Effect of lens status in the surgical success of 23-gauge primary vitrectomy for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study (PACORES) group results.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of lens status on the success rate of primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment using either perfluoropropane gas (C3F8) or silicone oil (SO) tamponade. METHODS: A retrospective chart analysis was made of 97 eyes from 92 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with no proliferative vitreoretinopathy that were treated with primary 23-gauge PPV. Eyes included in this were phakic (n = 28), pseudophakic (n = 41), or phakic eyes subject to simultaneous phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation, and PPV during primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair (n = 28). Tamponade at the end of PPV was with either C3F8 (n = 65) or SO (n = 32). Success was defined as retinal reattachment at 1 year follow-up after a single procedure in eyes submitted to C3F8 injection; in eyes treated with SO injection, the success rate was defined as retina reattached 1 year after oil removal. Statistical comparisons were made between groups using chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and multivariate analysis. All eyes were operated by 2 experienced retina surgeons and had a minimum follow-up of 12 months. RESULTS: The vitreoretinal redetachment rate in eyes subjected to C3F8 tamponade was significantly higher (28.6%) for phakic eyes (P = 0.011) compared with pseudophakic or phakic eyes that underwent to phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation (4.5%). Eyes in which SO was used at the end of the surgical procedure demonstrated a similar trend of higher reoperation rates in phakic eyes (28.6%) compared with pseudophakic or phakic eyes (8%) subjected to phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation; however, no statistically significant difference was observed (P = 0.201). No statistically significant differences were found between groups in relation to the number of tears (P = 0.863) and their location (inferior: P = 0.189, superior: P = 0.708, nasal: P = 0.756, and temporal: P = 0.08). CONCLUSION: The success rates of primary 23-gauge PPV with either C3F8 or SO tamponade in pseudophakic eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was higher than the same procedure performed in phakic eyes. Still, the retrospective and limited data presented is too preliminary to suggest or recommend that practitioners perform simultaneous combined cataract surgery with retinal detachment and requires further studies in a larger and prospective design to confirm these present findings.

Does microperimetry have a prognostic value in central serous chorioretinopathy?

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between retinal sensitivity and persistence of subretinal fluid and then to analyze microperimetry as a prognostic predictor of acute central serous chorioretinopathy. METHODS: A prospective observational study. Fourteen eyes of 14 patients presenting with first episode acute central serous chorioretinopathy were enrolled and underwent ocular examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and MAIA microperimetry were performed. After three months of follow-up, without any treatment, visual acuity and spectral domain optical coherence tomography macular thickness assessments and microperimetry were repeated. The main outcome was to find a relation between initial macular sensitivity and persistence of subretinal fluid. A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to indicate the best macular sensitivity cutoff point that would be able to predict whether a patient with acute central serous chorioretinopathy would progress to the chronic form. According to the cutoff, we calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for macular sensitivity as a method to predict persistence of subretinal fluid. RESULTS: On the basis of the receiver operating characteristic curve, a cutoff of 20 dB macular sensitivity was obtained, as the best balance between sensitivity and specificity to predict chronicity. Using this cutoff, the method had a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 100% with a positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 78%. Furthermore, it was found that eyes with acute central serous chorioretinopathy and microperimetry of less than 20 dB had a relative risk of 4.5 to develop subretinal fluid persistence. CONCLUSION: Microperimetry with a cutoff of 20 dB may be a useful test to predict the persistence of subretinal fluid, allowing the ophthalmologist to use treatment tools earlier, preventing extracellular damage and visual impairment.

Retrospective case series of high-density silicone oil (Oxane HD) in severe proliferative vitreorretinal retinal detachment patients.

