Outcomes of macular hole surgery with short-duration positioning in highly myopic eyes: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of macular hole (MH) surgery with 3-day prone positioning in highly myopic eyes and to compare them with those from non-highly myopic eyes. DESIGN: Retrospective nested case-control study from a cohort of 496 consecutive patients (496 eyes) who underwent surgery for MH. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-seven highly myopic eyes (with axial length >26 mm) were included in the study group and were matched for MH size and duration of symptoms with 47 non-highly myopic control eyes selected from the same cohort. METHODS: All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and 17% hexafluoroethane gas filling. Patients then were advised to maintain strict face-down positioning for 3 days only and to avoid the supine position during the night for a minimum of 1 week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The MH closure rate, the relationship between axial length and closure rate, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and the surgical complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean axial length was 28.5±2.2 mm in highly myopic eyes and 23.3±1.1 mm in controls (P < 0.001). Closure of the MH was achieved in 39 of 47 eyes (83%) in the study group and in 45 of 47 eyes (95.7%) in the control group (P = 0.045). Anatomic outcomes tended to decrease when axial length increased (P = 0.066). Mean BCVA improved in both groups (0.41±0.39 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution [logMAR] vs. 0.68±0.34 logMAR) but was significantly lower in highly myopic eyes (P < 0.001). Retinal detachment occurred in 8.5% of highly myopic patients versus 2.1% of controls, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Macular hole surgery with 3-day postoperative positioning in highly myopic eyes resulted in satisfactory anatomic and functional outcomes. However, the MH closure rate and mean improvement of visual acuity were less favorable than those in control eyes. Longer axial length may increase the risk of anatomic failure.

A case of nicorandil-induced unilateral corneal ulceration.

Nicorandil, a second-generation nitro derivative, has been reported to induce single or multiple ulcerations in many locations, including oral, anal, perianal, vulvovaginal, perivulval, penile, gastrointestinal, colic, peristomal and skin locations. Ocular locations are now highly suspected. Herein, we report the case of a 78-year-old woman who experienced corneal ulceration at second cataract surgery (right eye) while being treated with nicorandil for 3 years. Four years before, she had had an uneventful first cataract surgery (left eye). The ulcers healed within 6 weeks after simple withdrawal of nicorandil, an expected delay for this type of chemical ulcer. The substitution of nicorandil with classic nitric oxide donors has already been done without complication. Surgical intervention is unnecessary and inappropriate. Case reports of ocular side effects induced by nicorandil are rare and probably underestimated.

Validity of aqueous flare measurement in predicting proliferative vitreoretinopathy in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: To investigate aqueous flare as a preoperative predictor for later proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) development in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and to determine the validity of this measurement in patients at low clinical risk for postoperative PVR. METHODS: This study included 100 eyes of 100 patients who underwent surgery for primary RD. Aqueous flare was determined preoperatively with a laser flare-cell meter (Kowa FM-500, Kowa Company Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Patients were followed for at least 6 months postoperatively. Failures related to PVR were recorded for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twenty eyes (20%) developed PVR postoperatively. Preoperative flare values in these eyes were significantly higher than in eyes with no redetachment (48.12 ± 61.24 versus 17.74 ± 29.63 photon counts per millisecond (pc/ms), p = 0.002). The odds ratio for PVR development with flare values >15 pc/ms was 12.3 (p < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval, 3.54-42.59). Of 54 eyes at low clinical risk for postoperative PVR, five developed PVR postoperatively. Flare values were significantly higher in these eyes (25.30 ± 7.10 pc/ms) than in eyes with no redetachment (12.44 ± 10.16 pc/ms, p = 0.008). Using logistic regression, the odds ratio of PVR redetachment risk increased by the factor 1.078 per 1 pc/ms of flare value (95% CI, 1.01-1.15). CONCLUSION: Preoperative aqueous flare is a strong predictive factor for PVR redetachment. The laser flare-cell meter provides a fast and safe tool to accurately identify patients at risk for postoperative PVR, especially when clinical examination did not predict this risk.

Outcomes of epiretinal membrane surgery in highly myopic eyes: a case-control study.

