Early Phacoemulsification After Acute Angle Closure in Patients With Coexisting Cataract.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of early phacoemulsification on the management of acute angle closure glaucoma in patients with coexisting cataract after initial treatment with medical therapy and laser peripheral iridotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study involved a retrospective analysis of patients presenting to the Maastricht University Medical Center+ with acute angle closure and coexisting cataract between 2005 and 2015. Patients were included after initial treatment with a standard protocol comprising topical and systemic medical therapy and laser peripheral iridotomy. Patients underwent small-incision phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation into the capsular bag by experienced surgeons within 3 months of the acute angle closure episode. The effect on intraocular pressure, number of glaucoma medications, visual acuity, and complications was assessed. RESULTS: A total 35 patients were included in the study (mean age, 71±10 y; 20% male; mean refractive error, +1.6±1.8 diopters). The mean duration between acute angle closure episode and phacoemulsification was 37±22 days. There were no complications. Intraocular pressure decreased in all patients from 17.0±8.2 mm Hg to 13.2±3.9 mm Hg after 3 months (P=0.008), whereas the mean number of glaucoma medications decreased from 2.9±1.1 to 0.7±0.9 (P<0.001), with 56% of patients discontinuing all medications. Visual acuity improved from 0.9±0.9 logMAR to 0.2±0.3 logMAR (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation results in a reduced intraocular pressure and number of glaucoma medications after an acute angle closure glaucoma crisis in patients with coexisting cataract. Although surgery may be challenging, the results are promising, with significant improvement in visual acuity in most patients.

The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) on ocular pulse amplitude in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal (IVT) bevacizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on global choroidal hemodynamics, as measured by ocular pulse amplitude (OPA). METHODS: This was a two-center prospective study (Sheba Medical Center, Israel, and University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium). AMD patients who required IVT bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL; first or repeated) were examined three times: at days 0 (prior to injection), 7 (±3), and 28 (±7) postinjection. At each visit, OPAs of both eyes were measured using the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (DCT). A paired t-test between preoperative and postoperative OPA was conducted. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the influence of various measured parameters on DCT-OPA. RESULTS: A total of 38 neovascular AMD patients were recruited, and 30 patients were included in the final analysis (18 females and 12 males; age 78.8 ± 5.82 years [mean ± standard deviation]). A good correlation was found throughout the study between the DCT-intraocular pressure (IOP) and Goldmann IOP and between DCT-IOP and DCT-OPA. No change in OPA of bevacizumab-treated eyes was found between the visits (2.24 ± 0.73, 2.2 ± 0.86, and 2.23 ± 0.73 mm Hg at visits 1, 2, and 3, respectively; paired t-test: P = 0.77 between visits 1 and 2, P = 0.98 between visits 1 and 3). No correlations were found between DCT-OPA and age, heart rate, systemic blood pressure, axial length, keratometry readings, and central corneal thickness. CONCLUSIONS: OPA, an indirect measure of global choroidal hemodynamics, remains unchanged following IVT off-label bevacizumab. This finding adds to the growing evidence regarding the safety profile of bevacizumab in AMD treatment.

Agreement and accuracy of non-expert ophthalmologists in assessing glaucomatous changes in serial stereo optic disc photographs.

PURPOSE: To compare the interobserver agreement in detecting glaucomatous optic disc changes using serial stereophotography between a large group of non-expert ophthalmologists and glaucoma specialists; to assess the accuracy of non-experts; to investigate whether the interobserver agreement and the accuracy of non-experts changed after a training session. DESIGN: Masked interobserver agreement study. PARTICIPANTS: Serial optic disc stereophotos from 40 patients with glaucoma. METHODS: Three independent experienced glaucoma specialists (readers of the European Glaucoma Prevention Study) evaluated a set of 2 serial optic disc color stereo-slides for glaucomatous change, obtained with a delay varying from 2 to 7 years of 40 patients, masked from the temporal sequence of the slides. Each patient was graded as changed or stable by agreement of 2 of 3 of the experts (the reference standard). Thirty-seven non-expert ophthalmologists independently evaluated the same set of serial optic disc stereo-slides twice, with the second evaluation on the same day, masked from the results of the previous evaluation, after a training session on a separate slide set. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Interobserver agreement of non-experts and experts in detecting glaucomatous optic disc changes (expressed as kappa coefficient); agreement of non-experts with the reference standard (accuracy) before and after a training session. RESULTS: The interobserver kappa coefficient (κ) of the non-experts and experts was 0.20 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.21) and 0.51 (95% CI, 0.33-0.69), respectively (P<0.0001). The mean κ of the non-experts with the reference standard was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.27-0.39). After a training session, the interobserver agreement of the non-experts increased from 0.20 to 0.27 (95% CI, 0.26-0.28) (P<0.0001). The percentage agreement of the non-experts with the reference standard improved from 68.5% before to 71.4% after the training session (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: The interobserver agreement of non-expert ophthalmologists in detecting glaucomatous optic disc changes using serial stereophotos was significantly lower than that of experts, which was moderate. After a training session, the interobserver agreement and the accuracy of the non-experts showed a small but statistically significant improvement.

Preoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or steroid and outcomes after trabeculectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate the benefit of preoperative treatment with either topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or steroid in terms of clinical outcomes following trabeculectomy. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized placebo-controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one patients. METHODS: Between July 2005 and October 2007, 61 consecutive medically uncontrolled glaucoma patients scheduled for first-time trabeculectomy were randomized to 1 of 3 study topical medication groups: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ketorolac), steroids (fluorometholone), or placebo (artificial tears). Patients instilled 1 drop 4 times daily for 1 month before the procedure and were examined on days 1 and 2, at weeks 1, 2, and 4, and at months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 after trabeculectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of postoperative surgical or medical interventions (needling, laser suture lysis, needling revision, and intraocular pressure [IOP]-lowering medication). RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (54 eyes) were entered for analysis. The mean number of preoperative medications was 2.3+/-0.9. The mean baseline IOP was 21.0+/-6.0 mmHg. The mean postoperative target IOP was 16.5+/-1.8 mmHg. The mean follow-up was 23.6+/-4.0 months. The percentage of patients requiring needling within the first year was 41% in the placebo group, 6% in the NSAID, and 5% in the steroid group (P = 0.006). The percentage of patients requiring IOP-lowering medication to reach the target IOP at 1 year was 24% in the placebo group, 18% in the NSAID group, and 0% in the steroid group (P = 0.054 overall; P = 0.038 for steroids vs. others). The log-rank test showed a significant (P = 0.019) difference in medication-free survival curves between the different groups. More specifically, patients in the steroid group needed significantly less medication over the total follow-up (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Topical ketorolac or fluorometholone for 1 month before surgery was associated with improved trabeculectomy outcomes in terms of likelihood of postoperative needling. In the steroid group, there was a significantly reduced need for additional postoperative IOP-lowering medication compared with the other groups. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

The effect of trabeculectomy on ocular pulse amplitude.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether trabeculectomy, besides its intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect, has an effect on ocular pulse amplitude (OPA); and to determine whether OPA changes are influenced by IOP changes. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with glaucoma (48 eyes) scheduled for unilateral first-time trabeculectomy were prospectively enrolled from October 2007 to April 2008. The eye undergoing trabeculectomy was considered the study eye, whereas the nonsurgical fellow eye was used as the control eye. OPA, IOP, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before and 4 weeks after trabeculectomy by means of Pascal dynamic contour tonometry (DCT), Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), and sphygmomanometry. A regression model for repeated measures was used. RESULTS: Preoperative GAT, DCT, and OPA were 20.92 +/- 8.55, 21.33 +/- 7.06, and 3.23 +/- 1.58 mm Hg, respectively. One month after trabeculectomy, GAT, DCT, and OPA were 11.23 +/- 5.03, 14.45 +/- 4.79, and 2.12 +/- 1.07 mm Hg, respectively. There was a significant decrease in OPA after filtration surgery in the study eye compared with the control eye (P < 0.0001). Changes in OPA were correlated with changes in IOP (Spearman rho = 0.49, P = 0.0004). When the IOP change caused by filtration surgery was taken into account, no significant difference in effect on OPA after trabeculectomy was demonstrated in the study eye compared with the control eye (P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: OPA changes correlated strongly with IOP changes. There was no evidence of an effect of filtration surgery on OPA when the concomitant IOP decrease after trabeculectomy was taken into account.

Ectopic meningioma anterior to the lacrimal gland fossa.

A 66-year-old man reported a slowly growing tumor on the lateral edge of his left upper eyelid. This lesion was hard but movable on palpation. A neoplasm of the lacrimal gland was suspected. CT showed a highly calcified lesion at the left upper eyelid. Resection of the tumor was performed, which was located just behind the orbital septum and in front of the lacrimal gland. Anatomopathologic investigation of the excised specimen with immunohistochemistry revealed a benign meningioma of a meningotheliomatous type, containing multiple bone elements. An ectopic orbital meningioma is rare, and this is the first case of a unique lateral localization of this lesion. Therefore, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of a lacrimal gland tumor.

