Impact of anti-VEGF treatment on development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in routine clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated impact of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment on proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) development among patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in US real-world clinical practice. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of electronic medical records (Vestrum Health; January 2013 to June 2019) of eyes with baseline NPDR, without DME, and naïve to anti-VEGF treatment at index DR diagnosis. Eyes that received anti-VEGF and/or laser treatment over the course of study before development of PDR constituted the treated cohort while the remaining including those treated with laser constituted the anti-VEGF naïve cohort. Survival analysis via Kaplan-Meier method evaluated time to DME and PDR development by baseline NPDR severity, with anti-VEGF treatment as censoring variable. Baseline factors affecting PDR development were analyzed using Cox multivariable regression, censoring for anti-VEGF treatment. RESULTS: Among anti-VEGF-naive eyes, cumulative incidence of DME in eyes with mild (n = 70,050), moderate (n = 39,116), and severe NPDR (n = 10,692) at baseline was 27.1%, 51.2%, and 60.6%. Multivariable regression analysis identified baseline NPDR severity as the most significant predictor of PDR development over 48 months (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval {CI}] of 2.69 (2.65-2.72) for moderate vs mild NPDR and 6.51 (6.47-6.55) for severe vs mild NPDR). Cumulative incidence (95% CI) of PDR was 7.9% (7.4%-8.3%), 20.9%, (20.0%-21.7%) and 46.8% (44.4%-49.2%) over 48 months in eyes with mild, moderate, and severe NPDR at baseline, respectively. Among treated eyes with baseline severe NPDR, cumulative incidence of PDR at 48 months was 50.1% in eyes treated with laser (n = 546; HR [95% CI] vs no treatment: 0.8 [0.7-1.0]), 27.4% in eyes treated with anti-VEGF (n = 923; HR [95% CI]: 0.4 [0.4-0.5]), and 25.6% in eyes treated with anti-VEGF plus laser (n = 293; HR [95% CI]: 0.5 [0.4-0.7]) compared with 49.9% in eyes with no treatment (n = 8930). CONCLUSIONS: DME and PDR development rates increased with increasing baseline NPDR severity. Approximately half of anti-VEGF‒naive eyes with severe NPDR progressed to PDR within 4 years in US clinical practice. The progression rate from severe NPDR to PDR was approximately halved with anti-VEGF versus no treatment.

Simulation of long-term impact of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy on patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE: A simulation model was constructed to assess long-term outcomes of proactively treating severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy versus delaying treatment until PDR develops. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Simulated patients were generated using a retrospective real-world cohort of treatment-naive patients identified in an electronic medical records database (IBM Explorys) between 2011 and 2017. Impact of anti-VEGF treatment was derived from clinical trial data for intravitreal aflibercept (PANORAMA) and ranibizumab (RISE/RIDE), averaged by weighted US market share. Real-world risk of PDR progression was modelled using Cox multivariable regression. The Monte Carlo simulation model examined rates of progression to PDR and sustained blindness (visual acuity <20/200) for 2 million patients scaled to US NPDR disease prevalence. Simulated progression rates from severe NPDR to PDR over 5 years and blindness rates over 10 years were compared for delayed versus early-treatment patients. RESULTS: Real-world data from 77 454 patients with mild-to-severe NPDR simulated 2 million NPDR patients, of which 86 680 had severe NPDR. Early treatment of severe NPDR with anti-VEGF therapy led to a 51.7% relative risk reduction in PDR events over 5 years (15 704 early vs 32 488 delayed), with a 19.4% absolute risk reduction (18.1% vs 37.5%). Sustained blindness rates at 10 years were 4.4% for delayed and 1.9% for early treatment of severe NPDR. CONCLUSION: The model suggests treating severe NPDR early with anti-VEGF therapy, rather than delaying treatment until PDR develops, could significantly reduce PDR incidence over 5 years and sustained blindness over 10 years.

