Addressing corneal opacity after herpes zoster infection.

A 15-year-old boy was referred for corneal opacity evaluation. The patient had a previous herpes zoster virus (HZV) infection-varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-with ocular manifestation 1 year ago. After the infection, he developed a central corneal scar and decreased corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) in the right eye. The slitlamp examination showed the right eye with central corneal opacity (involving anterior stroma), lacuna area between the haze, fluorescein negative, and no vascularization near the scar (Figure 1JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202406000-00019/figure1/v/2024-07-10T174224Z/r/image-tiff). The patient had been treated with oral valacyclovir and topical corticosteroids without any improvement of visual acuity or changes in opacity within the 1-year follow-up. His CDVA was 20/200 (-4.50 -0.75 × 25) in the right eye and counting fingers (-4.00) in the left eye. Intraocular pressure was 12 mm Hg in both eyes. Fundoscopy was normal in the right eye, but he had a macular scar in the left eye (diagnosed when he was 7 years). The left eye had no cornea signs. The patient has no comorbidity or previous surgeries. Considering this case, a corneal central scar in a 15-year-old boy, legally single eye only, and assuming it is an opacity in the anterior stroma, would you consider surgery for this patient? If so, which would you choose: Would you consider an excimer laser treatment of his ametropia while partially removing his opacity, a phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK), or a PTK followed by a topography-guided treatment, femtosecond laser-assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FALK), or deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) or penetrating keratoplasty (depending on the scar depth)? Would you consider prophylactic acyclovir during and after surgery? Would you consider any other surgical step to prevent delayed corneal healing-persistent epithelial defect? Before the surgical approach, would you consider treating this patient with topical losartan (a transforming growth factor [TGF]-ß signaling inhibitor)? Would you first perform the surgery (which one) and then start the medication? Furthermore, if so, how long would you treat this patient? Would you consider treatment with another medication?

Criteria for premium intraocular lens patient selection.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To discuss available premium intraocular lenses (IOLs), patient selection, and important considerations for each premium IOL. RECENT FINDINGS: We review important topics and considerations for premium IOL selection: specifically, toric, extended depth of focus (EDOF), multifocal/trifocal, light adjustable lenses (LALs), and small aperture IOLs. Toric lenses are an excellent option for patients with astigmatism. However, to achieve optimal patient satisfaction, it is critical to account for the ATR astigmatism contribution from the posterior cornea and high angle alphas. Additionally, examining the ocular surface prior to placement of EDOF/multifocal IOLs is important, yet the significance of HOAs on outcomes after implantation still must be elucidated more. Finally, recent studies reveal that the small aperture lens is a good alternative for those with corneal irregularities, and second generation LALs are a great option to achieve target refractions in those with less predictable refractive outcomes, such as in Fuchs' dystrophy or in eyes with previous refractive surgery.

Accuracy of intraoperative aberrometry versus modern preoperative methods in post-myopic laser vision correction eyes undergoing cataract surgery with capsular tension ring placement.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of intraoperative wavefront aberrometry (IWA) versus modern intraocular lens formulas in post-myopic laser vision correction (LVC) patients undergoing cataract surgery with capsular tension ring placement. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review conducted at an academic outpatient center. All post-myopic LVC eyes undergoing cataract surgery with IWA from a single surgeon from 05/2017 to 12/2019 were included. All patients received a capsular tension ring (CTR). Mean numerical error (MNE), median numerical error (MedNE), and percentages of prediction error within 0.50D, 0.75D, and 1.00D were calculated for the above formulas. RESULTS: Twenty-seven post-myopic LVC eyes from 18 patients were included. In post-myopic LVC, MNE with Optiwave Refractive Analysis (ORA), Barrett True K (BTK), Haigis, Haigis-L, Shammas, SRK/T, Hill-RBF v3.0, and W-K AL-adjusted Holladay 1 were + 0.224, - 0.094, + 0.193, - 0.231, - 0.372, + 1.013, + 0.860, and + 0.630 (F = 8.49, p < 0.001). MedNE were + 0.125, - 0.145, + 0.175, + 0.333, + 0.333, + 1.100, + 0.880, and + 0.765 (F = 7.89, p < 0.001), respectively. BTK provided improved accuracy in both MNE (p < 0.001) and MedNE (p = .033) when compared to ORA in pairwise analysis. If the ORA vs. BTK-suggested IOL power were routinely selected, 30% and 15% of eyes would have projected hyperopic outcomes, respectively (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that in post-myopic LVC eyes undergoing cataract surgery with CTRs, BTK performed more accurately than ORA with regard to accuracy and yielded a lower percentage of eyes with hyperopic outcomes. Haigis, Haigis-L, and Shammas yielded similar results to ORA with regard to accuracy and percentage of eyes with hyperopic outcomes. On average, Shammas and Haigis-L suggested IOLs that would yield outcomes more myopic than expected when compared to BTK.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Chemo Brain.

