CHOROIDAL VASCULARITY AND VISUAL OUTCOMES IN MACULA-OFF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between visual outcomes and choroidal changes in patients with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 63 eyes of patients with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who underwent vitrectomy. Their fellow eyes were analyzed as a control group. The choroidal vascularity index (CVI), ellipsoid zone/external limiting membrane integrity, central foveal thickness, and subfoveal choroidal thickness were documented and analyzed. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors affecting the final best-corrected visual acuity. RESULTS: Eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment showed increased CVI (68.8 ± 4.1) compared with the control group (66.1 ± 8.8, P = 0.028). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that patients with a poor final best-corrected visual acuity had a longer detachment duration ( P = 0.002), worse baseline best-corrected visual acuity ( P = 0.034), thinner central foveal thickness ( P = 0.005), and greater CVI ( P = 0.001) and were more likely to be tamponated with silicone oil ( P = 0.001). Choroidal vascularity index was particularly increased in eyes with poor ellipsoid zone/external limiting membrane integrity, prolonged detachment duration, thin central foveal thickness, and worse best-corrected visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Increased CVI could indicate poor visual outcomes in patients with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Choroidal remodeling could be associated with the disruption of the ellipsoid zone/external limiting membrane integrity.

Long-Term Progression of Pericentral Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term progression of pericentral hydroxychloroquine retinopathy. DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty eyes (60 with pericentral pattern) of 41 Korean patients with hydroxychloroquine retinopathy followed up for 2 years or more after drug cessation. METHODS: Patients were screened for hydroxychloroquine retinopathy using spectral-domain or swept-source OCT, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and Humphrey visual field (VF) tests. Follow-up was divided into short-term (≤2 years) and subsequent periods, and progression was evaluated in each period and severity group. Retinopathy progression on OCT was defined as increased length of the ellipsoid zone defect, decreased distance from the fovea to the photoreceptor defects, or newly developed or enlarged retinal pigment epithelium defects. On FAF, progression was defined as an increase in the area of hyperautofluorescence or hypoautofluorescence. Functional progression was defined as a regression coefficient of less than 0 dB/year for mean deviation and more than 0 dB/year for pattern standard deviation, based on linear regression analysis of 3 or more VF tests. Structural and functional progression rates were calculated using the slopes of retinal thicknesses on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid and perimetric parameters over time, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Structural and functional progression of retinopathy. RESULTS: Approximately one third of eyes with early pericentral retinopathy showed limited progression during the short-term period after drug cessation, but they subsequently showed stable or improved photoreceptors. Most eyes with moderate pericentral retinopathy showed continuous progression, particularly when converted to the severe stage. Severe eyes showed progressive damage throughout the follow-up period. In all severity groups, the rates of retinal thinning decreased over time. In eyes with pericentral retinopathy showing progression, circumferential enlargement of retinal damage was prominent in earlier stages, whereas centripetal enlargement of the ring-shaped lesion was noted in advanced stages. Functional progression, noted in 58.7% of the pericentral eyes, corresponded with structural progression. CONCLUSIONS: Pericentral hydroxychloroquine retinopathy showed severity-dependent progression. Moderate pericentral retinopathy usually progressed, but centripetal progression threatening the fovea was remarkable mostly in severe retinopathy. Our results suggest that early detection of retinopathy may minimize the risk of progression to foveal involvement in pericentral retinopathy.

CHOROIDAL INFLAMMATION AND CHORIOCAPILLARIS ISCHEMIA IN FOCAL CHOROIDAL EXCAVATION IN COMPARISON TO PACHYCHOROID NEOVASCULOPATHY.

