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This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ICI of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in addition to daily oral tadalafil intake in diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED) patients non-responding to PDE5 inhibitors. Overall, 48 patients complaining of ED non-responding to on-demand PDE5 inhibitors were allocated into 2 equal groups, diabetics and non-diabetics that were given a daily dose of 5 mg tadalafil plus vardenafil 20 mg on demand during the study besides being subjected to 3 doses of ICI of PRP, 4 weeks apart. Responses to on-demand PDE5 inhibitors, International index of erectile function-5 (IIEF-5) score, erection hardness scores (EHS) and pharmaco-dynamic duplex studies were assessed. After PRP injections, 33% and 50% of cases were satisfied with on-demand PDE5 inhibitors, respectively, whereas 41% and 66% of them showed improved EHS response. Compared with baseline scores, the mean IIEF-5 scores were significantly improved after PRP therapy in the diabetic ED group (12.1 vs. 8.04, p = 0.003) as well as in the non-diabetic ED group (14.8 vs. 10.2, p = 0.001) linked to pharmaco-penile duplex readings. Both good and fair diabetic control exhibited significant responses to ICI therapy of PRP compared with bad controlled cases. The significant improvement included; the IIEF-5 score increase (86.7%, 126% vs. 16.1%), improved EHS as well as penile duplex readings. Baseline HbA1C demonstrated a significant negative correlation with IIEF-5 score before (p = 0.019) and after PRP therapy (p = 0.002) respectively. It could be concluded that ICI of PRP could be an effective therapy for treating ED patients non-responding to on-demand oral PDE5 treatment.

Purpose: To study the astigmatic correction of high post-keratoplasty astigmatism using Femtosecond laser (FSL)-assisted Arcuate Keratotomy (FS-AK). Methods: A prospective interventional cohort study. We enrolled 17 eyes with high degree of irregular astigmatism, scheduled for FS-AK. FSL was used to perform paired arcuate incisions 1.00 mm inside the graft. Patients’ uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and astigmatic change were recorded and followed up to 1 year after surgery. Vector analysis using Alpins’ method was done to analyze the astigmatic correction. Results: FS-AK reduced the refractive astigmatism at final follow-up visit at 12 months (p = 0.0008, repeated-measures analysis of variance [ANOVA]). The procedure improved the UCVA over the follow-up period (p = 0.007, repeated-measures ANOVA), with a similar effect on the BCVA (p = 0.046, repeated-measures ANOVA). There was a mild correlation between the target-induced astigmatism and the surgically induced astigmatism (R2 = 0.245) with a tendency to overcorrect more than under correct the astigmatism. A constant rotational error in the counterclockwise direction was also detected. Conclusions: FS-AK improves the visual outcome and reduces the refractive cylinder in post-penetrating keratoplasty astigmatism. The predictability of astigmatism correction was variable in reducing post-keratoplasty astigmatism. Refinement of the treatment nomogram for such cases is highly recommended.

To report on the corneal biomechanical characteristics, namely the corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), as well as the intraocular pressure (IOP) goldman compensated (IOPg), and the cornea compensated (IOPcc), using the ocular response analyzer (ORA) in different age groups in a cohort of normal individuals from the second decade to the seventh decade and beyond. The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted on 997 eyes of 508 normal individuals presenting for a routine ophthalmic examination at Alexandria Main University Hospital in Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. The study subjects were age stratified into decades (10–20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, > 50) and the ORA parameters (CH, CRF, IOPg, IOPcc) reported and stratified. Correlations were sought between the ORA parameters and the age, gender, and laterality. The study was conducted on 997 (502 right) eyes of 508 (234 males) normal individuals. The mean ± SD ages of the study groups were 14.7 ± 3.2, 25.9 ± 3.0, 35.3 ± 2.8, 44.6 ± 2.9, and 61.1 ± 7.7 years. The mean ± SD of the CH in the study groups were 10.9 ± 2.4, 9.8 ± 1.5, 9.8 ± 1.4, 9.7 ± 1.7, and 9.5 ± 1.6 mmHg and of the CRF were 10.9 ± 2.4, 9.5 ± 1.7, 9.4 ± 1.8, 9.6 ± 1.9, and 9.6 ± 1.8 mmHg. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between age and each of CH and CRF. IOPcc demonstrated a fairly constant trend in the different age groups whereas IOPg demonstrated an initial decline followed by a gradual rise over time. The corneal biomechanical properties CH and CRF decrease with age. IOPg and IOPcc change minimally with age.

