Acute Uveitis Following AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccination.

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral acute uveitis following the first and subsequent doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination. METHOD: A case report. RESULTS: A 74-year-old Caucasian woman was presented with a one-day history of blurred vision, pain, photophobia, and redness in both eyes after receiving her first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Clinical evaluation confirmed bilateral anterior and intermediate uveitis six days later. Targeted diagnostic testing excluded infectious or autoimmune etiologies. After treatment with topical and oral corticosteroids, the patient had a resolution of symptoms with the recovery of visual function within seven weeks. Subsequently, she developed a recurrence of uveitis following the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which required similar treatment, with slower tapering of corticosteroids over ten weeks. The patient had a full visual recovery. CONCLUSION: Our case highlights the possibility of uveitis as an ocular complication of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination.

Emerging Antibiotic Resistance Patterns Affect Visual Outcome Treating Acute Endophthalmitis.

Background: Examining the effect of antibiotic resistance, use of intravitreal antibiotics and systemic corticosteroids on visual outcome of eyes with acute endophthalmitis. Methods: We included 226 eyes with acute endophthalmitis, treated using a standardized protocol. Visual outcome up to 12 months was assessed related to biopsy results, antibiotics resistance and treatment regimens. Results: Vitreous biopsies were more likely to be culture-positive (41.1%) than anterior chamber biopsies (21.6%, p < 0.0001). Antibiotic resistance for amikacin was found in 19 eyes (24.7%), vancomycin in 29 eyes (31.5%) and moxiflocacin in 14 eyes (16.1%). At presentation 91.53% of eyes had BCVA < 20/40, reducing by 1 month to 69.94% (p < 0.0001) and remaining stable at 12 months. There was no difference in visual outcome for those receiving early systemic corticosteroids. Endophthalmitis following cataract surgery (OR 1.66, 1.04−2.66 95% CI, p = 0.03) and receiving intravitreal vancomycin (OR 3.15, 1.18−8.42 95% CI, p = 0.02) were associated with a greater chance of final BCVA ≥ 20/40. Conclusion: Using vitreous taps with intravitreal antibiotics, despite an increase in resistance to both vancomycin and moxifloxacin, results in a final BCVA > 20/200 in half of eyes and ≥20/40 in a third. Early treatment with intravitreal antibiotics should not be delayed.

Intravitreal dexamethasone implant use as first-line therapy for cancer-associated retinopathy.

We present a 65-year-old female smoker who presented with acute bilateral blurred vision. Investigations led to an endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration resulting in an early diagnosis of limited stage small cell lung cancer. Positive recoverin antibodies supported the diagnosis of cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR). CAR was the first manifestation of systemic malignancy in our patient and early diagnosis enabled curative intent systemic treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Ocular-specific treatment is required in CAR, although no standardised treatment exists. Current treatment options include steroids and immunosuppressive agents. Our patient was administered bilateral intravitreal dexamethasone implants, resulting in significant visual field and electroretinogram improvement at 8 weeks post-intervention. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported successful use of intravitreal dexamethasone implants as first-line therapy, in conjunction with chemoradiotherapy. Intravitreal dexamethasone implants therefore may provide an effective and safe treatment for CAR by reducing intraocular inflammation without systemic effects.

Intravitreal ranibizumab for the management of serous maculopathy secondary to optic disc coloboma-associated choroidal neovascularisation.

We report the case of a 19-year-old patient with symptomatic unilateral serous maculopathy associated with an optic nerve coloboma. Fluorescein angiography detected a focal late leak at the temporal edge of the coloboma which was later found to correspond with an area of choroidal neovascularisation on optical coherence tomography angiography. A course of intravitreal ranibizumab achieved good clinical and structural response. This report contributes to the evidence that maculopathies associated with cavitary optic nerve anomalies may in some instances result from choroidal neovascularisation. It also highlights the importance of angiography to identify potential choroidal neovascular membranes, particularly in the absence of haemorrhages and neovascular membranes on fundus examination and conventional optical coherence tomography.

Viral retinitis: diagnosis and management in the era of biologic immunosuppression: A review.

Necrotising retinitis is a rare ocular infection that historically led to high rates of visual morbidity. While acute retinal necrosis occurs in immunocompetent patients, the majority of cases are associated with immunocompromise such as in cytomegalovirus retinitis and progressive outer retinal necrosis. This review summarises the clinical and diagnostic features, management, and outcomes of herpetic retinitis. Iatrogenic immunosuppression is increasingly being utilised for a wide range of indications, and biologic agents especially so due to their targeted nature. While the intended actions are well-studied, the flow-on effects and complex interaction with host immunity are not well understood. Furthermore, biologics are frequently used concomitantly with other immunosuppressive agents, potentiating the immunodepression. This article reviews the literature on biologic immunosuppression and viral retinitis, and presents an approach to the vulnerable or affected patient. Early identification, prompt and aggressive treatment, and a multidisciplinary approach to managing immunodeficiency are the cornerstones of management.

Complement factor H Y402H and C-reactive protein polymorphism and photodynamic therapy response in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between complement factor H (CFH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) genotypes and response to photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: The study cohort consisted of 273 neovascular AMD patients treated with PDT. METHODS: Genotypes were determined for the common T-->C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 9 of the CFH gene (rs1061170; Y402H), as well as 9 selected tagging SNPs across the CRP gene (rs2808635, rs1417938, rs1800947, rs1130864, rs1205, rs3093077, rs876538, rs876537, and rs1572970). Visual acuity outcome after PDT was retrospectively calculated and patients were classified as PDT-positive responders or PDT-negative responders. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between individual SNPs and PDT treatment response while adjusting for relevant covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response to PDT treatment defined by visual acuity; genotypes of CFH Y402H and CRP polymorphism. RESULTS: Of the 273 patients, 75 had a positive response after PDT treatment. The frequency of CC genotype of the CFH Y402H polymorphism in the PDT-positive response group was lower than in the negative PDT response group (26.4% vs 31.6%) but this difference failed to reach statistical significance. Two CRP SNPs (rs2808635 and rs876538) were significantly associated with PDT treatment response. Positive treatment response was seen in individuals homozygous for the minor allele of the rs2808635 (GG; odds ratio [OR], 3.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-10.97; P = 0.048) and rs876538 (AA; OR, 6.49; 95% CI, 1.65-25.47; P = 0.048) variants after adjusting for relevant covariates. The remaining 7 CRP genetic variants did not reveal any significant association with treatment response. CONCLUSIONS: Our data did not show significant association between the CFH Y402H polymorphism and PDT treatment response for neovascular AMD; however, CRP genetic variants were associated with a positive response to PDT treatment for neovascular AMD.