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This review summarizes the impact of systemic and ocular inflammatory disorders on diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Local inflammation is a key pathology in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and is also an evolving target for clinical therapy. The legacy effects of local inflammation at the intracellular level make DR a persistent self-driven vicious process. Ocular inflammation is accompanied as well as incited by systemic inflammation due to diabetes mellitus (DM) itself. Over the years, a multitude of studies have evaluated the impact of systemic inflammatory disorders (SIDs, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, etc.) and anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for managing them on manifestations of DM. Recent studies have indicated increased insulin resistance to be a result of chronic inflammation, and the anti-inflammatory drugs to have a protective effect towards DM. Very few studies have evaluated the impact of SIDs on DR. Furthermore, the evidence from these studies is conflicting, and while local anti-inflammatory therapy has shown a lot of clinical potential for use in DR, the results of systemic anti-inflammatory therapies have been inconsistent. The impact of local ocular inflammation due to uveitis on DR is a crucial aspect that has not been evaluated well at present. Initial pre-clinical studies and small-sized clinical reports have shown a strong and positive relationship between the presence of uveitis and the severity of DR as well as its progression, while larger cross-sectional patient surveys have refuted the same. The long term impact of ocular inflammation due to uveitis on DR needs to be studied while adjusting for confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the outcome of intervention versus observation for vitreous cavity hemorrhage occurring after a 2‑month period of blood‑free cavity (late postoperative vitreous cavity hemorrhage—POVCH) in eyes operated by vitrectomy for complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: This study was a 10‑year retrospective, observational, multi‑center study involving eight major vitreoretinal surgical centers across India from January 2010 to December 2019. The primary objective of the study was to assess the visual and clinical outcomes of various management approaches for late POVCH. The key secondary objective was to determine the best management option that prevented recurrence. Patients with follow‑up of less than 6 months of POVCH management were excluded. Results: The occurrence of late POVCH was studied in 261 eyes. The median time to occurrence was 7 months (range: 2–87) postvitrectomy/silicone oil removal. The majority (58%) experienced a single, nonrecurring POVCH event. Visual acuity outcome was independent of all management approaches (P = 0.179; mean follow‑up 20.7 ± 14.1 months). With watchful observation, spontaneous resolution was noted in 83% (60/72 eyes) of eyes in 81.5 days (interquartile range, 169.75). Silicone oil injection was most effective in preventing recurrence (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The current treatment practice of late POVCH management in PDR suggests that watchful observation for at least 3 months could be as efficacious as any surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current technique for implanting flangedintraocular lens (IOL) suffers from complications like haptic exposure and tilting of the implanted IOL. We describe a modification of the currently described technique to obviate its shortcomings. Five eyes of five patients with a minimum of 1 year of follow-up were included. In this technique, two scleral pockets were made nasal and temporal to embed the flanged haptics. The primary outcome measure was the improvement in visual acuity (VA) postoperatively and the secondary outcome measures were postoperative complications. The primary objective of this current modification is to simplify the surgical technique for secondary IOL implantation and make it more replicable and predictive. The mean age of the patients was 19.44 years. The mean preoperative VA was 0.44 logMAR which improved to 0.26 logMAR at the 6-week postoperative visit. The mean follow-up was 496+/- 80 days. The maximum follow-up was 647 days. There were no postoperative complications such as haptic exposure, hypotony, or IOL tilt in any cases. The new E-flanged IOL technique has good visual outcomes and does not have postoperative complications. It has less intraoperative manipulation and complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed challenges to access rehabilitation intervention to individuals with visual impairment, thereby increasing their disability effects. This study explored the viability maintaining the continuum of care through telerehabilitation.Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of individuals with vision impairment who underwent telerehabilitation at the center of excellence in eye care at Hyderabad, Telangana, India, between April and September 2020. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework was followed to provide services such as counseling for mental well-being, information and resources, educational interventions, Assistive Technology programs, therapeutic interventions for children with multiple disabilities, access to digital audio books and rehabilitation helpline.A team of professionals involved in the service care. Phone and what's app calls were used to facilitate the training.The duration and the number of training sessions were individual need-based with an average of 45 minutes per session and 175 training sessions.Results: Three hundred and fifty individuals and their families benefited. The service include early intervention (n = 129), and low vision care (n = 176) inclusive of computer training (n = 53), soft skills (n = 53), digital books (n = 55).Nearly two-thirds of the participants were male (n = 205).Conclusion: Evidence from this study suggests telerehabilitation as a successful model of care.A well-planned telerehabilitation approach can expand the scope of reaching the visually impaired from geographically isolated areas where scarcity of service providers and service centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is at alarming proportions in India and around the globe. The number of people with DM in India is estimated to increase to over 134 million by 2045. Screening and early identification of sight-threatening DR are proven ways of reducing DR-related blindness. An ideal DR screening model should include personalized awareness, targeted screening, integrated follow-up reminders, and capacity building. The DR screening technology is slowly shifting from direct examination by an ophthalmologist to remote screening using retinal photographs, including telescreening and automated grading of retinal images using artificial intelligence. The ophthalmologist-to-patient ratio is poor in India, and there is an urban-rural divide. The possibility of screening all people with diabetes by ophthalmologists alone is a remote possibility. It is prudent to use the available nonophthalmologist workforce for DR screening in tandem with the technological advances. Capacity-building efforts are based on the principle of task sharing, which allows for the training of a variety of nonophthalmologists in DR screening techniques and technology. The nonophthalmologist human resources for health include physicians, optometrists, allied ophthalmic personnel, nurses, and pharmacists, among others. A concurrent augmentation of health infrastructure, conducive health policy, improved advocacy, and increased people's participation are necessary requirements for successful DR screening. This perspective looks at the characteristics of various nonophthalmologist DR screening models and their applicability in addressing DR-related blindness in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of trabeculectomy in the eyes with neovascular glaucoma (NVG), caused by proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), and ocular ischemic syndrome (OIS). Methods: A retrospective review of NVG eyes that underwent trabeculectomy between 1991 and 2019. Complete success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) between 6 and 21 mmHg without antiglaucoma medications (AGM). The risk factors were analyzed by Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The study included 100 eyes of 100 subjects with a mean age of 58 ± 9.8 years and a median follow-up of 1.27 years (interquartile range: 0.63, 2.27). The cause of NVG was PDR in 59 eyes (59%), CRVO in 25 eyes (25%), and OIS in 16 eyes (16%). Trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C was performed in 88 eyes and trabeculectomy in 12 eyes. The cumulative complete success probability of trabeculectomy in PDR was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 38, 65) at 1 year, 8% (1, 46) at 3-5 years. In OIS, it was 64% (43, 96) from 1 to 5 years. In CRVO, it was 75% (59, 94) at 1 year, 45% (23, 86) from 2 to 5 years. The PDR was associated with a higher risk of surgical failure compared to OIS (P = 0.04) and CRVO (P = 0.004). Other significant risk factors were increasing age (P = 0.02), persistent neovascularization of iris (NVI) (P = 0.03), higher number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections prior to trabeculectomy (P = 0.02), and delay in performing trabeculectomy (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Compared to CRVO and OIS, the eyes with NVG secondary to PDR had poor success with trabeculectomy. Older age, persistent NVI, need for a higher number of anti-VEGF injections, and delayed surgery were associated with a higher risk for trabeculectomy failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether the presence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) decreases the risk of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: This was a retrospective, case-cohort study performed in patients with a systemic diagnosis of diabetes at a tertiary health care center from May 2011 to April 2020. A total of 43,153 patients (1,024 AMD patients and 42,129 non-AMD patients) were included in the analysis. A total of 1,024 age and diabetes mellitus (DM) duration-matched controls were chosen from the non-AMD group for risk factor analysis. The severity of diabetic retinopathy was compared between the patients with AMD and the patients without AMD. Results: Out of the enrolled 43,153 diabetic patients, 26,906 were males and 16,247 were females. A total of 1,024 patients had AMD and 42,129 had no AMD. The mean age of the cohort was 58.60 ± 0.09 years. The overall prevalence of DR was noted to be 22.8% (9,825 out of 43,153 eyes). A significantly lower prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) (23% in non-AMD, 11.4% in AMD, OR = -0.43, P < 0.001), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) (12% in non-AMD, 8.2% in AMD, OR = -0.66, P < 0.001), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (11% in non-AMD, 3.2% in AMD, OR = -0.27, P < 0.001) was seen in the AMD patients. No significant difference was seen between the dry and wet AMD. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the lower age, absence of AMD, and male gender were associated with a higher risk of PDR. Conclusion: The presence of AMD was noted to statistically reduce the risk of DR. Our results may be useful in the field of resource allocation and awareness of DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a potentially sight-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. The majority of cases are in older adults. This study aims to evaluate modifiable and nonmodifiable protective factors against DR in a geriatric Indian population. Methods: This retrospective observational study uses data from a multitiered ophthalmology network to evaluate several demographic and clinical variables against diabetic retinopathy and visual acuity. Results: Our data show that high myopia, the female sex, and no cataract surgery are associated with lower prevalence of DR (OR = 0.21, 0.65, and 0.76, respectively; P < 0.001). We also found that among those with DR, people categorized as payers, retirees, and those living in urban or metropolitan areas have better visual acuity (OR = 0.65, 0.65, 0.83, and 0.73, respectively; P < 0.001). Among those with DR, females, presence of cataracts, and no cataract surgery had lower associations with sight-threatening DR (STDR) (OR = 0.68, 0.37, and 0.76, respectively; P < 0.001). Prevalence of DR decreased in older age groups while controlling for DM duration. Conclusion: It is probable that high myopia, the female sex, and better glycemic control are protective against DR and STDR in our study cohort of adults over 60 years of age. It is possible that occupations involving manual labor, delayed cataract surgery, and living past the age of 70 are also protective against DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The concordance of microalbuminuria and diabetic retinopathy (DR) has been well reported in persons with type 1 diabetes; however, for type 2 diabetes, there is paucity of data especially from population-based studies. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of albuminuria (micro - and macroalbuminuria) among persons with type 2 diabetes and determine its role as a risk factor for presence and severity of DR. Methods A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in cohort of 1414 subjects with type 2 diabetes from Chennai metropolis. All the subjects underwent comprehensive eye examination including 45 degrees four-field stereoscopic digital photography. DR was clinically graded using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scales. A morning urine sample was tested for albuminuria. Subjects were considered to have microalbuminuria, if the urinary albumin excretion was between 30 and 300 mg/24 hours, and macroalbuminuria at more than 300 mg/24 hours. The statistical software used was SPSS for Windows, Chicago, IL. Student t-test for comparing continuous variables, and χ2 test, to compare proportions amongst groups were used. Results The prevalence of microalbuminuria in the study subjects was 15.9% (226/1414), and that of macroalbuminuria, 2.7% (38/1414). Individuals with macroalbuminuria in comparison to micro- or normoalbuminuria showed a greater prevalence of DR (60.5% vs. 31.0% vs. 14.1%, p < 0.001), and also a greater severity of the disease (60.9% vs. 21.4 vs. 9.9, p < 0.001). Conclusions Every 6th individual in the population of type 2 diabetes is likely to have albuminuria. Subjects with microalbuminuria were around 2 times as likely to have DR as those without microalbuminuria, and this risk became almost 6 times in the presence of macroalbuminuria.

Screening effectively identifies patients at risk of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) when retinal images are captured through dilated pupils. Pharmacological mydriasis is not logistically feasible in non-clinical, community DR screening, where acquiring gradable retinal images using handheld devices exhibits high technical failure rates, reducing STDR detection. Deep learning (DL) based gradability predictions at acquisition could prompt device operators to recapture insufficient quality images, increasing gradable image proportions and consequently STDR detection. Non-mydriatic retinal images were captured as part of SMART India, a cross-sectional, multi-site, community-based, house-to-house DR screening study between August 2018 and December 2019 using the Zeiss Visuscout 100 handheld camera. From 18,277 patient eyes (40,126 images), 16,170 patient eyes (35,319 images) were eligible and 3261 retinal images (1490 patient eyes) were sampled then labelled by two ophthalmologists. Compact DL model area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.93 (0.01) following five-fold cross-validation. Compact DL model agreement (Kappa) were 0.58, 0.69 and 0.69 for high specificity, balanced sensitivity/specificity and high sensitivity operating points compared to an inter-grader agreement of 0.59. Compact DL gradability model performance was favourable compared to ophthalmologists. Compact DL models can effectively