This pilot feasibility study aimed to evaluate the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), and we report here on the first patient. BACKGROUND: Deleterious cognitive changes due to chemotherapy or CRCI are commonly referred to as "chemo brain". With the increasing survival of cancer patients, this poorly understood and inadequately treated condition will likewise have an increasing toll on individuals and society. Since there is no approved treatment for chemo brain, we have initiated a therapeutic trial using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique approved in many countries for the treatment of neurologic and psychiatric conditions like migraine and depression. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old woman, diagnosed 7 years prior with left breast cancer, underwent partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy. She then received four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. Afterwards, she was on tamoxifen for 4 years and then switched to aromatase inhibitors. The patient's CRCI started during chemotherapy and severely impaired her quality of life for an additional two years. In the third year after chemotherapy, the CRCI partially cleared to stabilize to the level at the time of presentation for this trial. The patient continues to have memory difficulties and decreased concentration, which makes multi-tasking very difficult to impossible. She is reliant on memory aids at work and at home. The participant underwent 10 consecutive sessions of TMS during weekdays for 2 weeks. Stimulation was directed to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. After TMS, the participant significantly improved in memory function on neuropsychological testing. While she reported no subjective differences in concentration or memory, she did report an improvement in her sleep. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain before and after TMS showed increased resting-state functional connectivity between the stimulation site and several brain regions. Remarkably, after 6 years of chemo brain and remaining in the same position at work due to her inability to concentrate and multi-task, she applied for and received a promotion 5-6 months after her TMS treatments. CONCLUSIONS: This first patient in the phase 1 clinical trial testing of TMS for the treatment of "chemo brain" provided important lessons for feasibility and insights into mechanisms of potential benefit.

Inflammation and Fibrosis in Orbital Inflammatory Disease: A Histopathologic Analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the histopathologic inflammation and fibrosis of orbital adipose tissue in orbital inflammatory disease (OID) specimens. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, inflammation, and fibrosis in orbital adipose tissue from patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), sarcoidosis, nonspecific orbital inflammation (NSOI), and healthy controls were scored by 2 masked ocular pathologists. Both categories were scored on a scale of 0 to 3 with scoring criteria based on the percentage of specimens containing inflammation or fibrosis, respectively. Tissue specimens were collected from oculoplastic surgeons at 8 international centers representing 4 countries. Seventy-four specimens were included: 25 with TAO, 6 with orbital GPA, 7 with orbital sarcoidosis, 24 with NSOI, and 12 healthy controls. RESULTS: The mean inflammation and fibrosis scores for healthy controls were 0.0 and 1.1, respectively. Orbital inflammatory disease groups' inflammation (I) and fibrosis (F) scores, formatted [I, F] with respective p -values when compared to controls, were: TAO [0.2, 1.4] ( p = 1, 1), GPA [1.9, 2.6] ( p = 0.003, 0.009), sarcoidosis [2.4, 1.9] ( p = 0.001, 0.023), and NSOI [1.3, 1.8] ( p ≤ 0.001, 0.018). Sarcoidosis had the highest mean inflammation score. The pairwise analysis demonstrated that sarcoidosis had a significantly higher mean inflammation score than NSOI ( p = 0.036) and TAO ( p < 0.0001), but no difference when compared to GPA. GPA had the highest mean fibrosis score, with pairwise analysis demonstrating a significantly higher mean fibrosis score than TAO ( p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Mean inflammation and fibrosis scores in TAO orbital adipose tissue samples did not differ from healthy controls. In contrast, the more "intense" inflammatory diseases such as GPA, sarcoidosis, and NSOI did demonstrate higher histopathologic inflammation and fibrosis. This has implications in prognosis, therapeutic selection, and response monitoring in orbital inflammatory disease.

