Longitudinal Assessment of Peripapillary Microvasculature Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Cognitively Normal Adults.

Introduction: To evaluate longitudinal peripapillary changes in cognitively normal older adults using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Methods: Participants older than 50 years with no history of neurodegenerative disease or cognitive impairment were prospectively enrolled. OCT and OCTA images were obtained at the first visit and 2 years later. Results: The study comprised 189 eyes of 111 adults with a mean age (±SD) of 69.3 ± 5.8 years and mean follow-up of 2.1 ± 0.5 years. Woman experienced slower rate of decline than men in capillary perfusion density (0.000% ± 0.005% vs -0.002% ± 0.004%; P = .038) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (0.133 ± 1.617 µm vs -0.659 ± 1.431 µm; P = .008). At both timepoints, after controlling for sex, the capillary perfusion density (P < .001), capillary flux index (P < .001), and RNFL thickness (P = .005) were lower in older participants. The mean capillary perfusion density was higher in women than in men at both timepoints (P = .01 and P = .002, respectively), with no significant differences in the capillary flux index and RNFL thickness. Conclusions: In cognitively normal adults, there is a significant reduction in peripapillary capillary perfusion density, the capillary flux index, and RNFL thickness associated with aging beyond 50 years. Women had higher capillary perfusion density values with slower rates of change in capillary perfusion density and RNFL thickness. These values can serve as benchmarks, and variations could be suspicious for a pathologic process.

ORAL CURCUMIN TO REDUCE RISK OF PROLIFERATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY FOLLOWING RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR.

PURPOSE: To evaluate outcomes of patients who underwent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair and were started on oral curcumin for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) prevention. METHODS: Retrospective, observational case series of eyes of patients undergoing high-risk rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair that was started on curcumin postoperatively. Recommended dosage was 500 mg twice daily for 30 days followed by 500 mg daily for 60 days. The primary outcome was recurrent PVR-related rhegmatogenous retinal detachment within 6 months and a single-surgery retinal reattachment rate. Secondary outcomes included epiretinal membrane formation, visual acuity, and curcumin safety profile. RESULTS: Thirty-two eyes of 31 patients met the study inclusion criteria. Postoperatively, 2 eyes developed a PVR-related detachment (6.3%), and 2 eyes redetached due to new breaks without PVR (6.3%). Overall, single-surgery retinal reattachment rate was 87.5%. Single-surgery retinal reattachment rate without silicone oil was 92.6% (25/27). Of the 12 cases with Grade C PVR-related retinal detachment, the single-surgery retinal reattachment rate was 91.7%. Postoperatively, 7 eyes developed an epiretinal membrane (21.9%), of which 3 underwent epiretinal membrane removal (9.4%). No patient had gastrointestinal upset or anemia. CONCLUSION: This proof-of-concept clinical study suggests that oral curcumin is well tolerated and warrants further investigation for its potential to reduce the risk of PVR after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair in eyes at higher risk of PVR.

Evaluating the Impact of Gender and Race on Otolaryngology Resident Experiences Across the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Otolaryngology residents often encounter work-related stress and challenges during training. Sociodemographic factors influence experiences during residency; however, the impact of race and gender on otolaryngology trainee well-being during residency remains understudied. STUDY DESIGN: Online survey. SETTING: US residency programs. METHODS: An anonymous online survey consisting of 59 multiple-choice questions was sent to 104 directors of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education otolaryngology residency programs to distribute to residents. Respondents were queried regarding demographics and experiences with bias. Residents self-identified gender and race. Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, and multiracial residents were categorized as underrepresented minorities (URM). RESULTS: Sixty-one US otolaryngology residents responded to the survey, the majority of whom were women (60.7%) and white (62%). Many residents endorsed a belief that receipt of research and training opportunities was negatively impacted by bias due to race (29.5%) or gender (45.9%). More women (27%) than men (13%) reported maximal burnout, and fewer men (17.4%) than women (40.5%) expressed low confidence in ability to independently care for patients. More male (47.8%) and white (31.6%) residents strongly agreed they were thriving. 94.6% of women and 33.3% of URM residents reported being mistaken for a nonphysician, compared to 0% of white male respondents. CONCLUSION: Otolaryngology residents perceived differential treatment based on race and gender, with women and URM residents experiencing greater exclusion and bias, as well as increased misidentification and decreased ability to thrive. Future work includes increasing sample size for generalizability and developing interventions that uphold equity in residency training environments.

