Evaluation of Retinal Arterial Occlusion and its Visual and Systemic Prognosis after Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the systemic and ocular outcomes of patients with branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) and central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) after hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). METHODS: This is a single-institution study of 75 subjects diagnosed with BRAO (28, 37.3%) and CRAO (47, 62.7%) who visited the emergency department or stroke clinic. Twenty-seven (36%) subjects received HBOT on initial presentation (BRAO-14.3%, CRAO-48.9%). The primary outcome was the best corrective visual acuity (BCVA) change in non-HBOT and HBOT subjects. Secondary outcomes included subsequent development of an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/stroke or neovascular glaucoma (NVG). RESULTS: Overall BCVA did not change from the initial presentation to the final timepoint (logMAR 1.5) in either the conservative management or HBOT cohorts for either BRAO subjects (non-HBOT-logMAR 0.4 vs. 0.6, p=0.658; HBOT-logMAR 0.1 vs. 0.4, p=0.207) or CRAO subjects (non-HBOT-logMAR 2.1 vs. 2.2, p=0.755; HBOT-logMAR 2.1 vs. 2.0, p=0.631). Seven (9.3%) subjects developed CVA (BRAO: non-HBOT-4.2% and HBOT-25.0%, p=0.207; CRAO: non-HBOT-16.7% and HBOT-4.3%, p=0.348) and five subjects (6.7%) developed NVG (BRAO: non-HBOT-4.2% and HBOT-0%, p=1.00; CRAO: non-HBOT-16.7% and HBOT-0%, p=0.109). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HBOT does not significantly improve BCVA or mitigate the subsequent development of stroke and NVG in patients with RAOs.

Geospatial and Socioeconomic Disparities Influencing the Management of Craniosynostosis.

BACKGROUND: Various social determinants of health have been described as predictors of clinical outcomes for the craniosynostosis population. However, literature lacks a granular depiction of socioeconomic factors that impact these outcomes, and little is known about the relationship between patients' proximity to the care center and management of the condition. METHODS/DESIGN: This study retrospectively evaluated patients with craniosynostosis who presented to a tertiary children's hospital between 2000 and 2019. Outcomes of interest included age at presentation for surgery, incidence of reoperation, and length of follow-up. Patient addresses were geocoded and plotted on two separate shapefiles containing block group information within San Diego County. The shapefiles included percent parental educational attainment (bachelor's degree or higher) and median household income from 2010. The year 2010 was chosen for the shapefiles because it is the median year of data collection for this study. Multivariate linear, logistic, and polynomial regression models were used to analyze the relationship between geospatial and socioeconomic predictors and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: There were 574 patients with craniosynostosis included in this study. The mean ± SD Haversine distance from the patient's home coordinates to the hospital coordinates was 107.2 ± 321.2 miles. After adjusting for the suture fused and insurance coverage, there was a significant positive correlation between distance to the hospital and age at index surgery (P = 0.018). There was no correlation between distance and incidence of reoperation (P = 0.266) or distance and duration of follow-up (P = 0.369). Using the same statistical adjustments, lower parental percent educational attainment and lower median household income correlated with older age at index surgery (P = 0.008 and P = 0.0066, respectively) but were not correlated with reoperation (P = 0.986 and P = 0.813, respectively) or duration of follow-up (P = 0.107 and P = 0.984, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results offer evidence that living a greater distance from the hospital and socioeconomic disparities including parental education and median household income may serve as barriers to prompt recognition of diagnosis and timely care in this population. However, the geospatial and socioeconomic factors studied do not seem to hinder incidence of reoperation or length of follow-up, suggesting that, once care has been initiated, longitudinal outcomes may be less impacted.

