Evaluation of parafoveal vascular density using optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), we sought to evaluate parafoveal vascular density (VD) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Our study included 43 patients with a diagnosis of CSCR and 40 healthy controls. Ophthalmologic examination findings and OCTA measurements of the participants were retrospectively analysed. Of the 43 patients with CSCR, 31 were males (72%) and 12 were females (28%); the control group was 30 males (75%) and 10 females (25%) (p = 0.657). There were significant differences between affected eyes, unaffected eyes and healthy control eyes for all parameters in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) VD and deep capillary plexus (DCP) VD (p < 0.05 for all values). It was also determined that the affected eyes had lower SCP-VD and DCP-VD than the unaffected eyes and that the unaffected eyes had lower SCP-VD and DCP-VD than the healthy control eyes (p < 0.05 for all values). While there were no significant differences in the deep foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, the superficial FAZ area was larger in affected eyes than in both unaffected eyes and healthy control eyes (p < 0.05). In most areas, the SCP-VD and DCP-VD values were lower and the FAZ larger in the chronic group than in the acute group (p < 0.05). Retinal vascular changes were found in patients with both acute and chronic CSCR, and the fellow eyes of these patients were also affected. OCTA can therefore be considered an easily applicable, non-invasive screening option for evaluating the microvascular structure in these patients.

Evaluation of choroidal thickness in patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate choroidal thickness (CT) in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 by using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). METHODS: We included fifty-eight patients who have recovered from COVID-19 (group 1) and fifty healthy control subjects (group 2) in this prospective study. Best corrected visual acuity, anterior segment and posterior segment examinations of all subjects were performed. CT scan and measurements were taken with the EDI mode of the Spectral Domain OCT device. RESULTS: Of the 108 subjects included in this study, 57 were female and 51 were male. The mean age was similar in both groups (36.10 ± 7.12 and 35.58 ± 7.29, respectively, p = 0.276). Group 1 had the following characteristics: the mean time since diagnosis was 53.18 ± 2.84; it had been 38.48 ± 4.07 days since the PCR test was negative; and all subjects were outpatients. It was detected that the CT of the patients in group 1 decreased in all areas compared to group 2, and this decrease was significant in subfoveal, temporal and inferior areas (257.48 ± 32.79, 273.62 ± 45.04, p = 0.04; 232.96 ± 41.79, 252.76 ± 46.09, p = 0.02, and 245.22 ± 44.58, 271.54 ± 55.07, p = 0.01, respectively). In the retinal nerve fiber layer analysis for group 1, thickening was detected in all areas, although it was not statistically significant, except in the temporal area where it was (superotemporal, superonasal, nasal, inferonasal, inferotemporal, temporal, and global [p = 0 .08, p = 0.45, p = 0.73, p = 0.64, p = 0.74, p = 0.02, and p = 0.10, respectively]). CONCLUSION: For individuals who had recovered from COVID-19, it was found that CT decreased in all areas in these patients. Therefore, this study in which we have demonstrated the decrease in the thickness of the choroidal tissue, a tissue with high blood flow, may contribute to the understanding of the systemic microvascular waste of this disease.

Quantitative Evaluation of Pupil Responses in Patients with Prolactinomas Being Treated with Dopamine Agonists.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the dopamine agonist (DA) drug cabergoline used in the treatment of prolactinoma causes autonomic dysfunction by measuring static and dynamic pupillary responses. The study included 25 eyes from 25 patients who were receiving DA for the treatment of prolactinoma and 25 eyes from 25 healthy individuals. Static and dynamic pupillary responses were measured by automatic quantitative pupillometry. The scotopic pupillary diameter was found to be significantly higher in patients receiving DA medication compared with the control group, while pupil contraction time and pupillary dilatation latency were significantly lower. DA drug use changes static and dynamic pupillary responses, probably by increasing sympathetic tone. Pupillometry can be used as a non-invasive method to provide information about changes in the autonomic nervous system in patients receiving such drug therapy.

