Ocular safety of intravitreal ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA): An experimental feasibility study.

Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) is a chelating component that is able to diminish oxidative reactivity and can be a potential neuroprotective drug in various ocular diseases. For assessing the safety of intravitreal EDTA, 10 rabbits were allocated and divided into 5 groups. Right eyes of the animals received intravitreal EDTA (112.5, 225, 450, 900 and 1800 µg /0.1 ml). Fellow eyes were considered as controls. Clinical examinations and electroretinography (ERG) were performed at the baseline and on day 28. The enucleated eyes were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) test. Clinical examinations, H&E staining and TUNEL assay were unremarkable. The ERG test did not exhibit any significant alteration compared to the baseline values, except for a significant decrease in just one measurement of the eyes injected with 225 µg EDTA. The mean scores of GFAP immune reactivity in the eyes injected with 112.5 and 225 µg EDTA indicated a non-significant reaction. The scores in higher doses were significant. We suggest intravitreal EDTA with a dose threshold of < 450 µg should be studied for ratification of the safe dose.

Retinotomy and Retinectomy in the Management of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Associated with Advanced Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: To report the anatomical and functional outcomes of retinotomy and/or retinectomy for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) complicated by advanced proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Methods: In this retrospective study, the charts of patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy with retinotomy and/or retinectomy for the management of RRD complicated by PVR were reviewed. Primary outcome measures were final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and anatomical reattachment rate. Results: Sixty-one eyes of 61 patients with a mean age of 48.56 ± 15.92 were studied. The mean follow-up time was 21.38 ± 23.08 months. The mean angle of the retinotomy was 171.31° ± 79.15°. Thirty-two (52.5%) of them needed extensive (≥180°) retinotomy. In addition, simultaneous retinectomy was performed in 36.2% of the cases. The BCVA was 2.18 ± 0.63 and 1.85 ± 0.71 logMAR before the surgery and at the last visit, respectively (P = 0.001). The initial anatomical success was achieved in 45 eyes (73.8%) after retinotomy surgery. Sixteen eyes (26.2%) had recurrent RD and needed reoperation, which was performed 5.60 ± 4.01 months after the initial retinotomy surgery. At the last examination, the retina was attached in all patients. Conclusion: Retinotomy with/without retinectomy is an effective procedure in the majority of patients with RRD associated with advanced PVR; however, additional surgeries are needed in a significant number of eyes to achieve final anatomical success.

Differentiating a pachychoroid and healthy choroid using an unsupervised machine learning approach.

The purpose of this study was to introduce a new machine learning approach for differentiation of a pachychoroid from a healthy choroid based on enhanced depth-optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) imaging. This study included EDI-OCT images of 103 eyes from 82 patients with central serous chorioretinopathy or pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy, and 103 eyes from 103 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Choroidal features including choroidal thickness (CT), choroidal area (CA), Haller layer thickness (HT), Sattler-choriocapillaris thickness (SCT), and the choroidal vascular index (CVI) were extracted. The Haller ratio (HR) was obtained by dividing HT by CT. Multivariate TwoStep cluster analysis was performed with a preset number of two clusters based on a combination of different choroidal features. Clinical criteria were developed based on the results of the cluster analysis, and two independent skilled retina specialists graded a separate testing dataset based on the new clinical criteria. TwoStep cluster analysis achieved a sensitivity of 1.000 (95-CI: 0.938-1.000) and a specificity of 0.986 (95-CI: 0.919-1.000) in the differentiation of pachy- and healthy choroid. The best result for identification of pachychoroid was obtained for a combination of CT, HR, and CVI, with a correct classification rate of 0.993 (95-CI: 0.980-1.000). Based on the relative variable importance (RVI), the cluster analysis prioritized the choroidal features as follows: HR (RVI: 1.0), CVI (RVI: 0.87), CT (RVI: 0.70), CA (RVI: 0.59), and SCT (RVI: 0.27). After performing a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis on the cluster membership variable, a cutoff point of 389 µm and 0.79 was determined for CT and HR, respectively. Based on these clinical criteria, a sensitivity of 0.793 (95-CI: 0.611-0.904) and a specificity of 0.786 (95-CI: 0.600-0.900) and 0.821 (95-CI: 0.638-0.924) were achieved for each grader. Cohen's kappa of inter-rater reliability was 0.895. Based on an unsupervised machine learning approach, a combination of the Haller ratio and choroidal thickness is the most valuable factor in the differentiation of pachy- and healthy choroids in a clinical setting.

