Medical Therapy for Large Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Holes.

PURPOSE: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of eyes with idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) that underwent initial medical management. METHODS: This retrospective study included eyes with FTMH that were initially managed with one month of topical therapy. Eligible subjects were treated with dorzolamide 2% three times a day, nepafenac 0.1% twice a day, and prednisolone acetate 1% four times a day. The primary endpoints was hole closure at one month and secondary endpoint was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Ten subjects (mean age: 62.80 years; female: 50%) with unilateral FTMH were studied. The mean basal diameter of the entire cohort at baseline was 824.1 µm (median 828 µm). Four (40%) of the smaller holes (mean 698 µm; median 698.50 µm) closed after one month of topical therapy, whereas larger holes (mean 908.17µm; median 889.50 µm) did not close. In one eye, the hole reopened 4 months after stopping the medication, but closed again at one month after re-starting the topical treatment. Median BCVA improved from 0.35 logMAR at baseline to 0.05 logMAR in eyes that closed but remained at 0.70 logMAR at one month in eyes that did not close. CONCLUSION: Topical corticosteroid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor therapy may promote closure of small FTMHs, but large holes are less likely to respond. One month of topical therapy might avoid subjecting some patients to complex vitreo-retinal surgery without compromising visual outcomes. Macular hole may re-open after stopping the topical therapy.

Nocardia brasiliensis endophthalmitis in a patient with an exposed Ahmed glaucoma drainage implant.

PURPOSE: To report a case of endophthalmitis due to Nocardia brasiliensis in an eye with an exposed, infected Ahmed glaucoma drainage implant (GDI). DESIGN: Retrospective case report. METHODS: A patient with an exposed GDI experienced recurrent episodes of endophthalmitis despite repeated intravitreal injections of antibiotics and steroids. The tube was initially repositioned and finally removed. RESULTS: Whereas repeated cultures from the anterior chamber and vitreous were negative, cultures from the removed tube grew Nocardia brasiliensis. Despite oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and intravitreal amikacin the eye became phthisical and lost light perception. CONCLUSIONS: An exposed GDI may lead to endophthalmitis due to Nocardia brasiliensis and may require explantation to establish a diagnosis.

Quality of life assessment septoplasty in patients with nasal obstruction.

UNLABELLED: Nasal obstruction is a common complaint in the population. When caused by a deviated nasal septum, septoplasty is the procedure of choice for treating these patients. NOSE is a tool for assessing the disease-specific quality of life related to nasal obstruction. AIM: To assess the impact of septoplasty on patients with nasal obstruction secondary to deviated nasal septum based on the disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire. DESIGN: Prospective. METHODS: Patients undergoing septoplasty with/without turbinectomy after no clinical improvement with medical treatment were assessed by the NOSE questionnaire before and 3 months after surgery. We evaluated the surgical improvement based on total score, the magnitude of the surgery in the disease-specific quality of life and the correlation between the preoperative score and postoperatively improvement. RESULTS: Fourty-six patients were included in the study. There was a statistically significant improvement in the preoperative NOSE score (md = 75, IQR = 26) and after three months (md = 10, IQR = 20) (p < 0.001.T-Wilcoxon). The standardized response mean was 3.07. We found a strong correlation between the preoperative score in the NOSE questionnaire and improvements in the postoperative period (r = -0.789, p < 0.001, Spearman). No difference was found in improvement scores by gender. (p = 0.668, U-Mann-Whitney). CONCLUSION: Septoplasty resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the disease-specific QOL questionnaire.