Factors associated with diabetic macular edema in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with diabetic macular edema (DME) and to characterize the types of DME present in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: Observational, retrospective case series of PDR patients reviewed for demographic information, general medical history, ophthalmologic history, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiogram image characteristics. DME and vitreomacular interface (VMI) status were determined using OCT images. DME was defined as center-involving DME (CI-DME) and noncenter-involving DME (NCI-DME). VMI was defined as vitreomacular adhesion (VMA), vitreomacular traction (VMT), or macular posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). RESULTS: A total of 293 eyes of 210 screened patients with PDR were included. Of the eyes, 194/293 (66.2%) had DME, and 99/293 (33.8%) had no DME; in univariable analysis, there were no significant differences in VMI status (p = 0.4) or epiretinal membrane (ERM, p = 0.1) between them. Of 194 eyes with DME, 90/194 (46.4%) had CI-DME, and 104/194 (53.6%) had NCI-DME. In univariable analysis, CI-DME eyes were significantly more likely than NCI-DME eyes to have a PVD (p = 0.029) and ERM (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the presence of younger age (p = 0.028) and presence of ERM (p = 0.001) were significantly more likely to be observed in eyes with CI-DME. CONCLUSION: In this exploratory study focused on diabetic patients with PDR, we determined that VMI status did not have a significant association with DME in general, but VMI status, younger age, and presence of ERM may be associated with CI-DME.

Capillary density and caliber as assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography may be significant predictors of diabetic retinopathy severity.

PURPOSE: To validate retinal capillary density and caliber associations with diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity in different clinical settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed retinal capillary density and caliber in the superficial retinal layer of 3-mm OCTA scans centered on the fovea. Images were collected from non-diabetic controls and subjects with mild or referable DR (defined DR worse than mild DR) between February 2016 and December 2019 at secondary and tertiary eye care centers. Vessel Skeleton Density (VSD), a measure of capillary density, and Vessel Diameter Index (VDI), a measure of vascular caliber, were calculated from these images. Discriminatory performance of VSD and VDI was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models predicting DR severity with adjustments for sex, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Area under the curve (AUC) was estimated. Model performance was evaluated in two different cohorts. RESULTS: This study included 594 eyes from 385 subjects. Cohort 1 was a training cohort of 509 eyes including 159 control, 155 mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and 195 referable DR eyes. Cohort 2 was a validation cohort consisting of 85 eyes including 16 mild NPDR and 69 referable DR eyes. In Cohort 1, addition of VSD and VDI to a model using only demographic data significantly improved the model's AUC for discrimination of eyes with any DR severity from controls (0.91 [95% CI, 0.88-0.93] versus 0.80 [95% CI, 0.76-0.83], p < 0.001) and eyes with referable DR from mild NPDR (0.90 [95% CI, 0.86-0.93] versus 0.69 [95% CI, 0.64-0.75], p < 0.001). The transportability of this regression model was excellent when implemented in Cohort 2 for the referable DR versus mild NPDR comparison. The odds ratio of having any DR compared to control subjects, and referable DR compared to mild DR decreased by 15% (95% CI: 12-18%), and 13% (95% CI: 10-15%), respectively, for every 0.001 unit increase in VSD after adjusting for comorbidities. CONCLUSION: OCTA-derived capillary density has real world clinical value for rapidly assessing DR severity.

Increasing Incidence and Prevalence of Common Retinal Diseases in Retina Practices Across the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To provide an updated estimate of incidence and prevalence of the foremost retinal diseases in the U.S. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of the Vestrum Health Database evaluating eyes with diagnoses of wet or dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR), branch or central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO; CRVO) from January 2014 to December 2019 across 58 retina practices. RESULTS: Of the 3,086,791 eyes examined, 490,881 (15.9%) had dry AMD, 294,041 (9.5%) wet AMD, 270,703 (8.8%) DME, 254,690 (8.3%) DR without DME, 73,617 (2.4%) BRVO, and 50,670 (1.6%) CRVO. Dry AMD had the highest incidence. These diseases comprised 61.0% of total prevalence and 54.3% of incidence among patients at the retina practices analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a diverse database, these diseases comprised the majority of U.S. retina practice cases, with increasing annual incidences. AMD is the most common diagnosis, then diabetic eye disease. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:29-36.].

