Choroidal Effusion with Exudative Retinal Detachment following Non Perforating YAG-Laser Peripheral Iridotomy: A Case Report.

AIM: To report a case of choroidal effusion and exudative retinal detachment following a non perforating Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnett (YAG)-laser iridotomy. DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A 53-year-old woman complains of sudden onset of blurred vision in her left eye 15 days after the attempt of YAG-laser peripheral iridotomy. Clinical examination revealed 3+ flare and 1+ cells in the anterior chamber, 2+ vitreous cells, swollen optic nerve, ciliochoroidal effusion, and exudative retinal detachment involving macular area in the left eye. After starting treatment with prednisone 25 mg once daily, choroidal effusion and retinal detachment were managed successfully without any surgical approach. CONCLUSION: Serous choroidal and exudative retinal detachments are rare complications following YAG-laser procedure. In our case, this clinical presentation occurs after a non perforating iridotomy. In medical practice, exudative retinal detachment should be always considered after YAG-laser iridotomy.

OCT biomarkers as predictors of visual improvement in diabetic macular edema eyes receiving dexamethasone implants.

BACKGROUND: Several optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers have been proposed as predictors for functional and anatomical outcomes in Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). This study aims to examine the impact of these OCT features on the visual acuity improvement of patients with DME after long-acting Dexamethasone intravitreal implants (DEX-I) injection. Furthermore, the safety and impact of DEX-I on clinical parameters, including intraocular pressure (IOP) were assessed. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the medical records of naïve and non-naïve eyes with DME who received at least one DEX-I. The primary endpoint was visual acuity improvement of ≥ 5 ETDRS letters at 1 month and 4 months after treatment. Secondary outcomes were the changes in OCT biomarkers and the impact of DEX-I on IOP at 1 and 4 months of follow-up. Linear panel regression analysis was used to test for differences in central subfield thickness (CST) over time and it was stratified according to biomarkers at baseline. Finally, a logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors predicting visual improvement at 1 and 4 months. RESULTS: We included 33 eyes of which 63.6% were at an advanced stage of DME. Overall, CST, cube average thickness (CAT), cube volume (CV), and intraretinal cystoid spaces > 200 µm (ICS) decreased following DEX-I injection (p < 0.001). Additionally, a thicker CST at baseline was observed in eyes with better visual improvement at one month (p = 0.048). After logistic regression analysis, CST was retained as the only predictor for visual improvement at one month (p = 0.044). Furthermore, panel regression analysis identified a relation between subfoveal neuroretinal detachment (SND) at baseline and CST increase at four months. Lastly, only 15.2% of the eyes necessitated topical medication for IOP reduction, with no differences observed when stratifying between naïve and non-naïve eyes. CONCLUSION: Our analyses suggest that a ticker baseline CST may serve as a positive predictor of early visual improvement and SND presence at baseline may be a negative prognostic factor for CST increase 4 months after DEX-I injection. Other well-known biomarkers, such as disorganization of the inner retinal layers (DRIL) and hyperreflective foci (HF), did not demonstrate prognostic value on visual outcomes, at least within the first four months following the injection.

Management of Spontaneous Crystalline Lens Luxation in a Patient Diagnosed with Takayasu's Disease.

Takayasu's disease is a chronic granulomatous arteriopathy that affects large vessels and their major branches. Nonspecific symptoms characterize the early phase, whereas findings of arterial occlusion and aneurysmal formation become manifest later. Ocular signs typically refer to retinal vascular involvement, as Takayasu arteritis or hypertensive retinopathy. We report a case of a 63-year-old woman suffering from Takayasu arteritis that complained of sudden onset of blurred vision in her left eye due to crystalline lens luxation in the vitreous cavity. The patient's past medical history was unremarkable for trauma, personal or familiar collagenopathies. Prompt surgical management was performed and the patient reached 0 LogMAR seven days after surgery. Our case illustrates the concomitant occurrence, never reported before, of two rare conditions in the same patient, namely, Takayasu arteritis and spontaneous lens dislocation. Further research and future knowledge are needed to explain whether Takayasu arteritis could obliquely injure zonular or fibrillar structures and whether these features may be possibly related.

Correlation between Morphological Characteristics of Macular Edema and Visual Acuity in Young Patients with Idiopathic Intermediate Uveitis.