Temporal Development of Depression and Anxiety in a Large Facial Palsy Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosis with facial palsy (FP) has been linked to increased psychosocial distress and communication disorders, but limited data exist on the temporal development of depression and anxiety after diagnosis. In a large cohort of FP patients, we characterize the rates of depression and anxiety at several timepoints post-FP diagnosis. METHODS: A de-identified database of all FP patients who presented to a single healthcare system over 22 years was created using Epic SlicerDicer. Demographics and comorbidities were collected and depression and anxiety diagnosis rates at three timepoints (non-inclusive lower bounds) post-FP diagnosis were examined. RESULTS: 3,910 FP patients were identified, with a median age of 59. 56% were female and 51% were white. At 0-6, 6-12-, and 12-36-month post-FP diagnosis, 156 (4%), 58 (1.4%), and 205 (5.2%) individuals were diagnosed with depression, and 171 (4.4%), 84 (2.1%), and 237 (6.1%) were diagnosed with anxiety. At each time point, the median time between FP and depression diagnosis (2.1, 3.4, and 11.4 months) or anxiety diagnosis (2.5, 4.0, and 11.1 months) was similar. Dual depression and anxiety diagnoses were observed in 52 (1.3%), 32 (0.8%), and 122 (3.1%) patients at each time point. Compared to the overall cohort, more patients with anxiety were female (65 vs. 56%, p < 0.001) and younger (57 vs. 59, p = 0.002), and more depressed patients were Black (7.3 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Facial palsy may lead to increased risk of depression and/or anxiety in the first year after diagnosis as demonstrated here in one of the largest FP cohorts to date. We report high rates of depression (5.5%), anxiety (6.5%), and comorbid depression and anxiety (2.1%) occurring within 1 year after FP diagnosis. Of these, the majority occurred within the first 6 months (72%, 67%, 62%, respectively). Anxiety was more common in young female patients and depression more common in Black patients, which can inform targeted mental health resources within the first 6 months post-FP diagnosis.

Bilateral Cytomegalovirus Retinitis After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy for B-cell Lymphoma.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is commonly associated with immunosuppression and can cause irreversible vision loss. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as an effective cancer treatment option but requires immunosuppression, thereby increasing the possibility of acquiring opportunistic infections such as CMV. We present the case of a 76-year-old female with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus who initially presented with shortness of breath and was diagnosed with the activated B-cell subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). She received multiple cycles of chemotherapy and experienced relapses with cardiac involvement. The patient developed vision loss in the right eye and was diagnosed with bilateral posterior vitritis. She underwent various treatments, including radiotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, cataract extraction, and vitrectomy. After CAR-T therapy, she developed bilateral CMV retinitis, confirmed through polymerase chain reaction testing and managed by valganciclovir. Overall, this case report describes the first reported case of bilateral CMV retinitis following CAR-T therapy for DLBCL. It emphasizes the need for early recognition and treatment of CMV retinitis to prevent permanent vision loss. The report also underscores the importance of regular ocular screening and consideration of prophylactic measures in patients undergoing CAR-T therapy.

Accuracy and Bias in Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Recommendations for Oculoplastic Surgeons.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of and bias in recommendations for oculoplastic surgeons from three artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot systems. Methods ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing Balanced, and Google Bard were asked for recommendations for oculoplastic surgeons practicing in 20 cities with the highest population in the United States. Three prompts were used: "can you help me find (an oculoplastic surgeon)/(a doctor who does eyelid lifts)/(an oculofacial plastic surgeon) in (city)." Results A total of 672 suggestions were made between (oculoplastic surgeon; doctor who does eyelid lifts; oculofacial plastic surgeon); 19.8% suggestions were excluded, leaving 539 suggested physicians. Of these, 64.1% were oculoplastics specialists (of which 70.1% were American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) members); 16.1% were general plastic surgery trained, 9.0% were ENT trained, 8.8% were ophthalmology but not oculoplastics trained, and 1.9% were trained in another specialty. 27.7% of recommendations across all AI systems were female. Conclusions Among the chatbot systems tested, there were high rates of inaccuracy: up to 38% of recommended surgeons were nonexistent or not practicing in the city requested, and 35.9% of those recommended as oculoplastic/oculofacial plastic surgeons were not oculoplastics specialists. Choice of prompt affected the result, with requests for "a doctor who does eyelid lifts" resulting in more plastic surgeons and ENTs and fewer oculoplastic surgeons. It is important to identify inaccuracies and biases in recommendations provided by AI systems as more patients may start using them to choose a surgeon.

Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in an Eye with Unilateral Retinoblastoma: A Case Report.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in the setting of pediatric retinoblastoma is exceedingly unusual. Here, we present the first reported case of CMV retinitis in an enucleated eye with retinoblastoma after chemotherapy in the western hemisphere. Case Presentation: A 2-year-old Hispanic male without a family history of retinoblastoma presented with a 3-month history of right eye exotropia and squinting. Clinical examination revealed dense white vitreous opacities in the right eye. Ocular oncology evaluation unveiled an exudative retinal detachment with vitreous seeds, subretinal seeding, and a tumor emanating from the retina in the superonasal quadrant of the right eye. The patient was diagnosed with unilateral Group D retinoblastoma, and RB1 sequencing revealed a pathogenic variant with mosaicism. Treatment involved systemic chemotherapy, intravitreal chemotherapy, and cryotherapy. However, the patient developed a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with diffuse vitreous hemorrhage and ultimately underwent right eye enucleation. Interestingly, histopathological analysis of the enucleated eye revealed concomitant CMV retinitis alongside retinoblastoma. After consultation with infectious disease, antiviral treatment was not initiated as the patient remained asymptomatic and maintained a recovered immune system. Repeat CMV PCR confirmed viral clearance. The patient received a prosthetic eye and continues to be monitored for retinoblastoma recurrence. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of the potential for CMV retinitis to develop in retinoblastoma patients receiving chemotherapy, which may complicate clinical decision-making and management. Timely identification of CMV retinitis in this setting may improve patient ocular outcomes and overall prognosis.

Intramuscular Degloving Injury of the Rectus Femoris From Kickball: A Case Report and Review.

Intramuscular degloving injuries (IDIs) are a rare and unique type of muscle injury where there is a dissociation between the inner and outer components of a particular muscle. This type of injury is seen exclusively within the rectus femoris (RF) muscle due to its unique muscle-within-a-muscle anatomy and represents 9% of RF injuries. Despite the significance of this injury, limited knowledge exists regarding the mechanism, management, and prognosis of IDIs, and IDIs are not currently included among the various muscle injury classifications. We present a 38-year-old active male with a one-week history of acute onset right anterior mid-thigh pain and palpable lump after playing kickball. Right thigh MRI revealed an IDI of the RF muscle, edema within the inner and outer muscular portions of the muscle, and a retraction of the torn inner indirect myotendinous complex of the RF. He was managed with physical therapy while being advised to avoid aggressive quadriceps contractions, high-intensity, or high-impact exercise. This is the first reported case of an IDI that occurred in an older recreational athlete (versus young competitive athletes), and the first case of an IDI in a kicking sport other than soccer (kickball). This case emphasizes the importance of a broader awareness of this injury, and a heightened index of suspicion is advised in assessing potential IDIs to improve patient prognosis and rehabilitation. Given the limited understanding and rarity of this injury, we also provide a comprehensive review describing the IDI to the RF.

Bias and Inaccuracy in AI Chatbot Ophthalmologist Recommendations.

PURPOSE AND DESIGN: To evaluate the accuracy and bias of ophthalmologist recommendations made by three AI chatbots, namely ChatGPT 3.5 (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA), Bing Chat (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA), and Google Bard (Alphabet Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA). This study analyzed chatbot recommendations for the 20 most populous U.S. cities. METHODS: Each chatbot returned 80 total recommendations when given the prompt "Find me four good ophthalmologists in (city)." Characteristics of the physicians, including specialty, location, gender, practice type, and fellowship, were collected. A one-proportion z-test was performed to compare the proportion of female ophthalmologists recommended by each chatbot to the national average (27.2% per the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)). Pearson's chi-squared test was performed to determine differences between the three chatbots in male versus female recommendations and recommendation accuracy. RESULTS: Female ophthalmologists recommended by Bing Chat (1.61%) and Bard (8.0%) were significantly less than the national proportion of 27.2% practicing female ophthalmologists (p<0.001, p<0.01, respectively). ChatGPT recommended fewer female (29.5%) than male ophthalmologists (p<0.722). ChatGPT (73.8%), Bing Chat (67.5%), and Bard (62.5%) gave high rates of inaccurate recommendations. Compared to the national average of academic ophthalmologists (17%), the proportion of recommended ophthalmologists in academic medicine or in combined academic and private practice was significantly greater for all three chatbots. CONCLUSION: This study revealed substantial bias and inaccuracy in the AI chatbots' recommendations. They struggled to recommend ophthalmologists reliably and accurately, with most recommendations being physicians in specialties other than ophthalmology or not in or near the desired city. Bing Chat and Google Bard showed a significant tendency against recommending female ophthalmologists, and all chatbots favored recommending ophthalmologists in academic medicine.