Optical Coherence Tomography Study of Vitreoretinal Interface in Full Thickness Macular Hole Associated with Optic Disk Pit Maculopathy

Purpose

To evaluate by optical coherence tomography (OCT) the vitreous involvement in full thickness macular hole associated with optic disk pit maculopathy.

Methods

Two patients with optic disk pit maculopathy and full thickness macular hole underwent OCT for evaluation of vitreous involvement in the pathogenesis of the disease. Fluorescein angiography and fundus photographs were also performed.

Results

OCT documented the presence of vitreous traction at the edge of the full thickness macular hole in the first case and on the elevated macula in the second case. Partial posterior vitreous detachment was also noticed.

Conclusions

Previously unreported OCT findings such as vitreous traction at the edge of the macular hole and on the elevated macula were found. OCT provided evidence for vitreous participation in full thickness macular hole associated with optic disk pit maculopathy. OCT was also able to show that the full thickness macular hole and optic disk pit maculopathy were probably caused by similar vitreous tractional forces. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2007; 17: 272–6)

Ocular Injuries Secondary to Motor Vehicle Accidents

Purpose

Ocular trauma is one of the main causes of visual reduction or loss, particularly in the younger population.

METHODS

In this prospective study the authors included 67 consecutive patients with ocular trauma secondary to motor vehicle accidents who were hospitalized in the Athens University Eye Clinic from September 1993 to December 1996. The mean follow-up time was 31 months, the mean age was 31.7 years, and the ratio between men and women was 2.7:1.

Results

Thirty-two of the accidents (47.76%) took place in populated areas. Among the 67 injured persons, 58 (86.56%) were car passengers, 8 (11.95%) were on motorcycles, and 1 (1.49%) was a pedestrian. Only 3 (5.2%) of the 58 persons injured inside automobiles used safety belts and none of the motorcyclists used crash helmets during the accidents. Fifty-three (79.1%) ocular traumas were penetrating in nature, with glass fragments being the main cause in 36 of them (67.9%). Among the 53 injured persons experiencing penetrating ocular trauma, 49 had a follow-up time of more than 6 months. Twenty of them (40.8%) underwent one surgical procedure, 22 (44.9%) were submitted to two surgical procedures, and the remaining 7 persons (14.3%) needed three or more operations. Eighteen (36.7%) of the 49 patients with penetrating ocular trauma and with 6 months follow-up had a final visual acuity of less than 1/20, 21 (42.9%) had a visual acuity of more than 5/10, and 3 (6.1%) underwent enucleation. Among the 67 patients, 61 had a follow-up time of more than 6 months, regardless of their history of penetrating ocular trauma. Eighteen of them (29.5%) had a final visual acuity of less than 1/20, 8 (13.1%) had a visual acuity between 2/10 and 4/10, and 22 (52.5%) had a visual acuity of more than 5/10.

CONCLUSIONS

Because motor vehicle accidents can cause severe ocular trauma, it would be helpful for drivers to be more careful and aware of motor vehicle regulations. There seems to be a great need of enforcement of seatbelt laws in Greece.

Ambulatory Aortic Stiffness Is Associated With Narrow Retinal Arteriolar Caliber in Hypertensives: The SAFAR Study

BACKGROUND

Arterial stiffness measured under static conditions reclassifies significantly cardiovascular (CV) risk and associates with narrower retinal arterioles. However, arterial stiffness exhibits circadian variation, thus single static stiffness recordings do not correspond to the "usual" 24 hr, awake, and asleep average arterial stiffness. We aimed to test the hypothesis that ambulatory 24 hr, awake, and asleep aortic (a) pulse wave velocity (PWV) associate with retinal vessel calibers, independently of confounders and of static arterial stiffness, in hypertensive individuals free from diabetes and CV disease.

METHODS

Digital retinal images were obtained (181 individuals, age: 53.9±10.7 years, 55.2% men) and retinal vessel calibers were measured with validated software to determine central retinal arteriolar and venular equivalents (CRAE and CRVE, respectively); ambulatory (24 hr, awake, asleep) and static office aPWV were estimated by Mobil-O-Graph; and static office carotid to femoral (cf) PWV by SphygmoCor.

RESULTS

Regression analysis performed in 320 gradable retinal images showed that, after adjustment for confounders: (i) ambulatory aPWV was significantly associated with narrower retinal arterioles but not with venules; (ii) asleep aPWV had stronger associations with CRAE than awake aPWV; (iii) both ambulatory aPWV and cfPWV were associated mutually independently with narrower retinal arterioles; aPWV introduction in the model of cfPWV, improved model's R2 (P = 0.012). Similar discriminatory ability of 24 hr aPWV and of cfPWV to detect the presence of retinal arteriolar narrowing was found.

CONCLUSION

Ambulatory aPWV, estimated by an operator-independent method, provides additional information to cfPWV regarding the associations of arterial stiffness with the retinal vessel calibers.

Evolution of vitreomacular adhesion to acute vitreofoveal separation with special emphasis on a traction-induced foveal pathology. A prospective study of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To investigate the evolution of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) to acute vitreofoveal separation with particular emphasis on cases involving the underlying fovea.

