Impact of Early Vitrectomy for Dense Vitreous Hemorrhage of Unknown Etiology

Early vitrectomy is indicated for both diffuse and dense vitreous haemorrhages of unknown aetiology

BACKGROUND

Early vitrectomy for complete fundus-obscuring vitreous haemorrhage (VH) allows for prompt diagnosis and treatment of the cause.

AIMS

To analyse the causes of VH of unknown aetiology, whether partially fundus-obscuring or dense, and to determine the outcomes of early vitrectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients who underwent early vitrectomy within 10 days of symptom-onset for partially fundus-obscuring or dense VH of unknown origin. Patients with evidence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in either eye or any other preoperatively diagnosed aetiology of VH were excluded.

RESULTS

19 patients were included. Intraoperative diagnoses were: retinal tears without rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) (53%); peripheral localised RRD (32%); neovascularisation secondary to retinal vein occlusion (11%) and posterior vitreous detachment without a retinal break (5%). Patients with diffuse VH were as likely to have a retinal tear diagnosed as those with dense VH (88% vs 82%, respectively; p = 0.7). Mean VA improved from 1.26 LogMAR to 0.23 LogMAR postoperatively (p = 0.001). 1 patient (5%) developed a RRD one-year postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

In cases of diffuse or dense VH of unknown aetiology, an occult retinal tear should be suspected. Early vitrectomy should be strongly considered regardless of whether the fundal view is partially or completely obscured, to prevent progression to visually significant RRDs.

Early versus Late Pars Plana Vitrectomy in Vitreous Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review

Background: Vitreous hemorrhage (VH) is a common vitreoretinal condition causing impairment of vision due to various etiologies. No consensus exists on the best timing for performing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in fundus-obscuring VH. Materials and Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards, we conducted a systematic review of the timing of PPV in VH. We assessed the strength of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for all the included publications, in accordance with the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) recommendations. Results: A total of 1731 articles were identified. Following the removal of duplicates and screening of abstracts, 1203 articles remained. Subsequently, a comprehensive full-text review of 30 articles was conducted. Ultimately, 18 articles met the predefined inclusion criteria. Conclusions: Despite the small number of studies on the timing of treatment for VH, the advantage of early over late PPV seems to be a reasonable approach in selected cases, and it might be considered modern standard care.

Improved Visual Outcomes after Severe Open-Globe Injuries Associated with Perioperative Vitreoretinal Evaluation

PURPOSE

To investigate the impact of perioperative evaluation by a vitreoretinal surgeon on outcomes after severe open-globe injury (OGI).

DESIGN

Retrospective, comparative study.

SUBJECTS

Open-globe injury cohorts from 2 academic United States ophthalmology departments with disparate OGI management protocols and vitreoretinal referral patterns.

METHODS

Patients with severe OGI (presenting visual acuity [VA] of counting fingers or worse) from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) were compared with patients with severe OGI from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI). At UIHC, almost all cases of OGI were repaired by anterior segment surgeons, with postoperative vitreoretinal referral at the surgeon's discretion. In contrast, at BPEI, all OGIs were both repaired and managed postoperatively by a vitreoretinal surgeon.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rate of vitreoretinal surgeon evaluation, rate of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) (either primary or secondary), and VA at the last follow-up.

RESULTS

Overall, 74 subjects from UIHC and 72 subjects from BPEI met the inclusion criteria. There were no differences in preoperative VA or rates of vitreoretinal pathology. The rate of vitreoretinal surgeon evaluation was 100% at BPEI and 65% at UIHC (P < 0.001), and the rate of PPV was 71% at BPEI and 40% at UIHC (P < 0.001). Median VA at the last follow-up in the BPEI cohort was 1.35 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (interquartile range [IQR], 0.53-2.30, corresponding to a Snellen VA of ∼ 20/500) compared with a median VA of 2.70 logMAR (IQR, 0.93-2.92, corresponding to a Snellen VA of light perception) in the UIHC cohort (P = 0.031). Overall, 68% of patients in the BPEI cohort had an improvement in VA from presentation to last follow-up versus 43% in the UIHC cohort (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Automatic perioperative evaluation by a vitreoretinal surgeon was associated with a higher rate of PPV and improved visual outcomes. Prompt evaluation by a vitreoretinal surgeon, either preoperatively or in the early postoperative period, should be considered, when logistically feasible, in severe OGIs because PPV is frequently indicated and may result in significant visual improvement.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

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

Changes in the vitreous body after experimental vitreous hemorrhage in rabbit: An interdisciplinary study

PURPOSE

To explore the changes in vitreous body after vitreous hemorrhage and assess its prognosis from the perspective of vitreoretinal interface.

