MORPHOLOGICAL BIOMARKERS PREDICTING EXUDATIVE CONVERSION IN TYPE 1 NONEXUDATIVE MACULAR NEOVASCULARIZATION USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and morphological biomarkers to predict the exudative conversion in eyes with type 1 nonexudative macular neovascularization using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. METHODS: Macular neovascularizations were detected using the retinal pigment epithelium-to-retinal pigment epithelium-fit slab of swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography scan. Depending on whether exudation developed within a year, the eyes were divided into two groups: active and silent. Qualitative and quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography parameters of the two groups were evaluated to discriminate the biomarkers associated with exudative conversion. RESULTS: Of the 40 eyes, nine developed exudation within 1 year (incidence rate 22.5%). The active group exhibited a significantly higher "anastomosis and loops" pattern, greater "vessel density," increased "junction density," fewer "number of end points," and lower "lacunarity" compared with the silent group. "Anastomosis and loops" and higher "vessel density" were correlated with the active group in multivariate analyses. A predictive model combining these biomarkers achieved 95% accuracy in predicting exudative conversion. CONCLUSION: At 12 months, the risk of exudation was 22.5%, and "anastomosis and loops" and "vessel density" were useful optical coherence tomography angiography biomarkers for predicting exudative conversion in eyes with type 1 nonexudative macular neovascularization. For eyes with a high risk of exudative conversion, more frequent follow-up is recommended.

Clinical features of primary and compound forms of wide macular posterior staphyloma in high myopia.

BACKGROUND: To compare the ocular features of highly myopic eyes with posterior staphyloma of wide macular type according to its morphological complexity. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, wide macular posterior staphyloma (WMPS) was classified into the primary (Curtin type I) and the compound (Curtin types VI to X) forms based on the configuration within the staphyloma. The grades of myopic maculopathy and the thicknesses of choroid and sclera were compared between the primary and compound forms of WMPS. RESULTS: A total of 154 eyes (103 patients) with primary WMPS and 65 eyes (49 patients) with compound WMPS were included. Eyes with compound WMPS had worse visual acuity (P = 0.001) and greater axial length (P < 0.001) than those with primary WMPS. Compared to primary WMPS, compound WMPS had a higher grade of myopic macular degeneration (P < 0.001) and a higher frequency of lamellar or full-thickness macular hole associated with myopic traction (21.5% vs. 10.4%; P = 0.028) and active or scarred myopic choroidal neovascularization (33.8% vs. 20.1%; P = 0.030). On swept-source optical coherence tomography, eyes with compound WMPS had significantly thinner choroid and sclera. CONCLUSIONS: The compound form of WMPS had more severe myopic macular changes and worse visual prognosis compared to the primary form of WMPS, and these were associated with more structural deformation in the posterior eyeball. Compound WMPS should be considered as an advanced form of staphyloma.

Preliminary analysis of predicting the first recurrence in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration using deep learning.

BACKGROUND: To predict, using deep learning, the first recurrence in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) after three monthly loading injections of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). METHODS: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were obtained at baseline and after the loading phase. The first recurrence was defined as the initial appearance of a new retinal hemorrhage or intra/subretinal fluid accumulation after the initial resolution of exudative changes after three loading injections. Standard U-Net architecture was used to identify the three retinal fluid compartments, which include pigment epithelial detachment, subretinal fluid, and intraretinal fluid. To predict the first recurrence of nAMD, classification learning was conducted to determine whether the first recurrence occurred within three months after the loading phase. The recurrence classification architecture was built using ResNet50. The model with retinal regions of interest of the entire region and fluid region on OCT at baseline and after the loading phase is presented. RESULTS: A total of 1,444 eyes of 1,302 patients were included. The mean duration until the first recurrence after the loading phase was 8.20 ± 15.56 months. The recurrence classification system revealed that the model with the fluid region of OCT after the loading phase provided the highest classification performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.725 ± 0.012. Heatmap analysis revealed that three pathological fluids, subsided choroidal neovascularization lesions, and hyperreflective foci were important areas for the first recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The deep learning algorithm allowed for the prediction of the first recurrence for three months after the loading phase with adequate feasibility. An automated prediction system may assist in establishing patient-specific treatment plans and the provision of individualized medical care for patients with nAMD.

