NO FACE-DOWN POSITIONING SURGERY FOR THE REPAIR OF CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC MACULAR HOLES.

PURPOSE: To report visual and anatomical outcomes after the repair of chronic idiopathic macular holes (MHs) with no face-down positioning. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of chronic MH cases of greater than 1-year duration that were repaired through pars plana vitrectomy with broad internal limiting membrane peeling and no face-down positioning between March 2009 and December 2017. There were 18 eyes of 18 patients that met inclusion criteria. Patients with MH duration of less than 1 year and without at least 1 month of follow-up were excluded. Macular hole staging and measurements were performed with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Mean MH duration was 5.0 ± 6.9 years. Two-thirds of MHs had a basal diameter of more than 1,000 µm. Mean preoperative Snellen visual acuity was 20/302 and improved to a mean postoperative visual acuity of 20/112 (P ≤ 0.0001). Visual acuity improved in all patients who achieved successful anatomical closure, 94.4% (17/18) of eyes. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Patients in this series with chronic MH who underwent no-face-down MH repair demonstrated a high single-surgery anatomical closure rate with a significant improvement in visual acuity.

A smartphone-based portable fundus camera for retinal photography in infants with suspected nonaccidental trauma.

We describe a novel, do-it-yourself smartphone-based fundus camera to help with documentation of retinal hemorrhages in infant patients with suspected nonaccidental trauma. This device can be easily assembled from commercially available and inexpensive materials. We discuss the advantages and limitations of our described fundus camera and provide representative images.

Influence of Perfluorocarbon Liquids on Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber-Layer Thickness Following Pars Plana Vitrectomy with Silicone Oil-Based Endotamponade.

BACKGROUND: Inner retina-layer modifications after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) can be objectively assessed through spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS: This study explored prospectively changes in retinal nerve-fiber layer (RNFL) thickness with SD-OCT in eyes undergoing PPV with silicone oil-based tamponade with and without use of perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) during the early postoperative phase (up to 3 months) at the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Egypt. RESULTS: Thirty patients were recruited who underwent PPV and silicone oil-based tamponade for either retinal detachment or diabetic retinopathy between April 2019 and September 2019. Mean RNFL thickness showed no significant change during follow-up at the first week (102.90±30.68 mm), 1 month (107.30±32.27), or three months (105.90±36.68; p=0.46, 0.68). There were significant correlations noticed between RNFL thinning and axial length of eyes, intraocular pressure, and use of PFCLs during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The RNFL tends to change postvitrectomy, but not significantly. Careful examination and consistent follow-up is required for postvitrectomy patients with larger axial length and intraoperative PFCL use.

Functional and Structural Outcomes at the Foveal Avascular Zone with Optical Coherence Tomography Following Macula off Retinal Detachment Repair.

BACKGROUND: Visual recovery following macula involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment remains poorly understood. The aim of this work is to correlate the functional and the anatomical changes in retinal vasculature in the foveal avascular zone using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) after successful retinal reattachment repair and correlate this data with retinal thickness and post-operative visual recovery. METHODS: A prospective, comparative observational study of 28 eyes of 14 patients with 14 eyes undergoing macula off retinal detachment repair with pars plana vitrectomy, endo-laser and silicone oil-based tamponade compared with 14 fellow healthy eyes at 1, 6 and 12 weeks post-operative period. The study was conducted at the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt between February 2018 and August 2018. RESULTS: The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in the patients group was not significantly different compared to the control group and was found to be negatively correlated with the central retinal thickness in both the study and control group. The superficial capillary plexus (SCP) area at the FAZ was significantly larger than the deep capillary plexus (DCP) area at the FAZ in both the study and control group over the follow-up period. The DCP area at the FAZ was significantly larger at the 3rd follow-up than the 1st follow-up. The SCP FAZ area was significantly larger than the DCP FAZ area in both the study and control group over the follow-up period. BCVA was found to be negatively correlated to the retinal thickness of the temporal 3 mm paracentral quadrant with no correlation with central foveal thickness (CFT) and the FAZ area. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCTA are valuable noninvasive imaging tools to monitor and predict the structural changes at the foveal avascular zone during the recovery phase after successful retinal reattachment involving macula.

