Topical and subconjunctival anesthesia versus topical anesthesia alone in patients with senile cataracts undergoing phacoemulsification: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study compared topical anesthesia to a combination of topical anesthesia and subconjunctival anesthesia for phacoemulsification. METHODS: This double-blinded parallel placebo-controlled randomized trial involved senile cataract patients scheduled for phacoemulsification between May and December 2022. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either topical anesthesia with 0.5% tetracaine hydrochloride and subconjunctival balanced salt solution injection (Control group) or topical anesthesia and subconjunctival injection with 2% lidocaine (Lidocaine group). Baseline parameters, cataract grades, and various outcomes were recorded, including pain scores at specific time points, patient cooperation scores, requests for additional anesthesia, and complications. Statistical methods included Fisher's exact test, the t-test, ordinal logistic regression, and linear regression with robust standard errors. RESULTS: In total, 176 patients were included in the study after excluding 33 patients. A significant reduction in immediate postoperative pain was achieved in the Lidocaine group (p < 0.001) and was maintained for 2 h (p = 0.011). Additionally, better cooperation was observed in this group (p = 0.038). However, patients in the Lidocaine group experienced more pain during the subconjunctival injection (p = 0.001) and a significant increase in subconjunctival hemorrhage related to the injection (p < 0.001). Despite this, the rates of surgical complications were comparable between the groups, and all phacoemulsification procedures were successfully completed using the assigned anesthetic technique. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of subconjunctival lidocaine injection to topical anesthesia reduced postoperative pain and improved patient cooperation during phacoemulsification. However, the lidocaine injection was painful, and it carried a higher risk of spontaneous-relief subconjunctival hemorrhage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial Registration Number: TCTR20220804003, date of registration August 4, 2022, retrospectively registered.

Personalized Care in Eye Health: Exploring Opportunities, Challenges, and the Road Ahead for Chatbots.

In modern eye care, the adoption of ophthalmology chatbots stands out as a pivotal technological progression. These digital assistants present numerous benefits, such as better access to vital information, heightened patient interaction, and streamlined triaging. Recent evaluations have highlighted their performance in both the triage of ophthalmology conditions and ophthalmology knowledge assessment, underscoring their potential and areas for improvement. However, assimilating these chatbots into the prevailing healthcare infrastructures brings challenges. These encompass ethical dilemmas, legal compliance, seamless integration with electronic health records (EHR), and fostering effective dialogue with medical professionals. Addressing these challenges necessitates the creation of bespoke standards and protocols for ophthalmology chatbots. The horizon for these chatbots is illuminated by advancements and anticipated innovations, poised to redefine the delivery of eye care. The synergy of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with chatbots amplifies their diagnostic prowess. Additionally, their capability to adapt linguistically and culturally ensures they can cater to a global patient demographic. In this article, we explore in detail the utilization of chatbots in ophthalmology, examining their accuracy, reliability, data protection, security, transparency, potential algorithmic biases, and ethical considerations. We provide a comprehensive review of their roles in the triage of ophthalmology conditions and knowledge assessment, emphasizing their significance and future potential in the field.

Disagreement of Radial Peripapillary Capillary Density Among Four Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Devices.

Purpose: This prospective study evaluated the agreement among four optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) devices in the assessment of radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density. Methods: The study included 48 eyes of 48 subjects (14 healthy, 19 glaucomatous, and 15 non-glaucomatous optic neuropathy). Each participant was scanned using four OCTA devices in a random sequence: RTVue XR Avanti (RTVue), DRI OCT Triton (Triton), Revo NX 130 (Revo), and PLEX Elite 9000 (PlexE). All 6 × 6-mm grayscale OCTA images from each device were analyzed for RPC density using a customized algorithm. Agreement between each pair of devices was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. Results: There was a poor correlation between devices in all comparisons (RTVue-Triton, ICC = 0.34; RTVue-Revo, ICC = 0.31; RTVue-PlexE, ICC = 0.28; Triton-Revo, ICC = 0.31; Triton-PlexE, ICC = 0.17; Revo-PlexE, ICC = 0.34). Significant proportional biases (P < 0.05) and wide limits of agreement with apparent constant biases were identified in all comparisons. The mean difference was greatest for the RTVue-Revo pair (-49.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -52.9 to -45.8) and smallest for the Triton-PlexE pair (-7.7%; 95% CI, -10.1 to -5.3). Conclusions: The RPC densities obtained from each device had poor inter-device agreement and significant biases and cannot be used interchangeably. Translational Relevance: RPC density obtained from different OCTA devices is not interchangeable; thus, the progression of optic neuropathy should be monitored using the same OCTA device.