Comparison of surgical outcomes after removal of epiretinal membrane associated with retinal break and idiopathic epiretinal membrane.

PURPOSE: To compare the surgical outcomes of epiretinal membranes (ERMs) associated with retinal break and idiopathic ERMs. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with an idiopathic ERM or an ERM associated with retinal break, who were followed up for ≥ 6 months after ERM removal. The postoperative functional and anatomical outcomes were compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 160 and 38 eyes (198 patients) were in the idiopathic and retinal break groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in the baseline anatomical and functional parameters between the groups. At 6 months after surgery and at the final follow-up, best-corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, and ectopic inner foveal layer improved significantly in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the groups. In latter 49.0% of patients, tests for metamorphopsia and aniseikonia were performed. There was a significant improvement in the scores of metamorphopsia (0.40 ± 0.38 to 0.27 ± 0.28; p < 0.001) and aniseikonia (6.07 ± 4.46 to 4.11 ± 3.52; p < 0.001) in the idiopathic group at 6 months after surgery, but not in the retinal break group. The idiopathic group had significantly greater circularity of ERM extent compared to the retinal break group (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Visual and anatomical improvements after removal of ERMs associated with retinal break and idiopathic ERMs were comparable. However, metamorphopsia and aniseikonia improved only after removal of idiopathic ERMs.

VISUAL PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF NEUTROPHIL-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO AND PLATELET-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO IN BEHÇET UVEITIS.

PURPOSE: To investigate the significance of systemic indicators, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), as long-term visual prognostic factors in patients with Behçet uveitis. METHODS: This study comprised 114 eyes from 114 patients diagnosed with Behçet uveitis. Ophthalmologic evaluations and biochemical measurements including NLR and PLR values were consecutively obtained at each visit. Patients were divided into good and poor visual outcome groups, based on the visual acuity of 0.5 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution in the worse-seeing eyes at the last visit. Factors associated with poor visual outcomes were analyzed, and optimal cutoff values of NLR and PLR were also evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-six eyes (57.9%) were included in the good visual outcome group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that younger age of onset (odds ratio = 0.939; P = 0.010), longer disease duration (odds ratio = 1.164; P < 0.001), higher maximum NLR (odds ratio = 1.215; P = 0.033), and higher initial PLR (odds ratio = 1.014; P = 0.039) were significantly associated with poor visual outcomes. The optimal cutoff value for patients with poor visual outcome was 5.608 for NLR and 128.078 for PLR. CONCLUSION: A higher maximum NLR and higher initial PLR, as well as a younger age of onset and longer disease duration, were significantly associated with poor visual outcomes. Systemic inflammatory factors might be important indicators of visual prognosis in Behçet uveitis.

DETECTION AND LOCALIZATION OF RETINAL BREAKS IN ULTRAWIDEFIELD FUNDUS PHOTOGRAPHY USING a YOLO v3 ARCHITECTURE-BASED DEEP LEARNING MODEL.

PURPOSE: We aimed to develop a deep learning model for detecting and localizing retinal breaks in ultrawidefield fundus (UWF) images. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled treatment-naive patients diagnosed with retinal break or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and who had UWF images. The YOLO v3 architecture backbone was used to develop the model, using transfer learning. The performance of the model was evaluated using per-image classification and per-object detection. RESULTS: Overall, 4,505 UWF images from 940 patients were used in the current study. Among them, 306 UWF images from 84 patients were included in the test set. In per-object detection, the average precision for the object detection model considering every retinal break was 0.840. With the best threshold, the overall precision, recall, and F1 score were 0.6800, 0.9189, and 0.7816, respectively. In the per-image classification, the model showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.957 within the test set. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in the test data set were 0.9085, 0.8966, and 0.9158, respectively. CONCLUSION: The UWF image-based deep learning model evaluated in the current study performed well in diagnosing and locating retinal breaks.