Presenting Characteristics, Treatment, and Visual Outcomes in Streptococcal Compared to Non-Streptococcal Endophthalmitis.

PURPOSE: Report the clinical findings, risk factors, treatment, and visual outcomes associated with Streptococcus endophthalmitis in comparison to culture-positive endophthalmitis associated with non-Streptococcus species. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of adults between 18 and 89 years of age diagnosed with exogenous culture-positive endophthalmitis between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2018, at the Duke Eye Center (Durham, North Carolina) with at least six months of follow-up from time of initial diagnosis was conducted. Clinical data including patient demographics, ocular history, baseline corrected visual acuity (VA) prior to presentation, time to presentation, presenting exam findings, VA at presentation, presumed etiology of endophthalmitis, medical and surgical management, and VA at the six-month follow-up was extracted and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-six eyes from 56 patients with culture-positive endophthalmitis were identified. Eyes with Streptococcus (n=18) had elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) at presentation (p=0.002), worse mean VA (Snellen) at presentation (20/14159 vs. 20/3098, p<0.001), and worse mean VA (Snellen) at six months (20/3475 vs. 20/235, p<0.001) compared to non-Streptococcus cases (n=38). Time to presentation (days) (median, IQR) was longer in eyes that underwent glaucoma surgery for both Streptococcus (2241 (836, 3709) vs. 3 (2, 31), p=0.003) and non-Streptococcus endophthalmitis (1236 (125, 3582) vs. 6 (4, 25), p<0.0001). There was no difference in VA at six months between Streptococcus and non-Streptococcus eyes based on treatment.  Conclusions: Streptococci are rare but important causes of exogenous endophthalmitis, and in our study, they were associated with worse visual outcomes than non-Streptococci. A history of any glaucoma surgery, even procedures performed years earlier, should be elicited when evaluating patients with ocular symptoms.

Multimodal Retinal Imaging Classification for Parkinson's Disease Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Purpose: Changes in retinal structure and microvasculature are connected to parallel changes in the brain. Two recent studies described machine learning algorithms trained on retinal images and quantitative data that identified Alzheimer's dementia and mild cognitive impairment with high accuracy. Prior studies also demonstrated retinal differences in individuals with PD. Herein, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify multimodal retinal imaging from either a Parkinson's disease (PD) or control group. Methods: We trained a CNN to receive retinal image inputs of optical coherence tomography (OCT) ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness color maps, OCT angiography 6 × 6-mm en face macular images of the superficial capillary plexus, and ultra-widefield (UWF) fundus color and autofluorescence photographs to classify the retinal imaging as PD or control. The model consists of a shared pretrained VGG19 feature extractor and image-specific feature transformations which converge to a single output. Model results were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals for area under the ROC curve (AUC) values. Results: In total, 371 eyes of 249 control subjects and 75 eyes of 52 PD subjects were used for training, validation, and testing. Our best CNN variant achieved an AUC of 0.918. UWF color photographs were the most effective imaging input, and GC-IPL thickness maps were the least contributory. Conclusions: Using retinal images, our pilot CNN was able to identify individuals with PD and serves as a proof of concept to spur the collection of larger imaging datasets needed for clinical-grade algorithms. Translational Relevance: Developing machine learning models for automated detection of Parkinson's disease from retinal imaging could lead to earlier and more widespread diagnoses.

Value proposition of retinal imaging in Alzheimer's disease screening: A review of eight evolving trends.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Current diagnostic modalities of AD generally focus on detecting the presence of amyloid ß and tau protein in the brain (for example, positron emission tomography [PET] and cerebrospinal fluid testing), but these are limited by their high cost, invasiveness, and lack of expertise. Retinal imaging exhibits potential in AD screening and risk stratification, as the retina provides a platform for the optical visualization of the central nervous system in vivo, with vascular and neuronal changes that mirror brain pathology. Given the paradigm shift brought by advances in artificial intelligence and the emergence of disease-modifying therapies, this article aims to summarize and review the current literature to highlight 8 trends in an evolving landscape regarding the role and potential value of retinal imaging in AD screening.