PURPOSE: To investigate the choriocapillaris and choroidal characteristics of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) to establish pathomechanisms of the disease. METHODS: Thirty eyes with FCE, 26 eyes with pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV), and 25 participants without any conditions (control group) were analyzed retrospectively. The thickness of both choriocapillaris equivalent and whole choroid was measured at three different points: under the lesion (excavation or neovascularization), in the normal retina, and in the fovea of fellow eye. Indocyanine green angiographic images were collected to confirm choriocapillaris ischemia and the presence of choroidal inflammation. RESULTS: In both FCE and PNV, choriocapillaris-equivalent attenuation was observed under the lesion compared with other region of the retina (28.1 ± 11.3 µm vs. 69.4 ± 20.0 µm in FCE; 23.5 ± 9.7 µm vs. 62.3 ± 14.7 µm in PNV; both P < 0.001). We also observed focal thinning of the whole choroid under the lesion (149.7 ± 88.7 µm vs. 296.6 ± 83.2 µm; P < 0.001) in FCE but not in PNV. Pachyvessels distribution on optical coherence tomography and numerous dark areas on indocyanine green angiography implied that choroidal inflammation was related to the FCE occurrence. CONCLUSION: Choriocapillaris ischemia was related to both FCE and PNV. The choroidal thinning under the excavation and adjacent pachyvessels observed in FCE suggested that focal inflammation and scarring may contribute to choriocapillaris ischemia and eventual retinal pigment epithelium retraction with dysfunction in the pathomechanism.

SYSTEMIC FACTORS AND EARLY TREATMENT RESPONSE TO INTRAVITREAL INJECTION FOR DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA: The Role of Renal Function.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of systemic factors on early treatment response to intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVBI) and intravitreal dexamethasone implant (IVDI) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 117 treatment naïve DME patients who underwent IVBI. We divided the patients according to their IVBI response. An IVDI was performed in patients with poor response to IVBIs. We investigated the various systemic factors of diabetic patients and examined the relationship between systemic factors and the treatment response to IVBI and IVDI. RESULTS: In a total of 117 treatment naïve DME eyes, 61 eyes (52.14%) were classified as IVBI responders. An IVDI was performed in 23 of 56 eyes with poor response to IVBI, and 17 eyes (73.91%) had a good response. Among various systemic factors of patients with diabetes, renal function (blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate) showed a significant negative correlation with central subfield retinal thickness improvement after treatment (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in HbA1C levels regarding the treatment response to IVBI and IVDI. CONCLUSION: Renal function was significantly worse in patients with a poor response to IVBI and IVDI. Renal function could be used as a possible predictor for treatment response in certain patients with DME. Furthermore, for patients with DME with poor responses to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or steroid treatments, assessment of renal function could help explain the poor treatment response.

THE NATIONWIDE INCIDENCE OF RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION FOLLOWING DIALYSIS AS A RESULT OF END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE: 2004 Through 2013.

PURPOSE: To examine the incidence and risk of retinal artery occlusion (RAO) in patients who have undergone dialysis in Korea. METHODS: A nationwide, population-based study using South Korean national health insurance data from 2004 to 2013 was used for analysis. All patients who began dialysis between 2004 and 2013 and the same number of control subjects were selected via propensity score matching. The incidence of RAO in the dialysis and control cohorts was calculated for 2004 to 2013 using washout data from 2003. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the risk of developing RAO in dialysis patients. Cumulative RAO incidence curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Whether dialysis modalities influenced the incidence of RAO was also evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy-six thousand seven hundred and eighty-two end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis were included in the dialysis cohort, and 76,782 individuals were included in the control cohort. During the study period, 293 patients in the dialysis cohort and 99 patients in the control cohort developed RAO. The person-years incidence of RAO was significantly higher in the dialysis cohort than in the control cohort (dialysis = 1.1/1,000 person-years; control = 0.3/1,000 person-years; P < 0.001). The incidence of RAO was not significantly different between the two methods of dialysis (hemodialysis vs. peritoneal dialysis; P = 0.25, log-rank test). CONCLUSION: The current study provided epidemiological evidence that undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal disease was associated with an increased risk of developing RAO. The incidence of RAO rapidly increased as the duration of dialysis increased. These results strengthen the significant role of the renal function in retinal vascular disease.

