Efficacy of estimations of Hartmann-Shack sensors in small pupil sizes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of the estimations of wavefront analyzers using Hartmann-Shack technology to measure optical aberrations when the pupil size is smaller than the evaluated pupil area. METHODS: Patients implanted with the monofocal ZCB00 intraocular lens (Johnson and Johnson) were examined with the KR-1W Wavefront Analyzer (Topcon) without pharmacological mydriasis and with it afterward. Optical aberrations were analyzed considering a 4-mm pupil and a 6-mm pupil for both examinations. RESULTS: Sixty-six eyes of 33 patients with a mean axial length of 23.35 ± 0.91 mm were assessed. The mean pupil diameter at the baseline examination was 5.05 ± 0.88 mm and under pharmacological mydriasis, it was 6.29 ± 0.84 mm. Outcomes were similar with and without dilation in the 4-mm comparison. However, there was a great disparity in the 6-mm comparison. Most of the values obtained under mydriasis were statistically lower than at baseline (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The iris interferes with measurements of wavefront aberrations, and therefore, real pupil size should always be checked before evaluating optical aberrations with Hartman-Shack sensors. When pupil size is smaller than the analyzed diameter, ocular, and internal, and sometimes, corneal aberrations are estimated far more positive than real values.

Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PURPOSE: To assess vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) under treatment with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and to find the influencing factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional study enrolling SLE patients for less than ten years (Group 1), SLE patients for more than ten years (Group 2), and healthy controls (Group 3). SLE patients should be under treatment with HCQ but without ophthalmological affection. Schirmer test, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length (AL) with optical biometry, and swept-source optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA) Triton (Topcon) were performed. All participants fulfilled the Impact of Visual Impairment questionnaire, and SLE patients answered the Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) questionnaire. Additional data were obtained from clinical records. RESULTS: A totals of 41 eyes (41 patients), 31 eyes (31 patients) and 45 eyes (45 volunteers) were enrolled in the study groups. The mean ages were 41.09 ± 9.56, 45.06 ± 8.47 and 40.25 ± 10.83 years, respectively (p = 0.10). The LIT outcomes were 33.49 ± 20.74 and 35.98 ± 22.66 (p = 0.63), respectively. Group 3 referred to a better VRQoL than Group 2 in all categories and than Group 1 in some of them. A linear regression analysis showed that serum ferritin, SLE activity scales, body-mass index (BMI), age, and BCVA influenced VRQoL. The LIT questionnaire was correlated to two categories of the Impact of Visual Impairment questionnaire (IVI). CONCLUSIONS: Despite no ophthalmological affection, SLE patients refer to poorer VRQoL because of disease activity and a low health-related quality of life, which has a negative influence on VRQoL. This masks the effect of other ophthalmological conditions such as dry eyes. Other variables influencing VRQoL are age and BMI, and BCVA, to a lesser extent.

Assistance Burden Comparison Between Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation Over a Three-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We compared assistance burden between neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) under intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment on a treat-and-extend (T&E) regimen in a third-level hospital in a developed country. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study using data from the Fight Retinal Blindness! Registry included patients treated between January 2016 and December 2020. Final event was established as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) lower than 20 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters. According to choroidal neovascularization (CNV), three different study groups were established: type 1, 2, and 3. RESULTS: A total of 285 eyes of 227 patients were included. Mean age was 80.1 ± 6.5, 79.1 ± 7.9, and 81.2 ± 7.2 years, for the three study groups, respectively. Mean injections were 16.0 ± 4.8, 16.5 ± 4.1, and 14.1 ± 5.7, respectively; and mean number of visits were 17.9 ± 4.3, 18.2 ± 3.1, and 16.8 ± 5.3, respectively. No differences were found (P > 0.05). Survival curves and log-rank analysis also showed no differences (P = 0.344). Cox proportional hazard models showed that a lower baseline BCVA, subfoveal geographic atrophy (GA), and subfoveal fibrosis (SF) were associated with a higher risk of reaching ≤ 20 letters. CONCLUSIONS: nAMD and RAP under a T&E regimen indicate a high assistance burden during the first three years. The presence of subfoveal GA or SF are associated with a BCVA lower than 20 letters. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:197-203.].