Background and Objectives: Macular edema (ME) is a common complication of intermediate uveitis (IU). It is often responsible for a decrease in visual acuity (VA). Three distinct patterns of macular edema have been described in intermediate uveitis, namely, cystoid macular edema (CME), diffuse macular edema (DME), and serous retinal detachment (SRD). The current study aims to describe the characteristics of macular edema in young patients with idiopathic intermediate uveitis and to correlate its features with VA using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Materials and Methods: A total of 27 eyes from 18 patients with idiopathic IU complicated by ME were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent SD-OCT; data were gathered at the onset of ME. Best-corrected VA (BCVA) was correlated with the morphological features of ME. Results: BCVA was negatively correlated with Ellipsoid Zone (EZ) disruption (p = 0.00021), cystoid pattern (p = 0.00021), central subfield thickness (CST) (p < 0.001), and serous retinal detachment (0.037). Conclusions: In ME secondary to idiopathic IU, VA negatively correlates with Ellipsoid Zone disruption and increases in CST. Moreover, vision is influenced by the presence of cysts in the inner nuclear and outer nuclear layers and by the neuroepithelium detachment.

Cocaine Abuse as an Immunological Trigger in a Case Diagnosed with Eales Disease.

Background: Eales disease is a clinical syndrome affecting the mid-peripheral retina with an idiopathic occlusive vasculitis and possible subsequent retinal neovascularization. The disease can develop into visually threatening complications. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 40-year-old Caucasian male with a history of cocaine abuse who presented with blurred vision in the left eye (LE). Fundus examination showed vitreous hemorrhages, peripheral sheathing of venous blood vessels, areas of retinal neovascularization in the LE, and peripheral occlusive phlebitis in the right eye. The full serologic panel was negative except for the heterozygous mutation of factor V Leiden. Clinical and biochemical parameters suggested a diagnosis of Eales disease. Therapy with dexamethasone, 1 mg per kg per day, tapered down slowly over 4 months, and peripheral laser photocoagulation allowed a regression of clinical signs and symptoms. Conclusion: This case shows an uncommon presentation of Eales disease associated with cocaine abuse. Both cocaine abuse and a thrombophilic pattern, as cofactors, might have sensitized the retinal microcirculation on the pathogenetic route to this retinal pathology. Furthermore, in view of this hypothesis, a thorough ocular and general medical history investigating drug abuse and coagulation disorders is recommended for ophthalmologists in such cases.

Does choroidal thickness predict persistent subretinal fluid after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair? A retrospective study with fellow eye comparison.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether choroidal thickness (CT) is associated with persistent subretinal fluid (pSRF) after simple primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair. METHODS: This single-centre, retrospective, observational study included patients who underwent RRD repair with at least 12-month follow-up. Preoperative and postoperative parameters were evaluated for association with pSRF. CT measurements were obtained at the central 1 mm area on enhanced depth imaging (EDI) OCT scans, using a semiautomatic method. Multiple logistic regression analyses were assessed to determine predictive factors for pSRF. RESULTS: Overall, 100 eyes of 100 patients, mean age of 59.9 ± 12.6 years were included. pSRF was found in 21.0% of eyes and resolved over time in 85.7% of eyes at 12 months. In the pSRF group both RRD and fellow eyes showed lower mean choroidal and RPE thickness values as compared to those without pSRF (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was found between pSRF occurrence and choroidal thinning (p = 0.02). After multiple regression analyses, macula-off RRD (p = 0.005) and scleral buckling (SB) technique (p = 0.001) were retained as final predictors for pSRF. In macula-off SB eyes, detachment duration was the only factor associated with pSRF (p = 0.046). There were no significant differences in best-corrected visual acuity outcomes between the pSRF and the no-pSRF eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pSRF showed lower choroidal and RPE thickness as compared to those without pSRF. CT did not turn out to be a final predictor for pSRF, as this was mainly associated with macular involvement, surgical technique and detachment duration.

Unusual Presentation of Skin Tattoo-Associated Panuveitis.

AIM: We report a case of a young male who developed bilateral panuveitis after extensive tattooing. DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A 22-year-old male with a history of inflamed tattoos presented with pain in both eyes and blurred vision in the left eye. Clinical examination showed ciliary congestion, flare, vitreous cells in both eyes, and posterior synechiae in the left eye. Optic nerve was swollen in both eyes. OCT scans demonstrated subretinal blood, associated with neurosensory macular detachment in the left eye. The skin tattoo biopsy showed a granulomatous inflammation without evidence of sarcoidosis. Long-term corticosteroid therapy allowed a regression of clinical signs and symptoms with full recovery. CONCLUSION: TAttoo Granulomas with Uveitis (TAGU) is a syndrome with numerous clinical presentations. In our case, optic nerve head oedema and subretinal hemorrhage at the posterior pole were the presentation signs. Ophthalmologists should always consider TAGU as a diagnosis in patients with a history of inflamed tattoos.