BACKGROUND: Describe complications and clinical outcomes of heavy silicone oil (HSO) Oxane HD® use as an alternative to overcome the challenges of performing vitrectomy to treat tractional and rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was performed on patients from one center from August 2014 to Aug 2023. It was included patients who underwent surgery using HSO Oxane HD® to treat rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with PVR or mixed tractional and rhegmatogenous diabetic retinal detachment. Severely ill patients who could not attend to follow up were excluded. The primary outcome was successful retinal attachment at first postoperative month. A descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: Among the 31 patients, 29 (93.5%) underwent surgeries due to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and two (6.5%) for diabetic retinal detachment. The primary anatomic success was achieved in 27 (87.1%) patients. At the final visit, 17 (56.6%) had vision better than 20/400 (range, 20/30 to light perception). The vision was stable or improved in 22 (76.8%) patients at the end of follow-up. Nineteen (61.3%) patients required hypotensive eye drops after HSO use and twelve (38.7%) still required hypotensive eye drops at the final follow-up; three (9.7%) patients required additional glaucoma surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: HSO is safe and useful for complex retinal detachments cases specially with inferior tears and PVR. Ocular hypertension is frequent and usually clinically controlled with hypotensive eyedrops. Close postoperatively follow-up is advised due to the ocular complications, particularly elevated intraocular pressure and emulsification.

Surgical technique for removal of high-density silicone oil (Oxane HD).

The main drawback for the use of heavy silicone oil (HSO) Oxane HD is the difficulties it presents during removal. It differs from conventional silicone oil removal because it progressively concentrates in the posterior pole during the removal because of its heavier than water density. We describe a technique to facilitate proper HSO Oxane HD removal and minimize residual posterior bubbles and intraoperative complications. We describe our pearls for removing HSO to obtain the optimal results. A concern associated with HSO is the difficulty it presents when it is removed. However, this can be overcome by appropriate modification of surgical techniques during removal to limit intraoperative complications.

Bacterial endophthalmitis following anti-VEGF intravitreal injections: a retrospective case series.

BACKGROUND: To describe the incidence of endophthalmitis and the treatment outcomes of acute bacterial endophthalmitis following intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections in a Brazilian hospital. The analysis was based on the timing of infection after intravitreal injection, culture results, visual acuity, and the presence of epiretinal membrane after a 1-year follow-up period, spanning nine years. METHODS: This retrospective case series, conducted over a 9-year period, aimed to evaluate the treatment outcomes of acute endophthalmitis following intravitreal Bevacizumab injections. The inclusion criteria involved a chart review of 25 patients who presented clinical signs of acute endophthalmitis out of a total of 12,441 injections administered between January 2011 and December 2019. Negative culture results of vitreous samples or incomplete data were excluded. Ultimately, 23 patients were enrolled in the study. Eight patients were treated with intravitreal antibiotic injections (IVAI) using vancomycin 1.0 mg/0.05mL and ceftazidime 2.25 mg/0.05mL, while 15 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) followed by intravitreal antibiotic injections at the end of surgery (IVAIES). The main outcome measures were the efficacy of controlling the infection with IVAI as a standalone therapy compared to early PPV followed by IVAIES. Data collected included pre-infection and one-year post-treatment best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) abnormalities, and enucleation/evisceration rates. To compare groups, Mann-Whitney and ANOVA tests were employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The incidence rate of bacterial endophthalmitis was 0.185% (1/541 anti-VEGF injections), with the highest infection rates observed in 2014 and 2017. Patients presented clinical symptoms between 2 and 7 days after injection. The most common isolated organisms were coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Streptococci spp. Treatment outcomes showed that both IVAI and PPV + IVAIES effectively controlled the infection and prevented globe atrophy. After one year, the PPV group with BCVA better than Light Perception had a significantly better BCVA compared to the IVAI group (p 0.003). However, PPV group had higher incidence of epiretinal membranes formation compared to the IVAI group. (P 0.035) CONCLUSION: Anti-VEGF injections carry a risk of developing acute bacterial endophthalmitis. Isolated antibiotic therapy could be an effective treatment to control the infection, but performing PPV + IVAIES as a primary treatment showed promising results in terms of improving BCVA after one year, despite a higher rate of epiretinal membrane formation. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Fairness and generalisability in deep learning of retinopathy of prematurity screening algorithms: a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disease responsible for more than 30 000 blind children worldwide. Its diagnosis and treatment are challenging due to the lack of specialists, divergent diagnostic concordance and variation in classification standards. While artificial intelligence (AI) can address the shortage of professionals and provide more cost-effective management, its development needs fairness, generalisability and bias controls prior to deployment to avoid producing harmful unpredictable results. This review aims to compare AI and ROP study's characteristics, fairness and generalisability efforts. METHODS: Our review yielded 220 articles, of which 18 were included after full-text assessment. The articles were classified into ROP severity grading, plus detection, detecting treatment requiring, ROP prediction and detection of retinal zones. RESULTS: All the article's authors and included patients are from middle-income and high-income countries, with no low-income countries, South America, Australia and Africa Continents representation.Code is available in two articles and in one on request, while data are not available in any article. 88.9% of the studies use the same retinal camera. In two articles, patients' sex was described, but none applied a bias control in their models. CONCLUSION: The reviewed articles included 180 228 images and reported good metrics, but fairness, generalisability and bias control remained limited. Reproducibility is also a critical limitation, with few articles sharing codes and none sharing data. Fair and generalisable ROP and AI studies are needed that include diverse datasets, data and code sharing, collaborative research, and bias control to avoid unpredictable and harmful deployments.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in patients with commotio retinae.

