Association Between Greater Social Vulnerability and Delayed Glaucoma Surgery.

PURPOSE: Timing of surgical intervention in glaucoma is crucial to preserving sight. While ocular characteristics that increase surgical risk are known, the impact of neighborhood-level social risk factors such as the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and Area Deprivation Index (ADI) on time to glaucoma surgery is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between SVI or ADI scores and the timing of glaucoma surgical intervention. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Adult subjects with open-angle glaucoma were identified from the Bascom Palmer Glaucoma Repository using International Classification of Disease-10 codes. Subject demographics, ocular characteristics, and standard automated perimetry data were extracted. Geocoded data were obtained using subject residences and American Community Survey data. Univariable and multivariable time-to-event survival analyses using accelerated failure time models were completed to evaluate whether geocoded SVI and ADI scores accelerated or delayed time to glaucoma surgery from initial glaucoma diagnosis in the electronic health record. RESULTS: A total of 10,553 eyes from 6934 subjects were evaluated, of which 637 eyes (6.0%) from 568 subjects (8.2%) underwent glaucoma surgery. Mean age was 68.3 ± 13.5 years, with 57.9% female, 21.5% Black, and 34.5% Hispanic subjects. Mean follow-up time was 5.0 ± 2.1 years, with time to surgery of 3.2 ± 1.9 years. Multivariable accelerated failure time models demonstrated that higher mean intraocular pressure (time ratio [TR] 0.27 per 5 mm Hg higher; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.31, P < .001), faster standard automated perimetry rate of progression (TR 0.74 per 0.5 dB/year faster; 95% CI: 0.69-0.78, P < .001), moderate (TR 0.69; 95% CI: 0.56-0.85, P < .001) or severe baseline severity (TR 0.39; 95% CI: 0.32-0.47, P < .001), and thinner central corneal thickness (TR 0.85 per 50 µm thinner; 95% CI: 0.77-0.95, P = .003) all accelerated time to surgery. In contrast, overall SVI delayed surgery (TR 1.11 per 25% increase; 95% CI: 1.03-1.20, P = .006). Specifically, SVI Themes 1 (TR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, P = .037) and 4 (TR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03-1.19, P = .006) were significant. Patients from the most deprived neighborhoods (highest national ADI quartile) had a 68% increase in time to surgery compared to the least deprived quartile (TR 1.68; 95% CI: 1.20-2.36, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Residence in areas with higher SVI or ADI scores was associated with delayed glaucoma surgery after controlling for demographic and ocular parameters. Awareness of such disparities can guide initiatives aimed at achieving parity in health outcomes.

