Prevalence and Risk Factors of Blindness Among Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma Patients in the United States: An IRIS Registry Analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of blindness among patients newly diagnosed with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) in the United States. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: Eligible patients from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry had newly diagnosed PACG, defined as: 1) observable during a 24-month lookback period from index date of PACG diagnosis; 2) no history of eye drops, laser, or cataract surgery unless preceded by a diagnosis of anatomical narrow angle (ANA); and 3) no history of glaucoma surgery. Logistic regression models were developed to identify risk factors for any (one or both eyes) or bilateral (both eyes) blindness (visual acuity ≤20/200) at first diagnosis of PACG. RESULTS: Among 43,901 eligible patients, overall prevalence of any and bilateral blindness were 11.5% and 1.8%, respectively. Black and Hispanic patients were at higher risk of any (odds ratios [ORs] 1.42 and 1.21, respectively; P < .001) and bilateral (ORs 2.04 and 1.53, respectively; P < .001) blindness compared with non-Hispanic White patients adjusted for ocular comorbidities. Age <50 or >80 years, male sex, Medicaid or Medicare insurance product, and Southern or Western practice region also conferred a higher risk of blindness (OR > 1.28; P ≤ .01). CONCLUSIONS: Blindness affects 1 of 9 patients with newly diagnosed PACG in the IRIS Registry. Black and Hispanic patients and Medicaid and Medicare recipients are at significantly higher risk. These findings highlight the severe ocular morbidity among patients with PACG and the need for improved disease awareness and detection methods.

Morphometric Assessment of the Ciliary Body in Patients With Marfan Syndrome and Ectopia Lentis: A Quantitative Study Using Ultrasound Biomicroscopy.

PURPOSE: To explore the biometric characteristics of the ciliary body in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and ectopia lentis (EL). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Seventy-two consecutive patients with MFS and EL and 72 nondiseased control subjects were recruited. Ciliary body biometric parameters such as ciliary muscle cross-sectional area at 2000 µm from the scleral spur (CMA2000), ciliary muscle thickness at 1000 µm from the scleral spur (CMT1000), and maximum ciliary body thickness (CBTmax) were measured from multiple directions with ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). The relationship between ciliary body parameters and other ocular characteristics was also evaluated. RESULTS: Average CMA2000, CMT1000, and CBTmax were 0.692 ± 0.015 mm2, 0.405 ± 0.010 mm, and 0.855 ± 0.023 mm in eyes of patients with MFS, respectively, and were significantly smaller than these values in control subjects (all P < .001). The prevalence of ciliary body thinning was 22.2% in the MFS group vs 0 in the control group (P < .001); eyes with more severe EL had smaller CMA2000 (P = .050), thinner CMT1000 (P = .022), and shorter CBTmax (P = .015). Patients with microspherophakia (MSP) had even smaller CMA2000 (P = .033) and CMT1000 (P = .044) than those without MSP. The most common subluxation direction was in the superonasal quadrant (n = 25; 39.7%), which probably correlates with the thinnest CMT1000 in the inferotemporal quadrant (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MFS and EL had thinner ciliary muscles, shorter ciliary processes, and a higher prevalence of ciliary body thinning, especially those with MSP. Both the extent and direction of subluxation were associated with ciliary body biometry..

SD-OCT assessment and visual field changes 1 year or more after a single episode of unilateral acute primary angle closure / Avaliação do SD-OCT e mudanças do campo visual 1 ano ou mais após episódio único de fechamento angular primário agudo unilateral

