Subtenon Injections of Ranibizumab Arrest Growth in Early Recurrent Pterygium.

IMPORTANCE: Currently the only treatment for recurrent pterygium is surgery. This is a phase 1 trial investigating ranibizumab as a medical treatment for recurrent pterygium. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of subtenon Ranibizimab for recurrent pterygia. DESIGN: Subjects with recurrent pterygium received subtenon ranibizumab and were followed for 1 year. Safety parameters were measured. Photographs were taken and quantitatively analyzed to measure the short-term (2 months) and long-term (5-26 months) response to treatment. SETTING: University of New Mexico Eye Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Eight subjects with recurrent pterygia. INTERVENTIONS: Subtenon delivery of 0.5 to 2 mg of ranibizumab, at day 0, month 1, and month 2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Safety parameters included visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and assessment of ocular surface. Efficacy was assessed by comparing photographs taken at day 0 with a short-term follow-up photograph taken at month 2 and a long-term follow-up image taken at the final patient visit (range 5-26 months). Quantitative analysis of photographs was performed to measure vascularity in the treated zone. RESULTS: Four subjects had an arrest of pterygium growth with a visual reduction in vascularity and a quantitative reduction in the area of vascularization (average vascularized area in short-term follow-up images was 51% of the baseline photos at day 0, and in the long-term photos was 36% of day 0). The other four subjects had a less marked reduction in their vascularity in the short-term photos (69% of their baseline photos). This resulted in two subjects withdrawing from the study early. Long-term quantitative analysis for the two remaining "nonresponders," who completed the study, showed an average vascularized area that was 71% of that in their baseline photos. The long-term photos in these subjects did not appear to have a clinically relevant difference from the short-term photos. CONCLUSIONS: In half of the subjects, subtenon ranibizumab appeared to arrest growth. Although the response is variable, this may warrant the drug's use when attempting to control growth of recurrent pterygia, and may prevent consecutive surgery for some patients.

Long-term outcomes for pediatric patients having transscleral fixation of the capsular bag with intraocular lens for ectopia lentis.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term outcomes of transscleral fixation of capsular tension rings (CTR) with intraocular lens (IOL) placement in pediatric patients with ectopia lentis. SETTING: John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Pediatric patients requiring lens extraction with transscleral capsular bag fixation with a CTR and IOL for ectopia lentis between January 2006 and January 2016 were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients (67 eyes) who had transscleral fixation of the capsular bag using a CTR fixated with 9-0 or 10-0 polypropylene (Prolene), 8-0 polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex), or 9-0 nylon were identified. The mean age at time of surgery was 7.25 years (2 to 18 years) and the mean follow-up was 35.3 months (0.25 to 120 months). The proportion of eyes showing improvement in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) postoperatively was 78.5%, which demonstrated significance with a 95% confidence interval. In the immediate postoperative period, 1 eye developed a hyphema and 1 eye required IOL repositioning. Long-term complications included posterior capsule opacification in 35 eyes (52%) and uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome in 1 eye (1.5%). Three eyes (4.4 %) required IOL repositioning for spontaneous delayed IOL dislocation, 2 sutured with 8-0 polytetrafluoroethylene at postoperative month 8 and postoperative year 3 and 1 sutured with 9-0 polypropylene at postoperative year 7. CONCLUSION: Transscleral fixation of the capsular bag using a CTR improved CDVA and provided IOL stability in pediatric patients with ectopia lentis.

Comparing consistency of clear corneal incisions using a traditional diamond keratome and a newly designed diamond keratome.

PURPOSE: To compare the consistency of incision architecture utilizing a traditional diamond keratome and a newly designed diamond keratome. METHODS: We used a traditional diamond keratome and newly designed diamond keratome to create clear corneal incisions in human cadaveric donor eyes. Three surgeons with varying levels of experience made 30 incisions with each keratome; and the wound architecture was measured including incision lengths, epithelial and endothelial widths, and the central epithelial incision's deviation from a straight line entrance. RESULTS: The mean absolute difference in right and left incision lengths (traditional: 0.182 ± 0.158 mm and new 0.088±0.077 mm [P<0.003]), mean absolute difference in epithelial and endothelial incision width (traditional: 0.181±0.144 mm and new 0.080±0.092 mm [P<0.002]), endothelial incision central deviation from a straight line (traditional: 0.128±0.242 mm and new -0.046±0.124 mm [P<0.001]) were all significantly more consistent with the newly designed diamond keratome than with the traditional diamond keratome. CONCLUSION: The newly designed diamond keratome creates a more consistent clear corneal incision than a traditional diamond keratome across a variety of surgical skill levels and does not require advanced levels of training to achieve this consistency.

A pilot study on providing ophthalmic training to medical students while initiating a sustainable eye care effort for the underserved.

IMPORTANCE: We present a method to reintroduce ophthalmic training into the medical school curriculum. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate knowledge and skills acquired when participating in a service project, the Community Vision Project, and to develop a quantitative method for testing skills with the direct ophthalmoscope in patients. DESIGN: Second-year medical students participated in the study. After 1 month, their knowledge was compared with that of peers and graduates (internal medicine residents). Also at 1 month, their direct ophthalmoscope skills were compared with those of upperclassmen who had completed all core clerkships. One year later, after the participants had completed their core clerkships, long-term ophthalmoscope skills retention was tested, and their performance was compared with that of their classmates. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Training occurred in mobile eye clinics. Knowledge and skills assessments were performed in the hospital eye clinic among students and residents at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Patients were recruited from the hospital eye clinic. Participants attended a 3-hour training session held by an attending physician in the hospital eye clinic and took part in at least 1 mobile eye clinic. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: A knowledge assessment quiz was administered to participants (n = 12), their classmates (n = 18), and internal medicine residents (n = 33). Skills assessment with the direct ophthalmoscope was performed at 1 month and at 1 year in 5 participants and 5 nonparticipants. Tonometer skills were assessed by comparing participants' readings with those of an ophthalmologist's obtained in patients at the mobile eye clinics. RESULTS Participants' median knowledge assessment scores were 48% higher than those of their classmates and 37% higher than those of internal medicine residents (P < .001 for both). Short-term (1 month) direct ophthalmoscopy median scores were 60% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 40%-80%) for participants and 40% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 20%-60%) for nonparticipating upperclassmen (P = .24). Long-term direct ophthalmoscopy median scores were 100% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 75%-100%) for participants and 0% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 0%-25%) for nonparticipating classmates (P = .11). Participants' tonometer readings were similar to those of the ophthalmologist's; their median reading was 2 mm Hg (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 0-4 mm Hg) higher than that of the ophthalmologist's (P = .05, sign test). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Service-based learning offered an efficient model for incorporating ophthalmic training into the medical school curriculum. A viable tool for quantitatively testing ophthalmoscope skills is presented.