SUBMACULAR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION AT THE MARGIN OF STAPHYLOMA IN TILTED DISK SYNDROME

Staphyloma-induced Serous Maculopathy: Natural Course and Treatment Effects

PURPOSE

To study the natural course of staphyloma-induced serous maculopathy (SISM) and the effects of treatments.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective analysis included 26 eyes of 20 patients with SISM and at least 12 months of follow-up.

METHODS

Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, such as age, sex, spherical equivalent, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), type of staphyloma, and imaging characteristics. Spectralis OCT B-scans were evaluated for the presence and height of the serous retinal detachment (SRD) at each follow-up visit. An SRD episode was defined as a period with SRD in 1 patient.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Changes in SRD height and BCVA.

RESULTS

Twenty-six eyes of 20 patients (70% female) were included. The mean age was 54 ± 11 years, and the mean spherical equivalent was -4.8 ± 3.3 diopters at baseline. The staphyloma was located inferior in 12 eyes (46%), inferonasal in 7 eyes (27%), and nasal in 7 eyes (27%). The mean follow-up duration was 73 ± 34 months. During follow-up, the SRD height fluctuated in all eyes, with a mean change of 125 ± 56 μm. The SRD disappeared completely during follow-up in 13 eyes (50%) and then reappeared in 7 eyes (35%). Resolution occurred spontaneous in 8 eyes (31%). The median time of an SRD episode was 25 (interquartile range 14-57) months. Treatment was performed in 20 eyes (77%) and led to resolution of SRD in 3 of the 15 photodynamic therapy treatments (21%), 2 of 5 (40%) anti-VEGF series, and 2 of 4 eyes (50%) treated with topical prednisolone. Best-corrected visual acuity at the final visit (0.42 ± 0.25) was not significantly different from BCVA at baseline (0.34 ± 0.27 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, P = 0.07), nor was BCVA change significantly different between treated eyes (n = 19) and nontreated eyes (n = 7, P = 0.3).

CONCLUSION

Serous retinal detachment in patients with SISM fluctuated over time and resolved without treatment in 31% of the eyes. Because treatment does not change the course of BCVA, a wait-and-see policy is advocated in these patients on the exclusion of treatable causes of SRD.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Myopic tilted disc: Mechanism, clinical significance, and public health implication

Myopic tilted disc is a common structural change of myopic eyes. With advancing ocular imaging technology, the associated structural changes of the eye, particularly the optic nerve head, have been extensively studied. These structural changes may increase patients' susceptibility to axonal damage and the risk of developing serious optic neuropathies including glaucoma. They also lead to diagnostic difficulties of disease suspects and treatment dilemmas of patients, which implicate clinical practice and subsequently the health care system. In the context of the mounting prevalence of myopia worldwide and its implications to irreversible visual impairment and blindness, it is essential to gain a thorough understanding of the structural changes of myopia. Myopic tilted disc has been extensively investigated by different study groups. However, generalizing the knowledge could be difficult because of the variable definitions of myopic tilted disc utilized in these studies and the complexities of the changes. The current review aimed to clarify the concepts and discuss various aspects of myopic tilted disc, including the definitions, association with other myopia-related changes, mechanism of tilted disc development, structural and functional changes, and clinical implications.

Three cases of macular hole that occurred in inferior scleral staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome: a case series

Background

The objective is to examine the clinical characteristics of three patients with macular hole that occurred in inferior posterior staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome.

Case presentations

This study involved three eyes of three Japanese female patients (mean age 76.0 years, range 73–84 years) with macular hole occurring in inferior posterior staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome. One of the three eyes was slightly myopic, while the other two eyes were highly myopic. In all three eyes, the macular hole was found to be located in or near the margin of the inferior posterior staphyloma. In one eye, the extent of retinoschisis was rather broad in the margin of the macular hole, and another eye had a history of treatment for choroidal neovascularization. As surgical treatment, the internal limiting membrane in areas surrounding the macular hole was detached after producing artificial posterior vitreous detachment, and a gas tamponade was performed. It was found during surgery that the extensibility of the retina in the margin of the MH was decreased in the three eyes as compared with a usual macular hole. Although the macular hole was successfully closed in all three cases post surgery, the layer structure of the central retina was poorly repaired in all three cases and choroidal neovascularization remained in one case. In all three cases, corrected visual acuity remained at 0.3–0.5 post surgery.

Conclusions

Our findings showed poor improvement of visual acuity in all three cases post surgery, even if closure of the macular hole is achieved, thus suggesting that in cases of macular hole associated with tilted disc syndrome and inferior posterior staphyloma, the presence of macular dysfunction existing prior to the onset of macular hole affects visual prognosis.

