Comparison of the new self-contained darkroom refractive screener versus table-top autorefractor and cycloplegia retinoscopy in detecting refractive error.

PURPOSE: By comparing the results of the new self-contained darkroom refractive screener (YD-SX-A) versus table-top autorefractor and cycloplegic retinoscopy, to evaluate the performance of the YD-SX-A in detecting refractive error in children and adolescents and then judge whether it can be used in refractive screening. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. 1000 participants between the ages of 6 and 18 who visited the Optometry Center of the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from June to December 2022 were selected. First, participants were instructed to measure their diopter with a table-top autorefractor (Topcon KR8800) and YD-SX-A in a noncycloplegic setting. After cycloplegia, they were retinoscopy by a professional optometrist. The results measured by three methods were collected respectively. To avoid deviation, only the right eye (1000 eyes) data were used in the statistical analysis. The Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreement of diopters measured by the three methods. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to analysis effectiveness of detecting refractive error of YD-SX-A. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 10.77 ± 3.00 years, including 504 boys (50.4%) and 496 girls (49.6%). When YD-SX-A and cycloplegia retinoscopy (CR) were compared in the myopia group, there was no statistical difference in spherical equivalent (SE) (P > 0.05), but there was a statistical difference in diopter spherical (DS) and diopter cylinder (DC) (P < 0.05). Comparing the diopter results of Topcon KR8800 and CR, the difference between each test value in the myopia group was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the hyperopia group, the comparison between YD-SX-A and CR showed no statistically significant differences in the DC (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in the SE and DS (P < 0.05). In the astigmatism group, the SE, DS, and DC were statistically different, and the DC of YD-SX-A was lower than that of CR and Topcon KR8800. Bland-Altman plots indicated that YD-SX-A has a moderate agreement with CR and Topcon KR8800. The sensitivity and specificity of YD-SX-A for detecting myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism were 90.17% and 90.32%, 97.78% and 87.88%, 84.08% and 74.26%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has identified that YD-SX-A has shown good performance in both agreement and effectiveness in detecting refractive error when compared with Topcon KR8800 and CR. YD-SX-A could be a useful tool for large-scale population refractive screening.

Effect of Light Intensity on the Relative Afferent Pupillary Defect in Unilateral Neuro-ophthalmic Pathology.

SIGNIFICANCE: Objective pupillometry with standardized light intensities allows a comprehensive assessment of the relative afferent pupillary defect in patients with unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the impact of varying light intensities on the grade of relative afferent pupillary defect in unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology vis-à-vis healthy controls. METHODS: Monocular pupillary light reflexes of 20 controls (14 to 50 years) and 31 cases (12 to 72 years) with clinically diagnosed relative afferent pupillary defect were measured thrice using 1-second-long light pulses, followed by 3 seconds of darkness, at eight light intensities (6.4 to 1200 lux) using objective pupillometry. The relative afferent pupillary defect was quantified as the ratio of the percentage change in the direct light reflexes of the left and right eyes. Its change with light intensity was described using standard exponential fits. RESULTS: The median (25th to 75th interquartile range) defect score of 54.8% cases decreased from baseline values of 1.58 (1.25 to 1.87) for right eye pathology and 0.45 (0.39 to 0.55) for left eye pathology to saturation values of 1.18 (1.05 to 1.31) and 0.98 (0.95 to 1.06), respectively, at light intensities between 56.9 and 300.5 lux. Like controls (1.01 [1.00 to 1.06]), the defect scores of the remaining 45.2% cases were constant with light intensity at 1.23 (1.18 to 1.46) and 0.87 (0.86 to 0.89) for right and left eye pathologies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Relative afferent pupillary defects may decrease with test light intensity in a significant proportion of patients with unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology. This highlights the importance of objective pupillometry with standardization light intensities for clinical assessment of afferent pupillary defects.

[Paying attention to the clinical significance of pupil abnormalities].