FAILED LASER RETINOPEXY IN A PATIENT UNDERGOING PAZOPANIB THERAPY.

PURPOSE: To report a case of failed endolaser retinopexy in patient taking pazopanib and possible association with impaired retinal remodeling. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 68-year-old man with a history of radiation-induced high-grade metastatic mediastinal leiomyosarcoma, on pazopanib 600 mg daily, presented with a superior retinal tear 2 months after initiating pazopanib. The patient was treated with pars plana vitrectomy and endolaser retinopexy without any immediate complications. One month postoperatively, the patient was found to have a new superior macula-sparing rhegmatogenous retinal detachment extending through the laser barricade nasally. A large proportion of the laser lesions in this area had notably remained chalk-white. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy with scleral buckling, and repeat endolaser retinopexy. Pazopanib therapy was stopped 1 week later in consultation with the oncology team and was reinitiated after the retina seemed stable under silicone oil for several weeks. The scars from the patient's repeat endolaser retinopexy remained pale white at his clinic visit 2 months after the procedure, and at that time, his initial laser scars had only just begun to darken with pigment. Four and a half months after the initial vitrectomy and endolaser retinopexy, and three and a half months after his repeat vitrectomy and endolaser retinopexy, all the patient's laser scars have developed increased pigment, and his retina remains completely flat under silicone oil tamponade. CONCLUSION: Pazopanib may have had an adverse effect on retinal wound healing after vitrectomy with endolaser retinopexy, leading to persistence of pale laser lesions many weeks after laser application. It is possible that this may have impaired the typical development of chorioretinal laser scar formation and led to subsequent retinal detachment.

Visual Acuity Outcomes in Patients Receiving Frequent Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Clinical Practice.

Purpose: This work evaluates dosing frequency with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents over 2 years and visual acuity (VA) outcomes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: This retrospective analysis assesses electronic medical record data (Vestrum Health treatment and outcomes database) of newly diagnosed nAMD in patients who were initiated on intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment at US clinical sites. Eyes were divided into 2 injection frequency subcohorts (≤ 6 or > 6 injections/y); treatment frequency and change in mean VA (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) were evaluated. Results: Overall, 8127 of 213 824 eyes met inclusion criteria in year 1 and 4968 in year 2. During year 1, 77% of the eyes received more than 6 injections (n = 6287), the majority of which received injections at the same frequency during year 2. Mean VA gain from baseline at year 1 was lower in the ≤ 6 than > 6 injections/y subcohort (2.2 vs 6.5, P < .001). Decrease in mean VA from the end of year 1 to year 2 was significantly greater for eyes administered 6 or fewer injections in year 2 than those that received more frequent injections, irrespective of the frequency of injections in the first year. Conclusions: In routine clinical practice, most eyes with nAMD that completed at least 1 year of follow-up were treated with more than 6 injections of anti-VEGF agents during the first year of treatment, resulting in better VA gains than eyes treated less frequently during the same period.

Evaluation of Patients Receiving Intravitreal Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor for Diabetic Macular Edema in Clinical Practice in the United States.

Purpose: We assessed the effect of treatment frequency with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents on visual acuity (VA) in diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: This retrospective analysis assessed electronic medical records of eyes newly diagnosed with DME and treated with an anti-VEGF agent at US clinics using the Vestrum Health (Naperville, Illinois) treatment and outcomes database. Eyes were divided into 2 injection frequency subcohorts (≤ 6 vs > 6 injections/y); treatment frequency and change in mean VA (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) were evaluated. Results: Among 155 240 eyes assessed, 3028 met inclusion criteria for analysis in year 1 and 1292 in year 2. During year 1 of treatment, 57% (n = 1725) received > 6 injections; most continued to receive the same injection frequency during year 2. Mean VA gain from baseline at year 1 was lower in the ≤ 6 than in the > 6 injections/year subcohort (3.7 vs 8.0 letters, respectively; P < .001). Mean VA change from the end of year 1 to year 2 for eyes receiving ≤ 6 injections in year 1 generally remained unchanged, irrespective of year 2 dosing frequency. In eyes that received > 6 injections in year 1, mean VA loss was significantly greater for eyes receiving less-frequent dosing in year 2 than in those maintained on > 6 injections. Conclusions: More than 50% of eyes with DME in routine clinical practice that completed at least 1 year of follow-up received > 6 injections of an anti-VEGF agent during the first year, resulting in better VA gains than eyes treated less frequently.