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA SINE PIGMENTO: Clinical Spectrum and Pigment Development.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical findings, natural course, and pigment development of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) sine pigmento using multimodal imaging. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 810 consecutive patients with RP and assessed serial ultra-widefield fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography images. Electrophysiological and visual field analysis findings were also reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 774 patients with RP who met the inclusion criteria, 88 were diagnosed with RP sine pigmento, with a prevalence of 11.4%. The mean age of the patients was 35.57 years compared with 49.83 years for patients with typical RP. Fifty-nine patients (67%) demonstrated minimal color change, whereas 29 (33%) presented with grayish flecks in the retinal pigment epithelium on fundus photography. All patients with RP sine pigmento had abnormalities on fundus autofluorescence, and the commonest fundus autofluorescence findings were punctate or reticular hypoautofluorescence. Of the 62 patients without pigmentation at the first visit and at the follow-up visits, 14 (22.6%) had developed pigmentation at their follow-up visit, with an average time of 3.92 years. Most patients retained a visual acuity of ≥20/50 within the age of 50 years. CONCLUSION: Diagnosing RP sine pigmento based solely on ophthalmoscopic findings is more difficult than in more typical cases. Multimodal imaging can provide insights into the clinical characteristics to facilitate the diagnosis, classification, and follow-up of patients.

Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography of retinal occlusive vasculitis following brolucizumab administration: a case report.

BACKGROUND: We present a case of retinal occlusive vasculitis following brolucizumab administration and the first report of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings after treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old man complained of vision loss in the left eye 6 weeks after brolucizumab injection. His visual acuity was counting fingers, and examination revealed 1 + anterior chamber cells with 2 + vitreous cells. Fundus examination demonstrated vitreous haze, retinal whitening, and vascular sheathing. Fluorescein angiography revealed filling defects in the retinal arteries and veins, and OCTA showed extensive capillary nonperfusion. Under the diagnosis of brolucizumab-associated intraocular inflammation (IOI) and retinal occlusive vasculitis, topical, sub-Tenon, and systemic corticosteroids were administered. After the treatment, visual acuity improved to 20/200, and OCTA revealed gradual improvement in capillary dropout; however, with the limited improvement of reperfusion in the perifoveal areas. CONCLUSIONS: Prompt evaluation and intensive corticosteroid treatments are required for brolucizumab-associated IOI. OCTA imaging provides detailed information on microvascular changes in the retinal vascular plexuses in brolucizumab-associated retinal occlusive vasculitis.

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHANGES IN CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA IN RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA AFTER INTRAVITREAL DEXAMETHASONE IMPLANT INJECTION.

PURPOSE: To evaluate microstructural changes in cystoid macular edema in retinitis pigmentosa after intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection. METHODS: In an extended cohort of a randomized trial of intravitreal dexamethasone implant for the management of retinitis pigmentosa-associated cystoid macular edema, microstructural changes during six months after the treatment were evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Forty-two eyes were included, and all had cystoid space in the inner nuclear layer (INL) at baseline. No eyes showed subretinal fluid, and 28.6% showed hyperreflective foci. Among 38 eyes with cystoid space both in the INL and outer nuclear layer/Henle's layer, 13 (34.2%) showed complete resolution and 12 (31.6%) showed cystoid space only in the INL at 2 months after injection, whereas others showed persistent cystoid space in both layers. After complete resolution, cystoid space recurrence was earlier in the INL than in the outer nuclear layer/Henle's layer. Multivariable analysis showed that greater cystoid space area in the INL and outer nuclear layer/Henle's layer, presence of macular leakage, and longer intact external limiting membrane at baseline were associated with greater cystoid space area decrease after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Resolution and recurrence pattern of retinitis pigmentosa-associated cystoid macular edema after dexamethasone treatment showed that the INL is the primary layer of cystic change, and this suggests its pathogenesis is most likely caused by Müller cell dysfunction.

INFECTIOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS AFTER SCLERAL FIXATION OF AN INTRAOCULAR LENS.

PURPOSE: To determine the mechanism of infection, clinical features, and risk factors of endophthalmitis after scleral fixation of an intraocular lens. METHODS: We included 15 patients with infectious endophthalmitis after scleral fixation of an intraocular lens between April 2004 and December 2017, as well as four patients found through a literature search. Thus, a total of 19 patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 19 eyes, infectious endophthalmitis developed at a mean of 23 months (range: 1 day-10 years) after scleral fixation surgery. Nine eyes (47.4%) had early-onset endophthalmitis (≤6 weeks), and 10 eyes (52.6%) had delayed-onset endophthalmitis (>6 weeks). Eleven eyes (57.9%) had presumed microbial influx due to suture exposure. Those with delayed-onset endophthalmitis showed a higher rate of suture-related infection (80.0% vs. 33.3%) and culture of gram-negative bacteria (70.0% vs. 12.5%) than did those with early-onset endophthalmitis. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious endophthalmitis can develop late after scleral fixation of an intraocular lens, usually related to the exposed sutures, and the visual prognosis is poor. Eyes that have sutured scleral fixation should be monitored regularly, and preventive measures should be performed if an exposed suture is found.

A RANDOMIZED PAIRED-EYE TRIAL OF INTRAVITREAL DEXAMETHASONE IMPLANT FOR CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA IN RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant in retinitis pigmentosa patients with cystoid macular edema (CME). METHODS: In this randomized, noncontrolled, paired-eye, single crossover clinical trial, one eye of retinitis pigmentosa patients with bilateral CME with central macular thickness of >250 µm was randomized to intravitreal DEX implant while the fellow eye was observed. Both eyes were started on topical dorzolamide. At Month 6, DEX implant was eligible for both eyes when CME was >250 µm. Patients were followed up until Month 12. Primary outcome measures were the central macular thickness and best-corrected visual acuity changes from baseline at Month 2. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with bilateral RP-CME were included. Study eyes showed significant central macular thickness decrease (median, -147.5 µm; P = 0.001) and best-corrected visual acuity improvement (median, +6 letters; P = 0.001) at Month 2, but not at Month 6. Intravitreal DEX implant at Month 6 produced comparable efficacy to baseline treatment in 11 fellow eyes and 12 study eyes. Topical dorzolamide did not show significant therapeutic efficacy. During 12 months, elevated intraocular pressure of >21 mmHg and cataract progression were observed in 14.3% and 40.0% of study eyes. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal DEX implant can both reduce macular thickness and improve vision in RP-CME, while repeated injection is required.

The effect on choroidal changes of the route of systemic corticosteroids in acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

PURPOSE: To determine whether route of corticosteroid administration during the acute stage of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease affects depigmentary change and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) during the convalescent stage. METHODS: In this retrospective comparative study, VKH patients with the interval between diagnosis and final follow-up of ≥ 24 months were divided into two groups according to route of systemic corticosteroid; intravenous pulse therapy (IV pulse group) and oral administration (oral group). Sunset glow fundus (SGF) scores determined by ultra-wide field retinal imaging and SCT determined by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography were compared. RESULTS: Forty eyes (20 patients) were included in the IV pulse group and 33 eyes (18 patients) in the oral group. At final follow-up, the IV pulse group showed significantly lower mean SGF score, indicating less advanced depigmentary change (3.7 ± 1.5 vs. 5.1 ± 1.2, P = 0.007) and greater mean SCT (239.7 ± 71.1 µm vs. 183.8 ± 72.6 µm, P = 0.012) than the oral group. However, visual acuities did not differ (P = 0.245). In a cross-sectional evaluation at multiple time points from disease onset, the IV pulse group showed significantly lower SGF scores from 1 to 6 years and greater SCTs from 2 to 5 years. Multivariable regression analysis showed that IV pulse therapy and less frequent and shorter duration of inflammation predicted a lower SGF score (R2 = 0.291, P < 0.001), and young age, IV pulse therapy, and shorter duration of inflammation predicted greater SCT (R2 = 0.27, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to oral administration, high dose IV pulse corticosteroids during the acute stage of VKH disease resulted in less choroidal change during the convalescent stage.

