Search

Purpose: To evaluate prospectively the anatomical and functional results after ocriplasmin injection in patients with vitreomacular traction (VMT), or macular hole (MH) combined with VMT, providing the real-life experience of three centers, using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT)., Methods: Twenty-four patients with VMT (17 with VMT alone and 7 with an MH combined with VMT) were treated with a single ocriplasmin injection and followed-up prospectively at baseline, day 1, 7, 28 and the last examination of the follow-up for each patient (range: 30-127 days). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and SD-OCT were performed for patient assessment, while various adverse events were recorded and analysed. At baseline, univariate analysis was also performed to examine the potential predictive factors for VMT release., Results: 66.7 % of patients presented VMT release at the end of the follow-up, while 28.6 % exhibited MH closure. Baseline positive predictive factors for VMT release were young age, being female, phakic lens status, increased vitreofoveal angle, V-shaped and loose vitreomacular adhesion, small adhesion area, thin vitreous strands at the adhesion site and absence of an epiretinal membrane. Four new cases of ellipsoid line changes and subretinal fluid development became evident at day 7 compared to baseline. Lamellar macular hole (LMH) in four cases was first noticed at day 28 post injection. Formation of cystoid macular edema (CME) was noticed in three new cases at day 28 compared to baseline., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated a VMT release rate of 66.7 %. Apart from the known baseline factors that influence VMT release after ocriplasmin injection, the size of the vitreofoveal angle, a V-shaped and loose vitreomacular adhesion, a small adhesion area, and thin vitreous strands at the adhesion site, could additionally affect the outcome of VMT release. In addition, we studied when VMT release and concomitant events occur and for how long the induced complications lasted.

Purpose: To present a case of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to gyrate atrophy (GA) treated with intravitreal ranibizumab., Methods: A 35-year-old man presented with sudden loss of vision and central scotoma in the right eye, as well as progressive night vision deterioration over the past several years in both eyes. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 6/60 in the right eye and 6/5 in the left eye. Funduscopy revealed bilateral confluent areas of chorioretinal atrophy and optical coherence tomography showed subretinal fluid consistent with CNV development in the right eye, which was confirmed by fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The left eye was normal. The patient had a family history of GA. Elevated levels of plasma ornithine were detected, establishing the diagnosis., Results: The patient received a regimen of 3 monthly off-label intravitreal ranibizumab injections in the right eye. At the 6-month follow-up, no subretinal fluid was noticed and BCVA was 6/48. No other injections were performed, but the patient was advised to start an arginine-restricted diet and take vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 300 mg daily. The BCVA was preserved and chorioretinal atrophy had not progressed on funduscopy, FFA, or ICGA 1 year later., Conclusions: Intravitreal ranibizumab can offer promising anatomical and functional results, maintaining visual acuity in patients with CNV secondary to GA, especially if used in combination with arginine-restricted diet and vitamin B6 supplementation.

Purpose: Although intravitreal ranibizumab represents an established therapeutic approach for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the possible occurrence of adverse events remains under ongoing research. The purpose of this report is to present an incidence of an extensive submacular hemorrhage after intravitreal ranibizumab administration., Methods: Interventional case report., Results: A 72-year-old woman was referred to our retinal department for sudden visual loss in the right eye (RE). She had undergone an intravitreal ranibizumab injection 48 hours prior to her presentation. She had known AMD with a confirmed occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) for which she had been subjected to a total of 24 intravitreal injections in the RE (with monthly intervals) over the last 2 years. Clinical examination revealed an extensive submacular hemorrhage in the RE., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report of a submacular hemorrhage soon after ranibizumab administration in a patient with a small occult CNV. Although such a correlation cannot be established, the authors underline the possibility of such an adverse event in patients with small CNVs following a long therapeutic course involving high injection volume.

A patient with cone-rod dystrophy, who was examined thoroughly with biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and electrophysiology, is presented. Although fluorescein angiography depicted only window-defect type of hyperfluorescence, optical coherence tomography disclosed detachment of the neurosensory retina, focal absence of the outer parts of the photoreceptors' layer in the fovea, and cystoid edema in the macula. To the authors' knowledge, these findings have not been described in cone-rod dystrophy so far., (Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.)

Purpose: To report a case of full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in a patient with retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED) and tear., Methods: A 67-year-old woman with PED and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tear due to age-related macular degeneration was studied by biomicroscopy, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography and was treated with intravitreal ranibizumab., Results: The patient developed a FTMH that was observed 1 month after the ranibizumab injection., Conclusions: Intravitreal ranibizumab may create focal sites of tractional forces on the retinal surface while contraction of the choroidal neovascular membrane may also place forces on the RPE and outer retina. Both actions may have as a result contraction and tearing of the retina leading to the formation of a FTMH.

