Potential Role of Bilirubin in Preventing Retinopathy of Prematurity.

BACKGROUND: One of the most common problems in preterm neonates is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It has been shown antioxidants may be effective in preventing the development and progression of ROP. Considering the antioxidant properties of bilirubin, we decided to investigate the bilirubin level in neonates with ROP and compare it with healthy neonates. METHODS: This case-control study was performed on VLBW neonates admitted to the NICU of Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad between 2014 and 2020 for a Jaundice evaluation. Complete neonate's characteristics, maternal history and laboratory results were collected in a questionnaire. Then the neonates were examined for ROP by a fellowship of the retina of an ophthalmologist at 32 weeks or four weeks after birth. The highest bilirubin levels during their hospitalization were also recorded. RESULTS: Of 427 neonates examined, 121 (37.7%) had a normal eye examination, and 266 (62.3%) had ROP. The mean weight, gestational age and bilirubin were 1455.8 ± 431.4 grams, 31.6 ± 2.3 weeks and 8.8 ± 2.4 mg/dl, respectively. There was a significant difference between controls and neonates with ROP with regard to birth weight, duration of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV), duration of oxygen therapy, first and fifth minute Apgar scores, the maximum level of bilirubin and gestational age (P < 0.05). It was observed that the maximum level of bilirubin was lower in neonates with higher stages of ROP. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, higher levels of bilirubin in neonates may be a protective factor against ROP. Moreover, increased levels of bilirubin are associated with reduced severity of ROP. Therefore, prophylaxis phototherapy in premature infants may need to be reconsidered.

Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy and Central Retinal Venous Occlusion following Electrical Injury.

Purpose: To report a case of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) following electric shock injury. Case Description. A 45-year-old male presented with a significant painless decreased vision in the right eye following an electrical injury of the right hand in his workplace. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the right eye was 20/40. Funduscopic examination of the right eye revealed diffuse superficial and deep intraretinal hemorrhages, mild venous tortuosity, and an area of the pale retina. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated hyperreflective band-like lesions in the middle retinal layers. Patchy areas of vascular flow void in deep capillary plexus seen in OCT angiography of the right eye were compatible with PAMM. Fluorescein angiography of the right eye was indicative of delayed venous filling suggestive of CRVO. The left eye was completely normal on exam and imaging. Conclusion: This report illustrates the occurrence of CRVO associated with PAMM following electric shock injury. Electrical injury leads to a wide range of retinal manifestations. Clinicians need to pay attention to any hyperreflectivity and thinning of middle retinal layers in OCT in cases with the presentation of sudden visual loss following electrical injuries.

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion after Rhinoplasty Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Aim: This study was aimed at reporting a case of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) after rhinoplasty. Case Report. Unilateral blindness occurred in a 22-year-old woman after rhinoplasty with a history of transient visual loss due to migraine aura and vasospasm. The physical examination of the patient revealed a visual acuity of no light perception in the right eye, a 4+ relative afferent pupillary defect, disc swelling, cherry-red spot in the macula, and ischemic retina in the right eye. Based on the diagnosis of CRAO, the patient underwent anterior chamber paracentesis (AC tap) along with treatment with mannitol and intravenous hydrocortisone. Visual acuity improved to 1/10 after a two-month follow-up. Conclusion: Taking history is very important in rhinoplasty surgery, and vasoconstrictors should be limited in the patients with a suspected history of vasospasm.

Optical coherence tomography angiography analysis of the retina in patients recovered from COVID-19: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the density of the macular microvasculature and the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) analysis. METHODS: In a comparative cross-sectional, observational study, patients recovered from COVID-19 were included in this study. All included subjects exhibited a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Spectral domain macular OCTA was performed at least 2 weeks after recovery from systemic COVID-19. Vessel density (VD) of the superficial (SCP) and deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) and the area of the FAZ were measured in COVID-19 recovered patients versus age-matched normal controls. RESULTS: Thirty-one recovered COVID-19 patients and 23 healthy normal controls were studied. Mean quality scan index was 7.64 ± 0.66 in the COVID cases and 8.34 ± 0.71 in the normal controls (p = 0.001). Mean SCP VD and DCP VD of the COVID cohort were significantly lower than the SCP VD and DCP VD of the control group in the foveal and parafoveal regions. FAZ area was greater in the COVID cohort, but this difference was not statistically significant. In addition, in the COVID cohort, VD of the SCP was lower in patients with a history of COVID-19 hospitalization versus those without such a history, but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Patients recovered from COVID-19 displayed alterations in the retinal microvasculature, including a significantly lower VD in the SCP and DCP. Patients with coronavirus infection may be at risk of retinal vascular complications.

Bilateral cytomegalovirus retinitis in a healthy infant.

