Clinical report: Virtual reality enables comparable contrast sensitivity measurements to in-office testing (pilot study).

SIGNIFICANCE: Vision health disparities largely stem from inaccessibility to vision specialists. To improve patient access to vision tests and to expedite clinical workflows, it is important to assess the viability of virtual reality (VR) as a modality for evaluating contrast sensitivity. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the validity of a VR version of the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity test by comparing its results with those of the corresponding in-office test. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (mean ± standard deviation age, 37.3 ± 20.5 years) with corrected vision were recruited for testing on a voluntary basis with randomized administration of the in-office test followed by the VR analog or vice versa. Nineteen participants took each test twice to assess test-retest consistency in each modality. Virtual reality tests were conducted on a commercial Pico Neo Eye 2 VR headset, which has a 4K screen resolution. The environment for both tests was controlled by the participant for location and lighting. RESULTS: Similar sensitivity scores were obtained between testing modalities in both the right (n = 28 participants; Wilcoxon match-paired signed rank [SR], p=0.7) and left eyes (n = 28 participants; Wilcoxon match-paired SR, p=0.7). In addition, similar test-retest scores were found for VR (n = 19 participants; Wilcoxon match-paired SR, p=1.0) or in-office (n = 19 participants; Wilcoxon match-paired SR, p=1.0) tests. Virtual reality Pelli-Robson results correlated well with in-office test results in variably diseased participants (n = 14 eyes from 7 participants, R2 = 0.93, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot trial, we demonstrated that VR Pelli-Robson measurements of corrected vision align with those of in-office modalities, suggesting that this may be a reliable method of implementing this test in a more interactive and accessible manner.

Structural Limits of Orbital Compliance and Treatment Options for Pathologic Orbital Pressure.

PURPOSE: The integrity of the orbit has a finite structural limit due to the compliance of its tissue. The authors investigate these limits to quantify them and inform the treatment of heightened ocular and orbital pressure. METHODS: Cadaveric study with 12 orbits being volumized before randomization of treatment for pathologic levels of ocular and orbital pressure. First-line and second-line treatment was chosen randomly (lateral cantholysis, superior septolysis, inferior septolysis). Prior to treatment, IOP, orbital compartment pressure, and axial globe projection was measured after delivery of each 1cc aliquot and surgical treatment. RESULTS: Orbital compartment pressure and IOP were well correlated (r = 0.99). The average reduction in IOP after treatment averaged a 56.2 mm Hg reduction in IOP. All treatments were statistically equivalent ( p < 0.01). Loss of compliance (P LOC ) was determined when the mean plus 1 standard deviation of change in IOP/ml volume was achieved with simultaneous change in exophthalmometry of <0.5 mm change/ml added volume, indicating an acceleration in pressure in the face of a steady volume. This criteria was met for 11 of 12 orbits. The 12th orbit missed this threshold by 1 mm Hg in IOP. P LOC occurred at an average IOP of 43.0 mm Hg (±5.8 mm Hg, 90% CI) and after an average injection of 13 ml (±1.4 mm, 90% CI). Additionally, lateral cantholysis, superior septolysis, and inferior septolysis were statistically equivalent in reducing IOP after P LOC . CONCLUSIONS: IOP and orbital compartment pressure are excellent proxies for each other in the authors' model. Orbital compliance is a mathematic phenomenon that can be quantified, as evident in this investigation. P LOC can inform timing for orbital decompressions in the presence of heightened IOP. Multiple procedures can be used to extinguish dangerously high orbital compartment pressure.

Eye Sphincter Reanimation in Facial Paralysis: Evaluation, Indications, Techniques, and Outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Facial nerve paralysis (FNP) sequela includes dysregulation of the ocular surface protective mechanism, nasolacrimal system pump failure and punctal eversion causing chronic epiphora, foreign body sensation, corneal injury, and, in the most severe cases, visual loss, particularly in the presence of comorbid corneal hypesthesia. Concerns over the ocular surface protection in FNP patients have led to the development of numerous static and dynamic procedures. While initial assessment of the FNP patients is complex and requires a comprehensive understanding of the blink reflex physiology, clinical evaluation and the use of additional work should be directed toward potential eye sphincter reanimation using a multidisciplinary approach. As with any treatment algorithm, numerous factors must be considered to provide an individualized treatment plan. In the case of FNP, it is important to consider denervation time, patient age, cause of paralysis, and neurologic severity of the paralysis. The aim of this article is to provide a thorough review of the physiology of the blink reflex, evaluation of the eye sphincter mechanism in FNP, and a comprehensive treatment algorithm incorporating static and dynamic procedures, along with a historical perspective.