Refractive Outcomes Following Combined Cataract and Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare refractive outcomes in eyes undergoing cataract extraction (CE) alone, CE with goniotomy (CE/goniotomy), and CE with Schlemm's canal stent (CE/SCS) insertion. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Eyes from the Bascom Palmer Glaucoma Repository undergoing CE/goniotomy, CE/SCS insertion, or uncomplicated CE alone between July 2014 and February 2022 were identified. METHODS: Refraction data were analyzed at postoperative month (POM) 1 and 6 with Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests. Anisometropia was defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) difference of ≥2D. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was mean refraction at POM1 and POM6 across the 3 surgical groups. Secondary outcomes were comparisons of refraction and visual acuity (VA) among different goniotomy and Schlemm's canal stent (SCS) devices, as well as incidence of anisometropia. RESULTS: A total of 8360 eyes (150 CE/goniotomy, 395 CE/SCS, and 7815 CE alone) from 6059 patients were analyzed. At POM1, mean SE in the CE/goniotomy, CE/SCS, and CE alone groups was -0.36 ± 0.91D, -0.31 ± 0.85D, and -0.39 ± 0.88D respectively (P = 0.019). Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA was 0.10 ± 0.20, 0.08 ± 0.19, and 0.14 ± 0.26 respectively (P = 0.002, CE/SCS vs. CE alone). No statistically significant differences were noted at POM6. Anisometropia occurred at POM1 in 2 patients (13.3%) in the CE/goniotomy-CE group, 1 patient (3.2%) in the CE/SCS-CE group, and 184 patients (4.9%) in the CE-CE group (P = 0.217). At POM6, mean SEs were -0.38 ± 0.97D (CE/goniotomy), -0.35 ± 0.81D (CE/SCS), and -0.40 ± 0.91D (CE alone; P = 0.473). No significant differences in overall refractive outcomes were observed with different SCS or goniotomy devices. Among primary open-angle glaucoma/normal-tension glaucoma eyes, mean SE at POM1 was -0.36 ± 0.73D (CE/goniotomy), -0.24 ± 0.84D (CE/SCS), and -0.45 ± 0.81D (CE alone; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent SCS insertion or goniotomy with CE was associated with some statistically significant differences in postoperative refraction and VA, although these small magnitude differences were unlikely to be clinically meaningful. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Impact of Social Vulnerability Index on the Development of Severe Visual Impairment or Blindness From Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether geocoded social risk factor data predict the development of severe visual impairment or blindness due to glaucoma during follow-up using a large electronic health record (EHR) database. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) at a tertiary care institution. All eyes had glaucomatous visual field defects at baseline. Sociodemographic and ocular data were extracted from the EHR, including age, gender, self-reported race and ethnicity, insurance status, OAG type, prior glaucoma laser or surgery, baseline disease severity using Hodapp-Anderson-Parrish criteria, mean intraocular pressure (IOP) during follow-up, and central corneal thickness. Social vulnerability index (SVIndex) data at the census tract level were obtained using geocoded patient residences. Mixed-effects Cox proportional hazard models were completed to assess for the development of severe visual impairment or blindness during follow-up, defined as BCVA ≤ 20/200 at least at the last two clinic visits or standard automated perimetry (SAP) mean deviation (MD) ≤ -22dB confirmed on two tests. RESULTS: A total of 4,046 eyes from 2,826 patients met inclusion criteria and were followed for an average of 4.3 ± 2.2 years. Severe visual impairment or blindness developed in 79 eyes (2.0%) from 76 patients (2.7%) after an average of 3.4 ± 1.8 years, leading to an incidence rate of severe visual impairment or blindness of 0.5% per year. Older age (adjusted hazards ratio [HR] 1.36 per decade, P = .007), residence in areas with higher SVIndex (HR 1.56 per 25% increase, P < .001), higher IOP during follow-up (HR 3.01 per 5 mmHg increase, P < .001), and moderate or severe glaucoma at baseline (HR 7.31 and 26.87, P < .001) were risk factors for developing severe visual impairment or blindness. Concordance index of the model was 0.88. Socioeconomic, minority status/language, and housing type/transportation SVIndex themes were key contributors to developing severe visual impairment or blindness. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for developing glaucoma-related severe visual impairment or blindness included older age, elevated IOP during follow-up, moderate or severe disease at baseline, and residence in areas associated with greater social vulnerability. In addition to ocular risk factors, geocoded EHR data regarding social risk factors could help identify patients at high risk of developing glaucoma-related visual impairment.

Visual Field Outcomes in the Primary Tube Versus Trabeculectomy Study.

PURPOSE: To describe visual field outcomes in the Primary Tube Versus Trabeculectomy (PTVT) Study. DESIGN: Cohort analysis. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 155 eyes (155 subjects) randomly assigned to treatment with tube shunt surgery (n = 84) or trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (n = 71). METHODS: The PTVT Study was a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of trabeculectomy and tube shunt surgery in eyes without previous intraocular surgery. Subjects underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP) at baseline and annually for 5 years. Standard automated perimetry tests were deemed reliable if the false-positive rate was ≤ 15%. Tests were excluded if visual acuity was ≤ 20/400 or loss of ≥ 2 Snellen lines from baseline because of a nonglaucomatous etiology. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare rates of change in SAP mean deviation (MD) between the 2 groups. Intraocular pressure (IOP) control was assessed by percentage of visits with IOP < 18 mmHg and mean IOP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of change in SAP MD during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 730 SAP tests were evaluated (average of 4.7 tests per eye). The average SAP MD at baseline was -12.8 ± 8.3 decibels (dB) in the tube group and -12.0 ± 8.4 dB in the trabeculectomy group (P = 0.57). The mean rate of change in SAP MD was -0.32 ± 0.39 dB/year in the trabeculectomy group and -0.47 ± 0.43 dB/year in the tube group (P = 0.23). Eyes with mean IOP 14 to 17.5 mmHg had significantly faster rates of SAP MD loss compared with eyes with mean IOP < 14 mmHg (-0.59 ± 0.13 vs. -0.27 ± 0.08 dB/year; P = 0.012), and eyes with only 50% to 75% of visits with IOP < 18 mmHg had faster rates than those with 100% of visits with IOP < 18 mmHg (-0.90 ± 0.16 vs. -0.29 ± 0.08 dB/year; P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified older age and worse IOP control as risk factors for faster progression in both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant difference in mean rates of visual field change was observed between trabeculectomy and tube shunt surgery in the PTVT Study. Worse IOP control was significantly associated with faster rates of SAP MD loss during follow-up. Older patients were also at risk for faster progression. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Immediate sequential vs delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis.

