Topical insulin, a novel corneal epithelial regeneration agent in dry eye disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of insulin eye drops for dry eye disease in reducing corneal staining and improving symptoms. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, patients with dry eye disease treated with off-label use of insulin eye drops were collected. The main inclusion criterion was diagnosis of dry eye disease with epithelial damage and acceptance of the off-label use of topical insulin. Age, sex, type of dry eye disease, time since diagnosis, previous ocular surgeries, concomitant treatment, best corrected visual acuity, symptoms, conjunctival hyperemia and corneal staining were recorded. Data from the 1 and 3-month visit were included. RESULTS: 16 patients (32 eyes) were treated with insulin (14 females and 2 males; mean age 61.3 ± 16.8 years). 12 patients (71%) were also on autologous serum and 10 patients (63%) on cyclosporine. Symptoms were 3.4 ± 1.3 (range 2-5) when scaled from 0 to 5. Mean hyperemia was 1.0 ± 0.9 (range 0-3) and corneal staining was 2.5 ± 1.3 (range 0-5). After 3 months, 5 patients (31%) referred to be much better, 6 (38%) better, 3 (19%) slightly better and 2 patients (13%) were subjectively similar, mean symptoms being 2.3 ± 1.0 (range 1-4; p = 0.001). Hyperemia was 0.3 ± 0.4 (range 0-1) and corneal staining was 1.1 ± 1.0 (range 0-3; both p < 0.001). Topical insulin was well tolerated with no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The excellent results presented in these case series illustrate topical insulin as a promising treatment in dry eye disease with refractory epithelial damage.

Spontaneous Regression of Choroidal Neovascularization in a Girl with Rubella Retinopathy.

Rubella retinopathy is usually a benign disorder with low impact on visual acuity. However, choroidal neovascularization can occur in these patients threatening their vision. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl with rubella retinopathy who developed a neovascular membrane and was successfully managed with observation. Decision to treat or observe in these patients must be carefully weighed, with both options being valid depending mainly on the location of the neovascular complex.

In vitro comparison of marginal infiltration between a conventional resin and a bulk-fill resin, in the relocation of cervical margins technique / Comparación in vitro de la infiltración marginal entre una resina convencional y una resina bulk-fill, en la técnica de reubicación de márgenes cervicales

Introduction: Proximal lesions that exceed the cement enamel limit (ACE) under the gingival margin complicate impressions and the adhesive technique. Compare the magnitude of micro infiltration between conventional resin and bulk fill resin in the cervical margin relocation technique. Materials and Methods: 48 samples of human teeth re-ceived two preparations: occluso-mesial (OM) and occluso-distal (OD) under LAC; first they received the cervical margin relocation technique (RMC) with bulk fill and conventional resin; then restored with semi-direct resinous inlays. Sample analysis: immersion in 50% colloidal silver nitrate solution, 24 hours, 37°C and cut mesiodistally. Observed under a stereoscopic magnifying glass to assess dye penetration and digitally photographed, analyzed with "Image J" software. Results: Sample of 96 cavities in two groups of 48 units; control group restored with conventional resin with incremental technique and study group restored with bulk fill resin, mono-incremental technique. Probabilistic sampling. No statistically significant diffe-rences in percentage of microinfiltrated area between Filtek™ Z250™ and Filtek™ Bulk Fill™ (p-value= 0.68). Discussion: Various studies show that the presence of marginal microinfiltration exist independent of: restorative technique, consistency, adhesive mechanism and polyme-rization technique. The research carried out is no exception, observing a similar degree for both systems. Conclusions: Results allow us to conclude that conventi-onal resin and bulk fill resin did not show significant differences in microleakage percentages for the RMC technique. Outside the study framework, bulk fill resins would have comparative advantages; better behavior against light in depths greater than 2 mm, less sensitivity to the "C" factor, and less clinical time.

