Zonular instability-associated morphologic features in eyes with primary angle closure disease using the swept-source anterior segment - optical coherence tomography system.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the morphologic features of the crystalline lens in Primary Angle Closure Disease (PACD) patients with zonular instability during cataract surgery using the swept-source CASIA 2 Anterior Segment-Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT) system. METHODS: A total of 398 eyes (125 PACD eyes with zonular instability, 133 PACD eyes with zonular stability, and 140 cataract patient controls) of 398 patients who underwent cataract surgery combined or not glaucoma surgery between January 2021 and January 2023 were enrolled. The crystalline lens parameters were measured by CASIA2 AS-OCT. Then, logistic regression was performed to evaluate the risk factors associated with zonular instability. RESULTS: The results revealed that PACD eyes had a more anterior lens equator position, a steeper anterior curvature of lens, shorter Axial Length (AL), shallower Anterior Chamber Distance (ACD), higher Lens Vault (LV) and thicker Lens Thickness (LT), when compared to eyes in the cataract control group. Furthermore, PACD eyes in the zonular instability group had steeper front R, front Rs and Front Rf, flatter back Rf, thicker lens anterior part thickness, higher lens anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratios, shallower ACD, and greater LV, when compared to PACD eyes with zonular stability. The logistic regression analysis, which was adjusted for age and gender, revealed that zonular instability was positively correlated with anterior part thickness, lens anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratio, and LV, but was negatively correlated with lens anterior radius and ACD. CONCLUSION: Steeper anterior curvature, increased lens anterior part thickness, higher anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratio, shallower ACD, and greater LV are the anatomic features of PACD eyes associated with zonular instability.

Modified Cortex Mori Capsules improving the successful rate of functional filtering blebs after reclinical glaucoma filtering surgery.

BACKGROUND: The major reason for filtering bleb failure or scarring of the bleb site is due to excessive scarring after glaucoma filtration surgery in the clinic. Traditional Chinese medicine has preeminence in the prevention of fibrosis formation through the regulation of systemic circulation and improvement of the properties of the inflammatory cells in the blood. AIM: To examine the clinical efficacy of using the Modified Cortex Mori Capsules (MCMC; Chinese name: Jiawei Sangbaipi Capsules) in the success rate of functional filtering blebs after glaucoma filtering surgery in clinical patients. METHODS: Sixty resurgery glaucoma patients were randomly divided into two groups: 30 patients in surgery with the placebo group and 30 patients in surgery with the MCMC group. Patients took either the placebo or the MCMC 2 wk before and after surgery. Postoperative morphology and function filtering bleb, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, postoperative complications, the success rate of filtration surgery and clinical efficacy were observed. RESULTS: Fifty patients completed the study. The percentage of functional filtering blebs in the surgery plus MCMC group was 84% at 6 mo after surgery, which was higher than surgery plus placebo group (64%, P < 0.05). The surgical success rate in the MCMC and placebo groups were 79% ± 8.3% and 57% ± 10.6% respectively (P < 0.05). The visual acuity, intraocular pressure and the postoperative complications in the two groups had no significant differences. CONCLUSION: Glaucoma filtering surgery while taking MCMC not only reduced excessive scar formation and increased the success rate of functional filtering blebs but also improved the success of glaucoma filtration operations.

Long-term Efficacy of Trabeculectomy on Chinese Patients with Pigmentary Glaucoma: A Prospective Case Series Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Though trabeculectomy is often performed on patients with medically refractive pigmentary glaucoma (PG), the clinical outcomes of surgical treatment on PG remain unknown. The aim of this study was to summarize the long-term efficacy and safety of trabeculectomy on PG. METHODS: This was a prospective case series observational study. Eighteen consecutive PG patients were followed up for 8 years after trabeculectomy from May 2006 to April 2007. Visual acuity (VA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, Humphrey visual field analysis (VFA), and stereoscopic funduscopy were performed on admission and every 6 months after the surgery. Postoperative IOP, VA, BCVA, VFA, adjunctive anti-glaucoma medication, treatment-related side-effects, changes in blebs, and main clinical findings in the anterior segment of PG were recorded and compared with the baseline. RESULTS: Eighteen PG eyes from 18 patients, with average preoperative IOP of 34.5 ± 4.7 mmHg (range: 21-47 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) were enrolled in this study. All enrolled patients completed the follow-up visits and required examinations. Eight years after trabeculectomy, all surgical eyes (18/18) had satisfactory IOP control with an average of 13.7 ± 2.5 mmHg (range: 9-19 mmHg), which was significantly lower than baseline (P = 0.001). Majority (15/18) of the PG eyes had stable VA, BCVA, VFA, and optic disc cupping parameters. Functional blebs still existed in 12/18 of the PG eyes at the last follow-up visit. Unanimously, pigmentation in the anterior segment attenuated with time after surgical treatment. No severe side-effects were recorded in any of the surgical eyes. CONCLUSIONS: All surgical PG eyes in this study had satisfactory IOP control 8 years after the surgery with well-preserved visual function. The long-term efficacy and safety of trabeculectomy are promising in PG patients.