Pupil abnormalities may be physiological, pathological or pharmacological. It can indicate the underlying disease of the visual afferent system or visual efferent system. Examination of the pupils is therefore a part of eye examination. Insufficient knowledge and inconsistent methods in the pupillary examination by some ophthalmologists lead to mistakes or unreliable results, hampering the disease diagnosis and clinical assessment. This article emphasizes the significance of pupillary examination outcomes, advocates for standardized examination methods, and highlights the need to enhance the awareness of pupillary abnormalities, aiming to provide a guide on how to recognize and interpret the clinical implications of pupillary abnormalities, and to offer valuable insights for clinical practice.

Test-Retest Reliability of Virtual Reality Devices in Quantifying for Relative Afferent Pupillary Defect.

Background: The swinging flashlight test (SFT) is one of the most prominent clinical tests for detecting the relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD). A positive RAPD localizes the lesion to the affected afferent pupil pathway and is a critical part of any ophthalmic exam. Testing for an RAPD, however, can be challenging (especially when small), and there is significant intrarater and interrater variability. Methods: Prior studies have shown that the pupillometer can improve the detection and measurement of RAPD. In our previous research, we have demonstrated an automatic SFT by utilizing virtual reality (VR), named VR-SFT. We applied our methods to two different brands of VR headsets and achieved comparable results by using a metric, called RAPD score, for differentiating between patients with and without (control) RAPD. We also performed a second VR-SFT on 27 control participants to compare their scores with their first assessments and measure test-retest reliability of VR-SFT. Results: Even in the absence of any RAPD positive data, the intraclass correlation coefficient produces results between 0.44 and 0.83 that are considered of good to moderate reliability. The same results are echoed by the Bland-Altman plots, indicating low bias and high accuracy. The mean of the differences of measurements from test-retest ranges from 0.02 to 0.07 for different protocols and different devices. Conclusions: As variability among various VR devices is an important factor that clinicians should consider, we discuss the test-retest reliability of VR-SFT and the variability among various assessments and between two devices. Translational Relevance: Our study demonstrates the critical necessity of establishing test-retest reliability measures when bridging virtual reality technology into the clinical setting for relevant afferent pupillary defect.

Retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell complex thickness analysis in patients having relative afferent pupillary defect.

Purpose: To determine the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in patients having relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 patients with posterior segment disease and glaucoma presenting with RAPD. The control group comprised 30 patients with the aforementioned diseases without RAPD. RAPD was graded using neutral density filters placed over the unaffected eye. Peripapillary RNFL thickness and macular GCC were measured using the Cirrus HD-OCT machine. Results: There were 45 males and 15 females. There was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) difference in the mean of average RNFL thickness in patients having RAPD (64.73 ± 15.16 µm in the affected eyes) as compared to sick control (82.73 ± 11.33 µm in the affected eyes). It was further observed that there was a decrease in RNFL thickness with advancing grades of RAPD. There was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) difference in the mean of average GCC thickness in patients having RAPD (51.57 ± 14.96 µm in the affected eyes) as compared to sick control (76.36 ± 8.06 µm in the affected eyes). Conclusion: Our study suggests that there is a significant reduction in RNFL thickness and GCC thickness in RAPD patients as compared to the sick control group.

Pseudophakic pupillary block after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation: Cause identification and treatment refinement.

BACKGROUND: Pseudophakic pupillary block (PPB) was rare in patients who undergo phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOL) implantation. Laser peripheral iridotomy was the most reported but ineffective treatment in the literature. METHODS: Retrospective, interventional case series of patients who developed PPB in Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2017 to 2021. Clinical course, diagnostic methods, treatment and outcomes were recorded and discussed. RESULTS: Four eyes of three patients were documented. All of them had diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Anterior segment Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of these patients showed an exudative membrane at the peripapillary area while slit lamp image could not provide a clear view due to the severely edematous corneal condition. Laser peripheral iridotomy and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser aiming to the peripapillary exudation were applied to break the PPB successfully. CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus, intravitreal injection and inflammation are crucial risk factors for PPB. Anterior segment OCT can be a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of the peripapillary exudative membrane while corneal clarity is compromised due to high intraocular pressure. In addition to peripheral laser iridotomy, an effective approach to resolve PPB may be the use of the YAG laser to break the exudative membrane.

