The Determination of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus's Impact on the Density of Retinal Blood Vessels and the Choriocapillaris: Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to analyze the alterations in the density of retinal blood vessels and the choriocapillaris (VD) in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). One hundred sixty-six eyes of 83 patients (43 of whom were men and 40 women, with a mean age of 58.59 ± 14.04) with T2DM and without diabetic retinopathy were examined for the purpose of conducting the observational prospective study. The control group (CG) consisted of 66 eyes in 33 healthy subjects (15 male and 18 female, with a mean age of 55.12 ± 12.70). The measurement regions of vessel density (VD) included the deep capillary plexus (DCP), the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), and the choriocapillaris. The results indicate considerable differences in the VD of the DCP and SCP when comparing the control group with the study groups (p < 0.001). In comparison with the control group (p < 0.001), there was a statistically significant reduction in the VD of the choriocapillaris in the study group. Furthermore, patients with T2DM showed a significantly decreased VD concerning the control in different macular regions. Thickness in several macular regions in the study group significantly decreased compared to the ones in the control group. OCTA was used to gather relevant information about the vascular changes which occurred in T2DM patients, assessed through the quantitative analysis of the blood flow in the retina and choriocapillaris.

Optical coherence tomography in the evaluation of structural changes in primary open-angle glaucoma with and without elevated intraocular pressure.

Background/Aim: Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by damage of the retinal ganglion cells and their axons and glial cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences and connections between changes in the visual field and the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with normal and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods: This prospective study included 38 patients (38 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure (NTG) and 50 patients (50 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma with elevated intraocular pressure (HTG), paired by the same degree of structural glaucomatous changes in the optic nerve head and by age. OCT protocols 'fast RNFL thickness' and 'fast optic disc' were used for testing. The patients' age, gender, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), IOP, stereometric and functional parameters were compared. Results: The average age of the examined population was 65.49 ± 9.36 (range 44-83) years. There was no statistically significant difference by age and by gender between the two study groups (p = 0.795 and p = 0.807, respectively). BCVA was higher in patients with NTG but there was no statistically significant difference compared to HTG patients (p = 0.160). IOP was statistically significantly higher in patients with HTG compared to NTG patients (17.40 ± 2.77 mmHg vs 14.95 ± 3.01 mmHg, p = 0.009). The cup/disc (C/D) (p = 0.258), mean deviation (MD) (p = 0.477), corrected patern standard deviation (CPSD) (p = 0.943), disk area (p = 0.515), rim area (p = 0.294), rim volume (p = 0.118), C/D area R (p = 0.103), RNFL Average (p = 0.632), RNFL Superior (p = 0.283) and RNFL Inferior (p = 0.488) were not statistically significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: OCT measurements of the RNFL thickness provide clinically significant information in monitoring of glaucomatous changes. There are no differences in the patterns of RNFL defects per sectors and quadrants between NTG and HTG, measured by OCT.

[Effect of a tight necktie on intraocular pressure].

INTRODUCTION: Any factor causing constriction of the neck may lead to an increase in intraocular pressure. A tight necktie may result in increasing intraocular pressure, which could lead to an erroneous diagnosis and treatment of ocular hypertension or even glaucoma. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of a tight necktie on intraocular pressure measurement using Goldmann applanation tonometry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included forty eyes of 20 patients with primary open angle glaucoma and 20 healthy controls (all male). Intraocular pressure was measured without a necktie, 3 minutes after placing a tight necktie and 3 minutes after loosening it. Student's t-test was used to analyze the data between two groups. The intraocular pressure measurements were subjected to paired t-test. The va lue p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A possible correlation between the age of subjects and intraocular pressure values was analyzed using linear regression (Pearson). RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found in intraocular pressure readings in all three measurements between two tested groups (p < 0.05). When analyzed within groups, statistical significance in intraocular pressure readings was found after loosening the necktie (< 0.05). No correlation between the age of subjects and increased intraocular pressure was found in either tested group of subjects after the necktie had been tightened (r2 = 0.006, p = 0.70 for primary open angle patients, r2 = 0.07, p = 0. 22 for healthy controls). CONCLUSION: Wearing a tight necktie for a limited period of time during the day could be considered as a possible risk factor for glaucoma development.