Segmentation Error Correction of the Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Images in Peer-Reviewed Studies.

Purpose: To assess the percentage of published articles reporting optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) metrics regarding the report of segmentation error correction. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted using the PubMed database for articles on OCTA imaging published between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2021. All original articles reporting at least one of the OCTA metrics were extracted. The article text was reviewed for the segmentation correction strategy. In addition, the number of articles that mentioned the lack of segmentation error correction as a limitation of the study was recorded. Results: From the initial 5288 articles, 1559 articles were included for detailed review. One hundred ninety-six articles (12.57%) used manual correction for segmentation errors. Of the remaining articles, 589 articles (37.8%) excluded images with significant segmentation errors, and 99 articles (6.3%) mentioned segmentation errors as a limitation of their study. The rest of the articles (675, 43.3%) did not address the segmentation error. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that ignorance of segmentation error was significantly associated with lower journal ranks, earlier years of publication and disease category of age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: A significant proportion of peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, disregarded the segmentation error correction. The conclusions of such studies should be interpreted with caution. Editors, reviewers, and authors of OCTA articles should pay special attention to the correction of segmentation errors.

Differentiating features of OCT angiography in diabetic macular edema.

The purpose of current study was to evaluate different optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) metrics in eyes with diabetic retinopathy with and without diabetic macular edema (DME). In this retrospective study, macular OCTA images of eyes with non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy were evaluated. Vascular density, vascular complexity and non-perfusion densities were compared between eyes with and without DME. One-hundred-thirty-eight eyes of 92 diabetic patients including 49 eyes with DME were included. In multivariate analysis, the presence of DME was positively associated with geometric perfusion deficit (GPD) in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), capillary non-perfusion (CNP) of SCP, and GPD in deep capillary plexus (DCP) (all P < 0.05). In eyes with DME, central foveal thickness was associated with VD ratio (SCP/DCP) (P = 0.001) and FAZ area (P = 0.001). In conclusion, in eyes with diabetic retinopathy, the presence of DME was associated with more extensive capillary non-perfusion compared to those with no macular edema.

Comparison of real-time PCR and nested PCR for toxoplasmosis diagnosis in toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis patients.

BACKGROUNDS: PCR is a proper technique that significantly improves toxoplasmosis diagnosis. However, a more sensitive technique is required. This study compared real-time PCR with nested PCR using B1, SAG-4, and MAG-1 bradyzoite genes to diagnose toxoplasmosis in toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis patients. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 10 patients with active toxoplasmic chorioretinal lesions and 10 healthy individuals. Blood samples including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), serum and whole blood samples were used for DNA extraction. Serum was also used to detect anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies. Nested PCR and real-time PCR were performed using B1, SAG-4, and MAG-1 target genes. RESULTS: Five (50%) out of the 10 patients were tested positive for toxoplasmosis with nested PCR using the PBMC samples. All the five patients tested positive with nested PCR were also tested positive for toxoplasmosis with real-time PCR using the PBMC samples. The real-time PCR results demonstrated that 9(90%) out of the 10 patients were positive based on B1 and the remaining one (10%) was positive only based on MAG-1. In general, of the patients, five (50%) were positive using SAG-4 and three (30%) were positive in term of MAG-1 using PBMCs with real-time PCR. CONCLUSION: It appears that PBMC samples have the best performance as the PCR extraction method and are a good source for toxoplasmosis diagnosis. The use of B22 and B23 target genes due to their high sensitivity and specificity along with bradyzoite genes are recommended for toxoplasmosis diagnosis using PBMC samples with real-time PCR.

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoite genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells among patients with toxoplasmic chorioretinitis.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmic chorioretinitis may occur as a result of acquired toxoplasmosis or reactivated congenital toxoplasmosis. In this study, Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoite genes along with the B1 gene were evaluated to detect T. gondii DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with toxoplasmic chorioretinitis. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 10 patients (7 cases of active chorioretinal lesions and 3 cases of old chorioretinal scars). The genomic DNA was extracted from the patients' serum and PBMCs and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed using bradyzoite genes along with B1. The subjects were also evaluated in terms of the T. gondii antibodies. RESULTS: The PCR results were positive in four of seven patients (57.1%) with active ocular toxoplasmosis lesions. In three patients (42.8%), the PCR results were positive for MAG-1 and SAG-4 and in one patient (14.3%) the PCR results were only positive for the B1 gene. The PCR results were positive only in the PBMCs, whereas they were negative in the serum samples. Two patients with positive PCR results showed high Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titres. However, none of the patients showed positive Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The PBMCs are suitable for evaluating toxoplasmic chorioretinitis. The present results showed that PCR with bradyzoite genes is useful in the diagnosis of toxoplasmic chorioretinitis in PBMCs.