classify non-mydriatic, handheld retinal image gradability with potential applications within community-based DR screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the cost and factors affecting diabetic retinopathy (DR) care in a tertiary eye care facility in South India.Methods: In a retrospective, observational study, we evaluated the costs incurred in DR management in each stage of retinopathy from electronic medical records. Both medical and indirect costs (transportation and boarding) were calculated.Results: The study evaluated 1000 consecutive patients (2000 eyes) with DR, from January to June 2019. One-third (32%; n = 321) patients were females. The median cost per patient was INR 8,214 (IQR 2,812-29,748). Cost of care was higher in patients with sight-threatening DR (STDR) compared to non-STDR (INR 31,820 vs INR 14,356, P < 0.001). Among 57.3% (n = 573;1137 eyes) of subjects who completed treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in visual impairment (427 to 355 eyes) and blindness (<3/60) (132 to 103 eyes) from baseline (P < 0.001). The number of follow-up visits had a negative association with travel distance and socioeconomic status (P < 0.001); the positive association was seen with DR severity (P = 0.002) and total cost (P < 0.001) on regression analysis. There was a nearly 3-fold difference in the average medical cost per eye for subjects with severe visual loss (<3/60) (INR 26,270) compared to those with good vision (≥6/12) (INR 8,510).Conclusion: Treatment of DR benefits, but the cost of care increases with disease severity and visual impairment. Compliance to care was related to DR severity and treatment cost. Some of the barriers could be reduced with greater advocacy and reduced travel distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the experience of tele-consultations addressed at the centre of excellence of a multi-tier ophthalmology hospital network in India during the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 7,008 tele-consultations presenting between March 23rd and April 19th 2020. A three-level protocol was implemented to triage the calls. The data of patient queries were collected using a Google Form/Sheets and the tele-calls were returned using the patient information retrieved from the electronic medical record system.Results: Overall, 7,008 tele-calls were addressed, of which 2,805 (40.02%) patients where a clinical-related query was answered were included for analysis. The most common queries were related to redness/pain/watering/blurring of vision (31.52%), closely followed by usage of medications (31.05%). The majority of the queries were directed to the department of cornea (34.15%), followed by retina (24.74%). Less than one-fifth of the patients were from the lower socio-economic class (16.08%) and one-fourth were new patients (23.96%). The most common advice given to the patient was related to management of medications (54.15%) followed by appointment related (17.79%). Emergency requests requiring further evaluation by an ophthalmologist accounted for a small percentage (16.36%) of patients.Conclusion: Tracking of tele-consultations and access to patient information from the electronic medical records enabled a timely response in an ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current experience provided valuable insights to the possibility of managing patient follow-up visits remotely in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, more than 72 million people have diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a vision-threatening complication of people with diabetes, is an important cause of avoidable blindness. The delay in the detection of DR is due to lack of awareness and shortage of ophthalmologists trained in the management of DR. With this background, in 2015, we initiated a capacity-building program "Certificate Course in Evidence Based Management of Diabetic Retinopathy (CCDR)" with an objective to build the skills and core competencies of the physicians across India in the management of diabetes and DR. The program has completed four cycles and 578 physicians have been trained. The course elicited an excellent response, which reflects the much-felt need for skill improvement in DR diagnosis and management for physicians in India. This model demonstrates an innovative modality to address DR-related avoidable blindness in a resource-restraint country like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To report the results of a knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study related to diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension and diabetic retinopathy (DR) of patient populations in India at different levels (Tertiary (T), Secondary (S) and Primary (P)) of a pyramidal model of eye health care. Methods: In total, 202 participants, composed of equal numbers of diabetic and non-diabetic patients at a Tertiary urban facility (T), a Secondary rural facility (S) and a Primary (P) community-screening program, were surveyed on their knowledge, knowledge sources, attitudes, practices and factors that motivate use of eye health services. Results: People with diabetes had a higher mean knowledge and attitude score about DM, hypertension and DR (67.3% T, 59.4% S, 47.0% P) than non-diabetics (41.8% T, 29.0% S, 23.5% P; p<0.001). Awareness of DR was more 65.3% among diabetics compared with 22.0% among non-diabetics at all locations. Most participants in all locations were aware of hypertension (84.0% T, 65.3% S, 52.9% P), but few knew it could affect the eyes (30.0% T, 12.2% S, 13.7% P) or be associated with diabetic complications (30.0% T, 32.7% S, 21.8% P). Many participants had never previously had a dilated eye examination (2% T, 40% S, 50% P). Participants were motivated to visit an eye facility for a routine checkup (70.6%), poor vision (22.6%) or a glucose/blood pressure test (17.7%) at a Primary-level facility and for follow-up or poor vision at the other facilities (28% and 42% Tertiary, 50% and 30% Secondary). Conclusion: Practice-oriented education and advertising of facilities tailored for the relevant populations at each level of an eye health pyramid and continuation of fundus, glucose and blood pressure screening programs can help in creating awareness about diabetes, hypertension and diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is now emerging as one of the major causes of preventable childhood blindness. The proportion of preterm babies has increased dramatically over the past decade. Our study aims to emphasize the need for ROP screening and management services in these preterm infants.Methods: ICD-coded medical records of children less than 10 years of age presenting to a subspecialty eye hospital from 2000 to 2017 were reviewed. ROP, congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, and vitamin A deficiency were the most common diagnoses. We evaluated the trend of these diseases from 2000 to 2017.Results: Our data suggested a 20-fold increase in the attendance of children with a diagnosis of ROP who now make over 2% of outpatient children. Vitamin A deficiency has declined over time whereas cataract and glaucoma have remained stable.Conclusion: Our data indicate a need to scale up ROP screening integrated with neonatal care, as well as to build capacity for the treatment of acute and late-stage ROP in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can present with various ocular complications but exudative retinal detachment is a rare complication. A 36-year-old healthy young adult male presented with gradual decrease in the vision in both eyes over nearly 2 weeks. His bestcorrected visual acuities were 20/50 and 20/25 at distance and N12 and N10 at near in the right and left eyes, respectively. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence topography indicated bilateral exudative retinal detachment. Systemic workup revealed a marked increase in the number of white blood cells with 30% blast cells and immunophenotyping revealed common acute lymphoblastic leukemia-associated antigen (CALLA) positive precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tap was negative. The patient started systemic chemotherapy and steroids. Bilateral exudative retinal detachment may be a presenting sign of acute lymphoblastic leukemiaALL in an otherwise healthy young adult. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of leukemia in such patients. A simple blood investigation such as complete blood profile confirms the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus, particularly type II, is a major public health concern worldwide. While the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy cannot be prevented, with the provision of knowledge to sufferers, sight-threatening complications can be minimized., Purpose: To report the results of a KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) study among a rural population in two areas: diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The level of knowledge was evaluated for both DM and DR; however, the influence of knowledge on practices and attitude was evaluated in only the DR group., Methods: In rural areas, 145 awareness meetings on DM and DR were conducted attended 28 347 individuals. Using systematic random sampling, the data were collected from every 14th individual. In total, 1938 individuals from a rural population were numbered for gaining their responses to the KAP questionnaire. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors related to the knowledge of the disease and influence of this knowledge on attitude and practice., Results: Of 1938 individuals, 966 (49.9%) had knowledge of DM and 718 (37.1%) had knowledge of DR. Knowledge about DM was more in women (OR=1.93; 95% CI: 1.55-2.39), in subjects who followed the Christian faith (OR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.07-2.04) and in those who belonged to the upper socioeconomic strata (OR=2.60; 95% CI: 1.84-3.67). The knowledge of DR was significantly higher among subjects who spoke the Malayalam language (OR=3.80; 95% CI: 2.03-7.13), who followed the Christian faith (OR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.27-2.35), and in those who belonged to the upper socioeconomic strata (OR=1.85; 95% CI: 1.32-2.58). Compared with those who had no knowledge of DR (n = 1220), significant percentages of individuals with knowledge (n = 718) had the right attitude - to go for regular eye examinations - (65.9% vs 93.3%) (p<0.0001) ). Regarding practice patterns, only 36.5% of individuals with knowledge about DR believed that if they controlled their blood sugar, they could avoid a visit to an ophthalmologist, compared with 55.5% with no knowledge (p<0.0001)., Conclusion: The results suggest that we need to propagate aggressive and comprehensive awareness models to educate rural populations on DM and DR.