Post-operative vision loss: analysis of 587 patients undergoing endoscopic surgery for pituitary macroadenoma.

PURPOSE: Vision loss following surgery for pituitary adenoma is poorly described in the literature and cannot be reliably predicted with current prognostic models. Detailed characterization of this population is warranted to further understand the factors that predispose a minority of patients to post-operative vision loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 587 patients who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre between January 2013 and August 2018 were reviewed. Patients who experienced post-operative vision deterioration, defined by reduced visual acuity, worsened VFDs, or new onset of blurry vision, were identified and analysed. RESULTS: Eleven out of 587 patients who received endoscopic surgery for pituitary adenoma exhibited post-operative vision deterioration. All eleven patients presented with preoperative visual impairment (average duration of 13.1 months) and pre-operative optic chiasm compression. Seven patients experienced visual deterioration within 24 h of surgery. The remaining four patients experienced delayed vision loss within one month of surgery. Six patients had complete blindness in at least one eye, one patient had complete bilateral blindness. Four patients had reduced visual acuity compared with preoperative testing, and four patients reported new-onset blurriness that was not present before surgery. High rates of graft placement (10/11 patients) and opening of the diaphragma sellae (9/11 patients) were found in this series. Four patients had hematomas and four patients had another significant post-operative complication. CONCLUSIONS: While most patients with pituitary adenoma experience favourable ophthalmological outcomes following endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, a subset of patients exhibit post-operative vision deterioration. The present study reports surgical and disease features of this population to further our understanding of factors that may underlie vision loss following pituitary adenoma surgery. Graft placement and opening of the diaphragma sellae may be important risk factors in vision loss following ETS and should be an area of future investigation.

Orbital invasion by Esthesioneuroblastoma: a comparative case series and review of literature.

PURPOSE: To review the current literature on esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) as it pertains to clinical features, grading systems, treatment options, and survival. METHODS: A literature search in PubMed was performed to include all articles published in English with orbit involving ENB. Only articles that included each patient's demographics, tumor stage, treatment, or survival were included. A total of 22 articles with 104 patients were considered for this literature review. We also present five cases of ENB, all encountered in our health system, between 2010 and 2020. RESULTS: The median age of diagnosis of orbit involving ENB was 44.5 years. Males were more likely affected than females at 72.9%. Common presenting ocular symptoms were visual change (38.1%), periorbital pain (33.3%), and diplopia (14.3%). Common clinical exam findings were proptosis (47.6%), extraocular movement deficit (23.8%), and periorbital edema (19.0%). Twenty-seven patients (77.1%) received surgery, 22 patients (62.9%) received chemotherapy, and 30 patients (85.7%) received radiation therapy as part of their treatment. Median duration of survival was 124.0 months and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 67.1%. Hyams, Kadish, and Dulguerov T-staging showed inconsistent survival prognosis while orbital invasion and lymph node metastasis had worse outcomes. Our five cases exhibited the spectrum of disease processes evidenced above, with four involving the orbit. CONCLUSIONS: ENB is a rare sinonasal tumor that can invade the orbit. Because of its rarity, no single staging system appears superior. Resection with radiation therapy has superior survival results while the benefits of chemotherapy are currently unknown.

Variation of the minimally invasive CDCR technique.

Purpose: Traditional (tCDCR) and endoscopic conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (eCDCR) are challenging surgical techniques requiring general anesthesia, a facial incision, and a large osteotomy and mucosal flap. Minimally invasive CDCR (miCDCR) techniques eliminate the need for some of the steps in t/eCDCR. Introduced here is a variation of the miCDCR technique using a Naugle-Fleming knurled dilator (NKD) to create the osteotomy and instruments within a central line catheter kit to help easily place or replace a Jones' tube into position within a bony conduit.Methods: This IRB-approved retrospective chart review examined all patients who underwent this miCDCR technique performed by two oculoplastic surgeons at Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center from 2014 to 2016. Inclusion criteria: need for CDCR (either primary or repeat). Exclusion criteria: loss to follow up prior to six months. Primary endpoints: operative time, incidence of tube migration and complications, and cessation of epiphora.Results: Sixteen patients (nine men, seven women) were reviewed, with three undergoing bilateral procedure, totaling 19 cases. Age range: 47.0 to 84.0 years, average of 66.6 years (SD = 11.1). Ten patients had surgery under local/MAC augmented with IV sedation, and six had general anesthesia (38%). Average operative time was 17.4 min (SD = 10.9). One patient (5%) required revision in the six-month immediate post-operative period because of tube migration. All patients had cessation of epiphora.Conclusions: This procedure can be done safely and quickly without general anesthesia, resulting in a satisfactorily lower rate of tube migration and cessation of epiphora rates.