Purpose. To assess the safety and stability in cases of small incision lenticule extraction with collagen cross-linking (SMILE Xtra). Methods. This study was a retrospective interventional comparative study that included 60 eyes of 30 patients divided equally into two groups: SMILE Xtra and SMILE alone. The inclusion criteria were patients >18 years of age, myopic error >6 D, thinner cornea Results. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups regarding UDVA, CDVA, and MRSE at 1 month. In the SMILE Xtra group, 90% of eyes had postoperative UDVA of 20/20 and 97% had UDVA of 20/30 at 24 months. At 24 months, 26 eyes (87%) vs. 25 eyes (84%) were within ±0.50 D of attempted correction in SMILE Xtra and SMILE groups, respectively. Regarding stability, both groups showed improvement of MRSE at 1st month postoperatively and remained stable along the 24 months of follow-up. CRF and corneal densitometry were higher in the SMILE Xtra group along the whole follow-up period (p=0.001). Conclusion. Combining corneal cross-linking with SMILE procedure (SMILE Xtra) is a promising tool to prevent ectasia in high-risk patients. It is a safe and simple procedure that can be offered to patients undergoing SMILE with risk for ectasia. Trial registration no: PACTR201810577524718.

Objective To assess the accuracy of axial length measurements in cases of macula-off retinal detachment using different methods (optical biometry, A-scan ultrasound, and combined applanation vector-A/B-scan biometry). Methods This prospective clinical study included 100 eyes of 100 patients who underwent vitrectomy alone or phacovitrectomy for macula-off retinal detachment. All patients included signed an informed consent. Preoperative examination of the patients included recording the axial length measurements using optical biometry, A-scan ultrasound, and combined applanation vector-A/B-scan biometry. Results The mean postoperative IOLMaster axial length after macular reattachment was 26.11 ± 2.91 mm. The mean preoperative IOLMaster axial length with macula-off was 25.32 ± 2.72 mm. The mean preoperative A-scan axial length with macula-off was 25.29 ± 2.80 mm. The mean preoperative vector-A/B-scan axial length with macula-off was 26.03 ± 2.90 mm. The preoperative vector-A/B-scan mean absolute error was 0.59 ± 0.48 D (range, 0.10–2.25 D). Conclusions Regular methods (optical biometry and A-scan biometry) of measuring the axial length in cases with a detached macula proved to be variable and less accurate. The vector-A/B-scan offered good measurements of the actual axial length in the patients. This was reflected on more accurate postoperative refractive outcome.

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the tear film and the changes in ocular surface in type 2 diabetic patients. Patients and methods This is a prospective, cross-sectional, observational, hospital-based study of 100 participants (200 eyes). They included 50 diabetic patients (100 eyes) and 50 healthy controls (100 eyes), of either sex above 40 years old, who were evaluated at Alexandria General Eye Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. History was taken from all participants including ocular surface disease index questionnaire. All participants underwent full ophthalmological examination, Schirmer’s test, tear film breakup time, corneal staining, and rose Bengal staining tests. Results When compared with the healthy controls, diabetic patients showed significantly reduced Schirmer’s test, tear breakup time measurements, and higher grades of corneal and rose Bengal staining (P

