A comparative study of stereopsis in term and preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate stereopsis in term-born, preterm, and preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and its treatment. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 322 children between 3 and 11 years of age born term or preterm, with or without ROP, and with or without treatment for ROP. The ROP treatments were laser therapy, intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, or their combination. Stereoacuity was measured using the Titmus Stereo Test, and the results among various age groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Stereopsis was found to improve with increasing age at testing (P < 0.001) across the entire study population. The term group exhibited significantly better stereoacuity than the preterm group (P < 0.001). At 3-5 years and 6-8 years, the preterm children without ROP exhibited significantly better stereoacuity than did those with ROP (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively); however, at 9-11 years, both groups exhibited similar stereoacuity (P = 0.34). The stereoacuity in the children with untreated ROP was similar to that of the children with treated ROP in all age groups (P > 0.05). No significant differences in stereopsis were identified between children with ROP treated with laser versus with IVI (P > 0.05). From multivariate analysis, younger age at testing (P = 0.001) and younger gestational age (P < 0.001) were associated with poorer stereopsis. CONCLUSIONS: Stereopsis development gradually improved with age in all groups. The children born preterm exhibited poorer stereoacuity than those born term. Children with ROP treated with laser photocoagulation versus IVI may exhibit similar levels of stereoacuity. Younger age at testing and gestational age were independent risk factors for poorer stereoacuity.

Purtscher-like retinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy following breast filler injection.

BACKGROUND: To report a rare case of pulmonary and ocular complications with visual loss due to bilateral Purtscher-like retinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) following a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection to the breast. Systemic and visual recovery was attained following corticosteroid therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old lady presented with painless blurring of vision in both eyes for 2 weeks following hyaluronic acid breast filler injections by a non-medical practitioner. She was initially admitted to the medical ward for diffuse alveolar haemorrhage and altered sensorium. The presenting visual acuity was counting fingers in both eyes. Bilateral dilated fundus examination showed hyperaemic discs, concentric rim of retinal whitening around macula with patches of polygonal-shaped retinal whitening, generalised cotton-wool spots, tortuous veins, and flame-shaped haemorrhages. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) macula revealed hyper-reflective bands at the inner nuclear layer (INL). Fluorescein angiography demonstrated hot discs, delayed arm-to-retina time, arterial filling, and arterio-venous transit time with staining of the vessels at the posterior pole. She was managed with a tapering dose of systemic corticosteroids. The visual acuity improved to 6/12 over 8 weeks with significant anatomical and functional improvement. Dilated fundus examination showed resolution of initial funduscopy findings. The hyper-reflective bands on the OCT had resolved with subsequent thinning of the INL and disorganisation of retinal inner layers. CONCLUSION: Filler injections are in increasing demand and are frequently being performed by non-medical practitioners. Visual loss from non-facial HA fillers is rare. Inadvertent entry of HA into a blood vessel may potentially cause systemic and sight-threatening ocular complications. Good anatomical knowledge and proper injection technique are vital in preventing this unfortunate sequela. There are limited reports on successful visual recovery following various treatment approaches and we hope this case provides valuable insights.

A rare case of bilateral vitreoretinopathy of Aicardi syndrome.

Purpose: To report a rare case of Aicardi syndrome presenting with concurrent peripheral retina nonperfusion with 360-degree neovascularization in the right eye and stalk tissue with a peripapillary fibrovascular membrane and tractional retinal detachment (TRD) in the left eye. Observations: A one-month-old girl was referred for an ophthalmic evaluation to confirm the diagnosis of Aicardi syndrome due to abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging. A 360-degree circumferential peripheral avascular retina with extensive neovascularization was present in the right eye. Stalk tissue with fibrovascular proliferation causing TRD was found in the left fundus. The retina of the right eye became quiescent after completing peripheral laser photocoagulation. The detached retina in the left eye was flattened, and the peripapillary chorioretinal lacunae became visible one year after surgical removal of the traction. In addition, the axial length growth of the left eye regained. Conclusion and importance: This is a rare case of Aicardi syndrome with concurrent peripapillary fibrovascular traction in one eye and peripheral retina nonperfusion in the other eye. Surgical intervention is vital not only for removing the traction and flattening the retina but also for promoting continual growth of the eyeball.

Streptococcus pneumoniae endophthalmitis: clinical settings, antibiotic susceptibility, and visual outcomes.