The Adequate Number of Histopathology Cross-sections of Temporal Artery Biopsy in Establishing the Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis.

PURPOSE: To determine the appropriate number of histopathological cross-sections that are required for a conclusive diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the number of sections per slide for paraffin-embedded blocks for 100 randomly selected cases where GCA was suspected and those for negative temporal artery biopsies (TABs) were compared with the number of cross-sections per specimen for eight positive-TABs. All aforementioned examinations were conducted at our center from 2012 to 2016. Then, negative-TABs were retrieved and re-evaluated using light microscopy considering the histopathological findings of GCA. RESULTS: Ninety-five paraffin blocks were retrieved. The original mean biopsy length was 15.39 ± 7.56 mm. Comparison of the mean number of cross-sections per specimen for both the positive- and negative-TABs (9.25 ± 3.37 and 9.53 ± 2.46) showed that 9.87 ± 2.77 [95% confidence intervals (CI)] cross-sections per specimen were sufficient for a precise GCA diagnosis. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean biopsy length (P = 0.142) among the eight positive-TABs. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in the number of cross-sections per specimen (P = 0.990) for positive-TABs compared to those for the negative-TABs. After the retrieval of negative-TABs, the mean number of total pre- and post-retrieval cross-sections per specimen was 17.66 ± 4.43. Among all retrieved specimens, only one case (0.01%) showed the histopathological features of healed arteritis. CONCLUSION: Positive-TABs did not reveal more histological cross-sections than the negative ones and increasing the number of cross-sections did not enhance the accuracy of TAB.

Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy for vasoproliferative tumors of retina: a 15-year single-center experience.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates the outcomes of ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque brachytherapy for vasoproliferative tumors (VPTs) of the ocular fundus in a single referral ocular oncology center. METHODS: The clinical charts of all patients diagnosed with VPT who underwent plaque radiotherapy from 2002 to 2017 were reviewed. Clinical features, types of treatment, outcomes and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 46 patients with VPT diagnosis in our ocular oncology clinic, 25 (54.34%) cases were treated with Ru-106 plaque brachytherapy. Eleven patients (44%) were male, and the mean age at the time of diagnosis was 40.92 ± 13.11 years. The mean follow-up time was 47.56 ± 36.87 months. Inferotemporal quadrant was the most common site of the tumor (64.00%). The mean delivered apex and scleral dose was 101.56 ± 6.51 and 412.26 ± 113.66 Gray (Gy), respectively. Initial tumor length, width and thickness were 10.26 ± 3.42, 8.05 ± 2.83 and 4.27 ± 1.10 mm, respectively. The mean tumor thickness decreased to 2.60 ± 0.63 mm, postoperatively. Complete resolution of subretinal fluid around the tumor was achieved in 81.80% of cases. Visual acuity was more than 20/400 in 64% of patients before treatment and 60% of patients at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy is an effective and safe method of treatment in VPTs.

Temporal Artery Biopsy for Diagnosing Giant Cell Arteritis: A Ten-year Review.

PURPOSE: To assess the use of temporal artery biopsy (TAB) in diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to evaluate patients' clinical and laboratory characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with suspected GCA who underwent TAB and had complete workup in a tertiary center in Iran between 2008 and 2017. The 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria for early diagnosis of GCA were used for each patient for inclusion in this study. RESULTS: The mean age of the 114 patients in this study was 65.54 ± 10.17 years. The mean overall score according to the 2016 ACR revised criteria was 4.17 ± 1.39, with 5.82 ± 1.28 for positive biopsies and 3.88 ± 1.19 for negative biopsies (p <0.001). Seventeen patients (14.9%) had a positive biopsy. Although the mean post-fixation specimen length in the biopsy-positive group (18.35 ± 6.9 mm) was longer than that in the biopsy-negative group (15.62 ± 8.4 mm), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.21). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of sex, serum hemoglobin, platelet count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. There were statistically significant differences between the biopsy-negative and biopsy-positive groups with respect to patients' age and C-reactive protein level (P < 001 and P = 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSION: The majority of TABs were negative. Reducing the number of redundant biopsies is necessary to decrease workload and use of medical services. We suggest that the diagnosis of GCA should be dependent on clinical suspicion.