Avaliação da qualidade de vida após septoplastia em pacientes com obstrução nasal / Quality of life assessment septoplasty in patients with nasal obstruction

Obstrução nasal é uma queixa frequente. Quando causada por um desvio de septo nasal, a septoplastia é cirurgia de escolha para tratamento destes pacientes. O questionário NOSE é um instrumento para avaliar a qualidade de vida doença-específica dos pacientes após intervenções para tratamento da obstrução nasal. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto da septoplastia na qualidade de vida doença-específica dos pacientes com obstrução nasal secundária a desvio de septo. Desenho: Prospectivo. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Pacientes submetidos à septoplastia com/sem turbinectomia após ausência de melhora clínica ao tratamento medicamentoso foram avaliados através do NOSE antes e 3 meses após cirurgia. Avaliou-se a melhora na pontuação total, a magnitude do efeito da cirurgia na qualidade de vida doença-específica e a correlação entre a pontuação pré-operatória e a melhora pós-operatória. RESULTADOS: Quarenta e seis pacientes foram incluídos no estudo. Observou-se melhora estatisticamente significativa entre a pontuação do questionário NOSE pré-opera¬tória (md = 75, IIQ = 26) e após três meses (md = 10,IIQ = 20, p < 0,001.T-Wilcoxon). A cirurgia resultou numa magnitude de efeito padronizada de 3,07. Mostrou-se uma forte correlação entre a pontuação pré-operatória no questionário NOSE e a melhora da pontuação no pós-operatório (r = -0,789, p < 0,001, Spearman). Não se encontrou diferença entre a melhora na pontuação segundo sexo. (p = 0,668, U-Mann-Whitney). CONCLUSÃO: A septoplastia resultou numa melhora da QV doença-específica estatisticamente significativa.

Nasal obstruction is a common complaint in the population. When caused by a deviated nasal septum, septoplasty is the procedure of choice for treating these patients. NOSE is a tool for assessing the disease-specific quality of life related to nasal obstruction. AIM: To assess the impact of septoplasty on patients with nasal obstruction secondary to deviated nasal septum based on the disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire. Design: Prospective. METHODS: Patients undergoing septoplasty with/without turbinectomy after no clinical improvement with medical treatment were assessed by the NOSE questionnaire before and 3 months after surgery. We evaluated the surgical improvement based on total score, the magnitude of the surgery in the disease-specific quality of life and the correlation between the preoperative score and postoperatively improvement. RESULTS: Fourty-six patients were included in the study. There was a statistically significant improvement in the preoperative NOSE score (md = 75, IQR = 26) and after three months (md = 10, IQR = 20) (p < 0.001.T-Wilcoxon). The standardized response mean was 3.07. We found a strong correlation between the preoperative score in the NOSE questionnaire and improvements in the postoperative period (r = -0.789, p < 0.001, Spearman). No difference was found in improvement scores by gender. (p = 0.668, U-Mann-Whitney). CONCLUSION: Septoplasty resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the disease-specific QOL questionnaire.

Ventilation and spontaneous breathing at birth of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the interaction of spontaneous breaths, manual ventilation, and tidal volumes (V(T)) during stabilization of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in the delivery room. STUDY DESIGN: We studied infants with CDH receiving respiratory support at birth. Airway pressure, flow, and volume were measured, and each breath or inflation was analyzed. Each V(T) was classified as a manual inflation, a spontaneous breath, or a spontaneous breath coinciding with manual inflation on the basis of the timing of the pressure and flow waves. RESULTS: Twelve infants had 2957 breaths suitable for analysis, with spontaneous breathing in 11 infants (92%). The mean (+/-SD) proportion of manual inflations was 41% (+/-24%), spontaneous breaths 43% (+/-25%), spontaneous but coinciding with manual inflation 16% (+/-12%). V(T) was significantly different for spontaneous breaths (3.8 +/- 1.9 mL/kg), spontaneous breaths coinciding with manual inflation (4.7 +/- 2.5 mL/kg), and manual inflations alone (2.6 +/- 1.6 mL/kg). CONCLUSIONS: Most infants with CDH breathed spontaneously, and manual ventilation was mostly asynchronous. We observed large differences in tidal volumes between spontaneous breaths, manual inflations, or where these coincided, with manual inflations having the lowest V(T). Monitoring the respiratory pattern of these infants could improve respiratory support.

Randomized trial of systemic hypothermia selectively protects the cortex on MRI in term hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Twenty-six infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) were randomized to normothermia or to systemic hypothermia. The hypothermia group had less cortical gray matter signal abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (1/12 vs 7/14 infants in the normothermic group; P = .036), which may indicate differing regional benefit from systemic hypothermia.