Social Cost of Blindness Due to AMD and Diabetic Retinopathy in the United States in 2020.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To estimate the social cost of blindness due to wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in the United States in 2020. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Excess costs that occur because of blindness were estimated as the difference in costs in blind versus non-blind individuals. Per-patient costs were aggregated using the number of cases of blindness due to wAMD, DME, and PDR projected in 2020. RESULTS: Associated annual excess direct costs, indirect costs, and quality-adjusted life year loss per blind individual were $4,944, $54,614, and 0.214, respectively. Combining estimates with 246,423 projected cases of blindness due to wAMD, DME, and PDR translated to total societal costs of $20 billion in 2020, estimated to triple by 2050. CONCLUSION: Excess social costs associated with blindness in individuals with wAMD, DME, and PDR are substantial, with more than half of the burden attributed to indirect costs. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:S6-S14.].

Outcomes in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Requiring Cataract Surgery in VISTA and VIVID Studies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of cataract surgery on visual and anatomic outcomes in patients with diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) or laser control and who did not require rescue therapy. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of 2 phase 3 trials, Study of Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (VISTA) and Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in Vision Impairment Due to DME (VIVID). PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-four patients (laser treatment, n = 11; IAI, n = 43) who underwent cataract surgery during the study period. METHODS: In VISTA and VIVID, patients received IAI 2 mg every 4 weeks, IAI 2 mg every 8 weeks after 5 monthly doses, or laser control through week 100. Starting at week 24, if rescue treatment criteria were met, IAI patients received laser therapy, and laser therapy patients received IAI 2 mg every 8 weeks (after 5 monthly doses). Patients who received rescue treatment before cataract surgery were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in the laser control and pooled IAI groups before and after cataract surgery. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of cataract surgery did not depend on treatment group assignment (rate ratio, = 1.517; 95% confidence interval, 0.782-2.944; P = 0.2174). At the last study visit before surgery, BCVA was 62.2 and 56.9 letters and CRT was 342 µm and 301 µm in the laser control and IAI groups, respectively. At the first study visit after cataract surgery, BCVA was improved significantly in both the laser control and IAI groups to 73.5 letters (P = 0.010 compared with last visit before surgery) and 67.2 letters (P < 0.001 compared with last visit before surgery), respectively. Corresponding change in CRT was a modest increase to 364 µm (P > 0.05 compared with last visit before surgery) and 359 µm (P = 0.013 compared with last visit before surgery), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of cataract surgery was similar in both treatment groups. Despite a modest worsening in CRT after cataract surgery, BCVA was improved in both treatment groups.

Elimination of a False-Negative Result With the M-CHARTS Metamorphopsia Assessment Tool Achieved Through Sampling Oblique Axes.

Standard implementation of the M-CHARTS metamorphopsia tool presents patients with only vertical and horizontal lines, potentially overlooking distortions not occurring within those precise meridians. The authors propose rotating the M-CHARTS testing booklet about the central fixation point until maximal distortion is perceived, after which sequential M-CHARTS testing can take place along that same axis. In a symptomatic patient with residual parafoveal fluid cysts after release of vitreomacular traction, M-CHARTS testing yielded standard testing scores of 0 (false-negative); upon rotating the reference test line, a score of 0.3 was measured at the 30° meridian. The authors believe this modification of the original methodology is more sensitive and more accurately reflects the severity of a patient's distortions. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:734-736.].

Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle Injuries to the Eye and Ocular Adnexa: The Management of Complex Trauma.

PURPOSE: To report the ocular and adnexal injuries sustained by patients with Thomas A. Swift's electric rifles (TASER; TASER International, Scottsdale, AZ), review the literature, and discuss the management of this complex trauma. DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective case series and literature review. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen eyes of 16 patients (5 eyes of 5 patients treated at 3 institutions, and 12 eyes of 11 previously reported cases). METHODS: The clinical data of 17 eyes were pooled. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the association between the extent of TASER injury and patient outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Extent of TASER injury (zone of injury, penetrating vs. perforating) and association with patient outcomes (visual acuity [VA] and retinal detachment [RD]). RESULTS: In our cohort, 4 patients were transported by law enforcement and 1 was transferred from a community hospital. Four patients were taken to the operating room for TASER removal and globe repair; 1 patient underwent removal in the emergency room. Of 17 pooled cases, 12 (71%) involved open-globe injury. Of these, there was a high rate of zone 3 injuries (100%; n = 12) and a high incidence of RD (73%; 8 of 11, eviscerated eye excluded). Among patients with closed-globe injury (n = 5), 1 patient demonstrated exudative RD and 1 patient demonstrated retinal dialysis with RD. Of 10 patients with RD, 1 (10%) achieved resolution with monitoring (exudative RD); 1 (10%) underwent cryopexy and pneumatic retinopexy; 3 (30%) underwent vitrectomy, and 5 (50%) with poor prognosis did not undergo vitreoretinal surgery. In the 3 patients who underwent vitrectomy, all 3 (100%) demonstrated redetachment resulting from proliferative vitreoretinopathy and required additional surgery. Visual acuity on presentation was significantly correlated with final VA (ρ = 0.783; P = 0.02). Men (94%) were more likely than women (6%) to sustain TASER trauma. Median age was 26 years. There was a 50% rate of loss to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Thomas A. Swift's electric rifle injuries to the eyes or ocular adnexa represent complex trauma. Zone 3 injuries are common. The visual prognosis is guarded, and eyes may require multiple surgeries to preserve vision. Patients are at high risk for loss to follow-up by way of incarceration.

LONG-TERM VISUAL OUTCOMES AND CLINICAL FEATURES AFTER ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR INJECTION-RELATED ENDOPHTHALMITIS.

PURPOSE: To determine long-term visual outcomes in patients who developed endophthalmitis after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections and to correlate visual outcomes with clinical features. METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter, consecutive case series of patients diagnosed with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection-related endophthalmitis who were treated at Mid Atlantic Retina, the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, and the University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA. Patients were included if they had at least 1 year of follow-up. Primary outcome was to evaluate long-term visual outcomes up to 5 years of follow-up. The secondary outcome was to determine clinical features (e.g., culture results) that may predict long-term visual acuity outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 56 cases of endophthalmitis from 168,247 anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections were identified (0.033%, 1/3,004 injections), from which 51 eyes met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up period was 3.3 years (median 4 years; range 1-5 years). A total of 24 patients (47%) reached a maximum final follow-up of 5 years. Mean Snellen visual acuity at the causative injection visit was 20/102 and decreased to counting fingers at diagnosis (P < 0.001). At 6-month follow-up, mean visual acuity improved to 20/644 (P < 0.001) and remained stable up to 5 years (20/480, P = 0.003) follow-up compared with diagnosis. At the final follow-up, 20 eyes had visual acuity that returned to within one line of baseline visual acuity (visual recovery group), whereas 31 patients' visual acuity was at least one line worse than initial visual acuity (visual deterioration group). The cultures for the visual recovery group were more likely to grow coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, whereas the visual deterioration group primarily grew Streptococcus species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis (P = 0.002, comparing organisms isolated in the visual recovery and deterioration group). CONCLUSION: Visual outcomes after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection-related endophthalmitis seem to reach peak improvement by 6 months and remain stable up to a median of 4-year follow-up. Patients who develop culture-negative endophthalmitis or endophthalmitis secondary to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus are more likely to regain baseline visual acuity compared with cases secondary to Streptococcus species.