Juxtapapillary Choroidal Neovascularization in a Young Woman with Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis (TINU) Syndrome with Onset in Pediatric Age.

We describe the unusual case of a young woman with tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) with bilateral diffuse uveitis and optic nerve inflammatory involvement since she was a child in the 1990s. Imaging diagnostic tools such as fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography revealed inactive juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularization (CNV) after 25 years of follow-up. After treatment, uveitis went into remission with BCVA 20/20 in both eyes and CNV lesions became inactive. Although anterior uveitis is more frequently reported in TINU, posterior uveitis with inflammatory involvement of the optic nerve should be accurately investigated to rule out juxtapapillary CNV, both at the time of active uveitis and during follow-up, since TINU may be complicated by CNV even at the later stages of the inflammatory process.

Treatment and Prognosis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease: Real-Life Experience in Long-Term Follow-Up.

Background: Vogt−Koyanagi−Harada (VKH) disease is a form of uveitis that is rare in Western countries. The aim of this study was to report on the long-term real-life treatment and prognosis of VKH in Italy. Methods: The clinical features, complications, and final visual acuity were retrospectively evaluated in 38 patients with VKH (mean follow-up: 120 months) globally, according to oral or intravenous corticosteroid treatment at onset and subsequent immunosuppressive therapy. Results: The mean final visual acuity was 0.13 ± 0.4 logMAR, which was a significant increase from the baseline (p < 0.0001). The patients who received intravenous rather than oral corticosteroids relapsed less (p = 0.026), with fewer relapses/patient/month of follow-up (p < 0.0001), and showed less frequent sunset glow fundus (33.3% versus 55%) and more relapse-free cases after induction therapy (p = 0.007). Delayed immunosuppressive therapy (median: 180 days from the onset of symptoms) reduced the rate of sunset glow fundus. The onset of sunset glow fundus was associated with a worse final visual acuity (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The long-term prognosis of VKH is quite good. Intravenous corticosteroids given at the onset of VKH are more effective than oral corticosteroids. Even if it is not given immediately after symptoms onset, immunosuppressive therapy is able to reduce the incidence of sunset glow fundus and to improve the final visual prognosis.

Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis According to Strampelli Original Technique: A Retrospective Study With Up to 30 Years of Follow-up.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical, anatomical, and visual outcomes obtained from a long-term follow-up of 59 patients who underwent osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) using the Strampelli original technique. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical cohort study. METHODS: The study included 82 eyes of 59 patients who underwent OOKP surgery between 1969 and 2011. Patients' clinical characteristics before surgery as well as complications and further surgeries until the end of follow-up were recorded. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was revised before surgery and at 1 month, 1 year, and every 5 years until the 30th year of follow-up. RESULTS: Mean follow-up post-OOKP was 27.4 ± 11.2 years (range, 2.4-52). The most frequent cause of blindness was chemical injuries (71%). OOKP integrity was maintained in 77 of 82 eyes (94%) until the end of follow-up. Excluding cataract, acquired glaucoma was the most frequent complication, with a prevalence at 10 years of 36%. Mean BCVA improved from 2.60 ± 0.32 at presentation to 0.40 ± 0.65 at 1 year and 1.21 ± 1.19 logMAR at 30 years. Overall, 51% of the included eyes attained a BCVA better than 0.05 logMAR, and stabilization of BCVA was observed for the first 10 years of follow-up post-OOKP. Better BCVA outcomes were observed in the Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) group, whereas glaucoma was found not to significantly affect visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: The original OOKP still represents a valid surgical choice, which is durable over time, for restoring vision in end-stage corneal blindness patients who are not eligible for a corneal transplant.