Purpose: To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) readings taken using dynamic contour tonometry (DCT) with IOP readings taken with Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) in eyes with glaucoma or ocular hypertension., Methods: The present study included 100 eyes in 100 patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. After pachymetry DCT and GAT were performed. Intraocular pressures as measured with DCT and GAT were compared with one another and with central corneal thickness (CCT)., Results: Mean DCT IOP measurements (20.1 +/- 4.3 mmHg) were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than GAT IOP values (17.9 +/- 4.7 mmHg). The mean difference between DCT and GAT measurements was 2.1 mmHg (range -3.4 to 9.7 mmHg). The difference followed a normal distribution. Measurements made with DCT and GAT correlated significantly with one another (Spearman's rho = 0.761, p < 0.001). Neither GAT nor DCT measurements showed a significant correlation with CCT (537 +/- 39 microm, range 458-656 microm). Multivariate regression analysis has shown that the difference between DCT and GAT is influenced significantly by ocular pulse amplitude (r = -0.334, p = 0.001) and it is not influenced by CCT (r = -0.106, p = 0.292)., Conclusions: In eyes with glaucoma or ocular hypertension, DCT facilitates suitable and reliable IOP measurements which are in good concordance with GAT readings. Variation in CCT cannot by itself explain the differences in measurements taken with DCT and GAT in a number of eyes.

Objective: To describe the response of uveitic macular edema to various treatment methods using optical coherence tomography (OCT)., Methods: This is a prospective study of consecutive uveitis patients with macular edema in at least one eye. The patients received medical treatment. Best corrected Snellen Visual Acuity (BCVA) and tomographic features of the macula, including macular thickness measurement, were obtained at one, three, six, and 12 months after commencing treatment., Results: Eighty-one eyes of 58 patients were analyzed. Complete resolution of macular edema occurred in 38 eyes (47%). The average BCVA was 20/34 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (-logMAR, 0.2 +/- 0.3) upon study entry and 20/27 (-logMAR, 0.13 +/- 0.29) upon study completion. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.04). The corresponding mean retinal thickness at the central fovea was 319 +/- 150 microm at the beginning of the study compared to 241 +/- 125 microm at 12 months (p < 0.001). A weak but statistically significant correlation between the reduction of macular thickness and the improvement of BCVA (r = 0.3, p = 0.01) was found. Thirteen of the 43 eyes (30%) with persistent macular edema had a more than 15% reduction of macular thickness compared to baseline, whereas 10 eyes (23, 3%) had a more than 15% increase in macular thickness. Statistical analysis indicated that the presence of an epiretinal membrane and an OCT pattern of diffuse macular edema was a significant factor associated with medical treatment failure., Conclusion: This study demonstrates the overall favorable visual prognosis of uveitic macular edema under medical treatment. The presence of an epiretinal membrane is an important factor associated with medical treatment failure.

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.

Aims: To compare and correlate retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements obtained by scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) with defects detected by short-wavelength automatic perimetry (SWAP) in eyes with ocular hypertension (OHT)., Methods: SLP and SWAP were performed in 96 eyes of 48 consecutive patients with OHT., Results: Twenty-five eyes (26%) had SWAP visual field defects. Twenty-seven eyes (28.1%) had abnormal RNFL evaluation defined by the GDx neural network ('number' > 29). Fourteen eyes of 10 patients (14.5%) had abnormal RNFL evaluation and SWAP visual field defects. RNFL thickness measurements were significantly reduced in eyes with abnormal SWAP. A weak but statistically significant correlation between the 'number' and pattern standard deviation (r = 0.3, p = 0.006) and the corrected pattern standard deviation (r = 0.3, p = 0.007) in SWAP was found. Areas of abnormal RNFL thickness corresponded to the localization of the SWAP visual field defects in corrected pattern deviation plots in 10 of the 14 eyes with defects in both tests., Conclusions: SWAP visual field defects frequently coexist and correspond with abnormalities of RNFL detected by SLP in eyes with OHT. In certain eyes, however, the two methods detect different glaucoma properties., (Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: To evaluate macular function, before and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) using multifocal electroretinogram (MF-ERG), in eyes suffering from classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) resulting from age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)., Methods: Twenty eyes of 20 patients (10 male, 10 female) with classic subfoveal CNV resulting from ARMD were studied. All received PDT with verteporfin. Fluorescein angiography and mF-ERG were performed in each patient 1 day before and 1 week, 3 months and 6 months after photodynamic therapy., Results: Before treatment, visual acuity (VA) and electrical retinal response densities (RRD) in the foveal and parafoveal areas were low in all patients. The mean VA (ETDRS chart) before PDT was 24.35 (SD, 15). The mean RRD before PDT in area 1 was 4.39 nV/deg(2) (SD, 2.59) and in area 2 it was 2.11 (SD, 1.86). Six months after treatment, the mean VA was stable in 70% of the patients. However, the mean RRD after PDT was 2.24 nV/deg(2) in area 1 (SD, 2.59) and 1.07 nV/deg(2) in area 2 (SD, 1.59)., Conclusion: Multifocal ERG objectively evaluates the macular function in eyes with CNV attributable to ARMD. In this study, the stability of VA coincided with a clear impairment of electrical activity of the foveal and parafoveal areas. This finding suggests that MF-ERG should be adopted to assess the efficacy of PDT objectively in the treatment of ARMD.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous severe retinal dystrophy presenting in infancy. To explain the phenotypical variability observed in two affected siblings of a consanguineous pedigree diagnosed with LCA and establish a genotype-phenotype correlation, we screened GUCY2D, RPE65, CRX, AIPL1, and RPGRIP1 for mutations. The more severely affected sibling carried a heterozygous missense mutation in the GUCY2D gene (Ile539Val), which did not segregate with the disease phenotype. Subsequently, a homozygous nonsense mutation (Glu102STOP) in the RPE65 gene was identified in both affected siblings, thus identifying the causative gene. This data provides evidence for the presence of genetic modulation in LCA. It appears that the heterozygous GUCY2D mutation further disrupts the already compromised photoreceptor function resulting in more severe retinal dysfunction in the older sibling. We suggest that the unusual phenotypic variability in these two siblings with LCA is caused by the modifying effect of a heterozygous GUCY2D mutation observed against the disease background of a homozygous RPE65 mutation.

