Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: Outcomes of Multiple Repeat Treatments.

PURPOSE: To characterize intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, effect duration, and side effect profile of repeat selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) used as primary stand-alone treatment for open-angle glaucoma (OAG). The secondary aim was to investigate covariates associated with treatment response to SLT. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 52 patients with treatment-naïve OAG who received 3 installments of 3600 SLT as stand-alone glaucoma therapy. When both eyes met the inclusion criteria, only right eye data were used for analysis. METHODS: The study was conducted in a single specialist practice. First, second, and third SLT (SLT1, SLT2, SLT3, respectively) treatments were compared for IOP reduction and effect duration. Eyes were classified as "treatment responders" if they had ≥20% IOP reduction 4 to 8 weeks post-SLT compared with baseline. Effect duration was the interval between SLT and the time point at which the surgeon decided inadequate IOP control necessitated repeat SLT. Individuals were excluded if they underwent intraocular surgery during the study period or received treatment with adjunctive ocular hypotensive medications. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reduction in IOP post-SLT and effect duration between treatments. RESULTS: Mean age at SLT1 was 58 years; 50% were male, and 92% were phakic. The SLT1 and SLT3 both resulted in mean 27% IOP reduction at 4 to 8 weeks, whereas SLT2 led to 26% IOP reduction. Response rate (≥20% IOP reduction at 4-8 weeks) was 79% for SLT1, 73% for SLT2, and 81% for SLT3, but the difference was not statistically significant. Response to repeat SLT was not significantly associated with previous SLT outcome. Effect duration was 22.2 months, 33.8 months, and 28.9 months after SLT1, SLT2, and SLT3, respectively. Effect duration was significantly longer after SLT2 (P = 0.0006) and SLT3 (P = 0.0444) compared with SLT1. There was no significant association between SLT response and gender, lens status, or OAG subtype. CONCLUSIONS: For primary stand-alone treatment in OAG, initial and repeat SLTs produced comparable percentage IOP reduction, but repeat SLTs had longer effect duration. Intraocular pressure response to SLT was not predictive of the IOP response to subsequent, repeat SLT treatment.

Cardiovascular Disease Predicts Structural and Functional Progression in Early Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between cardiovascular disease and baseline structural defects and disease progression in glaucoma. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal study of preperimetric and perimetric glaucoma. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand six hundred twenty-eight eyes from 1314 participants recruited to the Progression Risk of Glaucoma: Relevant SNPs with Significant Association (PROGRESSA) study were evaluated for baseline and longitudinal structural thinning using spectral-domain OCT and for visual field progression on Humphrey visual field (HVF) assessment. METHODS: Patients were classified as either predominantly macula ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), predominantly peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), or both mGCIPL and pRNFL structural change at enrollment, and then evaluated for longitudinal OCT or HVF progression. Cardiovascular disease and medication characteristics of the participants were compared with a reference group of stable patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: OCT and HVF baseline status and longitudinal progression. RESULTS: After accounting for age and cardiovascular characteristics, patients with predominantly mGCIPL thinning at baseline showed a higher prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 2.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66-4.41; P < 0.001), antihypertensive use (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.20-3.46; P = 0.008), and statin use (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.07-3.66; P = 0.029) than reference patients. Patients with predominantly pRNFL thinning exhibited a comparable prevalence of cardiovascular disease or medication with reference patients. Review of longitudinal OCT and HVF data (mean follow-up, 5.34 ± 1.29 years) showed that hypertension was associated with an increased risk of both OCT (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.17-2.75; P = 0.006) and HVF progression (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.18-3.15; P = 0.013). A 1-standard deviation (approximately 21 mmHg) increase in systolic blood pressure at baseline was associated with a greater risk of OCT progression (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01-1.63; P = 0.041) and HVF progression (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.73; P = 0.043). The association between systolic blood pressure and structural progression was comparable to that observed between intraocular pressure and structural progression (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.01-1.67; P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular disease is an important risk factor for glaucoma progression.

A modified technique for intraluminal stenting of glaucoma drainage devices: The guide-wire technique.