Evaluating the Impact of Gender, Race, and Training Year on Internal Medicine Residents' Experiences Across the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies have highlighted experiences of bias within resident training based on trainees' gender and race and high rates of burnout. However, few studies have addressed the intersection between bias and wellness for residents in internal medicine (IM) programs. This study explores how race, gender, and training year affect IM residents' bias experiences and well-being. METHODS: An anonymous survey with questions evaluating demographics and resident experiences of bias and perceptions of wellness and self-efficacy was distributed to 596 IM programs across the United States. Sixty-nine programs sent out the survey to their IM residents. Respondents to the survey included 176 residents. Descriptive analyses and χ2 tests were performed. RESULTS: Responses demonstrated that gender and race impacted residents' experiences with bias and misidentification. Eighty-eight percent of women compared to 1% of men, and 89% of Black residents compared to 3% of White residents reported being misidentified as a nonphysician due to gender and race, respectively. Degrees to which residents felt they were thriving in residency, experiencing burnout, and utilizing their strengths varied significantly by gender. Residents' self-perceived burnout levels were associated with being misidentified as not being a physician due to race. Experiences with bias also increased significantly with training year. DISCUSSION: This study provides important insights into the impact of gender, race/ethnicity, and training year on IM residents' experiences with bias and self-perception. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize the need for structural changes within IM residency programs to reduce experiences of bias and to better cultivate the wellness of residents.

Analysis of the Retinal and Choroidal Vasculature Using Ultrawidefield Fundus Imaging in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Normal Cognition.

Purpose: To utilize ultrawidefield (UWF) imaging to evaluate retinal and choroidal vasculature and structure in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared with that of controls with normal cognition. Design: Prospective cross sectional study. Participants: One hundred thirty-one eyes of 82 MCI patients and 230 eyes of 133 cognitively normal participants from the Eye Multimodal Imaging in Neurodegenerative Disease Study. Methods: A scanning laser ophthalmoscope (California, Optos Inc) was used to obtain UWF fundus color images. Images were analyzed with the Vasculature Assessment Platform for Images of the Retina UWF (VAMPIRE-UWF 2.0, Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee) software. Main outcome measures: Imaging parameters included vessel width gradient, vessel width intercept, large vessel choroidal vascular density, vessel tortuosity, and vessel fractal dimension. Results: Both retinal artery and vein width gradients were less negative in MCI patients compared with controls, demonstrating decreased rates of vessel thinning at the periphery (P < 0.001; P = 0.027). Retinal artery and vein width intercepts, a metric that extrapolates the width of the vessel at the center of the optic disc, were smaller in MCI patients compared with that of controls (P < 0.001; P = 0.017). The large vessel choroidal vascular density, which quantifies the vascular area versus the total choroidal area, was greater in MCI patients compared with controls (P = 0.025). Conclusions: When compared with controls with normal cognition, MCI patients had thinner retinal vasculature manifested in both the retinal arteries and the veins. In MCI, these thinner arteries and veins attenuated at a lower rate when traveling toward the periphery. MCI patients also had increased choroidal vascular density. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Aqueous and Plasma Levels of Phosphorylated Tau 181 in Individuals with Normal Cognition.

Background: Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of p-tau181 have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The retina and vitreous have shown measurable quantities of phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181). The aqueous humor, which can be collected during cataract surgery, may have measurable concentrations of p-tau181. Objective: To determine whether p-tau181 is detectable in the aqueous humor and if so, whether it is associated with other measures that might be consistent with AD such as higher plasma p-tau181 concentration and lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BLIND version 7.1) score. Methods: Aqueous humor samples, blood samples, and MoCA-BLIND scores were collected from patients who did not carry a clinical diagnosis of cognitive impairment at the time of cataract surgery. Aqueous p-tau181 concentrations and plasma p-tau181 concentrations were then measured using ultra-sensitive single-molecule assay ELISA technology. A rank-transformed mixed-effects multivariate regression model was used to determine associations between aqueous concentrations, plasma concentrations, and MoCA-BLIND scores. Results: 16 eyes of 16 participants were enrolled with an average age of 71.6. Average MoCA-BLIND score was 20.6/22, average aqueous p-tau181 concentration was 6.4 pg/mL, and average plasma p-tau181 concentration was 3.1 pg/mL. Higher plasma p-tau181 was significantly associated with higher aqueous p-tau181 (p = 0.02). Aqueous p-tau181 and plasma p-tau181 were negatively associated with MoCA-BLIND scores (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001 respectively) in these patients. Conclusions: Aqueous p-tau181 is positively correlated with plasma p-tau181 and is negatively correlated with MoCA-BLIND scores. Further study in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or AD characterized by cerebrospinal fluid and volumetric MRI metrics may yield further insights.