Purpose: To describe the morphologic characteristics of uveitic macular edema by the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to investigate the correlation between tomographic features and visual acuity (VA)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Participants: Seventy consecutive patients with uveitis in a university-based practice with a clinical diagnosis of macular edema in at least one eye. Inclusion criteria were: (1) verification of macular edema by OCT, (2) adequate media clarity for fundus visualization, and (3) absence of coexisting ocular disease limiting visual potential., Methods: Complete ophthalmic examination: best-corrected Snellen VA, slit-lamp examination, fundus biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and OCT. Fluorescein angiography was performed in selected cases., Main Outcome Measures: Best-corrected Snellen VA and tomographic features of the macula, including macular thickness measurement and correlation of macular thickness with VA., Results: Eighty-four eyes of 60 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean VA (Snellen test) was 20/36. There were 3 patterns of macular edema: diffuse macular edema (DME), cystoid macular edema (CME), and serous retinal detachment (RD). Serous retinal detachment was detected in 17 eyes (20.2%). Patients were classified into the following groups: DME (46 eyes, 54.8%), CME (21 eyes, 25%), DME and RD (5 eyes, 5.9%), CME and RD (12 eyes, 14.3%). Epiretinal membrane was detected by OCT in 34 eyes (40.5%). Eight eyes (9.5%) demonstrated vitreomacular traction. The mean retinal thickness at the central fovea was 333+/-171 microm (mean +/- standard deviation). Macular edema was located mainly in the outer retinal layers. Eyes with CME had significantly greater retinal thickness measurements than eyes with DME (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that VA was negatively correlated with increased macular thickness, presence of CME, and RD (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Optical coherence tomography demonstrated 3 patterns of macular edema in patients with uveitis: DME, CME, and RD. Epiretinal membrane coexisted in a significant percentage of patients. In patients with uveitis with clear media, the morphologic features of macular edema and macular thickness correlated with VA.

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.

Purpose: To evaluate the macular function by means of multifocal electroretinogram (MF ERG) in eyes with congenital optic disc pit and serous macular detachment. The evaluation was performed before and after the successful surgical intervention., Design: Nonrandomized, comparative (self-controlled), interventional trial., Participants: Ten patients (10 eyes) with optic disc pit with serous macular detachment were treated with the macular buckling procedure and followed up from March 1999 through May 2001., Methods: In all patients included in the study, MF ERG was recorded before and after treatment. For recording, the VERIS III system (Visual Evoked Response Imaging System; Tomey, Nagoya, Japan) was used., Main Outcome Measures: The retinal response densities were studied before and after treatment in areas 1 and 2 and were compared with visual acuity., Results: The MF ERG before treatment showed decreased retinal response densities in all 10 cases. Twelve months after the surgical intervention, the electrical response densities in areas 1 (foveal area) and 2 (parafoveal area) improved. Further improvement was noted in 3 of the 10 patients who completed a follow-up of 18 months after treatment. In 8 of the 10 patients, postoperative visual acuity also increased. In the remaining two patients, visual acuity did not change after treatment, despite improvement of the retinal response densities., Conclusions: In eyes with congenital optic disc pit with serous macular detachment, the decrease in retinal electrophysiologic response before treatment was not limited to the fovea, but also involved the perifoveal area. In all 10 eyes 12 months after treatment, the electrical activities in areas 1 and 2 improved. This improvement was not always followed by an increase in visual acuity. In 2 of the 10 patients, visual acuity remained unchanged. The values of retinal response densities before treatment cannot be used alone as a prognostic factor for the postoperative functional retinal results. It should also be stressed that the results of this study cannot be compared with the results of studies where spontaneous resolution of the macular detachment occurred.