Digital Nullification of Visual Distortion to Quantify Metamorphopsia: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a novel digital method of metamorphopsia quantification in patients with symptomatic visual distortion as determined by M-CHARTS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this institutional review board-approved, prospective, cross-sectional observational study, subjects were presented with an objectively straight dotted line that bisects a central fixation point. The subjects digitally altered the line's contour until it appeared straight. Calculation of the area between the original objectively straight line presented to the subject and their newly manipulated line was performed to determine the manipulated area under the curve (M-AUC). RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of test targets were fully or significantly straightened by affected subjects. M-AUC was significantly correlated with M-CHARTS scores in both the horizontal (P < .001) and vertical (P = .05) orientations. CONCLUSIONS: The deformation of an objectively straight line by a subject with metamorphopsia may be a viable way of both quantifying and spatially characterizing visual distortions. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:11-20.].

Outer Retinal Defects Represent a Normal Recovery Pathway Following Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling in Macular Hole Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To examine perioperative factors associated with the development of outer retinal defects (ORDs) following surgical repair of macular holes (MHs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: An institutional review board-approved, retrospective, interventional cohort study was conducted. Patients who underwent MH repair during a 5-year period were identified. Statistical analysis was conducted to detect significant perioperative associations to ORD development. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four eyes were included, and 54% developed an ORD following surgery. These defects correlated with lower preoperative stage (P = .0057), preoperative phakia (P = .036), and lack of prior macular surgery (P = .0016). Patients in the ORD group had significantly better preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (P = .031 and P = .0004, respectively), but there was no difference in change in acuity from preoperatively to 3 months postoperatively when compared with control patients (P = 42). The majority (89%) of ORDs resolved by 24 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The development of ORDs appears to be correlated with several factors indicative of favorable overall eye health and less advanced pathology and may represent a normal state of recovery after MH repair with internal limiting membrane peeling. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:e1-e8.].

A novel classification of high myopia into anterior and posterior pathologic subtypes.

PURPOSE: High myopia and pathologic myopia are common causes of visual morbidity. Myopic pathology can affect all regions of the retina, though there is currently no classification system to distinguish anterior (peripheral) and posterior (macular) pathology. We hypothesize that these classifications are characterized by distinct demographic and refractive features, highlighting the disparity in types of pathologic myopia. METHODS: Institutional retrospective cohort study. The Stanford University Medical Center Clinical Data Warehouse was used to identify patients with high myopia by ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. Predetermined ICD diagnoses were then used to classify patients with high myopia into isolated high myopia (IHM), anterior pathologic myopia (APM), posterior pathologic myopia (PPM), and combined pathologic myopia (CPM). A cohort of this population was then manually reviewed to gather refractive data and confirm accuracy of ICD coding. RESULTS: Patients (3274) were identified with high myopia. Overall, 22.1% individuals met criteria for APM, 10.7% for PPM, 17.0% for CPM, and 50.2% for IHM. We identified a significantly higher frequency of females with PPM compared to APM (62.3 vs. 48.3%; OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.34 to 2.25), Asian patients with PPM as compared to APM (42.9 vs. 33.3%; OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.95), and younger patients with APM compared to PPM (median 45.3 vs. 63.4 years). The refractive error was significantly more myopic in the CPM (median - 9.8D; interquartile range, IQR 6.7) and PPM (median - 10.5D; IQR 9.8) subgroups as compared to the APM (median - 8.1D; IQR 3.5), and IHM (median - 8.2D; IQR 4.1) subgroups (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: High myopia may be divided into four distinct subgroups based on presence and location of pathology, which is associated with differences in age, gender, race, and refractive error.

Ocular Tolerance of Contemporary Electronic Display Devices.

