Late macular complications of choroidal ruptures

Predictors for choroidal neovascular membrane formation and visual outcome following blunt ocular trauma

Aim:

The aim of this study was to determine the predictors for choroidal neovascular membrane formation and visual outcome after blunt ocular trauma.

Methods:

Retrospective review of electronic medical records of patients with blunt ocular trauma from January 2013 to December 2016 at Narayana Nethralaya Super Speciality Eye Hospital (Bangalore, India) was done. Cases with positive macular findings were enrolled. Data such as age, sex, laterality, mode of injury, presenting and final vision, follow-up duration and retinal findings were noted.

Results:

A total of 853 cases were referred to the retina clinic with history of blunt ocular trauma. Of which, 37 cases with positive macular findings were identified. Trauma with ball (18/37, 49%) was the most common mode of injury. Choroidal rupture was seen in 33 (89%) eyes. Other retinal findings noted were as follows: retinal haemorrhages (11%), commotio retinae (22%), submacular haemorrhage (43%), macular hole (11%), epiretinal membrane (3%), macular scar (8%) and vitreous haemorrhage (4%). Choroidal neovascular membrane was noted in 6 (16%) out of 37 eyes. No retinal findings showed any positive association with choroidal neovascular membrane formation. Using Pearson’s correlation test, independent variables such as presenting visual acuity (r = 0.601, p = 0.000) and choroidal neovascular membrane formation (r = –0.356, p = 0.031) showed a strong correlation with final visual acuity.

Conclusion:

The occurrence rate of post-traumatic choroidal neovascular membranes is about 12% in eyes with choroidal rupture. Most choroidal neovascular membranes occur within 1 year of trauma. Eyes with poor presenting vision and choroidal rupture or subretinal haemorrhage warrant regular and shorter follow-up intervals for long periods to identify the choroidal neovascular membrane. Treatment with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy is useful.

Traumatic chorioretinitis sclopetaria: Risk factors, management, and prognosis

Purpose

To describe new cases of sclopetaria and evaluate the risk factors, management, and visual prognosis of all reported cases in the literature.

Observations

We performed a retrospective, observational case series. This study included six cases (median age 23, interquartile range 33) of sclopetaria. Additionally, literature searches were conducted in the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases to uncover risk factors associated with all published cases of sclopetaria. Main outcome measure was best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 20/20. Sixty-seven cases (71 eyes) of sclopetaria have been reported, of which 59 cases (61 eyes) met inclusion criteria in this study. Most were young (median age 19.5 years) men (51/59, 88.1%). Thirty-seven eyes were observed while 24 underwent immediate surgery including six pars plana vitrectomies and three scleral buckles. Compared to initial presentation, BCVA improved in 31/48 (64.6%) eyes, remained stable in 12/48 eyes (25.0%), and worsened in 5/48 eyes (10.4%). Ten patients (16.4%) achieved a final BCVA of 20/20 with median follow up time of seven months. In a multivariate model, location of sclopetaria in the macula, temporal retina, or immediate orbital foreign body removal predicted poor final BCVA with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.767.

Conclusions and importance

Traumatic chorioretinitis sclopetaria is rare, but reports have increased dramatically over the past two decades. While pars plana vitrectomy may be required for the management of retinal detachments and non-clearing vitreous hemorrhage, close observation is appropriate in most cases. Visual prognosis is poor with most patients attaining 20/200 vision or worse.

Morphological patterns of indirect choroidal rupture on spectral domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the morphological types of indirect choroidal rupture (ICR) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

METHODS

This was a prospective interventional study of 18 eyes of 18 patients who presented with a history of blunt ocular trauma resulting in choroidal rupture. All patients underwent detailed ophthalmic evaluation and SD-OCT examination.

RESULTS

Mean age of the patients was 32±9.6 years. Morphologically, two types of choroidal rupture were seen on SD-OCT. The first type seen (Type 1 ICR) was a forward protrusion of the retinal pigment epithelium-choriocapillaris (RPE-CC) layer with an acutely angled pyramid or dome shape. This was associated with either a small loss of continuity of the retinal pigment epithelium layer or elevated RPE-CC projection accompanied by a significant quantity of subretinal hemorrhage. The second type observed (Type 2 ICR) was a larger area of disruption of the RPE-CC layer, photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment junction, and external limiting membrane, with a posteriorly directed concave contour depression at that area and downward sliding of tissues into the defect. At presentation, ten eyes were observed to have Type 1 ICR and eight to have Type 2 ICR. Of the 18 eyes, one with Type 1 ICR and two with Type 2 ICR developed choroidal neovascularization (16.6%).

