Long-term Clinical Course after Vitrectomy for Breakthrough Vitreous Hemorrhage Secondary to Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Visual outcomes of early and late vitrectomy for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage associated with exudative age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

To compare the visual outcomes of early and late vitrectomy for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage (VH) associated with exudative age-related macular degeneration (exudative AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). A retrospective chart review was performed with data of all patients diagnosed with exudative AMD and PCV-related breakthrough VH who underwent early or late vitrectomy (within or after 3 months, respectively). Demographic data and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were recorded and analyzed. Overall, 105 eyes with breakthrough VH were examined and categorized in either the early or late vitrectomy group. In the early and late vitrectomy group, LogMAR BCVA improved from 2.15 ± 0.08 and 2.07 ± 0.14 at baseline to 1.26 ± 0.09 and 1.27 ± 0.14 at 12 months, respectively (P < .001). Between early and late vitrectomy, the PCV subgroup demonstrated improved LogMAR BCVA at 1 year, but there was no statistically significant (P = .754). Conversely, the LogMAR BCVA improvement at 1 year in the early vitrectomy group demonstrated statistically significant differences from the late vitrectomy group (P = .025) in the exudative AMD subgroup. Both, early and late vitrectomy can improve visual acuity in patients with breakthrough VH secondary to exudative AMD and PCV. However, early vitrectomy is more beneficial for breakthrough VH-associated exudative AMD.

Systemic Risk Factors for Vitreous Hemorrhage Secondary to Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

INTRODUCTION

It remains unclear whether systemic factors are associated with an increased risk of vitreous hemorrhage (VH) secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and there is no method to predict the possibility of VH occurrence in patients with PCV. This study aimed to investigate and visualize systemic risk factors for VH in patients with PCV.

METHODS

Data on the sex, age, history of systematic diseases, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and laboratory data of patients with PCV were collected from the medical record system. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate independent risk factors for VH in patients with PCV. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and nomograms were used to visualize the independent risk factors.

RESULTS

The patient population comprised 115 patients with VH secondary to PCV and 181 patients with PCV without VH. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that higher white blood cell count [WBC; odds ratios (OR) 1.247], higher aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT; OR 2.339), and longer activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT; OR 1.196) were independent risk factors of VH in patients with PCV. Integrated application of APTT, AST/ALT, and WBC as markers showed the best performance for distinguishing patients with VH, with an area under the curve of 0.723. The nomogram was created for doctors to calculate the possibility of VH in a patient with PCV.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher WBC, higher AST/ALT, and longer APTT are independent serum risk factors of VH secondary to PCV, which may shed light on VH prevention in patients with PCV.

Glycosylated zein as a novel nanodelivery vehicle for lutein

Glucosamine-glycosylated zein (GLZ) generated by transglutaminase was developed as a novel delivery vehicle to prepare lutein-loaded glycosylated zein nanoparticles (GLZ-LUT). GLZ-LUT exhibited a polydispersed spherical microstructure, lutein was embedded into GLZ to form nanocomplexes via self-assembly, they had a lower zeta potential and an average particle size of less than 200 nm. Compared to lutein-loaded zein nanoparticles (Zein-LUT), the lutein entrapment efficiency of GLZ-LUT was increased from 81.55% to 89.60%. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis results confirmed that zein was successfully modified and that lutein was encapsulated by hydrophobic zein and GLZ. Moreover, GLZ showed significantly higher solubilization of lutein than Zein-LUT and significantly improved the in vitro release of lutein in the simulated gastrointestinal tract. The in vitro antioxidant activity of lutein was also enhanced by the encapsulation of zein and glycosylated zein. These findings indicated that GLZ represent a potentially efficient and promising nanodelivery carrier for lutein compounds.

Effects of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Drugs Before and After Pars Plana Vitrectomy in Patients with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy and Vitreous Hemorrhage

Purpose: To compare the clinical effects of postoperative versus perioperative injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs before and after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in patients with vitreous hemorrhage secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent PPV due to vitreous hemorrhage between October 2013 and June 2019 at Ningbo Eye Hospital. The patients who underwent PPV surgery due to PCV-secondary vitreous hemorrhage were included. The primary outcome was the changes in best-corrected visual acuity. The secondary outcome was the central macular thickness. Results: Compared with the postoperative group (n = 20), the perioperative group (n = 18) showed a smaller number of postoperative anti-VEGF injections (5.1 ± 0.8 vs. 8.0 ± 1.5, P < 0.05) and lower frequencies of early hyphema (5.6% vs. 30.0%, P < 0.05), and recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (11.1% vs. 30.0%, P < 0.05). The logarithm of minimal angle resolution (LogMAR) was smaller in the perioperative group compared with the postoperative group at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after PPV (P < 0.05), but there were no differences thereafter. Compared with the postoperative group, the perioperative group had thinner fovea at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months (P < 0.05), but the differences disappeared after 3 months. Conclusion: In patients with PCV and vitreous hemorrhage, compared with postoperative anti-VEGF, perioperative anti-VEGF could reduce the difficulty of surgery and reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications, but there were no differences in long-term vision and macular thickness after surgery.