Changes in anterior chamber depth following vitrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Anterior segment morphometry is crucial for ophthalmologists to understand the visual outcomes of cataract surgery, keratorefractive surgery, as well as some other anterior segment disorders. Previous reports in literature have shown that anterior chamber depth (ACD) may shift slightly after vitrectomy. This study aimed to characterize the shortterm changes in ACD in eyes after vitrectomy by means of A-scan ultrasound. METHODS: A prospective case series study was carried out on 29 eyes of 29 patients who underwent vitrectomy as the sole procedure. ACD was measured using A-scan ultrasound biometry shortly before vitrectomy and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the surgery. Postoperative ACDs were compared with baseline. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (16 males and 13 females) were enrolled in the study, with mean age of (50 ± 11) (25-65) years. Twenty-three eyes of 23 patients were vitrectomized for vitreous hemorrhage (VH) and the other six were operated for idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). The mean preoperative ACD of the VH eyes was (2.98 ± 0.38) mm. No significant difference was found between the ACD of the VH eyes and their fellow eyes (P = 0.058). The average preoperative ACD in the ERM eyes was (2.94 ± 0.31) mm, which was statistically deeper than that of their fellow eyes ((2.85 ± 0.28) mm, P = 0.008). No statistical difference was found in the postoperative average ACD of the VH eyes compared with baseline. In the ERM group, the postoperative ACD in the surgical eyes was still statistically deeper than the fellow eyes 1 week after surgery (P = 0.034). However, such statistical difference disappeared at 1 or 3 months postoperative (P = 0.186 and 0.682). CONCLUSIONS: ERM may induce deepening of the ACD, which can be recovered by uneventful vitrectomy. VH does not cause shift of ACD, neither does vitrectomy.

Efficacy of laser peripheral iridoplasty and iridotomy on medically refractory patients with acute primary angle closure: a three year outcome.

BACKGROUND: Argon laser peripheral iridoplasty (ALPI) is proved to be effective in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) of patients with mild acute primary angle closure (APAC). It is unclear whether this laser treatment is equally efficient in managing patients with severe APAC. This study aimed to evaluate the IOP-lowering efficacy of ALPI and laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) on patients with refractory APAC, who have previously responded poorly to intensive medical therapy. METHODS: Thirty-six patients (8 men and 28 women) were identified as medically refractory APAC, who still had ocular pain, red eye, hazy cornea, closed anterior chamber (AC) angle, and IOP of not less than 21 mmHg after two days or more of anti-glaucoma medication. All enrolled patients underwent ophthalmologic examinations including measurement of visual acuity (VA), best corrected VA (BCVA), IOP, biomicroscopy, and gonioscopy followed by ALPI immediately in the APAC eye and LPI in both eyes. RESULTS: All patients were affected unilaterally, with average age of (54.6 ± 11.7) (range, 37.0 - 75.0) years old. The mean IOP value of the affected eyes dropped from (31.6 ± 7.7) (range, 21.0 - 39.0) mmHg at enrollment to (18.4 ± 8.7) (range, 10.0 - 27.0) mmHg 2 hours after ALPI. At follow-up day 7, the mean IOP value maintained at (14.8 ± 4.2) (range, 9.0 - 21.0) mmHg, which was significantly different (P = 0.000) compared with baseline. The average decrease of IOP in the APAC eyes was (16.8 ± 7.4) (range, 12.0 - 21.0) mmHg. At follow-up three years later, the mean IOP of the APAC eyes stabilized at (16.3 ± 3.2) (range, 9.0 - 20.0) mmHg with at least 180° of AC angle opened. CONCLUSION: ALPI and LPI lower the IOP of medically refractory cases of APAC though they have responded poorly to anti-glaucoma medication.