Tilted disc syndrome (TDS): New hypotheses for posterior segment complications and their implications in other retinal diseases

Tilted disc syndrome (TDS) is considered a congenital anomaly due to a delayed closure of the embryonic fissure. It is characterized by an oblique orientation of the axis of the optic disc, associated with other posterior pole anomalies such as inferior crescent, situs inversus and inferior staphyloma. The aim of this review was to summarize the data supporting the current hypotheses for the pathogenesis of TDS, and its anatomical and functional clinical consequences. Recent imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging, wide-field fundus imaging, and 2- and 3-D optical coherence tomography have provided a new perspective on TDS and its complications. Different abnormalities have previously been reported, both in the anterior and posterior segments. The focus was on vision-threatening chorioretinal changes or complications, including choroidal neovascularization and serous retinal detachments and their therapeutic options. Based on clinical observations, assumptions were proposed to understand the occurrence of complications such as chorioretinal degenerative changes, choroidal neovascularization and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, macular serous retinal detachment, myopic foveoschisis and chorioretinal folds. These hypotheses could be referred to as the curvature "breaking point" hypothesis, the uneven growth "tractional" hypothesis, the "container-content" imbalance hypothesis, and the "choroidal funnel" hypothesis. Because these complications could also occur in other contexts, understanding the pathogenesis of TDS complications could help to understand their pathophysiology.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: An update on current management and review of literature

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), commonly seen in the Asian population. It is dissimilar in epidemiology, genetic heterogeneity, pathogenesis, natural history, and response to treatment in comparison to nAMD. Confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy-based simultaneous fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) with enhanced depth imaging, swept-source OCT, and OCT angiography have improved the ability to detect PCV, understand its pathology, and monitor treatment response. A plethora of literature has discussed the efficacy of photodynamic therapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy, and combination of both, but only a few studies with higher level of evidence and limited follow-up duration are available. This review discusses the understanding of PCV with respect to epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, natural history, imaging techniques, and various treatment options. Recent clinical trials (EVEREST-II and PLANET study) have emphasized that either anti-VEGF monotherapy or combination treatment is equally capable to strike a balance between polyp regression and stabilization of visual acuity. The recurrent nature of the disease, the development of macular atrophy, and the long-term poor visual prognosis despite treatment are concerns that open avenues for further research.

Cuticular drusen associated with aneurysmal type 1 neovascularization (polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy)

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal type 1 neovascularization (AT1) is a term recently introduced to better describe the aneurysmal dilatation that may arise from neovascular lesions, more commonly known as polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. The proposed term, AT1, includes an expanded clinical spectrum of aneurysmal (polypoidal) lesions observed in both different ethnicities and associated with varied clinical phenotypes.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 61-year-old woman of European descent was referred for a new, asymptomatic retinal hemorrhage found on routine examination. Ophthalmoscopy revealed cuticular drusen in both eyes best appreciated on fundus autofluorescence, and a hemorrhagic retinal pigment epithelium detachment above the superior arcade in the right eye. In the fellow eye, a reddish appearing pigment epithelial detachment was noted nasal to the optic nerve. Indocyanine green angiography showed findings of AT1 in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed intrinsic flow signal within the aneurysmal lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Eyes with cuticular drusen may develop AT1 which, to our knowledge, has not been described. This is an important observation because the documented coexistence of AT1 in the setting of a variant of age-related macular degeneration lends supports to this new understanding of AT1 as a growth pattern of neovascular tissue proliferating between the RPE and Bruch membrane, rather than as a distinct disease entity.

Age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Asians

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in elderly people globally. It is estimated that there will be more Asians with AMD than the rest of the world combined by 2050. In Asian populations, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a common subtype of exudative AMD, while choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD (CNV-AMD) is the typical subtype in Western populations. The two subtypes share many common clinical features and risk factors, but also have different epidemiological and clinical characteristics, natural history and treatment outcomes that point to distinct pathophysiological processes. Recent research in the fields of genetics, proteomics and imaging has provided further clarification of differences between PCV and CNV-AMD. Importantly, these differences have manifested as disparity in response to intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment between PCV and CNV-AMD, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnosis of PCV and in distinguishing PCV from CNV-AMD, particularly in Asian patients. Current clinical trials of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy and photodynamic therapy will provide clearer perspectives of evidence-based management of PCV and may lead to paradigm shifts in therapeutic strategies away from those currently employed in the treatment of CNV-AMD. Further research is needed to clarify the relative contribution of specific pathways in inflammation, complement activation, extracellular matrix dysregulation, lipid metabolism and angiogenesis to the pathogenesis of PCV. Findings from this research, together with improved diagnostic technology and new therapeutics, will facilitate more optimal management of Asian AMD.