COMPARISON BETWEEN SCLERAL BUCKLING AND VITRECTOMY IN THE ONSET OF CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA AND EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE AFTER RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and risk factors for the main complications in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treated with scleral buckling (SB) or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). METHODS: A retrospective, comparative, observational study was conducted. The medical records of 107 patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who were managed with SB (n = 57) or PPV (n = 50) were reviewed. Scleral buckling was performed using scleral encircling solid silicone band and circumferential solid silicone exoplant to support the break. Pars plana vitrectomy was combined with phacoemulsification in phakic eyes and with scleral encircling in inferior detachments. Follow-ups, including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography examination, were scheduled at 1, 3, and 12 months after surgery. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for potential preoperative selection bias. RESULTS: The overall incidence of postoperative cystoid macular edema (CME) and epiretinal membrane was 14.95% and 30.84%, respectively. Compared with SB, CME was more frequent in the PPV (P = 0.021) and in the PPV pseudophakic eyes (P = 0.027). Postoperative CME was an early, predominantly transient complication and regressed in 67% of SB and in 77% of PPV eyes within 12 months after surgery. No differences were observed regarding epiretinal membrane development. Except for the surgical technique, no preoperative factors associated with CME were identified. A correlation between epiretinal membrane and patients' age was found (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: The incidence of CME after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair was higher in patients who underwent PPV, either alone or combined with phacoemulsification, than in those treated with SB. Epiretinal membrane development was correlated to older age, regardless of the surgical procedure.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Findings in Active and Inactive Ocular Behçet Disease.

PURPOSE: To study macular microvascular changes in ocular Behçet disease (OBD) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative analyses of OCTA were performed on 23 OBD patients with active or inactive uveitis and compared with healthy controls. RESULTS: Deep capillary plexus (DCP) is the most frequently involved in OBD (p < 0.001). Its vessel density (VD) is reduced compared with controls in both active (p < 0.007) and inactive uveitis (p = 0.03). In inactive uveitis, VD is inversely related to the number of uveitis relapses (superficial capillary plexus: r = -0.694, p = 0.004; DCP: r = -0.541, p = 0.037) and it is significantly reduced in patients with a uveitis-free period ≥5 years compared with healthy controls (p < 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Macular VD is reduced in Behçet patients with active and inactive uveitis, especially in DCP. In inactive uveitis, VD is inversely related to the number of ocular relapses and cannot be restored during time.

Clinical Features and Complications of the HLA-B27-associated Acute Anterior Uveitis: A Metanalysis.

In this article, we report a literature-based metanalysis we have conducted to outline the clinical features of the HLA-B27 Acute Anterior Uveitis (AAU). The examined material was based on observational studies in which participants were affected by Acute Anterior Uveitis and divided into HLA B27+ and HLA B27-. We performed a search on articles with the words "HLA B27 uveitis" dated before May 2014. Among these, 29 articles were selected for a second review. After a further evaluation, 22 articles were analyzed. The clinical characteristics studied in the metanalysis were: (1) systemic disease; (2) sex distribution; (3) laterality; (4) visual acuity; (5) hypopion; (6) anterior chamber's fibrin; (7) elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) during inflammation; (8) glaucoma; (9) posterior synechiae; (10) cataract; (11) cystoid macular edema; (12) papillitis. We have calculated a relative risk (RR) for each outcome measured. The results obtained remark some of the peculiar features linked to the HLA B27 Acute Anterior Uveitis, such as strong association with ankylosing spondylitis (RR = 6.80) and systemic diseases (RR = 9.9), male prevalence (RR = 1.2), unilateral (RR = 1.1) or alternating bilateral (RR = 2.2) involvement, hypopion (RR = 5.5), fibrinous reaction and even papillitis (R = 7.7). Simultaneous bilateral (RR = 0.3) AAU is more frequent in HLA-B27 negative form. We report higher risk of elevated IOP and glaucoma (RR = 0.6) in B27- Acute Anterior Uveitis. No significant difference between HLA B 27 positive and negative AAU was observed according to final visual acuity and complications such as posterior synechiae, cataract, and maculare edema. We trust that this will inform on the clinical evaluation and therapeutic decision in addressing a still ill-defined ophthalmologic condition.

Fuchs' Heterochromic Iridocyclitis in an Italian Tertiary Referral Centre: Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Prognosis.

Purpose. To study epidemiology, clinical findings and visual prognosis of patients with Fuchs' Heterochromic Iridocyclitis (FHI). Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 158 patients with FHI. Thirty-five patients were observed only once; the remaining 123 had a mean follow-up of 30.7 months (50 of them had a mean follow-up of 63.5 months) and in those we assessed complications, medical and surgical treatment, and long-term visual prognosis. Results. Average age at uveitis diagnosis was 27.2 years and 18.3% of patients were children. Blurred vision (54.5%) and floaters (40.5%) were the most frequent presenting symptoms. Small to medium-sized keratic precipitates (95.6%), iris atrophy (86.8%), and vitreous opacities (91.2%) were the most common signs; the prevalence of cataract and IOP increase was 63.5% and 20.1%, respectively, and their incidence was 0.1 and 0.06 eye/year. Significant risk factor for visual loss was IOP increase at presentation (p = 0.02). At final examination 98% of the eye had a visual acuity ≥ 0.6, and topical (p < 0.001) and systemic (p < 0.001) corticosteroids therapy were used less frequently than before referral. Conclusions. FHI has a good visual prognosis, despite the significant incidence of cataract and glaucoma. A correct and prompt diagnosis might avoid unnecessary therapies and provide excellent visual outcomes.