Phenotypes and genotypes underlying paradoxical pupillary reaction in children.

Paradoxical pupillary reaction (initial pupillary constriction to darkness) has been most associated with the inherited retinal disorders congenital stationary night blindness and achromatopsia. However, underlying genotypes and associations with other pediatric retinal phenotypes are not well documented. A retrospective review for paradoxical pupillary reaction was performed at the Ocular Genetics Clinic of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (2016-2020). Four children from 4 different families were identified, all of whom had had genetic confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. Associated pathogenic variants were in TRPM1 (biallelic; two boys; congenital stationary night blindness), CABP4 (biallelic; one boy, congenital cone-rod synaptic disorder) and PAX2 (monoallelic; one girl, papillorenal syndrome). Genetically confirmed affected relatives of the 2 probands with TRPM1-related congenital stationary night blindness did not show the phenomenon. This study documents novel genotypes and phenotypes that can be associated with paradoxical pupillary reaction in children and confirms potential intrafamilial variable expressivity for the phenomenon.

Correlation between relative afferent pupillary defect and visual field defects on Humphrey automated perimetry: A cross-sectional clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlations between relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) magnitude, assessed using the clinical plus scale and neutral density filters, and visual field parameters in patients with unilateral or asymmetrical bilateral optic neuropathy or retinopathy. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with RAPD, graded by the swinging flashlight test and neutral density filters, were analyzed in this cross-sectional trial. The RAPD clinical plus scale was divided into grade 1+, initial weak constriction; grade 2+, initial stall then dilatation; grade 3+, immediate dilatation; and grade 4+, fixed amaurotic pupil. Patients with positive RAPD underwent a visual field examination with Humphrey automated perimetry that included visual field index (VFI), mean deviation (MD), and pattern standard deviation (PSD). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and linear regression were used to analyze the association between RAPD grades and visual field parameters. RESULTS: RAPD clinical plus grades were correlated with interocular VFI (r = 0.55, P < 0.001) and MD (r = 0.48, P = 0.004) differences. Average interocular VFI differences were estimated as follows: 16.75 × RAPD plus grade- 7.53. RAPD, graded by neutral density filters, was correlated with VFI (r = 0.59, P < 0.001), MD (r = 0.54, P < 0.001), and PSD (r = 0.34, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The RAPD plus scale and neutral density filter grading systems were associated with quantitative visual field defect parameters, with VFI showing the strongest association. RAPD clinical grading could substitute more sophisticated central visual field evaluation methods as a low-cost, low-tech, and widely available approach.

Etiology of white pupillary reflex in pediatric age group.

Background: Leukocoria means white pupil. Normal pupil appears black in children and adults. The typical red reflex is due to retro-illumination of choroidal vessels reflected via the retina, vitreous humor, crystalline lens, aqueous humor, pupil, and cornea. If there is interference in these structures, it would result in a changed red reflex, or leukocoria. Immediate family members are highly likely to detect the first indicator and the pediatrician or general ophthalmologist is usually the first to be visited. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of common causes of white pupillary reflex in children, to undertake early diagnosis and treatment, and to reduce morbidity and death. This study aimed to see how common it is for children to have a white pupillary reflex when they visit a pediatric ophthalmologist. Objective: Determine the incidence of conditions that cause a white pupillary reflex in children who visited Hayatabad Medical Complex Hospital in Peshawar. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in the Ophthalmology unit of HMC Hospital Peshawar, from January 2021 to December 2021. 168 patients were enrolled in the study. We included all patients of up to 10 years and both genders with the above findings. Workup for leukocoria was done to find the exact cause that included fundoscopy, B-Scan, MRI, and CT scans. Examination under anesthesia (EUA) was carried out for uncooperative children for detailed fundus examination. Patient data was recorded and a proforma was made to collect all the necessary information. Family history was taken in detail during this study. Results: The most common cause of aberrant pupillary reflex in children aged 1 to 10 years was cataract, 79.76 percent of patients having it. Retinoblastoma (12.5%), Coats disease (3.5%), retinal detachment (2.9%) and persistent hyperplastic vitreous (PHPV) (1.1%) were other notable causes found. Conclusion: Leukocoria is a critical clinical finding, and if parents or primary care physicians notice it, the patient requires a complete follow-up examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist to determine the etiology.

