ONH cup-incline parameters and ONH cup-shape indices are analyzed to estimate their clinical value. RESULTS: The statistical difference between measurements on normal and glaucoma eyes was remarkably significant for all of the analyzed parameters and indices (p value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The geometric shape of the ONH cup can be transferred to numerical parameters and indices. The proposed ONH cup-incline parameters and ONH cup-shape indices have shown suggestive clinical value to identify the development of OAG. As OAG appears, the top ONH cup-incline parameters decrease while the bottom ONH cup-incline parameters increase. The ONH cup-shape indices suggest capability to discriminate OAG from normal eyes.

Dropped nucleus postintravitreal injection with intact anterior capsule: a case report.

The aim was to describe a case of inadvertent posteriorly dislocated lens nucleus after intravitreal injection (IVI) for diabetic retinopathy, highlighting the importance of adherence to the standard protocol of IVI. Case presentation: A 58-year-old female with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with decreased vision bilaterally. At presentation, the anterior segment of both eyes showed nuclear sclerosis +2. Fundus examination of the left eye was not visible due to diffuse vitreous hemorrhage, for which an intravitreal ranibizumab injection was given. She presented for follow-up 3 weeks later; an aphakic left eye was discovered during the examination. A dropped nucleus was diagnosed, and the patient underwent an uneventful pars plana vitrectomy with removal of the dropped nucleus and implantation of a sulcus three-piece intraocular lens. Postoperatively, the vision had improved from hand motion to 6/18. Clinical discussion: this case presentation reports an unusual complication of a dropped lens nucleus after IVI. It highlights the possibility of inadvertent lens trauma in such a procedure and the importance of proper adherence to standards to avoid such a complication. Conclusion: This rare complication highlights the importance of carefully following IVI guidelines in the hands of experienced ophthalmologists and the need for meticulous supervision for ophthalmology residents because it is not a risk-free procedure.

Innovative Macula Capillaries Plexuses Visualization with OCTA B-Scan Graph Representation: Transforming OCTA B-Scan into OCTA Graph Representation.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to transform optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scans into innovative OCTA graphs, serving as novel biomarkers representing the macular vasculature. Patients and Methods: The study included 90 healthy subjects and 39 subjects with various abnormalities (29 with diabetic retinopathy, 5 with age-related macular degeneration, and 5 with choroid neovascularization). OCTA 5µm macular coronal views (MCVs) were generated for each subject, followed by blood vessel segmentation and skeleton processing. Subsequently, the blood vessel density index, blood vessel skeleton index, and blood vessel tortuosity index were computed. The graphs of each metric were plotted against the axial axes of the OCTA B-scan, representing the integrity of vasculature at successive 5µm macular depths. Results: The results revealed two significant findings. First, the B-scans from OCTA can be transformed into OCTA graphs, yielding three specific OCTA graphs in this study. These graphs provide new biomarkers for assessing the integrity of deep vascular complex (DVC) and superficial vascular complex (SVC) within the macula. Second, a statistically significant difference was observed between normal (n=90) and abnormal (n=39) subjects, with a t-test p-value significantly lower than 0.001. The Mann-Whitney u-test also yielded significant difference but only between the 90 normal and 29 DR subjects. Conclusion: The novel OCTA graphs offer a unique representation of the macula's SVC and DVC, suggesting their potential in aiding physicians in the diagnosis of eye health within OCTA clinics. Further research is warranted to finalize the shape of these newly derived OCTA graphs and establish their clinical relevance and utility.

Congenital Cataract Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis of 62 Patients in a Developing Country.

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at describing our experience in congenital cataract surgery in a developing Country. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in Amman, Jordan. The patients who were diagnosed with congenital cataract and underwent the surgery were included in the study. It was decided to use an intraocular lens if the corneal diameter was more than 10 millimeters. RESULTS: The findings revealed that around 13 of the patients did not have any visual axis opacification, indicating that they were aphakic. Visual axis opacification was seen in 8 out of the total sample of participants. Eleven patients with obvious opacification of the visual axis were found to be pseudophakic after at least two procedures and were thus cleared. It was necessary to do a second surgery to rectify the visual axis opacification induced by pseudophakia, which was putting the patient's ability to recuperate at danger. Three of them (or 12 percent) exhibited visual axis opacification, which is a rare occurrence. The intraocular lenses used in the remaining 24 patients were constructed of hydrophilic plastic. CONCLUSION: Patients are less prone to have visual axis opacification while implanted by hydrophobic intraocular lenses is something they should consider.

Outcome of Single Dexamethasone Implant Injection in the Treatment of Persistent Diabetic Macular Edema After Anti-VEGF Treatment: Real-Life Data from a Tertiary Hospital in Jordan.

PURPOSE: To analyze the real-life clinical outcome of a single dexamethasone implant (DEX) injection in the treatment of persistent diabetic macular edema (DME) after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents in a sample of the Jordanian population. METHODS: An observational case study design that involved a retrospective chart review analysis in a tertiary hospital in Amman, Jordan. Patients who showed persistent DME after receiving at least six doses of anti-VEGF agents for DME treatment were included. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 72 participants (29 females, 43 males) having an average age of 66 years. All patients had best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) less than 0.7 (6/9) and SD-OCT documented center-involved DME. The study results showed that the average baseline BCVA improved from 0.205±0.1 before DEX injection to 0.358±0.1 at 3 months post-injection (p<0.0001). The central mean thickness (CMT) showed significant improvement also (539.347±132.402 to 379.041±99.430, p<0.0001). There was a mean of 3 mmHg increase in intraocular pressure at 3 months post-injection (p<0.0001), however, only 4% of patients required medical treatment. Other inflammatory biomarkers in OCT, such as intraretinal hyper-reflective dots (HRD), showed significant improvement also (23.67±16 to 14.83±13, p<0.0001). No other significant safety concerns were noticed. CONCLUSION: A single DEX injection showed significant clinical and anatomical improvement in DME cases that are persistent after anti-VEGF treatment in our sample, with an excellent safety profile. In case of supply shortage of intravitreal injections, which occurs frequently at our center, a single DEX injection may be utilized as an effective DME therapy. Further research is mandated to identify clinical response in a larger sample and more frequent injections.