Association of ARMS2 genotype with response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether genetic risk variants for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with response to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 95 treatment-naïve patients that underwent anti-VEGF treatment for PCV for 12 months. Patients were genotyped for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms in eight AMD-relevant genes. Genotypic association with visual and anatomic outcome measures at 12 months after initial treatment, including mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and total foveal thickness, visual gain of ≥ 15 letters, dry status on optical coherence tomography (OCT), pigment epithelial detachment (PED) regression on OCT, polyp regression on indocyanine green angiography, and injection numbers, were investigated using regression models with adjustment for non-genetic covariates under additive genetic model. RESULTS: In 81 patients who completed 12-month anti-VEGF monotherapy without photodynamic therapy, significant pharmacogenetic association was found between ARMS2 rs10490924 and PED regression on OCT. Proportions of PED regression were 26.4% for TT, 45.7% for TG, and 63.6% for GG genotype, showing additive effect of G allele for higher chance of PED regression (OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.38-6.36; corrected P = 0.043). For entire 95 patients, no significant association was found between candidate polymorphisms and receiving photodynamic therapy within 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In PCV patients, ARMS2 rs10490924 showed association with anatomic therapeutic response to anti-VEGF, suggesting pharmacogenetic relationship.

Pharmacogenetic associations with long-term response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in neovascular AMD patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the pharmacogenetic associations between the genetic risk variants of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and long-term outcome after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in Korean neovascular AMD patients. METHODS: This prospective study included 394 treatment-naïve patients (394 eyes) that underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment for neovascular AMD for at least 12 months. Patients were genotyped for 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms within 13 AMD-relevant genes. Initially, patients underwent three monthly injections of intravitreal ranibizumab and were retreated as needed with ranibizumab or bevacizumab. For each candidate polymorphism, genotypic associations with treatment outcome measures at months 12 and 24, including mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline, visual gain of ≥15 letters, mean change in central subfield macular thickness (CSMT) from baseline on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), presence of fluid on OCT, and mean number of injections, were investigated using logistic or linear regression models with adjustment for non-genetic covariates. RESULTS: At month 24, BCVA improved by 4.5 ± 22.5 letters and CSMT decreased by 69.4 ± 112.6 µm from baseline. Regression analysis with Bonferroni correction showed that the TT genotype for VEGFA rs3025039 was associated with a significantly higher chance of a visual gain of ≥15 letters at month 24 than other genotypes (odds ratio, 4.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.89 - 11.1; corrected p = 0.0434). As for tomographic outcome, the minor allele homozygotes for ARMS2 rs10490924 and HTRA1 rs1100638 (GG genotype for both) were associated with a larger CSMT reduction at month 12 than other genotypes, with borderline significance after Bonferroni correction (118.6 ± 132.7 µm versus 62.7 ± 89.7 µm, corrected p = 0.0656 for rs10490924; 115.7 ± 131.7 µm versus 63.6 ± 89.8 µm, corrected p = 0.0528 for rs11200638). No polymorphism showed a significant association with the number of injections. CONCLUSIONS: In this Korean neovascular AMD cohort, treatment outcome after anti-VEGF was found to differ by the genotypes of VEGFA rs3025039, ARMS2 rs10490924, and HTRA1 rs11200638. Given more evidence of pharmacogenetic associations with the anti-VEGF agent, individualized therapeutic approaches based on genetic background could lead to optimal treatment in neovascular AMD.

