New observation of microcystic macular edema as a mild form of cystoid macular lesions after standard phacoemulsification: Prevalence and risk factors

Cystoid macular edema after vitrectomy and after phacovitrectomy for epiretinal membrane

OBJECTIVE

To compare the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) after vitrectomy and CME after phacovitrectomy in patients requiring epiretinal membrane (ERM) removal.

DESIGN

A retrospective, comparative, interventional study.

METHODS

Medical records of patients who had undergone vitrectomy or phacovitrectomy for ERM removal by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Phacovitrectomy was performed in all phakic eyes and vitrectomy was performed in all pseudophakic eyes. Increased macular thickness (IMT) was defined as an increase in macular thickness by more than 10% at the postoperative week 4 visit compared to the measurements at baseline.

RESULTS

There were 214 and 53 eyes in the Phacovitrectomy group and the Vitrectomy group, respectively. IMT occurred in 15.4% of the Phacovitrectomy group, which was higher than the incidence of 3.8% in the Vitrectomy group (p=0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

IMT, that is suspected to be a type of CME, was not uncommon (15.4%) after phacovitrectomy in phakic eyes but was uncommon (4.8%) after vitrectomy alone in pseudophakic eyes. Irvine-Gass syndrome appears to be triggered by crystalline lens removal itself rather than intraocular surgery or surgical trauma alone.

Changes in Macular Thickness after Cataract Surgery in Patients with Open Angle Glaucoma

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in IOP, total macular and RNFL, ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness, and aqueous humour flare in open angle glaucoma (OAG) patients before and 6 months after cataract surgery.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational case-control age- and gender-matched study. Groups: 40 subjects in a controlled OAG (OAG_c) group, 20 subjects in an uncontrolled OAG (OAG_u) group, and 60 control group subjects.

EXAMINATION

complete ophthalmic evaluation, IOP measurement, anterior and posterior segment Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and laser flare photometry before and 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Six months postoperatively IOP decreased in all groups. An increase in macular thickness was found postoperatively in all groups. Preoperative aqueous humour flare was higher in the OAG_c group than in the control group. After cataract surgery, aqueous humour flare was higher in the control group compared to the preoperative result.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in IOP following cataract surgery were strongly negatively correlated with preoperative IOP. An increase in macular thickness was observed 6 months postoperatively in all groups. Aqueous humour flare did not differ in OAG_c and OAG_u groups pre- and postoperatively but significantly increased in the control group postoperatively.

Management of inflammation after the cataract surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review most recent studies and clinical trials regarding pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of inflammation after the cataract surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

FLACS gave opportunity to evaluate inflammatory cytokines in the aqueous humour right after the laser procedure, which led to acknowledging the inflammation pathogenesis during the phacoemulsification. Although there is still a lack of evidence, which would prove the long-term benefit of NSAIDs, they are indicated and effective when risk factors for PCME are present. PREMED studies showed that combination of NSAID and steroids after the surgery for healthy subjects is cost-effective. The triamcinolone injection together with topical steroids and NSAIDs for diabetic patients after the cataract surgery was the most cost-effective in preventing PCME according to the PREMED. Dropless cataract surgery is another emerging topic: dexamethasone implants and suspensions look promising as we await more clinical trials with drug-loaded IOLs.

SUMMARY

Inflammation after the cataract surgery can be prevented, and these methods are one of the most essential topics with growing phacoemulsification rate. Topical NSAIDs are cost-effective not only for patients with risk factors for PCME but also for healthy subjects. New dropless techniques are being successfully introduced in the clinical practice.

Role of Cold Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) in the Prophylaxis of Cystoid Macular Edema After Cataract Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Study

Purpose

To evaluate the postoperative effect on central retinal macular thickness of a cooled irrigating eye solution used during cataract surgery.

Patients and Methods

In this prospective, single-center study, 100 eyes of 50 patients (26 males and 24 females) were evaluated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) before and after phacoemulsification for senile cataract. Eyes were randomly divided into two groups based on the irrigating solution used during surgery: Group 1, 50 eyes received intraoperative irrigating solution at room temperature (~20.0±0.1°C); and Group 2, 50 fellow eyes received cold intraoperative irrigating solution (2.7±0.1°C). Changes in central macular thickness (CMT) were evaluated in both groups by SD-OCT macular raster scan for the nine Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) subfields and total macular volume, performed pre-surgery, and 1 and 4 weeks post-surgery.

Results

Despite there being no significant differences in variables between the two groups preoperatively, significant increases in CMT were observed at 1 week after surgery in both groups (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively), as well as in total macular volume (p<0.0001 and p=0.02, respectively). Inter-subgroup analysis showed a significant reduction in CMT (p=0.03) and total macular volume (p=0.001) at 1 week post-surgery in Group 2 compared to Group 1, whereas no significant differences were observed at 4 weeks.

Conclusion

The use of a cooled irrigating eye solution during phacoemulsification may be beneficial in preventing the possible development of postoperative macular thickening. Further clinical studies may support this finding.

Correlation of Central Macular Thickness and the Best-Corrected Visual Acuity in Three Months After Cataract Surgery by Phacoemulsification and With Intraocular Lens Implantation

Purpose

To estimate the incidence of central macular edema (CME) following cataract surgery and to correlate the central macular thickness (CMT) to the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

Methods

This cohort study in 2018-2019 included cataract grades I and II. They were operated by phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. CMT was measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomogram (OCT) before and for three months at one-month intervals after surgery. The change in BCVA and CMT were correlated at three months after surgery. Incidence of CME (more than two SD of pre-surgery CMT) was calculated.

