The Effect of Childhood Obesity on Intraocular Pressure, Corneal Biomechanics, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Central Macular Thickness.

PRCIS: Elevated corneal hysteresis (CH) and resistance factor (CRF) in obese and over-weight children imply weight's effect on corneal biomechanics. Increased Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg) in obese indicates glaucoma risk, emphasizing screening for IOP, retinal changes. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of obesity on corneal biomechanics, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and central macular thicness (CMT) in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective, cross-sectional, comparative study, 146 eyes of normal-weight, over-weight, and obese children aged between 6 to 17 years were evaluated. The IOPg, corneal compensated IOP (IOPcc), CH, CRF and the average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), average cup-to-disk ratio (c/d), central macular thickness (CMT) were measured by Ocular Response Analyser and Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT), respectively. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference regarding age, sex, IOPcc, average RNFL thickness, c/d ratio, and CMT among the groups (P≥0.05). The IOPg was significantly higher in obese children compared to normal-weight children, while CH and CRF values were significantly higher in both obese and over-weight children compared to healthy ones (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between BMI percentile and IOPg, CH, and CRF values. CONCLUSION: In our study, higher IOPg, corneal hysteresis, and corneal resistance factor values suggest that obese children could be potential candidates for glaucoma. Therefore, it would be appropriate to screen them for IOP and retinal alterations. On the other hand, further investigations with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to eliminate the risk of glaucoma in obese children.

Can Complete Blood Count Parameters Predict Retinopathy of Prematurity?

Objectives: To predict the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) development according to routine complete blood count (CBC) parameters. Materials and Methods: The medical records and CBC results of 150 premature neonates were retrospectively evaluated. As ROP develops 1 month after birth, first month CBC profiles of neonates without ROP (non-ROP), with ROP (ROP group), and those with Type 1, Type 2, and Stage 1+2 ROP were compared. Besides known statistical methods like Student's t-test, logistic regression and classification & regression tree (C&RT) analysis were also done to identify a reliable quantitative predictive parameter. Results: Mean gestational age and birth weight of the ROP group (n=99) and non-ROP (n=43) group were 29.39±3.43 and 32.05±2.20 weeks and 1382.44±545.30 and 1691.51±360.84 grams, respectively (p<0.001, p<0.001). Average hemoglobin (Hb) (p<0.001), hematocrit (HCT) (p<0.001), erythrocyte (p=0.005), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (p=0.020), and MCH concentration (p=0.019) values of the ROP group were lower than those of the non-ROP group. Leukocyte was higher in the ROP group (p=0.018). Hb [odds ratio (OR)=0.668, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.555-0.804, p<0.001], red cell distribution width (RDW) (OR=1.282, 95% CI=1.012-1.624, p=0.040), leukocyte (OR=1.157, 95% CI=1.053-1.271, p=0.002), and platelet (OR=0.997, 95% CI: 0.994-0.999, p=0.036) values differed significantly between the two groups. Platelet, MCV, and MCH parameters were found to be lower in the Type 1 ROP group compared to the Stage 1+2 ROP group (p<0.005). MCH was the most prominent predictor (cut-off: 34.43 pg) according to the results of C&RT analysis. Conclusion: As Hb plays an important role in oxygen transport, low levels of Hb and especially MCH may cause increased vascular endothelial growth factor secretion from the hypoxic retina, thereby causing ROP. Therefore, the results of this study are encouraging regarding the use of the abovementioned CBC parameters as a simple screening test to predict ROP.

Role of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Cyclic Esotropia: A Long-Term Follow-up.

PURPOSE: To describe two patients with childhood cyclic esotropia 8 and 9 years after they underwent botulinum toxin type A treatment to report its long-term outcome. METHODS: Two patients with sudden onset cyclic esotropia aged 2 and 4 years were included. Botulinum toxin type A injections were performed on the appropriate muscles. RESULTS: The first patient was a 2-year-old boy with left dominant alternating esotropia on a cyclic basis. His strabismus ranged from 25 to 45 prism diopters (PD) at near and distance. A botulinum toxin type A injection into the left medial rectus muscle revealed orthotropia at near and distance with a stereopsis of 60 seconds of arc (arcsec). During the 9 years of follow-up, he remained stable. The second patient was a 4-year-old girl who complained of double vision and strabismus. Her deviation was 40 PD at near and 35 PD at distance on a cyclic pattern. She became orthotropic with glasses after a bimedial botulinum toxin A injection. During the 8 years of follow-up, she remained stable with a stereo-acuity of 120 arcsec. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the consecutive and recurrent deviations with surgical treatment in previous reports, botulinum toxin type A is an appropriate first-line option for the treatment of cyclic deviations, despite its limitations. The results suggest that botulinum toxin type A is an effective method to break the cycle in cyclic esotropia permanently. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2019;56(6):360-364.].

Retinopathy of prematurity risk factors: Does human milk prevent retinopathy of prematurity?