Comparison of Keratoconus Specific to Standard IOL Formulas in Patients With Keratoconus Undergoing Cataract Surgery.

PURPOSE: To assess the performance of multiple intraocular lens (IOL) formulas in eyes with keratoconus. METHODS: Eyes with stable keratoconus scheduled for cataract surgery with biometry measurements on the Lenstar LS900 (Haag-Streit) were included. Prediction errors were calculated using 11 different formulas, including two with keratoconus modifiers. Primary outcomes compared standard deviations, mean and median numerical errors, and percentage of eyes within diopter (D) ranges across all eyes with subgroup analysis according to anterior keratometric values. RESULTS: Sixty-eight eyes from 44 patients were identified. In eyes with keratometric values less than 50.00 D, prediction error standard deviations ranged from 0.680 to 0.857 D. Percentages of eyes within ±0.50 D of target ranged from 57.89% to 73.68% with no statistical differences among formulas. In eyes with a keratometric value of more than 50.00 D, prediction error standard deviations ranged from 1.849 to 2.349 D and were not statistically different with heteroscedastic analysis; percentages of eyes within ±0.50 D of target ranged from 0% to 18.18% with no statistical differences among formulas. Only keratoconus-specific formulas (Barrett-KC and Kane-KC) and the Wang-Koch axial length adjustment version of SRK/T resulted in median numerical errors not significantly different than 0, regardless of keratometric values. CONCLUSIONS: In keratoconic eyes, IOL formulas are less accurate than in normal eyes and result in hyperopic refractive outcomes that increase with steeper keratometric values. Using keratoconus-specific formulas and the Wang-Koch axial length adjustment version of SRK/T for axial lengths of 25.2 mm or greater improved IOL power prediction accuracy compared to other formulas. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(4):242-248.].

Surgical decisions in the setting of zonulopathy.