Analyses of the effects of persistent subretinal fluid on visual/anatomic outcomes according to the type of macular neovascularization during the relaxed treat-and-extend protocol in age-related macular degeneration patients.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the long-term effects of persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) on visual/anatomic outcomes according to the type of macular neovascularization (MNV) during relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. METHODS: Patients with fovea-involving type 1 or type 2 MNV, treated with a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen for 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. Eyes with SRF observed more than three times per year were defined as the 'persistent SRF (+) group'. To exclude the effects of IRF as much as possible, the eyes with persistent IRF were excluded. The effects of persistent SRF on the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield retinal thickness (CST), and changes in the photoreceptor layer (PRL) thickness and outer retinal bands (external limiting membrane, ellipsoid zone, and cone outer segment tip line) after anti-VEGF injection were analyzed for each MNV type. RESULTS: Seventy-seven eyes with type 1 MNV (44 eyes with persistent SRF) and 53 eyes with type 2 MNV (18 eyes with persistent SRF) were enrolled. Following a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-VEGF agents, BCVA and CST improved for each MNV type. In comparison between persistent SRF (+) and persistent SRF (-) group, there were no differences in the amount of change in BCVA and CST between the two groups for each MNV type during 2-year follow-up periods. In addition, there were no differences in the amount of reduction in PRL thickness and state of the outer retinal bands between the two groups for each MNV type. CONCLUSIONS: Using a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-VEGF agents, persistent SRF did not have additional effects on visual and anatomic outcomes by 2 years, regardless of the MNV type.

Optical coherence tomography angiography findings of type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy, in comparison with type 2 patients.

PURPOSE: To compare optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) parameters between type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: A total of 70 patients with type 1 diabetes and 70 with type 2 diabetes were retrospectively analyzed. DR was graded as no DR, mild nonproliferative DR (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and proliferative DR (PDR). Using OCT-A, the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (mm2) and vascular density (VD) (%) were calculated in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP). RESULTS: In both type 1 and 2 diabetes patients, the FAZ area (mm2) in both capillary plexuses (CP) increased with DR progression, whereas the VD (%) progressively decreased. The changes in the FAZ area and the VD were significantly greater in the DCP than in the SCP in both types of diabetes patients(p < 0.001). In the analysis of decreasing slope of the VD in the DCP, attenuation was not significant until severe NPDR stage but then abruptly decreased when it progressed to PDR stage in type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the DCP VD decreased gradually as DR stage progressed. CONCLUSIONS: As DR progression, the increasing in FAZ area and the decreasing in VD are more severe in the DCP than in the SCP in both types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes eyes, they were remained in relatively healthy until it gets to the advanced stage of DR, while the gradual deterioration of FAZ area and VD was found from the early stage to the advanced stage of DR in type 2 diabetes.

ANALYSIS OF THE NORMAL PERIPHERAL RETINAL VASCULAR PATTERN AND ITS CORRELATION WITH MICROVASCULAR ABNORMALITIES USING ULTRA-WIDEFIELD FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY.

PURPOSE: To describe the retinal peripheral vascular morphology and to elucidate its relationship to microvascular abnormalities in normal fundus using ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography. METHODS: A total of 242 eyes from 167 consecutive patients were categorized into 3 groups: bilateral normal (n = 64), normal with contralateral eye affected with vascular disease (n = 82), and early diabetic eyes (n = 96). Peripheral vascular morphology was described and classified according to the shape. Microvascular abnormalities such as capillary telangiectasia, microaneurysm, or vascular leakage were documented, and the relationship between those abnormalities in each groups were analyzed. RESULTS: There were two distinctive peripheral vascular morphologies-loop and branching patterns. Microvascular abnormalities were more frequently found as loop patterns; this difference was most prominent when both eyes were normal. In case of normal eyes with contralateral eye affected with vascular disease or diabetic eyes, branching pattern microvascular abnormalities were relatively increased, whereas loop pattern still showed a large degree of microvascular abnormalities. CONCLUSION: In normal retinal periphery, we observed microvascular abnormalities and their relationship with vascular morphology, which could be influenced by the condition of the contralateral eye or systemic disease such as diabetes mellitus.

Abnormal choroidal flow on optical coherence tomography angiography in central serous chorioretinopathy.