Electronic displays have become an integral part of life in the developed world since the revolution of mobile computing a decade ago. With the release of multiple consumer-grade virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) products in the past 2 years utilizing head-mounted displays (HMDs), as well as the development of low-cost, smartphone-based HMDs, the ability to intimately interact with electronic screens is greater than ever. VR/AR HMDs also place the display at much closer ocular proximity than traditional electronic devices while also isolating the user from the ambient environment to create a "closed" system between the user's eyes and the display. Whether the increased interaction with these devices places the user's retina at higher risk of damage is currently unclear. Herein, the authors review the discovery of photochemical damage of the retina from visible light as well as summarize relevant clinical and preclinical data regarding the influence of modern display devices on retinal health. Multiple preclinical studies have been performed with modern light-emitting diode technology demonstrating damage to the retina at modest exposure levels, particularly from blue-light wavelengths. Unfortunately, high-quality in-human studies are lacking, and the small clinical investigations performed to date have failed to keep pace with the rapid evolutions in display technology. Clinical investigations assessing the effect of HMDs on human retinal function are also yet to be performed. From the available data, modern consumer electronic displays do not appear to pose any acute risk to vision with average use; however, future studies with well-defined clinical outcomes and illuminance metrics are needed to better understand the long-term risks of cumulative exposure to electronic displays in general and with "closed" VR/AR HMDs in particular. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:346-354.].

Impact of Cataract Surgery during Treatment with Ranibizumab in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema.

PURPOSE: To determine how best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was affected by cataract surgery in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) who were treated with ranibizumab during the RIDE/RISE phase III trials. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of data from RIDE and RISE, 2 phase III, parallel, randomized, multicenter, double-masked trials (clinicaltrials.gov identifiers, NCT00473382 and NCT00473330). PARTICIPANTS: Patients with DME (N = 759) who were randomized 1:1:1 to monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.3 mg or 0.5 mg, or sham injections for 24 months. METHODS: Patient records in the electronic RIDE/RISE study database were examined for cataract surgeries using the terms "cataract extraction," "cataract removal," "cataract surgery," "lens implant," and "lensectomy." The last study visit immediately before cataract surgery served as the redefined baseline to examine subsequent BCVA changes. The t test was performed to compare times to cataract surgery for the sham and pooled ranibizumab groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean change in BCVA from redefined baseline to 1, 2, and 3 months (±15 days) after surgery. RESULTS: Among study eyes that underwent cataract surgery, mean BCVA at original study baseline was 54.6 letters in the pooled ranibizumab arms and 56.6 letters in the sham arm (approximate Snellen equivalent 20/80). At the redefined presurgery baseline, mean BCVA was 54.2 letters for the pooled ranibizumab group and 46.6 letters for the sham-treated study eyes. Compared with the redefined baseline, at 1 month after surgery, mean BCVA changes were +10.6 letters for ranibizumab-treated patients and +10.3 letters for sham-treated patients. Compared with the original baseline, at 1 month after surgery, on average, ranibizumab-treated study eyes experienced mean BCVA improvement (+11.3 letters), whereas sham-treated eyes (-0.5 letters) and fellow eyes (+1.8 and +1.7 letters for ranibizumab and sham, respectively) had a mean BCVA similar to the original baseline. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing ranibizumab treatment for DME and who had cataract surgery, an average of 2 lines of vision were gained from the last visit before surgery to 1 month after surgery.

The Epidemiology of Retinopathy of Prematurity in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in premature and low birth weight infants. Here, the authors examine the incidence of ROP in the United States and evaluate risk factors associated with ROP development. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The National Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database was queried for all newborns with and without ROP. Adjusted odds ratios were constructed for predictors of ROP using multivariate logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: The incidence of ROP increased from 14.70% in 2000 to 19.88% in 2012. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that female gender, birth weight, and gestational age predicted ROP. The frequency of ROP was 2.40% in newborns weighing more than 2,500 grams (g) and 30.22% in newborns with a birth weight between 750 g and 999 g. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' report examines a nationwide cohort of ROP infants and reveals an increase in the incidence of ROP from 2000 to 2012. This trend is inversely related to a simultaneous decline in newborn mortality. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2017;48:553-562.].