Incidence, risk factors, and treatment of retroprosthetic membranes following Boston keratoprosthesis eyes and the impact of glaucoma surgery.

PURPOSE: To assess incidence, risk factors, and treatment of retroprosthetic membrane (RPM) formation in eyes following Boston keratoprosthesis (Kpro) implantation and their correlation with glaucoma drainage device placement (GDD). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on eyes that underwent Kpro type I or II implantation between 2005 and 2020 at a tertiary academic center. Multiple variables were collected including preoperative characteristics, presence of RPM, management of RPM, and outcomes including corrected visual acuity (VA). A Fischer's exact test was used to evaluate the significance of risk factors of RPM formation and an odds ratio was calculated for each possible risk factor. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate comparisons between outcomes and qualitative analyses. RESULTS: Of the 87 eyes identified, 37 (43%) developed an RPM within an average of 1.5 years (range, 31 days-7.5 years) following Kpro implantation. Mean follow-up duration was 4.3 years. Eyes that developed RPM had significantly worse preoperative VA compared to those that did not (logMAR 2.55 vs. 2.28, p = 0.022). The mean number of prior penetrating keratoplasty procedures trended higher in eyes that developed RPM (2.46 vs. 2.18, p = 0.44) but was not significant. GDD placement after Kpro implantation was associated with an increased risk of RPM formation (RR = 1.69 p = 0.026). Of the 37 eyes that developed an RPM following Kpro, 17 (47%) were treated with Nd:YAG laser, and four of those 17 (21%) also underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Seven of 37 eyes (19%) underwent PPV without Nd:YAG. Comparisons between RPM occurrence and final VA were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RPM formation following Kpro implantation was 43%. Eyes that developed RPM had significantly worse preoperative VA. GDD placement after Kpro implantation increased the risk of developing RPM. Final VA and occurrence of RPM were not significantly different between the Nd:YAG and PPV treatment groups.

Longitudinal Retinal and Choroidal Image Analysis in a Set of Monozygotic Twins.

We analyzed multimodal retinal and choroidal imaging, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA), to assess differences and characterize variations in the retinal and choroidal structure and microvasculature between healthy monozygotic twins without ocular or systemic pathology over a five-year period. Retinal imaging of both subjects revealed normal age-related changes. There was up to an 11% difference in OCT and OCTA variables within the subjects, both at baseline and at five years, and there was up to an 18% difference in OCT and OCTA parameters between the subjects for both time points. Larger changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness and foveal avascular zone area were observed. Our observations suggest that the parafoveal superficial capillary plexus, choroidal vascularity index, central subfield thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness may be more heavily influenced by genetic, rather than environmental, factors. In contrast, subfoveal choroidal thickness and the foveal avascular zone area may be more heavily influenced by environmental factors. The environmental impact on retinal and choroidal structure and microvasculature is increasingly important to characterize, as such imaging parameters are being explored as potential biomarkers of systemic disease. These differences, as seen in these identical twin subjects, may be important considerations in supporting the security of biometric identifiers.

Peripapillary Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Normal Cognition.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify peripapillary microvascular changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 66 eyes of 36 subjects with AD, 119 eyes of 63 with MCI, and 513 eyes of 265 controls with normal cognition were enrolled. Peripapillary capillary perfusion density (CPD), capillary flux index (CFI), and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were determined. RESULTS: Average CPD differed significantly between all three groups (P = 0.001), being significantly greater in AD vs controls (0.446 ± 0.015 vs 0.439 ± 0.017, P = 0.001) and MCI vs controls (0.443 ± 0.020 vs 0.439 ± 0.017, P = 0.007) but not AD vs MCI (P = 0.69). CFI and average RNFL thickness did not significantly differ among groups (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Peripapillary CPD is increased in eyes with AD or MCI compared to controls despite similar RNFL thickness. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:78-84.].

Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Microvasculature and Structure in Dementia With Lewy Bodies Compared With Normal Cognition.