PURPOSE: To describe the morphologic characteristics of commotio retinae using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and to evaluate its utility in prognosis and follow-up. METHODS: Consecutive patients with commotio retinae underwent complete ophthalmic examination, color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and near-infrared autofluorescence. RESULTS: There were 11 eyes of 11 patients (8 men), with a mean age of 30.8 ± 12.1 years. The follow-up ranged from 9 days to 6 months. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography identified hyperreflectivity underneath the inner/outer segment junction in the area of commotio retinae in 9 patients (81.1%), which subsided in a few days. Five patients (45.5%) revealed areas of disruption of the inner/outer segment junction and hyperreflectivity of the overlying retina, which progressed to external retinal atrophy and visual loss (P = 0.002). The 5 patients with visual sequelae revealed pigment disorders and alterations in fundus autofluorescence and near-infrared autofluorescence during follow-up, and 3 patients (60%) presented with intraretinal hemorrhages. CONCLUSION: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of mild lesions with good visual outcome showed transient hyperreflectivity of the outer retina. The cases with severe trauma were related to acute disruption of the inner/outer segment junction and hyperreflectivity of the overlying retina and were regularly associated with retinal atrophy, pigment disturbance, and poor visual prognosis.

Evisceration and enucleation cases in the ophthalmologic emergency department of a tertiary Brazilian hospital.

PURPOSE: To analyze the epidemiological profiles of evisceration and enucleation cases in the ophthalmologic emergency department of a Brazilian tertiary hospital. METHODS: Patients treated in the ophthalmologic emergency department of Hospital São Paulo (Universidade Federal de São Paulo) during the period 2013 to 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Urgent cases of evisceration or enucleation surgery were included, and elective cases were excluded. The following information was extracted from the patients' medical records: demographic data, immediate and associated reasons for the surgical procedure, informed visual acuity, symptom duration until ophthalmologic care, complications, distance from the residence to the tertiary hospital, and time of hospitalization. RESULTS: In total, 61 enucleations and 121 eviscerations were included in this study. The patients had a mean age of 63.27 ± 18.68 years. Of the patients, 99 were male (54.40%), and 83 were female (45.60%). The indications for evisceration or enucleation were corneal perforation with (44.50%) and without (23.63%) signs of infection, endophthalmitis (15.38%), ocular trauma (14.29%), neoplasia (0.55%), burn accident (1.10%), and phthisis bulbi (0.55%). The self-reported visual acuity was no light perception (87.36%) or light perception (1.10%). However, 3.30% of the patients did not cooperate with the examination, and no information on visual acuity was available for the remaining 8.24%. The mean symptom duration before ophthalmologic care was sought was 18.32 days. Two patients had sympathetic ophthalmia after evisceration. CONCLUSIONS: More eviscerations than enucleations were performed throughout the study period. The most common demographic characteristics were age >60 years and male sex. The main indications for urgent evisceration and enucleation procedures were corneal perforation with and without infection, endophthalmitis, and ocular trauma. The findings from this study could guide clinicians in performing preventive measures to avoid destructive eye procedures.