Introducción: Las lesiones proximales que superan el límite cemento esmalte (ACE) por debajo del margen gingival complican las impresiones y la técnica adhesiva. Comparar la magnitud de la microinfiltración entre la resina convencional y la resina de relleno en la técnica de reubicación del margen cervical. Materiales y Métodos: 48 muestras de dientes humanos recibieron dos preparaciones: ocluso-mesial (OM) y ocluso-distal (OD) bajo LAC, primero recibieron la técnica de reubicación del margen cervical (RMC) con relleno en bloque y resina convencional; luego restaurado con incrustaciones resinosas semidirectas. Análisis de la muestra: inmersión en solución de nitrato de plata coloidal al 50%, 24 horas, 37°C y corte mesiodistal. Observado bajo una lupa estereoscópica para evaluar la penetración del tinte y fotografiado digitalmente, analizado con el software "Image J". Resultados: Muestra de 96 cavidades en dos grupos de 48 unidades; grupo control restaurado con resina convencional con técnica incremental y grupo estudio restaurado con resina bulk fill, técnica mono-incremental. Muestreo probabilístico. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el porcentaje de área microinfiltrada entre Filtek™ Z250™ y Filtek™ Bulk Fill™ (p-value = 0,68) Discusión: Diversos estudios evidencian presencia de microinfiltración marginal, independiente de técnica restauradora, consistencia, mecanismo adhesivo y técnica polimerizadora. La investigación realizada no es excepción, observándose grado similar para ambos sistemas. Conclusiones: Los resultados permiten concluir que resina convencional y resina bulk fill no presentaron diferencias significativas en porcentajes de microinfiltración para técnica RMC. Fuera del marco del estudio, resinas bulk fill tendrían ventajas comparativas; mejor comportamiento frente a la luz en profundidades superiores a 2 mm, menor sensibilidad al factor "C", y menor tiempo clínico.

Intervortex Venous Anastomosis in the Macula in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Imaged by En Face Optical Coherence Tomography.

PURPOSE: To assess the presence of macular intervortex venous anastomosis in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) patients using en face optical coherence tomography (EF-OCT). METHODS: A cross-sectional study where EF-OCT 6 × 6 and 12 × 12 mm macular scans of patients with unilateral chronic CSCR were evaluated for anastomosis between vortex vein systems in the central macula. The presence of prominent anastomoses was defined as a connection with a diameter ≥150 µm between the inferotemporal and superotemporal vortex vein systems which crossed the temporal raphe. Three groups were studied: CSCR eyes (with an active disease with the presence of neurosensorial detachment; n = 135), fellow unaffected eyes (n = 135), and healthy eyes as controls (n = 110). Asymmetries, abrupt termination, sausaging, bulbosities and corkscrew appearance were also assessed. RESULTS: In 79.2% of the CSCR eyes there were prominent anastomoses in the central macula between the inferotemporal and superotemporal vortex vein systems, being more frequent than in fellow eyes and controls (51.8% and 58.2% respectively). The number of anastomotic connections was higher in the affected eye group (2.9 ± 1.8) than in the unaffected fellow eye group (2.1 ± 1.7) and the controls (1.5 ± 1.6) (p < 0.001). Asymmetry, abrupt terminations and the corkscrew appearance of the choroidal vessels were more frequent in the affected eyes, although no differences in sausaging or bulbosities were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Intervortex venous anastomoses in the macula were common in CSCR, being more frequently observed in affected eyes than in fellow unaffected eyes and healthy controls. This anatomical variation could have important implications concerning the pathogenesis and classification of the disease.

Sudden Consecutive Bilateral Amaurosis Secondary to Central Retinal Artery Occlusion After Kidney Transplantation.

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a medical emergency, considered a stroke equivalent by the American Heart Association. There are a few reported cases of bilateral CRAO, most of them occurring in the context of a systemic predisposing condition. We present a case of bilateral CRAO following kidney transplantation. This 58-year-old man suffered CRAO in the right eye 24 hours after having kidney transplantation surgery. Treatment with an intravenous bolus of high-dose corticosteroids and full-dose anticoagulation therapy was initiated. However, 48 hours later, the patient suffered contralateral CRAO, resulting in irreversible bilateral amaurosis. CRAO is a rare but devastating complication of non-ophthalmological surgery and must be considered in postoperative patients with visual complaints. CRAO may have different causal mechanisms, but due to the similarity of their clinical manifestations, accurate etiology is not always easy to establish. Given the importance of an early diagnosis, all physicians should know about its risk factors and be aware of how patients with suspected CRAO must be rapidly referred for general and ophthalmological evaluation.

Visual simulations of presbyopic corrections through cataract opacification.