The main aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy profile of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) compared with delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS). MEDLINE Ovid, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched. Outcome measures were postoperative visual acuity, postoperative spherical equivalent (refractive outcome), endophthalmitis, corneal edema, pseudophakic macular edema, and posterior capsule rupture (PCR). 13 articles met criteria for final inclusion. A total of 11 068 622 participants (18 802 043 eyes) were included. No statistically significant differences between ISBCS and DSBCS were identified in all the postoperative outcomes evaluated. However, a higher risk for PCR was identified in the ISBCS group from the pooled analysis of nonrandomized studies (risk ratio, 1.34, 95% CI, 1.08-1.67, P = .0081). In our view, the ISBCS approach has an acceptable safety-efficacy profile, comparable with DSBCS. Future investigations are warranted, with a focus on the analysis of risk factors for surgical complications, patient-reported outcome-measures, and cost effectiveness.

Effect of SPARC Suppression in Mice, Perfused Human Anterior Segments, and Trabecular Meshwork Cells.

Purpose: Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) elevates intraocular pressure (IOP), increases certain structural extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork (JCT), and decreases matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) protein levels in trabecular meshwork (TM) endothelial cells. We investigated SPARC as a potential target for lowering IOP. We hypothesized that suppressing SPARC will decrease IOP, decrease structural JCT ECM proteins, and alter the levels of MMPs and/or their inhibitors. Methods: A lentivirus containing short hairpin RNA of human SPARC suppressed SPARC in mouse eyes and perfused cadaveric human anterior segments with subsequent IOP measurements. Immunohistochemistry determined structural correlates. Human TM cell cultures were treated with SPARC suppressing lentivirus. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoblotting, and zymography determined total RNA, relative protein levels, and MMP enzymatic activity, respectively. Results: Suppressing SPARC decreased IOP in mouse eyes and perfused human anterior segments by approximately 20%. Histologically, this correlated to a decrease in collagen I, IV, and VI in both the mouse TM and human JCT regions; in the mouse, fibronectin was also decreased but not in the human. In TM cells, collagen I and IV, fibronectin, MMP-2, and tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 were decreased. Messenger RNA of the aforementioned genes was not changed. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) was upregulated in vitro by quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. MMP-1 activity was reduced in vitro by zymography. Conclusions: Suppressing SPARC decreased IOP in mice and perfused cadaveric human anterior segments corresponding to qualitative structural changes in the JCT ECM, which do not appear to be the result of transcription regulation.

Risk Factors for Corneal Striae in Eyes After Glaucoma Surgery.

