INNER MACULAR CHANGES AFTER VITRECTOMY WITH INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING FOR RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT: Similarity With Alport Syndrome.

PURPOSE: The internal limiting membrane (ILM), the innermost basement membrane of the retina, is peeled occasionally during vitreous surgery. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ILM loss on the retina. METHODS: We used optical coherence tomography to retrospectively evaluate retinal changes in 26 eyes (11 ILM-peeled and 15 ILM-unpeeled eyes) of 26 patients after vitrectomy for retinal detachment. In addition, we studied six eyes of three patients with Alport syndrome, in which ILM is genetically impaired. RESULTS: We observed significant inner retinal displacement of the foveal pit toward the optic disk with inner retinal thickening in the nasal area (fellow, 191.9 ± 24.3 µm vs. affected, 210.3 ± 31.4 µm; P = 0.048), inner retinal thinning in the temporal area (fellow, 174.3 ± 18.3 µm vs. affected, 142.2 ± 23.6 µm; P < 0.001), foveal thickening (ILM-unpeeled, 217.0 ± 39.4 µm vs. ILM-peeled, 302.0 ± 86.2 µm; P = 0.006), inner retinal dimples predominantly in the temporal area, and deviation between the foveal pit and foveal bulge. Eyes with Alport syndrome exhibited similar findings. CONCLUSION: Internal limiting membrane loss seems to cause characteristic inner retinal changes of the macula in both congenital and acquired conditions.

Comparison between 1-year outcomes of aflibercept with and without photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: Retrospective observation study.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is characterized by polyp-like choroidal neovascularization and a branching vascular network. Intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) or photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used for treatment. We retrospectively compared the 1-year outcomes of IAI monotherapy and its combination with initial PDT for PCV. Twelve eyes with naïve PCV received three IAIs and a single PDT after the first IAI and as needed injection (combination group); 11 eyes with naïve PCV received three IAIs and as needed injections (IAI group). Significant improvements in visual acuity after 2 months and in CRT after 1 month were maintained at 12 months in both groups (both P < 0.05); groups did not differ significantly at any time point. CCT significantly reduced after 3 and 12 months in the combination group (both P < 0.05) but not in the IAI group. A mean of 3.7 ± 0.9 and 5.6 ± 2.0 injections was administered to the combination and IAI groups, respectively (P = 0.013). Within a 1-year period, combination therapy was found to yield similar visual acuity and retinal structure improvements and maintenance as IAI monotherapy while requiring fewer IAIs.

Nutritional Supplementation Inhibits the Increase in Serum Malondialdehyde in Patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose. To compare serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), patients with dry AMD (dAMD), and patients without AMD and to evaluate the efficacy of nutritional supplementation for treating elevated serum MDA in patients with wAMD. Methods. MDA levels were measured in sera from 20 patients with wAMD, 20 with dAMD, and 24 without AMD. Patients with wAMD were randomized to receive or not receive nutritional supplementation (10 patients in each group), and MDA levels were measured after 3 months of treatment. Results. MDA levels in patients with wAMD were significantly greater compared with patients without AMD. In eyes with wAMD, there was a significant correlation between MDA levels and choroidal neovascularization lesion area. Serum MDA levels decreased in most patients that received supplementation and significantly increased in those who did not. Conclusion. Baseline serum MDA levels were elevated in patients with wAMD, and MDA levels were directly correlated with choroidal neovascularization lesion area. In addition, nutritional supplementation appeared to exert a protective effect against oxidative stress in patients with wAMD.