IMPORTANCE: Analysing choroidal flow in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) with novel device. BACKGROUND: To examine the abnormal morphology of choriocapillary flow with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) according to the presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) in CSC. DESIGN: A hospital-based retrospective study. PARTICIPANTS: We analysed OCTA results of 68 eyes (68 patients) diagnosed as CSC with or without SRF (active and resolved CSC, respectively) at the Asan Medical Center. METHODS: We classified OCTA choriocapillary images into three pattern groups: mixed perfusion, hyper-perfusion and normal perfusion. Data analysis included age, follow-up duration, treatment modalities, number of treatments, subfoveal choroidal thickness and SRF height. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The relationship between CSC activity and choriocapillary pattern. RESULTS: Abnormal choroidal flow (mixed and hyper-perfusion) was more frequently found in eyes with active CSC (100%) than resolved CSC (47.5%, P < 0.001). In active CSC eyes, mixed perfusion was predominant (71.4%), while hyper-perfusion was predominant in those with resolved CSC (73.7%). Eyes with recently resolved CSC (SRF absorption present for <2 months) had abnormal choriocapillary flow more often than the remaining eyes with resolved CSC (83.3% vs 32.1%, P = 0.005). Resolved CSC eyes with abnormal choriocapillary flow demonstrated more recurrence than eyes with normal choriocapillary flow (42.1% vs 9.5%, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The pattern of choriocapillary flow abnormalities on OCTA can indicate CSC disease activity. Because eyes with resolved CSC showing abnormal choroidal flow have a high recurrence rate, they should be carefully followed-up.

Ischemic and Inflammatory Ocular Adverse Events Following Different Types of Vaccination for COVID-19 and Their Incidence Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular adverse event (OAE) and the incidence rate that can occur after the COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: Patients who visited with an ophthalmologic diagnosis within a month of COVID-19 vaccination were retrospectively analyzed. OAEs were categorized as ischemia and inflammation by their presumed pathogenesis and were compared by types of vaccine: messenger RNA (mRNA) and viral vector vaccine. The crude incidence rate was calculated using data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with OAEs after COVID-19 vaccination were reviewed: 10 patients after mRNA and 14 after viral vector vaccine. Retinal vein occlusion (nine patients) and paralytic strabismus (four patients) were the leading diagnoses. Ischemic OAE was likely to occur after viral vector vaccines, while inflammatory OAE was closely related to mRNA vaccine (p = 0.017). The overall incidence rate of OAE was 5.8 cases per million doses: 11.5 per million doses in viral vector vaccine and 3.4 per million doses in mRNA vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: OAEs can be observed shortly after the COVID-19 vaccination, and their category was different based on the types of vaccine. The information and incidence of OAE based on the type of vaccine can help monitor patients who were administered the COVID-19 vaccine.

Outer nuclear layer recovery as a predictor of visual prognosis in type 1 choroidal neovascularization of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

To investigate the changes in outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in type 1 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and its impact on vision. Type 1 CNV eyes (n = 94) were retrospectively compared to normal control eyes (n = 35). Along with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the location of CNV, foveal ONL thickness, and subretinal fluid height were measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and analyzed. Visual outcome and OCT biomarkers were compared. As a result, the CNV group had thinner foveal ONL and worse BCVA compared to the control group. ONL thickness recovered partially along with visual improvement following 3 monthly initial loading doses of aflibercept injections, and it correlated with the final BCVA during the 1-year follow-up. Eyes achieved foveal ONL recovery over + 10 µm had lower subfoveal CNV (45.5%) and showed better visual outcomes than eyes with stationary ONL or suboptimal ONL recovery (76.0%, p = 0.012). In conclusion, type 1 CNV eyes that recovered foveal ONL thickness at initial loading of anti-VEGF demonstrated good final visual outcome during the 1-year follow-up. Monitoring the foveal ONL thickness during early anti-VEGF treatment can give information about the visual outcomes in type 1 CNV.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment induces more severe macular capillary changes than central serous chorioretinopathy.

To investigate hemodynamic changes in macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and its impact on visual prognosis by comparing with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), vascular density in the superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus (DCP) was retrospectively compared with that in contralateral unaffected eyes in macula-off RRD and CSC eyes. In RRD eyes, pre- and postoperative ultra-widefield (UWF) fluorescein angiography (FA) were obtained to analyze vascular changes. In OCTA, both macula-off RRD and CSC eyes showed less density in macular DCP, compared to the unaffected fellow eyes. Compared to CSC, eyes affected by macula-off RRD showed a reduction in DCP vascular density and an increase in foveal avascular zone area, although it had a much shorter macular detachment period. In macula-off RRD, less density of DCP was strongly correlated with longer duration of detachment, greater ellipsoid zone disruption, and poor visual recovery. In UWF-FA, detached retina showed capillary hypoperfusion, venous stasis and leakage, which were improved after reattachment. In conclusion, macular capillary loss of flow, which was associated with photoreceptor disruption, correlated with duration of detachment in RRD. Early reattachment and reperfusion are required for minimizing macular vasculature and photoreceptor damage in macula-off RRD.