Assessment of Pain in Glaucoma Patients Undergoing Micropulse Transscleral Laser Therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the pain experienced during micropulse transscleral laser therapy (MPTLT) and overnight thereafter and explore the factors associated with the pain. METHODS: This prospective study included 100 eyes of 81 glaucoma patients undergoing MPTLT under retrobulbar anesthesia. All patients were asked to rate both types of pain using a numerical rating scale (NRS). The risk factors were explored using multivariable mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean (SD) NRS pain score during the procedure was 3.57 (3.41) (range 0-10), which included no, mild, moderate, and severe pain in 30 (30%), 33 (33%), 17 (17%), and 20 (20%) eyes, respectively. The mean (SD) NRS score of overnight pain was 2.99 (2.28) (range 0-9), which included no, mild, moderate, and severe pain in 17 (17%), 59 (59%), 17 (17%), and 7 (7%) eyes, respectively. Twenty-seven (27%) eyes reported worse pain overnight than during the procedure. Increased age, initial intraocular pressure, and pain during the procedure were significantly associated with increased overnight pain (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Up to a fourth of eyes had worse pain after discharge. Older age, initial intraocular pressure, and pain during the procedure were risk factors for higher levels of overnight pain.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Retinopathy of Prematurity at a Rural Tertiary Hospital in Thailand.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence and identify the factors affecting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a rural tertiary hospital in Thailand. Methods: This retrospective chart review included all infants screened for ROP. The study included all infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 30 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤ 1,500 gr or selected larger infants with an unstable clinical course. Retinal findings were classified according to the revised International Classification of ROP. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 113 screened infants, the incidences of any ROP and ROP requiring intervention were 17.7% and 8.8%, respectively. In univariate analysis, lower GA, lighter BW, total days of supplemental oxygen, days of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), presence of apnea, and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) were associated with the development of any ROP. In the stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis, lighter BW, male gender, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were significant risk factors for the development of any ROP. Lower GA and being either a twin or triplet were significant risk factors for ROP requiring intervention. However, no antenatal condition was identified as a risk factor for ROP. Conclusion: The incidence of ROP in rural tertiary hospitals was relatively high as compared with previously published data from urban tertiary hospitals. Lighter BW, male gender, and BPD were significantly associated with the development of ROP in a local context. Epidemiological studies are necessary to prevent ophthalmic morbidities.

Two-Year Outcomes of Trabeculectomy and Phacotrabeculectomy in Primary Open Angle Versus Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma.

PRCIS: Phacotrabeculectomy had a significantly lower 24-month failure rate than the isolated trabeculectomy in both the primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) patients. The impact of adding phacoemulsification to trabeculectomy was found to be similar between the eyes with POAG and PACG. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the 2-year outcomes of primary mitomycin C-augmented combined phacotrabeculectomy (Phaco+Trab) with isolated trabeculectomy (Trab) in phakic patients with POAG and PACG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed primary glaucoma patients who underwent mitomycin C-augmented trabeculectomy and completed 2 years of follow-up. Failure rate, postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), percentage of IOP reduction, and the number of glaucoma medications at 24 months after surgery were compared between the Phaco+Trab and Trab groups. RESULTS: The study included 146 eyes of 121 patients; 74 underwent Trab and 72 underwent Phaco+Trab. POAG and PACG were present in 71 and 75 eyes, respectively. Defining a failure with IOP criteria of >18 mm Hg or IOP reduction of <30%, the failure rates were 42% and 62% for Phaco+Trab and Trab, respectively. The Phaco+Trab group had a significantly lower failure rate than the Trab group for all subjects [risk ratio (RR): 0.60, 95% CI, 0.44-0.81, P =0.001], POAG subgroup (RR: 0.61, 95% CI, 0.41-0.93, P =0.02), and PACG subgroup (RR: 0.53, 95% CI, 0.33-0.86, P =0.01). Differences in the postoperative IOP, percentage of IOP reduction, and number of glaucoma medications were not significant between the 2 groups for all subjects, POAG, and PACG (all P >0.05). The magnitude of the effects of adding phacoemulsification to the trabeculectomy was comparable for the POAG and PACG groups, for each outcome (all P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The final 24-month failure rate in the Phaco+Trab group was lower than that in the Trab group in both the POAG and PACG subjects. The impact of adding phacoemulsification to trabeculectomy was found to be similar between the eyes with POAG and PACG.