Prevalence of macular complications associated with high myopia by multimodal imaging

PURPOSE

To describe the prevalence of macular complications in patients with visual acuity decrease related to high myopia (HM). To establish correlations between these complications and demographic or anatomical characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional observational study including HM patients undergoing best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus examination, macular SD-OCT, and fluorescein angiography in the case of suspicion of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The presence of anatomical criteria (staphyloma, subfoveal choroidal thickness [CT]) and macular complications (CNV, lacquer cracks, central chorioretinal atrophy, dome-shaped macula with serous retinal detachment [SRD], retinal foveoschisis, macular hole and epiretinal membrane) was investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 87 eyes of 47 patients were included (39 eyes without macular complication and 48 eyes with macular complications). In the case of macular complications, decrease in BCVA was related to CNV in 33%, macular hole in 25%, chorioretinal atrophy in 19%, foveoschisis in 11%, lacquer crack in 6%, to a dome-shape macula with serous retinal detachment in 4% and epiretinal membrane in 2%. After adjusting for interocular correlation and degree of myopia, staphyloma (P=0.0023), choroidal thinning (P=0.0036), and extrafoveal chorioretinal atrophy (P=0.042) were significantly associated with macular complications.

CONCLUSIONS

High myopic patients with staphyloma or choroidal thinning should undergo regular comprehensive retinal screening for retinal complications.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography findings in pediatric tilted disc syndrome

PURPOSE

To report a novel spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) finding in children affected by tilted disc syndrome (TDS), and to correlate it with early visual field defects.

METHODS

Patients between 5 and 17 years old with TDS were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of TDS was made by stereoscopic fundus photography, when the upper edge of the optic disc protruded anteriorly relative to its lower edge. All eyes were examined with 12 radial SD-OCT B-scans of 12 mm centered on the optic disc; the fundus area encompassing the optic nerve was additionally scanned using several vertical and horizontal scans.. C-scan SD-OCT were acquired using the Macular Cube 512 x 128 to create the en face image. Standard automated perimetry 24-2 tests were performed on all patients.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight eyes of 20 pediatric patients with TDS syndrome were enrolled during this 24-months clinical trial. Their mean age was 10.9 ± 2.7 years (range 7-15 years), 12 (60%) were male and eight (40%) were female. The OCT images of the optic discs showed a protrusion of the upper edge of Bruch's membrane and choroid at the nasal edge of the optic disc in 39.5% of the eyes. The retinal nerve fiber tissue appeared to be herniated into this protrusion and bent superiorly in 15 eyes. This severe bending corresponded to early visual field anomalies that were not reduced by corrective lenses in 46.7% of the eyes.

CONCLUSION

Visual field defects that do not improve by increased myopic correction in TDS may be due to the severe bending of the retinal nerve fiber tissue, which would impair axonal flow.

Relationship between macular bending and foveoschisis in myopic patients

PURPOSE

To investigate factors associated with myopic foveoschisis and macular bending and to determine how the presence of macular bending affects the development of myopic foveoschisis.

METHODS

In a prospective study of 194 eyes of 105 patients with high myopia, we performed complete ophthalmic examinations, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and A-scan ultrasounds. Patients were divided into three groups according to the OCT results. Group 1 consisted of 25 eyes (17 patients) with myopic foveoschisis; group 2 consisted of 36 eyes (20 patients) with macular bending; and group 3 consisted of 135 eyes (68 patients) without macular bending, foveoschisis, or other diseases. Macular bending was defined as a smooth macular elevation observed upon OCT in patients with pathologic myopia. Age, sex, spherical equivalence, axial length (AXL), and OCT findings were obtained and compared to identify factors that are related to myopic foveoschisis and macular bending. Moreover, using the whole data set, we evaluated and correlated myopic foveoschisis with the presence or absence of macular bending to determine whether this bulge in the macular area influences the development of myopic foveoschisis.

RESULTS

In group 1, all eyes presented posterior staphyloma and two factors were independently associated with a higher risk of having myopic foveoschisis: internal limiting membrane detachment (p < 0.001) and retinal arteriolar traction (p < 0.001). In group 2, only retinal arteriolar traction (p < 0.009) was independently associated with macular bending. Furthermore, macular bending was significantly correlated as a protective factor against myopic foveoschisis (adjusted odds ratio, 0.116; 95% confidence interval, 0.019 to 0.701; p < 0.019); the AXL of patients with the same spherical equivalence and macular bending was significantly shorter than that of patients without macular bending (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Intraocular and extraocular wall factors were associated with myopic traction maculopathy, which plays an important role in its pathogenesis. Moreover, macular bending might be a key factor in preventing myopic foveoschisis by decreasing AXL.