Preliminary Study of Different Treatment Responses between Bevacizumab, Aflibercept and Dexamethasone Implant According to Renal Function in Diabetic Macular Edema Patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between responses to intravitreal bevacizumab injection and renal function in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients. Methods: A retrospective study of the medical records of 104 treatment-naïve DME patients who received intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVBI) was conducted. Based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2), the participants were classified into three groups. Intergroup comparisons of the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central subfield retinal thickness (CST) changes were performed after three-monthly consecutive IVBIs. In the groups with decreased renal function, the response to further treatment with a different drug was investigated. Results: A total of 104 participants were included in the study: 60 participants in the preserved renal function group (eGFR ≥ 60), 25 participants in the moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) group (30 ≤ eGFR < 60), and 19 participants in the severe CKD group (eGFR < 30). After three-monthly consecutive IVBIs, BCVA (p < 0.001) and CST (p < 0.001) were significantly improved only in the preserved renal function group. Following further treatment of patients with decreased renal function, the treatment results were significantly better in those who were switched to aflibercept or dexamethasone implant than in those who were maintained on IVBI. Conclusions: From this preliminary study, we observed that renal function might affect the response to IVBI treatment in patients with DME. In the case of a poor response to initial IVBI treatment for DME in patients with moderate to severe CKD, our study supports switching to the aflibercept or dexamethasone implant.

Visual/anatomical outcome of diabetic macular edema patients lost to follow-up for more than 1 year.

To investigate the visual/anatomical outcome of diabetic macular edema (DME) patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) for more than 1 year during intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment. A retrospective review of 182 treatment-naïve DME patients was performed. Among them, we identified patients LTFU for more than 1 year during anti-VEGF treatment. Visual acuity and anatomic outcomes at the first visit, last visit before being LTFU, return visit, and after re-treatment were analyzed and compared with those of DME patients with regular follow-up. Patients who had continuous follow-up visits were assigned to the control group. Sixty patients (33%) with DME were LTFU for more than 1 year during anti-VEGF treatment. Multivariate analysis revealed that the ratio of male (p = 0.004), diabetes mellitus (DM) duration less than 5 years (p = 0.015), and poor early anatomic response (p = 0.012) were higher compared to the control group. Eighteen patients returned to the clinic and received re-treatment. After re-treatment with anti-VEGF, central subfield thickness (CST) was significantly improved to the CST of before LTFU. However, visual acuity did not recover to the level before LTFU (0.63 ± 0.26 vs. 0.45 ± 0.28, p = 0.003). About thirty percent of DME patients were LTFU for more than 1 year. Permanent visual loss was observed in these LTFU patients. Patients with a high risk of LTFU such as male, early DM, and poor response after initial injections should be treated more aggressively to improve the visual outcomes.

Aflibercept ameliorates retinal pericyte loss and restores perfusion in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are used worldwide for advanced-stage diabetic retinopathy (DR). In contrast, apart from blood glucose control, there are no specific treatments that can limit the progression of early-stage DR that starts with pericyte loss and the destruction of the blood-retinal barrier. Here, we examined the efficacy of aflibercept, a potent anti-VEGF agent, against early-DR pathologies in a murine model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DR. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: STZ was intraperitoneally administered in 8-week-old C57BL/6N male mice. After 4 weeks, the mice were divided into aflibercept-treated and saline-treated groups. Eight weeks after the STZ injection, vascular permeability/leakage was measured with fluorescein angiography in live mice. At 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the STZ injection, the eyes were enucleated, flat-mounted, and stained for platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß to assess pericyte abundance, CD45 to assess leukocyte recruitment, and fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran to assess perfusion. VEGF levels were quantified in each group. The effects of aflibercept on pericyte number, perfusion status, and leukocyte recruitment/accumulation on mice with diabetes retina were evaluated. RESULTS: Our murine model successfully replicated the salient pathologies of DR such as pericytes loss, hyperpermeability, and perfusion blockage. Interestingly, numerous leukocytes and leukocyte clumps were found in diabetic retinal capillaries, especially in the non-perfused border area of the retina, suggesting a possible mechanism for non-perfusion and related pericyte damage. Treatment with aflibercept in mice with diabetes inhibited the upregulation of VEGF and the associated adhesion molecules while reducing the defects in perfusion. Aflibercept also attenuated pericyte loss in the diabetic retina. CONCLUSION: VEGF inhibition through aflibercept treatment decreased leukocyte recruitment and aggregation, perfusion blockage, retinal hypoperfusion, and hyperpermeability in mice with diabetes and ultimately attenuated pericyte loss. Our findings suggest that anti-VEGF strategies may prove useful as possible therapies for limiting the progression of early-stage DR.