Glaucoma drainage tubes have become increasingly popular in the surgical management of uncontrolled glaucoma. Flow restriction is essential to prevent early postoperative hypotony with non-flow restrictive glaucoma drainage devices. Herein, we describe a new way of using a 3-0 Supramid suture as an intraluminal stent. This technique confers no risk of stent exposure, can be removed ab interno without disturbing the conjunctiva, and aids insertion of the tube into the anterior chamber through a scleral tunnel.

Multitrait analysis of glaucoma identifies new risk loci and enables polygenic prediction of disease susceptibility and progression.

Glaucoma, a disease characterized by progressive optic nerve degeneration, can be prevented through timely diagnosis and treatment. We characterize optic nerve photographs of 67,040 UK Biobank participants and use a multitrait genetic model to identify risk loci for glaucoma. A glaucoma polygenic risk score (PRS) enables effective risk stratification in unselected glaucoma cases and modifies penetrance of the MYOC variant encoding p.Gln368Ter, the most common glaucoma-associated myocilin variant. In the unselected glaucoma population, individuals in the top PRS decile reach an absolute risk for glaucoma 10 years earlier than the bottom decile and are at 15-fold increased risk of developing advanced glaucoma (top 10% versus remaining 90%, odds ratio = 4.20). The PRS predicts glaucoma progression in prospectively monitored, early manifest glaucoma cases (P = 0.004) and surgical intervention in advanced disease (P = 3.6 × 10-6). This glaucoma PRS will facilitate the development of a personalized approach for earlier treatment of high-risk individuals, with less intensive monitoring and treatment being possible for lower-risk groups.

A review of aqueous outflow resistance and its relevance to microinvasive glaucoma surgery.

Primary open-angle glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, and intraocular pressure reduction remains the only proven treatment strategy. Elevated intraocular pressure occurs as the result of impaired aqueous humor outflow. Both a passive model and a dynamic model have been used to explain trabecular outflow resistance. The passive model posits that the trabecular meshwork acts as a static filter that exerts stable and passive resistance to outflow. In contrast, the dynamic model involves a "biomechanical pump." In recent years, the range of surgical management options for glaucoma has dramatically expanded, particularly the class of procedures known as microinvasive glaucoma surgery. These procedures typically target and enhance specific outflow routes. Optimal patient outcomes with microinvasive glaucoma surgery require a clear understanding of aqueous outflow and a surgical approach that is targeted to overcome the site of abnormal resistance in the individual. We review the anatomy and physiology of trabecular and suprachoroidal outflow that is of relevance to microinvasive glaucoma surgery-performing surgeons.

Macular Ganglion Cell-Inner Plexiform Layer Loss Precedes Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Loss in Glaucoma with Lower Intraocular Pressure.

PURPOSE: To investigate which clinical measures influence whether an individual demonstrates earliest glaucomatous structural progression on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) or macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL). DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred seventy-one eyes from 207 individuals with statistically significant evidence of glaucomatous progression on OCT Guided Progression Analysis (GPA) software were drawn from a total of 1271 eyes from 686 individuals categorized as glaucoma suspect or having early manifest glaucoma undergoing glaucoma surveillance. METHODS: Individuals demonstrating earliest evidence of longitudinal progression on mGCIPL GPA event analysis were compared with individuals demonstrating evidence of earliest longitudinal progression on pRNFL GPA event analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation of OCT event change analysis with intraocular pressure (IOP), clinical variables, and baseline thickness of the pRNFL and mGCIPL. RESULTS: Intraocular pressure, baseline pRNFL thickness, baseline mGCIPL thickness, and systemic hypertension were associated with location of first progression. Eyes demonstrating earliest longitudinal progression on mGCIPL had significantly lower maximum-recorded pretreatment IOP (mean difference, 3.90 mmHg; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.37-5.43 mmHg; P < 0.001). The interval between progression on pRNFL and progression on mGCIPL increased by 12.4 months for every 5-mmHg increase in IOP (95% CI, 10.32-15.72 months). Eyes demonstrating earliest longitudinal progression on mGCIPL showed significantly lower baseline average pRNFL thickness than eyes progressing on pRNFL first (mean difference, 7.07 µm; 95% CI, 4.38-9.77 µm; P < 0.001). Eyes progressing first on mGCIPL parameters were 3.03 times more likely to demonstrate a new paracentral field defect than eyes progressing first on pRNFL parameters (odds ratio, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.26-7.28; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical features, particularly pretreatment IOP, influence whether structural glaucoma progression is detected earlier with mGCIPL or pRNFL imaging. These data support the usefulness of mGCIPL imaging in addition to pRNFL analysis for detection of glaucoma progression, particularly in patients with normal IOP.