Objective: To report two cases of recurrent anterior uveitis with sectoral iris atrophy and ocular hypertension during attacks caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV)., Design: Two observational case reports., Participants: Two immunocompetent patients with a history of recurrent unilateral hypertensive anterior uveitis with sectoral iris atrophy were referred to us with the presumptive diagnosis of herpetic uveitis., Main Outcome Measures: Comprehensive ophthalmic examination, aqueous humor polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and peripheral blood serologic studies were performed on both patients., Results: Examination of aqueous humor by PCR was positive for CMV and negative for herpesvirus. Serum IgG/IgM titers disclosed past CMV infection. Both patients responded well to antiviral therapy with ganciclovir. The final visual acuity level was 20/20 in both eyes of both patients., Conclusions: CMV infection can produce recurrent attacks of anterior uveitis with clinical characteristics indistinguishable from those previously considered highly suggestive or even pathognomonic for herpetic infection. This observation has implications for the therapeutic management of such patients.

Purpose: To report optical coherence tomography in optic disk pit maculopathy treated with macular scleral buckling procedure., Methods: Twenty six eyes (26 patients) with optic disk pit maculopathy were treated with macular buckling procedure and evaluated with optical coherence tomography. In group 1, five eyes were evaluated with optical coherence tomography before and after macular buckling procedure. In group 2, 21 eyes were evaluated with optical coherence tomography after macular buckling procedure. With optical coherence tomography, cross-sectional, horizontal retinal images were obtained through the fovea and optic disk pit., Results: In group 1, four of five eyes showed absorption of intraretinal fluid 7 to 9 months after macular buckling procedure. After absorption of fluid, retinal thickness in the foveal center ranged from 128 to 178 microm. In one eye the channel from optic disk to fovea reopened and fluid reappeared. In group 2, 20 of 21 eyes showed absorption of intraretinal schisis and subretinal fluid after macular buckling procedure. After absorption of fluid, retinal thickness in the foveal center ranged from 119 to 216 microm., Conclusions: In optic disk pit maculopathy, optical coherence tomography enabled morphologic assessment of the retina before and after macular buckling procedure. In the successfully treated cases the permanent closure of the connection between the optic disk pit and the intraretinal schisis was demonstrated. Eventual disappearance of schisis and subretinal fluid was depicted. It was also proved that the thickness of the macula returned to normal and visual acuity improved.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the visual function of eyes operated on for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment., Methods: Fifteen patients were studied suffering from peripheral retinal detachment treated with the Lincoff-Custodis method. Visual field was tested with the Humphrey Field Analyzer and the analyzer program 30-2, which scanned a 0-30 degrees field. The multifocal ERG was recorded with the VERIS III (Visual Evoked Imaging System, Tomey, Nagoya, Japan)., Results: There was great loss of retinal response densities in the area of retinal detachment (1.3 +/- 0.7 nV/deg2). However, a decrease in retinal response densities was also recorded in the reattached retina (6.90 +/- 0.7 nV/deg2)., Conclusions: MFERG is an objective tool for monitoring the functional abnormalities affecting the vision of eyes operated for retinal detachment.

We used the Ahmed valve for the treatment of 142 eyes with high-risk glaucoma. The glaucoma was neovascular in 74 cases, aphakic or pseudophakic in 19 eyes and occurred after previous faliure of filtering surgery in 49 eyes. Preoperative mean IOP was 31.6+/-10.4 mmHg under topical and/or systemic treatment. The success rate (IOP<22 mmHg with only topical treatment) was 56.3% with a mean follow-up of 32.4 months. Complications were fewer and milder compared with those reported for other types of drainage implants and for other types of antiglaucoma procedures.

Purpose: To evaluate macular function before and after successful surgical peeling of idiopathic epimacular membranes by means of multifocal electroretinogram (ERG) and measuring the first order Kernel., Methods: Multifocal ERG of 10 patients (10 eyes) with idiopathic epimacular membrane were recorded before and after successful macular peeling. The retinal response densities of areas 1 and 2 were compared pre- and postoperatively and the functional state of the retina beneath the epimacular membrane was evaluated. The postoperative period was 3-6 months., Results: Preoperatively, the electrical retinal response densities in the foveal and the perifoveal area were apparently decreased. After a mean postoperative period of 3 months the electrical response densities of the above areas improved. This improvement continued 6 months after the operation., Conclusion: In idiopathic epimacular membranes, the decrease in retinal electrophysiologic response was not limited to the fovea but also involved the perifoveal area. The electrical retinal response density of these areas gradually improved after peeling of the epimacular membrane.

We report the clinical and angiographic features as well as the natural course of an optic disk and juxtapapillary combined pigment epithelial and retinal hamartoma in a 23-year-old white girl. The patient presented 3 episodes of recurrent vitreous hemorrhages in the first 4 years of follow-up, which were spontaneously and totally absorbed. During the last 6 years, she was absolutely free of any ocular symptom. The tumor did not show any growth during the 10 years of follow-up. The digital indocyanine green angiography, which was normal in the early frames, revealed a mild, patchy hyperfluorescence corresponding to the tumor location in the late phase.

To evaluate the visual function of 15 eyes suffering from macular hole the multifocal ERG was used pre and postoperatively. In all the cases a successful vitrectomy has been done with macular hole closure in all the eyes. The Multifocal ERG shows an improvement of retinal response density in regions 1 and 2, even in the 2 eyes with unchanged visual acuity postoperatively. Although a relationship exist between the postoperative retinal response density and the visual acuity, the retinal response density varies between eyes with the same visual acuity.