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal and choroidal microvasculature and structure in individuals with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) compared with controls with normal cognition using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Methods: An institutional review board-approved cross-sectional comparison of patients with DLB and cognitively normal controls was performed. The Cirrus HD-OCT 5000 with AngioPlex (Carl Zeiss Meditec) was used to obtain OCT and OCTA images. Results: Thirty-four eyes of 18 patients with DLB and 85 eyes of 48 cognitively normal patients were analyzed. The average capillary perfusion density (CPD) was higher in the DLB group than in the control group (P = .005). The average capillary flux index (CFI) and ganglion cell inner-plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness were lower in the DLB group than in the control group (P = .016 and P = .040, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with DLB had an increased peripapillary CPD, decreased peripapillary CFI, and attenuated GC-IPL thickness compared with those with normal cognition.

Acute, Treatment-Naïve Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion in Younger Individuals: Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

Purpose: To compare the risk factors and clinical outcomes in patients younger than 50 years with acute, treatment-naïve branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) with outcomes in patients 50 years or older. Methods: Patients diagnosed with acute, treatment-naïve BRVO at Duke Eye Center over a 9.5-year period who had BRVO with onset 3 months or less before presentation, BRVO with macular involvement, and 12 months or more of follow-up were included. Demographic data, presenting clinical features, risk factors, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes were extracted during a retrospective review of medical records. Results: Of 302 patients identified, 23 were younger than 50 years (younger group) and 279 were 50 years or older (older group). Compared with older patients, younger patients had similar rates of hypertension (P = .275), diabetes mellitus (P = 1.000), smokers (P = .787), and open-angle glaucoma (P = .628). The younger group had a lower rate of hyperlipidemia than the older group (35% vs 59%) (P = .028). The 2 groups had similar presenting logMAR visual acuities (VAs) in the BRVO eye (P = .131). At the final follow-up, younger patients had significantly better logMAR VA in the BRVO-affected eye than older patients (mean 0.51 ± 0.65 vs 1.01 ± 1.20) (P = .016). The 2 groups had similar treatment burdens at 1 year (P = .516) and at the final follow-up (P = .782). Conclusions: Younger patients with acute, treatment-naïve BRVO have similar risk factors and treatment patterns as older patients, except for a lower rate of hyperlipidemia. Younger patients with BRVO may have similar presenting VA as older BRVO patients but better final VA, suggesting that age may be a potential prognostic factor.

Characterizing differences in retinal and choroidal microvasculature and structure in individuals with Huntington's Disease compared to healthy controls: A cross-sectional prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize retinal and choroidal microvascular and structural changes in patients who are gene positive for mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt) with symptoms of Huntington's Disease (HD). METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional comparison of patients who are gene positive for mHtt and exhibit symptoms of HD, either motor manifest or prodromal (HD group), and cognitively normal individuals without a family history of HD (control group). HD patients were diagnosed by Duke movement disorder neurologists based on the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS). Fovea and optic nerve centered OCT and OCTA images were captured using Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 with AngioPlex. Outcome metrics included central subfield thickness (CST), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) on OCT, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, vessel density (VD), perfusion density (PD), capillary perfusion density (CPD), and capillary flux index (CFI) on OCTA. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to account for inter-eye correlation. RESULTS: Forty-four eyes of 23 patients in the HD group and 77 eyes of 39 patients in the control group were analyzed. Average GCIPL thickness and FAZ area were decreased in the HD group compared to controls (p = 0.001, p < 0.001). No other imaging metrics were significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the HD group had decreased GCIPL thickness and smaller FAZ area, highlighting the potential use of retinal biomarkers in detecting neurodegenerative changes in HD.

Ultra-Widefield Imaging of the Retinal Macrovasculature in Parkinson Disease Versus Controls With Normal Cognition Using Alpha-Shapes Analysis.