Examination of the effects of COVID 19 on corneal endothelium.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the effects of the disease on the corneal endothelium in individuals recovering from COVID-19 through specular microscopy. METHODS: Eighty individuals recovering from COVID-19 (group 1) and 72 healthy controls (group 2) were included in this prospective study. After examining visual acuity, refractive defect detection, anterior and posterior segment examinations, and specular microscopy measurements were calculated from images with at least 100 cells. The mean cell density (CD), mean coefficient of variation (CV), mean hexagonal cell percentage, mean cell area (AVG), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean time from diagnosis of the disease in group 1 was 54.25 ± 6.36 days. The mean time elapsed since the PCR test became negative was 38.45 ± 6.87 days. Only four were treated in the hospital. Specular microscopy data showed that the CD was 2713.56 ± 246.25 and 2845.80 ± 299.27 in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.003). The CV values were 42.92 ± 6.79 and 40.16 ± 5.97, respectively (p = 0.009). The hexagonality were 46.51 ± 7.35 and 49.12 ± 6.87, respectively (p = 0.024). The AVG was 371.60 ± 34.64 and 353.16 ± 35.29, respectively (p = 0.007). The CCT values were 553.00 ± 73.2, and 526.84 ± 33.57, respectively (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: A decrease in the number of endothelial cells and hexagonal cells (polymorphism) as well as an increase in the cell area change coefficient (polymegatism) and the average cell area were observed from corneal specular microscopic examination of individuals recovering from COVID-19 in the early period of the disease. These results may be important in understanding the systemic effects of the disease.

Autonomic dysfunction detection by an automatic pupillometer as a non-invasive test in patients recovered from COVID-19.

PURPOSE: To recognize dysfunctions in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) with changes in dynamic and static pupillary responses in patients who recovered from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) METHODS: One month after recovery from COVID-19, patients were subjected to eye examinations. Pupillary responses were measured using a pupillometry system. Dynamic pupil parameters (i.e., pupil contraction amplitude, pupil dilatation latency, pupil contraction latency, pupil dilatation duration, pupil dilatation velocity, pupil contraction duration, pupil contraction velocity, resting pupil diameter [PD]) and static pupil parameters (i.e., mesopic PD, scotopic PD, high photopic PD, and low photopic PD) were registered. RESULTS: Although high photopic and scotopic PDs were significantly higher in patients recovering from COVID-19 than in healthy controls (P = 0.04 and P = 0.002), no statistically significant difference was found in mesopic and low photopic PD (P = 0.19 and P = 0.41). Regarding dynamic pupillometry parameters, resting PD and pupil contraction velocity (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively) were significantly higher in patients recovering from COVID-19 than in healthy controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas pupil dilatation latency and pupil contraction duration were lower in these patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.01 and P = 0.008, respectively). No significant differences in pupil contraction amplitude, pupil dilatation duration, pupil contraction latency, and pupil dilatation velocity were found between the study groups (P = 0.93, P = 0.91, P = 0.42, and P = 0.48, respectively). CONCLUSION: Pupil responses, which are controlled by the ANS, were impaired in patients recovering from COVID-19. Pupillometry shows promise as a non-invasive, easy-to-apply diagnostic technology for detecting autonomic dysfunction in patients recovering from COVID-19. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Apelin-13: A Promising Biomarker for Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of serum apelin-13 levels in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Patients with dry-type AMD, patients with treatment-naïve neovascular-type AMD, and healthy controls were included in this study. Diagnoses were confirmed on detailed fundus examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA). Central foveal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness were evaluated. Both serum apelin-13 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were measured by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) principle. RESULTS: A total of 84 subjects, i.e., 24 in the dry-type AMD group (group 1), 27 in the neovascular-type AMD group (group 2), and 33 in the control group (group 3) were included in the study. Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 76 ± 4.5, 48.4 ± 16.3, and 83.4 ± 3.09 ETDRS letters in group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The level of serum VEGF was 44.11 ± 26.14, 56.53 ± 53.77, and 61.47 ± 41.62 pg/mL in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p = 0.553, p = 0.286, and p = 0.896, respectively). The level of serum apelin-13 was 586.47 ± 167.56, 622.18 ± 324.52, and 379.31 ± 171.96 pg/mL in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p = 0.847, p = 0.04, and p ≤ 0.001, respectively). There was a negative correlation between the level of serum apelin and visual acuity (VA) and choroidal thickness. CONCLUSION: Serum apelin-13 levels were higher in both dry-type and neovascular-type AMD patients than in controls. Further studies demonstrating the relationship of the level of serum apelin-13 and AMD are needed.