CONCLUSION

Two distinct tomographic patterns of choroidal ruptures were identified on SD-OCT, which may allow ruptures to be classified into two morphological types. There are morphometric and clinical differences between the two types, which may help to prognosticate visual outcome and anticipate complications following choroidal ruptures.

Indocyanine green angiographic features of choroidal rupture and choroidal vascular injury after contusion ocular injury

PURPOSE

To report features of choroidal rupture and choroidal vascular injury after contusion ocular injury on indocyanine green angiography.

METHODS

In a prospective study, nine patients (nine eyes) with choroidal rupture after ocular contusion underwent initial fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography within 19 days after trauma. Eyes that had a distinct abnormality of the retinal pigment epithelium were excluded from this study. Subtraction indocyanine green angiography was also performed. Follow-up fluorescein angiographic and indocyanine green angiographic findings were also studied.

RESULTS

Initial ophthalmoscopic examination revealed subretinal hemorrhage in all nine eyes. In five of the nine eyes, choroidal rupture was not seen on initial ophthalmoscopic or fluorescein angiographic examination because it was hidden beneath the subretinal hemorrhage, but it was detected on subsequent examinations. In the remaining four eyes, choroidal rupture was observed by ophthalmoscopy at the time of initial examination, and these eyes exhibited hyperfluorescent streaks on fluorescein angiography in the region of the subretinal hemorrhage. On initial indocyanine green angiography of all nine eyes, observed hypofluorescent streaks became more obvious with time. For each eye, there were more hypofluorescent streaks on indocyanine green angiography than hyperfluorescent streaks on fluorescein angiography. In one eye, the location of indocyanine green leakage nearly coincided with the location of a hyperfluorescent streak on fluorescein angiography. In this case, crescentic streaks of hypofluorescence were seen on the temporal side of the subretinal hemorrhage on indocyanine green angiography, although choroidal rupture was not observed in that region by ophthalmoscopy or fluorescein angiography. In two of the nine eyes, indocyanine green angiography and the subtraction technique demonstrated disturbance of flow into choroidal vessels, especially at the choroidal rupture site.

CONCLUSION

After ocular contusion injury, various features of choroidal rupture and choroidal vascular injury were observed on indocyanine green angiography. This technique may contribute to the diagnosis of choroidal rupture and to the understanding of the clinical course after injury.

Indocyanine green angiographic features of traumatic choroidal ruptures

PURPOSE

To investigate the indocyanine green (ICG) angiographic findings of healed traumatic choroidal ruptures.

METHODS

Three eyes of two patients with choroidal ruptures underwent both fluorescein angiography and ICG angiography with a digital high-resolution system.

RESULTS

Fundus examination showed healed choroidal ruptures in all three eyes. Two of the eyes had old macular scars and one eye had a recent choroidal neovascular membrane with serous detachment of the macula. On fluorescein angiography, the choroidal ruptures showed hypofluorescence at very early stages followed by late hyperfluorescence. On ICG angiography, the choroidal ruptures were hypofluorescent in early, mid and late phases. ICG angiography provided a clear delineation of the choroidal ruptures. In all eyes, the lesion was better defined on the ICG angiogram than on the fluorescein angiogram.

CONCLUSIONS

ICG angiography can be helpful in the clinical evaluation of choroidal ruptures and can be used together with fluorescein angiography for the diagnosis and follow-up of choroidal ruptures.

Subfoveal neovascular membrane removal in patients with traumatic choroidal rupture

PURPOSE

To describe the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy to remove subretinal neovascular membranes caused by traumatic choroidal ruptures.

METHODS

Three patients with traumatic choroidal rupture in whom subfoveal choroidal neovascularization developed underwent pars plana vitrectomy with surgical excision of the neovascular membrane. Surgical specimens were examined histopathologically in two patients.

RESULTS

The choroidal neovascularization was removed completely in each patient. Visual results were excellent with visual acuities improving to 20/30 or better in each patient. Recurrence of choroidal neovascularization has not been observed. Fibrovascular membranes with reactive retinal pigment epithelium were observed in two specimens examined histopathologically.

CONCLUSION

Surgical removal of subretinal neovascular membranes emanating from traumatic choroidal ruptures produced an excellent visual outcome in three patients studied. The neovascular membranes, which were removed with minor disturbance to the underlying pigment epithelium, have similar characteristics to those obtained from patients with ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.