Streptococcus pneumoniae endophthalmitis is clinically more severe, more difficult to treat, and carry a higher risk of vision loss, evisceration, or enucleation. This study is to investigate the clinical settings, antibiotic susceptibility, and visual outcomes of S. pneumoniae endophthalmitis at a tertiary referral center in Taiwan. S. pneumoniae endophthalmitis was diagnosed in 38 eyes of 38 patients. The main clinical features were postcataract endophthalmitis (n = 13, 34%) and endophthalmitis associated with corneal ulcer (n = 12, 32%), trauma (n = 6, 16%), endogenous etiology (n = 4, 11%), trabeculectomy (n = 2, 5%), and pterygium excision-related scleral ulcer (n = 1, 3%). Presenting visual acuity ranged from counting fingers to no light perception. Pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal antibiotics was performed in 17 eyes (39%) in primary or secondary treatments. S. pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to vancomycin (38/38, 100%), penicillin (37/38, 97%), ceftriaxone (37/38, 97%), cefuroxime (12/15, 80%), levofloxacin (13/15 ,87%), and moxifloxacin (15/17, 88%). Final visual acuity was better than 20/400 in 3 of 38 eyes (8%), 5/200 to hand motions in 3 eyes (8%), and light perception to no light perception in 32 eyes (84%). Ten eyes (26%) underwent evisceration or enucleation. Although S. pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, S. pneumoniae endophthalmitis had a very poor visual prognosis.

Nasal or Temporal Internal Limiting Membrane Flap Assisted by Sub-Perfluorocarbon Viscoelastic Injection for Macular Hole Repair.

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes between using a nasal and a temporal inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap both assisted by a novel technique in repairing a full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS: Thirty-nine eyes from 39 patients with a FTMH <600 µm were included from a single institution. All patients underwent vitrectomy using a semicircular single-layered ILM inverted flap assisted by a sub-perfluorocarbon liquid injection of ophthalmic viscoelastic device (OVD) technique. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were used to compare outcomes between nasal (n = 19) and temporal (n = 20) groups. RESULTS: At 6 months postoperatively, all FTMHs closed and BCVA were significantly improved. Overall, 36 eyes (92%) achieved U-shaped closure, and ellipsoid zone restoration was noted in 24 eyes (62%). An ILM flap was present in 29 eyes (74%) and 86% remained single-layered. There were significantly more deep inner retinal dimples in the temporal group (35%) compared with 5% in the nasal group (P = .04), but these were unrelated to BCVA. Significant retinal thinning in the temporal outer sub-field was noted in the temporal group and was negatively correlated with BCVA (rho [ρ]: - .53; P = .03). No significant postoperative retinal displacement was noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The technique of using sub-perfluorocarbon liquid injection of OVD secured single-layered flaps intraoperatively and postoperatively. Both the nasal and temporal inverted ILM flaps repaired FTMH and improved visual acuity. However, both temporal macular thinning and deep inner retinal dimples were significantly greater in the temporal group.

Enterococcus faecalis Endophthalmitis: Clinical Settings, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Management Outcomes.

Enterococcus faecalis is known to cause severe acute endophthalmitis and often leads to poor visual outcomes in most ophthalmic infections. This retrospective study is to report the clinical settings, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and visual outcome of E. faecalis endophthalmitis at a tertiary referral institution in Taoyuan, Taiwan. E. faecalis endophthalmitis was diagnosed in 37 eyes of 37 patients. Post-cataract surgery was the most common cause (n = 27, 73%), followed by bleb-associated (n = 3, 8%), endogenous (n = 2, 5%), corneal ulcer-related (n = 2, 5%), post-vitrectomy (n = 1, 3%), post-pterygium excision (n = 1, 3%), and trauma (n = 1, 3%). Visual acuities upon presentation ranged from counting fingers to no light perception. Pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal antibiotics were performed in 23 eyes (76%) as primary or secondary treatment. All isolates (37/37, 100%) were sensitive to vancomycin, penicillin, ampicillin, and teicoplanin. Six of 22 eyes (27%) were resistant to high-level gentamicin (minimum inhibitory concentration > 500 mg/L). Final visual acuities were better than 20/400 in 11 eyes (30%), 5/200 to hand motions in 4 eyes (11%), and light perception to no light perception in 22 eyes (59%). Three eyes were treated with evisceration. Compared with non-cataract subgroups, the post-cataract subgroup showed a significant difference of better visual prognosis (p = 0.016).

Clinical profile and visual outcome of traumatic paediatric cataract in suburban Malaysia: a ten-year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Available data on traumatic cataract in Asian children is primarily confined to South Asian countries. We aimed to describe the demographics, nature of injury and visual outcomes of Malaysian children with traumatic cataract from a suburban area, and discuss the literature on Asian children with this condition. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 29 children below 17 years of age who were diagnosed with traumatic paediatric cataract and who attended Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, between January 2000 and December 2010. Follow-up periods ranged from 12 to 120 months. Demographic data, clinical features, mechanism and extent of injury, and final visual outcome were recorded. RESULTS: The study population was predominantly male. The right eye was injured in 62.07% of patients. A majority of patients had penetrating injuries, with the most common cause being injury by an organic foreign body (24.14%). Presenting visual acuity worse than 6/60 was observed in 68.97% of patients. Only 34.48% of patients had a final corrected visual acuity of 6/12 and better. 55.18% of patients were operated on within less than one month of their injuries. A majority of children sustained concurrent injuries to the anterior segment structures. Corneal opacity and amblyopia were the most common causes of poor final visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Health education and awareness are essential tools that can prevent avoidable blindness due to traumatic cataract in the paediatric population. The importance of rehabilitation programmes for these patients should be emphasised.