Long-Term Effect on HbA1c in Poorly Controlled Diabetic Patients Following Nonmydriatic Retinal Image Review at the Time of Endocrinology Visit.

Background:Patient education demonstrates variable benefits on diabetes control.Introduction:To examine the effect of discussing nonmydriatic retinal imaging findings during a single endocrinology visit on HbA1c levels after 6, 12, and 60 months.Materials and Methods:Patients with HbA1c >8.0% and diabetic retinopathy were previously recruited for a prospective study looking at the change in HbA1c at 3 months between those assigned to a session of nonmydriatic imaging with discussion of retinal findings and those assigned to routine endocrinology evaluation alone. The patients were subsequently evaluated at 6, 12, and 60 months after the initial intervention.Results:Fifty-three of the 57 originally recruited intervention subjects (93%) and 48 of 54 subjects in the original control group (89%) were evaluated at 6 and 12 months and 44 patients in each group (75% and 81%, respectively) at 60 months. At 6 months, the intervention group maintained larger decreases in median HbA1c compared to control (-1.1 vs. -0.3, respectively, p = 0.002) with a trend persisting at 12 months (-0.6 vs. -0.2, respectively, p = 0.07). After 60 months, there was no significant difference in the median change in HbA1c between treatment and control groups (0.3 vs. 0.1, respectively, p = 0.54).Discussion:The short-term improvement in HbA1c resulting from discussion of retinal findings persists throughout the first year in this diabetic cohort, but its magnitude declines with time and becomes statistically insignificant at some point between 6 and 12 months.Conclusions:In patients with poorly controlled diabetes, retinal imaging review may help improve glycemic control but may require repetition periodically for benefit beyond 6 months.

ß-blockers in the treatment of periocular infantile hemangioma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To evaluate the medical literature on the use of ß-blockers, through different routes, for the treatment of periorbital infantile hemangiomas and to summarize the recommendations available on dosage and monitoring. RECENT FINDINGS: ß-blockers for the treatment of infantile hemangioma are now considered to be first-line treatment. Growing literature on the role of oral propranolol confirmed its efficacy but also presented its multiple side-effects including hypotension, bradycardia, hypoglycemia, and bronchospasm. No universal guidelines exist concerning pretreatment evaluation, dosage, monitoring, and duration of treatment but different protocols have been created.In the aim of minimizing side-effects, other routes of administration and more selective ß-blockers have emerged. Many studies showed promising results for topical timolol especially in the treatment of superficial hemangiomas. Few studies evaluated intralesional propranolol. Limited data exist on the use of more selective ß-blockers promising similar results to propranolol with fewer side-effects. SUMMARY: Oral ß-blockers are now the mainstay of treatment for periorbital hemangiomas but still with no consensus on their administration and monitoring. The topical form or more selective ß-blockers may be the solution to minimize side-effects.

Early Ophthalmological Manifestations of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Current Perspectives.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy affecting different organ systems including the eye. The purpose of this review is to present and evaluate the medical literature regarding the early ophthalmological manifestations of acute myeloid leukemia. AML affects the ocular system through direct infiltration of tissues, secondary to hematological abnormalities, or in the form of chloroma or myeloid sarcoma in the brain or orbit consequently leading to a variety of manifestations depending on the ocular tissue involved. It is imperative for ophthalmologists to be aware of the early ophthalmological manifestations of AML which will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening disease.

Amblyopia risk factors among pediatric patients in a hospital-based setting using photoscreening.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of amblyopia risk factors in children visiting the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) using automated vision screening. METHODS: This was a hospital-based screening of 1102 children aged between 2 and 6 years. Vision screening was performed using PlusoptiX S12 over 2 years (2018-2020). The need for referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist was based on the amblyopia risk factors set forth by the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Referred patients underwent a comprehensive eye examination. RESULTS: A total of 1102 children were screened, 63 were referred for amblyopia risk factors (5.7%); 37/63 (59%) underwent comprehensive eye examination and 73% were prescribed glasses. Of the non-referred group of children, 6.35% had astigmatism, 6.25% were hyperopic and 3.27% were myopic. The refractive errors observed among the examined patients were distributed as follows: 41% astigmatism, 51% hyperopia, and 8% myopia; amblyopia was not detected. Refractive amblyopia risk factors were associated with the presence of systemic disorders. Bland-Altman plots showed most of the differences to be within limits of agreement. CONCLUSION: Using an automated vision screener in a hospital-based cohort of children aged 2 to 6 years, the rate of refractive amblyopia risk factors was 5.7%. Hyperopia was the most commonly encountered refractive error and children with systemic disorders were at higher risk.

Ophthalmic Injuries After the Port of Beirut Blast-One of Largest Nonnuclear Explosions in History.