PRCIS: Eyes with corneal striae had steeper cornea, induced astigmatism, and higher corneal hysteresis (CH), which implies a relationship between striae, corneal shape, and the cornea's resistance to deformation at low intraocular pressures (IOPs). BACKGROUND: Anterior corneal striae (ACS) are associated with low IOP. However, the clinical significance of ACS is unclear. Here, we aim to evaluate differences in eyes with striae compared with eyes without striae. METHODS: Adults with ACS (cases) and without ACS (controls) ≥8 weeks after glaucoma surgery with an IOP ≤10 mm Hg were enrolled. Optical coherence tomography and optical biometry were performed. CH, defined as the difference in pressure between corneal indentation and reformation in response to an air jet, was obtained by the ocular response analyzer. Hypotony maculopathy (HM) was defined as optic disc swelling, vascular tortuosity attributed to hypotony, or clinical presence of chorioretinal folds confirmed on OCT. RESULTS: One hundred sixteen eyes (76 cases, 40 controls) were included. Cases had a lower IOP compared with controls (6.5±2.3 vs. 8.5±1, P<0.0001). A 1 mm Hg increase in CH increased ACS odds [odds ratio (OR)=1.51, P=0.01]. A 1 D increase in the flattest presurgical and postsurgical corneal power increased ACS odds by 1.83 (P=0.01) and 1.41 (P=0.02), respectively. Astigmatism increased in eyes with ACS by 1.11 D (P<0.001). ACS odds were increased with every 1 minute increase in mitomycin-C duration (OR=1.58, P=0.047) and decreased with the use of topical glaucoma medication (OR=0.62, P=0.03). Visual acuity decreased from logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution 0.22 (20/33 Snellen) presurgery to 0.28 (20/38) postsurgery (P=0.008), independent of ACS. HM occurred in 19% of cases (P=0.05). A higher postsurgical CH increased HM odds (OR=1.8, P=0.003). HM predicted a 0.41 mm decrease in axial length (P<0.0001), independent of IOP. CONCLUSION: ACS were associated with a steeper cornea, induced astigmatism, and higher CH, suggesting a relationship between striae, corneal shape, and the cornea's ability to resist deformations at lower IOP. CH, HM, and axial length shortening were associated independently of IOP.

Effect of Nylon Wick Technique on Early Intraocular Pressure Control in Nonvalved Aqueous Shunt Surgery.

PRECIS: The use of nylon wicks with fenestrations in nonvalved aqueous shunt surgery significantly reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma medication usage in the immediate postoperative period compared with the use of fenestrations alone. PURPOSE: To compare early postoperative IOP and medication usage in patients undergoing implantation of a nonvalved aqueous shunt device with fenestrations only or fenestrations with nylon wicks. METHODS: A retrospective review of all nonvalved aqueous shunt insertions completed by one surgeon (L.W.H.) was completed using current procedure terminology. Patients undergoing Baerveldt or ClearPath 350 mm2 aqueous shunt insertion with fenestrations only (n=37) or fenestrations with 2 nylon wicks were identified (n=92). All devices were ligated with 7-0 Vicryl (polyglactin) suture, and either 4 fenestrations or 2 fenestrations and two 9-0 nylon wicks were placed anterior to the ligature. Data regarding visual acuity (VA), IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and complications were collected from the preoperative visit just before surgery, postoperative day 1, week 3 (POW3), week 5, and month 2 (POM2). The main outcome measures were VA, IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and complications at all postoperative time points. RESULTS: There was no difference in logMAR VA between the 2 groups at any time point. At POW3, IOP was significantly lower in the wick group (14.6±7.7 vs. 18.1±8.7 mm Hg, P=0.03). Number of glaucoma medications used was significantly reduced in the wick group at POW3 (0.5±0.9 vs. 1.0±1.2, P=0.02) and POM2 (0.7±1.0 vs. 1.4±1.3, P=0.02). There was no significant increase in the overall rate of complications in the wick group, but there was a higher rate of transient hyphema (28% vs. 8%, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The use of 2 nylon wicks with fenestrations in nonvalved aqueous shunt device implantation can significantly lower IOP and medication burden while awaiting the dissolution of the ligature suture.