Ocular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis-different forms and frequency.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease associated with a number of extra-articular organ manifestations. Ocular manifestations involved with RA are keratoconjunctivitis sicca, episcleritis, scleritis , corneal changes, and retinal vasculitus. The etiopathogenesis of this autoimmune disorder is still unknown. Aim of our study was to present different ocular manifestations of RA and their frequency. We have examined 691 patient with the diagnoses of RA. All examined patients were in I or II stage of the disease according to criteria of The American College of Rheumatology. Ophthalmological exam obtained: visual acuity by Snellen sings, biomicroscopy of anterior segment, Schirmer test, tear break-up time (BUT), applanation tonometry and indirect ophthalmoscopy. In all patients with retinal vasculitis fotofundus and in indicated cases fluorescein angiography was preformed. The most common manifestation of ocular involvement was keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Episcleritis was diagnosed in 5.06% patients with RA, while scleritis was present in 2.06% of patients. Diffuse scleritis was present in one patient, while nodular was present in 13 patients. There were no patients with posterior or necrotizing scleritis among examined patients. Sclerosing keratitis was diagnosed in 11 female patients. It is characterized with peripheral thickening and opacification of the stroma adjacent to the site of inflammation. Posterior scleritis or scleromalacia of cornea was not present in our patients, because all of them were in I or II stage of disease. Retinal vasculitis was present in three patients, two male and one female patient (0.45%). Ocular manifestation was present in 27.2% of patients. Women were more affected.

Is nail fold capillaroscopy useful in normotensive and primary open angle glaucoma? A pilot study.

PURPOSE: Vascular dysregulation is deemed a significant risk factor in glaucoma occurrence and progression. Capillaroscopy of the blood vessels on the finger nail-fold is a method that can provide information regarding the state of the vascular system at the capillary level. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether there are significant differences in the morphological characteristics of the peripheral blood vessels in normotensive glaucoma and primary open angle glaucoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ophthalmological and capillaroscopic examination was conducted on 30 normotensive glaucoma patients and 30 primary open angle glaucoma patients. The capillaroscopic characteristics described were as follows: capillary row density, capillary diameter, number of spirally formed capillaries, permeability of the loop, and loop resistance. RESULTS: Statistically, significantly more intensively spiraled capillaries were found in normotensive glaucoma patients (χ(2) test, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm the thesis that vascular factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the glaucoma, especially in cases where the level of intraocular pressure cannot be deemed responsible for the present damage of the optical nerve. Despite the newer, technologically more developed methods for diagnostics and monitoring glaucoma, it is often not easy to establish the right diagnosis and determine further the course of the illness, since the role the intraocular pressure (IOP) plays compared to the role of vascular factors is unknown; hence, capillaroscopy as a complementary diagnostic procedure can be of help.

[Ocular pseudoexfoliation syndrome].

INTRODUCTION: This study was aimed at providing an update on most recent developments regarding ocular and systemic manifestations and complications, clinical diagnosis and management, and molecular patophysiology of pseudoexfoliation syndrome. METHOD: Review of recent literature and own clinical and laboratory studies. RESULTS: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome is an age-related disease in which abnormal fibrillar extracellular material is produced and accumulated in many ocular tissues. Recent progress and advances have led to improvements in clinical management by understanding the effects of the pseudoexfoliation process on the ocular tissues, by refining diagnostic criteria and applying new treatment regimes, and by developing preventive strategies to reduce surgical complications. Increasing evidence of systemic associations of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, abdominal aorta aneurysm can provide better understanding and management of this condition, and new therapeutic goal. The current pathogenesis concept describes psuedoexfoliation syndrome as an elastic microfibrillopathy involving transforming growth factor-beta, matrix metalloproteinase oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: Despite extensive research, the exact chemical composition of exfoliation material remains unknown. The presence of pseudoexfoliation should alert the physician to the increased risks of intraocular surgery, most commonly zonular dehiscence, capsular rupture, and vitreous loss during cataract extraction. Its associated clinical signs are important in the detection and management of glaucoma.