The effect of long-term hydroxychloroquine use on the corneal endothelium in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of long-term effects of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use on the corneal endothelium in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: The study included 30 eyes of 15 patients who used HCQ for at least five years and were followed up in the rheumatology clinic for SLE and 29 eyes of 15 patients newly diagnosed with SLE who had not taken any medication. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations, central corneal thickness measurements, endothelial cell counts and endothelial morphological examinations by specular microscopy. RESULTS: The mean age was 41.25 ± 6.89 years in group 1 and 41.81 ± 5.78 years in group 2 (p = 0.737). The mean corneal endothelial cell density was 2662 ± 184 cells/mm2 in group 1 and 2649 ± 315 cells/mm2 in group 2 (p = 0.843). The percentage of cell hexagonality was 46.6 ± 11.8% in group 1 and 48.7 ± 13.8% in group 2 (p = 0.625). A difference was noted in endothelial cell variation in both groups, at 36.7 ± 6.9% in group 1 and 39.9 ± 6.2% in group 2 (p = 0.057) but not statistically significant. No difference was observed between the two groups in terms of central corneal thickness. The duration of HCQ use was negatively correlated with hexagonality (r = -0.564, p = 0.001) CONCLUSION: Long-term use of HCQ in SLE patients had no negative effect on endothelial cell density and cell variation, but a negative correlation existed between the duration of HCQ usage and hexagonality.

The factors influencing peripapillary choroidal thickness in primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether there is a difference between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and control group with regard to choroidal thickness (CT) and the factors influencing CT. METHODS: Ninety eyes of 90 patients who were being followed up with POAG and 72 eyes of 72 healthy subjects matched for age and gender were included. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), peripapillary CT, lamina cribrosa thickness (LCT), and prelaminar tissue thickness (PTT) were measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) enhanced depth imaging (EDI) in all patients. RESULTS: According to multi-variable linear regression analysis results, the factors influencing CT were found as axial length (AL) (B = -22.78, p = 0.002), intraocular pressure (IOP) (B = -7.95, p = 0.001), age (B  = -1.77, p = 0.009), and radial pulse rate (B  = 1.42, p = 0.015). A statistically significant relationship was not detected between CT and central corneal thickness, mean deviation value of visual field, cup/disk ratio, RNFLT, LCT, PTT. CT was found significantly thinner in glaucoma group (147.5 ± 61.2 µm) compared to control group (167.1 ± 37.3 µm). However, IOP was found significantly higher (p < 0.001) and pulse rate was found significantly lower (p = 0.021) in POAG group. IOP and pulse rate were considered to have affected CT difference between the groups. In advanced and worser stage patients, there were significant positive correlations between CT and RNFLT in inferior and superior quadrants. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to previous studies, IOP and pulse rate were detected to be effective on CT. Further studies are required for determining the whole factors effective on CT and better understanding CT and glaucoma relationship.

Treatment of Infantile Esotropia - Comparison Between Botulinum Toxin A and Bilateral Medial Rectus Recession.

Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate the examination findings, treatment methods, and follow-up results of children diagnosed with infantile esotropia (IE) and to compare botulinum toxin A (BTA) and bilateral medial rectus (MR) recession surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with IE. The age of the patient and the angle of deviation were taken into account to determine the treatment. Patients who underwent bilateral MR recession surgery and BTA injection were analyzed and the BTA and surgical groups were compared. Successful correction was defined as orthotropia and a deviation of up to 10 prism diopters (PD) after one surgical procedure or 1-3 botulinum injections. Results: Two hundred and forty-six patients with esotropia were included in the study. Twelve were followed up with refractive correction only. BTA injection was administered to 110 patients, while 124 patients underwent bilateral MR recession. The age of the patients ranged from three to 39 months. Patients were followed for at least 6 months, with a mean follow-up of 24.3 months in the BTA group and 21.7 months in the surgical group (p=0.23). The mean pre-treatment angle deviation was 38.9 PD in the BTA group and 40.1 PD in the surgical group (p=0.62). The success rate for patients with more than 30 PD of deviation was 72% in the surgical group compared to 36% in the BTA group (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference in success rate was observed in patients with deviations <30 PD (surgery 62%, BTA 55%, p=0.26). Conclusion: Surgical treatment of IE was more successful than BTA injection in patients with large angle deviations (>30 PD). BTA injection can be considered as an alternative to surgery in cases of small to moderate angle deviations (<30 PD).

Intraocular lens implantation procedures in aphakic eyes with insufficient capsular support associated with previous cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate the results of three different secondary intraocular lens implantation (IOL) procedures in aphakic eyes without capsular support METHODS: In this retrospective comparative case series, 90 eyes of 90 patients who underwent secondary IOL implantation for correction of aphakia were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups based on the secondary IOL implantation procedure: anterior chamber iris-fixated IOL (AC-IFIOL), retropupillary iris-fixated IOL (RP-IFIOL), and scleral-fixated posterior chamber IOL (SF-PCIOL). The efficacy and safety of each procedure were assessed at follow-up. RESULTS: All eyes had aphakia caused by a previous cataract surgery. A final corrected distance visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved in 22 eyes (62.9%) implanted with an AC-IFIOL, in 12 eyes (50%) with an RP-IFIOL, and 18 eyes (58.1%) with an SF-PCIOL. At final visit, mean postoperative endothelial cell loss was 175 cells/mm(2) (7.2%) in the AC-IFIOL group, 255 cells/mm(2) (11.4%) in the RP-IFIOL group, and 135 cells/mm(2) (5.9%) in the AC-IFIOL group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that AC-IFIOL, RP-IFIOL, and SF-PCIOL implantation had similar visual outcomes and mean corneal endothelial cell loss.

MULTIMODAL IMAGING OF UNILATERAL ACUTE IDIOPATHIC MACULOPATHY IN A CHILD PATIENT.

PURPOSE: To report a case of the clinical manifestation of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy in a child patient. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: An 11-year-old male patient complaining of visual impairment in the left eye that had persisted for 3 weeks was admitted to the Dicle University Ophthalmology Clinic. Fundus examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), enhanced depth imaging OCT, fundus autofluorescence, and fundus fluorescence angiography examinations were conducted. During the fundus examination, a yellowish gray area of swelling with yellowish granules spanning approximately half the diameter of the disk was found on the left macula. Optical coherence tomography revealed serous detachment and hyperreflective debris, OCT angiography showed hyperreflective spots on the outer retina, enhanced depth imaging OCT revealed an increase in choroidal thickness, fundus autofluorescence showed hyperreflective spots, and fundus fluorescence angiography revealed late-phase hyperfluorescence accumulation. Acute idiopathic maculopathy was diagnosed from these findings. CONCLUSION: Acute idiopathic maculopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children presenting with a complaint of unilateral low vision.

Evaluation of parafoveal and peripapillary vascular densities using optical coherence tomography angiography in children with thalassemia major.