Efficacy of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Primary Angle-closure Glaucoma after Peripheral Iridotomy.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in Southeast Asian eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) vs primary angle-closure glaucoma after peripheral iridotomy (PACG-PI). Materials and methods: Records of glaucoma patients who underwent SLT and had a 24-month follow-up were reviewed. Pre- and post-treatment intraocular pressure (IOP), percentage of IOP reduction in POAG, and PACG-PI groups, and probability of failure were analyzed. SLT failure was defined as any eye that did not have IOP lower than 20% compared to the baseline or had an IOP higher than the baseline on two consecutive visits. Adding medication, repeating SLT, or surgical intervention to control IOP was also considered a failure. Results: Sixty-three POAG and 12 PACG-PI eyes were eligible. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 62.9 (10.2) years in POAG and 60.3 (6.2) years in PACG-PI. Mean (SD) prelaser IOP in POAG was 19.0 (4.4) mm Hg and 20.7 (4.7) mm Hg in PACG-PI. At 24 months post-SLT, mean (SD) IOP was 14.1 (4.7) mm Hg and 13.6 (2.0) mm Hg in POAG and PACG-PI, respectively. There was no significant difference in percentage of IOP reduction (22.8 ± 23.0% for POAG and 30.7 ± 19.5% for PACG-PI, p = 0.96), or failure probability (p = 0.10) between both groups. Conclusion: The efficacy of SLT at 24 months was comparable between POAG and PACG-PI. Clinical significance: Selective laser trabeculoplasty may be an option to further lower IOP in eyes with angle closure with visible trabecular meshwork (TM) after iridotomy, especially in highly pigmented eyes of Southeast Asians. How to cite this article: Wongwuticomjon T, Chansangpetch S, Inobhas A, et al. Efficacy of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Primary Angle-closure Glaucoma after Peripheral Iridotomy. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2022;16(2):124-127.

Ciliochoroidal effusion and its association with the outcomes of micropulse transscleral laser therapy in glaucoma patients: a pilot study.

We investigate the development of ciliochoroidal effusion following micropulse transscleral laser therapy (MPTLT) and evaluate the relationship between the early postoperative ciliochoroidal effusion (ECE) and short-term treatment outcomes. Glaucoma patients who underwent MPTLT were assessed for ciliochoroidal effusion by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) at postoperative 1, 4, 12 weeks. The subjects were classified based on AS-OCT findings at postoperative 1 week into eyes with and without ECE. The absolute intraocular pressure (IOP), IOP reduction and number of antiglaucoma medications were compared between eyes with and without ECE. A total of 50 eyes were included, of which 23 (46%) developed ciliochoroidal effusion at postoperative 1 week. Almost all effusion resolved at 4 weeks. At 12 weeks, the mean IOP (SD) significantly decreased from 28.5 (12.8) mmHg to 17.8 (10.5) mmHg (p < 0.001), and the mean number of medications (SD) decreased from 4.1 (0.9) to 3.3 (1.1) (p < 0.001). Eyes with ECE had significantly greater IOP reduction (p = 0.009) and lower absolute IOP (p = 0.008) at the 4-week visit. There was no significant difference in number of medications between the groups. In conclusion, ciliochoroidal effusion was commonly observed following MPTLT. Eyes with ECE had overall greater IOP reduction during early post-operation.

Outcomes of Surgical Interventions in Primary Congenital Glaucoma Patients.