Preliminary study of ultra-widefield peripheral retinal angiographic patterns in children and its association to the perinatal condition.

This preliminary study analyzed the peripheral retinal vascular pattern in children, using ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography, and its association with perinatal conditions. Retrospective review was conducted examining the fluorescein angiographic findings of children with amblyopia (January 2017 to December 2018). We categorized the peripheral vascular patterns into two groups: loop and branching patterns. We investigated differences in these patterns, according to the perinatal condition. Thirty children (9.27 ± 3.41 years old; 47.67% male) were included. An equal number of children had the loop or branching pattern (15:15). The gestational age (GA) in the loop group was significantly shorter than the branching group (32.92 ± 5.62 vs. 36.67 ± 5.63 weeks, p = 0.04). The birth weight of the loop group was significantly lower than the branching group (2.00 ± 1.03 vs. 2.72 ± 0.93 kg, p = 0.03). Gender, age, delivery-type, and visual acuity, were not different between the groups. Lower birth weight and shorter GA were observed in children with the loop pattern. The difference in peripheral retinal vascular patterns, according to birth weight and GA, might be due to the development of immature retinal vessels at birth.

Functional and Structural Outcomes of Temporal Zone II-Sparing Laser Photocoagulation Combined with Intravitreal Bevacizumab in Retinopathy of Prematurity.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes of temporal Zone II-sparing laser photocoagulation combined with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in patients with Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Zone I. METHODS: Medical records of 74 eyes of 37 infants were analysed. Only infants with Type 1 ROP in Zone I were included. Thirty-two eyes were treated with temporal-sparing laser + IVB. Both Zone I and temporal Zone II were spared to minimise potential visual field loss. Forty-two eyes were treated with laser alone conventionally. Early treatment outcomes, late complications, and refractive errors were analysed. RESULTS: The mean gestational age and birth weight of the enrolled patients were 25.7 ± 2.5 weeks and 798.8 ± 440.2 g, respectively. In the combined treatment group, plus sign regression was achieved faster (12.1 ± 6.2 days vs. 25.6 ± 21.3 days, p=0.011) and retreatment was required less (0% vs. 23.8%, p=0.004) than in the laser-alone group. Retinal/preretinal haemorrhages occurred more often in the laser-alone group (42.9% vs. 9.4%, p=0.002). Normal development of temporal retinal vessels was also observed in twelve eyes in the combined treatment group. No differences in late complications or refractive errors were observed between the groups. CONCLUSION: Temporal Zone II-sparing laser treatment combined with IVB showed good early treatment outcome and temporal retinal vessels development.

Hypertension as a risk factor for recurrent subretinal hemorrhage in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between hypertension and recurrent subretinal hemorrhage (SRH) in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-eight eyes of 38 patients with PCV. METHODS: Ocular findings and clinical features were analyzed retrospectively in patients with PCV enrolled from January 2011 to December 2013. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of recurrent SRH after successful initial treatment (rebleeding vs nonrebleeding) and were subdivided into those with and without hypertension, based on history of hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP) >150 mm Hg. The relationship between hypertension and recurrent SRH was analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (38 eyes) were included in this analysis. High SBP or history of hypertension was significantly more frequent in the rebleeding group than in the nonrebleeding group (p = 0.014). Subgroup analysis showed that mean time until recurrent SRH was significantly shorter in the hypertensive group than in the nonhypertensive group (p = 0.025). The cumulative incidence of recurrent SRH at 2 years was 43% in the hypertensive group and 20% in the nonhypertensive group. Cox regression after adjustment for age showed that hypertension was associated with a 3.9-fold greater risk of recurrent SRH (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent SRH in patients with PCV was more common in hypertensive subjects. Undiagnosed hypertension should be considered when assessing the prognosis of patients with PCV.