Case report: Surgical management of vitreous obstruction following PreserFlo ® MicroShunt implantation.

Purpose: To describe a clinical case of lumen obstruction a few days after implantation of the PreserFlo® Microshunt which has been resolved by anterior vitrectomy. Observation: A 76-year-old patient with advanced and progressing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) presented ten days after PreserFlo® Microshunt implantation in his left eye with an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 24 mmHg because of vitreous obstruction. Anterior vitrectomy with 25 Gauge vitrector was performed to remove the vitreous using a bimanual technique with two corneal accesses. The surgery was successful in lowering uncontrolled IOP without device repositioning. A free lumen and a IOP in the low range of tens was observed during follow-up. Conclusions and importance: PreserFlo ® MicroShunt obstruction by vitreous in pseudophakic patient is a possible complication. Anterior vitrectomy without the need of tube repositioning was successful in lowering uncontrolled IOP.

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY FINDINGS IN A CASE OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO TRAUMATIC CHOROIDAL RUPTURE.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To document by optical coherence tomography angiography, the onset of a choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to traumatic choroidal rupture and describe its changes after an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 20-year-old woman presented referring vision loss after a blunt ocular trauma in her left eye. The patient underwent a complete ophthalmic examination. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/200. Fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography displayed a choroidal rupture with no evidence of CNV. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed the choroidal rupture as a line of choriocapillaris rarefaction because of the mechanical damage. Six months later, best-corrected visual acuity decreased to 20/300; optical coherence tomography angiography displayed the growth of a CNV, characterized by a tangled vascular network. After one intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, optical coherence tomography angiography documented a contraction of the CNV. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography angiography is a useful imaging technique for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with choroidal ruptures. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents represent an effective therapy for the treatment of CNVs secondary to this affection.

MACULAR HOLE IN A YOUNG PATIENT AFFECTED BY FAMILIAL EXUDATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY.

PURPOSE: To report a case of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy in which genetic testing was used to confirm the diagnosis with a new mutation identified in FZD4 gene. METHODS: A 28-year-old girl was addressed to our clinic for surgical management of a macular hole possibly associated with Coats disease. Multimodal imaging was performed including fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein, and indocyanine green angiography. RESULTS: On examination, visual acuity was light perception secondary to previous retinal detachment and 20/32, respectively, in her right and left eye. Clinical and imaging evaluations showed findings suggestive for familial exudative vitreoretinopathy. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography study of the macula showed a macular pucker with lamellar macular hole and a conservative approach was preferred. After 18 months of observation, the patient underwent surgery secondary to the onset of a full thickness macular hole. After 24 months, the patient's vision was 20/32. Genetic testing was used to confirm the diagnosis demonstrating 2 new mutations in FZD4 gene. CONCLUSION: Our case emphasizes the importance of a prompt recognition of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy disease also using gene testing and a close follow-up to prevent and manage possible complications.

The Incidence of Neovascularization in the Fellow Eye of Patients with Unilateral Choroidal Lesion: A Survival Analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the difference in the rate of survival of unaffected fellow eyes between choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the first eyes and retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) in the first eyes. DESIGN: Cohort retrospective study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 329 consecutive patients enrolled in our Eye Clinic between February 2006 and November 2014 were involved in the study. Only patients with naïve unilateral forms of neovascularization in 1 eye were included in this study. METHODS: A clinical database containing patients' data and ocular history was evaluated. Only patients with naive lesions in 1 eye and without signs of neovascular AMD in the fellow eye were included in the analysis. The time of absence of neovascularization in the fellow eye was calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survival of the fellow eye was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and log-rank test was used to compare CNV and RAP fellow eye survival. RESULTS: A total of 202 eyes affected by CNV and 39 eyes affected by RAP were enrolled in the study. The mean follow-up time was 2.9 years (range, 182-2461 days) for CNV and 2.6 years (range, 519-1504 days) for RAP. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 50% of the fellow eyes with CNV did not develop neovascularization for 5.3 years, whereas the 50% of the fellow eyes with RAP did not develop neovascularization for 3.5 years. Log-rank test showed a highly significant difference between the 2 curves (P < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the incidence of neovascularization in the unaffected fellow eye increases with time, and when the first eye is affected by RAP, the development of a lesion in the second eye is more premature.

Correlation between inner retinal layer thickness and cognitive function in HIV: new insights from an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare retinal layer thickness in HIV-infected subjects with (CI-HIV) and without (NCI-HIV) cognitive impairment, with a control population and to correlate this with the cognitive status of the patient and other clinical parameters. DESIGN: Single-center cross-sectional study. METHODS: Participants with controlled HIV infection aged between 40 and 70 years and sex-matched and age-matched controls were enrolled. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) thickness were assessed using optical coherence tomography. These measurements in HIV patients were compared with those in controls. Age-related and sex-related changes were compared in both groups. Other variables studied in HIV patients included: duration of HIV infection, CD4 cell count nadir, antiretroviral therapy regimen and cognitive status using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. RESULTS: Sixty-nine individuals, 34 with and 35 without cognitive impairment, and 70 controls were enrolled. GCL was significantly thinner in CI-HIV patients compared with NCI-HIV patients and controls (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). GCL and IPL thickness significantly decreased with age in patients with HIV (P = 0.0003, P = 0.02, respectively, for the entire cohort). This change was not seen in controls. MoCA test score significantly decreased with age in HIV patients and controls. GCL thickness positively correlated with cognitive function across the entire HIV cohort (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: GCL was thinner in HIV patients with cognitive impairment. GCL thickness correlated positively with cognitive function and negatively with age in HIV patients. GCL thickness may reflect accelerated cognitive aging in HIV.

Vitrectomy for optic disc pit maculopathy: a long-term follow-up study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of vitrectomy with induction of posterior vitreous detachment for the treatment of optic disc pit maculopathy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated medical records and imaging studies of 11 consecutive patients with optic disc pit maculopathy who underwent vitrectomy at Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy, between October 2008 and December 2015. Induction of a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was the aim of our surgery. Intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin (Jetrea, Thrombogenics USA, Alcon/Novartis EU) was performed before surgery in three eyes of very young patients. Gas tamponade (sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) 20%) was used only in the first five cases. Main outcome measures were anatomic results as determined by optical coherence tomography and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Before surgery, a macular detachment was present in 10 eyes and a lamellar hole of the outer retina was detected in 9 eyes. Intraoperatively, two iatrogenic paramacular holes developed in two patients during posterior hyaloid dissection. Time to PVD induction appeared to be greatly reduced in the three patients injected with ocriplasmin before surgery. Patients were followed up for a mean of 38 months (range, 18-84) after surgery. Postoperatively, one patient (9%) developed a retinal detachment that was repaired with one additional vitrectomy. Complete resolution of fluid in and under the fovea was achieved in 8 of the remaining 10 eyes (80%) without additional treatment. Reduction of the inner retinal fluid always preceded the decrease of outer retinal fluid, which in turn anticipated the absorption of macular detachment. The macular detachment resolved in a mean of 14 months after surgery. Postoperative BCVA (mean, 0.63) improved significantly compared with preoperative BCVA (mean, 0.27) (P = 0.005). Nine eyes (82%) had a postoperative BCVA of 0.5 or better. CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy with induction of PVD is a safe and successful therapeutic option for the treatment of optic disc pit maculopathy. The adjunct of ocriplasmin might facilitate the induction of PVD and reduce the risk of iatrogenic retinal holes.