Search

Objective: To evaluate the ocular effects of "Bonzai", a synthetic cannabinoid (SC), in seropositive and seronegative users., Methods: Sixty eyes of 60 consecutive male patients with a history of "Bonzai" use and 30 eyes of 30 age-matched male healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Patients with past "Bonzai" use were grouped as seropositive (n:30) and seronegative (n:30) according to urine toxicology tests. All groups were compared for blood pressures, intraocular pressure, foveal and parafoveal retinal thicknesses, subfoveal and parafoveal choroidal thicknesses, measurements of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC), subfoveal total choroidal, luminal and stromal areas, and choroidal vascularity index (CVI)., Results: No differences were noted in blood pressures between the groups (p > 0.05). The mean intraocular pressure was significantly lower in the seropositive group than in the other groups (p < 0.001). Foveal and retinal thicknesses, RNFL, and GCC measurements did not differ between the groups (p > 0.05). Subfoveal and parafoveal choroidal thicknesses and areas were lower in the seropositive group than in the other groups (p < 0.001, for all). CVI increased in both groups with "Bonzai" use compared to the control group (p < 0.001, for all)., Conclusions: This study indicates that intraocular pressure may decrease, and choroidal changes may be observed in SC users. Further clinical studies with a larger sample size, especially using purified SC for therapeutic purposes, are needed to confirm the present findings, and further histopathologic studies are required to clarify the changes in the choroid despite SC seronegativity., Clinical Trial Id: NCT06235346., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Purpose: To assess macular sensitivity and fixation pattern obtained by microperimetry and ganglion cell complex (GCC) obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in cases with unilateral amblyopia and to compare with control., Methods: The study was conducted with 30 patients with amblyopia, aged 5-18 years, and 30 control eyes of healthy children in the same age group. Participants underwent full ophthalmological examination. Macular sensitivity, stabilization, and location of fixation values were measured using microperimetry. The GCC values were obtained by OCT. Measurements were compared between amblyopic eyes, fellow eyes, and controls. Any correlation between GCC, macular sensitivity, and fixation was investigated. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The mean age was 10.13 ± 3.49 years in the amblyopia group and 11.53 ± 2.7 years in the control group. Three groups were formed: amblyopic eyes (Group 1, n = 30), fellow eyes (Group 2, n = 30), and control eyes (Group 3, n = 30). The macular sensitivity values were found highest in the control group (P = 0.007). Bivariate contour ellipse area 1, which is the numerical value of fixation stabilization, was measured to be the lowest in the control group (P < 0.0001). In the analysis among the three groups, no significant difference was observed in terms of the GCC (P = 0.229). In the correlation analyses, a significant correlation was detected between macular sensitivity and GCC values in amblyopic eyes., Conclusion: In amblyopic eyes, the macular sensitivity was significantly lower and the GCC thickness was found to be in a positive correlation with macular sensitivity., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Purpose: To quantify microvascular vessel density in the optic disc using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SS); to determine whether there is a difference in values between patients and controls; and to correlate the OCTA measurements with disease activity, damage risk, and drug usage., Methods: Patients aged 20 - 76 years who were followed up after a diagnosis of SS and age- and gender-matched controls. The patients underwent RTVue-XR AngioVue OCTA imaging in this cross-sectional observational study., Results: A total of 61 eyes of 61 consecutive SS patients and 60 eyes of 60 controls were investigated. There was no statistically significant difference between the patients and control groups regarding the average RNFL (retinal fiber layer) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) vessel density (VD) measurements (p = 0.35, p = 0.25, respectively). As the antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer increased, RNFLsuperior (p = 0.01, r = - 0.327), RPCwhole (p = 0.029, r = 0.279), RPCperipapillary (p = 0.037, r = - 0.267), RPCsuperior (p = 0.003, r = - 0.371), and RPCinferior (p = 0.02, r = 0.297) values decreased with statistical significance. The RPCinside values were lower in anti-Scl-70-positive patients compared to patients negative for anti-Scl-70 (topoisomerase I) (p = 0.021). The RNFLnasal (p = 0.03, r = - 0.278) value decreased as the years of disease increased. The RPCinside value was higher in patients using hydroxychloroquine and calcium channel blockers than those who did not use them (p = 0.021 and p = 0.027, respectively). The RPCwhole, RPCperipapillary, and RPCnasal values were higher, with statistical significance in corticosteroid users than in those patients who did not use corticosteroids (p = 0.043, 0.030, and 0.033, respectively)., Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the patients and control groups regarding the average RPC VD measurements. However, since this is the first study to analyze optic disc vessel density in SS patients, optic nerve blood flow changes in scleroderma with OCTA could be studied., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Aim: : To evaluate any abnormalities on retinal examination and retinal microvascularity in patients recovered from COVID-19., Materials and Methods: : Cross-sectional, case- control study. Patients between 18 and 65 years old with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and age matched controls were included. Macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, vessel density of the superficial (SCP) and the deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) were measured and compared with controls., Results: : This study included 200 eyes of 200 cases totally. Of them 105 cases were patients and 95 cases were controls. Retinal abnormalities were detected by indirect ophthalmoscopic examination in ten patients of 105 cases (10.5%). There was no statistically significant difference in the vessel density of the SCP and the DCP and the mean FAZ measurements., Conclusion: : There isn't any relevant difference between early post-COVID-19 patients and general population in terms of retinal microvascularity.

Objective: To evaluate changes in retrobulbar ocular blood flow parameters by using Colour Doppler Imaging (CDI) and changes in foveal microvasculature by using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in pediatric obese patients and to compare them with a group of healthy children., Methods: Children diagnosed with obesity without hypertension and diabetes (39 subjects, obese group) and age-matched healthy controls (26 subjects, control group) underwent CDI and OCTA imaging. Peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity and resistivity index from ophthalmic, central retinal and posterior ciliary arteries on CDI; superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular density and foveal avascular zone area on OCTA imaging were obtained in each group. Central foveal and subfoveal choroidal thicknesses were also measured. CDI and OCTA parameters were compared between two groups., Results: Peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were found to be significantly lower in obese children than in controls in all three examined arteries (p < 0.05). Resistivity index values were similar between the groups. OCTA imaging did not reveal significant changes in superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular densities and foveal avascular zone area across analysed retinal regions between the groups. Subfoveal choroid was thicker in obese group than in control group (325.89 ± 52.77 µm vs. 304.52 ± 21.76 µm, p = 0.04)., Conclusion: An apparent decrease was present in retrobulbar hemodynamics in obese children. This arises the possibility of early ocular macrovascular compromise rather than retinal microvascular impairment in childhood obesity.

Purpose: To evaluate the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) after intravitreal injection of aflibercept (IVA) and the transition of aflibercept into systemic circulation in infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)., Study Design: Prospective study., Methods: This single-centered prospective cohort study included infants who received IVA for the treatment of type 1 ROP in zone I and posterior zone II. Blood samples were collected before IVA and at 1 day and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after IVA. VEGF, IGF-1 and aflibercept levels were measured., Results: Thirty eyes of 15 infants received IVA of 1 mg/0.025 mL. Serum VEGF levels decreased significantly at 1 day and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after IVA compared with baseline (P < 0.05). Serum aflibercept levels decreased significantly 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after IVA compared with the level at 1 day after IVA (P < 0.05) and increased significantly at 1 day, 1, 2, and 4 weeks after IVA compared with the baseline level (P < 0.05). No significant difference was detected between serum IGF-1 levels any time in any infant (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Serum VEGF levels are suppressed for at least 8 weeks, and aflibercept could be detected in the systemic circulation at 4 weeks after injection. Clinicians should be cautious about changes in systemic VEGF levels and passage of the agent into systemic circulation after IVA in infants., (© 2021. Japanese Ophthalmological Society.)

Purpose: To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and vessel density of the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) plexus of eyes with regressed papilledema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) patients using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and comparing the results with healthy controls., Materials and Methods: Fifty-one eyes of 31 patients diagnosed with IIH and 52 eyes of 52 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination and a 4.5 × 4.5 mm peripapillary OCT-A scanning. The quantitative results of the peripapillary RNFL and GCC thicknesses and vessel density of the RPC were analyzed., Results: The vessel density in the inferior, superior nasal, and inferior nasal sectors of the patients with IIH significantly exceeded the vessel density of the healthy controls (P = 0.008, P = 0.008, and P = 0.000, respectively). The RNFL and GCC thickness measurements were comparable in both groups., Conclusions: Patients with IIH show vascular abnormalities in the inferior nasal region, which can be detected with OCT-A. As a noninvasive imaging modality, OCT-A could provide a new perspective for understanding the pathophysiology of IIH and could also be useful in the follow-up of these patients., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)