PURPOSE: The aim was to report long-term surgical success of primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) patients in Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PCG patients who underwent one of the following primary operations: trabeculotomy, goniotomy, trabeculectomy, combined trabeculotrabeculectomy (CTT) and diode transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) between January 1992 and January 2018 were reviewed. Surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) between 5 and 21 mm Hg with or without antiglaucoma medications. Failure was defined as IOP ≤5 or ≥21 mm Hg for 2 consecutive visits, or when an additional glaucoma surgery was required to control IOP. Survival curves were analyzed using multilevel mixed-effect Weibull model. RESULTS: A total of 81 eyes from 55 PCG patients were included. Surgical procedures involved 20 goniotomies, 15 trabeculotomies, 16 trabeculectomies, 15 CTT, and 15 TSCPC. Median follow-up time was 24 months (interquartile range: 9 to 60 mo). Overall success rates were 68.8% at 1 year, 63.8% at 3 years, and 53.7% at 5 years. All types of surgery except TSCPC had comparable cumulative 1 year success rates ranging from 78.5% to 83.3%. Cumulative success rates of trabeculotomy (80.05%) and CTT (79.4%) were maintained at 3 and 5 years and were the highest among all procedures at 5 years. TSCPC had a significantly lower success rate compared with other types of surgery (hazard ratio: 7.4 to 13.1, all P=0.01). All patients receiving primary TSCPC showed no success at 48 months. CONCLUSION: Primary trabeculotomy and primary CTT demonstrated the highest long-term success rates in PCG patients.

Digital Gonioscopy Based on Three-dimensional Anterior-Segment OCT: An International Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate the performance of a 3-dimensional (3D) deep-learning-based automated digital gonioscopy system (DGS) in detecting 2 major characteristics in eyes with suspected primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG): (1) narrow iridocorneal angles (static gonioscopy, Task I) and (2) peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) (dynamic gonioscopy, Task II) on OCT scans. DESIGN: International, cross-sectional, multicenter study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1.112 million images of 8694 volume scans (2294 patients) from 3 centers were included in this study (Task I, training/internal validation/external testing: 4515, 1101, and 2222 volume scans, respectively; Task II, training/internal validation/external testing: 378, 376, and 102 volume scans, respectively). METHODS: For Task I, a narrow angle was defined as an eye in which the posterior pigmented trabecular meshwork was not visible in more than 180° without indentation in the primary position captured in the dark room from the scans. For Task II, PAS was defined as the adhesion of the iris to the trabecular meshwork. The diagnostic performance of the 3D DGS was evaluated in both tasks with gonioscopic records as reference. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of the 3D DGS were calculated. RESULTS: In Task I, 29.4% of patients had a narrow angle. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 3D DGS on the external testing datasets were 0.943 (0.933-0.953), 0.867 (0.838-0.895), and 0.878 (0.859-0.896), respectively. For Task II, 13.8% of patients had PAS. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 3D DGS were 0.902 (0.818-0.985), 0.900 (0.714-1.000), and 0.890 (0.841-0.938), respectively, on the external testing set at quadrant level following normal clinical practice; and 0.885 (0.836-0.933), 0.912 (0.816-1.000), and 0.700 (0.660-0.741), respectively, on the external testing set at clock-hour level. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D DGS is effective in detecting eyes with suspected PACG. It has the potential to be used widely in the primary eye care community for screening of subjects at high risk of developing PACG.

Association between Daily Niacin Intake and Glaucoma: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To determine the relationship between dietary intake of niacin and glaucoma using the data from the 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: Subjects aged 40 years and older who participated in the dietary intake interview and vision health questionnaire of NHANES were included in the study. Glaucoma diagnosis by self-report was utilized. Additionally, glaucoma diagnosis by fundus imaging and International Society Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology (ISGEO) criteria was used in subjects with available qualified retinal imaging. Survey logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between daily niacin consumption and glaucoma. RESULTS: A total of 5768 participants were included in the study. There was a significant decrease in the crude odds of self-reported glaucoma in the third (OR 0.57, 95% Cl 0.43-0.76; p < 0.001) and fourth (OR 0.57, 95% Cl 0.37-0.90; p = 0.018) quartiles of daily niacin consumption, which equated to 21.01 to 28.22 mg/day and greater than 28.22 mg/day, respectively. A similar trend was found using fundus imaging of subjects with niacin intake in the third (OR 0.42, 95% Cl 0.25-0.72; p = 0.002) and fourth (OR 0.36, 95% Cl 0.20-0.67; p = 0.002) quartiles. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of glaucoma based on fundus imaging remained significantly lower for niacin intake in the third (OR 0.49, 95% Cl 0.28-0.87; p = 0.016) and fourth (OR 0.48, 95% Cl 0.26-0.89; p = 0.022) quartile levels. Using ISGEO criteria, there was no significant association between glaucoma and daily niacin consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Greater niacin intake may be associated with a lower chance of developing glaucoma.

