Multifocal intraocular lens exchange to monofocal for the management of neuroadaptation failure.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate visual, refractive, quality of vision, visual function and satisfaction of multifocal intraocular lens (MF-IOL) exchange with a monofocal IOL (MNF-IOL) in dissatisfied patients following MF-IOL implantation. METHODS: This was a retrospective case series. Bilateral IOL exchange (MF-IOL to MNF-IOL) was performed in 13 patients (26 eyes) with neuroadaptation failure. Questionnaires including the Quality of Vision (QoV), Visual Function Index (VF-14 and Rasch-revised VF-8R version), and a satisfaction questionnaire were used. RESULTS: The mean time for IOL exchange was 15 months. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) improved from 20/26 to 20/23 (P = 0.028). The uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) worsened after exchange from 20/47 to 20/62 (P = 0.024). QoV scores improved significantly across all three subscales after exchange. Visual function for far distance improved with a change in VF-14 score from 74.2 ± 24.8 to 90.9 ± 9.1 (P = 0.03). The VF-8R score showed worsening although not statistically significant. Near vision spectacle independence was totally or partially lost in all cases. Ten patients (77%) reported they would not repeat the lens exchange. Safety and efficacy indices changed from 1.23 to 0.85, respectively, at three months to 1.24 (P = 0.871) and 0.89 (P = 0.568), respectively, at one year. CONCLUSION: IOL exchange (multifocal to monofocal) to solve neuroadaptation failure in this case series resulted in significant improvements in dysphotopsia and improved distance visual function. However, UNVA worsened and patient satisfaction after exchange remained suboptimal with 77% claiming they would not repeat the lens exchange, suggesting the value of near vision spectacle independence for these patients.

Influence of age on small incision lenticule extraction outcomes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of patient's age at the time of surgery on small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) refractive outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective, consecutive, comparative study. We compared the refractive outcomes after myopic SMILE from two groups of patients divided by age (patients ≤35 and ≥40 years old). All eyes were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Main outcome measures were differences on efficacy, safety, predictability and astigmatic changes by vector analysis with ASSORT software between both study groups. RESULTS: 102 matched eyes of 53 patients were included. Preoperatively, we evidenced no differences in the mean SE or astigmatism between groups. However, 6 months postoperatively we observed a significantly worse mean astigmatism (p=0.019), while not regarding SE, in the older population, with a trend towards undercorrection of the refractive cylinder in the ≥40 group. We also observed a statistically significant difference in the efficacy (0.86-1 month and 0.97-6 months in ≥40group vs 0.97-1 month and 1.07-6 months in the ≤35 group; p=0.003) and safety indexes (0.93-1 month and 1.04-6 months in ≥40 group vs 1.0-1 month and 1.11-6 months in the ≤35 group; p=0.008) at 6 months among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Post-SMILE refractive outcomes in those patients over 40 years of age, although acceptable, are not as good as those obtained in younger patients, showing a significantly lower efficacy and safety indexes, and poorer astigmatic outcomes, with a tendency towards undercorrection. We hypothetise that the increased corneal stroma stiffness in the aged group modifies the post-SMILE corneal stroma remodelling capacity, thus affecting the SMILE refractive and visual response.

New surgical approach for sutureless scleral fixation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to describe a novel surgical technique for sutureless scleral fixation of an intraocular lens using the newly developed FIL SSF Carlevale IOL (Soleko, Italy). METHODS: Four eyes of four patients with poor capsular support were recruited to our study, three resulting from intraocular lens subluxation and one case resulting from traumatic cataract. A novel sutureless sclera-fixated intraocular lens was implanted into the posterior chamber of each eye with sclerocorneal plugs fixating the lens to the wall of the eye. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 52 ± 16 years, ranging from 35 to 70 years. Mean follow-up was 6.50 ± 1.29 months (range: 5-7 months). Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.50 ± 0.33 logMAR (range: 1-0.3 logMAR). Postoperative best-corrected visual acuity improved to 0.08 ± 0.08 logMAR (range: 0.2-0 logMAR). There was no significant change in the mean intraocular pressure and there were no postoperative complications, such as iatrogenic distortion or breakage of the intraocular lens haptic, intraocular lens decentration, endophthalmitis, or retinal detachment. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of outcomes using the novel sutureless sclera-fixated FIL SSF Carlevale IOL. This new surgical technique offers a simplified and effective approach for sutureless scleral intraocular lens fixation with good refractive outcomes.

