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Purpose: To analyze the radiological features of the lacrimal gland (LG) and extraocular muscle (EOM) in thyroid eye disease (TED) patients with severe subjective dry eye disease (DED) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mechanical ocular exposure, dry eye assessment and MRI data were collected. Patients were classified into non-severe subjective DED group with ocular surface disease index (OSDI) < 33 and severe subjective DED group with OSDI ≥ 33. Linear regression model was applied for comparing the OSDI < 33 and OSDI ≥ 33 group in TED patients. The predictive performance of MRI parameters and models was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Results: Consecutive 88 TED patients (176 eyes) were included in this study. In the OSDI < 33 group, 52 TED patients (104 eyes) with a mean clinical activity score (CAS) of 0.63 ± 0.75. In the OSDI ≥ 33 group, there are 36 TED patients (72 eyes), with a mean CAS of 1.50 ± 1.54. The age and sex of the patients were matched between the two groups. The OSDI ≥ 33 group had shorter tear break-up time, larger levator palpebrae superioris / superior rectus (LPS/SR), inferior rectus and lateral rectus, smaller LG, more inflammatory LPS/SR and inferior rectus than OSDI < 33 DED group (P < 0.05). In the linear regression analysis, compare to the OSDI < 33 DED group, the OSDI ≥ 33 group had larger medial rectus cross-sectional area (β = 0.06, 95%CI: (0.02, 0.10), P = 0.008), larger inferior rectus cross-sectional area (β = 0.06, 95%CI: (0.00, 0.12), P = 0.048), smaller LG cross-sectional area (β = -0.14, 95%CI: (-0.25, -0.04), P = 0.008). In the ROC analysis, the area under curve of medial rectus, inferior rectus, LG, and combined model are 0.625, 0.640, 0.661 and 0.716, respectively. Conclusion: Multiparametric MRI parameters of the LG and EOM in TED patients with severe subjective DED were significantly altered. Novel models combining the cross-sectional area of LG, medial rectus and inferior rectus showed good predictive performance in TED patients with severe subjective DED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI-based models have shown promising results in diagnosing eye diseases based on multi-sources of data collected from medical IOT systems. However, there are concerns regarding their generalization and robustness, as these methods are prone to overfitting specific datasets. The development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques has addressed the black-box problem of machine learning and deep learning models, which can enhance interpretability and trustworthiness and optimize their performance in the real world. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is currently the primary cause of vision loss among elderly individuals. In this study, XAI methods were applied to detect AMD using various ophthalmic imaging modalities collected from medical IOT systems, such as colorful fundus photography (CFP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultra-wide fundus (UWF) images, and fluorescein angiography fundus (FAF). An optimized deep learning (DL) model and novel AMD identification systems were proposed based on the insights extracted by XAI. The findings of this study demonstrate that XAI not only has the potential to improve the transparency, reliability, and trustworthiness of AI models for ophthalmic applications, but it also has significant advantages for enhancing the robustness performance of these models. XAI could play a crucial role in promoting intelligent ophthalmology and be one of the most important techniques for evaluating and enhancing ophthalmic AI systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To elucidate the clinical implications of corneal striae (CS) in thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO) patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the presence of CS was confirmed after topical fluorescein staining on a slit lamp for consecutive treatment-naive TAO patients. Orbital parameters, including margin reflex distances, lagophthalmos, exophthalmos, intraocular pressure and radiological measurements, were compared between eyes with and without CS. The largest cross-sectional areas of each rectus muscle were measured by segmenting the T1-weighted (T1W) magnetic resonance images (MRI). The logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between CS and orbital parameters and rectus muscle measurements. Results: Fifty-three consecutive TAO patients (presenting age 46.47 ± 14.73 years, clinical activity score 1.77 ± 1.25) who had unilateral CS were enrolled. In univariate analysis, both the degree of lagophthalmos and the area of the levator palpebrae superioris–superior rectus complex (LPS/SR) on T1W MRI were significantly larger in CS eyes compared to eyes without CS (p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that CS in TAO patients were significantly associated with the degree of lagophthalmos (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.18–2.61, p < 0.05) and LPS/SR area (OR = 19.27, 95% CI: 1.43–259.32, p < 0.05) but not with the other parameters. CS could predict LPS/SR enlargement and larger lagophthalmos in TAO (p < 0.05). The largest cross-sectional areas of LPS/SR and inferior rectus were positively correlated with clinical activity scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The presence of CS in TAO eye is significantly associated with LPS/SR enlargement and worse lagophthalmos. CS might be evaluated further as a potential ocular surface biomarker to identify upper lid and LPS/SR involvement in TAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is a common refractive surgery. But it may lead to temporary dry eye due to reversible damage to the corneal subbasal nerve plexus. However, evidence on chronic ocular surface changes are unclear. This study reports the ocular surface changes, partial blinking rates, and meibomian gland statuses in eyes that underwent LASIK for at least 48 months. Methods: Cross-sectional, matched case-control comparison study, including 48 post-LASIK patients and 48 sex-, age-, smoking-, and axial length-matched healthy controls, recruited from a community eye screening program. Outcome measures include anterior segment clinical findings, keratographic and meibographic imaging. Results: Totally, 48 right eyes of 48 post-LASIK Chinese patients (39 females, 2 smokers) were analyzed with 48 right eyes of 48 matched healthy controls. The mean age at the time of ocular surface examination was 50 ± 11 years, and the axial length 26±1 mm. Post-LASIK eyes had a lower quality of meibum (p = 0.008) compared to healthy controls. Post-LASIK eyes were associated with a shorter Schirmer's test (p = 0.03). The ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score was higher in post-LASIK patients (p = 0.00001). Other anterior segment examination parameters, partial blinking rate, meibomian gland dropout, lipid layer thickness, noninvasive tear break-up time, and tear meniscus height were comparable between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Up to 75% of post-LASIK patients complained of on-going, chronic dry eye symptoms. Post-LASIK eyes were associated with a reduced aqueous tear production. Post-LASIK patients with chronic dry eye symptoms are advised to have periodic ocular surface evaluation. Treatments might be considered in patients with poor tear film stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To report the presenting clinical, serological and treatment profiles of 1439 patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) from a tertiary centre in Hong Kong., Study Populations: Consecutive patients with TED presented to the Thyroid Eye Clinic (TEC), the Chinese University of Hong Kong between 2014 and 2023., Methods: Prospective cohort and masked review of medical records and orbital images., Results: A total of 1439 (70% female, 98% Han Chinese) patients with TED (26% ex/current smoker), presented at 43±5.9 years old, were reviewed. The first TED symptoms to TEC evaluation was 6±3 months. 85% had Graves' disease and 12% were given radioactive iodine before presentation. 35% of patients had a family history of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Baseline thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody, thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibody were elevated in 75%, 69% and 57% tested. Euthyroid TED (E-TED) was diagnosed in 6%, associated with asymmetric presentation (p<0.001). The most common signs were exophthalmos (69%), upper eyelid retraction (53%), swelling (36%), conjunctival injection (34%) and lower eyelid retraction (32%). Notably, 547 (38%) presented with moderate-to-severe and 150 (10%) vision-threatening TED, whose clinical activity score (CAS) was just 2.4±1.4 and 2.6±1.5, respectively. Male and TED onset after 40 were associated with higher CAS and NOSPEC (No physical signs or symptoms, Only signs, Soft tissue involvement, Proptosis, Extraocular muscle signs, Corneal involvement, and Sight loss) score (both p<0.05). 471 (33%), 361 (25%), 263 (18%) and 138 (9%) patients received intravenous methylprednisolone, orbital radiotherapy, steroid-sparing immunosuppressants and surgical decompression, respectively., Conclusions: Around one-third (34%) of our cohort presented with 'low-CAS, progressive', moderate-to-severe or vision-threatening TED, while only one-fifth (18%) were clinically active (CAS≥3). Our results showed the limitations and unmet need of the existing 'high-CAS only' approach, especially in managing 'non-inflammatory' TED, prevalent in non-Caucasian populations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)