Bilateral Cystoid Macular Edema Following Bimatoprost Implants.

PURPOSE: To report the development of bilateral cystoid macular edema (CME) following bimatoprost implant (Durysta) injections in both eyes to treat primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: Case Report. RESULTS: A 93-year-old woman with a history of POAG received bimatoprost implant (Durysta) injections in both eyes four weeks apart. The patient subsequently developed progressively decreased visual acuity in both eyes due to bilateral CME, which improved with topical corticosteroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Bimatoprost implant (Durysta) can cause CME in susceptible individuals. Patients who received the implant should be assessed for the presence of CME following any decline in visual acuity, particularly in high-risk patients.

Combined epiretinal and internal limiting membrane retracting door flaps for large macular holes associated with epiretinal membranes.

PURPOSE: To assess the closure rate of large full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) associated with epiretinal membrane (ERM) with a combined epiretinal and internal limiting membrane retracting door flap. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients treated at a single tertiary retina practice between January 2017 and November 2019. Individuals with FTMH larger than 400 µm and co-diagnosis of ERM who underwent surgical repair with an ERM flap were included. Patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy with peeling of ERM that was positioned as a retracting door flap to cover the FTMH. Primary outcome was closure rate at 6 months following surgery. Final surgical success rate and visual acuity were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Among 7 eyes of 7 patients, 6 eyes achieved primary surgical success and final surgical success rate was achieved in all 7 eyes with a large FTMH repaired with ERM flap. The mean minimum linear diameter of the FTMH was 681 µm ± 295. All patients had follow-up greater than 6 months, with a mean duration of 17 months (range 14-23 months). Visual acuity improved from a mean of 0.9 ± 0.3 logMar (20/160) before surgery to 0.3 ± 0.5 logMar (Snellen 20/40), postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Large FTMH with concurrent ERM that are managed with an ERM flap have high single-surgery success rate.

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin impairs corneal epithelial wound healing and promotes intracellular bacterial invasion.

Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has been implicated in many infectious and wound healing disorders. This study was performed to characterize the pathogenic role of S. aureus alpha-hemolysin (alpha-toxin) in corneal epithelial wound healing and infectious keratitis in the setting of a corneal wound. The effect of wild-type and isogenic Hla mutant (α-hemolysin gene deleted) S. aureus bacteria and conditioned media on corneal epithelial wound healing was tested in vitro using a scratch assay and in vivo using a murine epithelial debridement model. The invasiveness of wild-type and Hla mutant S. aureus was evaluated in vitro in human corneal epithelial cells and in vivo in a murine model of infectious keratitis following total epithelial debridement. S. aureus and its conditioned media significantly delayed epithelial wound closure both in vitro (P < 0.05) and in vivo (P < 0.05). The effect of S. aureus on wound healing was significantly diminished with the Hla mutant strain (P < 0.05). Likewise, compared to the wild-type strain, the Hla mutant strain demonstrated significantly reduced ability to invade corneal epithelial cells in vitro (P < 0.05) and infect murine corneas following total epithelial debridement in vivo (P < 0.05). In conclusion, S. aureus alpha-hemolysin plays a major role in the pathologic modulation of corneal epithelial wound healing and the intracellular invasion of the bacteria. Limiting colonization by S. aureus and/or blocking alpha-hemolysin may provide a therapeutic approach for corneal wound healing and infectious disorders.