Surgical management of consecutive exotropia: Long-term outcomes.

PURPOSE: To compare lateral rectus recession (LRc) and medial rectus advancement (MRadv) for correction of consecutive exotropia (CXT). METHODS: Of the 43 exotropic patients 20 of them underwent LRc (group 1) and 23 of them underwent MRadv (group 2). Postoperative exodrift, strabismic angle, dose effect relationship were compared with minimum 2 years follow­up. RESULTS: An average dose-effect in group 2 is higher than group 1 in the early postoperative period, however there was no significant difference at the second year follow-up (p=0,109). An average exodrift after 2 year follow-up was 6,6±7,12 PD in group 1, and 8,13±7,45 PD in group 2. Postoperative overall success rate was 50% in group 1 and 65% in group 2 at the last follow-up. The success rates were not significantly different between the groups (chi-square, p =0.31). CONCLUSION: Although there was no statistically significant difference at the last follow-up, better results were obtained with MRadv than LRc in the treatment of CXT.

Safety and effectiveness of interferon alpha-2a in treatment of patients with Behçet's uveitis refractory to conventional treatments.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the intermediate-term safety and effectiveness of interferon alpha-2a (IFNalpha2a) in patients with Behçet's uveitis (BU) refractory to corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. DESIGN: Open, nonrandomized, uncontrolled, interventional, prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-three patients (106 eyes) with active, vision-threatening BU who failed to respond to conventional treatments. INTERVENTION: In 53 patients, acute inflammation was suppressed with effective prednisolone dosage (1-2 mg/kg/day, tapered to 10 mg within 4-6 weeks). The patients were treated with IFNalpha2a 4.5 million international units (MIU) 3 times per week for the first 3 months followed by IFNalpha2a 3 MIU 3 times per week for the next 3 months. Observation or other treatment methods were performed according to the decision tree developed for this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Remission and complete response (primary outcome measures), frequency of uveitis attacks, visual acuity (VA), and adverse effects (secondary outcome measures). RESULTS: During 2 years of follow-up (median 65 months, range 12-130 months), compliance with the therapy was excellent. At the end of 1-year follow-up, treatment response was obtained in 45 of 53 patients (84.9%). The mean attack rate of 3.6+/-1.1 per year (range, 2-8) decreased to 0.56+/-0.75 (range, 0-4) per year (P=0.001). Visual acuity improved (> or = 0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units from initial VA) in 30 eyes (28.3%) and worsened in 12 eyes (11.3%). Five patients (9.4%) did not respond to the initial treatment, and 3 patients (5.6%) developed severe adverse effects, including psoriasis, epileptic seizure, and extreme tiredness. Fifteen patients (28.3%) were off treatment for all the medications and disease free for 28+/-13.1 months (range, 12-50 months). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that IFNalpha2a may be a valuable treatment option in BU that is refractory to corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppressive agents. The possible role of IFNalpha2a as a first-line agent in BU should be validated in randomized controlled clinical trials against newly described biologic agents. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Long-term Choroidal Thickness Changes After Acute Solar Retinopathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To identify long-term changes in choroidal thickness after solar retinopathy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 25 eyes of 25 men with acute solar retinopathy. Ocular examination, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and retinal and choroidal thickness measurements obtained using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 6.1 ± 0.4 months. The initial BCVA decreased in the affected eyes (P < .001). The mean BCVA (logMAR) improved significantly from 0.16 ± 0.06 to 0.03 ± 0.05 at 6 months (P < .001). There were no significant differences in the initial retinal and choroidal thicknesses between the affected and other eyes, while there was a significant decrease in the mean macular thickness and mean macular volume at 1 month and the mean choroidal thickness increased (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Significant retinal and choroidal thickness changes occurred after solar retinopathy. The changes in choroidal thickness suggest that the effects of solar retinopathy might not be limited to the retina.