Dose-Response Relationship between Intravitreal Injections and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thinning in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PURPOSE: To determine if multiple intravitreal injections of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors for unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD) are associated with thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), we compared RNFL thickness measurements from the injected eye with that of the fellow eye with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (neAMD). DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy for unilateral eAMD. METHODS: Patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy secondary to eAMD in 1 eye with neAMD in their fellow eye were identified. Patients with a known diagnosis of glaucoma were excluded. Spectral domain OCT measurements of the peripapillary RNFL thickness from both eyes were performed and compared. The differences in the RNFL thickness measurements between eyes were correlated with the number of injections and the duration of therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation between the number of anti-VEGF injections and peripapillary RNFL thinning. RESULTS: A total of 108 eyes of 54 patients were evaluated in this study. The average peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements of the injected eye and fellow eye were 87.3 ± 9.6 µm and 89.0 ± 7.5 µm, respectively (P = 0.055). The RNFL thickness difference (fellow eye minus injected eye) was significantly correlated with the number of injections (r = 0.40, P = 0.002) and months of injections (r = 0.38, P = 0.005). The relationship between the difference in the RNFL thickness and the number of injections had a nonlinear dose-response relationship that became apparent after approximately 30 injections and 50 months of injections. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in RNFL thickness measurements between injected eyes and uninjected fellow eyes was largely within the reported normal limits for interocular differences between healthy eyes. Nevertheless, there was a dose-response relationship between RNFL thinning and number of injections among patients receiving a greater number of injections, suggesting that anti-VEGF injections may have a modest effect on the RNFL thickness after several years of therapy in eyes requiring more anti-VEGF injections; however, we cannot exclude that the RNFL thinning may be secondary to active age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disease progression in both eyes.

Rates of RNFL Thinning in Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Glaucoma Receiving Unilateral Intravitreal Injections for Exudative AMD.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated whether the rate of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning is faster in eyes receiving intravitreal injections than in fellow uninjected eyes among patients suspected of having or confirmed to have glaucoma and exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Retrospective comparative cohort study. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of unilateral exudative AMD and confirmed to have or suspected of having glaucoma in both eyes receiving unilateral intravitreal injections were identified. Those with ≥3 RNFL optical coherence tomography scans and ≥6 injections were included in the study. Rates of RNFL thinning in the injected eye versus the uninjected eye were estimated using linear mixed models. The main outcome measurement was the differences in rates of RNFL thinning in the injected versus the fellow uninjected eye. The effects of postinjection elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP), injection frequency, and number of injections were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients met the inclusion criteria, receiving 26.4 ± 15.9 intravitreal injections. The average rate of RNFL thinning in uninjected eyes was -0.620 µm/year (P = .029). Injected eyes had an additional incremental loss of -0.385 µm/year, but this value was not statistically significant (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.147 to 0.379 µm/year; P = .324). Subgroup analysis with only glaucoma patients (n = 33) also demonstrated a nonsignificant effect of injections (-0.568 µm/year; 95% CI: -1.454 to 0.319 µm/year; P = .212). Postinjection IOP elevation, injection frequency, and total number of injections were not associated with faster RNFL loss. CONCLUSIONS: Among exudative AMD patients with glaucoma or suspected of having glaucoma, the rate of RNFL thinning in eyes receiving intravitreal injections did not significantly differ from that of fellow uninjected eyes.

Repair of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Following Globe Perforation by Retrobulbar Anesthesia.

Globe perforation following retrobulbar or peribulbar anesthetic injection is a rare but dreaded complication that often results in suboptimal visual outcomes. This video describes a 72-year-old woman who sustained a globe perforation during retrobulbar block in the setting of cataract extraction and later developed a retinal detachment. The retina was repaired with pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil, resulting in a favorable visual outcome. The authors discuss various modes of local anesthesia for vitreoretinal surgery, risks for globe perforations, and how to approach retinal detachment secondary to needle perforations, which are complex cases at high risk for proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Visual Field Outcomes in the Tube Versus Trabeculectomy Study.

PURPOSE: To describe visual field (VF) outcomes in the Tube Versus Trabeculectomy (TVT) Study. DESIGN: Cohort analysis of patients in a multicenter randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 122 eyes of 122 patients, with 61 eyes in both the tube shunt and trabeculectomy groups. METHODS: The TVT Study is a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of tube shunt surgery (350-mm2 Baerveldt implant) and trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) (0.4 mg/ml for 4 minutes) in patients with previous cataract or glaucoma surgery. Enrolled patients underwent perimetry at baseline and annual follow-up visits. The VFs were included if the false-positive rate was ≤20% and false-negative rate was ≤35%. The VFs were excluded if visual acuity <20/400 or loss of ≥2 Snellen lines from baseline was attributed to an etiology other than glaucoma. Longitudinal linear mixed-effects models with best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) were applied to estimate rates of change in mean deviation (MD) for each treatment group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Rate of MD change during follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 436 reliable VFs were analyzed, with an average of 3.6 VFs per eye. Baseline MD was -13.07 ± 8.4 decibels (dB) in the tube shunt group and -13.18 ± 8.2 dB in the trabeculectomy group (P = 0.99). The rate of change in MD was -0.60 dB/year in the tube group and -0.38 dB/year in the trabeculectomy group (P = 0.34). The 95% confidence intervals for the rates of MD change were -0.77 to -0.44 dB/year in the tube group and -0.56 to -0.20 dB/year in the trabeculectomy group. No significant difference in MD slope was seen when patients were categorized by percentage of visits with intraocular pressure (IOP) <18 mmHg or by average IOP. Univariable and multivariable risk factor analyses identified history of diabetes, elevated IOP, and worse MD as baseline factors associated with more rapid VF loss. CONCLUSIONS: Slow rates of VF loss were observed after randomized surgical treatment in the TVT Study, but no significant difference in the rate of VF loss was seen after tube shunt implantation and trabeculectomy with MMC. Patients with diabetes, higher IOP, and more severe VF loss at baseline were at higher risk for VF progression.