Effectiveness of micropulse transscleral laser therapy in uncontrolled glaucoma secondary to ciliary body metastasis.

PURPOSE: To report a case of ciliary body metastasis with uncontrolled glaucoma that was successfully treated with micropulse transscleral laser therapy (MPTLT). OBSERVATIONS: A case of a 44-year-old female with uncontrolled glaucoma secondary to ciliary body metastasis from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Antiglaucoma medications, intravitreal ranibizumab injection and local radiotherapy were ineffective in reducing her intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular pain. MPTLT using a power setting of 2,000 mW, 31.3% duty cycle, and 140 seconds over 180 degrees demonstrated favorable IOP reduction (from 31 to 8 mmHg) on the first postoperative day without either ocular pain or postoperative complications. IOP remained controlled until she died from hemoperitoneum 18 days after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: MPTLT can be a safe and effective procedure for IOP control in intraocular metastasis patients with uncontrolled glaucoma.

Epiphora before and after upper eyelid functional blepharoplasty: A retrospective cohort study.

Epiphora and dermatochalasis are common presentations in the ophthalmology clinic. To evaluate the change of epiphora before and after functional blepharoplasty, this retrospective cohort study reviewed 39 medical records of epiphora patients who underwent upper blepharoplasty. Severity of epiphora using MUNK score was collected and compared between before and at 6 months after blepharoplasty. The analysis model was performed to measure tear breakup time (TBUT) and frequency of artificial tears use. Subgroups of subjects before blepharoplasty to short baseline TBUT (≤ 10 seconds) and long TBUT (≥ 10 seconds) were also evaluated for the MUNK score change. From the analysis of 39 patients, the results showed a statistically significant decrease in post blepharoplasty MUNK score compared to the baseline (all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between baseline and post-operative TBUT (P > 0.05). Twenty patients were in the short TBUT group and 19 in the long TBUT group. The reduction of MUNK score after blepharoplasty in the short TBUT group was not different to the long TBUT group (P = 0.50, 95% CI -0.84 to 0.41). However, in short TBUT group, frequency of artificial tears use after surgery was less than pre-operation. From the study, upper eyelid blepharoplasty might be one technique reducing the bothersome epiphora in dermatochalasis patients.

Displacement between anterior chamber width obtained by swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography and white-to-white distance.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between the external limbal location, represented by white-to-white (WTW) distance, and the actual angle location, represented by spur-to-spur (STS) and angle-to-angle (ATA) distances. METHODS: 166 eyes from 166 participants were imaged using CASIA2 anterior chamber optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and LenStar LS 900 optical biometer. The horizontal ATA and STS were measured using the swept-source Fourier-domain AS-OCT (CASIA2). The horizontal WTW was automatically measured using LenStar. The displacement lengths (DL) between WTW-STS and WTW-ATA were calculated. Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation were performed. RESULTS: The study showed that WTW has a positive correlation with STS (ICC = 0.82, p<0.001) and ATA (ICC = 0.82, p<0.001). The Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that the mean difference of WTW-STS is 0.10 mm (95% CI 0.06 to 0.14 mm) with limits of agreement of -0.42 to 0.63 mm between WTW and STS, and the mean difference of WTW-ATA is 0.10 mm (95% CI 0.06 to 0.15 mm) with limits of agreement of -0.48 to 0.64 mm between WTW and ATA. Linear regression with adjustment showed that a WTW value greater than 12.07 mm is associated with a greater DL (WTW-STS DL ß 0.18, p = 0.003; WTW-ATA DL ß 0.14, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Greater WTW was significantly associated with higher displacement of WTW from the two distances representing anterior chamber width. External limbal location may not accurately represent the actual angle location in eyes with larger WTW.

Acute bilateral angle closure induced by monoclonal antibody (Daratumumab) infusion.