Genetic factors associated with response to intravitreal ranibizumab in Korean patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between genetic risk variants for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and response to intravitreal ranibizumab in Korean patients with neovascular AMD. METHODS: This prospective study included 273 treatment-naive patients (273 eyes) who underwent 5 monthly injections (Months 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) of intravitreal ranibizumab for neovascular AMD. Patients were genotyped for 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within 12 AMD-relevant genes. For each polymorphism, genotypic association with good response at Month 5, predetermined as visual improvement of ≥ 8 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters from baseline, was investigated with logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, smoking, baseline Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter, central retinal thickness, lesion area, and type of choroidal neovascularization. RESULTS: At Month 5, visual acuity improved by 9.1 ± 17.6 letters from baseline, and 136 patients (49.8%) were classified as good responders. In logistic regression, no tested polymorphism showed statistically significant association with favorable visual outcome at Month 5. When unadjusted for multiple tests, AA genotype for VEGF rs699947 had an increased chance of good response compared with other genotypes (odds ratio, 3.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-9.18; P = 0.0071). CONCLUSION: In this Korean neovascular AMD cohort, there was no statistically significant effect of genotype on early visual outcome after ranibizumab treatment.

Longer axial length is associated with better prediction for refractive error after sutureless flanged intrascleral fixation of intraocular lens.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate refractive outcomes and associated factors after sutureless flanged intrascleral fixation of intraocular lens (SFIF-IOL). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients who underwent SFIF-IOL at a single centre. The prediction error (PE; difference between the achieved and target refractive error) and absolute PE (APE) were analysed. Risk factors associated with refractive surprise, defined as APE > +0.5 D, were investigated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-one eyes were included. At the final follow-up, the mean PE and APE were +0.07 ± 0.88 and +0.68 ± 0.56 D, respectively. Refractive surprise was observed in 44 eyes (54.3%) and was associated with a shorter axial length (AL) [odds ratio, 0.825; 95% confidence interval, 0.688-0.991; P = 0.039]. APE showed a significant correlation with AL at the final visit (⍴ = -0.269, P = 0.010), and eyes with AL ≥ 26 mm had significantly lower APE than did those with AL of 24-26 mm (P = 0.021) and AL < 24 mm (P = 0.0059). CONCLUSIONS: The refractive outcome after SFIF-IOL using manufacturer's A constant was favourable on average. Eyes with a longer AL were more likely to show a smaller deviation from the target refraction.

Quantitative microvascular analysis in different stages of retinitis pigmentosa using optical coherence tomography angiography.

As retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is chronic and progressive, the chronological sequence of microvascular changes is important for understanding its pathophysiology. We aimed to investigate retinal and choroidal microvascular changes according to the RP stages. The stages of RP were classified into three stages according to the integrity and width of the inner segment ellipsoid zone: early, ≥ 2500 µm; moderate, < 2500 µm; advanced, absence. Using optical coherence tomography angiography, quantitative microvascular parameters were analyzed. In total, 91 eyes from 49 patients were included. For the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP), perfusion densities (PDs) in the early stage (SCP: 37.32 ± 8.11%; DCP: 21.19 ± 9.15%) were greater than those in moderate (SCP: 34.16 ± 6.65%, P = 0.011; DCP: 15.67 ± 8.85%, P = 0.031) and advanced stages (SCP: 33.71 ± 9.02%, P = 0.030; DCP: 12.83 ± 6.29%, P < 0.001). The choroidal vascularity index in the early stage (0.58 ± 0.03) was greater than those in the moderate (0.57 ± 0.02, P = 0.017) and advanced stage (0.56 ± 0.02, P = 0.033). The area and perimeter of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in advanced stage (0.44 ± 0.26 mm2, 2.96 ± 0.86 mm, respectively) were larger than those in early (0.26 ± 0.11 mm2, P = 0.020; 2.19 ± 0.53 mm, P = 0.006, respectively) and moderate stage (0.28 ± 0.13 mm2, P = 0.043; 2.24 ± 0.67 mm, P = 0.013, respectively). During RP disease progression, retinal and choroidal microvascular vessel density decreases in the early stage, followed by FAZ enlargement in the advanced stage.