PURPOSE: To study the viability of visual simulation of presbyopic correction in patients with cataract and the effect and impact of the cataract on the perceived visual quality of the different simulated presbyopic corrections preoperatively and postoperatively. SETTING: San Carlos Clinical Hospital, Madrid, Spain. DESIGN: Observational, noninterventional, pilot study, early feasibility of the device being studied. METHODS: Cataract patients were tested preoperatively (n = 24) and postoperatively (n = 15) after bilateral implantation of monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). The degree of cataract was evaluated objectively with the objective scatter index (OSI). Visual acuity (VA) and perceived visual quality of natural scene images (Multifocal Acceptance Score) were measured before and after cataract surgery at far (4 m), intermediate (64 cm) and near distance (40 cm) with 4 binocular presbyopic corrections (single vision, bifocal, monovision and modified-monovision) simulated with a binocular Simultaneous Vision simulator based on temporal multiplexing. RESULTS: VA was significantly correlated with OSI ( r = -0.71, P < .0005), although the visual degradation at far for each correction was constant and not correlated with OSI. The visual benefit at near distance provided by the presbyopic correction was noticeable (23.3% ± 27.6% across corrections) for OSI <5. The individual perceptual scores were highly correlated preoperatively vs postoperatively ( r = 0.64, P < .0005) for all corrections and distances. CONCLUSIONS: Visual simulations of IOLs are an excellent tool to explore prospective postoperative vision. The high correlation in the perceptual scores pre- and post-cataract surgery demonstrates that SimVis Gekko can be used in cataractous patients to guide the selection of the optimal correction for a patient.

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Analysis in Children With Migraine With and Without Aura Using Optical Coherence Tomography: A Case-Control Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in children with migraine, with and without aura, compared to healthy controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: In this cross-sectional case-control study, patients with a diagnosis of migraine with aura (MwA) or without aura (MwoA) were considered and healthy children were included as controls. Age, sex, duration of migraine, number of episodes per month, duration of episodes, and use of prophylactic treatment with magnesium were recorded. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic, neurologic, and pediatric examination. Optic nerve OCT images were obtained using Heidelberg Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering) and mean global RNFL thickness and the average thickness for each sector were noted. RESULTS: Thirty-seven children were included: 17 with migraine (9 MwoA and 8 MwA) and 20 controls, the mean age being 13.8 ± 2.9 (range: 8 to 16) and 13.4 ± 2.5 (range: 7 to 16) years, respectively. No significant differences in RNFL thickness were found when comparing all patients who had migraine with healthy controls. However, children with MwA showed statistically significant reductions in RNFL thickness in the temporal (mean difference: 7.83; 95% CI: 0.52 to 15.14, P = .027) and inferior-temporal (mean difference: 16.06; 95% CI: 1.95 to 30.16, P = .027) sectors compared to patients with MwoA. None of the other sectors showed statistically significant differences between groups (all P > .05). In the migraine group, negative correlations were detected between the number of episodes per month and RNFL thickness in the nasal-superior quadrant (r = -.420; P = .021). CONCLUSIONS: Children with MwA may present a decrease in RNFL thickness, which is associated with the number of episodes per month. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2023;60(3):196-202.].

Long-Term Consequences of COVID-19 Lockdown in Neovascular AMD Patients in Spain: Structural and Functional Outcomes after 1 Year of Standard Follow-Up and Treatment.

Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical care have been extensively analyzed. Specifically, in ophthalmology practice, patients suffering age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represent one of the most affected subgroups. After reporting the acute consequences of treatment suspension in neovascular AMD, we have now evaluated these same 242 patients (270 eyes) to assess if prior functional and anatomical situations can be restored after twelve months of regular follow-up and treatment. We compared data from visits before COVID-19 outbreak and the first visit after lockdown with data obtained in subsequent visits, until one year of follow-up was achieved. For each patient, rate of visual loss per year before COVID-19 pandemic, considered "natural history of treated AMD", was calculated. This rate of visual loss significantly increased during the lockdown period and now, after twelve months of regular follow-up, is still higher than before COVID outbreak (3.1 vs. 1.6 ETDRS letters/year, p < 0.01). Percentage of OCT images showing active disease is now lower than before the lockdown period (51% vs. 65.3%, p = 0.0017). Although anatomic deterioration, regarding signs of active disease, can be apparently fully restored, our results suggest that functional consequences of temporary anti-VEGF treatment suspension are not entirely reversible after 12 months of treatment, as BCVA remains lower and visual loss rate is still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