An 85-year-old man with a history of type 2 diabetes, pseudoexfoliation (PXF) in both eyes, and tamsulosin use was referred for the evaluation of a dense cataract in the right eye and a subluxated intraocular lens (IOL) in the left eye. Unfortunately, his surgery in the left eye was complicated by diffuse zonulopathy. The referring surgeon placed a 3-piece IOL in the sulcus. However, the passively fixated 3-piece IOL moved inferiorly causing monocular diplopia for over a year. Because the patient was pleased with the IOL immediately postoperatively, a refixation procedure was performed in the form of sulcus placement with iris suture fixation in the left eye. Fortunately, the iris-fixated IOL in the left eye has remained well centered and stable without cystoid macular edema (CME) or chronic inflammation for over 8 months. The patient is on no ocular medications and has no family history of glaucoma. He now needs cataract surgery in the right eye and is extremely apprehensive because of his difficult course in the left eye. The corrected distance visual acuity is 20/70 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. Intraocular pressures (IOPs) measure 20 mm Hg in the right eye and 14 mm Hg in the left eye by Goldmann tonometry. Pachymetry is 536 µm in the right eye and 543 µm in the left eye. Pupils are round with minimal reactivity and without a relative afferent pupillary defect. Extraocular motility is normal in both eyes, and confrontation visual fields is full in both eyes. Gonioscopy reveals an angle open to the pigmented trabecular meshwork (PTM) in the right eye and the ciliary body in the left eye with 1+ PTM and without peripheral anterior synechia in both eyes. The retinal nerve fiber layer and macular optical coherence tomography are normal in both eyes. On slitlamp examination, pertinent findings include pseudoexfoliative changes at the pupillary margin with poor dilation of 3.5 mm in both eyes; the anterior chamber (AC) is shallow but adequate in the right eye and deep and quiet with rare pigmented cells in the left eye. There is a 5+ nuclear sclerotic cataract with pseudoexfoliative changes on the anterior capsule and no obvious phacodonesis in the right eye and a 3-piece posterior chamber IOL in the sulcus fixated to the iris with 10-0 polypropylene sutures at 6 and 12 o'clock without pseudophacodonesis in the left eye. Dilated fundus examination reveals a cup-to-disc ratio of 0.4 with healthy neuroretinal rims in both eyes, posterior vitreous detachments in both eyes, and no evidence of diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. All other findings are unremarkable. How would you counsel this patient regarding his risk factors for surgery in the right eye? What surgical maneuvers would you use to remove the cataract safely? How would you stabilize the IOL if the capsule bag becomes compromised due to zonulopathy?

Acellular cadaveric dermal matrix grafts for orbital wall reconstruction in patients with sinonasal malignancies.

PURPOSE: To describe the utilization of acellular cadaveric dermal matrix (ACDM) in patients undergoing orbital wall reconstruction after orbital preservation surgery for sinonasal malignancy. METHODS: Retrospective case series of seven patients with sinonasal malignancy who had orbital reconstruction with ACDM implants from January 2012 to August 2020. Orbital preservation was performed in all patients with tumor extension up to and including periorbital. The main outcome measures were implant exposure, orbital infection, diplopia in primary gaze, enophthalmos, and eyelid malposition. RESULTS: Patients ranged 37-78 years old (median: 66 years) and included 4 females and 3 males. The median follow-up time was 9 months (range 6-43 months) from the date of surgery. Squamous cell carcinoma comprised the majority of tumors with all patients needing medial wall reconstruction. Three patients received postoperative radiation therapy. No patients had any implant exposure, orbital infection, enophthalmos, or eyelid malposition. CONCLUSIONS: ACDM grafts can be used safely in orbital wall reconstruction in patients with sinonasal malignancies.

Predictive Modeling of New-Onset Postoperative Diplopia Following Orbital Decompression for Thyroid Eye Disease.

PURPOSE: To identify risk factors for the development of new-onset, postoperative diplopia following orbital decompression surgery based on patient demographics, clinical exam characteristics, radiographic parameters, and surgical techniques. METHODS: We conducted a multi-center retrospective chart review of patients who underwent orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease (TED). Patient demographics, including age, gender, smoking history, preoperative exophthalmometry, clinical activity score (CAS), use of peribulbar and/or systemic steroids, and type of orbital decompression were reviewed. Postoperative diplopia was determined at a minimum of 3 months postoperatively and before any further surgeries. Cross-sectional area ratios of each extraocular muscle to orbit and total fat to orbit were calculated from coronal imaging in a standard fashion. All measurements were carried out using PACS imaging software. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed using Stata 14.2 (StataCorp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: A total of 331 patients without preoperative diplopia were identified. At 3 months postoperatively, 249 patients had no diplopia whereas 82 patients developed diplopia. The average postoperative follow-up was 22 months (range 3-156) months. Significant preoperative clinical risk factors for postoperative diplopia included older age at surgery, proptosis, use of peribulbar or systemic steroids, elevated clinical activity score, and presence of preoperative compressive optic neuropathy. Imaging findings of enlarged cross-sectional areas of each rectus muscle to the overall orbital area also conferred a significant risk of postoperative diplopia. Regarding surgical factors, postoperative diplopia was more common among those undergoing medial wall decompression, bilateral orbital surgery, and balanced decompression, whereas endoscopic medial wall decompression was found to be relatively protective. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies risk factors associated with the development of diplopia following orbital decompression using multivariable data. This study demonstrates that several characteristics including age, clinical activity score, the cross-sectional muscle to orbit ratios, in addition to the type of orbital decompression surgery, are predictive factors for the development of new-onset postoperative diplopia.

