Beyond visual acuity: Patient-relevant assessment measures of visual function in retinal diseases.

PURPOSE: To identify patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and other clinical outcome measures (contrast sensitivity (CS), low-luminance visual acuity (LLVA) and reading acuity or reading speed (RA-RS)), relevant to patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy (DR), which would be recommended for use in clinical practice. METHODS: The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, based on the synthesis of the scientific evidence and the collective judgment of an expert panel using the two-round Delphi method, was applied. The evidence synthesis was performed by searching for articles on outcome measures for AMD and/or DR published between 2005 and 2018 in English or Spanish. The expert panel consisted of 14 Spanish ophthalmologists, who rated the recommendation degree for each outcome measure on a scale of 1 (extremely irrelevant) to 9 (maximum relevance). The recommended outcome measures were established according to the panel median score and the level of the panelists' agreement. RESULTS: Through the evidence search, 33 PRO-specific questionnaires (21 for visual function, six for AMD, three for DR, one for AMD and DR) and two treatment satisfaction questionnaires (one on AMD and one on DR) were identified. In addition, 21 methods were found for measuring CS, five for LLVA, and nine for RA-RS. According to the panel ratings, 11 of the 64 outcome measures evaluated for AMD, and seven of the 61 evaluated for DR were recommended. CONCLUSION: The AMD and DR outcome measures recommended will help ophthalmologists choose the outcome measure most appropriate for their patients. Furthermore, the use of PROs will contribute to shifting clinical practice towards patient-centered medicine.

Comparison of long-term clinical evolution in highly myopic eyes with vertical oval-shaped dome with or without untreated serous retinal detachment.

BACKGROUND: To compare the long-term clinical evolution of highly myopic eyes with vertical oval-shaped dome associated with or without untreated serous retinal detachment. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with high myopia (40 eyes) with smooth macular elevations related to a vertical oval-shaped dome were recruited. Serous retinal detachment was investigated; 11 eyes had persistent submacular fluid (study group) and 29 eyes lacked submacular fluid (control group). All patients underwent complete ophthalmological examinations, including optical coherence tomography at baseline every 6 months for 2 years. Fluorescein angiographies were performed in cases with serous retinal detachment to rule out choroidal neovascularisation. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in baseline age, sex, spherical equivalence or axial length between the two groups. Serous retinal detachment always occurred at the top of the inward macular incurvation. Moreover, no statistically significant differences in mean best-corrected visual acuity were observed during the 24-month follow-up period in the study and control groups and between the two groups at all time points. The mean central foveal thickness was significantly higher in the study group at each visit (p=0.001, in all cases). At the final follow-up visit, complete resolution of the serous retinal detachment was achieved in 1 of the 11 study group's eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Serous retinal detachment is a complication associated with vertical oval-shaped domes that seems to remain stable in terms of visual function over time without treatment.