Background: In the present prospective randomized study the effectiveness and safety of trabecular aspiration combined with clear cornea phacoemulsification (phaco) was compared to clear cornea phaco alone in patients with pseudoexfoliation (PEX) glaucoma and visually disabling cataract., Methods: Twenty-seven patients suffering from visually significant cataract (visual acuity < 5 Snellen lines) and PEX glaucoma were randomly assigned to either phaco combined with trabecular aspiration (14 eyes of 14 patients) or phaco alone (13 eyes of 13 patients). Inclusion criteria for glaucoma were IOP < or = 22 mmHg under treatment with up to two antiglaucomatous agents, excluding pilocarpine 4%, and no previous surgery or laser trabeculoplasty treatment. Clear cornea phaco with foldable acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) implantation was carried out in all patients uneventfully. Trabecular aspiration was performed using a special probe in the inferior 180 deg of the angle after IOL implantation., Results: Follow-up duration ranged from 12 to 18 months. In the combined procedure group there was a statistically significant decrease in postoperative IOP during the whole follow-up period (P < 0.01), while in 9 of the 14 patients the IOP was controlled without medications at the last examination. In the phaco alone group a statistically significant decrease in postoperative IOP was recorded at 9 and 12 months after surgery (P < 0.05), while in 4 of the 13 patients the IOP was controlled without medications at the last examination. Comparing the two groups, a statistically significantly lower number of medications was being used in the combined procedure group at the last recorded examination (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: It seems that the combined clear cornea phaco and trabecular aspiration procedure in cases of PEX glaucoma associated with cataract is a safe and effective method. This technique controls IOP more effectively and with fewer postoperative medications than clear cornea phaco alone.

In 1988 we introduced the macular buckling procedure for the treatment of optic disk pit maculopathy and we have been applying it since then. The surgery consists of a scleral sponge fixation of 7.5 x 5.5 mm at the posterior pole of the globe corresponding to the macula along the vertical axis of the 12 to 6 o'clock meridian. No additional treatment of any kind (laser, diathermy, or cryotherapy) is used. The correct positioning of the sponge during the surgery is monitored by B-scan ultrasonography. Within the first week after surgery, indocyanine green angiography (ICG) is used to evaluate the choroidal circulation. During the same period, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbit is performed to determine the sponge position in relation to the optic nerve. We analyze the results of 23 eyes with optic disk pit maculopathy that underwent surgery with the macular buckling technique between November 1988 and December 1998. In 20 of them the macula and the surrounding area of the retina became completely flat. No recurrence was noted in the successfully treated patients in the follow-up period, which ranged from 9 months to 10 years. Visual acuity was improved by 1 to 7 Snellen lines in 18 of the 23 patients. An improvement in visual field indices was also recorded. The sponge positioning between the temporal part of the optic disk and the macula acts mechanically and seems to provide a barrier that prevents the flow of the fluid from the pit toward the macula.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of arcuate cuts with a 5-mm optical zone to correct high postoperative astigmatism after extracapsular cataract extraction. We performed 5-mm optical zone arcuate cuts on 23 eyes of 23 patients with high postoperative astigmatism. Ophthalmic examination included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) and the amount of the refractive and keratometric cylinder before and 9 months after operation. Surgically induced refractive change was calculated in all cases. A significant reduction in astigmatism was achieved in all cases with minimal axis deviation. No case developed clinically significant irregular astigmatism. The mean magnitude of astigmatism of the surgically induced refractive change calculated from standard keratometry and refractive data was 3.73+/-0.72 and 3.70+/-0.77 dptr, respectively. The mean axis deviation calculated from the keratometric and refractive data was 1.18+/-2.33 and 1.32+/-3.62 degrees, respectively. At the last examination, 78.2% of the eyes had UCVA of 20/40 or better. No eye lost more than two lines of vision, 6 eyes lost one line, 2 eyes gained one and 1 eye gained two lines of BSCVA. The above data show that the 5-mm optical zone arcuate astigmatic keratotomy is an effective and safe method of correcting high postoperative astigmatism., (Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: To investigate the pattern of congenital optic disk pits associated with maculopathy using indocyanine green angiography (ICG) and fluorescein angiography (FA)., Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients with unilateral congenital optic disk pit complicated by maculopathy were prospectively enrolled in the study. Complete ophthalmologic examination, color stereophotography, red-free photography, FA, and ICG angiography were performed on all patients during their first examination in our department., Results: Absolute hypofluorescence of the optic disk pit was noted in all eyes on ICG angiography. On the contrary, all eyes showed early hypofluorescence and late staining of the optic pit on FA. All 17 eyes presented a delineated late hyperfluorescence corresponding to the area of macular elevation on both ICG angiography and FA. The intensity of the hyperfluorescence was milder in cases with long-standing maculopathy., Conclusion: Imaging of congenital optic disk pits associated or not with macular elevation using ICG angiography has not been reported in the literature. The increased hyperfluorescence in the late phases of the macular elevation in the studied eyes could be attributed to leakage of indocyanine or fluorescein dye into the schisis cavity and the subretinal fluid.