Attitudes and Awareness Towards Diabetic Retinopathy Among Patients with Diabetes in Amman, Jordan.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and awareness about the development of retinopathy among the patients suffering from diabetes in Amman, Jordan. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed among patients with diabetes visiting internal medicine and endocrinology clinics in a tertiary hospital, in addition to a primary health care center in Amman. The questionnaire inquired about retinopathy awareness, history of screening for retinopathy, and awareness about retinopathy treatment. The patients were also asked about risk factors and preventive measures for diabetic retinopathy management. RESULTS: A total of 303 patients were recruited in the study. Majority of the patients (77%) had their HbA1c levels tested at least once since diagnosis, and most of them (60%) do it regularly. However, 86% of patients reported an A1c >6.5%. Two thirds of patients are not aware about retinopathy being a recognized complication of diabetes. Lower level of education, female sex, younger age, and shorter duration of diabetes mellitus were associated with less awareness. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that majority of patients with diabetes were aware of diabetes management. However, the sample population indicated less awareness of diabetic retinopathy. Hence, more educational efforts are needed to further boost patients' awareness about diabetic retinopathy.

Optical coherence tomography imaging for diabetic retinopathy and macular edema.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging modality that uses low-coherent interferometry to visualize an optical cross-section of biological tissues. Over the past two decades, the ability to perform OCT imaging of the neural retina has afforded clinicians and researchers a highly reproducible method of diagnosing and following diabetic macular edema (DME) that compares favorably to other methods of DME assessment such as clinical examination and fundus photography. Although central subfield mean thickness has been the OCT parameter most commonly used to evaluate DME in clinical research trials, OCT also allows evaluation of morphologic changes that occur in DME, including compact retinal thickening, intraretinal cystic changes, subretinal fluid, and vitreomacular traction. OCT parameters have been shown to be only moderately correlated with visual acuity. However, improvements in technology leading to higher resolution, faster acquisition speed, image registration, and three-dimensional imaging that are available with newer spectral domain OCT models may allow future identification of valid OCT-derived surrogate markers for visual function in patients with diabetes.

Vision loss 2 weeks after uneventful optic nerve sheath fenestration surgery may be attributed to retinal reperfusion injury.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report a rare case of retinal reperfusion injury after optic nerve sheath fenestration surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Single patient case report. RESULTS: A 58-year-old African American woman presented with severe visual loss in the right eye 2 weeks after optic nerve sheath fenestration surgery. Retinal examination at presentation showed severe arterial narrowing and the appearance of new intraretinal hemorrhages. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated delayed venous filling. CONCLUSION: Severe visual loss after optic nerve sheath fenestration procedure is uncommon. This case may represent the first reported case of reperfusion injury in human eyes.

Antiangiogenic therapy for ischemic retinopathies.

Neovascularization is a common pathological process in various retinal vascular disorders including diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The development of neovascular vessels may lead to complications such as vitreous hemorrhage, fibrovascular tissue formation, and traction retinal detachments. Ultimately, irreversible vision loss may result. Various proangiogenic factors are involved in these complex processes. Different antiangiogenic drugs have been formulated in an attempt treat these vascular disorders. One factor that plays a major role in the development of retinal neovascularization is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Anti-VEGF agents are currently FDA approved for the treatment of AMD and RVO. They are also extensively used as an off-label treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), proliferative DR, and neovascular glaucoma. However, at this time, the long-term safety of chronic VEGF inhibition has not been extensively evaluated. A large and rapidly expanding body of research on angiogenesis is being conducted at multiple centers across the globe to determine the exact contributions and interactions among a variety of angiogenic factors in an effort to determine the therapeutic potential of antiangiogenic agent in the treatment of a variety of retinal diseases.

Risk factors for pterygium in an adult Jordanian population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk factors for the development of pterygium in a Middle Eastern country (Jordan) and to compare our finding with those from other countries. METHODS: This study was conducted in Irbid District, in northern Jordan, a region located 31 degrees north of the equator, with a stable, subtropical climate. In this case control study, 96 adult subjects presenting with pterygium were interviewed and compared to 192 control subjects who were group-matched for age and sex. A standard questionnaire and eye examination were completed for both groups. RESULTS: There was a strong positive association between pterygium and environmental factors. The most striking increase in the risk of pterygium occurred in subjects who worked outdoors compared to those who worked indoors, with an odds ratio of 5.47. Current and previous sunlight exposures were associated with a higher risk of developing pterygium, with odds ratios of 3.54 and 4.52, respectively. Previous use of sunglasses represented a protective element, but the protective role of recent use of sunglasses was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There is a statistically significant association between outdoor work, sunlight exposure and pterygium formation. Efforts should be made to educate outdoor workers to wear sunglasses and brimmed hats. Public education should focus on avoidance of unnecessary sunlight exposure.