Effect of Time to Operative Intervention on Motility Outcomes Following Orbital Floor Fracture Repair in Children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between time to surgical intervention and extraocular motility outcomes in children following repair of an orbital floor fracture with inferior rectus entrapment. METHODS: After institution review board's approval, a retrospective, consecutive case series of 28 children with unilateral orbital floor fractures entrapping the inferior rectus muscle was conducted. Clinical examinations and CT images were performed on all children. The main outcomes measures were postoperative motility measurements. RESULTS: Eleven patients underwent surgery within 24 hours of reported injury, while 17 patients underwent surgery after 24 hours. There was no statistically significant difference in average age at the time of surgery (p = 0.47) or average preoperative motility scores (p = 1.0) between the 2 groups. Patients who underwent surgery within 24 hours of reported injury had an improved likelihood of recovery (log hazard ratio = 0.469; 95% confidence interval, -0.42 to 1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Our exploratory study suggests that surgical reduction of inferior rectus entrapment in pediatric orbital floor fractures within 24 hours from the time of injury shows an improved, but nonstatistically significant, likelihood of recovery in motility deficits with earlier surgical intervention.

Periorbital Necrotizing Fasciitis Secondary to Candida parapsilosis and Streptococcus pyogenes.

Necrotizing fasciitis is most often caused by either polymicrobial bacterial infections or by Gram-positive organisms, such as Streptococcus or Staphylococcus; however, rare cases of fungal necrotizing fasciitis have been reported. Candida parapsilosis is an emerging fungal pathogen. This fungus grows in either a yeast or pseudohyphal form. C. parapsilosis has been reported to cause keratitis, intraocular infection, and seeding of frontalis slings. C. parapsilosis is a commensal of human skin and can be acquired by nosocomial spread. Necrotizing fasciitis due to Candida has rarely been reported, but to date C. parapsilosis has not been identified as the causative organism in necrotizing fasciitis. This is the first documented case of human periocular soft tissue infection by C. parapsilosis, and also the first report providing evidence of mycotic infection in a necrotizing fasciitis concurrently infected by Streptococcus pyogenes.

Neuroepithelial Cyst of the Optic Nerve in a Newborn.

Cystic lesions of the optic nerve are uncommon findings that have been associated with neoplasms, systemic disorders, or described as idiopathic. They have been described in a wide range of ages, with few congenital cysts having been described in infants. Surgical excision of these lesions may lead to significant morbidity as previously reported cases often involved transection of the optic nerve. The authors describe a unique case of a newborn with a rare neuroepithelial cyst of the intraorbital optic nerve that was successfully excised while sparing the optic nerve, ultimately resulting in the resolution of an afferent pupillary defect. This case demonstrates that careful surgical excision of a benign optic nerve cyst can be performed without significant morbidity to potentially preserve vision.

Hybrid Neurofibroma/Schwannoma of the Supraorbital Nerve: Clinicopathologic Correlation of a Rare Tumor.

Benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors such as schwannoma and neurofibroma have long been considered distinct entities. Recently, hybrid tumors demonstrating combined morphological features of neurofibroma and schwannoma have been described, primarily in dermal locations. Only 1 case of hybrid peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the orbit has been reported in the literature. Hybrid morphology is important to recognize because of its association with the neurofibromatoses, including schwannomatosis; however, the paucity of literature on orbital hybrid peripheral nerve sheath tumor poses a diagnostic challenge. This article describes a case of hybrid neruofibroma/schwannoma of the orbit arising from the supraorbital nerve with clinicopathologic correlation.

Eyelid desmoplastic trichilemmoma: 2 case reports and review.

Desmoplastic trichilemmomas (DTs) are a rare variant of trichilemmomas first described in 1985. Since then, 11 cases involving the eyelid have been reported. Two cases of this study raise this total to 13. DTs are often clinically confused with basal cell carcinoma and must be proven by biopsy to obtain the correct diagnosis. These lesions are more commonly present in patients older than 50 years. Despite the fact that they are benign, they are often associated with basal cell carcinomas and as such should be managed carefully, requiring excisional biopsy with frozen borders or Mohs controlled margins.