Multimodal Imaging of Punctate Outer Retinal Toxoplasmosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To describe the multimodal imaging characteristics associated with punctate outer retinal toxoplasmosis (PORT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multicenter, retrospective, observational case series of three patients who presented with PORT. Multimodal imaging was reviewed including optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography angiography, and conventional dye-based angiography. RESULTS: Patient ages ranged from 13 years to 55 years. Each patient had multiple white, punctate outer retinal lesions in the affected eye at initial diagnosis. OCT showed both inner and outer retinal changes, including disruption of the ellipsoid and interdigitation zones and retinal pigment epithelium/Bruch's membrane complex, as well as punctate, preretinal, hyperreflective lesions at the vitreoretinal interface, which regressed with treatment. CONCLUSION: Multimodal imaging is useful in diagnosing and monitoring treatment response in PORT, an uncommon presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis that must be differentiated from white dot syndromes or other causes of unilateral retinitis. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:281-287.].

Swept-Source OCT Angiography of Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome With Inflammatory Retinal Pigment Epithelial Detachment.

A 30-year-old woman with photopsias and decreased vision was diagnosed with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) with an atypical inflammatory subfoveal retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and imaged using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) during several visits. SS-OCT imaging revealed a focal area of attenuated choriocapillaris underneath the PED. An attempt to treat the presumed macular inflammatory lesion with corticosteroids resulted in bilateral exudation consistent with central serous chorioretinopathy. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:145-151.].

Detection of Choriocapillaris Loss in Alport Syndrome With Swept-Source OCT Angiography.

A patient previously diagnosed with Alport Syndrome was evaluated using multimodal imaging. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated significant thinning of the inner retina within the macula, and inner retinal cysts were found in the peripheral macula. OCT angiography demonstrated loss of the choriocapillaris. Abnormal collagen appears to have multiple deleterious effects on the retinal and choroidal structure and vasculature. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:138-141.].

Molecular Characteristics of Conjunctival Melanoma Using Whole-Exome Sequencing.

Importance: Conjunctival melanoma (CM) is a highly aggressive ocular cancer for which treatment options are limited; the molecular pathogenesis is poorly understood. Objective: To identify the molecular characteristics of CM using next-generation whole-exome sequencing (WES). Design, Setting, and Participants: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on tumor DNA extracted from the archived specimens of 5 patients with CM who had been treated with surgical excision between 2006 and 2011. These samples were analyzed at a tertiary academic ocular oncology referral center using a customized bioinformatic pipeline. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sample analyses were designed to detect driver mutations, chromosome copy number aberrations, and mutation signatures. Results: The study's 5 patients ranged in age from 51 to 77 years. Four of the 5 were female, and all were white. Mutations were detected in known oncogenes, including BRAF, NRAS, NF1, EGFR, ALK, TERT, and APC. None of the mutations associated with uveal melanoma were found. All samples demonstrated a C→T mutation signature typical of UV-induced DNA damage. The most common CNA was a gain in chromosome 6p. Conclusions and Relevance: In these 5 patients, WES allowed identification of mutations that can be targeted with therapy and supported the role of UV light in CM pathogenesis. These findings indicate a need for larger studies to evaluate the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value of WES for CM.