To evaluate the prognostic value of ERG in cases of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) regarding the development of neovascularisation (NV), we studied 20 patients with unilateral CRVO. Half of them were allocated in the perfused group and the other 10 finally developed NV and were allocated in the non-perfused group. Flash ERG was recorded from all patients. Our findings suggest that b-wave latency is the most reliable parameter in predicting NV, followed by the a-wave latency. The b/a wave amplitude of ERG ratio does not seem to be suitable for clinical use.

Purpose: To evaluate visual field changes in 18 of 21 patients with unilateral optic disk pit maculopathy who were successfully treated with the macular buckling procedure., Methods: In this prospective study, visual field examination with the Humphrey analyzer (programs 30-2 and 10-2) was recorded before treatment, repeated 1 month after the operation, and repeated every 6 months thereafter. All 18 patients were treated with the macular buckling procedure. The operation consisted of fixation of a silastic sponge explant at the posterior pole corresponding to the macula., Results: In 18 eyes included in the study and successfully treated, an improvement in visual field indices was recorded. The mean deviation improved from -7.75+/-3.15 (program 30-2) and -10.19+/-3.66 (program 10-2) decibels before surgery to -6.25+/-2.61 (P<0.0001) and -8.56+/-3.13 (P<0.0001) decibels at the last examination, respectively. No additional visual field defect was induced in any of the 18 eyes after treatment. Also, the majority of the eyes (16/18) gained from 1 to 7 Snellen lines of visual acuity (P<0.0001)., Conclusion: Improvement of central and peripheral visual field (within 30 degrees of fixation) was recorded after the treatment of optic disk pit maculopathy with the macular buckling procedure. This technique seems to be effective for treatment of the disease with good anatomic and functional results.

Purpose: To describe a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with cystoid macular edema (CME) which was not associated with active cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis or AIDS-related microvasculopathy., Method: A 32-year-old man with AIDS and a past ocular history of inactive CMV retinitis was placed on protease inhibitors when his CD4+ T lymphocyte counts dropped to 8 cells/mm3. Three months later, after his CD4+ T lymphocyte counts had increased to 196 cells/mm3 he complained of micropsia and metamorphopsia in his right eye of 1 week duration. The patient had a complete ocular examination including fluorescein angiography (FA)., Results: Visual acuity (VA) was 7/10 OD. Fundus examination revealed CME and inactive CMV retinitis, and FA demonstrated CME and a hot disc. Two transseptal injections of corticosteroids were administered 2 weeks apart in the right eye as treatment of the CME. The patient reported gradual visual improvement and 6 weeks later, his VA was 10/10(-2). CME had resolved clinically and angiographically., Conclusions: CME in our case is associated with inactive CMV retinitis and gradually increasing number of CD4+ T lymphocytes after initiation of treatment with protease inhibitors. It may be amenable to regional administration of corticosteroids without reactivation of retinitis.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of topical 2.0% dorzolamide hydrochloride with oral acetazolamide in preventing intraocular pressure (IOP) rise following neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy., Design: A prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study., Patients: Two hundred ten patients undergoing Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy., Intervention: Pretreatment with dorzolamide, acetazolamide, or placebo. Dorzolamide administration as a single drop (1 drop approximately 20 microL) 1 hour before capsulotomy. Acetazolamide administration as a single dose of 125 mg orally 1 hour before capsulotomy., Results: At first and third hour postoperatively, IOPs and IOP changes from baseline were significantly (P<.001) higher in the placebo group than in the dorzolamide or acetazolamide group. At the same time, IOPs and IOP changes from baseline were similar (P>.50) in the dorzolamide and acetazolamide groups. No patient treated with dorzolamide or acetazolamide experienced an IOP higher than 30 mm Hg after capsulotomy, but 15.7% of patients receiving placebo had an IOP above this level (P<.001). Of patients receiving placebo, 5.7% experienced IOP higher than 35 mm Hg. No serious side effects were recorded in any of the studied patients., Conclusion: Topical 2.0% dorzolamide and oral acetazolamide, given prophylactically as a single administration 1 hour before Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy, have comparable high efficacy and safety in preventing IOP elevation following this procedure.

Purpose: To report a rare case of ophthalmic dirofilariasis in a 68-year-old man with sudden, intense pain and itching in the left eye. The nematode was located in the eye and recognized as Dirofilaria repens., Methods: Slit-lamp examination disclosed a moving nematelminth under the bulbar conjunctiva of the left eye. The nematode was surgically removed., Results: The nematelminth surgically removed from the subconjunctival space was identified as D repens on the basis of transverse sections and its macroscopic characteristics., Conclusion: It is important to identify the nematode as D repens, based on both its microscopic and macroscopic characteristics, to avoid treatment with anthelminthic agents. The surgical removal of the worm is the sole recommended treatment.