Photorefractive keratectomy influences the angle of ocular deviation in strabismus patients with hyperopia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate refractive, binocular vision and ocular alignment outcomes of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for the treatment of hyperopia in esotropic patients. METHODS: Medical charts of hyperopic patients with full or partial accommodative esotropia (FAE or PAE) or consecutive exotropia (CE) undergone PRK from 2011 to 2014 were reviewed. The primary outcome was to assess the efficacy of PRK in improving ocular alignment. The secondary outcomes were the assessments of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE) and stereoacuity. RESULTS: Sixty-four eyes of 32 hyperopic patients were included. Three patients were affected by FAE, 24 by PAE and 5 by CE. All FAE patients and 4 PAE patients underwent only PRK; the remaining 25 patients underwent PRK plus strabismus surgery. After PRK, the mean corrected esodeviation decreased significantly in the overall esotropic population [7.15 ± 9.42 prism diopters (PD) vs. 5.04 ± 8.83 PD; p = 0.03] and in particular in the group with small-angle esodeviation (< 20 PD). Conversely, the only 2 patients with an angle of strabismus ≥ 20 PD as well as all CE patients did not show any postoperative variation of the deviation angle. Mean preoperative BCVA did not differ from postoperative UCVA (p = 0.19), while the mean postoperative SE decreased significantly after PRK (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that PRK eliminates the accommodative component of the deviation. In addition, this procedure seems to reduce or eliminate also the non-accommodative component of esodeviation (especially in small-angle deviation), thus suggesting to postpone strabismus surgery after PRK when esotropia and hyperopia coexist.

MULTIMODAL IMAGING IN VORTEX VEIN VARICES.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical presentation of vortex vein varices with multimodal imaging. METHODS: The authors carried out a retrospective case series of eight patients (7 female, 1 male) with an average age of 60.2 years (min 8, max 84, median 68.5) presenting with vortex vein varices. All patients were evaluated at the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy and at Luigi Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations, including best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment, and fundus examination. Imaging studies, including fundus color photography, near-infrared reflectance imaging, fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and spectral-domain enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography were also performed. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography and ultra-widefield indocyanine angiography using the Heidelberg Retina Angiograph and the Staurenghi 230 SLO Retina Lens were used to demonstrate the disappearance of all retinal lesions when pressure was applied to the globe. RESULTS: All eight cases initially presented to the emergency room. One patient presented secondary to trauma, two patients presented for suspected hemangioma, whereas the other five were referred to the authors' hospitals for suspected retinal lesions. On examination, retinal abnormalities were identified in all 8 patients, with 7 (87.5%) oculus dexter and 1 (12.5%) oculus sinister, and with 1 (12.5%) inferotemporally, 3 (37.5%) superonasally, 3 (37.5%) inferonasally, and 1 (12.5%) inferiorly. Fundus color photography showed an elevated lesion in seven patients and a nonelevated red lesion in one patient. In all patients, near-infrared reflectance imaging showed a hyporeflective lesion in the periphery of the retina. Fundus autofluorescence identified round hypofluorescent rings surrounding weakly hyperfluorescent lesions in all patients. On fluorescein angiography, all lesions were initially hyperfluorescent with a hypofluorescent ring, with the lesion becoming hyperfluorescent after injection of dye. Indocyanine green angiography demonstrated dilation of the vortex vein ampullae in all patients. Spectral-domain enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography demonstrated dilated choroidal vessels and a hyporeflective cavity without subretinal fluid in all patients. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography and ultra-widefield indocyanine angiography demonstrated disappearance of all retinal lesions when pressure was applied to the globe. Findings are consistent with the diagnosis of vortex vein varix in all eight patients, with six patients (75%) exhibiting a single varix and two patients (25%) exhibiting a double varix. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of vortex vein varices can be confirmed through clinical examination through the use of digital pressure to the globe during ophthalmoscopic examination. Adjunctive multimodal imaging (fundus color photography, near-infrared reflectance imaging, fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine angiography, and spectral-domain enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography) was useful in the diagnosis of vortex vein varices in the authors' clinical cases. However, in more challenging clinical cases, the authors' novel use of the ultra-widefield contact lens for application of ocular pressure with a resulting resolution of the varix proved to be a useful and easy diagnostic imaging method for confirming the presence of vortex vein varices.

Convergence, Accommodation, Fusion, and Stereopsis: What Keeps the Eyes Aligned in Intermittent Exotropia?