Retinal and choroidal thickness in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease: a cross-sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To measure the retinal/choroidal thicknesses in the macular area of asymptomatic pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS: This cross-sectional cohort study included 40 children (79 eyes) with SCD and 19 control patients (36 eyes). All subjects underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with enhanced-depth imaging OCT. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were applied to compare the outcomes between groups. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The choroidal thickness in the macular area in the study subfields was significantly thinner in the SCD eyes compared with control eyes (subfoveal subfield and temporal parafoveal subfield, p < 0.0001; nasal parafoveal subfield, p < 0.0001 temporal perifoveal subfield, p < 0.0001; and nasal perifoveal subfield, p < 0.0001). The variations in the retinal thickness were not significant. CONCLUSION: EDI-OCT showed that the macular choroidal thickness is thinner in asymptomatic pediatric patients with SCD.

Evaluation of childhood cataract characteristics at a tertiary referral center.

PURPOSE: To examine the epidemiological characteristics of children undergoing cataract surgery at a referral center in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, as well as the facts surrounding treatment delays. METHODS: In this transversal observational study, 240 operated eyes from 178 children undergoing cataract surgery were reviewed. The following aspects were analyzed: epidemiological and clinical characteristics, parental observations, red reflex test, operated eye, and age at cataract diagnosis and surgery. RESULTS: The mean ages at the first visit and cataract surgery were 48.9 months (SD=50.0 months) and 64.5 months (SD= 55.4 months), respectively. The most critical sign adverted by parents was leukocoria. The red reflex test was performed on two-thirds of the children, with abnormal results in 28.0%. A family history of cataracts was evident in 30 (20,9%) children (n=144). Previous ocular surgery was found in 37 (16,6%) of the eyes (n=223), anterior segment disorders in 20 (9,0%) eyes (n=221), strabismus in 21 (9,5%) of the eyes (n=220), and nystagmus in 38 (24,4%) of the children (n=156). CONCLUSIONS: One of the causes for the delay in admission may have been the failure to complete the red reflex. In terms of etiology, heredity was the most crucial component. The presence of strabismus and nystagmus in many of these children points to late diagnosis. The most significant impediments to adequate cataract treatment in children were the lack of referral programs and children's specialized ophthalmologic centers, in addition to the restricted number of support professionals trained in the field and pediatric ophthalmology specialists.

Advances in Vitreoretinal Surgery.

Advances in vitreoretinal surgery provide greater safety, efficacy, and reliability in the management of the several vitreoretinal diseases that benefit from surgical treatment. The advances are divided into the following topics: scleral buckling using chandelier illumination guided by non-contact visualization systems; sclerotomy/valved trocar diameters; posterior vitrectomy systems and ergonomic vitrectomy probes; chromovitrectomy; vitreous substitutes; intraoperative visualization systems including three-dimensional technology, systems for intraoperative optical coherence tomography, new instrumentation in vitreoretinal surgery, anti-VEGF injection before vitrectomy and in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and new surgical techniques; endoscopic surgery; the management of subretinal hemorrhages; gene therapy; alternative techniques for refractory macular hole; perspectives for stem cell therapy and the prevention of proliferative vitreoretinopathy; and, finally, the Port Delivery System. The main objective of this review is to update the reader on the latest changes in vitreoretinal surgery and to provide an understanding of how each has impacted the improvement of surgical outcomes.

PURTSCHER-LIKE RETINOPATHY AND PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY CAUSED BY INDUSTRIAL SILICONE EMBOLISM.