Background: Thalassemia major (TM) is an inherited anaemia caused by faulty haemoglobin synthesis. Reducing serum iron levels using iron chelating agents is an important step in the treatment of TM, and the effects on the eye of both the disease and these agents can be determined by regular eye examination. Objectives: We evaluated macular and optic nerve vascular densities in children with TM and compared the results with healthy controls using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Design: This is a prospective study. Methods: A total of 30 children with TM and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. The area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and the vascular densities (VD) of the optic nerve head (ONH), radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) and deep and superficial retinal vascular networks were measured using OCTA. Results: A statistically significant decrease in VD was observed in the whole image and the parafovea, superior hemi, superior and inferior parts of the superficial capillary plexus and in the whole image and the superior regions of the deep capillary plexus in the TM patient group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in VD was also observed in the whole image and the inside disc, peripapillary, nasal, inferonasal and temporal regions of the ONH and in the whole image and the inside disc, peripapillary and inferonasal regions of the RPC network in patients with TM (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between both serum ferritin levels and deferasirox dosage, on one hand, and both the superficial (p = 0.023 and p = 0.002, respectively) and deep FAZs (p = 0.015 and p = 0.045, respectively), on the other hand. A negative correlation was also found between the deferasirox dosage and the VDs of the superficial (p = 0.010) and deep (p = 0.001) foveal plexuses. Conclusion: Retinal VD and FAZ are affected in patients with TM. OCTA, which can noninvasively measure retinal VD in patients with TM, may be a useful tool for the early detection of retinal microvascular changes that may occur during the course of the disease.

Evaluation of choroidal thickness in light-coloured eyes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether iris colour is related to the choroidal thickness of healthy individuals. METHODS: Healthy participants were divided into two groups. Group 1 had light-coloured eyes (blue and green), and group 2 had dark-coloured eyes (brown). The main outcome measures were iris thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness and nasal and temporal choroidal thicknesses 500 µm away from the fovea. RESULTS: Group 1 comprised 31 subjects with light-coloured eyes, and group 2 had 31 subjects with dark eyes. The mean ages of groups 1 and 2 were 26.7 ± 7.5 years and 24.1 ± 5.8 years, respectively (p = 0.14). The choroidal thicknesses of the subfoveal, nasal and temporal regions were 336.3 ± 52.1 µm, 321.9 ± 43.6 µm and 318.4 ± 49.2 µm, respectively, in group 1 and 396.5 ± 76.9 µm, 372 ± 79.3 µm and 379.6 ± 82.4 µm, respectively, in group 2. All the values in group 1 were statistically lower than those in group 2 (p = 0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). The iris thickness in group 1 (493.73 ± 95.44 µm) was thinner than in group 2 (524.61 ± 69.74 µm) but not statistically significant (p = 0.141). CONCLUSION: The results showed that a thinner choroid can be seen in disease-free light-coloured eyes. The iris colour should be considered among the factors affecting the choroidal thickness, such as age, sex, race and refractive error.

Relationship between optical coherence tomography angiography and visual evoked potential in patients with multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify an easy-to-apply biomarker by correlating visual evoked potential (VEP) with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) results in multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: Our study was planned prospectively. Patients with MS were divided into two groups, VEP prolonged group 1 and VEP normal group 2. Age-matched and gender-matched healthy individuals (group 3) were included as the control group. Vascular density (VD) of the optic nerve head (ONH) and radial peripapillary capillaries (RPCs) were measured and recorded by OCTA. The optic nerve damage of patients was measured and recorded with a VEP device. RESULTS: Thirty-two eyes were included in group 1, 50 eyes were included in group 2, and 51 healthy eyes were included in group 3. In terms of visual acuity, group 1 was significantly lower than the other groups (P < 0.001). Regardless of the prolongation of p100 latency in patients with MS, whole image, inside disc ONH VD and in the same sectors in RPC VD were found to be significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05). Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was found to be significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 and group 3 (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between low ONH VD and RPC VD and prolonged VEP P100 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VEP measurements can be correlated with OCTA measurements in patients with MS and can be used as a biomarker to determine the degree of optic nerve damage.

Evaluation of the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on retinal microvascularity by optical coherence tomography angiography.