METHODS

In this observational case series, of 192 cases in the VMA stage, 51 progressed to acute vitreofoveal separation; this subgroup was divided into those with normal separation (Group I) and those with co-existing macular findings (Group II). All patients were examined using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at regular three-month intervals. We recorded the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the vitreomacular angle of the VMA (nasally and temporally), the horizontal diameter of the VMA, the macular thickness, the integrity of the photoreceptor layer and of the external limiting membrane. The Amsler grid test was used in the intermediate examinations in cases where patients developed symptoms.

RESULTS

Out of the 51 cases in the VMA stage, 45 (88.2%) progressed to normal spontaneous vitreofoveal separation, while six (11.8%) developed findings of the fovea, such as macular thinning (two cases), an anomalous foveal contour (two cases), a macular tissue defect (one case) and vitreous separation from only the temporal side of the VMA in one case. Foveal findings were the same during the follow-up period in all but one case in which improvement was noted. Differences in BCVA between baseline measurements, those made immediately after vitreofoveal separation, and those made during final examination were not statistically significant. For the whole sample of our study (51 cases), the mean observation time at the VMA stage was 21.8 ±10.6 months, while the mean follow-up time after vitreofoveal separation was 9.7 ±4.9 months. In cases that developed incidents from the fovea, the mean observation time from the baseline to the last examination before vitreofoveal separation was 16.5 ±11.2 months and the mean follow-up time from the diagnosis of vitreofoveal separation to the final examination was 8.5 ±4.4 months.

CONCLUSIONS

VMA, excepting its progression to vitreomacular traction or spontaneous release, in a subset of patients can also cause findings associated with the fovea, concomitantly with vitreofoveal separation. Vitreofoveal separation can induce unilateral anatomic distortion of the fovea accompanied by symptoms, such as metamorphopsia or micropsia.

Spontaneous resolution of vitreomacular traction demonstrated by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the natural course of idiopathic vitreomacular traction (VMT) with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) from the vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) stage to the spontaneous resolution of VMT.

DESIGN

Prospective observational case series.

METHODS

We studied the natural course of idiopathic VMT in 46 eyes (46 patients), divided into those that proceeded to spontaneous VMT resolution (12 cases) and those that remained at the VMT stage (34 cases). All patients were examined with SDOCT at regular 3-month intervals. We recorded the vitreomacular angle of VMA nasally and temporally, the horizontal diameter of VMA, macular thickness, visual acuity, photoreceptor layer, and external limiting membrane.

RESULTS

In the 12 eyes that proceeded to spontaneous resolution, the vitreous adhesion angle had a mean increase of 38 degrees at VMT, compared to the angle at the VMA stage. In the 34 eyes that remained at the VMT stage, the mean angle of traction increased by only 1 degree throughout follow-up. In all 46 patients, the angle at the VMT stage was significantly associated with traction resolution (nasally P = .001, temporally P < .001). The likelihood of resolution was more than 99% lower for patients with a VMT diameter >400 μm compared with that of eyes with a VMT diameter <400 μm. Patients with broad-type VMT remained at the same stage, whereas patients with V-type VMT had 80% probability of resolution.

CONCLUSIONS

Spontaneous VMT resolution is negatively associated with the horizontal adhesion diameter. The strength of the traction exerted by the vitreous on the fovea seems to be positively related to the size of the vitreomacular angle.

Comparison of SWAP and SAP on the point of glaucoma conversion

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to compare the two perimetric modalities, SWAP (short wavelength automated perimetry) and SAP (standard automated perimetry), on the point of conversion to glaucoma.

METHODS

In this prospective, longitudinal, follow-up study, 282 patients with ocular hypertension were recruited consecutively and tested with both SAP and SWAP annually for 5 years or until the onset of conversion to glaucoma. SAP and SWAP perimetry was performed with the Humphrey Field Analyzer II using the 24-2 full-threshold test. Abnormality for both SAP and SWAP fields was determined on the pattern deviation plot and defined as either a) one point below the 0.5% probability level or b) a cluster of 2 or more points below 1% or c) a cluster of 3 or more points below 2% or d) a cluster of 4 or more points below 5%. Abnormal tests had to be confirmed on a subsequent test within one year to be classified as conversion.

RESULTS

Of the 282 patients initially recruited, 32 were excluded. Of the 250 remaining patients, a total of 38 converted during the follow-up period; 36.8% of conversions were detected earlier with SWAP, 29% simultaneously, and 34.2% were not detected with SWAP during the follow-up period; 2.4% of patients showed SWAP visual field loss that did not result in conversion during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

The results in our study are inconclusive. There were patients with earlier, simultaneous, or no SWAP conversion, with SAP conversion as the golden standard criterion. One should consider both SAP and SWAP with confirmation when visual field loss is evident to maximize early detection of glaucoma, because it appears that each method identifies early glaucoma in a subset of patients and these subsets overlap only partially.

Diet and cataract: a case-control study

We conducted a case-control study to assess the association between diet and risk of cataract in Athens, Greece. Totals of 314 cases and 314 frequency-matched controls of both sexes, aged 45-85 years and attending the ophthalmology department of a major teaching hospital in Athens, Greece, were included in the study. All participants were interviewed using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire, covering the average frequency of consumption of about 120 food items. Analyses were conducted through multiple logistic regression. The analysis was carried out taking cataract as a general outcome (all types of cataract combined) and repeated by the specific type of cataract. We found significant inverse associations of cataract with dietary consumption of fish (OR = 0.69, p < 0.001), vegetables (OR = 0.47, p < 0.001), fruits (OR = 0.53, p < 0.001), and potatoes (OR = 0.76, p = 0.004), while consumption of meat was positively associated with cataract (OR = 1.46, p = 0.001). High intake of total fat (OR = 2.00, p < 0.001) and cholesterol (OR = 1.65, p < 0.001) increased the risk of cataract. There was a protective association between cataract risk and intake of carbohydrates (OR = 0.39, p < 0.001), carotene (OR = 0.56, p < 0.001), vitamins C and E (OR = 0.50, p < 0.001 and OR = 0.50, p < 0.001 respectively). We identified an association between the risk of cataract and several food groups and nutrients. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, pulses and starchy foods may protect against cataract. In addition, high intake of vitamins C and E and carotene with reduction of intake in total fat and cholesterol may be beneficial. Dietary advice along these lines may provide adequate public health guidelines for the delay of age-related cataract.

Macular hole surgery with short-acting gas and short-duration face-down positioning

Purpose

To report on the outcomes of vitrectomy and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas tamponade for idiopathic macular holes with 2 days of face-down positioning.

Patients and methods

This was a prospective, nonrandomized, observational sequential case-series study on 23 consecutive patients receiving macular hole surgery using 20% SF₆ and advised to stay in a face-down position for 2 days postoperatively (SF₆ group). These patients were compared to 23 consecutive patients who had previously undergone macular hole surgery, had received 14% C₃F₈, and were advised to maintain a face-down position for 2 days (C₃F₈ group). Patients in both groups underwent vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and fluid gas exchange using either SF₆ or C₃F_8. Preoperative and postoperative data included best corrected visual acuity recorded in LogMAR units, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and optical coherence tomography.

Results

At a 6-month follow-up, macular hole closure was noted in 23/23 eyes (100%) and in 22/23 eyes (96%) in the SF₆ and C₃F₈ groups, respectively. The improvement in visual acuity (measured through Snellen acuity lines both preoperatively until 6 months postoperatively) was 4.08 ± 2.31 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.08–5.08) for the SF₆ group and 2.87 ± 2.30 (95% CI: 1.87–3.86) for the C₃F₈ group; this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.06).

Conclusion

Vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and a short-acting gas tamponade using SF₆ with posture limitation for 2 days may give a high success rate in macular hole surgery.

The effect of alpha antagonists on pupil dynamics: implications for the diagnosis of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome

PURPOSE

To assess pupil dynamics quantitatively in relation to the use of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, which contribute to the features of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, using a new, hand-held, digital pupillometer.

DESIGN

Prospective case-control study.

METHODS

We studied 15 and 25 patients administered tamsulosin and alfuzosin, respectively, as well as 25 control patients. Resting pupil diameter and subsequent contraction, latency, constriction velocity, and dilation velocity were recorded using an electronic pupillometer. All pupil measurements were performed before and after pharmacologic dilation.

RESULTS

In predilation pupillary measurements, we detected a significant decrease in maximum pupillary diameter by 0.50±0.19 mm (P=.011) and in the mean percentage of diameter reduction after stimulation (5.23±2.42%, P=.035) in the tamsulosin group. Alfuzosin also induced a significant decrease in maximum pupillary diameter (0.49±0.17 mm, P=.005). Constriction velocity was significantly reduced by 0.70±0.20 m/s (P=.001) in the tamsulosin group and by 0.54±0.18 m/s (P=.004) in the alfuzosin group. In terms of postdilation measurements, maximum and minimum pupil diameters were reduced significantly only in the tamsulosin group (by 1.09±0.31 mm [P=.001] and by 0.89±0.36 mm [P=.016], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a reliable, accurate, and rapid method to acquire quantitative pupil measurements and identify the tendency for intraoperative floppy iris syndrome before cataract surgery after the use of alfuzosin and tamsulosin. This investigation also analyzed the similarities and differences induced by the 2 drugs in predilation and postdilation pupil dynamics, demonstrating that tamsulosin is more potent than alfuzosin in inducing intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.

Spontaneous closure of lamellar macular holes studied by optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To document and study the spontaneous closure of lamellar macular holes (LMH) by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS

Two women with LMH, 62 and 71 years old, respectively, were followed up with fundoscopy, fundus photography and OCT.

RESULTS

In both patients spontaneous closure of LMH was observed 11 and 21 months after baseline examination, respectively. The foveal thickness in case 1 increased from 84 μm at baseline to 162 μm at the final examination. The foveal thickness in case 2 increased from 48 μm at baseline to 148 μm at the final examination. The foveal contour was also restored in both eyes. The foveal morphology was preserved in both eyes during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

In both patients the spontaneous closure of LMH could be attributed to the shrinkage of the hole or the release of the tension on the retinal surface, which followed the complete posterior vitreous detachment and separation of epiretinal membrane from the retina.

Hemodialysis-induced alterations in macular thickness measured by optical coherence tomography in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To evaluate changes in macular thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) during a hemodialysis (HD) session in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease.

METHODS

72 eyes of 36 diabetic patients with and without macular edema were evaluated before and immediately after an HD session. Average and maximum macular thicknesses in the central disk (6 mm in diameter) and total macular volume were measured.

RESULTS

In the eyes with diabetic macular edema, maximum macular thickness within the central disk of 6 mm, and mainly in its peripheral parts, was significantly reduced by 31.18 ± 4.18 μm after HD (p < 0.001). Average macular thickness and total macular volume were also significantly reduced (p = 0.003 and 0.015, respectively). In diabetic eyes without edema, maximum macular thickness decreased significantly by 11.21 ± 1.98 μm after HD (p < 0.001), while average macular thickness and total macular volume decreased slightly (p = 0.034, p = 0.043). Best-corrected visual acuity failed to change. We found a significant association of macular thickness changes with osmolality reduction and the presence of macular edema.

CONCLUSION

HD decreases macular thickness in diabetic patients with macular edema, while there exists a less-pronounced effect in diabetic eyes without edema.

Allergy skin testing in predicting adverse reactions to fluorescein: a prospective clinical study

PURPOSE

To evaluate allergy skin testing as a diagnostic tool of adverse reactions to fluorescein and whether allergy and previous sodium fluorescein angiography (SFA) act as predisposing factors.

METHODS

Patients with adequate indication for fluorescein angiography and normal skin responsiveness were subjected to allergy skin-prick and intradermal tests for fluorescein, followed by SFA. During SFA, adverse reactions were monitored and classified as mild, moderate or severe. Previous SFAs and adverse reactions as well as the presence of atopy were also registered.

RESULTS

One thousand and thirty-seven patients were enrolled in the study and 1284 SFAs were executed. Forty-four patients (4.3%) developed 55 adverse reactions; among them 50 (3.8%) were mild, three (0.2%) moderate and two (0.16%) severe. None of the reactors produced positive skin tests to fluorescein. Patients with atopy and previous SFAs were not more susceptible to adverse reactions.

CONCLUSION

The vast majority of adverse reactions to fluorescein are mild and not attributed to immunological mechanisms. Allergy skin tests cannot predict non-immunological reactions but their utility remains substantial in predicting anaphylaxis during SFAs and must be performed in patients reporting risk factors in their past medical history.

The photoreceptor layer as a prognostic factor for visual acuity in the secondary epiretinal membrane after retinal detachment surgery: imaging analysis by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To study the prognostic factors that influence best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) outcome in patients with secondary epiretinal membrane (ERM) after retinal detachment surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

Forty-two patients with ERM were divided into macula-on and macula-off groups based on the macular status before retinal detachment surgery and were studied using the same spectral-domain optical coherence tomography device. Several variables, including the integrity of the external limiting membrane (ELM), the status of the photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction line, and central foveal thickness were evaluated in 17 treated and 25 untreated patients. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the best combination of all variables affecting BCVA.

RESULTS

Final BCVA was significantly better in macula-on and macula-off eyes with intact ELMs and IS/OS junction lines (0.35 ± 0.18 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution [logMAR] and 0.51 ± 0.17 logMAR, respectively) than in macula-off eyes with disrupted or absent ELMs and IS/OS junction lines (0.83 ± 0.17 logMAR and 1.04 ± 0.05 logMAR, respectively; P < .001, analysis of variance). Final BCVA also was better in the treated group than in the controls (0.55 ± 0.31 logMAR and 0.73 ± 0.26 logMAR, respectively; P = .05, t test). ELM and IS/OS junction line integrity were the main variables significantly affecting the final BCVA outcome (β = 0.42; P = .006, linear regression analysis). Disruption of the ELM and IS/OS junction line was observed in 21 of the 42 cases studied.

CONCLUSIONS

ERM secondary to retinal detachment surgery is accompanied by a high incidence (50%) of IS/OS junction line and ELM disruption. Among the variables studied, the condition of the IS/OS junction layer and the ELM are the main factors that predict final BCVA after ERM peeling.

The significance of the external limiting membrane in the recovery of photoreceptor layer after successful macular hole closure: a study by spectral domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the external limiting membrane (ELM) by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) and its correlation with the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) line in patients with successful macular hole surgery.

PROCEDURES

Forty-five eyes were divided into 3 groups according to the interval between surgery and first examination. In the first group the interval was between 6 and 12 months, in group 2 it was >12 months and ≤ 24 months, and in group 3 it was >24 months. The IS/OS and ELM of participants' eyes were postoperatively assessed using SDOCT in 2008 and 12 months later.

RESULTS

A statistically significant association between the integrity of the ELM and the IS/OS junction line was observed in postoperative examinations in all 3 groups. Eyes with a complete IS/OS junction line had an intact ELM. Between the first and the second examinations, a significant improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was noted only in group 1. A positive statistical association was also observed in group 1 between restoration of the IS/OS junction line and improvement in BCVA over follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The restoration of the IS/OS junction line is directly related to the integrity of the ELM.

A rare case of peripheral ulcerative keratitis in temporal arteritis

PURPOSE

To present a case of peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) that progressed to corneal perforation in the setting of recently diagnosed temporal arteritis.

METHODS

A 76-year-old man presented with a 2-week history of red eye and gradual loss of vision in the right eye. His medical history included recently diagnosed temporal arteritis without previous eye involvement. Clinical examination revealed severe peripheral corneal melting leading to corneal perforation.

RESULTS

The patient was treated in the acute phase with topical dexamethasone drops and oral prednisolone. Perforation was sealed with cyanoacrylate glue. Azathioprine was also administered. Inflammation was resolved and his eye remains quiet.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PUK in the background of temporal arteritis.

Intravitreal administration of the anti-tumor necrosis factor agent infliximab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To present our preliminary experience on intravitreal administration of an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibody for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

DESIGN

Prospective, noncomparative series of 3 patients previously treated with an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent.

METHODS

Two intravitreal injections of 0.05 ml containing infliximab were administered in the first (1 and 2 mg, 2 months apart), second (2 mg each, 2 months apart), and third patient (2 mg each, 3 months apart). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) were monthly assessed for up to 7 months.

RESULTS

In the first patient, BCVA increased from 20/200 to 20/100 and CFT decreased from 462 to 386 microm, 2 months after the first injection. The condition was further improved after the second injection (BCVA, 20/40; CFT, 210 microm), but recurrence occurred 7 months post-baseline. In the second patient, BCVA increased from 20/200 to 20/70 and CFT decreased from 512 to 420 and 184 microm, 2 and 4 months post-baseline, respectively. In the third patient, clinical improvement was documented after the first injection. A second injection attributable to recurrence resulted in improvement of BCVA from 20/100 to 20/30 and decrease of CFT from 388 to 282 microm, 2 months after the second injection.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings, although insufficient to consider "off-label" treatment with intravitreal infliximab, provide in vivo evidence of a pathogenetic link of locally produced and/or acting TNF to neovascular AMD. A randomized study of consecutive intravitreal injections of infliximab for AMD may be warranted.

Intravitreal administration of the anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infliximab in the rabbit

BACKGROUND

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is known to play an important role in various immune-mediated ocular diseases; intravenous administration of the anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infliximab has proved beneficial in such cases. Since intravitreal injection (when available) is a substitute for systemic administration of various drugs targeting the eye, we aimed to evaluate the safety of intravitreal injection of infliximab in the rabbit eye.

METHODS

Seven groups of New Zealand white rabbits (four animals in each group) received a single unilateral intravitreal injection (0.1 ml) of increasing doses of infliximab (namely 1, 2, 5, 8, 10 or 20 mg infliximab [Remicade]) or a sham injection respectively. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundoscopy and electrophysiology recordings, i.e. scotopic, photopic and flicker responses, were performed at baseline and after 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 days. Infliximab-injected eyes were compared with sham-injected and with uninjected fellow eyes (n = 28). Animals were euthanized on day 45 for histopathological examination of the retinas.

RESULTS

Clinical examination and electrophysiological testing were consistently unremarkable after either sham or 1 mg or 2 mg infliximab injections. In contrast, electrophysiological recordings were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner from day 1 through day 45, after 5, 8, 10 and 20 mg infliximab injections. Flicker responses were the most sensitive in detecting the lower toxic dose of 5 mg. Histopathological findings were similar in uninjected and sham-injected eyes, as well as after 1 mg or 2 mg infliximab injections. Consistent with the functional abnormalities, retinal deformities and diffuse edema were observed after injection of 5 mg or higher doses of infliximab.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravitreal infliximab may be safely administered up to a dose of 2 mg in the rabbit eye. Such doses can be used in the design of future clinical trials assessing the effects of infliximab for selected patients with immune-mediated ocular conditions.

Infliximab treatment-induced formation of autoantibodies is common in Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVE

To study autoantibody formation in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) who received long-term treatment with the anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infliximab.

METHODS

Serial sera from infliximab-treated patients (5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 4, 8, and every 6-8 weeks thereafter) were tested for various autoantibodies, using commercially available methods, at baseline and at 6 months (n = 20), at 12 months (n = 16), and at 18 months post-baseline (n = 12). Thirty-five age- and sex-matched BD patients, not treated with infliximab, served as controls.

RESULTS

Autoantibodies were rarely seen in controls, as well as in infliximab treated patients at baseline. Formation of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) at low titers was evident in 13/20 (65%) patients at 6 months post-baseline; one additional patient developed anti-beta2 glycoprotein-I IgM antibodies (anti-beta(2)GPI). Of the 13 ANA-positive sera, low titers-IgM of anti-dsDNA or anti-beta(2)GPI were detected in 7 (35%) and 6 (30%) patients, respectively. Additional measurements at 12 and 18 months showed that the persistence and/or increasing titers of these autoantibodies depended on continuation of treatment. Antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (anti-RNP, anti-SS-A/Ro, anti-SS-B/La, anti-Sm), rheumatoid factors, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, were never detected. No antibody-related symptoms, lupus-like disease, or thrombosis were observed in any patient up to 18 months of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Early induction of ANA and specific autoantibodies is common in BD patients treated with infliximab, including low titers of non-pathogenic anti-dsDNA and anti-Beta<inf>2</inf>GPI antibodies. A possible clinical significance of these findings needs to be documented in further studies, including more patients and longer follow-up periods.

Skin testing and adverse reactions in fluorescein: a prospective study

Sodium fluorescein (SF) is widely used to assess chorioretinal disorders. Adverse reactions are well documented but the underlying mechanism is still uncertain. The aim of this study was the evaluation of skin testing to predict SF reaction, the identification of possible predisposing factors, and the objective record of the reported reactions. All patients with adequate indication for SF angiography (SFA) during an 18-month period were evaluated as follows: (a) detailed personal history of atopy, diabetes, previous SFA, and/or diagnostic procedures with radiocontrast media (RCM) and possible side effect; (b) skin testing with SF 10% diluted preparations; (c) SFA with 5 mL of SF, objective record of any reaction. Two hundred twenty-four patients (108 men and 116 women) with a mean age of 65.2 years (SD, 12.86; range, 16-92 years) underwent SFA. The overall rate of adverse reactions was 3.6% (8/224), which consists of 5 (2.2%) individuals with transient mild nausea; 2 (0.9%) subjects with face and upper trunk flushing that appeared in one case after 60 minutes and in the other case 24 hours later and both resolved without treatment, and I subject with transient bilateral frontal headache and dizziness. None of the 224 patients had positive skin or intradermal testings. One hundred thirty-six of 224 (60.7%) patients stated no previous SFA and 74.1% had not performed RCM injection. None of the recorded variables correlated with increased risk of reaction. SFA is a safe procedure with minor adverse effects. Although in vivo testing can not identify reactors it may help to exclude an underlying IgE-mediated mechanism in susceptible individuals.

Tumor necrosis factor antagonists: preliminary evidence for an emerging approach in the treatment of ocular inflammation

The anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibody infliximab and the soluble TNF receptor etanercept inhibit the pleiotropic actions of TNF and are widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), spondyloarthropathies (SpA), Crohn's disease, and psoriasis with an acceptable safety profile. A pathogenetic role of TNF in ocular inflammatory conditions has recently emerged from small trials reporting preliminary results on the efficacy of these agents in patients with noninfectious uveitis, regardless of the origin of the disease. The authors review the published experience, derived mostly from investigator-sponsored trials and uncontrolled case series, on the use of TNF antagonists in approximately 280 patients with various ocular conditions who were inadequately controlled on currently available therapy. These reports suggest that TNF antagonists, mainly infliximab, which may have better efficacy than etanercept, are useful in the treatment of ocular inflammation associated with Adamantiades-Behçet's disease, RA, JIA, SpA, Crohn's, sarcoidosis, and Graves' disease ophthalmopathy. Infliximab was also beneficial in small numbers of patients with idiopathic uveitis or scleritis, birdshot retinochoroiditis, uveitic and diabetic cystoid macular edema, and age-related macular degeneration. The currently available data are nonrandomized and thus preliminary, providing the foundation and justification for randomized trials to assess efficacy and safety. Until such results are available, knowledge regarding the use of anti-TNF regimens in ophthalmology is incomplete. However, the preliminary evidence points to a growing optimism for targeting TNF in patients with ocular inflammation.

Vitreous findings in optic disc pit maculopathy based on optical coherence tomography

BACKGROUND

To assess vitreous findings in optic disc pit maculopathy using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).

METHODS

Thirty-eight eyes of 38 patients (14-51 years of age) with macular detachment associated with optic disc pit maculopathy were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. In group 1, 16 eyes were studied by OCT at presentation and after surgical treatment. In group 2, 22 eyes were examined by OCT only after treatment. In both groups thorough vitreous examination was performed over the macula and the optic disc. All patients were operated by the macular buckling procedure.

RESULTS

Vitreous abnormalities were found in 28 out of 38 eyes (74%) of both groups. In group 1, 10 of the 16 eyes had vitreous traction on the macula at presentation. The traction started from the optic disc and terminated to the macula. The posterior hyaloid that exerted the traction between the points of adhesion at the optic disc and the macula had a course parallel to the retinal surface in 9 of the 10 cases. Postoperatively, vitreous traction on the macula was not found. Of the remaining 6 eyes 4 had complete or partial posterior vitreous detachment. In group 2, 8 eyes had vitreous strands over the optic disc and 5 eyes posterior vitreous detachment. In the remaining 9 cases no vitreous involvement was noticed.

CONCLUSIONS

OCT was able to detect vitreous abnormalities such as vitreomacular traction, vitreous strands over the optic disc and complete or partial posterior vitreous detachment associated with optic disc pit maculopathy. Our observations support the view that the abnormal vitreous over the macula and optic disc is likely to play a role in the development of macular elevation in cases with optic disc pit. Prospective OCT studies could further assist to better understand the role of vitreous in this disease.

Evolution of retinal pigment epithelium detachment after photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To report a case of pigment epithelium detachment (PED) which appeared after photodynamic therapy (PDT) and was followed up for 50 months.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

A 71-year-old woman with occult choroidal neovascular membrane due to age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) developed PED 48 hours after PDT. The patient was studied with fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fluorescein angiographic evidence of PED remained essentially unchanged during the follow-up period of 50 months. Although OCT initially gave clear evidence of PED, in the last 12 months of follow-up the PED appears to have resolved.

CONCLUSIONS

Photodynamic treatment could be involved in the occurrence of PED in occult choroidal neovascular membrane due to ARMD. In this particular case OCT could be considered since it offers useful information in the pretreatment and the post-treatment follow-up period.

Optical coherence tomography study of tilted optic disk associated with macular detachment

PURPOSE

To describe the macular findings by optical coherence tomography in both eyes of a patient with tilted optic disk and visual decrease.

METHODS

A 35-year-old woman with bilateral tilted optic disk and serous macular detachment was examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

RESULTS

Fluorescein angiography demonstrated staining of the temporal rim of the staphyloma adjacent to the optic disk and hyperfluorescence of the diffuse pigmentary changes in the papillomacular area. Leakage points and serous macular detachment were not observed. The existing neurosensory detachment at the fovea became evident only by OCT.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of subretinal fluid, which became evident only by OCT, supports the view that OCT could further contribute to the study of the asymptomatic pigmentary lesions of the macula that are present in 11% of eyes with tilted optic disk. The reason for the localized macular detachment remains unclear. Dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or leakage of the optic disk staphyloma rim could possibly explain the cause of fluid accumulation in the macula.

THE MACULAR BUCKLING PROCEDURE IN THE TREATMENT OF RETINAL DETACHMENT IN HIGHLY MYOPIC EYES WITH MACULAR HOLE AND POSTERIOR STAPHYLOMA

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term anatomical and functional results of the macular buckling procedure in myopic macular hole with retinal detachment and posterior staphyloma.

METHODS

Twenty-five consecutive highly myopic eyes with retinal detachment, macular hole, and posterior staphyloma, which were operated between February 1983 and April 1992, were retrospectively studied. The last examination was in June 2002. Follow-up of the 25 patients ranged from 10 years to 19 years (mean, 15 years). Macular buckling with an episcleral sponge was the initial and only procedure. In all operated eyes, anchoring of the sponge was away from the posterior pole. Best-corrected visual acuity was evaluated before and after surgery. The axial length of the eyeball was also measured by A-scan ultrasonography before treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-two of 25 eyes were successfully treated with a single procedure. In the remaining three eyes, retinal reattachment was obtained after a second buckling operation, which was considered necessary due to loosing of the sponge fixation sutures in two cases and the location of the hole beside the buckle in one case. The mean overall visual acuity was improved after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The macular buckling procedure with anchoring of the sponge away from the posterior segment provided efficient scleral indentation of long duration for closure of the macular hole and retinal reattachment.

Regression of neovascular age-related macular degeneration following infliximab therapy

PURPOSE

To describe the effects of the antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibody Infliximab systemic therapy on choroidal neovacularisation (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

DESIGN

Prospective, noncomparative series of three patients.

METHODS

A subretinal membrane secondary to AMD was documented by fluoroangiography at baseline in three elderly patients scheduled to receive Infliximab therapy for inflammatory arthritis (infusions of 5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, 6, and every 8 weeks thereafter). Follow-up was performed at three months post-baseline, as well as during 18 months of continuing treatment in the first patient.

RESULTS

CNV regressed partially at three months and resolved at six months in the first patient. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) increased from 0.05 to 0.2; this effect was sustained at 18 months. Regression of subretinal membrane and increase of BCVA was also documented in the other patients. No ocular or extra-ocular side effects were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a plausible pathogenetic role of TNF in CNV secondary to AMD. Additional patients should be studied to confirm the promising clinical results.

Optical coherence tomography appearance of "drusenoid" pigment epithelial detachment

A case of bilateral "drusenoid" pigment epithelial detachment that was studied with fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography is described. Fundus fluorescein angiography depicted staining of the drusen without any sign of pooling of the dye, whereas optical coherence tomography displayed detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium. These findings remained unchanged during a 10-month period.

Optic nerve cyst associated with optic disk pits

PURPOSE

To report a case with two optic disk pits which were associated with an optic nerve cyst in the same eye.

METHODS

Observational case report.

RESULTS

A 47-year-old patient noted visual impairment in the right eye. On examination the best corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 20/80 and in the left eye was 20/20. Biomicroscopy revealed, in the right eye, a very pale optic disk with two optic disk pits without macular elevation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well circumscribed 6 x 6-mm(2) round cystic lesion within the right optic nerve sheath adjacent to the temporal aspect of the right optic nerve at its retrobulbar segment, which compressed and displaced the nerve.

CONCLUSIONS

In the case of an extremely pale optic disk with congenital pits and visual impairment without macular detachment, radiological examination is indicated in order to exclude the possibility of coexisting optic nerve anomalies.

Infliximab for chronic cystoid macular edema associated with uveitis

PURPOSE

To assess the efficacy of the anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infliximab in uveitis patients without clinically evident ocular inflammation and impaired visual acuity because of chronic cystoid macular edema (CME).

DESIGN

Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.

METHODS

Patients with refractory CME (14 eyes, mean duration of 14 months), associated with intermediate uveitis (n = 6), Adamantiades-Behcet disease (n = 2), adult-type vascular pseudotumor (n = 1), and HLAB27+-related uveitis (n = 1) received an intravenous infliximab infusion (5 mg/kg); five patients were retreated after 1 month.

RESULTS

Macular thickness, measured by ocular coherence tomography, was reduced from 428 +/- 138 microm to 219 +/- 51 microm at 2 months postbaseline (P = .0001), while visual acuity increased from 0.41 +/- 0.18 to 0.83 +/- 0.17 (P < .00001). Anatomic and functional improvement was sustained at 6 months in all. No ocular or extra-ocular side effects were noted.

CONCLUSION

These promising results suggest that TNF may play an important pathogenetic role in chronic CME, thus, a controlled trial is warranted.

A preliminary assessment of macular function by MF-ERG in myopic eyes with CNV with complete response to photodynamic therapy

PURPOSE

To evaluate by multifocal electroretinogram (MF-ERG) macular function before and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) in myopic eyes with choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ten eyes with classic subfoveal CNV due to pathologic myopia were studied with MF-ERG before and after PDT in order to evaluate the results of PDT with verteporfin. The post-treatment follow-up was 6 months. Visual acuity testing, ophthalmic examinations, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiograms, and MF-ERG recordings were used to evaluate the results of PDT with verteporfin. The post-treatment period was 6 months.

RESULTS

Before treatment, the electrical response densities in the foveal and perifoveal areas were apparently decreased in all patients. Six months after treatment, the mean retinal response densities in the same areas were found to be higher than before treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

MF-ERG evaluates objectively the macular function in myopic eyes with CNV. After successful PDT, the electrical activity of the foveal and parafoveal areas is higher than before treatment. This finding postulates the efficacy of PDT in the treatment of CNV.

Optical coherence tomography findings in the macula after treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with spared macula preoperatively

PURPOSE

To present the postoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of the macula in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with spared macula preoperatively.

METHODS

Eleven of 46 patients who underwent surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment had an uninvolved macula preoperatively. Scleral buckling without intravitreous gas injection was the operation used in all eyes. All 11 patients were examined before and after treatment with slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and OCT.

RESULTS

In 3 of the 11 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and uninvolved macula preoperatively, fluid was identified with OCT in the macula after successful treatment. OCT showed that the fluid gradually diminished and finally disappeared 5 to 7 months after the scleral buckling procedure. The fluid in the macula became visible with slit-lamp biomicroscopy in only one of the three patients.

CONCLUSION

Subretinal fluid in a preoperatively uninvolved macula can be found after successful treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. If the fluid is located in the fovea, the visual acuity decreases and does not reach the preoperative levels. OCT identifies the presence of fluid and contributes to the study of the fluid's evolution.

Retinal hemorrhage after photodynamic therapy in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization caused by age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To report the frequency and the evolution of the extensive retinal hemorrhages that can appear within 48 h after the application of photodynamic therapy.

METHODS

Two hundred and fifteen individual eyes of 194 consecutive patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to age-related macular degeneration who underwent photodynamic treatment were included in the study. The visual acuity was measured before and after treatment. Color and red-free photographs were taken. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were also performed in order to describe the macular hemorrhages.

RESULTS

Four out of 215 eyes developed macular hemorrhage within 48 h after the photodynamic therapy. Before treatment one of the four patients had classic CNV, one predominantly classic and two patients occult CNV without any classic component. In all four cases, the hemorrhage after photodynamic therapy (PDT) was extensive, it extended beyond the arcades and it was not absorbed during the follow-up period, which ranged from 11 to 21 months. The greatest linear dimension of the hemorrhage was extremely high (>12,000 microm).

CONCLUSION

Extensive macular hemorrhage was observed in 1.86% of the studied cases. The hemorrhage was not related to the type of the CNV lesion before treatment. The size and the appearance of hemorrhage within 48 h after treatment support the view that the hemorrhage is a direct consequence of the photodynamic therapy and not related to the natural course of the disease.