Systematic review of ocular surface treatments in the setting of thyroid eye disease.

Introduction: Approximately 85% of patients with thyroid eye disease experience ocular surface symptoms. Although corneal exposure plays a role in inducing inflammatory changes to the ocular surface, multiple studies reveal more complexity to the abnormal tear film composition and parameters in thyroid eye disease patients including those who do not have proptosis or increased corneal exposure. Currently, a majority of cases of thyroid associated dry eye symptoms are given treatments intended for ocular surface disease arising from different etiologies. Methods: Medline via Ovid, Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for articles evaluating the efficacy of treatments for dry eye symptoms in patients with thyroid eye disease. Articles were from all geographic regions and dates ranged from inception until October 2023. Results: Seven papers ultimately met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These papers revealed that multiple topical and non-topical treatment modalities address dry eye symptoms in thyroid eye disease and improve subjective and objective ocular surface parameters. However, due to the few studies that exist and due to disparities in sample size and study design, no overwhelming best practices were identified that could influence clinical practice. Conclusion: This systematic review identifies the current treatments that exist and highlights the clear unmet need for a large population suffering with dry eye symptoms. Ideally, further well-designed investigations into this area would target topical, non-invasive modalities to develop first line options for thyroid eye disease patients.

Multi-Frequency RF Combined with Intense Pulsed Light Improves Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease Due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of multi-frequency RF and IPL + MGX combination for treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). Patients and Methods: Eligible subjects had signs and moderate-to-severe symptoms of DED (Dry Eye Disease) due to MGD. Subjects underwent 4 treatments at 2-week intervals. Each treatment consisted of intense pulsed light (IPL) followed by radiofrequency (RF) on the periocular skin, followed by meibomian gland expression (MGX). The main outcome measure was the quality of meibum in 15 meibomian glands along the lower eyelid, using the modified Meibomian Gland Score (mMGS). The main hypothesis was a reduction of mMGS between the baseline (BL) and the follow-up (FU). Other outcome measures, such as symptoms measured with the OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire, meibography, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) levels in tear samples were evaluated as well. Results: 31 subjects completed the FU. Between BL and FU, mMGS decreased from 30.4 (8.5) to 9.3 (9.5) (-69.3%, 95% CI: -55.6% to -82.9%, p<0.0001); OSDI decreased from 63.6 (17.2) to 25.0 (20.6) (-60.7%, 95% CI: -47.8% to -73.5%, p<0.0001); NIBUT did not change (p=0.92). An adjusted model with a historical control was constructed to allow the comparison of these subjects with those treated similarly with IPL+MGX (but without RF) in a different study. This analysis identified that the change in mMGS was larger when RF was included (-20.9 vs -18.3, adjusted p-value (p_adjusted) <0.05). The difference in OSDI change was not significant (-38.1 vs -25.5, p_adjusted = 0.196). Conclusion: Combination of multi-frequency RF and IPL+MGX improves signs and symptoms of MGD. In comparison to a historical control, improvements were generally larger. A randomized controlled study comparing the combination of RF and IPL+MGX with IPL+MGX alone is required to further elaborate the relative contribution of RF.

Physician Review Websites: Understanding Patient Satisfaction with Ophthalmologists Using Natural Language Processing.

Introduction: The presence and influence of physician review websites (PRW) have increased significantly in the field of medicine. This study aims to better understand determinants of patient satisfaction and the sentiment of ophthalmologists using natural language processing of Healthgrades reviews. Methods: Healthgrades is a PRW where patients submit verified reviews, containing a star rating and a narrative review, of US-based ophthalmologists. This was a quantitative observational study conducted on May 23, 2022. We identified associations between physician demographics and both the sentiment analysis scores of narrative reviews and star ratings using the Student's t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests. After natural language processing the reviews, a logistic regression explored the impacts of the most frequent words on the positivity of a given review. Results: This study examined a total of 16700 reviews of 1125 ophthalmologists. Ophthalmologists of younger age and male gender received statistically significantly higher star ratings and sentiment analysis scores; analysis of location of practice did not affect scores. Textual analysis revealed that words describing the physician's personality, such as "friendly" and "caring," increased the likelihood of reviews being positive more than descriptors of the visit's effectiveness, such as "results" and "efficient." Conclusion: Younger and male ophthalmologists received higher star ratings and sentiment analysis scores. Additionally, results indicated that words describing the ophthalmologist's pleasant personality and the visit's effectiveness most positively impacted a review, whereas descriptors of a wait or an unpleasant personality most negatively impacted a review.