PURPOSE: This article describes a rare occurrence of acute vision loss in a healthy young patient after a cosmetic procedure. METHODS: Findings on clinical examination, color fundus photography, and swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. RESULTS: A previously healthy 26-year-old male-to-female transsexual presented with dyspnea, fever, and hypoxemia 1 day after cosmetic injection of industrial silicone for buttock augmentation. The patient reported decreased vision on the right eye 4 days later and decreased vision on the left eye 5 days later. Fundus examination revealed bilateral retinal precapillary occlusion, demonstrating intraretinal hemorrhages, cotton wool spots, and Purtscher flecks within the posterior pole of both eyes. Optical coherence tomography angiography revealed capillary ischemia and an enlarged foveal avascular zone. CONCLUSION: Swept-source optical coherence tomography is a valuable tool for evaluation of Purtscher-like retinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy.

Ocular Assessments of a Series of Newborns Gestationally Exposed to Maternal COVID-19 Infection.

IMPORTANCE: Congenital viral infections leading to ocular abnormalities are frequent and devastating. As ophthalmological manifestations of COVID-19 in newborns are still unknown, it is important to clarify if SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with ocular abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is associated with outcomes in the eyes of newborns. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This case series enrolled newborns from April to November 2020 from 3 different maternity hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil. The diagnosis of COVID-19 in mothers and newborns was based on real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays with material obtained from oronasopharyngeal swab sample; positive IGM serology was also considered as a diagnostic test for mothers. Newborns were excluded if they had any evidence of another congenital infection. All infants underwent external ocular examination and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. EXPOSURES: Serology test for COVID-19 and detection of SARS-CoV-2 from oronasopharyngeal specimen using a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay on both mothers and newborns. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Screening for ophthalmologic manifestation in newborns after maternal COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: A total of 165 newborns (age range at examination, 1 to 18 days) were evaluated. Of these, 123 (74.5%) were born at full term, and 42 (25.4%) were born preterm. Maternal gestational age at the time of COVID-19-positive test varied from first to 40th gestational weeks. Six newborns (3.6%) had positive polymerase chain reaction findings for SARS-CoV-2. One newborn tested positive within 18 days (horizontal transmission), and 5 newborns tested positive in the first day of life (possible vertical transmission). None had ocular abnormalities. Concerning exposed newborns with negative test results, 1 presented with venous engorgement and vascular tortuosity, 7 had intraretinal hemorrhages, and 2 were diagnosed as having retinopathy of prematurity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this uncontrolled case series of Brazilian newborns of mothers with COVID-19 infection, a low rate of COVID-19 infection was found among newborns, and none had ocular abnormalities. Additional controlled studies may be warranted to confirm these findings.

Twelve-Year-Old Girl with Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy: A Multimodal Retinal Evaluation.

We report a 12-year-old female patient with acute macular neuroretinopathy assessed with multimodal retinal exams. Initial fluorescein angiogram and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) were both normal, and after 4 months OCT-A showed abnormal vascular flow with normal flow in superficial retina layers, choroid, and choriocapillaris.

Bartonella hanselae retinitis patient evaluated with multimodal retinal exams.

BACKGROUND: Cat scratch disease is a systemic infectious illness caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. The most common ophthalmological involvement due to infection by Bartonella is Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome, whereas the most common posterior segment findings are neuroretinitis and subsequent late macular star. Moreover, other findings, such as retinal or subretinal lesions, intermediate uveitis and angiomatous lesions, may be present. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37-year-old female patient with retinal findings and serological confirmation of Bartonella infection was evaluated via multimodal retinal exams. The patient received treatment with doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 2 weeks. One month after treatment, complete improvement of her visual scotoma symptoms was confirmed. A swept-source optical coherence tomography exam also showed decreases in the size and intraretinal extension of the lesion. Improvement of light perception at the affected area was confirmed by microperimetry. CONCLUSIONS: Bartonella henselae infection, particularly retinitis, can present a variable spectrum of clinical and ophthalmological findings. Multimodal retinal exams can clearly identify lesion characteristics, thus providing important information for diagnosis and the evaluation of lesion improvement after antibiotic treatment.

CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL TEAR IMAGED BY OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY.

PURPOSE: To report a patient presenting a retinal pigment epithelial tear in which optical coherence tomography angiography enabled the visualization of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) not evidenced by the fluorescein angiography. She was treated with 3 monthly intravitreous anti-VEGF injections and intraretinal fluid resolution occurred. METHODS: Observational case report. RESULTS: A 62-year-old Caucasian woman presented with decreased visual acuity in the right eye for 3 months. Fundus biomicroscopy revealed a yellowish macular lesion associated with intraretinal hemorrhage. Fluorescein angiography showed a large hyperfluorescent area consistent with window defect. Optical coherence tomography showed a retinal pigment epithelial tear with subretinal fluid. However, there was no clear evidence of CNV on fluorescein angiography or OCT. Optical coherence tomography angiography confirmed the presence of an active CNV by the visualization of the neovascular network in the region corresponding to the scrolled up retinal pigment epithelium. CONCLUSION: This case report demonstrates that optical coherence tomography angiography can be useful to confirm the presence of CNV in cases where fluorescein angiography and OCT cannot establish the diagnosis. The reported case suggests the applicability of optical coherence tomography angiography in patients in whom retinal pigment epithelial tear is detected and associated CNV is suspected.

Role of Vital Dyes in Chromovitrectomy.

ABSTRACT: Chromovitrectomy, the intraocular application of dyes to assist visualization of preretinal tissues during vitreoretinal surgery, was introduced to avoid ocular complications related to internal limiting membrane peeling, inadequate removal of the vitreous, and incomplete removal of epiretinal membranes. Since 2000, chromovitrectomy has become a popular approach among vitreoretinal specialists. The first vital dye used in chromovitrectomy, indocyanine green, facilitated identification of the fine and transparent internal limiting membrane. Following indocyanine green, trypan blue was introduced to identify epiretinal membranes, and triamcinolone acetonide stained the vitreous well. Recently, additional natural dyes such as lutein and anthocyanin from the açaí fruit have been proposed for intraocular application during vitrectomy. The main goal of this review was to study the role of vital stains in chromovitrectomy and report the latest findings in the literature.

VALUE OF CLINICAL, LABORATORY PARAMETERS AND ANALYSIS OF RETINAL VASCULARIZATION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH PORTAL HYPERTENSION.

BACKGROUND: Portal hypertension is one of the complications of cirrhosis and is associated with numerous systemic manifestations, including renal, brain, pulmonary, cardiac and vascular changes. In routine ophthalmological examinations performed at our service, we observed that some children diagnosed with portal hypertension had increased retinal vascular tortuosity. OBJECTIVE: 1. To evaluate the presence of retinal vascular abnormalities (vascular tortuosity) in children diagnosed with portal hypertension; 2. To investigate the association between retinal vascular tortuosity and the presence of gastroesophageal varices in these children; 3. To evaluate the use of clinical and laboratory parameters to predict the presence of gastroesophageal varices in children with portal hypertension. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional and observational study that included patients aged <18 years with a diagnosis of portal hypertension. The participants included were submitted to dilated fundus examination and fundus photography with Visucam (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG) device. Besides, clinical and laboratorial data were collected from the patients' medical records. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were included in this study, and 36% of them had an increase in retinal vascular tortuosity. Platelet count (P=0.001), bilirubin dosage (P=0.013) and aspartate transaminase dosage (AST) (P=0.042) were associated with the presence of gastroesophageal varices in digestive endoscopy. There was no association between retinal vascular tortuosity and the presence of gastroesophageal varices (P=0.498). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that platelet count, bilirubin dosage, and aspartate transaminase dosage were associated with the presence of gastroesophageal varices in digestive endoscopy. Regarding the retinal findings, we found that there was an increase in retinal vascular tortuosity in 36% of pediatric patients, but no association was found with the presence of gastroesophageal varices.