Predictive value of a topical dexamethasone provocative test before intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection.

PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic value of a topical dexamethasone (DXM) provocative test before intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection for a steroid response. METHODS: Eligible patients scheduled for first-time IVTA who did not have glaucoma or a history of a steroid response received DXM 0.1% drops 4 times daily over 4 weeks. After that, IVTA was given except in DXM responders with an IOP increase greater than 15 mm Hg. IOP was measured at baseline, 4 weeks after DXM treatment, at weeks 1, 2, and 4, and at months 3 and 6 after IVTA. A steroid response after the DXM test or after IVTA was defined as an IOP increase of 6 mm Hg or greater. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients (36 eyes) were analyzed. The DXM test had a sensitivity of 25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.52), a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 0.83-1.00), a positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 0.40-1.00), and a negative predictive value of 62% (95% CI, 0.44-0.79) for a steroid response after IVTA. In DXM responders, the IOP increase after IVTA was 17.0+/-7.8 mm Hg versus 5.0+/-4.4 mm Hg in DXM nonresponders (P=0.005). The IOP increase after the DXM test correlated with the IOP increase after IVTA (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The topical DXM test had a low sensitivity, a high specificity, a high positive predictive value, and a moderate negative predictive value and may be useful to predict a steroid response after IVTA. DXM responders demonstrated high IOP increases after IVTA, and the IOP increase after the DXM test correlated with the IOP increase after IVTA. If the DXM test result is positive, risks and benefits of IVTA should be more carefully weighted.

Variability of the standard reference height and its influence on the stereometric parameters of the heidelberg retina tomograph 3.

PURPOSE: To investigate the variability of the standard reference height (SRH) in consecutive Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3 (HRT3) examinations and its influence on five main stereometric parameters. METHODS: HRT3 results of all patients attending our glaucoma center from August to October 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Only one eye per patient with at least three consecutive HRTs and a quality control label of acceptable or better was selected. An SRH difference >or=10% compared with baseline was considered as excess SRH variability. RESULTS: A review of 641 patients yielded 150 patients (150 eyes) who met the inclusion criteria, representing a total of 556 examinations. The mean total number of HRTs per patient was 3.7 (range, 3-7), and the mean follow-up time was 3.5 years (range, 1.4-6.7). The mean proportion of consecutive HRT3 examinations with intraindividual excess SRH variability was 46% (95% CI, 40-52), whereas the mean intraindividual excess SRH variability was 24% (95% CI, 20-28). The median absolute SRH difference was 8.6% (interquartile range, 3.9%-16.2%). Furthermore, 55.5%, 75.3%, 74.7%, 0.0%, and 19.4% of the variability in rim area, rim volume, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, cup shape measure, and height variation contour, respectively, could be attributed to SRH variability. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable SRH variability between HRT3 examinations of the same eye, and this could explain more than half the variability of the parameters RA, RV, and RNFL. These findings indicate that changes of HRT3 parameters should be considered with caution when excess SRH variability is present.

Safety and efficacy of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion with high-dose oxaliplatin in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) has an established role in selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). We analyzed the safety and efficacy of HIPEC using high-dose oxaliplatin, a cytotoxic agent commonly used in metastatic colorectal cancer and showing promising activity in ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. METHODS: Following complete cytoreduction, HIPEC was performed using 460 mg/m(2 )oxaliplatin in 5% dextrose for 30 min at a temperature of 41-42 degrees C. Open perfusion (coliseum technique) was performed in all patients. Metabolic, electrolyte, and hemodynamic changes were recorded during chemoperfusion as well as postoperative morbidity, mortality, late toxicity, and survival. RESULTS: From July 2005 to January 2007, 52 patients were treated. Chemoperfusion with 5% dextrose resulted in temporary significant hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, and metabolic acidosis. Major morbidity developed in 24% of patients, while 30-day mortality did not occur. One patient developed unexplained repeated episodes of hemoperitoneum. Chemoperfusion with oxaliplatin resulted in mild hepatic toxicity evidenced by persistent elevation of glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase 1 month after surgery. After a mean follow-up time of 14.5 months, nine patients died from disease progression. In colorectal cancer patients, actuarial overall survival was 80% at 1 year. CONCLUSION: Cytoreduction with HIPEC using high-dose oxaliplatin leads to manageable metabolic and electrolyte disturbances and frequent mild hepatic toxicity without discernible impact on postoperative morbidity. Longer follow-up in a larger patient cohort will be required to assess the real risk of unexplained hemoperitoneum observed in one patient, and to establish the long-term effect on local relapse and survival.