Choroidal rupture and optic atrophy

The association between post-traumatic optic disc pallor and traumatic choroidal rupture is poorly understood. To further define this relationship, nine cases of indirect traumatic choroidal rupture and post-traumatic optic disc pallor were compared with cases of indirect choroidal rupture without disc pallor in terms of severity of ocular injury, fundus findings, and visual outcome. The type and severity of the injury did not appear to influence the risk of optic disc pallor. Optic disc pallor was associated with a slightly poorer long term visual acuity than eyes without pallor (p = 0.059). The presence of a relative afferent pupillary defect was strongly associated with optic disc pallor (p = 0.016). Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelial abnormalities were a common finding, suggesting peripapillary trauma as a cause for optic disc pallor.

Chorioretinal neovascular membranes complicating contusional eye injuries with indirect choroidal ruptures

Chorioretinal neovascular membranes are a recognised but rare cause of late visual loss in eyes suffering contusional injuries. A series of eight cases is presented all with indirect choroidal ruptures involving the perifoveal region. Two main patterns of 'at risk' rupture were noted: a temporally situated rupture passing almost directly through the fovea, and a rupture which curves inferior or superior to the optic disc stopping just short of the fovea. In six of eight cases there was only a partial thickness rupture of the choroid. These neovascular membranes may present at any time after the original injury, either early (within six months of the injury), which could be related to persistence of the normal reparative neovascular response, or late (at least one year after the injury), which are more likely to have resulted from a secondary breakdown of the outer blood-retina barrier.

Choroidal neovascularization in children: report of five cases and literature review

Choroidal neovascularization is rare in the pediatric population. It has been associated in this age group with a variety of conditions. Increasing ability to treat these neovascular lesions with laser photocoagulation makes early recognition very important for visual preservation. An overview is presented, including an updated list of conditions associated with choroidal neovascularization in children and adolescents. Guidelines to recognition, parent and patient instructions, and the selective use of fluorescein angiography are emphasized. Five illustrative cases are highlighted, including a 10-year-old boy successfully treated with krypton laser photocoagulation near the fovea.

Idiopathic sub-retinal neovascular membranes in the macula (hemorrhagic macular choroidopathy of young adults). Clinical report and effectiveness of laser treatment

Twenty-six patients with idiopathic sub-retinal neovascular membranes (INVMs) located within the posterior pole were examined. Clinical and fluorescein angiographic features of these patients are described. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 96 months (mean 16.5 months). Laser treatment was performed according to the location of the neovascular membrane: 7 out of 9 eyes (77%) increased their final visual acuity or stabilized after Argon blue-green laser photocoagulation (INVMs further than 200 microns from the center of the fovea). Krypton red light laser treatment was performed in 13 eyes with juxta-foveal and sub-foveal INVMs: following treatment 10 eyes (77%) improved by 2 or more Snellen lines or maintained their pre-treatment visual acuity. Because of the fact that the Krypton laser was not yet available, 5 patients were not treated: all of them had sub-foveal (3) or juxta-foveal INVMs (2). The natural history of 4 cases (80%) showed an increase in the final visual acuity in 3 eyes and a steady state in one eye. Pathogenesis and treatment outcome of the disease are finally discussed.

Choroidal neovascularization

Choroidal neovascularization is now considered to be a most important feature in the pathogenesis and treatment of a number of chorioretinal disorders. Since the recognition of its importance, choroidal neovascularization has been described in clinical and pathologic studies of a variety of different ophthalmologic conditions. We have summarized the diseases in which choroidal neovascularization occurs and have reviewed studies on the natural history, clinical findings, and therapy of choroidal neovascularization that provide the basis for the current management of this condition.

Birdshot retinochoroidopathy and subretinal new vessels

Decrease of visual acuity in birdshot retinochoroidopathy is due either to optic atrophy or to 3 types of macular involvement: cystoid macular oedema, geographic atrophy, or macular serous detachment. We describe 3 cases of juxtapapillary subretinal neovascularisation occurring in long-standing birdshot retinochoroidopathy. The mechanism of the formation of the new vessels is discussed.

Subretinal neovascularization in the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome

Two Hispanic patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome each developed a disciform lesion involving the macula of one eye several months after the onset of symptoms. Each had extraocular manifestations which included pleocytosis of the cerebrospinal fluid. The disciform lesions were associated with retinochoroidal anastomoses, a finding not previously reported in VKH syndrome. Each patient had a separate extramacular disciform lesion in the same eye. Two other Hispanic patients with diffuse bilateral intraocular inflammation had ocular findings consistent with VKH syndrome. One of these patients developed bilateral peripapillary disciform lesions and the other developed a disciform macular scar in one eye. Fluorescein angiography in each patient showed early irregular hyperfluorescence with late intense staining. The disciform detachments occurred in areas of reactive proliferation of the retinal pigment epithelium, and we postulate that growth of subretinal new vessels occurred through areas of Bruch's membrane that were damaged by the inflammation.