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate structural and visual field (VF) changes after ≥1 year of a single acute primary angle closure (APAC) attack using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP). Methods: Patients with a single unilateral APAC crisis at least 1 year ago were included consecutively from 2013 to 2016. Contralateral eye was used as control. All patients underwent ophthalmic examination, RNFL imaging by SD-OCT, and SAP using Octopus 1-2-3. Results: 54 eyes (27 patients) were enrolled. Male-to-female ratio was 1:2. Mean time for the SD-OCT and SAP assessment after the crisis was 5.0±5.1 (1.0-23.5) years, and IOP was 52.5±9.8 mmHg. In APAC eyes, the thicknesses of all quadrants of peripapillary RNFL (36.3%; P<0.001) and some macular sections (from 2.1% to 4.7%; P<0.01) were reduced compared to contralateral eyes. Additionally, in APAC eyes, the mean defect on VF was negatively and statistically correlated with the reduction of all quadrants of peripapillary RNFL thickness. Conclusion: A single episode of APAC was associated with peripapillary RNFL and macular thickness and with VF defects after ≥1 year of the crisis in the affected eye. Statistically meaningful correlations were found between structural and functional damage.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar alterações estruturais e do campo visual 1 ano ou mais após uma crise única de fechamento angular primário agudo utilizando tomografia de coerência óptica de domínio espectral e perimetria automatizada padronizada. Métodos: Pacientes que apresentaram crise unilateral única de fechamento angular primário agudo há pelo menos 1 ano foram consecutivamente incluídos entre 2013 e 2016. Os olhos contralaterais foram utilizados como controles. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a exame oftalmológico, avaliação das camadas de fibras nervosas da retina utilizando tomografia de coerência óptica de domínio espectral e perimetria automatizada padronizada com o Octopus 1-2-3. Resultados: Foram incluídos 54 olhos (27 pacientes) com razão homem:mulher de 1:2. O tempo médio após a crise foi de 5,0±5,1 anos (1,0 a 23,5) e a pressão intraocular na crise foi 52,5±9,8mmHg. Nos olhos com fechamento angular primário agudo, todas as espessuras das camadas de fibras nervosas da retina peripapilares (36,3%; p<0,001) e de algumas seções maculares (de 2,1 a 4,7%; p<0,01) estavam reduzidas em comparação aos olhos contralaterais. Além do mais, nos olhos submetidos a fechamento angular primário agudo, o mean defect do campo visual foi estatisticamente e negativamente correlacionado com a redução da espessura de todos os quadrantes peripapilares da camada de fibras nervosas da retina. Conclusão: Um único episódio de fechamento angular primário agudo foi associado com redução na espessura da camada de fibras nervosas da retina peripapilar e da espessura macular e com defeitos de campo visual 1 ano ou mais após a crise no olho afetado. Correlações estatisticamente significativas foram identificadas entre danos estruturais e funcionais.

Cost-effectiveness of Phacoemulsification Versus Combined Phacotrabeculectomy for Treating Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the cost effectiveness of phacoemulsification and combined phacotrabeculectomy for lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) eyes with coexisting cataract. METHODS: Real-life data of 2 previous randomized control trials that involved 51 medically uncontrolled PACG eyes and 72 medically controlled PACG eyes were utilized to calculate the direct cost of treatment. They were followed-up for 2 years. Cost of preoperative assessments, surgical interventions, additional procedures for managing complications and maintenance of filtration, postoperative follow-up, and cost of medications were considered. Cost data of 3 different regions (The United States, People's Republic of China, and Hong Kong) were used for comparison. RESULTS: The corresponding average costs for treating 1 eye with newly diagnosed PACG by phacoemulsification alone and combined phacotrabeculectomy were US$3479 and US$2439 in the United States, US$1051 and US$861 in China, and US$6856 and US$12087 in Hong Kong. Surgical and medications costs were the 2 key contributors. Combined phacotrabeculectomy was more cost-effective for IOP reduction when calculating with the United States and China cost data, but was less cost-effective when calculating with the Hong Kong cost data. The cost-effectiveness was insensitive to the costs of follow-up visit and investigations, the cost of surgical operations, and the cost of postoperative procedures, but sensitive to the cost fluctuation of medications. Furthermore, for the medically uncontrolled PACG group, phacoemulsification alone became more cost-effective when the cost of medication was reduced by >75%. CONCLUSIONS: Combined phacotrabeculectomy is a more cost-effective option for lowering IOP in PACG eyes with coexisting cataract, over a 2-year follow-up period.

Swept-source optical coherence tomography assessment of iris-trabecular contact after phacoemulsification with or without goniosynechialysis in eyes with primary angle closure glaucoma.

AIMS: To compare the change in iris-trabecular contact (ITC) area using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) in eyes with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) and cataract that underwent phacoemulsification (PE) with intraocular lens implantation alone compared with PE with goniosynechialysis (GSL). METHODS: One eye of 22 patients with PACG with peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) detected by indentation gonioscopy was randomised into two groups (PE alone (n=11) and PE+GSL (n=11)). The anterior chamber angles were evaluated by SS-OCT under dark conditions before and 12 months after surgery using the three-dimensional angle analysis scan protocol that simultaneously obtains 128 cross-sectional radial scans across the anterior chamber at equal intervals (every 1.4°). The ITC area, defined as the area of extent of the circumferential contact of peripheral iris to the angle wall, was computed automatically by SS-OCT after an observer marked the scleral spurs of all 128 scans of each eye. RESULTS: The majority of the 22 subjects were women (77.3%) and the mean±SD age was 67.3±5.8 years. The ITC area was significantly reduced in the PE+GSL group compared with the PE alone group (10.2 mm2 vs. 4.6 mm2, ß=0.54, p=0.03) after adjusting for age, gender, intraocular pressure, extent of PAS and pupil diameter before surgery. Smaller iris volume at baseline was associated with greater ITC area reduction by PE+GSL (ß=-0.728, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes that undergo PE+GSL surgery have a greater reduction in circumferential ITC area than eyes that undergo PE alone.