Changes in Australian practice patterns for glaucoma management.

IMPORTANCE: The demand for glaucoma care is projected to increase significantly with the ageing population. BACKGROUND: To characterize trends in Australian practice patterns for glaucoma management over the 15-y period between 2003 and 2017. DESIGN: Retrospective audit. SAMPLES: The Medicare eligible population. METHODS: Audit of Medicare Benefits Schedule item number reimbursements in the private healthcare sector, and dispensed Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriptions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number, unadjusted cost and services per capita in the enrolled population. RESULTS: The number of medication prescriptions peaked in 2015, but then declined by 14.9%. PBS expenditure on glaucoma medications has been falling since 2012. There was a 9.2-fold increase in fixed-combination prescriptions and 281-fold increase in unpreserved medication prescriptions. In 2017, optometrists generated 1.86% of glaucoma prescriptions. Reimbursements for computerized perimetry increased dramatically for optometrists, and in 2017 optometrist-initiated perimetry exceeded ophthalmologist-initiated perimetry by 35.3%. There were significant increases in laser procedure rates, including laser trabeculoplasty (4.61-fold), laser iridotomy (2.55-fold) and cyclodestructive procedures (2.33-fold). There was a 3.83-fold increase in glaucoma drainage device insertions. Ab interno trabecular microbypass procedures increased 715% from 2014 to 2017. Adjusted for Medicare population, trabecular microbypass is performed at more than twice the rate of primary filtering operations. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This is the first time that glaucoma medication use and expenditure have declined since auditing began in 1992. Glaucoma laser procedures, drainage device implantation and trabecular microbypass increased substantially over the study period. In contrast, the rate of primary filtering operations increased in proportion to population growth. The increase in overall cost of glaucoma care has primarily been driven by computerized perimetry; however, this has been partially offset by a decline in medication expenditure.

Prevalence and type of artefact with spectral domain optical coherence tomography macular ganglion cell imaging in glaucoma surveillance.

PURPOSE: The ganglion cell analysis (GCA) of the CIRRUSTM HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss, Meditec; Dublin, CA) provides measurement of the macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness. This study determined the frequency of scan artefacts and errors in GCIPL imaging in individuals undergoing HD-OCT surveillance for glaucoma. METHOD: A total of 1439 eyes from 721 subjects enrolled in a prospective study assessing predictors of glaucoma progression underwent macular GCIPL imaging with the CIRRUS HD-OCT at recruitment. The prevalence of acquisition errors, segmentation errors, and co-morbid macular pathology was determined. RESULTS: A total of 87 (6.0%) of the 1439 scans had either acquisition errors, segmentation artefacts, or other macular pathology. The most common co-morbid macular pathology was epiretinal membrane in 2.2% of eyes. CONCLUSION: The macular GCIPL scan was artefact free in 94% of eyes. However, epiretinal membrane and high myopia can cause scan artefact and should be considered when interpreting the results.

Comparing Total Keratometry Measurement on the IOLMaster 700 With Goggin Nomogram Adjusted Anterior Keratometry.