PURPOSE: To report a case of daratumumab-induced bilateral angle closure glaucoma and myopia that showed no recurrence after repeated drug administration with prophylactic cycloplegia. OBSERVATIONS: A 63-year-old man with relapsing multiple myeloma presented with acute bilateral eye pain and blurred vision 14 hours after first daratumumab infusion. Eye examination revealed raised intraocular pressure and shallow anterior chamber. Anterior segment ocular coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy showed ciliochoroidal effusions in both eyes. The diagnosis of bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma and induced myopia was made. Cycloplegia- and intraocular-pressure-lowering medications were given, which gradually deepened the anterior chambers and normalized intraocular pressure and refraction. The ciliochoroidal effusions completely resolved on day 14. The cycloplegic was given as a premedication for subsequent infusions. There was no recurrence of effusion throughout his 6-month daratumumab treatment course. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Daratumumab can induce ciliochoroidal effusion, which results in acute secondary angle closure and myopia. The potential prophylactic effect of the cycloplegic drug may enable continuation of daratumumab infusion under close monitoring.

Recurrent Choroidal Detachment in Peritoneal Dialysis Patient With Hypervolemia and Dilutional Hypoalbuminemia.

The following presents a case of recurrent choroidal detachments (CD) correlated with changes in serum albumin levels and the patient's fluid status. A 71-year-old female patient presented with a 4-day history of blurry vision in her left eye. Pertinent medical history included end-stage renal disease treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Previously, the patient's left eye was treated for primary angle-closure glaucoma by trabeculectomy. While this resulted in a low baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) of 2 to 7 mm Hg, the patient never developed any hypotony-related complications for the past 6 years. After examination, CD was diagnosed and treated with transscleral surgical drainage. The patient further developed 2 additional episodes of CD in the same eye. All episodes were also associated with bilateral pitting edema, weight gain, and hypoalbuminemia. Thus, the patient was recommended to take a protein supplement and limit her fluid intake. In addition, the dialysis treatment regimen was altered to achieve greater daily fluid removal. After 12 weeks, there was no recurrent episode of CD, and the patient was clinically stable with a final visual acuity of 20/30 and an IOP of 3 mm Hg. The serum albumin levels improved slightly, and there were no signs of hypervolemia. In this case of recurrent CD, a possible association between the development of CD, hypoalbuminemia, and hypervolemia in patients with end-stage renal disease is demonstrated. Clinicians should be aware that these systemic factors can be tied with recurrent CDs, especially among patients with a low baseline IOP.

Effect of oral statin use on mitomycin-C augmented trabeculectomy outcomes.

PURPOSE: The effect of statins on wound healing is controversial, and their effect on trabeculectomy outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between oral statin use and trabeculectomy outcomes. METHODS: Medical records of patients who underwent primary mitomycin-C augmented trabeculectomy with 2 years of follow-up were reviewed. Pre- and postoperative intraocular pressures (IOP) and numbers of medications, subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) injections, and bleb-needling procedures were compared between statin users and nonusers. Failure was defined as an eye that failed to achieve a 20% lowering of IOP from baseline or had an IOP > 21 mm Hg, as well as an eye that required further surgical intervention, developed hypotony, or had no light perception visual acuity. RESULTS: In total, 158 subjects were enrolled, with 47 eyes from statin users and 111 eyes from statin nonusers. The 24-month cumulative probability of failure was 78.7% for statin users and 60.4% for nonusers (P = .013). Cox proportional-hazards modeling showed a significantly higher hazard risk in statin users (adjusted hazard ratio 1.61, P = .026). There were no significant between-group differences in mean IOPs or number of medications (both P > .05) at 24 months. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis that statin use was associated with increased numbers of 5-FU injections (P = .014) and bleb-needling procedures (P = .031). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that oral statin use was associated with higher rates of trabeculectomy failure and increased numbers of 5-FU injections and bleb-needling procedures.