AIMS: To evaluate the outcomes of epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery in highly myopic eyes and to compare them with those from non-highly myopic eyes. METHODS: Retrospective nested case-control study from a cohort of 1776 consecutive patients (1776 eyes) who underwent surgery for ERM. Fifty-seven highly myopic eyes (with axial length longer than 26 mm) were included in the study group and were matched for preoperative visual acuity and duration of symptoms with 57 non-highly myopic control eyes selected from the same cohort. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the relationship between axial length and visual improvement, the central macular thickness (CMT) and the surgical complications were analysed. RESULTS: The mean axial length was 27.3±1.1 mm in highly myopic eyes and 23.1±1 mm in controls (p<0.001). At the 1-year final examination, the mean BCVA significantly improved from 0.62±0.23 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) to 0.27±0.21 logMAR in the study group (p<0.001) and from 0.61±0.22 logMAR to 0.25±0.15 logMAR in the control group (p<0.001). Similarly, the mean CMT significantly decreased in both groups (p<0.001). The two groups did not differ statistically in terms of visual and anatomical changes as well as surgical complications. There was no significant correlation between axial length and visual recovery. CONCLUSIONS: ERM surgery resulted in similar anatomical and functional outcomes in both groups. Longer axial length does not seem to affect visual improvement and the complication rate.

Keratoconus in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increasing evidence suggests that keratoconus may have an inflammatory component. The possible association of keratoconus with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of keratoconus and suspect keratoconus in patients with IBD. METHODS: All consecutive adult IBD patients seen in the Department of Gastroenterology, Nancy, University Hospital, France, between March 2014 and June 2014 were included. Pregnant women, rigid lens wearers, patients with a family history of keratoconus and patients with a history of refractive surgery were excluded. A control group of healthy subjects was included. All included patients underwent a corneal topography (OPD-Scan III, Nidek) to detect keratoconus or suspect keratoconus. Rabinowitz videokeratographic indices were the basis of corneal topography interpretation. RESULTS: Two hundred and one IBD patients were included, 150 with Crohn's disease and 51 with ulcerative colitis. Mean age was 38.7 years and 121 were women. Mean disease duration was 10.8 years. Two IBD patients were diagnosed with keratoconus (1%) and 38 with suspect keratoconus (18.9%). Overall prevalence of keratoconus and suspect keratoconus was 19.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.5-22.0). None of the 100 healthy subjects had keratoconus, while three were diagnosed with suspect keratoconus (p = 0.0002 versus IBD patients). Only smoking was identified as a risk factor (p = 0.029), especially in Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory bowel disease patients may carry an increased risk of keratoconus and suspect keratoconus, smoking further increasing this risk. This supports the hypothesis of an inflammatory origin of keratoconus.

Ocular symptoms are not predictive of ophthalmologic inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Ocular manifestations are frequent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. AIM: To evaluate for the first time the value of ocular symptoms in predicting ophthalmologic inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: All consecutive inflammatory bowel disease patients seen in the Department of Gastroenterology (Nancy, University Hospital, France) between April 2009 and July 2011 were interviewed for this cross-sectional study using a pre-established questionnaire. If the patient had at least one ocular symptom, he systematically underwent an ophthalmologic examination (visual acuity, Break-Up Time test, Schirmer Test, slit-lamp exam with fundus examination). RESULTS: This cross-sectional survey was completed by 305 patients: 169 were women (55.2%), 228 had Crohn's disease (74.5%). Ninety-eight patients (32%) reported at least one ocular symptom: ocular irritation (56.8%), red eye (40.5%), blurred vision (37.8%), progressive visual loss (34.4%), ocular pain (31.1%), myodesopsia (23.3%), eyelid secretion (12.2%), dry eye (9.5%), watering (6.8%), diplopia (5.4%), metamorphopsia (4%), and sudden visual loss (4%). Following ophthalmologic examination (n=74), 41.9% patients had evidence of dry eye (n=31), 14.9% blepharitis (n=11) and 1.4% scleritis (n=1). No uveitis was reported. CONCLUSION: Ocular symptoms are frequent in inflammatory bowel disease, but are non-specific and rarely associated with ocular inflammation. Systematic ocular symptoms assessment is of poor value for diagnosing ocular inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.