Automated analysis of choroidal thickness in patients with systemic lupus erithematosus treated with hydroxychloroquine.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), considering the possible impact of disease activity on the choroid. METHODS: Cross-sectional study comparing three groups: two groups of SLE patients treated with HCQ without HCQ-retinopathy (32 eyes/32 patients with < 5 years of HCQ (group 1) and 44 eyes/44 patients with > 5 years of HCQ (group 2)), and an age-matched healthy control group of 46 eyes/46 patients (group 3). A complete ophthalmic examination was performed, including swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) Triton (Topcon). Data were correlated to systemic disease activity parameters. RESULTS: CT was thicker in group 1 compared to group 3 in central, nasal, and superior sectors, and to group 2 in inner superior and outer inferior sectors (p < 0.05). In the correlation analysis, disease activity and CT were inversely correlated in most sectors (p < 0.05). In the regression analysis, HCQ was related to thinner CT in temporal and inferior sectors and disease activity with variations in nasal sectors (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In SLE patients, HCQ is correlated to decreased CT, especially in the inferior and temporal areas. The choroid shows different responses to SLE activity and HCQ, and some sectors may be more sensitive than others.

Relación del tratamiento y coste con la ganancia de agudeza visual en la degeneración macular asociada a la edad / Relationship between treatment and cost with visual acuity improvement in age-related macular degeneration

Fundamento. Relacionar la ganancia de agudeza visual (AV) con el coste asistencial y de tratamiento con terapia anti-factor de cre-cimiento endotelial vascular (antiVEGF) en pacientes diagnostica-dos de degeneración macular asociada a la edad exudativa (DMAE exudativa).Pacientes y métodos. Estudio observacional, longitudinal, retros-pectivo, de pacientes ≥50 años diagnosticados de DMAE exudativa, con AV logMAR entre 0,6 y 0,06, en seguimiento y tratamiento en nuestro hospital de tercer nivel entre el 01/01/2014 y el 31/12/2018.Resultados. Se incluyeron 778 pacientes, 62,2% mujeres y media de edad 79,83±7,94 años, con 957 ojos con DMAE exudativa. La AV final global (0,65±0,45) aumentó un 3,2% respecto de la inicial. El 60,3% de los ojos recibieron antiVEGF con ranibizumab, el 10,2% con aflibercept y el 29,5% con ambos (mixto). El grupo mixto in-crementó significativamente la AV respecto de la inicial, sin dife-rencias entre grupos. Aunque el seguimiento/tratamiento fue más largo para el grupo mixto, este recibió menos inyecciones antiVE-GF y tomografías de coherencia óptica (OCT). El gasto total por año y ojo tratado fue de 1.972,7 €±824,5; los costes fueron mayores para visita, OCT y tratamiento en el grupo de aflibercept, y menores para angiografías con fluoresceína, tratamiento antiVEGF y costes totales en el grupo mixto. La ganancia decimal de AV tuvo un coste de 872 €±1.077,7 sin diferencias significativas entre grupos.Conclusiones. Los tratamientos antiVEGF con ranibizumab, afli-bercept y ambos mantuvieron la AV en pacientes con DMAE exu-dativa. En general, los costes asistenciales y de tratamiento fueron menores en el grupo que recibió ambos fármacos (AU)

Background. We examined the relationship between visual acuity changes (VA) and the cost of care and treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (antiVEGF) in patients diagnosed with age-related exudative macular degeneration(exudative AMD).Methods. Observational, longitudinal, retrospective study of pa-tients ≥50 years of age diagnosed with exudative AMD, with a log-MAR VA between 0.6 and 0.06. and 0.06. Follow-up and treatment were done in our tertiary hospital between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018.Results. The study included 778 patients; 62.2% female and mean age 79.83±7.94 years; 957 eyes had exudative AMD. Mean of final VA (0.65±0.45) increasing 3.2% compared to initial values. Ranibi-zumab was administered to 60.3% of the eyes, aflibercept to 10.2% and ranibizumab + aflibercept (mixed group) to 29.5%. Significant increase in VA was seen in the group with the mixed treatment, with no inter-group differences. Although follow-up/treatment was longer for the mixed group, they received fewer anti-VEGF injections and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The total expenditure per year and treated eye was €1,972.7±824.5; costs were higher for visit, OCT, and treatment in the aflibercept group, and lower for fluorescein angiography, antiVEGF treatment, and total costs in the mixed group. Decimal VA gain had a cost of €872±1,077.7 with no significant inter-group differences.Conclusion. AntiVEGF treatments (ranibizumab, aflibercept, or both) maintained VA in patients with exudative AMD. Overall, care and treatment costs were lower in the group that received both drugs (AU)