Pre-mRNA splicing factors play a fundamental role in regulating transcript diversity both temporally and spatially. Genetic defects in several spliceosome components have been linked to a set of non-overlapping spliceosomopathy phenotypes in humans, among which skeletal developmental defects and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are frequent findings. Here we report that defects in spliceosome-associated protein CWC27 are associated with a spectrum of disease phenotypes ranging from isolated RP to severe syndromic forms. By whole-exome sequencing, recessive protein-truncating mutations in CWC27 were found in seven unrelated families that show a range of clinical phenotypes, including retinal degeneration, brachydactyly, craniofacial abnormalities, short stature, and neurological defects. Remarkably, variable expressivity of the human phenotype can be recapitulated in Cwc27 mutant mouse models, with significant embryonic lethality and severe phenotypes in the complete knockout mice while mice with a partial loss-of-function allele mimic the isolated retinal degeneration phenotype. Our study describes a retinal dystrophy-related phenotype spectrum as well as its genetic etiology and highlights the complexity of the spliceosomal gene network.

Ahmed M Emarah1, Shawky M El-Haggar2, Ihab A Osman2, Abdel Wahab S Khafagy21Departments of Ophthalmology, 2Andrology and Sexology, Cairo University Hospital, EgyptObjectives: Arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) is a target organ disease of atherosclerosis, and therefore might be a predictor of systemic atherosclerosis. Being systemic, it might be possible to evaluate the extent of atherosclerosis from retinal vascular findings. We investigated the possible correlation between penile cavernosal artery blood flow and retinal vascular findings in patients with arteriogenic ED.Patients and methods: Sixty patients with ED were divided according to the peak systolic velocity (PSV) in their penile cavernosal arteries into two groups; Group A included 30 patients with PSV less than 25 cm/sec, and Group B included 30 patients with PSV more than 35 cm/sec. Blood flow in the penile cavernosal artery was measured with color Doppler ultrasonography. All patients were assessed by ocular fundus examination under amydriatic conditions to evaluate retinal vascular atherosclerotic changes using Hyman’s classification.Results: Evidence of retinal vascular atherosclerotic changes was found in 19 patients (63.3%) in Group A and in 10 patients (33.3%) in Group B.Conclusions: Our study confirms the possibility of predicting penile arterial vascular status in patients with ED from their retinal vascular findings by using amydriatic simple, practical funduscopy.Keywords: erectile dysfunction, atherosclerosis, retinal vascular atherosclerosis

Purpose To determine the incidence of and analyze risk factors for suction loss during femtosecond laser–assisted small incision lenticule extraction in the management of myopia or myopic astigmatism. Setting Roayah Vision Correction Center, Alexandria, Egypt. Design Retrospective comparative case-control study. Methods All eyes that had femtosecond laser–assisted small-incision lenticule extraction for the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism performed between August 2010 and April 2014 were included. Eyes that developed suction loss were identified. Their characteristics, including demographic data (age and sex), eye laterality, manifest refraction, flat keratometry (K) reading, steep K reading, K astigmatism, optical zone, central corneal thickness, and corneal cap diameter and thickness, were compared with those in randomly selected control eyes to determine the risk factors for developing suction loss. Results Of the 3376 eyes that had femtosecond laser–assisted small-incision lenticule extraction during the study, 70 (2.1%) developed loss of suction. The incidence decreased with surgical experience (5.06% in 2010, 3.59% in 2011, 3.41% in 2012, 2.32% in 2013, and 1.84% in 2014), suggesting a learning curve. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that eyes with a larger cap diameter were significantly more likely to develop suction loss (P = .023; odds ratio, 9.60). Conclusions Surgical experience significantly decreased the risk for suction loss during femtosecond laser–assisted small incision lenticule extraction for the correction of myopia or myopic astigmatism but did not eliminate it. A larger cap diameter significantly increased the risk for developing the suction loss. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Intermediate uveitis is a subset of intraocular inflammation where vitritis is the most consistent sign, with or without snowball opacities or snow banks over the pars plana. Some patients will have an associated underlying systemic disease such as sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, ocular tuberculosis, inflammatory bowel disease, possibly Behcet9s disease and intraocular lymphoma, whereas some will be classified as pars planitis in case of the lack of an identifiable systemic disease association. Our patient, a 47-year-old woman, developed intermediate uveitis after cataract surgery in her right eye, was misdiagnosed as pars planitis, and received steroid monotherapy for 8 months. Her inflammation only fully resolved after vitrectomy with removal of the intraocular lens (IOL) and capsular bag. Oral fluconazole and intravitreal amphotericin B injection had failed to resolve her inflammation when Candida albicans was identified as the cause of her persistent intermediate uveitis.