Enrichment of IGF-1R and PPARγ signalling pathways in orbital inflammatory diseases: steps toward understanding pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Orbital inflammatory disease (OID) encompasses a wide range of pathology including thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), sarcoidosis and non-specific orbital inflammation (NSOI), accounting for up to 6% of orbital diseases. Understanding the underlying pathophysiology of OID can improve diagnosis and help target therapy. AIMS: To test the hypothesis that shared signalling pathways are activated in different forms of OID. METHODS: In this secondary analysis, pathway analysis was performed on the previously reported differentially expressed genes from orbital adipose tissue using patients with OID and healthy controls who were characterised by microarray. For the original publications, tissue specimens were collected from oculoplastic surgeons at 10 international centres representing four countries (USA, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia). Diagnoses were independently confirmed by two masked ocular pathologists (DJW, HEG). Gene expression profiling analysis was performed at the Oregon Health & Science University. Eighty-three participants were included: 25 with TAO, 6 with orbital GPA, 7 with orbital sarcoidosis, 25 with NSOI and 20 healthy controls. RESULTS: Among the 83 subjects (mean (SD) age, 52.8 (18.3) years; 70% (n=58) female), those with OID demonstrated perturbation of the downstream gene expressions of the IGF-1R (MAPK/RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), adipocytokine and AMPK signalling pathways compared with healthy controls. Specifically, GPA samples differed from controls in gene expression within the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R, PI3K-Akt (p=0.001), RAS (p=0.005)), PPARγ (p=0.002), adipocytokine (p=0.004) or AMPK (p=<0.001) pathways. TAO, sarcoidosis and NSOI samples were also found to have statistically significant differential gene expression in these pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Although OID includes a heterogenous group of pathologies, TAO, GPA, sarcoidosis and NSOI share enrichment of common gene signalling pathways, namely IGF-1R, PPARγ, adipocytokine and AMPK. Pathway analyses of gene expression suggest that other forms of orbital inflammation in addition to TAO may benefit from blockade of IGF-1R signalling pathways.

Refractive Outcomes for Cataract Surgery With Toric Intraocular Lenses at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Background: Refractive outcomes for cataract surgery with toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are not well described in a teaching hospital setting. This study investigated the refractive outcomes of cataract surgery with toric IOLs at an academic-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and compared the accuracy of 2 biometric formulae for toric IOL power calculation. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who received cataract surgery with toric IOLs from November 2013 to May 2018 was conducted. The Holladay 2 and Barrett toric IOL formulae were used to predict the postoperative refraction for each cataract surgery. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the difference in cylinder between the preoperative and postoperative manifest refractions. The accuracy of each biometric formula was also assessed using 2-tailed t tests of the mean absolute error, and subgroup analyses were conducted for short, medium, and long eyes. Results: Of 325 charts reviewed, 283 patients met the inclusion criteria; 87% (248/283) of these surgeries were performed by resident surgeons. The median postoperative BCVA was 20/20, and 92% of patients had a postoperative BCVA of 20/25 or better. There was no statistically significant difference in mean absolute error between the 2 formulae for the entire axial length range (P = .21), as well as the short (P = .94), medium (P = .49), and long axial length (P = .08) groups. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest study that compared the performance of the Barrett toric and Holladay 2 formulae and the first that made the comparison in a teaching hospital setting. This study suggests that the 2 formulae have similar refractive outcomes across all axial lengths.

Accuracy of biometric formulae for intraocular lens power calculation in a teaching hospital.