Effects of fasting on peripapillary capillary density, peripapillary nerve fiber layer, intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of fasting on intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness during Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy fasting volunteers were enrolled. All subjects underwent full ophthalmic examination and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) of both eyes. All measurements were recorded first in the morning (8:00-10:00 a.m.) and then in the evening (4:00-6:00 p.m.). The first visit was performed during the second and third week of Ramadan and then two months later in a nonfasting routine day. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 40.07 ± 9.29 years. A significant decrease was found for evening IOP (11.17 ± 2.29 mmHg) in comparison with morning IOP (12.00 ± 2.28) (p = 0.00) only on fasting days. A decrease was observed for CCT both on fasting (6 µm) and nonfasting days (3 µm) (p = 0.00 and p = 0.02, respectively) in the evening. There was a significant increase in whole and peripapillary RPC density (%) on fasting days (48.79 ± 3.08 morning, 49.72 ± 2.85 evening for whole and 50.57 ± 4.06 morning, 51.64 ± 3.71 evening for peripapillary) (p = 0.00). Average RNFL thickness was decreased from morning to evening both on fasting days (0.80 µm) and nonfasting days (1.25 µm) (p = 0.00). Optic nerve head (ONH) vertical cup/disc (C/D) ratio was greater on fasting days (0.30 ± 0.25 morning, 0.31 ± 0.24 evening) in comparison with nonfasting days (0.27 ± 0.25 morning, 0.28 ± 0.25 evening) (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Fasting decreases the IOP and CCT in healthy subjects. OCTA revealed significant difference in RPC vessel density, RNFL thickness and ONH vertical C/D ratio during fasting hours in comparison with nonfasting days.

Intra-silicone Oil Injection of Methotrexate in Retinal Reattachment Surgery for Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of intrasilicone oil injection of methotrexate (MTX) at the end of vitrectomy surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).Methods: In this prospective comparative study, pars plana vitrectomy and retinal reattachment were performed for eyes with RRD with grade C PVR. In the MTX group, 250 µg MTX was injected into the silicone oil at the end of surgery. The rate of retinal redetachment associated with PVR was assessed.Results: In total, 44 eyes of 44 patients (22 in the MTX group and 22 controls) were included. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Retinal redetachment occurred in one eye (4.5%) in the MTX group and five eyes (22.7%) in the control group (p = 0.18). The change in visual acuity was similar between the two groups at final visit (p = 0.15).Conclusion: The rate of redetachment associated with PVR was lower after intrasilicone injection of MTX at the end of vitrectomy for RRD with severe PVR compared to control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant.

Safety of the subconjunctival injection of doxycycline in rabbits.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety of subconjunctival injection of doxycycline in rabbit eyes. Methods: Eight white New Zealand rabbits were selected. Different concentrations of 250 micrograms (µg), 500 µg, 1000 µg, and 2000 µg in 0.1 ml were prepared for subconjunctival injection. Each concentration was injected into the two eyes of each rabbit. For each dose, dextrose was injected in one contralateral eye and the other fellow eye remained non-injected. All rabbits underwent ocular examination in the 1st, 3rd, and 30th day after injection. The rabbits were sacrificed 30 days after injections and the histopathological examination was performed. Results: No obvious change was detected in all four groups from the 1st day to the 3rd day after injection in terms of tearing, hyperaemia, and chemosis. There was no visible sign of inflammation or necrosis, and also no histological change in both clinical and histopathological examinations. Conclusion: Subconjunctival injection of doxycycline with different dosages of 250 to 2000 ug in 0.1cc in rabbit eyes was safe and no clinical or histological changes were observed after one month.