Neovascular glaucoma after central retinal vein occlusion in pre-existing glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: To determine the outcome of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in pre-existing glaucoma and the predisposing factors of developing neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: We retrospectively assessed a pre-existing glaucoma CRVO group and a non-glaucoma CRVO group to elucidate the demographics, clinical course and ocular parameters of these two cohorts. Among the pre-existing glaucoma cases, the predisposing factors for the development of NVG were monitored, including the retinal capillary non-perfusion status, intraocular pressure (IOP) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at presentation. RESULTS: Of 642 CRVO patients reviewed in this 10-year cohort study, 60 (9.3%) had pre-existing glaucoma at a mean follow-up of 30.8 months, including 28 (4.4%) primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), 27 (4.2%) primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and 5 (0.8%) normal tension glaucoma (NTG) cases. Although the presence of glaucoma in the CRVO eyes was not significantly associated with the risk of developing NVG, the incidence of developing NVG in pre-existing glaucoma eyes was significantly higher in the group with IOP greater than 20 mmHg at CRVO presentation (P = 0.02, Chi-square test) as well as in the ischemic CRVO group compared to the non-ischemic patients (P = 0.005, Fisher's exact test). Overall, 20% of pre-existing glaucoma patients needed glaucoma surgery after a CRVO event, including 11.7% of patients who developed iris neovascularisation (INV) and 8.3% of patients who developed a high IOP without INV. CONCLUSIONS: Both the retinal non-perfusion status and uncontrolled IOP contribute to NVG in patients with pre-existing glaucoma after CRVO. Following CRVO, glaucoma surgery is necessary for pre-existing glaucoma cases with intractable elevated IOP with or without INV.

Increased risk of acute angle closure in retinitis pigmentosa: a population-based case-control study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and acute angle closure during a 15-year follow-up period. METHODS: Using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, we identified 382 RP patients based on the diagnostic code of RP (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) 362.74) made during 1996-2010, excluding subjects under age of 20 years at diagnosis or subjects undergoing lens extraction before the index date. The control group included 3820 randomly selected non-RP subjects matched with the RP patients in age, gender and the index date of diagnosis. The incidence of acute angle closure during the study period was observed based on an ICD-9-CM code of 365.22. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) of having acute angle closure in RP patients. RESULTS: The mean age at the diagnosis of RP was 51.1 years (standard deviation [SD] 16.7). Acute angle closure occurred in 5 RP patients (1.3%) and in 15 controls (0.4%). The mean age with the acute angle closure was 53.3 years (SD 8.0) in RP patients and 64.6 years (SD 8.4) in controls (P = 0.015). After adjusting for age, gender and comorbid disorders, RP patients had 3.64-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-10.25, P<0.001) greater odds of having acute angle closure. After stratification for gender and age, the risk of acute angle closure in RP was higher in patients under age of 60 years (adjusted OR 11.84; 95% CI, 2.84-49.48) and male patients (adjusted OR 19.36; 95% CI, 3.43-109.40) (both P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RP patients had increased risk of acute angle closure than controls. Contrary to the fact that angle closure disease is more prevalent in elderly females in general population, acute angle closure attack occurred earlier in life and the risk was higher in males among RP patients.

Ultrasound biomicroscopic assessment of angle parameters in patients with primary angle closure glaucoma undergoing phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of phacoemulsification and foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation on biometric determinants of the anterior chamber angle in primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). METHODS: Forty-six eyes of 46 patients with chronic PACG and cataract having a patent laser iridotomy were included in this prospective, interventional case series. Angle parameters were measured using UBM before surgery and 3 months after phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by applanation tonometer and records of glaucoma medication administered were maintained. Main outcome measures were IOP, central anterior chamber depth (ACD), trabecular iris angle (TIA), and angle opening distance at 250 and 500 µm from scleral spur (AOD250 and AOD500). RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 56.5 ± 9.9 years (range 44-75). The preoperative mean IOP was 25.0 ± 5.4 mmHg on maximum antiglaucoma medication, which was reduced to 15.8 ± 3.8 mmHg (p = 0.0001) at 3 months. Number of antiglaucoma medications also decreased from 2.4 ± 1.1 to 0.4 ± 1.1 (p = 0.0001). There was a significant widening of the anterior chamber angle with the TIA increasing significantly after phacoemulsification (p<0.001) with an associated increase in AOD250, AOD500, and ACD (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Phacoemulsification in eyes with PACG results in significant widening of the anterior chamber angle. This results in better IOP control after surgery and decreases the need for glaucoma medications. These findings are of clinical significance in obviating the need for simultaneous filtering surgery in eyes with PACG undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery.