Vitreous hyper-reflective dots in pseudophakic cystoid macular edema assessed with optical coherence tomography

Vitreous hyper-reflective dots and the macular thickness after cataract surgery

PURPOSE

To assess the association between vitreous hyper-reflective dots (VHD) and the macular thickness changes following uneventful phacoemulsification.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations were performed preoperatively and 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively in patients undergoing cataract surgery. OCT images were analyzed for retinal central subfield thickness (CST) and preretinal VHDs. Surgeries were recorded for the assessment of lens fragments in the space of Berger.

RESULTS

111 eyes of 97 patient were enrolled of whom 69 (62.2%) were female. VHDs were seen in 25 eyes (22.5%) at week 1; in 21 eyes (18.9%) at month 1 and in 3 eyes (2.7%) at month 3. In all eyes with VHDs retro-capsular lens fragments were visible immediately after phacoemulsification. The number of VHDs significantly decreased over the postoperative period. There was a moderate correlation between the number of VHDs and CST at 1 month (r = 0.426, p<0.001). In eyes with VHD the CST averaged 238.8±17.6 μm (214-266) at 1 week; 276.1±63.5 μm (231-481) at 1 month and 285.1±122.3 μm (227-785) at 3 months. In eyes with no detectable VHDs CST averaged 235.9±23.3 μm (192-311) at 1 week; 240.1±21.6 μm (200-288) at 1 month and 242.2±21.3 μm (205-289) at 3 months. Although the differences among the assessment points were relatively low, there was a significant difference in general (p<0.001, Friedman test).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, VHDs seem to cause macular thickening throughout the postoperative course. The origin of VHDs is still unknown; however, they presumably represent lens fragments that provoke subclinical inflammation.

Outer Retinal Hyperreflective Dots: A Potential Imaging Biomarker in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE

To investigate hyperreflective dots (HRDs) on baseline OCT in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SUBJECTS

Consecutive primary fovea-off RRDs presenting between January 2012 and September 2022.

METHODS

Visual acuity (VA) was obtained at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Baseline foveal OCT scans were graded for the presence of HRDs in the outer retina, morphologic stage of RRD in the parafovea, and foveal photoreceptor integrity (intact, patchy or complete loss of the bacillary layer). Epiretinal membrane (ERM) and cystoid macular edema (CME) were graded after surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the proportion of patients in each morphologic stage with HRDs present on OCT and their association with postoperative VA. Secondary outcomes included association with the height of foveal detachment, duration of central vision loss, RRD extent, and development of ERM/CME.

RESULTS

A total of 351 patients were included. The presence of HRDs by morphologic stage of RRD was 0% in stage 1, 4.5% (2/42) in stage 2, 13% (7/54) in stage 3a, 16% (20/126) in stage 3b, 48% (40/83) in stage 4, and 85% (35/41) in stage 5. Hyperreflective dots were associated with increasing stage of RRD (P < 0.001), reduced integrity of foveal photoreceptors (P < 0.001), and reduced postoperative VA at 3, 6, and 12 months (P < 0.001), after excluding visually significant cataracts and adjusting for covariates. There was also a significant association between HRDs and height of foveal detachment, duration of central vision loss, and RRD extent (P < 0.001). Hyperreflective dots were neither associated with postoperative ERM formation nor with its severity (P = 0.27). Nevertheless, they were associated with the occurrence of CME at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P = 0.01; P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperreflective dots have been hypothesized to consist of intraretinal inflammatory cells. We found that HRDs were significantly associated with the morphologic stage, extent, duration, and height of the RRD before surgery and with reduced VA and CME after surgery. Our results suggest that HRDs are associated with photoreceptor degeneration, as longstanding and extensive RRDs are more likely to present with HRDs. The association of HRDs with CME provides insight into the possible importance of inflammatory processes in RRD before and after surgery.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Active-fluidics versus gravity-fluidics system in phacoemulsification for age-related cataract (AGSPC): study protocol for a prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

The active-fluidics system is a new irrigation system of phacoemulsification that automatically detects and maintains stable intraocular pressure at the set value. This trial is designed to compare the efficacy, visual outcomes, safety and patients' subjective perceptions of cataract surgery with the active-fluidics system and gravity-fluidics system.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This trial will recruit 110 patients with age-related cataract at the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital (Beijing, China) and they will be randomly assigned to the active-fluidics group and gravity-fluidics group in a ratio of 1:1 to have phacoemulsification. Patients will be followed up at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively. The primary outcomes are the cumulative dissipated energy and best corrected visual acuity. Secondary outcomes include: estimated fluid usage, U/S time, total aspiration time, intraocular pressure, corneal endothelium parameters, retinal thickness, macular superficial vessel density, pain scores, scores of the Cataract surgery Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Questionnaire and the complication rates. The data will be independently analysed by the statistical team, who will be masked for the allocation information as participants are.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chinese PLA General Hospital (approval no. S2021-068-01). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant. All the results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and used for scholarly communication or technical guidance. Protocol version 1.0.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100044409).

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.