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships between angle of deviation, fusional convergence and divergence amplitude, AC/A ratio, near point of convergence (NPC), and myopia-phoria in intermittent exotropia (IXT). METHODS: 93 patients with IXT, divided into two groups, were recruited in the study. In Group A (73 patients), fusional convergence and divergence amplitudes, NPC, and AC/A ratio were studied and compared with a control group. In Group B (in 20 patients), myopia-phoria while switching from monocular to binocular view was studied with an infrared video retinoscopy and compared with a control group. RESULTS: In Group A, positive fusional amplitudes, NPC, and AC/A ratio of IXT patients did not differ from those of normals. Negative fusional amplitudes were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. In Group B, myopic shift was statistically significantly higher in the patient group and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between myopic shift and angle of strabismus. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from the role of fusional convergence which accounts for myopia-phoria, that of the other binocular functions in the control at near of IXT and conversely their specific role in the pathogenesis of IXT remain unclear and the cause of divergent infantile strabismus is still unknown.

Successful treatment of bilateral endogenous Fusarium solani endophthalmitis in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.

Fusarium spp. are an uncommon cause of fungaemia in immunocompromised and neutropenic patients that may hematogenously disseminate to the eyes. Herein, we describe a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and a prior history of extensive corticosteroid exposure who developed disseminated Fusarium solani infection following chemotherapy despite posaconazole prophylaxis. She was successfully treated with combination liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole, intraocular injections of voriconazole, topical amphotericin B and bilateral vitrectomy. We also review published literature describing the management of endogenous Fusarium endophthalmitis in immunocompromised hosts.

Steroid intra-trochlear injection for the treatment of acquired Brown syndrome secondary to trochleitis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of early intra-trochlear steroid injections in patients with acquired Brown syndrome secondary to trochleitis (ABSST). METHODS: Retrospective analysis from medical charts of patients diagnosed as affected by unilateral ABSST from January 2008 to June 2015, and treated according to our Institution protocol: intra-trochlear injection of 1ml of triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg/ml is performed under sterile conditions. In cases of no resolution/improvement within 1 month, further monthly injections are performed up to a maximum number of three. Non-responder patients after three injections undergo recession of the superior oblique muscle. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were diagnosed as affected by unilateral ABSST, and were included in the analysis (seven F, six M; median age at diagnosis 30.38 ± 25.56 years). The mean time interval from ABSST diagnosis to the first steroid injection was 7.84 ± 5.40 days (range 2-17). After a median number of 1.30 injections per patient, 11 patients (84.6% of the total) showed complete remission of symptoms and signs within 22.45 ± 13.85 days after the first injection. None of these responder patients referred to diplopia in primary gaze after injections. The remaining two non-responder patients after three injections underwent superior oblique muscle recession of 8.0 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Early intra-trochlear steroid injections are effective in patients with acquired Brown syndrome secondary to trochleitis, leading to a complete recovery of signs and symptoms in the majority of treated patients. Surgical treatment should be limited only to patients non-responding to serial steroid injections.

Blood derived eye drops for the treatment of cornea and ocular surface diseases.

The use of blood derived eye drops for the treatment of ocular surface disorders has become increasingly popular in recent years. The mechanism of action is the stimulation of cellular proliferation and migration by supplying an active mixture of growth factors and cytokines at the ocular surface, thus mimicking the function of the lacking natural tears. Blood derived eye drops have been used in the last decades for the treatment of a variety of ocular surface diseases, including mainly dry eye disease, persistent corneal epithelial defect, corneal ulcer, ocular surface burn, recurrent corneal erosion and limbal stem-cell deficiency. Among overall blood derived eye drops, both autologous (from the patients themselves) and homologous (from donors) products exist, with different advantages and disadvantages. Autologous serum, obtained from the patient's own peripheral blood, is the first introduced and most commonly used product. Despite several randomized clinical trials showed its safety and efficacy, a recent Cochraine meta-analysis failed to show significant results due to low evidence. Homologous sources including allogeneic serum obtained from healthy donors, and umbilical cord blood serum collected at the time of delivery, are efficient alternatives, especially when autologous serum therapy is contraindicated or not appropriate. Platelet-derived eye drops are prepared and used in various but poor standardized preparations, namely platelet-rich plasma, plasma rich in growth factors, and platelet lysate. Future perspectives of blood-derived products include the introduction of tailored eye drops, screened for the proper content of growth factors and cytokines according to each patient and ocular surface disease.