Laser-Assisted Adjustable Suture Technique in Strabismus Surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new technique (argon laser-assisted lysis of the adjustable suture) in strabismus surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Recession of lateral rectus muscle was done and was secured to the sclera at the predetermined recession position after suspending it 1.5-2.5 mm farther. A 10-0 nylon suture was placed at the original insertion site, passed under the previously tied muscle suture knot, and tied, advancing the muscle to the new scleral insertion. Postoperatively in the same day of surgery, if the targeted slight overcorrection was not achieved, a topical anesthetic was given, and argon laser was used to cut the nylon suture providing additional muscle recession. RESULTS: Forty-two patients with exotropia were included: 11 children and 31 adults. Eleven (26.2%) patients became orthophoric immediately following muscle recession. Thirty-one (73.8%) patients were undercorrected with a mean residual angle of 8.2±3.3 pd. After laser-assisted release of the suture, 12 (28.6%) patients were orthophoric, with 4 (9.5%) patients still undercorrected and 26 (61.9%) patients overcorrected. By the end of 6 months postoperatively, the overall success rate of the procedure was 88.1%, with only 5 (11.9%) patients with exotropia. CONCLUSION: The laser-assisted adjustable suture technique had an overall success rate of 88.1% with only 11.9% of the patients showing exotropia. The technique can help achieve successful alignment.

Posterior Pole and Peripheral Retinal Fibrovascular Proliferation in von Hippel Lindau Disease.

PURPOSE: To report the occurrence of fibrovascular proliferation (FVP) in the retina in von Hippel-lindau (VHl) patients and its association with prior treatment. DESIGN: A retrospective study. METHODS: A retrospective study of 101 VHL patients. Fundus photos were available for 28 patients. FVP was classified into peripheral and posterior pole. RESULTS: All 28 patients had retinal capillary hemangioblastomas (RCH) in 1 or both eyes; 15 patients were found to have FVP (group A), whereas 13 patients did not (group B). Mean age of patients in group A was 35 ± 11.3 years and 36.6 ± 13.8 in group B (P = 0.74). In group A, 27 eyes had RCH; 21 (77.77%) had FVP. In group B, 19 eyes had RCH. The number of treated eyes was significantly higher in group A (81.48%) than group B (42.1%) (P = 0.007). In group A, FVP was noted in the posterior pole in 9 eyes, in the periphery in 5 eyes, and 7 eyes developed both posterior pole and peripheral FVP. CONCLUSIONS: FVP can occur in the peripheral retina and in the posterior pole. There is a significant association between prior treatment of RCH and the occurrence of FVP.

Evaluation of patients with dry eye disease for conjunctival Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

AIM: To determine the possibility of the development of dry eye disease (DED) as a result of persistent infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in the conjunctiva of patients. METHODS: This study was conducted on 58 patients of age range 20-50y, diagnosed with DED confirmed by Schirmer I test and tear breakup time. The non-dry eye control group included 27 subjects of the same age. Ocular specimens were collected as conjunctival scrapings and swabs divided into three groups: the first used for bacterial culture, the second and third taken to detect Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum by direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) assay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. RESULTS: Chlamydia trachomatis was detected in 65.5% and 76% of DED patients by DFA and PCR methods respectively. Ureaplasma urealyticum was found in 44.8% of DED infected patients using the PCR method. Both organisms were identified in only 37.9% of DED patients found to be infected. Control subjects had a 22% detection rate of Chlamydia trachomatis by DFA assay versus a 7% detection rate by PCR; while Ureaplasma urealyticum was detected in 3.7% of the controls by PCR method. The conjunctival culture revealed that gram positive microorganisms represented 75% of isolates with coagulase negative Staphylococci the most common (50%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20%), whereas gram negative microorganisms occurred in 25% of cases, isolating Moraxella spp. as the most frequent organism. CONCLUSION: Our results tend to point out that Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were detected in a moderate percentage of patients with DED, and could be a fair possibility for its development. PCR is more reliable in detecting Chlamydia trachomatis than DFA technique. The presence of isolated conjunctival bacterial microflora can be of some potential value.

Suprachoroidal buckling: technique and indications.

The authors herein report the feasibility of suprachoroidal buckling (SCB) procedure as a new approach for treating different forms of retinal detachment (RD) by creating suprachoroidal indentation (buckling effect). With this technique, specially designed devices, i.e. a catheter or cannula, are guided in the suprachoroidal space to reach the target area. Then, a suprachoroidal filler (long lasting hyaluronic acid) is injected to indent the choroid creating SCB, thereby closing retinal tears and supporting the overlying retina. This procedure was performed to treat both myopic tractional maculopathy (MTM), including myopic macular holes, as well as peripheral retinal breaks. SCB may be used alone or in conjunction with vitrectomy. In myopic patients, restoration of retinal layers was achieved in all eyes with myopic foveoschisis. Most eyes with macular hole detachments demonstrated closure of the holes. All peripheral retinal breaks were adequately buckled and closed in a single procedure. The buckling effect was long enough in duration to seal the tears and promote adequate chorioretinal scarring. The procedure was safe and relatively simple in terms of reaching the treatment area and injecting the filler. SCB adds to our surgical options for treating selected cases of peripheral retinal tears and rhegmatogenous RD, and avoids potential problems of episcleral buckles. Moreover it may avoid vitrectomy in selected cases of rhegmatogenous RD.