The effect of glycosylated hemoglobin levels on the response to intravitreal dexamethasone implant for treating diabetic macular edema.

This study investigates the impact of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) on the efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implants in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) over a 12-month period. We retrospectively reviewed 90 DME patients treated with DEX implants, categorizing them based on baseline HbA1c levels (≤ 7% and > 7%) and 12-month changes in HbA1c ("improved", "stable", "worsened"). At the 2-month mark, the mean central subfield thickness (CST) reduction in the HbA1c ≤ 7% group was - 147.22 ± 113.79 µm compared to -130.41 ± 124.50 µm in the > 7% group (p = 0.506). Notably, 12-month outcomes between these groups showed no significant difference. The "improved" HbA1c subgroup experienced a more pronounced CST reduction at 2 months (p = 0.042), with outcomes leveling off with other groups by 12 months. Conclusively, DEX implant outcomes in DME were not influenced by either baseline HbA1c levels or their changes over time. This suggests that local alterations in the inflammation milieu may have a potentially stronger impact on DME treatment outcomes, highlighting the importance of considering local factors in DME treatment.

Deep Learning-based Prediction of Axial Length Using Ultra-widefield Fundus Photography.

PURPOSE: To develop a deep learning model that can predict the axial lengths of eyes using ultra-widefield (UWF) fundus photography. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled patients who visited the ophthalmology clinic at the Seoul National University Hospital between September 2018 and December 2021. Patients with axial length measurements and UWF images taken within 3 months of axial length measurement were included in the study. The dataset was divided into a development set and a test set at an 8:2 ratio while maintaining an equal distribution of axial lengths (stratified splitting with binning). We used transfer learning-based on EfficientNet B3 to develop the model. We evaluated the model's performance using mean absolute error (MAE), R-squared (R2), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used vanilla gradient saliency maps to illustrate the regions predominantly used by convolutional neural network. RESULTS: In total, 8,657 UWF retinal fundus images from 3,829 patients (mean age, 63.98 ±15.25 years) were included in the study. The deep learning model predicted the axial lengths of the test dataset with MAE and R2 values of 0.744 mm (95% CI, 0.709-0.779 mm) and 0.815 (95% CI, 0.785-0.840), respectively. The model's accuracy was 73.7%, 95.9%, and 99.2% in prediction, with error margins of ±1.0, ±2.0, and ±3.0 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a deep learning-based model for predicting the axial length from UWF images with good performance.

Vitreous Fatty Amides and Acyl Carnitines Are Altered in Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide. In this study, we aimed to investigate the vitreous humor metabolite profiles of patients with intermediate AMD using untargeted metabolomics. Methods: We performed metabolomics using high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry on the vitreous humor of 31 patients with intermediate AMD and 30 controls who underwent vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane with or without cataract surgery. Univariate analyses after false discovery rate correction were performed to discriminate the metabolites and identify the significant metabolites of intermediate AMD. For biologic interpretation, enrichment and pathway analysis were conducted using MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Results: Of the 858 metabolites analyzed in the vitreous humor, 258 metabolites that distinguished patients with AMD from controls were identified (P values < 0.05). Ascorbic acid and uric acid levels increased in the AMD group (all P values < 0.05). The acyl carnitines, such as acetyl L-carnitine (1.37-fold), and fatty amides, such as anandamide (0.9-fold) and docosanamide (0.67-fold), were higher in patients with intermediate AMD. In contrast, nicotinamide (-0.55-fold), and succinic acid (-1.69-fold) were lower in patients with intermediate AMD. The metabolic pathway related oxidation of branched chain fatty acids and carnitine synthesis showed enrichment. Conclusions: Multiple metabolites related to fatty amides and acyl carnitine were found to be increased in the vitreous humor of patients with intermediate AMD, whereas succinic acid and nicotinamide were reduced, suggesting that altered metabolites related to fatty amides and acyl carnitines and energy metabolism may be implicated in the etiology of AMD.