CHARACTERIZING COVID-19-RELATED RETINAL VASCULAR OCCLUSIONS: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical and ophthalmologic features and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease-19 with retinal vascular occlusions. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter case series and PubMed review of cases reported from March 2020 to September 2021. Outcome measures are as follows: type of occlusion, treatments, best-corrected visual acuity, and central macular thickness on optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were identified. Fifteen patients with a median age of 39 (30-67) years were included in the multicenter study. Vascular occlusions included central retinal vein occlusion (12 eyes), branch retinal vein occlusion (4 eyes), and central retinal artery occlusion (2 eyes). Three cases were bilateral. Baseline best-corrected visual acuity was 20/45 (no light perception-20/20). Baseline central macular thickness was 348.64 (±83) µm. Nine eyes received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents, dexamethasone intravitreal implant, or both. Final best-corrected visual acuity was 20/25 (no light perception-20/20), and central macular thickness was 273.7 ± 68 µm (follow-up of 19.6 ± 6 weeks). Among the 24 cases from the literature review, retinal vein occlusion was the predominant lesion. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were similar to those found in our series. CONCLUSION: Coronavirus disease-19-associated retinal vascular occlusions tend to occur in individuals younger than 60 years. Retinal vein occlusion is the most frequent occlusive event, and outcomes are favorable in most cases.

Comparison of the efficacy of topical insulin with autologous serum eye drops in persistent epithelial defects of the cornea.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of topical insulin on epithelization in persistent epithelial defects (PED) refractory to usual treatment compared to autologous serum. DESIGN: Retrospective, consecutive case-control series. METHODS: The charts of 61 consecutive patients with PED treated with topical insulin (case group) and 23 treated with autologous serum (control group) were reviewed. Primary efficacy end points were the percentage of patients in which epithelization was achieved, as well as the rate and time until epithelization. Secondary efficacy point was need for amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) or other surgeries. RESULTS: Mean time between PED diagnosis and start of topical insulin was 22.7 ± 18.5 days (range 13-115) and the mean area was 14.8 ± 16.2 mm2 (range 1.1-70.6). In the control group, mean time was 27.9 ± 16.8 days, mean epithelial defect area being 18.6 ± 15.0 mm2 (range 1.7-52.9). No differences in baseline characteristics were found between groups (p > 0.05). Epithelization was achieved in 51 patients (84%) on insulin and 11 patients (48%) on autologous serum (p = 0.002). In those patients, mean time until reepithelization was 32.6 ± 28.3 days (range 4-124) in the insulin group and 82.6 ± 82.4 days (range 13-231) in the autologous serum group (p = 0.011). The need for AMT was significantly lower in the insulin group (p = 0.005). PED recurrence was higher in patients treated on autologous serum (43%) compared with insulin (11%) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Topical insulin is an effective treatment and safely promotes healing of PED. In our series, topical insulin presented better epithelization outcomes than autologous serum and could thus be considered as a first-line treatment.

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain on Structural and Functional Outcomes of Neovascular AMD Patients.

This is a retrospective single-center study of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration whose follow-up was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic with at least three months between visits in Madrid, Spain. The purpose of the study was to evaluate best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changes and try to identify features in optical coherence tomography (OCT) that could be related to more profound visual loss. It included 270 eyes. The two last visits before lockdown were used for comparison with the visit after lockdown. BCVA changed from 60.2 ± 18.2 to 55.9 ± 20.5 ETDRS letters. 29% of the eyes lost more than 5 letters. OCT was active in 67% of eyes before lockdown and in 80.4% after lockdown. Multiple lineal analysis showed that patients whose OCT before lockdown presented with a combination of intra and subretinal fluid were more likely to suffer a greater visual loss (p = 0.002). These patients should be encouraged to not miss any visits in case a new lockdown is imposed.

Design and evaluation of sound-based electronic football soccer training system for visually impaired athletes.

BACKGROUND: Several countries encourage the practice of football for rehabilitation and social inclusion purposes. For visually impaired people, football is purely sound-based, where the ball and the players are constantly emitting sounds for localization purposes in the field. However, the task of shooting the ball requires of a non-visually impaired extra person, behind the goal (known as caller), whom is punching the four corner of such goal to help the athletes. The presence of the caller restricts the self-sufficiency of the players. This work addresses such problem, by presenting a goal for visually impaired players with the aim of enhancing their self-sufficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The electronic goal is designed with four functionalities for training purposes, by returning sound-based feedback of its position and the places where the ball has impacted. The system is validated with seven volunteers from Chilean Football Soccer National Team. A questionnaire was answered by the players before and after the tests to statically validate the proposed device. RESULTS: The presented system is portable and designed following a modular criterion suitable for visually impaired people self-assembling. From a test of 350 shootings, the electronic goal showed to enhance the shooting assertiveness from 82 to 92%, and the accuracy from 20 to 56% compared to the traditional caller. CONCLUSIONS: The electronic goal showed to enhance the self-sufficiency of athletes, by improving their assertiveness in shooting training. Nevertheless, and according to the responses to the questionnaires, the system needs improvements in its portability and handling.