IMPORTANCE: A review of the injury patterns, treatment strategies, and responding physicians' experience during the Port of Beirut blast may help guide future ophthalmic disaster response plans. OBJECTIVE: To present the ophthalmic injuries and difficulties encountered as a result of the Port of Beirut blast on August 4, 2020. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective medical record review of all patients who presented to the emergency department and 13 ophthalmology outpatient clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center for treatment of ophthalmic injuries sustained from the explosion in Port of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, from August 4 to the end of November 2020. Patients were identified from emergency records, outpatient records, and operative reports. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Types of ocular injuries, final best-corrected visual acuity, and need for surgical intervention were evaluated. Visual acuity was measured with correction based on noncycloplegic refraction using the Snellen medical record. EXPOSURES: Ocular or ocular adnexal injuries sustained from the Port of Beirut explosion. RESULTS: A total of 39 blast survivors with ocular injuries were included in this study. Twenty-two patients presented with ocular injuries on the day of the blast, and 17 patients presented within the following 3 months to the ophthalmology clinics for a total of 48 eyes of 39 patients were treated secondary to the blast. Thirty-five patients (89.6%) were adults, and 24 (61.5%) were female. A total of 21 patients (53.8%) required surgical intervention, more than half of which were urgently requested on the same day of presentation (14 [35.9%]). Most eye injuries were caused by debris and shrapnel from shattered glass leading to surface injury (26 [54.2%]), eyelid lacerations (20 [41.6%]), orbital fractures (14 [29.2%]), brow lacerations (10 [20.8%]), hyphema (9 [18.8%]), open globe injuries (10 [20.8%]), and other global injuries. Only 7 injured eyes (14.5%) had a final best-corrected visual acuity of less than 20/200, including all 4 open globe injuries with primary no light perception (8.3%) requiring enucleation or evisceration. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In the aftermath of the Port of Beirut explosion, a review of the ophthalmic injuries showed a predominance of shrapnel-based injuries, many of which had a delayed presentation owing to the strain placed on health care services. Reverting to basic approaches was necessary in the context of a malfunctioning electronic medical record system.

Transient crystalline lens deposits following the insertion of a phakic sulcus-fixated collamer intraocular lens in a hyperopic eye.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report crystalline lens deposit formation following ICL implantation for the correction of hyperopia. OBSERVATIONS: A 23-year-old male presented at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in 2008 seeking refractive surgery for hyperopia. His cycloplegic refraction was +7-1.25 × 115° and +7-1.00 × 115° in the right and left eyes, respectively, yielding a vision of 20/20 bilaterally. The patient underwent right eye insertion of a non-toric phakic sulcus-fixated collamer lens 2 weeks after undergoing peripheral iridotomies. The early postoperative course was complicated by anterior chamber inflammation and the appearance of diffuse whitish precipitates on the anterior surface of the crystalline lens, hypotony, and a mid-dilated mildly reactive pupil. With the prompt administration of topical and systemic steroids, the anterior chamber reaction subsided, and the anterior capsular deposits gradually resolved peripherally with some remaining centrally over the course of several weeks. The patient's visual acuity at 6 months was 20/20. CONCLUSIONSAND IMPORTANCE: Adequate viscoelastic removal and minimal iris stimulation seem to be essential to avoid this condition in hyperopic implants that lack a central port. Additionally, prompt treatment can minimize visual impairment and hasten visual recovery.

C-Press Technique to Facilitate Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Surgery in Vitrectomized Patients: A Case Series.

PURPOSE: To describe an original technique to unfold the graft in vitrectomized eyes undergoing Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart and video review of successive cases presenting with corneal decompensation in vitrectomized eyes or aphakic eyes in which DMEK or combined DMEK/scleral-fixated intraocular lens implantation was indicated and in which a specific technique [Cornea-Press (C-Press)] was used to unfold the graft. C-Press is characterized by corneal indentation intended to artificially shallow the anterior chamber and allow the graft to unroll. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, central corneal thickness, the time of graft unfolding, endothelial cell count, and the incidence of intraoperative/postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Eleven eyes of 11 patients (8 men, mean age: 73 ± 12 years) were included. Corrected distance visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) improved from 1.44 ± 0.23 preoperatively to 0.77 ± 0.36 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.001). Central corneal thickness (CCT) decreased from 644 ± 79 preoperatively to 516 ± 49 µm 6 months postoperatively. The graft unfolding time was 4.4 ± 2.5 minutes. Mean endothelial cell density was 2762 ± 192 preoperatively and 1872 ± 324 cells/mm 6 months postoperatively. No eye showed intraoperative complications. Rebubbling for partial detachment was needed in 2 cases (18%). CONCLUSIONS: The C-Press technique enables likely safe and reproducible DMEK surgery in vitrectomized eyes. Further clinical studies with a large number of patients and longer follow-up are required to confirm our preliminary results.