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of three commonly used biometric formulae across different axial lengths (ALs) at one United States Veterans Affairs teaching hospital. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted from November 2013 to May 2018. One eye of each patient who underwent cataract surgery with a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) was included. The range of postoperative follow-up period was from 3wk to 4mo. The Holladay 2, Barrett Universal II, and Hill-Radial Basis Function (Hill-RBF) formulae were used to predict the postoperative refraction for all cataract surgeries. For each formula, we calculated the prediction errors [including mean absolute prediction error (MAE)] and the percentage of eyes within ±0.25 diopter (D) and ±0.5 D of predicted refraction. We performed subgroup analyses for short (AL<22.0 mm), medium (AL 22.0-25.0 mm), and long eyes (AL>25.0 mm). RESULTS: A total of 1131 patients were screened, and 909 met the inclusion criteria. Resident ophthalmologists were the primary surgeons in 710 (78.1%) cases. We found no statistically significant difference in predictive accuracy among the three formulae over the entire AL range or in the short, medium, and long eye subgroups. Across the entire AL range, the Hill-RBF formula resulted in the lowest MAE (0.384 D) and the highest percentage of eyes with postoperative refraction within ±0.25 D (42.7%) and ±0.5 D (75.5%) of predicted. All three formulae had the highest MAEs (>0.5 D) and lowest percentage within ±0.5 D of predicted refraction (<55%) in short eyes. CONCLUSION: In cataract surgery patients at our teaching hospital, three commonly used biometric formulae demonstrate similar refractive accuracy across all ALs. Short eyes pose the greatest challenge to predicting postoperative refractive error.

Evaluation of Electronic Health Record Implementation in an Academic Oculoplastics Practice.

PURPOSE: Despite increasing electronic health record (EHR) adoption, perceptions of EHRs are negative among ophthalmologists due to concerns about productivity, costs, and documentation. The authors evaluated the effects of EHR adoption in an oculoplastics practice, which had not been previously studied. METHODS: Clinical volume, documentation time, time spent with patients, reimbursement, relative value units, and patient satisfaction were examined for 2 academic oculoplastics attendings between April 2018 and April 2019, with EHR implementation in September 2018. RESULTS: The mean number of patients seen in a half-day clinic was 31.8 versus 27.7 (p = 0.018) pre- and post-EHR implementation, respectively. EHR implementation had no effect on total monthly reimbursement (p = 0.88) or total monthly relative value units (p = 0.54). Average reimbursement (p = 0.004) and relative value units (p = 0.001) per patient encounter were significantly greater with EHR use. Patient satisfaction scores improved (p = 0.018). Mean physician time per patient increased from 6.4 to 9.0 minutes (p < 0.001). Mean documentation time per patient increased from 1.7 to 3.6 minutes (p < 0.001). Average patient wait times decreased by 9 minutes (p = 0.03) with EHR use. No scribes were used. CONCLUSIONS: EHR implementation was associated with decreased patient volume without significant differences in total reimbursement. Although EHR adoption was associated with increased physician time devoted to patients and greater time expenditure on documentation, patients experienced decreased wait times. This suggests that EHR use streamlined the overall clinic flow without sacrificing physicians' time with the patient. The author's findings suggest that EHR implementation can be accomplished in an academic oculoplastics setting without negative impact on patient experience or reimbursement considerations.