Complications Associated with Worse Visual Outcomes in Patients with Exudative Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

BACKGROUND

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents a leading cause of vision loss in older subjects. The introduction of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy has enormously improved the visual prognosis in these patients.

SUMMARY

However, severe complications may still occur in this disease and their development may significantly affect short- and long-term visual outcomes. Key Messages: In this article, we provided a review of these complications, highlighting their distinctive signs or symptoms and focusing on the current evidence of treatment. To place the complications related to neovascular AMD in a proper context, this review deals with core components essential for proper comprehension of neovascular AMD that includes pathogenesis, clinical signs, and basic principles of treatment.

THE INCIDENCE, CHARACTERISTICS, MANAGEMENT, PROGNOSIS, AND CLASSIFICATION OF BREAKTHROUGH VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE SECONDARY TO POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY

PURPOSE

To describe breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

METHODS

Patients with the diagnosis of PCV from January 2005 to March 2020 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively reviewed, cases with breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was conducted regarding pachychoroid PCV and nonpachychoroid PCV.

RESULTS

Among 722 PCV patients (834 eyes), 103 eyes with breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage (12.4%) were included. Pars plana vitrectomy and proper further interventions could significantly improve the best-corrected visual acuity from logMAR 2.15 ± 0.48 (Snellen 20/2825) to 1.65 ± 0.67 (20/893). Hemorrhagic retinal detachment, baseline central macular thickness, and best-corrected visual acuity were factors associated with final best-corrected visual acuity (P < 0.05). In the pachychoroid PCV group, patients were younger, all had hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment, with a higher prevalence of choroidal vascular hyperpermeability and hemorrhagic retinal detachment, thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness, and thinner central macular thickness; besides, the initial pars plana vitrectomy were more complicated, more additional surgeries had to be performed. More eyes in the nonpachychoroid PCV group had received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or photodynamic therapy, mostly fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment, the best-corrected visual acuity and the status of the fellow eye were significantly worse. For the final ocular status, more eyes in nonpachychoroid PCV group were taking anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monotherapy, whereas more eyes in pachychoroid PCV group were stable. The choroidal parameters of these two groups were all significantly different.

CONCLUSION

Breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage is a troublesome complication of PCV. Pars plana vitrectomy and additional interventions are required for better prognosis. Vitreous hemorrhage secondary to pachychoroid PCV or nonpachychoroid PCV have different characteristics and prognosis.

Clinical features of red blood cell-coated intraocular lens after breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To investigate the incidence and clinical features of red blood cell (RBC)-coated intraocular lens (IOL) in breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage (VH) with subretinal hemorrhage (SRH) secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

SETTING

Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort analysis.

METHODS

A total of 30 patients diagnosed as breakthrough VH with SRH in nAMD who underwent pars plana vitrectomy were included in this study. Demographics and clinical characteristics of the subjects, visual acuities, and SRH sizes measured as disc diameters were analyzed. The correlation analysis between SRH size and absorption duration of RBC-coated IOL were performed.

RESULTS

Out of 30 eyes in 30 patients, RBC-coated IOLs were observed in 11 patients (37%). Appearance of RBC-coated IOLs was noted 1 month postoperatively, and the mean duration of SRH absorption was 8.6 ± 2.6 months. SRH sizes were significantly different between eyes with RBC-coated IOL and clear IOL (62.8 ± 20.7 vs 27.4 ± 14.2, P < .001). There was definite correlation between SRH size and absorption duration of RBC-coated IOL (correlation coefficient 0.899, P < .001, R2 = 0.831). There were no statistically significant differences according to age, sex, laterality, underlying medical conditions, preoperative lens status, history of antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment, and visual acuities. The degenerated RBC on the surface of IOL was confirmed by electron and light microscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

RBC-coated IOL could develop after vitrectomy surgery for breakthrough VH with massive SRH secondary to nAMD, and it can be confused with IOL opacification. Because it spontaneously disappears gradually, observation without IOL removal is warranted.

Surgical outcomes of vitrectomy for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To report the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy in cases with breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage (VH) secondary to exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. We also investigated the relationship between the preoperative b-mode ultrasonographic findings and the postoperative visual acuity to determine if the ultrasonographic findings can predict the surgical outcome after pars plana vitrectomy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, interventional, case series. Twenty eyes of 20 patients were studied. The associations between the pre- and intraoperative factors and the final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were determined. Recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) was used in cases with massive hemorrhagic retinal detachment.

RESULTS

Ten eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), two eyes with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and eight eyes with an unknown type of AMD were studied. The mean BCVA was 0.73 ± 0.57 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units before developing the VH, 2.25 ± 0.45 logMAR units before the surgery, and 1.52 ± 0.87 logMAR units after the surgery. The BCVA improved significantly after the surgery (P = 0.004) but was significantly worse than that before developing the VH (P = 0.012). The cases of PCV had better final BCVA than cases of CNV (P = 0.043, Mann-Whitney test). The preoperative presence of a subretinal elevation at the macula detected by ultrasonography was significantly associated with a poorer final BCVA (P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

Vitrectomy significantly improved visual function in the eyes with VH associated with exudative AMD. The eyes with PCV and no macular subretinal elevation on ultrasonography had a better visual prognosis.