Unilateral Xanthocoria and Retinal Vascular Anomalies in a 3-Year-Old Boy: Retinoblastoma or Coats Disease?

The authors describe a challenging case of unilateral retinoblastoma in a patient referred for xanthocoria. A 3-year-old boy was referred for unilateral xanthocoria and disordered retinal vasculature, suggestive of Coats disease. Further investigation revealed diffuse subretinal tumor seeding and areas of calcification, consistent with retinoblastoma. Enucleation was performed and histopathology confirmed exophytic retinoblastoma. This case highlights that xanthocoria, although often encountered in patients with Coats disease, can sometimes be associated with retinoblastoma. As such, retinoblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis for children with both leukocoria and xanthocoria. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2022;59(X):e32-e34.].

How lesions at different locations along the visual pathway influence pupillary reactions to chromatic stimuli.

PURPOSE: To examine systematically how prechiasmal, chiasmal, and postchiasmal lesions along the visual pathway affect the respective pupillary responses to specific local monochromatic stimuli. METHODS: Chromatic pupil campimetry (CPC) was performed in three patient groups (10 subjects with status after anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, 6 with chiasmal lesions, and 12 with optic tract or occipital lobe lesions (tumor, ischemia)) using red, low-intensity red, and blue local stimuli within the central 30° visual field. Affected areas - as determined by visual field defects revealed using conventional static perimetry - were compared with non-affected areas. Outcome parameters were the relative maximal constriction amplitude (relMCA) and the latency to constriction onset of the pupillary responses. RESULTS: A statistically significant relMCA reduction was observed in the affected areas of postchiasmal lesions with red (p = 0.004) and low-intensity red stimulation (p = 0.001). RelMCA reduction in the affected areas seemed more pronounced for low-intensity red stimulation (46.5% mean reduction compared to non-affected areas; 36% for red stimulation), however statistically not significant. In prechiasmal lesions, a statistically significant latency prolongation could be demonstrated in the affected areas with low-intensity red stimulation (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the choice of stimulus characteristics is relevant in detecting defects in the pupillary pathway of impairment along the visual pathway, favoring red stimuli of low intensity over blue stimuli. Such knowledge opens the door for further fundamental research in pupillary pathways and is important for future clinical application of pupillography in neuro-ophthalmologic patients.

Autonomic Nervous System Indices in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis without Overt Cardiac Disease.

BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease that may affect the heart and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). There is little knowledge regarding the degree of ANS involvement in SSc patients with unknown cardiac disease. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate cardiac and pupillary autonomic functions in patients before cardiac involvement has emerged. METHODS: The study comprised 19 patients with SSc and 29 healthy controls. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis for time and frequency domains, as well as deep breathing test and Ewing maneuvers, were performed in all patients. Automated pupillometry for the evaluation of pupillary diameter and pupillary light reflex was completed in 8 SSc patients and 21 controls. RESULTS: Both groups had similar characteristics, except for medications that were more commonly or solely prescribed for SSc patients. Compared with control subjects, the SSc patients had significantly lower HRV parameters of NN50 (15.8 ± 24.4 vs. 33.9 ± 33.1, P = 0.03), pNN50 (4.9 ± 7.4% vs.10.8 ± 10.8%, P = 0.03), and triangular index (11.7 ± 3.4 vs. 15.7 ± 5.8, P = 0.02). Abnormal adaptive responses in heart rate changes were recorded during deep breathing tests and Ewing maneuvers. There was no significant difference in any of the pupillometric indices or other HRV parameters within groups. CONCLUSIONS: SSc patients may manifest cardiac autonomic dysfunction, while their autonomic pupillary function is seemingly spared. The role of certain medications, the significance of differential organ involvement, as well as the prognostic value of our findings should be evaluated in future studies.