PURPOSE: Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), we sought to determine whether there are retinal microvascular changes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHOD: The study included 56 patients diagnosed with OSAS by polysomnography [21 patients with mild OSAS (group 1), 14 with moderate OSAS (group 2) and 21 with severe OSAS (group 3)], and 26 healthy individuals as a control group (group 4). The vascular densities of the superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus of the retinal segmentations, together with the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) width, were measured for all participants, using OCTA. RESULT: Compared with the control group, vascular densitiy in whole image of superficial capillary plexus were found to be significantly lower in group 2. In addition, vascular densitiy in fovea region of superficial capillary plexus was significantly lower in group 1 than the control group. In deep capillary plexus, vascular densitiy of whole image, superior hemi and nasal regions were found to be significantly lower in group 2 and group 3 compared with the control group. Parafoveal region in group 3 had significantly lower vascular densities than the controls. A significantly larger FAZ was also found in group 1 and group 3 in the deep capillary plexus, compared with the controls. CONCLUSION: We detected smaller vascular densities in both the superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus and a larger deep capillary plexus FAZ in OSAS patients. Therefore, OCTA may be useful as a non-invasive method to understand the systemic effects of OSAS.

Retinal Microvascular Changes in Patients with Multiple Myeloma: A Study Based on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

Purpose: Ocular microvascular networks and variables were analyzed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who had no pathological findings in their routine ophthalmologic examinations.Methods: The study included 31 patients with a diagnosis of MM and 30 healthy controls. The ophthalmologic examination findings and OCTA measurements of the participants were prospectively analyzed. We evaluated the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density (VD) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) VD in macular region, radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) VD, optic nerve head (ONH) VD and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area.Results: The samples were gender-balanced, and there were no significant differences in age or gender between the MM and control groups. From the OCTA, all the ONH-VD measurements, except for the peripapillary and superotemporal parameters, were found to be significantly lower in MM patients than in the control group; the same was found for the whole image, inferonasal, superonasal, and superotemporal RPC-VD values; for all the SCP-VD values, except for the inferior hemi and temporal; and for all the DCP-VD values. It was also observed that the deep FAZ area was wider in the MM group than in the control group.Conclusions: We detected decreased VD in deep and superficial macular retinal areas, papillary, peripapillary regions, suggesting decreased blood flow and possible ischemia in MM patients. Therefore, obtaining information on ischemia by using a noninvasive and easily measurable method such as OCTA, may be beneficial in terms of follow-up and treatment but this needs to be supported by further, larger studies.

Evaluation of Retinal Microvascular Perfusion Changes in Patients with Celiac Disease.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine whether there are retinal microvascular changes in patients with celiac disease (CD). METHODS: A total of 30 patients with CD (group 1) and 30 healthy controls (group 2) were included in this study. AngioVue optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) device was used to evaluate the retinal microvascular structure. RESULTS: Some of the values of both optic nerve head (ONH) vessel density (VD) and radial peripapillary capillary VDs were found to be significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2. These 2 groups were similar except for one of the parameters of superficial capillary plexus VD (SCP-VD), whereas it was found that deep capillary plexus VD (DCP-VD) was lower in group 1 than in group 2 except for the foveal area. CONCLUSION: It was determined that some VDs obtained from the ONH and DCP-VD obtained from most areas of the macular region were significantly lower.

Assessment of Inflammation Biomarkers in Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant.

Purpose: To evaluate inflammation biomarkers in diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®). Methods: This retrospective single-center study investigated 64 eyes of 64 patients with DME who were nonresponsive to prior antivascular endothelial growth factor and treated with intravitreal Ozurdex. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were calculated. Visual acuity and optical coherence tomography markers, including hyper-reflective dots and subretinal fluid (SRF), were determined, and central retinal thickness was also evaluated monthly for 3 months. Results: The average age was 64.06 ± 7.81 (48-84) years. The baseline NLR and MLR were significantly higher in patients with better visual outcomes (P = 0.029 and P = 0.048, respectively). Better anatomical outcomes were observed in the presence of SRF (P = 0.027). No significant differences were observed in the rates of the presence of SRF and hyper-reflective points about the better functional outcome (P > 0.05). Conclusions: SRF as an imaging biomarker, and NLR and MLR as blood biomarkers, stand out as markers of inflammation and were found to be associated with better response to Ozurdex implantation in DME.