Akyüz-Ünsal AI, Key Ö, Güler D, Bekmez S, Sagus M, Akcan AB, Kurt-Omurlu I, Anik A, Oruç-Dündar S, Türkmen M. Retinopathy of prematurity risk factors: Does human milk prevent retinopathy of prematurity? Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 13-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) development and the potential effect of human breast milk among these factors. For this purpose, infants admitted to a tertiary referral clinic for ROP screening and treatment between April 2013 and May 2015, were included in this retrospective study. The demographic data, accompanying diseases, previous surgery, type of feeding and duration of human breast milk intake were recorded. According to the ROP screening examination results, infants were divided into two groups as those with ROP (infants at any stage of ROP) and those without ROP. Relationship between the risk factors and ROP were evaluated. The comparison of 221 infants without ROP and 99 infants with ROP; revealed that gestational age at birth, birth weight, mechanical ventilation support, bronchopulmonary and cardiac diseases, hydrocephaly, any previous surgery, infections, steroid treatment percentages were high and human breast milk intake percentage was low among infants with ROP. Mean breast feeding time for infants with ROP (3.81 ± 2.33 month) was shorter than the infants without ROP (5.51 ± 1.43 month) (p < 0.001). In logistic regression analysis, the duration of breast feeding was inversely related with ROP (OR 0.744; 95% CI 0.621-0.891; p < 0,001). These results suggest that gestational age at birth and accompanying diseases are the main risk factors for the development of ROP. As the duration of the breast feeding of the infants without ROP was longer than the infants with ROP; breast feeding may have a preventive effect on ROP development.

The efficacy of superior rectus recession with simultaneous inferior oblique disinsertion on superior oblique palsy with superior rectus contracture.

PURPOSE: The information about superior rectus (SR) recession in cases with SR contracture coexisting with superior oblique palsy (SOP) is very limited in previous literature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of SR recession, as a combined procedure with inferior oblique (IO) disinsertion, in long-standing SOP with secondary SR contracture. METHODS: The medical records of the 145 patients operated for SOP were retrospectively reviewed and 15 patients who underwent SR recession met the inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up was 50.4 months. RESULTS: The preoperative angle of deviation was within the range of 16-35 prism dioptres (PD) with a mean of 23.0 ± 5.03 PD. In all of the cases, SR recession was performed in combination with IO disinsertion. Adult patients (12) underwent adjustable SR recession. Postoperative overcorrection developed in 3 cases (20%), and in 12 patients, the postoperative vertical deviation was within the range of 0-5 PD with a mean of 1.41 ± 1.88 PD. The overcorrected three patients underwent botulinum toxin A (BTXA) injection into the ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle. The deviation is well controlled by BTXA injection in two patients, whereas the other one was considered as masked bilateral SOP and underwent IO disinsertion in the other eye. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that SR recession in combination with IO disinsertion is an effective procedure to control large vertical deviations in SOP with SR contracture in the majority of cases. However, the risk of overcorrection should be considered despite adjustable SR weakening and BTXA injection seems efficient to rescue overcorrections in long term.

Role of botulinum toxin A in treatment of intractable diplopia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin A (BTXA) in patients with intractable diplopia related to intracranial problems or long-term interruption of fusion due to cataract or uncorrected aphakia and to identify the group of resistant cases who have no potential to fuse the two images. METHODS: The medical records of patients seen by the senior author (SBÖ) over a period of 20 years were reviewed retrospectively to identify those who underwent BTXA treatment for intractable diplopia. All cases had horizontal and/or vertical deviations. The diagnostic criterion was persistence of diplopia in free space despite neutralization of the deviation by prisms or synoptophore. BTXA was injected into the appropriate extraocular muscle to control the deviation in the identified patients. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients were identified: 13 developed intractable diplopia following head trauma, intracranial surgery, or stroke; 9 had a history of binocular sensory deprivation due to traumatic cataract or uncorrected aphakia. The duration of sensory deprivation ranged from 2 to 41 years. BTXA was injected into the appropriate extraocular muscle(s). Diplopia resolved completely in 14 patients, resolved incompletely with short-term single vision in 3 cases, and persisted in 5 patients despite correction of the deviation by BTXA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that BTXA offers the advantage of a temporary decrease of the deviation without altering image quality that allows the visual system to recover fusion under real-life conditions. Permanent treatment with surgical correction of the deviation should be reserved for those who achieve fusion during the orthotropic period provided by BTXA.

Screening Fabry's disease in chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Fabry's disease is an X-linked inherited, rare, progressive, lysosomal storage disorder, affecting multiple organs due to the deficient activity of α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) enzyme. The prevalence has been reported to be 0.15-1% in hemodialysis patients; however, the information on the prevalence in chronic kidney disease not on dialysis is lacking. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Fabry's disease in chronic kidney disease. METHODS: The patients older than 18 years, enclosing KDIGO 2012 chronic kidney disease definitions, not on dialysis, were enrolled. Dried blood spots on Guthrie papers were used to analyze α-Gal A enzyme and genetic analysis was performed in individuals with enzyme activity ≤1.2 µmol/L/h. RESULTS: A total of 1453 chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis from seven clinics in Turkey were screened. The mean age of the study population was 59.3 ± 15.9 years. 45.6% of patients were female. The creatinine clearance of 77.3% of patients was below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, 8.4% had proteinuria, and 2.5% had isolated microscopic hematuria. The mean value of patients' α-Gal A enzyme was detected as 2.93 ± 1.92 µmol/L/h. 152 patients had low levels of α-Gal A enzyme activity (≤1.2 µmol/L/h). In mutation analysis, A143T and D313Y variants were disclosed in three male patients. The prevalence of Fabry's disease in chronic kidney disease not on dialysis was found to be 0.2% (0.4% in male, 0.0% in female). CONCLUSION: Fabry's disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic kidney disease with unknown etiology even in the absence of symptoms and signs suggestive of Fabry's disease.