Precision in Oculofacial Surgery: Made-To-Specification Cast-Molded Implants in Orbital Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To describe the utilization of customized made-to-specification porous polyethylene implants and to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who received these implants for unilateral orbital defects. METHODS: A retrospective review of 9 patients was performed. Three-dimensional surface models were generated from high-resolution computed tomography scans. Orbital constructs were modeled after the normal, contralateral orbits and mirrored across the vertical midline to generate the target orbital implant. Measured outcomes included globe position, extraocular motility, facial symmetry, and diplopia. RESULTS: Patients ranged 25-56 years old (mean: 37) and included 6 males and 3 females. Cases consisted of 6 orbital floor fractures due to trauma, 1 lateral wall defect after neurofibroma resection, 1 floor/medial wall defect after myxoma resection, and 1 superior orbital rim defect after intraosseous hemangioma resection. Seven patients had ≥1 prior repair. All patients had previous hard and soft tissue defects and varying degrees of restrictive globe motility. Patients exhibited improved ductions after implant placement and improved facial appearance and symmetry. Post-operatively, 1 patient was found to have a small orbital hematoma between the implant and orbital floor, resolving within weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Precision, personalized oculofacial surgery is the next wave in tailoring surgical care to the individual patient. Customizable implants are manufactured to specifically mold to an individual patient's unique bony architecture, which can lead to superior outcomes in reconstructing orbital and craniofacial bony defects. This technique is particularly useful in patients with prior unsuccessful repair.

A Myt1 family transcription factor defines neuronal fate by repressing non-neuronal genes.

Cellular differentiation requires both activation of target cell transcriptional programs and repression of non-target cell programs. The Myt1 family of zinc finger transcription factors contributes to fibroblast to neuron reprogramming in vitro. Here, we show that ztf-11 (Zinc-finger Transcription Factor-11), the sole Caenorhabditis elegans Myt1 homolog, is required for neurogenesis in multiple neuronal lineages from previously differentiated epithelial cells, including a neuron generated by a developmental epithelial-to-neuronal transdifferentiation event. ztf-11 is exclusively expressed in all neuronal precursors with remarkable specificity at single-cell resolution. Loss of ztf-11 leads to upregulation of non-neuronal genes and reduced neurogenesis. Ectopic expression of ztf-11 in epidermal lineages is sufficient to produce additional neurons. ZTF-11 functions together with the MuvB corepressor complex to suppress the activation of non-neuronal genes in neurons. These results dovetail with the ability of Myt1l (Myt1-like) to drive neuronal transdifferentiation in vitro in vertebrate systems. Together, we identified an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to specify neuronal cell fate by repressing non-neuronal genes.

Lineage context switches the function of a C. elegans Pax6 homolog in determining a neuronal fate.

The sensory nervous system of C. elegans comprises cells with varied molecular and functional characteristics, and is, therefore, a powerful model for understanding mechanisms that generate neuronal diversity. We report here that VAB-3, a C. elegans homolog of the homeodomain-containing protein Pax6, has opposing functions in regulating expression of a specific chemosensory fate. A homeodomain-only short isoform of VAB-3 is expressed in BAG chemosensory neurons, where it promotes gene expression and cell function. In other cells, a long isoform of VAB-3, comprising a Paired homology domain and a homeodomain, represses expression of ETS-5, a transcription factor required for expression of BAG fate. Repression of ets-5 requires the Eyes Absent homolog EYA-1 and the Six-class homeodomain protein CEH-32. We determined sequences that mediate high-affinity binding of ETS-5, VAB-3 and CEH-32. The ets-5 locus is enriched for ETS-5-binding sites but lacks sequences that bind VAB-3 and CEH-32, suggesting that these factors do not directly repress ets-5 expression. We propose that a promoter-selection system together with lineage-specific expression of accessory factors allows VAB-3/Pax6 to either promote or repress expression of specific cell fates in a context-dependent manner. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.

Analysis of Patient-Reported Barriers to Diabetic Retinopathy Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Close follow-up of diabetic retinopathy (DR) has been linked to improved visual outcomes. This study elucidates patient-identified barriers to DR follow-up in a diverse urban clinic population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients 18 years of age or older with DR or macular edema were interviewed using a 21-question survey on attitudes and barriers toward care. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis identified barriers associated with non-compliance to follow-up. RESULTS: Two hundred nine patients participated with mean age of 58.2 years and hemoglobin A1c of 8.5%. The most common barriers cited were long waiting times (46.4%), other medical conditions (35.9%), forgetting (28.2%), and inability to leave work (9.1%). In a multivariate analysis, forgetting (odds ratio [OR]: 4.35) and other medical conditions (OR: 1.91) were barriers independently associated with non-compliance. Having proliferative DR was associated with other medical conditions in univariate (OR: 4.60) and multivariate analysis (OR: 4.35). CONCLUSION: Patients with DR who report other medical conditions or forgetting have a higher risk of non-compliance to follow-up. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:99-105.].