Indirect choroidal tears and late onset serosanguinous maculopathies

The retinal changes are described in four patients who acquired indirect choroidal tears and later developed serosanguinous maculopathies. Two subsequently received photocoagulation therapy and two did not. An analysis of previous cases reported in the literature with this condition, combined with our own findings, show that only patients with ruptures close to fixation have been observed to develop late onset haemorrhages and oedema at the macula. Spontaneous resolution with preservation of useful levels of visual function not infrequently occurs, and the indications for photocoagulation therapy are probably limited.

Bilateral juxtapapillary subretinal neovascularization associated with pseudotumor cerebri

A 32-year-old obese woman with hypertension and a three-year history of pseudotumor cerebri developed bilateral juxtapapillary subretinal neovascular membranes. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of bilateral subretinal neovascular membranes complicating the course of this disease. The subretinal neovascular membrane in the left eye spontaneously involuted, but because the membrane in the right eye threatened the foveola, the patient underwent argon-laser photocoagulation. The subretinal fluid and hemorrhage progressively resolved, the membrane was replaced by fibrous tissue, and visual acuity improved. The pathogenesis of the subretinal neovascular membranes was presumably secondary to pressure deformity of the border of Bruch's membrane at the optic disk, creating a discontinuity of normal anatomic apposition of the chorioretinal layers. This anatomic dehiscence, coupled with hypoxia created by axonal tissue swelling and resultant impaired vascular perfusion of the tissues, led to the development of subretinal neovascular membranes.

The disciform response: an historical perspective

This paper is a survey of the literature in an attempt to provide the basis for our current understanding of the disciform process. Particular emphasis is placed on its pathogenesis and the role of subretinal neovascularization. No two lesions appear exactly alike because of the many stages and combinations possible. Gass (1967) has delineated the broad spectrum with the many different clinical manifestations of this disease process. Verhoeff and Grossman (1937) provided the histopathologic basis for our understanding of the disciform process. The histologic correlation of the clinical "predisciform" state would seem to offer the most promising information for understanding the pathogenesis of the disciform process (Frank et al. 1973; Green and Key 1977; Kornweig 1967; Sarks 1973 and 1976; Small et al. 1976; Zauberman 1970). It is hoped that this literature review has sufficiently emphasized the inherent deficiencies of strictly clinical studies and the need for an appropriate experimental animal model (Ryan 1979).

Subretinal neovascularization in chronic uveitis

This paper describes two young patients who developed subretinal neovascularization (SRNV) of choroidal origin as a complication of chronic uveitis of undetermined etiology. The probable mechanism of SRNV development and the differential diagnosis of the intraocular inflammatory condition are presented.

Indirect choroidal tears at the posterior pole: a fluorescein angiographic and perimetric study

Retinal fluorescein angiographic and visual field studies were performed on 10 patients who had developed indireect choroidal tears, these procedures being repeated at intervals until the retinal disturbances stabilised. Fluorographic investigations revealed that a transient breakdown of the choroidoretinal barrier to fluorescein dye could be detected in cases investigated within 4 days of injury, and also that the late complication of neovascularisation, producing a serous maculopathy, may resolve and good central vision be retained without recourse to photocoagulation therapy. Patients who had visual field examinations performed within a few days of trauma were noted to have dense central scotomata, but some recovery occurred in most cases, although to a variable degree. Field defects away from fixation corresponded to an extent with areas of post-traumatic pigmentary retinopathy, but in some portions of retina with normal background appearances sensitivity was also noted to be reduced. Scotomata corresponding specifically to choroidal tears or nerve fibre bundle defects were not recorded. Improvement of visual acuity may be expected, except in cases where a choroidal tear has involved the fovea or progressive choroidal neovascularisation led to permanent macular damage.

Rubella retinopathy and subretinal neovascularization

Diseases that primarily affect the pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, or the choroid may lead to secondary subretinal neovascularization and its sequelae of hemorrhage and scarring. We studied three cases of presumed congenital rubella retinopathy with congenital deafness, which developed unilateral subretinal neovascularization, hemorrhage, and scarring.

Choroidoretinal vascular anastomoses after blunt trauma to the eye

Six weeks after blunt ocular trauma in a 38-year-old white man, choroidoretinal vascular anastomoses occurred at the site of choroidal and retinal rupture. Neovascularization was not observed. Anastomoses of this type have been documented in other cicatrizing and granulomatous disease processes.

Choroidal neovascular membrane in Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy

The right eye of a 9-year-old white boy with Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy had an intact egg-yolk lesion and a retinal pigment epithelial defect superiorly, suggesting an early pseudohypopyon stage. The disruptive phase of the left eye showed subretinal hemorrhages, a "signet ring," and a subretinal neovascular membrane.