Unilateral spontaneous filtering bleb dissecting into the cornea in a patient with high myopia.

PURPOSE: To report a case of a unilateral spontaneous filtering bleb dissecting into the cornea in a patient with high myopia. CLINICAL CASE: A 33-year-old woman with high myopia (-18 D) presented with discomfort in the left eye. Ocular history included pars plana vitrectomy and cataract extraction and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in the left eye. Best-corrected visual acuity was 0.65 and intraocular pressure was 20 mmHg. Slit-lamp examination showed a filtering bleb in the upper-temporal quadrant, which extended and dissected the proximal cornea without affecting the visual axis. The morphology and content of the bleb was studied with anterior segment optical coherence tomography, which ruled out a corneal-scleral fistulization into the subconjunctival space. The spontaneous filtering bleb was resected surgically. Due to her high myopia, two strips of fascia lata were used to strengthen the area. In the postoperative period, a complete resection of the bleb was confirmed, without apparent leaking points and with a well-vascularized conjunctiva. No complications were noted. The patient maintained the same best-corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure than before surgery. CONCLUSION: The formation of a spontaneous filtering bleb is a rare entity in patients with high myopia, whose risk increases due to their thinned sclerae. The risk is even greater if they have undergone ocular surgeries. Resection of the filtering bleb in our case halted the progression of the corneal dissection, therefore respecting the transparency of the visual axis and preserving visual acuity.

Author Correction: The LRRC8-mediated volume-regulated anion channel is altered in glaucoma.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Cauterized suture for complete tube occlusion of Ahmed glaucoma valve in hypotony maculopathy.

PURPOSE: To present our experience treating hypotony maculopathy with a simple, minimally invasive, and removable ab interno tube Ahmed glaucoma valve occlusion. METHODS: Under topical anesthesia a 5-0 polypropylene suture (Prolene; Ethicon) was inserted into the Ahmed glaucoma valve tube. The length of the tube was measured, and an external suture cauterization was performed to allow an easier and safer fixation in the tube. The suture was introduced into the tube itself with the viscoelastic 27-gauge cannula. RESULTS: This technique was performed in three cases of hypotony maculopathy with a complex history of medical treatments: a 4-year-old boy with Donnai-Barrow syndrome and previous pars plana vitrectomy that developed hypotony maculopathy the day after Ahmed glaucoma valve insertion and two male patients (69 and 49 years old) that underwent hypotony maculopathy after cyclophotocoagulation as a last option to reduce intraocular pressure. One of the men had three filtering surgeries, two 5-fluorouracil needlings and Ahmed glaucoma valve insertion. The other male patient had keratoplasty and posterior Ahmed glaucoma valve insertion. In the three cases, both hypotony and maculopathy were reversed within a week and a month, respectively, after Ahmed glaucoma valve occlusion with no complications. When hypotony maculopathy develops it seems suitable to occlude completely the Ahmed glaucoma valve tube to swiftly reverse clinical and anatomic changes. CONCLUSION: Intraluminal Ahmed glaucoma valve occlusion with cauterized suture is a simple, quick, reversible, and effective technique that may offer a minimally invasive way to resolve hypotony maculopathy in complex cases and avoid severe loss of vision.

The LRRC8-mediated volume-regulated anion channel is altered in glaucoma.

Regulation of cellular volume is an essential process to balance volume changes during cell proliferation and migration or when intracellular osmolality increases due to transepithelial transport. We previously characterized the key role of volume-regulated anion channels (VRAC) in the modulation of the volume of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and, in turn, the aqueous humour (AH) outflow from the eye. The balance between the secretion and the drainage of AH determines the intraocular pressure (IOP) that is the major casual risk factor for glaucoma. Glaucoma is an ocular disease that causes irreversible blindness due to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. The recent identification of Leucine-Rich Repeat-Containing 8 (LRRC8A-E) proteins as the molecular components of VRAC opens the field to elucidate their function in the physiology of TM and glaucoma. Human TM cells derived from non-glaucomatous donors and from open-angle glaucoma patients were used to determine the expression and the functional activity of LRRC8-mediated channels. Expression levels of LRRC8A-E subunits were decreased in HTM glaucomatous cells compared to normotensive HTM cells. Consequently, the activity of VRAC currents and volume regulation of TM cells were significantly affected. Impaired cell volume regulation will likely contribute to altered aqueous outflow and intraocular pressure.