Surgical management of glaucoma in Fuchs uveitis syndrome: Trabeculectomy or Ahmed glaucoma valve.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of trabeculectomy versus Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) surgery in patients with Fuchs uveitis Syndrome (FUS). METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes with uncontrolled glaucoma and at least 6 months of follow-up were enrolled. In 16 eyes trabeculectomy and in 12 eyes AGV implant were performed. The primary outcome measure was surgical success defined as 5 < intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mmHg (criterion A) and 5 < IOP ≤ 16 mmHg (criterion B), with at least 20% reduction in IOP, either with no medication (complete success) or with no more than preoperative medications (qualified success). The sum of complete and qualified success was defined as cumulative success. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the trabeculectomy group and the AGV group was 44.92 ± 9.02 and 45.76 ± 7.10 years, respectively (P = 0.79). The mean duration of follow-up was 23.06 ± 12.03 months in the trabeculectomy group and 22.83 ± 13.63 months in the AGV group (P = 0.96). The baseline mean IOP in trabeculectomy was 26.81 ± 6.69 mmHg which decreased to 11.61 ± 4.15 mmHg at last visit (P < 0.001). In the AGV group, mean IOP was 31.41 ± 6.76 at baseline that changed to 22.41 ± 5.09 at last visit (P = 0.005). According to criterion A, cumulative success rates were 100% and 91% at 6 months and 76% and 9% at 36 months in the trabeculectomy and the AGV group, respectively. Cumulative success rates at 6 months were 93% and 58% and 65% and 7% at 36 months according to criterion B in the trabeculectomy and the AGV group, respectively.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significant association between surgical method and cumulative success rate over 36 months (based on criteria A: P = 0.02, and based on criteria B: P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The success rate of trabeculectomy was higher than AGV in the surgical management of glaucoma in FUS during a medium-term follow-up.

Subjective versus objective dry eye disease in patients with moderate-severe thyroid eye disease.

PURPOSE: To compare the subjective versus Objective dry eye disease (DED) in patients with moderate-severe thyroid eye disease (TED). METHOD: Included were the patients with moderate-severe TED and ≥18 years old. They completed the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire and had Schirmer, Tear breakup time (TBUT), fluorescein staining, osmolarity, corneal aesthesiometry, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) tests. Excluded were patients with history of any disease, surgery and or medications which might be affecting the ocular surface and incomplete tests results. Subjective DED was defined as OSDI score of ≥13 and objective as one abnormal sign (TBUT, Schirmer, Osmolarity, and Staining). Presence of both was defined as definite DED. RESULTS: Included were 38 patients (74 eyes) with mean age of 40 years. Subjective DED was detected in 77%, objective in 89.2%, and definite in 67.7% of the eyes. Severe subjective and objective DED were found in 36.5% and 24.3% of the eyes, respectively. TBUT was the most frequent positive test (63.5%). MGD was observed in 56.8% of the eyes. Mean clinical activity score, palpebral fissure, rundle grading, proptosis, corneal aesthesiometry, and presence of MGD were not significantly different between the eyes with and without subjective, objective, or definite DED. CONCLUSION: Definite DED was found in more than 2/3 of the eyes with moderate-severe TED. While frequency of objective DED was higher, severe form of subjective DED was more frequent. No variable was significantly different between the eyes with and without subjective, objective and definite DED.

Foveal Avascular Zone and Vessel Density in Healthy Subjects: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

PURPOSE: To report the normal characteristics and correlations of the foveal microvascular networks using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in a healthy Iranian population. METHODS: Enface 3x3 OCTA images were obtained using the RTVue Avanti spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with AngioVue software (Optovue, Fremont, CA, USA). Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, central foveal point thickness and inner retinal thickness at the foveal center and the vascular density of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP) and deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) in the fovea were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy normal eyes of 70 subjects (range, 9 to 71 years) were studied. Mean FAZ area was 0.32 ± 0.11 (range, 0.13-0.67) mm2 in SCP and 0.50 ± 0.13 (range, 0.19-0.94) mm2 in DCP. Mean SCP vessel density was 29.6 ± 4.7 (range, 16.3-40.3) % in the fovea. Mean DCP vessel density was 27.0 ± 5.9 (range, 15.0-45.2) % in the fovea. The FAZ area at SCP level was negatively correlated to the central subfield thickness (P < 0.001). The FAZ area at DCP level correlated negatively to the central subfield thickness and was significantly associated to age (both P < 0.001). The foveal SCP vessel density significantly correlated with foveal thickness and the foveal DCP vessel density correlated significantly with central foveal subfield thickness and was inversely related to age (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, central foveal subfield thickness was a major determinant of the FAZ size and foveal vessel density. Age was a determinant for FAZ area and whole image vessel density in DCP.