Portable hardware & software technologies for addressing ophthalmic health disparities: A systematic review.

Vision impairment continues to be a major global problem, as the WHO estimates 2.2 billion people struggling with vision loss or blindness. One billion of these cases, however, can be prevented by expanding diagnostic capabilities. Direct global healthcare costs associated with these conditions totaled $255 billion in 2010, with a rapid upward projection to $294 billion in 2020. Accordingly, WHO proposed 2030 targets to enhance integration and patient-centered vision care by expanding refractive error and cataract worldwide coverage. Due to the limitations in cost and portability of adapted vision screening models, there is a clear need for new, more accessible vision testing tools in vision care. This comparative, systematic review highlights the need for new ophthalmic equipment and approaches while looking at existing and emerging technologies that could expand the capacity for disease identification and access to diagnostic tools. Specifically, the review focuses on portable hardware- and software-centered strategies that can be deployed in remote locations for detection of ophthalmic conditions and refractive error. Advancements in portable hardware, automated software screening tools, and big data-centric analytics, including machine learning, may provide an avenue for improving ophthalmic healthcare.

Virtual Reality Hemifield Measurements for Corrective Surgery Eligibility in Ptosis Patients: A Pilot Clinical Trial.

Purpose: We developed an accelerated virtual reality (VR) suprathreshold hemifield perimetry algorithm, the median cut hemifield test (MCHT). This study examines the ability of the MCHT to determine ptosis severity and its reversibility with an artificial improvement by eyelid taping on an HTC Vive Pro Eye VR headset and the Humphrey visual field analyzer (HVFA) to assess the capabilities of emerging technologies in evaluating ptosis. Methods: In a single visit, the MCHT was administered along with the HVFA 30-2 on ptotic untaped and taped eyelids in a randomized order. The primary end points were a superior field visibility comparison with severity of VF loss and VF improvement after taping for MCHT and HVFA. Secondary end points included evaluating patients' Likert-scaled survey responses on the comfort, speed, and overall experience with both testing modalities. Results: VR's MCHT superior field degrees visible correlated well for severe category margin to reflex distance (r = 0.78) compared with HVFA's (r = -0.21). The MCHT also demonstrated noninferiority (83.3% agreement; P = 1) against HVFA for detection of 30% or more superior visual field improvement after taping, warranting a corrective surgical intervention. In comparing hemi-VF in untaped eyes, both tests demonstrated relative obstruction to the field when comparing normal controls to severe ptosis (HVFA P < 0.05; MCHT P < 0.001), which proved sufficient to demonstrate percent improvement with taping. The secondary end point of patient satisfaction favored VR vision testing presentation mode in terms of comfort (P < 0.01), speed (P < 0.001), and overall experience (P < 0.01). Conclusions: This pilot trial supports the use of MCHT for the quantitative measurement of visual field loss owing to ptosis and the reversibility of ptosis that is tested when conducting a presurgical evaluation. We believe the adoption of MCHT testing in oculoplastic clinics could decrease patient burden and accelerate time to corrective treatment. Translational Relevance: In this study, we look at vision field outputs in patients with ptosis to evaluate its severity and improvement with eyelid taping on a low-profile VR-based technology and compare it with HVFA. Our results demonstrate that alternative, portable technologies such as VR can be used to grade the degree of ptosis and determine whether ptosis surgery could provide a significant superior visual field improvement of 30% or more, all while ensuring a more comfortable experience and faster testing time.

Intra-Arterial Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Central Retinal Artery Occlusion.

PURPOSE: To investigate the benefit of early intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator (IAT) for treatment of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen eyes of 15 patients presenting with acute CRAO were included in this retrospective consecutive interventional case series. Patients were excluded if treatment with IAT was not initiated within 12 hours. The diagnosis was confirmed by an ophthalmologist. IAT was performed via a transfemoral arterial approach. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was infused into the ophthalmic artery in aliquots up to 3mg to a maximum of 22mg. Paracentesis was done at the ophthalmologist's discretion. The primary outcome measure was visual acuity after three weeks. Adverse events were recorded during treatment and follow-up visits. RESULTS: After treatment with IAT, there was a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity, with a mean change of -0.76 (SD 0.91; range -2.4 to 0.85) logMAR (p=0.006). Vision improved by 3 or more lines in 53%, and of these, the mean Snellen visual acuity improvement was >6 lines. Notably, 4 patients (27%) improved from CF or worse to 20/80 or better. The mean dose of tPA used was 17mg and the mean time to treatment was 8.83 hours (range: 5.5 to 12 hours). There were no statistically significant differences based on time to treatment, dose of tPA, or use of a paracentesis. No major adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: IAT was safe and showed significant visual improvement in this small uncontrolled study. Larger studies and efforts to decrease time to treatment should be initiated to optimize outcomes.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase is essential for human B cell tolerance.