Purpose: To investigate retinal vascular characteristics using ultra-widefield (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in Parkinson disease (PD). Methods: Individuals with an expert-confirmed clinical diagnosis of PD and controls with normal cognition without PD underwent Optos California UWF imaging. Patients with diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma, dementia, other movement disorders, or known retinal or optic nerve pathology were excluded. Images were analyzed using Vasculature Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina (VAMPIRE-UWF) software, which describes retinal vessel width gradient and tortuosity, provides vascular network fractal dimensions, and conducts alpha-shape analysis to further characterize vascular morphology (complexity, Opαmin; spread, OpA). Results: In the PD cohort, 53 eyes of 38 subjects were assessed; in the control cohort, 51 eyes of 33 subjects were assessed. Eyes with PD had more tortuous retinal arteries in the superotemporal quadrant (P = 0.043). In eyes with PD, alpha-shape analysis revealed decreased OpA, indicating less retinal vasculature spread compared to controls (P = 0.032). Opαmin was decreased in PD (P = 0.044), suggesting increased vascular network complexity. No differences were observed in fractal dimension in any region of interest. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that retinal vasculature assessment on UWF images using alpha-shape analysis reveals differences in retinal vascular network spread and complexity in PD and may be a more sensitive metric compared to fractal dimension. Translational Relevance: Retinal vasculature assessment using these novel methods may be useful in understanding ocular manifestations of PD and the development of retinal biomarkers.

IMPLICATIONS OF COMPLETE POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT IN EYES WITH CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To evaluate the status of the posterior vitreous hyaloid on presenting optical coherence tomography images of the macula and its relationship to clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in eyes with central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: This is a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of consecutive patients with acute, treatment-naive central retinal vein occlusion diagnosed between 2009 and 2021 who had at least 12 months of follow-up. Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes were analyzed between eyes stratified based on the presence or absence of a complete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) on optical coherence tomography at presentation. RESULTS: Of 102 acute, treatment-naive central retinal vein occlusions identified, 52 (51%) had complete PVD at presentation and 50 (49%) did not. Central subfield thickness was significantly lower in those with complete PVD (12 months: 284.9 ± 122.9 µ m vs. 426.8 ± 286.4 µ m, P < 0.001; last follow-up: 278 ± 127.9 vs. 372.8 ± 191.0 µ m, P = 0.022). One-year intravitreal injection burden was significantly less for those with a complete PVD than those without (5.1 ± 3.6 injections vs. 6.7 ± 3.3 injections, P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Central retinal vein occlusion with complete PVD on presentation had significantly lower central subfield thickness and 1-year injection burden. Assessment of the vitreomacular interface in central retinal vein occlusion may serve as a prognostic imaging biomarker.

Asymmetric Purtscher-Like Retinopathy Caused by a Hypertensive Emergency and Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: To report a case of Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR) in the setting of a hypertensive emergency and undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A case was analyzed. Results: A 29-year-old, obese, hypertensive man presented with a 10-day history of progressive vision loss in the left eye with no history of trauma. The visual acuity was 20/25 OD and hand motions OS. A fundus examination showed dilated, tortuous veins; dot-blot and flame hemorrhaging; numerous cotton-wool spots; and polygonal areas of retinal whitening consistent with Purtscher flecken in the right eye and a vitreous hemorrhage in the left eye. The blood pressure was 226/125 mm Hg, and the hemoglobin A1c was 11.6%. The patient's presentation was concerning for a hypertensive emergency and type 2 DM as the etiology for the ocular findings. Conclusions: The presence of one condition in association with PLR does not exclude the presence of another concurrent etiology.

ENDOGENOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS ASSOCIATED WITH INJECTION DRUG USE COMPARED WITH OTHER ETIOLOGIES.

PURPOSE: To compare features of endogenous endophthalmitis associated with injection drug use (IDU) to endogenous endophthalmitis from other etiologies. METHODS: The authors retrospectively collected data on patients with endogenous endophthalmitis due to IDU or other causes from three academic tertiary care centers over a six-year period. Differences in presenting characteristics, culture results, treatment, and visual acuity were compared between groups. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (34%) had IDU-associated endogenous endophthalmitis while 75 patients (67%) had endogenous endophthalmitis from other causes. Compared with patients in the non-IDU group, IDU patients were significantly younger, more frequently male, had longer duration of symptoms at diagnosis, and were less likely to have bilateral disease ( P < 0.05 for all). Injection drug use patients were less likely to have a systemic infection source identified (29% vs. 71%, P < 0.001) or have positive cultures (47% vs. 80%, P < 0.001). The IDU group was less likely to be admitted to the hospital (71% vs. 92%, P = 0.005) and less likely to receive treatment with intravenous antimicrobials (55% vs. 83%, P = 0.003). Visual acuity did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Endophthalmitis related to IDU presents in younger patients with less comorbidities and frequently without positive cultures or an identifiable systemic source; therefore, a high index of suspicion is needed to identify this disease.