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in an otherwise healthy infant. METHODS: A four-month-old, healthy, male infant was evaluated for visual inattention. RESULTS: This full-term infant with a normal birth weight and an uneventful gestational period was referred with symptoms of visual inattention, fever, and agitation one week prior to admission. Ocular involvements were detected in the form of bilateral pan uveitis with diffuse bilateral retinitis and vasculitis with hemorrhage in the peripheral retina and posterior pole. CMV DNA was detected in the patient's ocular sample and cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). He was treated with intravitreal and systemic ganciclovir. Unfortunately, the infant died because of CMV encephalitis. Therefore, bilateral CMV retinitis (CMVR), which was probably transmitted from the mother, was diagnosed in this immunocompetent infant. CONCLUSIONS: The present case highlights the possibility of CMVR in immunocompetent infant associated with systemic CMV infection, even during the postnatal period. Therefore, a high index of clinical suspicion and prompt treatment may be life-saving in similar cases.

A comparative study of the usefulness of color vision, photostress recovery time, and visual evoked potential tests in early detection of ocular toxicity from hydroxychloroquine.

Ocular toxicity from hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is rare, but its potential permanence and severity makes it imperative to employ measures and screening protocols to minimize its occurrence. This study was performed to assess the usefulness of color vision, photo stress recovery time (PSRT), and visual evoked potentials (VEP) in early detection of ocular toxicity of HCQ, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). 86 patients were included in the study and divided into three groups: (1) with history of HCQ use: interventional 1 (Int.1) without fundoscopic changes and Int.2 with fundoscopic changes; and (2) without history of HCQ use, as control. Visual field, color vision, PSRT and VEP results were recorded for all patients and the effect of age, disease duration, treatment duration and cumulative dose of HCQ on each test was assessed in each group. There was a significant relationship among PSRT and age, treatment duration, cumulative dose of HCQ and disease duration (P<0.001 for all). Color vision was normal in all the cases. P100 amplitude was not different between the three groups (P=0.846), but P100 latency was significantly different (P=0.025) and for Int.2 it was greater than the others. The percentage of abnormal visual fields for Int.2 was more than Int.1 and control groups (P=0.002 and P=0.005 respectively), but Int.1 and control groups were not significantly different (P>0.50). In the early stages of maculopathy, P100 latencies of VEP and PSRT are useful predictors of HCQ ocular toxicity. In patients without ocular symptoms and fundoscopic changes, the P100 latency of VEP predicts more precisely than the others.

Three-Dimensional OCT Features of Perfluorocarbon Liquid Trapped Under the Fovea.

Two patients with perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) trapped under the fovea after vitreoretinal surgery for repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were reported. PFCL was used to flatten the retina intraoperatively. Postoperatively, a bubble of PFCL was trapped under the fovea and was removed surgically in both patients. Three-dimensional and orthogonal optical coherence tomography (OCT) features in both cases are reported. Three-dimensional OCT features in our two cases were retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) pigment disorganization, disruption of both external limiting membrane backreflection line and reflectivity of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction, and hyperreflectivity at the base of the PFCL bubble corresponding to the zone of interface of PFCL and damaged RPE. Trapped subfoveal PFCL should be removed surgically as soon as possible to prevent structural retinal damage. Spectral domain OCT is a useful tool to demonstrate subclinical structural damage of the neurosensory retina and RPE.

High seroprotection rate induced by intradermal administration of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in young healthy adults: comparison with standard intramuscular vaccination.

Intradermal (ID) vaccination has been proposed as a cost-saving alternative for administration of Hepatitis B (HB) vaccine to implement of mass vaccination of high-risk groups, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, the effectiveness of ID vaccination needs to be evaluated and verified in different ethnic backgrounds. The present study is a randomized trail using a recombinant vaccine (Heberbiovac) to compare immunogenecity and safety of an intradermal low-dose (4 microg) with standard dose (20 microg) of intramuscular (IM) vaccination in healthy Iranian population. Participants were 143 healthy Iranian medical and nursing students randomly allocated to ID or IM vaccination group. The vaccine was inoculated at 0, 1 and 6 months intervals. Serum samples were collected 1 month after the last vaccination and the anti-HBs response was determined using ELISA. The overall seroprotection rate (anti-HBs level > or = 10 IU/L) was 97.3% for ID vaccination group, which was not different from that of IM vaccination group (98.55%) (p = 0.99). Similarly, geometric mean titers (GMT) of anti-HBs were not significantly different between ID (1164.1 IU/L) and IM (1071.8 IU/L) vaccination groups (p = 0.4). There was no significant difference in seroprotection rate and GMT of anti-HBs between sexes. Although induration and hyperpigmentation at the site of injection were more frequently observed in ID vaccination group, no other clinically adverse effects were observed in both vaccination groups. We conclude that the ID route, which would require one-fifth of the standard dose, would be suitable for use in certain groups such as high-risk adults when the cost of vaccine is the inhibiting factor for mass vaccination.