Efficacy of Ologen matrix implant in Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation.

To determine the efficacy and safety of the Ologen collagen matrix adjunctive to Ahmed valve surgery. A randomized prospective multicentre clinical trial involving 58 patients that were followed for one year. Conventional surgery with Ahmed valve was performed in 31 eyes (Control group/CG) and in 27 Ologen (Ologen group/OG) was placed over the valve's plate. Baseline data: age, corneal thickness, intraocular pressure(IOP) and antiglaucoma medications.Postoperative data (days 1, 7 and months 1, 3, 6 and 12): IOP, antiglaucoma medications, visual acuity and complications were recorded. Frequency of hypertensive phase, complete and qualified success and survival rate were studied. No differences were found between CG and OG in the baseline data. The only difference between groups was a significantly lower IOP at day 1. No other differences were found in the follow-up between groups. Hypertensive phase (56%CG and 55%OG, p = 0,947), complete success 28,6%CG and 30,4%OG (p = 0,88) and qualified success 96,4% and 95,9%(p = 0,794). Survival rates at 1 year were 76,7%(CG) and 69,2%(OG)(p = 0,531). 38,7% of patients in the CG suffered some complication during follow-up and 61,5% in OG(p = 0,086). Ologen does not increase safety or efficacy in Ahmed valve surgery at one-year follow-up. This is the first study that shows no benefit of Ologen adjunctive to this surgery.

Autologous platelet concentrate in surgery for macular detachment associated with congenital optic disc pit.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the anatomical and functional results obtained with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) plus autologous platelet concentrate (APC) as a treatment for macular detachment associated with optic disc pit (ODP). METHODS: We performed a prospective interventional study of 19 eyes of 19 consecutive patients with posterior macular detachment due to ODP. All patients underwent PPV, posterior hyaloid peeling, fluid-air exchange, injection of 0.05 mL of APC over the ODP and 15% perfluoropropane (C3F8) endotamponade. Postoperative measures included face-up positioning for 2 hours and then avoidance of the face-up position during the ensuing 10 days. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and optical coherence tomography preoperatively at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months postoperatively and then annually. Outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) by logMAR, improvement of quality of vision, macular attachment, and resolution of intraretinal schisis-like separation. RESULTS: Preoperatively, the median BCVA was 0.70 (range: 0.30-1.70) and all patients showed improved visual acuity after surgery; BCVA was 0.22 (range: 0.07-0.52) at 12 months follow-up. All patients showed complete reabsorption of intraretinal fluid (median time: 3.5 months [range: 2-8 months]) and macular attachment at the end of follow-up (median: 60 months [range: 12-144 months]), with stable or improved visual acuity. No reoperations were needed and no major adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: For macular detachment associated with ODP, the combination of PPV, posterior hyaloid peeling, APC, and C3F8 tamponade is a highly effective alternative technique with stable anatomical and functional results.

Vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling for macular folds secondary to hypotony in myopes.

BACKGROUND: Hypotony maculopathy (HM) changes may persist, and visual acuity remains poor, despite normalization of intraocular pressure (IOP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual and anatomical results of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, and 20% SF6 gas tamponade in five myopic patients with HM. METHODS: This retrospective interventional study was conducted at the Barraquer Center of Ophthalmology, a tertiary care center in Barcelona, Spain, and included five eyes from five consecutive patients (aged 55.4±13.1 years) with HM caused by different conditions. All the patients were treated with 23-gauge PPV, ILM peeling, and 20% SF6 gas tamponade. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation was performed using anterior and posterior biomicroscopy and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) by logMAR charts. RESULTS: Before surgery, median spherical equivalent was -13.1 (range -7, -19) diopters of myopia. Preoperatively, four cases presented IOP <6.5 mmHg for 3 (range 2-8) weeks. In three of these four cases, IOP >6.5 mmHg was achieved over 16 (range 16-28) weeks, without resolution of HM; increased IOP was not achieved in the remaining case treated 2 weeks after diagnosis of HM. One case presented IOP >6.5 mmHg with HM for 28 weeks before surgery. Preoperative BCVA was 0.7 (range 0.26-2.3) logMAR, and 0.6 (range 0.3-0.7) logMAR and 0.5 (range 0.2-1) logMAR, respectively, at 4 and 12 months after surgery. There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative BCVA. Hyper-pigmentation lines in the macular area were observed in three cases with hypotony. These lines progressed after surgery despite resolution of the retinal folds in the three cases, and BCVA decreased in parallel in two of these cases. CONCLUSION: PPV with ILM peeling followed by gas tamponade is a good alternative for the treatment of HM in myopic patients. However, persistent choroidal folds may compromise BCVA. We therefore recommend initiating treatment as early as possible.

