OUTER RETINAL INJURY SECONDARY TO MEMBRANE PEELING WITH INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE FORCEPS.

PURPOSE: To present a case of visually significant retinal injury due to internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling using ILM forceps alone. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 60-year-old woman who underwent ILM peeling for an epiretinal membrane presented with linear central scotomata. Peeling had been initiated and performed with ILM forceps alone, without the use of other surgical instruments. Fundus examination and spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging confirmed the presence of several discrete areas of inner and outer retinal injury in the macula, which corresponded to her scotomata. CONCLUSION: This is a case of visually significant retinal injury due to ILM peeling that was performed with ILM forceps alone. Improper peeling technique can transmit injurious forces to the retina. Surgeons must be mindful of the biomechanical forces involved in ILM peeling to minimize traction on the retina.

Accuracy of Detection and Grading of Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema Using Teleretinal Screening.

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of a county teleretinal screening program of detecting referable diabetic retinopathy (DR) and treatable diabetic macular edema (DME), as well as to evaluate patient compliance with clinic follow-up after referral from teleretinal screening. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients in the Harris Health System (HHS, Houston, TX) older than 18 years of age who underwent teleretinal screening between July 2014 and July 2016. METHODS: Teleretinal imaging (TRI) consisting of single-field 45-degree nonmydriatic color fundus photography with referral thresholds of severe nonproliferative DR, proliferative DR, and significant DME. Teleretinal imaging results for all referred subjects were obtained and cross-referenced with dilated fundus examination findings with regard to DR severity and the presence of DME. Follow-up status was also noted. Subjects underwent OCT if deemed necessary by the examining specialist. Agreement between TRI and dilated fundus examination (DFE) findings was determined by calculating the Cohen κ coefficient. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure is agreement between TRI results and DFE findings with regard to DR severity and the presence of DME. The secondary outcome measure is compliance with follow-up. RESULTS: Of 1767 patients who were screened and referred for clinical examination, 935 (52.9%) attended their clinic appointment. Overall agreement between DFE and TRI was moderate (weighted κ 0.45) in terms of DR severity. There was agreement within one DR severity level in 86.2% of patients. The positive predictive value for detecting referable disease was 71.3%. Of patients referred for DME, 30.4% were deemed to have treatable DME. CONCLUSIONS: The HHS teleretinal screening program demonstrates a high level of accuracy in the detection and classification of referable DR, but a lesser degree of accuracy in the detection of treatable DME. Only slightly more than half of participants were compliant with follow-up after a TRI referral. This large-scale study provides insight into the utility of teleretinal screening in a county health care system.

The effects of hydration on growth of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus.

Maintenance of biochemical gradients, membrane fluidity, and sustained periods of activity are key physiological and behavioral functions of water for animals living in desiccating environments. Water stress may reduce the organism's ability to maintain these functions and as such, may reduce an organism's growth. However, few studies have examined this potential effect. The effects of altered hydration state of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus L. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on individual growth were studied under laboratory conditions. Crickets were permitted access to water for three different durations each day, resulting in significant differences in hydration state (32% greater hydration for maximum than minimum duration of water availability). Growth was 59% and 72% greater in dry mass and length, respectively, between the lowest and highest hydration state treatments. These findings may be representative for a variety of animal species and environments and could have important ecological implications.

A rare presentation of choroidal metastasis from primary esophageal adenocarcinoma successfully treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: In this case report, we present a case of choroidal metastasis from a primary esophageal adenocarcinoma that was treated successfully with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. OBSERVATIONS: A 65-year-old male with known stage IV esophageal adenocarcinoma presented with a central scotoma in his left eye and was ultimately found to have a large choroidal metastatic lesion with overlying subretinal fluid. IMRT was administered over the course of four weeks, resulting in restoration of the patient's vision, regression of the metastatic lesion, and resolution of the subretinal fluid. As of 16 months following completion of radiation, there remains no evidence of choroidal recurrence or radiation-associated ocular complications. CONCLUSIONS: and Importance: To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of a choroidal metastasis from esophageal cancer responding durably to IMRT. IMRT should therefore be considered a viable treatment option for this rare disease.