Six-year epidemiological analysis of post traumatic endophthalmitis in a Brazilian hospital.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the epidemiology of endophthalmitis cases related to ocular trauma, including visual acuity during and 1 year after trauma, source of trauma and method of treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study analyzed the epidemiological data of patients with a clinical presentation of endophthalmitis after ocular penetrating trauma between January 2012 and January 2017 at Escola Paulista de Medicina/UNIFESP, a hospital in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 453 patients with antecedent open globe trauma were evaluated, among these, 30 patients with suspected endophthalmitis. All patients were male. The time interval between trauma and ophthalmological evaluation and collection of vitreous and aqueous material was 1 day in 36.66%, 2-7 days in 43.44%, 7-14 days in 10% and more than 15 days in 10% of patients; 66.66% had positive cultures. 11 patients had intraocular foreign body. One year after trauma, visual acuity was classified as no light perception (NLP) in 33.33%, light perception in 6.66%, hand motion in 13.33%, counting fingers in 13.33%, and better than 20/400 in 20% of patients. Considering presence of intraocular foreign body, initial visual acuity and symptoms onset time, only initial visual acuity showed as better prognostic factor in final visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Endophthalmitis is a severe ocular inflammatory condition that may lead to irreversible vision loss. Initially only one patient had visual acuity of NLP, but after 1 year, 33% showed visual acuity of NLP, and only 20% had visual acuity better than 20/400, what is consistent with a severe infection with a guarded prognosis. The high incidence of endophthalmitis after ocular penetrant trauma justifies distinct treatment and greater attention.

The retinal foveal avascular zone as a systemic biomarker to evaluate inflammatory bowel disease control.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a systemic inflammatory disease and is classified as Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) depending on the extent of gastrointestinal tract involvement. IBD can be associated with extraintestinal findings, such as fever, weight loss, arthralgia, and mucocutaneous lesions, as well as hepatic, renal and ophthalmological involvement. Clinical parameters and colonoscopy are used to establish the criteria for controlled or non-controlled disease and subsequent definition of treatment. Our objective in the present study was to compare the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in patients with a diagnosis of IBD during remission and active disease. METHODS: 144 eyes of 72 patients with IBD were evaluated via a complete ophthalmological exam. Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography/angiography (OCT/OCTA) were performed with a Topcon Triton. The macula and posterior pole were evaluated by binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy and fundus biomicroscopy. The area of the FAZ was determined via manual delimitation of superficial retinal vascular layers from OCTA with image6.net software. To establish disease activity, we considered the Mayo Score, fecal calprotectin levels, colonoscopy results and clinical parameters. All retinal parameters were evaluated in a blinded manner. Means were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The participants had a mean age of 42.26 years and included 28 males (38.88%) and 44 females (61.11%). Among the participants, 37 had a diagnosis of CD (51.38%), and 35 had a diagnosis of UC (48.61%). Twenty-five patients (34.72%) had active disease, and 47 (65.27%) were in remission. The area of the FAZ did not differ significantly between the CD and UC groups (p = 0.91 for the right eye and p = 0.76 for the left eye) but did differ significantly between the remission and active disease groups (p = 0.01 for the right eye and p = 0.02 for the left eye). DISCUSSION: Our study is the first to evaluate the area of the FAZ in patients with IBD via swept-source OCTA. The area of the FAZ did not differ significantly in either eye between the CD and UC groups. However, patients classified as having active disease according to clinical parameters and colonoscopy presented a significant decrease in the area of the FAZ compared with patients in remission. The area of the FAZ is an ophthalmological parameter that can be obtained non-invasively and is increased in ischemic diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. The FAZ may decrease due to vascular engorgement or increased systemic inflammation. This parameter can be used to help determine whether a patient is in remission or active IBD, thus potentially reducing the need for invasive exams during disease follow-up.