Characteristics and long-term outcomes of childhood glaucoma: a retrospective-cohort study.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with childhood glaucoma. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with childhood glaucoma who visited the glaucoma clinics at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health and the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between January 2008 and January 2018. The diagnosis was based on the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network classification. We recorded their clinical characteristics and requirement of any glaucoma interventions. Results: A total of 691 eyes from 423 patients were included in this study. The patients predominantly comprised boys. The average follow-up duration was 71.3±63.8 months. The mean age at presentation was 3.9±4.4 years. Most patients presented with a high initial intraocular pressure (IOP). The average intial IOP of all patients was 28.5±11.2 mmHg. Glaucoma associated with non-acquired ocular anomalies (22.9%) was the most common subtype, followed by primary congenital glaucoma (20.8%). We recorded a family history of glaucoma in 6.4% of patients of the 234 patients with an available family history. Most patients had bilateral glaucoma (63.4%) and required at least one intervention (51.5%). The average IOP at the latest follow-up visit was 19.1±10.8 mmHg. All glaucoma types had significantly lower IOP, compared to that at their baselines (all p<0.001). Moreover, most patients had an unfavourable visual acuity (49.5%) at their latest visit. Conclusions: Secondary glaucoma associated with non-acquired ocular anomalies is the most common subtype of glaucoma. The majority of patients had unfavourable visual outcomes. These real-world findings are fundamental to acquire a better understanding of childhood glaucoma.

Ethnicity-Specific Database Improves the Diagnostic Ability of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness to Detect Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine the changes in optical coherence tomography (OCT) color probability codes and diagnostic ability for peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) analysis after applying Chinese and white subjects normative databases. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study enrolled 219 healthy eyes (108 white and 111 Chinese patients) to construct an ethnicity-specific normative database for pRNFL and macular GCC thickness, which was tested then in 180 eyes with or without glaucoma (102 white and 78 Chinese patients). The percent of change of color probability codes were evaluated after applying the original built-in and the ethnicity-specific normative databases, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to evaluate the change in diagnostic ability to detect glaucoma. RESULTS: Healthy white subjects had a thinner pRNFL than Chinese subjects in the overall average thickness as well as the superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants (P < .001). Macular GCC did not differ between ethnicities. After applying an ethnicity-specific normative database, the percent of pRNFL abnormal color code labels decreased significantly for the overall average thickness in the white subjects. This resulted in a significant increase in the specificity to detect glaucoma in the white population (P < .001). No significant changes were seen when applying an ethnicity-specific normative database for macular GCC thickness. CONCLUSIONS: After applying an ethnicity-specific normative database, the percent of pRNFL abnormal color codes decreased significantly, improving the specificity to detect glaucoma in the white population. These findings suggest there may be utility in having ethnicity-specific normative databases for pRNFL thickness.

Repeatability, reproducibility, agreement, and safety of Tono-Pen tip cover for intraocular measurement using latex and polyethylene wrap.

PURPOSE: To evaluate repeatability, reproducibility, and agreement of intraocular pressure measurement with Tono-Pen using Ocufilm and polyethylene wrap tip cover in human eyes. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, experimental study. A gas-sterilized, polyethylene wrap was used as an alternative for Tono-Pen tip cover. For the right eye, 4 measurements using polyethylene wrap tip cover were done by two examiners (A and B) in random order to assess intra-observer repeatability and inter-observer reproducibility. For the left eye, 4 measurements were done by examiner A using both polyethylene wrap tip cover and Ocufilm in random order to assess intra-observer repeatability and agreement. Bland-Altman plot and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used in all analyses. Cost minimization analysis was evaluated. RESULTS: For examiner A, the repeatability of polyethylene wrap tip cover was -0.34, 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were -3.04 to 2.36, and ICC was 0.93 in the right eyes. As for the left eyes, the repeatability of polyethylene wrap tip cover was -0.33, 95% LOA were -3.01 to 2.36, and ICC was 0.93. For examiner B, the repeatability of polyethylene wrap tip cover was -0.02, 95% LOA were -2.88 to 2.83, and ICC was 0.92. The inter-observer reproducibility of polyethylene wrap tip cover was 0.36, 95% LOA were -3.34 to 4.07, and ICC was 0.90. The repeatability of Ocufilm was -0.42, 95% LOA were -2.75 to 1.91, and ICC was 0.95. The agreement of polyethylene wrap tip cover and Ocufilm was -0.71, 95% LOA were -5.18 to 3.76, and ICC was 0.83. There were no allergic reactions or serious complications. From the cost minimization analysis, the local cost for polyethylene tip cover was approximately 8 times lower compared to Ocufilm. CONCLUSIONS: Tono-pen with Ocufilm and polyethylene wrap tip cover were used to measure the intraocular pressure. The polyethylene wrap tip cover demonstrated acceptable repeatability, reproducibility, and agreement with Ocufilm in normotensive eyes, and had a good safety profile.