PURPOSE: To compare "total keratometry" measurements with Goggin nomogram adjusted anterior keratometry (GNAK) for toric intraocular lens calculation. METHODS: Routine biometry provided measured total keratometry values from which astigmatism was derived. The Goggin nomogram was applied to anterior keratometry values on the same eyes to provide nomogram-adjusted anterior keratometry values (GNAK) that estimate total corneal astigmatism. The agreement between total keratometry and GNAK was analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, in 46 eyes there was no statistically significant difference between median GNAK and total keratometry power values (P = .746). No statistically significant difference remained in against-the-rule and oblique subgroup analyses. Absolute and signed steep axis of astigmatism was statistically significantly different for GNAK and total keratometry in the overall analysis (P < .001 and = .029, respectively) and for against-the-rule and oblique subgroup analyses. The with-the-rule subgroup showed a statistically significant difference in astigmatic power and no significant signed steep axis difference between GNAK and total keratometry. CONCLUSIONS: Total keratometry appears able to measure total corneal astigmatism to match closely (clinically and statistically) GNAK estimation of that parameter. This indicates that it would be safe and reasonable to use total keratometry data for planning of cataract surgery with toric IOLs. [J Refract Surg. 2018;34(8):521-526.].

Antibiotic prophylaxis in cataract surgery in the setting of penicillin allergy: A decision-making algorithm.

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in many developed countries. Postoperative endophthalmitis is a rare complication with potentially devastating visual outcomes. Currently, there is no global consensus regarding antibiotic prophylaxis in cataract surgery despite growing evidence of the benefits of prophylactic intracameral cefuroxime at the conclusion of surgery. The decision about which antibiotic regimen to use is further complicated in patients reporting penicillin allergy. Historic statistics suggesting crossreactivity of penicillins and cephalosporins have persisted into modern surgery. It is important for ophthalmologists to consider all available antibiotic options and have an up-to-date knowledge of antibiotic crossreactivity when faced with the dilemma of choosing appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis for patients undergoing cataract surgery with a history of penicillin allergy. Each option carries risks, and the choice may have medicolegal implications in the event of an adverse outcome. We assess the options for antibiotic prophylaxis in cataract surgery in the setting of penicillin allergy and provide an algorithm to assist decision-making for individual patients.

IgG4 Staining in Thyroid Eye Disease.

IgG4-related ophthalmic disease is increasingly widely recognized. Moreover, IgG4 staining can occur in other inflammatory diseases. The authors report a case of IgG4 staining of an enlarged, inflamed levator palpebrae superioris in a patient with a past history of thyroid eye disease. A 78-year-old woman with quiescent hyperthyroidism had clinical and radiological evidence of levator palpebrae superioris inflammation without superior rectus involvement. A biopsy was consistent with IgG4-related ophthalmic disease. There was a marked but incomplete response to an orbital injection of triamcinolone. The authors discuss the association between thyroid eye disease and IgG4 staining and the diagnostic issues that arise when IgG4-related ophthalmic disease criteria are fulfilled in patients with other orbital inflammatory conditions.

Review of paediatric retinal microvascular changes as a predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Recent studies have supported the hypothesis that exposure to established cardiovascular risk factors in early life predisposes to the development of adult cardiovascular disease. Retinal imaging is an emerging technique which facilitates non-invasive, accurate and reproducible assessment of the retinal microvasculature. The assessment may be in the form of static vascular calibre measurements and assessment of the vascular geometry or dynamic structural and functional assessments. Paediatric retinal microvascular changes are reported in response to elevated blood pressure, type 1 diabetes, increasing adiposity, diet, physical activity, systemic inflammation, metabolic peptides, family history and prenatal factors. The resultant microvascular changes have been linked to sub-clinical and overt cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and metabolic disease states in the adult population. Still missing however is longitudinal evidence showing the persistence of retinal microvascular alterations into adulthood. Future studies will enable retinal microvascular assessment to further evaluate the pathogenesis of disease states and response to intervention. The data obtained will also aid in expanding the clinical utility of retinal imaging as a cardiovascular risk prediction and monitoring tool and supplement existing recommendations to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Ten-year all-cause mortality and its association with vision among Indigenous Australians within Central Australia: the Central Australian Ocular Health Study.