Patients suffering from chronic viral hepatitis, treated with interferon alpha-2b in a dose of 3 million units trice weekly subcutaneously, were studied. The influence of interferon on the optic nerve was evaluated by measuring the P100 implicit time of the visual evoked potentials. The results before the treatment were compared with those after 6 and 12 months of therapy, as well as with those of normal subjects. There were statistically significant differences between the groups. Furthermore, in 10 of 56 eyes (17.8%) after 6 months of treatment, and 8 of 22 eyes (36.3%) after 12 months of treatment, the P100 was abnormally delayed. The long term neurovisual effects of low-dose interferon are currently under investigation.

Purpose: To evaluate the anatomic and functional outcome in nine patients with optic disk pit maculopathy after the use of the macular buckling procedure., Methods: In this prospective study, nine consecutive patients (five women and four men with a mean age of 28 years [range, 14 to 49 years] who had unilateral maculopathy associated with optic disk pit) were treated with macular buckling surgery. A scleral sponge of 7.5 x 5.5 mm was fixed at the posterior pole of the globe corresponding to the macula along the vertical axis of the 12-to-6 o'clock meridian. No additional treatment of any kind (laser, diathermy, or cryotherapy) was used. The correct positioning of the sponge during the operation was monitored by B-scan ultrasonography. Within the first week after surgery, indocyanine green angiography was performed to evaluate the choroidal circulation. During the same period, magnetic resonance imaging of the orbit was performed to determine the sponge position in relation to the optic nerve., Results: In all nine eyes, complete disappearance of subretinal and intraretinal fluid in the macula and in the surrounding area was noted. The absorption of the macular fluid started immediately after the operation and was completed after five to six months. No further change of the appearance of the fundus was noted during the follow-up period, which ranged from 18 to 66 months (mean follow-up, 42 months). Six eyes gained four or five lines of visual acuity, and two eyes improved by three lines., Conclusions: The macular scleral buckling procedure in optic disk pit maculopathy can yield favorable anatomic and functional results.

Purpose: We studied a case of congenital optic disk pit and coloboma with associated malformations of the retinal vessels., Methods: Slit-lamp biomicroscopy and fluorescein angiography were performed., Results: Multiple retinal venous anastomoses associated with a congenital coloboma and pit of the optic disk were observed. The retinal vascular anomalies extended from the optic disk to the temporal periphery., Conclusions: We consider the coexistence of retinal venous anastomoses with optic disk coloboma and pit to be an extremely rare congenital retinal anomaly.

Forty phakic myopic eyes of 40 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were included in a prospective clinical trial designed to evaluate the changes in buckle height after retinal detachment surgery. The age of the patients ranged between 50 and 75 years. The eyes were divided into two groups (A and B) according to the orientation of sponge fixation. In group A (20 eyes) the sponge fixation was circumferential, while in group B (20 eyes) radial. A-scan ultrasonography was used for the measurements of buckle height 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively. At all times of measurement, the buckle height presented a statistically significant difference between the patients of group A and B. More specifically, radial fixation produced a significantly lower scleral indentation compared with that produced by circumferential fixation. After a lapse of 18 months, the buckle height in group B retained 41% of its original value compared with that of group A which retained 66%.

Fifty eyes of 42 patients with background diabetic retinopathy and diffuse macular edema were included in a prospective, randomized, clinical study to determine the long-term visual results of modified grid laser photocoagulation compared with the natural course of the disease. At the end of the three annual follow-up visits there were more eyes with improved visual acuity in the treatment group and more eyes with worse visual acuity in the control group. However, statistical analysis of the data showed that only at the end of the first and the second year was there a significant statistical difference between the two groups. At the end of the third year no statistically significant difference was found. These results suggest that modified grid laser photocoagulation is not an effective procedure for the long-term management of diffuse diabetic macular edema compared with the natural course of the disease.

We analyzed retrospectively the complications and visual results of 154 cases of secondary intraocular lens implantation. The follow-up ranged from 1 to 4 years (mean 2.8 years). Best corrected final post-operative visual acuity was better or the same as the best corrected preoperative vision in 95.5% of the eyes. Vision deteriorated in 7 eyes (4.5%): in 3 eyes because of cystoid macular edema, in 2 eyes because of retinal detachment, in 1 eye because of corneal decompensation and in 1 eye because of macular hole. The incidence of complications was 15.4%. We believe that, in carefully selected patients, secondary intraocular lens implantation is highly successful.

We describe our technique and analyze the long-term results of the use of argon laser photocoagulation in the treatment of 92 eyes with recurrent trichiasis. In spite of an incidence of recurrences of 64.1% which had to undergo a new laser photocoagulation session, the final success rate of the method was impressive (91.3%). The number of misdirected cilia per lid seems to constitute an important factor which affects both the rate of recurrences and the success rate of the procedure.

Cilioretinal arteries were noted to accompany pits of the optic disc in 16 of 25 cases (64%). Fourteen of the 16 cases were found to have 2 cilioretinal arteries (86%). The cilioretinal arteries were directly related to the pit of the disc and emerged either from the bottom or the margin of the pit in a proportion of 86%. This finding reinforces the assumption that the optic disc pit belongs to the same spectrum of congenital anomalies which also includes optic disc coloboma, megalopapilla and morning glory syndrome. A fluorescein angiography study showed hyperfluorescence of the pit in 12/16 cases and in particular in all the cases in which both cilioretinal arteries emerged from the pit. Hypofluorescence was noted in 7/9 cases in which the pit was not associated with cilioretinal arteries. Our findings could support the view that hyperfluorescence of the pit, which is not a constant phenomenon, mostly depends on the presence of cilioretinal arteries emerging from the pit.