METHODS

The experiment was performed on 32 New Zealand rabbits (64 eyes), weighing 2500-3000 g for 4 months and unlimited gender, which was injected with 0.2 mL of autologous blood into the center of vitreous cavity-the study group (right eyes), and the control one was treated in the same manner with equal volumes of saline. The rabbits were randomly and equally divided into the following four batches according to the days of observation: Days 3, 7, 14, and 30 after injection. IOP and severity grading were evaluated before rabbits' execution and eyeballs were enucleated. The anterior segment was separated to flow out the vitreous body naturally to detect the liquefaction degree and viscosity. Then, chemical composition of electrolytes, PCT and bFGF were determined by colorimetry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Finally, the incidence of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was observed after vitreous sampled. The studies were double-blind.

RESULTS

After injection, the extent of vitreous opacity and coagulum size decreased over time. Both the degree of liquefaction and the length of tow differed significantly between two groups at different time points (all p < 0.001). The liquefaction degree in the study group rose obviously from the Day 14, which the viscosity declined significantly on the initial time. Biochemical markers fluctuated temporarily, except for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which continued to rise and was correlated with the liquefaction degree (r = 0.658, p < 0.001). Besides, the incidence of PVD increased from the 14th day (p < 0.05), and it was highly positively correlated with the number of macrophages (r = 0.934; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

After vitreous hemorrhage, the changes of the vitreous body are relatively minor earlier (2-4 weeks), but irreversible later. Specifically, the degree of liquefaction increases with a decrease in viscosity, and the chemotaxis of macrophages and bFGF induce incomplete PVD.

The Ocular Trauma Score Underestimates Visual Recovery for the Most Severe Open-Globe Injuries

PURPOSE

To compare visual outcomes after open-globe injury (OGI) with those predicted by the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS), and to investigate the effect of treatment with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SUBJECTS

Patients presenting with OGI to an academic United States ophthalmology department from 2017 to 2020.

METHODS

Best-corrected visual acuity (VA) measurements at the most recent follow-up were compared with final VA predicted by the OTS, based on preoperative injury characteristics. The most recently measured VA of patients treated with PPV during initial OGI repair (primary PPV group) was compared with patients treated with PPV after initial OGI repair (secondary PPV group) and patients never treated with PPV (No PPV group).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Best-corrected VA in the injured eye at last follow-up; secondary outcome measures included the occurrence of vitreous hemorrhage at any time, occurrence of retinal detachment at any time, rates of additional surgery, and rates of enucleation.

RESULTS

One-hundred and thirty-three subjects with OGI were identified and analyzed. The overall rate of PPV was 32%. Predictors of worse VA at last follow-up included older age (P = 0.047) and worse presenting VA (P < 0.001). Visual acuity outcomes for eyes in OTS categories 2 to 5 did not significantly differ from OTS predictions. However, eyes in OTS category 1 had a higher likelihood of last follow-up VA of light perception (LP) to hand motion (46% in the study cohort vs. 15% predicted by the OTS, P = 0.004) and a lower likelihood of no LP (33% vs. 74%, P < 0.001). The secondary PPV group had the worst VA at presentation among the 3 groups (P = 0.016), but VA at last follow-up did not significantly differ between the study groups (P = 0.338).

CONCLUSIONS

The most severe OGIs (i.e., OTS category 1) had better visual outcomes than predicted by the published OTS expectations, and secondary PPV was associated with significant visual improvement despite poor prognostic predictions. Evaluation by a vitreoretinal surgeon should be considered for all patients with severe OGI, especially those in OTS category 1.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

[Vitreous body hemorrhage-How long can one wait?]

In the case of acute vitreous body hemorrhage, the ophthalmologist is faced with the question of whether spontaneous absorption can be awaited or whether a vitrectomy is necessary. In addition to the intensity of the bleeding, the underlying cause also plays an important role. A thorough medical history is therefore important. The most common causes in adults include posterior vitreous detachment, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular occlusion. In children, retinal vasculitis, systemic diseases, and trauma (e.g. shaken baby syndrome) must be excluded. If there is no evidence of a retinal tear or detachment using ultrasound, it is usually possible to wait a few weeks under sonographic control to assess the spontaneous tendency to resorb. Overall, the trend is towards earlier surgical interventions due to improved vitrectomy techniques and the desire for early rehabilitation of vision.