Most polyreactive and antinuclear antibodies are removed from the human antibody repertoire during B cell development. To elucidate how B cell receptor (BCR) signaling may regulate human B cell tolerance, we tested the specificity of recombinant antibodies from single peripheral B cells isolated from patients suffering from X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). These patients carry mutations in the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene that encode an essential BCR signaling component. We find that in the absence of Btk, peripheral B cells show a distinct antibody repertoire consistent with extensive secondary V(D)J recombination. Nevertheless, XLA B cells are enriched in autoreactive clones. Our results demonstrate that Btk is essential in regulating thresholds for human B cell tolerance.

Daratumumab-induced transient myopic shift.

PURPOSE: To describe an unprecedented case of transient myopic shift induced by a chemotherapeutic agent, daratumumab. OBSERVATIONS: A 43-year-old emmetropic female with multiple myeloma experienced sudden onset of myopic shift during her first intravenous dose of daratumumab, an increasingly common FDA-approved chemotherapeutic agent. Her myopia was corrected with -4D lenses in both eyes, and the patient reports cessation of symptoms and disuse of lenses after two days. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: A number of medications have been documented to induce transitory myopic shift, and this report now includes daratumumab among such agents. Further clinical findings regarding the mechanism and frequency of daratumumab-induced myopic shift are needed to further develop our understanding of its tangential effect on the eye.

Primary visual cortical thickness in correlation with visual field defects in patients with pituitary macroadenomas: a structural 7-Tesla retinotopic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Vision loss remains a debilitating complication of pituitary adenomas, although there is considerable variability in visual impairment before and after decompression surgery. Growing evidence suggests secondary damage to remote visual structures may contribute to vision loss in patients with chiasmatic compression. The present study leverages ultrahigh field 7-T MRI to study the retinotopic organization of the primary visual cortex (V1), and correlates visual defects with cortical thinning in V1 to characterize consequences of pituitary adenomas on the posterior visual system. METHODS: Eight patients (4 males and 4 females, mean age 44.3 years) with pituitary adenomas who exhibited chiasmatic compression and visual field defects, as well as 8 matched healthy controls (4 males and 4 females, mean age 43.3 years), were scanned at 7-T MRI for this prospective study. Whole-brain cortical thickness was calculated using an automated algorithm. A previously published surface-based algorithm was applied to associate the eccentricity and polar angle with each position in V1. Cortical thickness was calculated at each point in the retinotopic organization, and a cortical thickness ratio was generated against matched controls for each point in the visual fields. Patients with adenoma additionally underwent neuroophthalmological examination including 24-2 Humphrey automated visual field perimetry. Pattern deviation (PD) of each point in the visual field, i.e., the deviation in point detection compared with neurologically healthy controls, was correlated with cortical thickness at corresponding polar and eccentricity angles in V1. RESULTS: Whole-brain cortical thickness was successfully derived for all patients and controls. The mean tumor volume was 19.4 cm3. The median global thickness of V1 did not differ between patients (mean ± SD 2.21 ± 0.12 cm), compared with controls (2.06 ± 0.13 cm, p > 0.05). Surface morphometry-based retinotopic maps revealed that all 8 patients with adenoma showed a significant positive correlation between PD and V1 thickness ratios (r values ranged from 0.31 to 0.53, p < 0.05). Mixed-procedure analysis revealed that PD = -8.0719 + 5.5873*[Median V1 Thickness Ratio]. CONCLUSIONS: All 8 patients showed significant positive correlations between V1 thickness and visual defect. These findings provide retinotopic maps of localized V1 cortical neurodegeneration spatially corresponding to impairments in the visual field. These results further characterize changes in the posterior visual pathway associated with chiasmatic compression, and may prove useful in the neuroophthalmological workup for patients with pituitary macroadenoma.