Results

The mean CMT for 138 eyes operated for cataracts measured before and at one, two, and three months after uneventful surgery was 213 ± 24.9, 222.7 ± 25.5, 217.8 ± 34.8, and 215 ± 28.3 µ, respectively. The median BCVA at three follow-ups was 0.2 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.1; 0.2), 0.1 (IQR 0.0; 0.1), and 0.0 (0.0; 0.03), respectively. The incidence of CME at one and three months was 18% and 4.3%, respectively. The CMT and VA (LogMAR) one month after cataract surgery were significantly correlated (r = 0.4, Pearson P < 0.001). The visual improvement between one and two months post-surgery was not significantly correlated with CMT decline (r = 0.06, Pearson P = 0.5). The BCVA at one, two, and three months was 0.0 LogMAR in 28 (20.3%), 52 (37.7%), and 104 (75.4%) eyes, respectively. Linear regression model, age and diabetes are the risk factors at one month. At two and three months, no significant risk factors were found.

Conclusion

CME post-cataract surgery seems to be transient. CMT changes correlate with best-corrected vision changes and seem to be affected by age and presence of diabetes in the 1st month after surgery.

Preoperative central macular thickness as a risk factor for pseudophakic macular edema

PURPOSE

This study aims to determine whether elevated central macular thickness (CMT) before uncomplicated cataract surgery may be a risk factor for developing cystic macular edema (CMEs) as measured by Cirrus-OCT and defined as the presence of macular intraretinal cysts.

METHODS

A prospective study in Hospital Universitario Poniente, Almeria, Spain, where 379 patients were included for optical coherence tomography (OCT) before cataract surgery, the following day, at 1 month and at 3 months and the presence of macular intraretinal cysts assessed by OCT. Patients with known risk factors for developing CME and patients who developed major surgical complications were excluded.

RESULTS

One hundred seventy-nine patients completed the study. The pre-surgical CMT was 257.75 (20.60) μm measured by Cirrus-OCT. After 1 month, there was an average increase in CMT of 277.86 (45.29) μm, and this increase in thickness decreased after 3 months to an average value of 267.86 (20.17) μm. There were 10.34% of patients with cysts in some of the controls after surgery. This study proposes a binary logistic model to predict the presence of CME depending on the pre-surgery CMT. The cut-off point was 260.5 μm.

CONCLUSION

Patients with pre-surgical macular thickness > 260.5 μm measured by Cirrus- OCT before cataract surgery, no known risk factors for developing CME and no major surgical complications presented 9.08 times more probability to develop macular intraretinal cysts after uncomplicated cataract surgery.

OCT changes of idiopathic epiretinal membrane after cataract surgery

Background

We reviewed our experience in the management of cataract and idiopatic epiretinal membrane surgeries at the Humanitas Research Institute-Milan, Italy- over the past 3 years.

Methods

We conducted a single center retrospective observational case series of patients that underwent sequential cataract and idiopatic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgeries from 2012-2015 in Humanitas Research Institute. Full data was obtained for 53 eyes of 57 patients. Patients with ERM secondary to uveitis or trauma or associated with simultaneous retinal detachment were excluded. Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and myopia of more than 6 diopters were exclusion criteria as well.

Results

Cataract surgery was not associated with an ERM stage progression at one month follow up, but caused retinal inflammation that resulted in a significant increase in central macular thickness (CMT), macular volume (MV), central macular edema (CME), IS/OS disruption (IS/OS) and neurosensory detachment (NSD). However, there was no significant change in Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

Conclusion

We suggest that patients undergoing cataract surgery in the presence of epiretinal membranes need tight follow up to treat and control eventual macular inflammatory changes and eventual prompt vitrectomy if BCVA is threatened.

Differentiation of Underlying Pathologies of Macular Edema Using Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT)

Purpose: To describe the morphological characteristics of macular edema (ME) of different origins using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods: This article summarizes and highlights key morphologic findings, based on published articles, describing the characteristic presentations of ME of different origins using SD-OCT. The following pathologies were included: uveitic macular edema, pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME), diabetic macular edema (DME), macular edema secondary to central or branch retinal vein occlusion (CRVO/BRVO), microcystic macular edema (MME), ME associated with epiretinal membrane (ERM), and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Conclusions: Macular edema of different origins show characteristic patterns that are often indicative of the underlying cause and pathology. Thus, trained algorithms may in the future be able to automatically differentiate underlying causes and support clinical diagnosis. Knowledge of different appearances support the clinical diagnosis and can lead to improved and more targeted treatment of ME.

Incidence of Irvine Gass Syndrome after Phacoemulsification with Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: Incidence of significant and non-significant macular edema found using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) following cataract surgery.Methods: Prospective, cohort series conducted at the Croix Rousse University Hospital. Significant macular edema (SME) was defined as the presence of fluid with an increase of 30% or more in central subfield macular thickness compared to baseline on SD-OCT at 6 weeks and non-significant macula edema (NSME) as an increase of less than 30%.Results: Nine hundred and twenty-eight eyes in 638 patients were included in the study. Incidence of Irvine Gass (IG) syndrome was 9%, 2.3% of patients presented SME, 6.8% NSME. Epiretinal membrane, diabetes, and capsular rupture were significantly associated with a risk of IG. The risk of developing IG in the fellow eye was 23% in cases of IG in the first eye. In total 8.4% of all included patients developed chronic IG (duration of more than 6 months).Conclusion: This study reports the incidence of IG during 6 months of surgical activity at a French university hospital center.