BACKGROUND: No studies to date have explored the association of vision with mortality in Indigenous Australians. We aimed to determine the 10-year all-cause mortality and its associations among Indigenous Australians living in Central Australia. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1257 (93.0%) of 1347 patients from The Central Australian Ocular Health Study, over the age of 40 years, were available for follow-up during a 10-year period. METHODS: All-cause mortality and its associations with visual acuity, age and gender were analysed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality. RESULTS: All-cause mortality was 29.3% at the end of 10 years. Mortality increased as age of recruitment increased: 14.2% (40-49 years), 22.6% (50-59 years), 50.3% (60 years or older) (χ = 59.15; P < 0.00001). Gender was not associated with mortality as an unadjusted variable, but after adjustment with age and visual acuity, women were 17.0% less likely to die (t = 2.09; P = 0.037). Reduced visual acuity was associated with increased mortality rate (5% increased mortality per one line of reduced visual acuity; t = 4.74; P < 0.0001) after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-year all-cause mortality rate of Indigenous Australians over the age of 40 years and living in remote communities of Central Australia was 29.3%. This is more than double that of the Australian population as a whole. Mortality was significantly associated with visual acuity at recruitment. Further work designed to better understand this association is warranted and may help to reduce this disparity in the future.

Clinico-radiological features of primary lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma: an analysis of 37 cases.

PURPOSE: To present the radiological and clinical features of primary lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma (PLGPA). METHODS: Thirty-seven consecutive PLGPAs presenting to two hospitals in Japan were reviewed. RESULTS: PLGPA cases had 15 men and 22 women with a mean age of 51.9 years. Common presenting features were ptosis (83 %), diplopia (78 %) and globe displacement (78 %). Twenty-two percent of cases reported symptom duration of less than 6 months, but only 5.6 % of cases had pain. Sixteen percent of PLGPAs were centered in the palpebral lobe; none of which were associated with globe indentation or lacrimal fossa expansion. Bony excavation was observed in 84 % of orbital lobe PLGPA; the bone margin was well demarcated and the character of excavation was more frequently smooth than scalloped (2:1). The presence of globe indentation or bony excavation was associated with increased tumor size (p = 0.003). An enhancing rim was visible on T1-weighted fat-suppressed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (T1FS-Gad MRI) in 27 %. Five (19 %) enclosed cystic spaces were bright on T2-weighted MRI and non-enhancing. Calcification of tumor parenchyma was common in cystic cases but rare in non-cystic cases (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: PLGPAs have varied clinical and radiological features. Common radiological features are a heterogeneous internal architecture on T2-weighted MRI, an enhancing rim on T1FS-Gad MRI, smooth or scalloped bony excavation with intact cortical bone, and globe indentation. Cystic spaces, calcification, and symptom duration less than 6 months are common, but pain is rare. Awareness of the clinico-radiological variants of PLGPA is important when considering incisional biopsy of a lacrimal gland mass.

Lymphoid hyperplasia of the orbit and ocular adnexa: A clinical ​pathologic review.

Lymphoid hyperplasia (LH) is a benign lymphoproliferative disorder that, in a minority of cases, may be associated with concurrent or metachronous non-Hodgkin lymphoma. LH cases are further subdivided into "reactive" and "atypical" categories based on the presence or absence of unequivocal malignant features. With improving molecular diagnostic technologies, "reactive" LH is by far the most common category of LH, with atypical LH accounting for only a small minority of specimens. Similarly, lesions previously diagnosed as LH are now being revised as low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma or diagnosed as newly described benign conditions such as IgG4-related disease. Additional differential diagnoses include specific and nonspecific orbital inflammations, infiltrative processes, and depositions. Hence, there are emerging changes in the patterns and proportions of entities that fall within the spectrum of lymphoproliferative disorders of the orbit and ocular adnexa. Reactive LH and low-grade malignant lymphoproliferative disorders in the orbit and ocular adnexa are clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from each other, requiring tissue biopsy in all cases. The prognosis of ocular adnexal LH is generally favorable, but the small risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma mandates follow-up for at least 5 years. We summarize the current state of knowledge on LH occurring in the orbit and ocular adnexa.