Outcomes of a modified capsular tension ring with a single black occluder paddle for eyes with congenital and acquired iris defects: Report 2.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Morcher 96F iris diaphragm implantation to manage small defects of the human iris. SETTING: Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA. DESIGN: Prospective nonrandomized interventional case series. METHODS: Demographic, preoperative, and postoperative data of patients who had implantation of the modified capsular tension ring (CTR) and followed to 1 year were reviewed. Safety measures included loss of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), perioperative complications, adverse events, and secondary surgical interventions. Efficacy measures included CDVA with glare, daytime and nighttime glare symptom scores, and subjective cosmesis scores. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had CTR implantation. There was a statistically significant improvement in the median CDVA of 2.5 Snellen lines (P < .01), with 4 patients having minor decreases in CDVA for reasons unrelated to the device. There were no intraoperative complications. Three adverse events were reported: 1 ocular hypertension, 1 postoperative retinal detachment, and 1 25-degree rotation of the CTR. There were 4 secondary surgical interventions. There was a statistically significant improvement in the median CDVA with glare of 8 Snellen lines (P < .01), but 2 patients had a decrease in CDVA with glare for reasons unrelated to the device. There were statistically significant improvements in the median daytime and nighttime glare symptom scores of 5 points and 4 points, respectively (both P < .01). There was no change in cosmesis for most patients. CONCLUSION: Iris diaphragm CTR implantation was relatively safe and effective at reducing light and glare sensitivity in eyes with small iris defects. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Evolutionary Analysis and Classification of OATs, OCTs, OCTNs, and Other SLC22 Transporters: Structure-Function Implications and Analysis of Sequence Motifs.

The SLC22 family includes organic anion transporters (OATs), organic cation transporters (OCTs) and organic carnitine and zwitterion transporters (OCTNs). These are often referred to as drug transporters even though they interact with many endogenous metabolites and signaling molecules (Nigam, S.K., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 14:29-44, 2015). Phylogenetic analysis of SLC22 supports the view that these transporters may have evolved over 450 million years ago. Many OAT members were found to appear after a major expansion of the SLC22 family in mammals, suggesting a physiological and/or toxicological role during the mammalian radiation. Putative SLC22 orthologs exist in worms, sea urchins, flies, and ciona. At least six groups of SLC22 exist. OATs and OCTs form two Major clades of SLC22, within which (apart from Oat and Oct subclades), there are also clear Oat-like, Octn, and Oct-related subclades, as well as a distantly related group we term "Oat-related" (which may have different functions). Based on available data, it is arguable whether SLC22A18, which is related to bacterial drug-proton antiporters, should be assigned to SLC22. Disease-causing mutations, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and other functionally analyzed mutations in OAT1, OAT3, URAT1, OCT1, OCT2, OCTN1, and OCTN2 map to the first extracellular domain, the large central intracellular domain, and transmembrane domains 9 and 10. These regions are highly conserved within subclades, but not between subclades, and may be necessary for SLC22 transporter function and functional diversification. Our results not only link function to evolutionarily conserved motifs but indicate the need for a revised sub-classification of SLC22.

Confirmation and refinement of the Diehl-Miller nomogram for intraocular lens power calculation after laser in situ keratomileusis.

PURPOSE: To validate the Diehl-Miller equation for achieving emmetropia after cataract surgery in post-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eyes and to present a refined equation. SETTING: Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative refractive and cataract surgery data were collected from the medical records of post-LASIK patients. The IOL power data and postoperative refractive information were used to calculate the true target refractive error that should have been chosen to achieve emmetropia. Regression analysis of the combined data from Diehl-Miller and the current study was used to develop a refined equation. Diehl-Miller relates the manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) change induced by LASIK to an adjusted target postoperative refractive error to be used in intraocular lens (IOL) power calculations. RESULTS: Twenty-three eyes of 18 patients were evaluated. The target refractive error calculated by Diehl-Miller differed from the true target refractive error by an absolute mean of 0.481 diopter (D) ±0.376 (SD). Regression analysis of the combined data from Diehl-Miller and the current study yielded the following 2nd-order polynomial equation: Target refractive error = -0.0198 (MRSE change)(2) +0.170 (MRSE change)-0.0079. The calculated target refractive error fell within ±0.50 D of the true target in 49% of patients and within ±1.00 D in 93% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study validated that the Diehl-Miller equation accurately predicts the target refractive error to achieve emmetropia in post-LASIK eyes. The slightly refined Diehl-Date-Miller equation and associated lookup tables can be used to avoid postoperative refractive surprises.