Quantification of relative afferent pupillary defect by an automated pupillometer and its relationship with visual acuity and dimensions of macular lesions in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: The occurrence of relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) secondary to optic nerve diseases and widespread retinal disorders is well established. However, only very few reports of RAPD in macular disorders exist in the literature. In this study, we used automated pupillometer to evaluate RAPD in eyes with macular lesions. METHODS: It was a prospective cross-sectional study. A total of 82 patients with choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) - 65 unilateral and 17 bilateral macular lesions - were enrolled. RAPD was assessed with an automated pupillometer and macular lesions evaluated with optical coherence tomography (OCT). The length of the ellipsoid zone disruption was measured as the longest length of lesion on the horizontal raster scans and the area of macular lesion was measured manually, mapping the affected area of ellipsoid zone on the enface images. RESULTS: : RAPD scores showed good correlation with the intereye difference in length of maximum ellipsoid zone disruption (r-value = 0.84, P value <0.001) and macular lesion area as measured on OCT in all unilateral cases (r-value = 0.84, P value <0.001). Best-corrected visual acuity was also found to have a significant correlation with lesion size on the OCT as well as the length of ellipsoid zone disruption in unilateral cases. CONCLUSION: : RAPD evaluated with an automated binocular pupillometer is a noninvasive and objective method to assess macular lesions in CNVMs; it shows good correlation with structural lesion dimensions on OCT in unilateral cases. Further longitudinal studies are needed to assess the significance of these findings in disease progression as well as correlation with lesion response to treatment.

Predictors of surgical intervention and visual outcome in bacterial orbital cellulitis.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to identify predictive factors associated with surgical intervention and the visual outcome of orbital cellulitis and to evaluate the treatment outcomes.A retrospective study involving 66 patients (68 eyes; 64 unilateral and 2 bilateral) diagnosed with bacterial orbital cellulitis was conducted between November 2005 and May 2019.The mean (± standard deviation) age was 42.1 (± 25.8) years (range: 15 days-86 years). Sinusitis was the most frequent predisposing factor, occurring in 25 patients (37.9%), followed by skin infection in 10 patients (15.2%), and acute dacryocystitis in 9 patients (13.6%). Subperiosteal abscesses were found in 24 eyes and orbital abscesses in 19 eyes. Surgical drainage was performed in 31 eyes. Regarding the abscess volume for surgical drainage, a cut-off of 1514 mm3 showed 71% sensitivity and 80% specificity. There was significant improvement in visual acuity (VA) and decrease in proptosis after treatment (for both, P ≤ .001). Only pre-treatment VA ≤20/200 was a significant predictor for post-treatment VA of 20/50 or worse (adjusted odds ratio: 12.0, P = .003). The presence of a relative afferent pupillary defect was the main predictor of post-treatment VA of 20/200 or worse (adjusted odds ratio: 19.0, P = .003).The most common predisposing factor for orbital cellulitis in this study was sinusitis. VA and proptosis significantly improved after treatment. We found that the abscess volume was strongly predictive of surgical intervention. Pre-treatment poor VA and the presence of relative afferent pupillary defect can predict the worst visual outcome. Hence, early detection of optic nerve dysfunction and prompt treatment could improve the visual prognosis.