Success in Attaining Independent Funding Among National Institutes of Health K Grant Awardees in Ophthalmology: An Extended Follow-up.

Importance: Understanding factors associated with attaining independent research funding by ophthalmology clinician-scientists receiving National Eye Institute career development awards (K08 or K23) in ophthalmology can be important to maintaining the pipeline of clinician-scientists. Objective: To provide continued follow-up of a cohort of ophthalmology clinician-scientists who received National Institutes of Health (NIH) K career development grants. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study from an electronic database review of ophthalmologists who have received either a K08 or K23 career development grant from the NIH. Data were analyzed between December 30, 2015, and December 30, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Receipt of an NIH R01 grant. Results: We previously characterized a group of more than 100 ophthalmologists who received K awards from 1996 to 2010, of whom 29 were awarded R01 grants. In follow-up of this cohort in 2017, 27 additional K awardees of this initial cohort were awarded an R01 from 2011 to 2017, leading to a total of 62 of 128 ophthalmologists receiving an R01. The mean time to receiving an R01 grant after the K award ended was 2.8 years. The data did not identify a definitive association with sex, having a PhD degree, or research tier of university in obtaining an R01 grant in this cohort. Conclusions and Relevance: In comparison with our previous report of the same cohort, there was a 93% increase in the number of K awardees who have received an R01 award, with the mean time to award being nearly 3 years after completing their K grant. This suggests that most K awardees in ophthalmology are successful in obtaining R01 grants, but one should recognize this may be several years after their K grant has ended.

Risk Factors for Early Intraocular Pressure Elevation After Cataract Surgery in a Cohort of United States Veterans.

INTRODUCTION: Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). A well-known complication is a transient but potentially harmful elevation in intraocular pressure (IOP) within the 24-h postoperative period. The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors for IOP elevation 1 d after cataract surgery in a cohort of United States (US) veterans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 784 patients who underwent cataract surgery between April 2013 and April 2016 at a single Veterans Affairs medical center in Providence, RI. One thousand one hundred thirty-seven cataract surgeries were considered in total. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained through the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC). Logistic regression, adjusted for patients with bilateral surgeries, was used to evaluate risk factors for first postoperative day IOP elevation (≥28 mmHg). The main outcome measure was elevated IOP on postoperative day 1 (POD1) after cataract surgery. RESULTS: The average patient age was 74 yr. Ninety-eight percent (1,110/1,137) of cases involved male patients; 75.3% (856/1,137) of the cataract surgeries were performed by resident surgeons. Type II diabetes mellitus (DM) was present in 41% (461/1,137), alpha-1 blocker use in 31% (358/1,137), ocular hypertension (ocular HTN) in 4% (44/1,137), and glaucoma in 11% (126/1,137) of cases. Twenty-two percent (232/1,137) of eyes had elevated IOP. Independent risk factors were a history of ocular HTN (OR: 8.74 [4.03-18.9]), glaucoma (OR: 3.54 [2.17-5.75]), a preoperative IOP ≥22 mmHg (OR: 2.51 [1.12-5.62]), and complicated cataract surgery (OR: 2.45 [1.18-5.08]), defined as vitreous loss, anterior capsular tear (ACT), posterior capsular tear (PCT), or presence of zonular lysis. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that cataract surgery patients with ocular HTN, glaucoma, a preoperative IOP ≥22 mmHg, or significant intraocular complications may benefit from prophylactic ocular anti-hypertensive medication.