Purpose The study aimed at investigating retrospectively the values of corneal and lens densitometry using the Pentacam Scheimpflug system after corneal cross-linking (CXL). Materials and methods This study included 50 eyes of 50 patients who had undergone CXL for keratoconus. The Pentacam Scheimpflug system was used before the procedure to measure objectively the corneal and lens densitometry values. The same measurements were recorded during the follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months using the Scheimpflug image taken at the same axis as at the baseline visit. During the same preoperative and follow-up visits, slit-lamp examination was performed by the same examiner to grade the corneal haze on a scale from 1 to 4. Results The mean Scheimpflug corneal densitometry at baseline was 16.30 ± 1.90 (measured on a scale of 100). At 1 month postoperatively, the corneal densitometry increased to 28.81 ± 4.33. Between 6 and 12 months postoperatively, there was a decrease in the corneal densitometry values by 4.78, which was statistically significant ( P P Conclusion Scheimpflug corneal densitometry and the clinical corneal haze peaked at 1 month, followed by a gradual decline. They reached near baseline levels at 12 months, but at significantly higher values. Lens densitometry was not affected by CXL.

Background Evaluating the corneal biomechanical changes using the Ocular Response Analyzer and the Corvis ST in eyes with incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods This is a retrospective study that included 50 eyes equally divided into two groups. The first group included eyes that underwent SMILE procedure using VisuMax® 500 kHz laser system (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) and the second group included eyes that underwent LASIK procedure using the EX500 Allegretto excimer laser platform (Wavelight GmbH, Erlangen, Germany). The Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and the Corvis ST (CST) measured the corneal biomechanical changes before and after the procedures. Results The ORA showed significant decrease of corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF) in both groups postoperatively. The percentage of change of CH and CRF were found to be significantly higher in group II. There was no significant difference in the IOP with the ORA and the CST pre and postoperatively in either group. Using CST, the deformation amplitude and HC peak distances increased significantly in both groups. It was also noted that the mean percentage of change of the deformation amplitude was nearly five times higher in group II than group I. Conclusion Both LASIK and SMILE substantially decreased the corneal biomechanical properties with greater reduction in the LASIK group.

Surgery of radiation-induced cataracts in children with retinoblastoma (RB) is a challenge as early intervention is weighted against the need to delay surgery until complete tumour control is obtained. This study analyses the safety and functional results of such surgery.In a retrospective, non-comparative, consecutive case series, we reviewed medical records of RB patients ≤ 14 y of age who underwent either external beam radiotherapy or plaque treatment and were operated for radiation-induced cataract between 1985 and 2008.In total, 21 eyes of 20 RB patients were included and 18 out of the 21 eyes had Reese-Ellsworth stage V or ABC classification group D/E RB. Median interval between last treatment for RB and cataract surgery was 21.5 months, range 3-164 months. Phacoaspiration was performed in 13 eyes (61%), extra-capsular cataract extraction in 8 (39%) and intraocular lens implantation in 19 eyes (90%). The majority of cases, 11/21 (52%), underwent posterior capsulorhexis or capsulotomy and 6/21 (28%) an anterior vitrectomy. Postoperative visual acuity was ≥ 20/200 in 13 eyes and20/200 in 5 eyes. Intraocular tumour recurrence was noted in three eyes. Mean postoperative follow up was 90 months ± 69 months.Modern cataract surgery, including clear cornea approach, lens aspiration with posterior capsulotomy, anterior vitrectomy and IOL implantation is a safe procedure for radiation-induced cataract as long as RB is controlled. The visual prognosis is limited by initial tumour involvement of the macula and by corneal complications of radiotherapy. We recommend a minimal interval of 9 months between completion of treatment of retinoblastoma and cataract surgery.