A series of 52 patients, aged 60-85 and suffering from chronic obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct with no other complication of the lacrimal mechanism or of the eyelids (e.g. ectropium), were treated by means of silicon tube intubation instead of dacryocystorhinotomy. The tubes remained in place for 10-12 months and the patients were observed a 3-year postoperative period. In 37 cases (71%) the nasolacrimal duct remained patient after 3 years. In 7 cases, although the drainage was not opened, the patients ceased to show evidence of secretion of mucus or pus. We consider that intubation of the nasolacrimal duct is an alternative to dacryocystorhinotomy, but only if the patient knows that the tubes are to remain in place for a lengthy period of time. This does not disturb a cooperative patient since the tubes are essential and do not create any irritation. Furthermore, tears are partially eliminated around them and, thus, improvement of the symptoms is apparent from the first day onward.

The prospective study reported here was based on 105 diabetic eyes with "new vessels elsewhere" (NVE), treated exclusively by panretinal laser application and followed up for 2.5 to 4 years. Fundus angiography was performed before treatment. The eyes were then classified in four categories according to the extent and location of capillary nonperfusion responsible for the NVE, namely 1) generalized ischemia (Type A); 2) extensive midperipheral ischemia (Type B); 3) moderate midperipheral ischemia (Type C); and 4) peripheral ischemia (Type D). Analysis of the neovascularization distribution pattern showed that NVE alone existed only in Type D, whereas in the other three types the neovascularization was present either only in the retina or in both the retina and the optic disk. This mixed vascularization was 100% in Type A, 71% in Type B, 31% in Type C, and nonexistent in Type D. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between the type of ischemia and the location of the new vessels. The therapeutic results 3-4 months, 1 year, and 2.5-4 years after intervention showed a significant trend toward an increase in the number of eyes with recurrences when moving from Type D to Type A. This means that the prognosis of NVE after panretinal laser coagulation depends mainly on the type of retinal ischemia. The poorest prognosis is that for generalized ischemia (Type A), followed in descending order by Types B, C, and D. The critical period for increased recurrence in cases which initially responded positively to treatment is primarily in the first 3-4 months following the intervention.

This study comprises 53 eyes, divided into two groups A and B, with proliferative diabetic retinopathy which were treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Its purpose is to investigate the alterations in the central 15 degrees and 30 degrees of the visual field and in each quadrant separately. In both groups A and B, PRP covered the periphery and mid-periphery. In group A, it stopped 2 disc diameters (DD) from the upper temporal and lower margin of the fovea including the papillomacular bundle, while in group B, PRP stopped 3 DD from the upper temporal and lower margin of the fovea and 1 DD of the nasal margin of the optic disc. The investigation revealed, in group B after PRP, an improvement of the retinal sensitivity in the central 15 degrees of the visual field (p less than 0.01). In the 30 degrees of the visual field a deterioration after PRP was noted in both groups A and B, the deterioration being however much more prominent in group A. Comparing the results between groups B and A after PRP, a difference in the retinal sensitivity in favour of group B at 15 degrees and 30 degrees of the visual field was found. As regards regression of neovascularization and visual acuity, no statistically significant difference has been observed between the two groups.

This study is based on a detailed investigation of 12 cases of Irvine-Gass syndrome which was observed during the examination of 350 patients operated for pathological or senile cataract. The authors have found that: Males were affected more than females. Arteriol hypertension increases the frequency of the disease. The syndrome was found at an increase frequency in cases of nuclear cataract and in case where cataract was extracted by cryo-extraction. The bulge of the vitreous within the anterior chamber (without rupture of the anterior hyaloid membrane) causes a higher frequency of the disease. A similar observation was made when there was an incarceration of the vitreous to the surgical wound. The retreat of the edema was faster when the syndrome appeared earlier than the cataract operation. Whereas the restoration of good visual acuity did not depend upon the time of appearance of the disease. During the fluorescein study the following was observed. The possible participation of the chorio-capillaris layer in the pathogenicity of the disease. The diffusion of the fluorescein diminished with the improvement of the disease. Fluorescein angiography is unquestionably superior to simple ophthalmoscopy or the coloured photograph of the fundus of the eye, because the full extent of the existing damage can be revealed only through this method.

Argon laser photocoagulation was applied 2-3 weeks after implantation of episcleral silicone sponges as a second-step operation in 130 cases of retinal detachment. The chorioretinal scar for the occlusion of the tears was obtained exclusively with this procedure. Argon Laser used in cases with pronounced retinal elevation, i.e. where cryoapplication had proved inadequate or where a choroidal or retinal hemorrhage could be expected following cryoapplication. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are evaluated with respect to the experience with cryoapplication.