Ocular higher-order aberrations changes after implantable collamer lens implantation for high myopic astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes in higher-order aberrations (HOAs) induced by the implantation of implantable collamer lenses (ICLs) and Toric ICL (TICL) in eyes with high myopia and high myopic astigmatism. METHODS: We investigated 33 eyes of 18 consecutive patients (in a prospective, interventional case series study), with spherical equivalent errors of -6.00 to -21.09 diopters (D) and cylindrical errors of -0.5 to -4.75 D, who underwent ICL and TICL implantation. Before and after 5 days, 2 and 6 months of surgery, the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), defocus and adverse events of the surgery were assessed. Ocular HOAs were also evaluated by Hartmann-Shack aberrometry (Technolas PV, Rochester, New York, USA) before and after 6 months of surgery. RESULTS: At 6.0 months after surgery, the UCVA and BCVA in 40% and 66.7% of eyes were 20/20, respectively. Mean defocus refraction and astigmatism was reduced to -0.66 and 0.65 D from -12.79 and 2.18 at baseline, respectively. For a 6 mm pupil, HOAs were not significantly changed, merely from 0.417 ± 0.162 µ before surgery to 0.393 ± 0.119 µ after surgery (P = 0.45). Spherical aberration (Z400) increased significantly (P = 00.0). Surgical induced astigmatism was lower than 0.25 D, and there were no changes in trefoils and coma aberration. No vision-threatening complications occurred during the observation period. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the ICL and TICL performed well in correcting high myopic astigmatism without significant changes in HOAs during a 6-month observation period, although the spherical aberration (Z400) increased significantly.

Successful treatment of allergic conjunctival granuloma by topical tacrolimus: A clinicopathologic case report.

Allergic conjunctival granuloma is a rare cause of conjunctival ocular lesions. The aim of this case report was to present a successful treatment of an allergic conjunctival granuloma with topical tacrolimus eye drops. A 20-year-old female presented with bilateral multiple yellow nodules of the bulbar conjunctival epithelium and conjunctival injection. The patient had tearing, photophobia, itching, foreign body sensation, and red eye. The patient's signs and symptoms progressed despite the use of topical steroids. The patient was treated by application of tacrolimus eye drop (0.005%) in her right eye every 6 h while the left eye was put on placebo. Her signs and symptoms were recorded at each visit. After 3 weeks' therapy with topical tacrolimus eye drop, the patient became asymptomatic in her right eye and conjunctival granulomas fully resolved. Topical tacrolimus seems to be an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of allergic conjunctival granulomas.

Effect of subconjunctival Bevacizumab injection on the outcome of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation: a randomized control trial.

IMPORTANCE: The effect of subconjunctival Bevacizumab injection on the outcome of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation. BACKGROUND: Evaluation of efficacy and safety of subconjunctival Bevacizumab injection adjunctive to AGV implantation. DESIGN: Prospective and randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty eyes of 50 patients with diagnosis of glaucoma that were candidate for AGV surgery were included. METHODS: In 25 eyes, conventional AGV surgery (group 1) and in 25 eyes AGV surgery with subconjunctival Bevacizumab (group 2) was performed by block randomization MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was surgical success. Outcome measures were compared at postoperative month 3, 6 and 12. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 58.76 ± 12.11 and 51.36 ± 15.44 years in group 1 and 2 respectively (P = 0.06). Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) at baseline was 24.88 ± 7.62 mmHg in group 1 and 27.52 ± 8.57 mmHg in group 2 which decreased to15.4 ± 4.4 mmHg in group 1 and 13.42 ± 2.9 mmHg in group 2 (P < 0.00) at last follow up. Surgical success was defined in two level: postoperative IOP ≤ 21 mmHg with at least 20% reduction in IOP (Criterion A), either with no medication (complete success) or with no more than two medications (qualified success) and criterion B with the same definition but the IOP ≤ 18 mmHg The cumulative success according to criterion A and B was 77.8%, 72.2% in group 1 and 89.5% in group 2, respectively, at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Subconjunctival injection of Bevacizumab adjunctive to AGV implantation leads to higher success rate compared with AGV alone in one year follow-up.