Endodiathermy plus photocoagulation as treatment of sclerotomy site vascularization secondary to pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of surgery with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), endodiathermy of sclerotomy site fibrovascularization and adjuvant photocoagulation of the peripheral retina to the pars plana as treatment of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage secondary to PPV for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: Tertiary care center, Barraquer Center of Ophthalmology, Barcelona, Spain. Prospective interventional study of 14 eyes of 14 consecutive patients aged 20 years to 47 years with recurrent vitreous hemorrhage because of sclerotomy site neovascularization secondary to PPV for PDR. All patients were treated by cataract, or transparent lens, extraction with intraocular lens implantation plus 20-gauge PPV of the vitreous base, including incarcerated vitreous of the sclerotomy site, together with endodiathermy of sclerotomy site fibrovascular tissue and adjuvant photocoagulation to the pars plana. Preoperative evaluation was performed by 20-MHz, high-resolution, anterior-segment ultrasonography of the neovascularized sclerotomy sites, pre- and postoperative visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), and postoperative rebleeding rates. RESULTS: Recurrent vitreous hemorrhage appeared 8 ± 4 months after the initial PPV for PDR. Ten (71%) patients had isolated vascularization of a single sclerotomy site and 4 (29%) had vascularization of 2 sclerotomy sites. Nine of the 18 vascularized sites (50%) corresponded to optical fiber sclerotomies, 7 (39%) to vitreotome, and 2 (11%) to infusion sclerotomies. All the neovascularized sclerotomies presented sentinel vessels in the anterior segment. No patient showed postoperative recurrent vitreous hemorrhage during follow-up of 23 ± 10 months; all showed improved visual acuity, from initial 2.23 (±1.13 standard deviation) to final 0.23 (±0.09 standard deviation). CONCLUSION: According to our study, the technique of choice for the treatment of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage secondary to PPV for PDR is endodiathermy of sclerotomy site fibrovascularization and adjuvant photocoagulation of the peripheral retina to the pars plana. This technique treats the etiology of the problem, improves final best-corrected visual acuity, and, most importantly, helps prevent recurrent bleeding.

Posterior capsule opacification assessment and factors that influence visual quality after posterior capsulotomy.

PURPOSE: To study the correlation between posterior capsule opacification (PCO) and intraocular straylight and visual acuity. DESIGN: Prospective noninterventional study. METHODS: We measured visual acuity (VA), logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) and intraocular straylight (C-Quant straylight parameter log[s]) under photopic conditions before and 2 weeks after YAG capsulotomy in 41 patients (53 eyes) from the Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer in Barcelona and the University Eye Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg. Photopic pupil diameter was also measured. To document the level of opacification, pupils were dilated and photographs were taken with a slit lamp, using retroillumination and the reflected light of a wide slit beam at an angle of 45 degrees. PCO was subjectively graded on a scale of 0 to 10 and using the POCOman system. A multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors that influence straylight after capsulotomy. RESULTS: Straylight correlated well with retroillumination and reflected-light PCO scores, whereas VA only correlated with retroillumination. Both VA and straylight improved after capsulotomy. Straylight values varied widely after capsulotomy. Multiple regression analysis showed that older age, large ocular axial length, hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs), and small capsulotomies are factors that increased intraocular straylight. CONCLUSION: Intraocular straylight is a useful tool in the assessment of PCO. It correlates well with PCO severity scoring methods. When performing a posterior capsulotomy, factors such as age, IOL material, axial length, and capsulotomy size must be taken into consideration, as they influence intraocular straylight.