Bilateral IgG4-related ophthalmic disease: a strong indication for systemic imaging.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate whether bilateral or unilateral IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) is associated with extra-ophthalmic IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). METHODS: Twin-centre retrospective observational case series of biopsy-confirmed IgG4-ROD. Clinical and radiology data were reviewed for laterality of IgG4-ROD and presence of extra-ophthalmic disease. The literature was reviewed for case series of IgG4-ROD. RESULTS: 40 IgG4-ROD cases were identified, with median follow-up of 36 months. At diagnosis of IgG4-ROD, all cases were screened for extra-ophthalmic disease with physical examination and blood testing. Systemic imaging was performed in 20 (50%) cases due to clinical suspicion of extra-ophthalmic disease. Of the 21 unilateral IgG4-ROD cases, 3 (14%) had extra-ophthalmic involvement. Of the 19 bilateral cases, 15 (79%) had extra-ophthalmic involvement. Extra-ophthalmic involvement was strongly associated with bilateral IgG4-ROD (p<0.001). On pooling our data (n=40) with previously published cases (n=142), the association remained strong (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral IgG4-ROD is strongly associated with extra-ophthalmic IgG4-RD. We recommend that imaging of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis be performed for all bilateral cases. Systemic imaging should also be considered in unilateral cases as a significant proportion of these patients will also have extra-ophthalmic disease.

Idiopathic Dacryoadenitis: Clinical Features, Histopathology, and Treatment Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To review the clinical and histologic features of idiopathic dacryoadenitis, and to assess prognostic factors associated with disease recurrence, treatment recalcitrance, and incomplete treatment response. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS: setting: Tertiary referral centers. PATIENTS: Seventy-nine cases of biopsy-confirmed idiopathic dacryoadenitis. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES: The following data were reviewed: age, sex, laterality, symptom onset, clinical presentation, histopathology, treatment response, and recurrence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of treatment recalcitrance, incomplete treatment response, and recurrence. RESULTS: Idiopathic dacryoadenitis patients had a mean age of 50 years, 57% were female, and 16% of cases were bilateral. Fifty-two percent had inflammation extending to adjacent structures on imaging. Twenty percent were recalcitrant to treatment, 17% had an incomplete treatment response, and 15% of patients had a recurrence during a mean follow-up time of 64 months. Risk factors for an incomplete treatment response were male sex (P = .01) and inflammation extending to extraocular muscle (P = .01). A clinical presentation of "classic" dacryoadenitis was a risk factor for treatment recalcitrance (P = .02). Bilateral cases were younger than unilateral cases (P = .004) and had an increased risk of recurrence (P = .05). Sclerosing cases were associated with an insidious onset of symptoms (P = .009), but neither histopathology nor the speed of symptom onset was associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Thirty-seven percent of idiopathic dacryoadenitis had a poor response to treatment and 15% of cases recurred. The prognostic factors identified in this study have not been reported previously and may inform management.

Intraorbital corticosteroid injection for the treatment of IgG4-related ophthalmic disease.

AIM: To review the efficacy of intraorbital corticosteroid injection for the treatment of IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD). METHODS: This study was a retrospective twin-centre histopathology review and observational case series. A chart review was undertaken for 10 cases of biopsy-confirmed IgG4-ROD treated with intraorbital corticosteroid injection. The main outcome measures were the magnitude, onset and duration of the clinical response. RESULTS: All cases received intraorbital injection(s) of 20 or 40 mg doses of triamcinolone acetonide suspension (Kenacort-A 40, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Australia). Intraorbital corticosteroid injection was associated with a swift positive response in all cases. 50% of cases achieved complete and sustained clinical remission during mean follow-up of 41 months. This was achieved with a single injection in three cases and with repeat injections in two cases. Peak clinical improvement was reached in ≤7 days following 61% of injections. 60% of cases suffered relapse and 56% of relapses occurred during weeks 3 or 4 following injection. Sclerosing histology was associated with a clinical response that was gradual in onset (p=0.01) and that tended to be incomplete (p=0.4). There were no complications of injection other than brief discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Intraorbital injection of corticosteroid may be a useful treatment option for IgG4-ROD. It may have a role as a first-line therapy in selected cases of IgG4-ROD centred in the anterior orbit. However, most cases require repeat injections due to incomplete response and relapse.