Correlation between Visual Acuity, Inner Segment/Outer Segment Junction, and Cone Outer Segment Tips Line Integrity in Uveitic Macular Edema.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the foveal inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction or ellipsoid portion of inner segment (EPIS/ellipsoid zone), and the cone outer segment tips (COST) line or interdigitation zone integrity in eyes with uveitic macular edema (ME). METHOD: A retrospective observational study involving all patients from January 2012 to December 2013 with uveitic ME was performed. All patients underwent BCVA using Snellen charts spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) examination using Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). RESULTS: Fifty-two eyes from 45 patients were included in this study. Multivariate analysis showed a negative correlation between BCVA and the central retinal subfield thickness (CST), the cystoid pattern of edema, and the interdigitation zone interruption. Univariate logistic analysis showed a strong correlation between the ellipsoid zone and the interdigitation zone integrity. CONCLUSIONS: The ellipsoid zone defect, the interdigitation zone interruption, and the CST are correlated with poor vision. Visual acuity is also strongly affected by the cystoid pattern. The interdigitation zone integrity appears to be the most important factor in the visual prognosis of uveitic ME.

Visual and anatomical outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept for treatment-resistant neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

A retrospective chart review of patients with persistent subretinal and/or intraretinal fluid, despite previous treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 mg), who were switched to aflibercept injections, was performed. Treatment was three monthly aflibercept (2 mg) injections followed by dosing on pro re nata basis. Main outcome measures included changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), 1 mm central subfield (CSF) retinal thickness, the height of the pigment epithelial detachment (PED), and subfoveal choroidal thickness on optical coherence tomography at 6 months. Thirty-one eyes of 30 patients were analyzed. The mean number of injections before aflibercept conversion was 34.4 ± 11.9. After an average of 4.5 aflibercept injections (range 3 to 6) over 6 months, no significant change in BCVA was observed (P > 0.05). Compared with baseline, there was a significant reduction of the CSF retinal thickness (449 ± 179 versus 269 ± 145 µ m, P < 0.001), maximum PED height (262 ± 134 versus 183 ± 100 µ m, P < 0.001), and choroidal thickness (192 ± 67 versus 167 ± 51 µ m, P < 0.01). Stable visual acuity and anatomical improvement were obtained for up to 6 months after aflibercept conversion. However, choroidal thinning related to treatment was observed.

Management of uveitis-related choroidal neovascularization: from the pathogenesis to the therapy.

Inflammatory choroidal neovascularization is a severe but uncommon complication of uveitis, more frequent in posterior uveitis such as punctate inner choroidopathy, multifocal choroiditis, serpiginous choroiditis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. Its pathogenesis is supposed to be similar to the wet age related macular degeneration: hypoxia, release of vascular endothelial growth factor, stromal cell derived factor 1-alpha, and other mediators seem to be involved in the uveitis-related choroidal neovascularization. A review on the factors implicated so far in the pathogenesis of inflammatory choroidal neovascularization was performed. Also we reported the success rate of single studies concerning the therapies of choroidal neovascularization secondary to uveitis during the last decade: photodynamic therapy, intravitreal bevacizumab, and intravitreal ranibizumab, besides steroidal and immunosuppressive therapy. Hereby a standardization of the therapeutic approach is proposed.

Penetrating fish-hook ocular injury: management of an unusual intraocular foreign body.

Importance. Ocular penetrating fish-hook injuries represent an unusual and very dangerous ocular trauma. We report the management of an unusual case of a simple-single barbed fish-hook accident globe injury successfully treated with surgery. Observations. We described a case report of a caucasian 32-year-old man presented with a scleral perforation of the left eye caused by a fish-hook injury while fishing. The fish-hook penetrated the sclera, passed the trabecular meshwork, and exited into the anterior chamber. He underwent surgery under local anesthesia to remove the intraocular foreign body and to repair the wound. The hook was removed backing through the entrance wound, enlarge the primary scleral laceration. Final visual outcome, one month after trauma, was 0.0 LogMar. Conclusions and Relevance. Our unusual case shows a modified extraction technique of fish-hook from the eye. Although the fish-hook injury represents generally a serious occurrence, in some cases, a prompt and appropriate method of extraction can lead to a good final outcome.