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PURPOSE We report a transgender patient with branch retinal artery occlusion who had secondary polycythemia from unregulated testosterone injections and review the literature on the mechanisms of supraphysiologic and standard doses of testosterone causing a hypercoagulable state. METHODS Case report. RESULTS A 45-year-old Chinese transgender man with no medical history presented with a 1-week history of a scotoma in his left eye vision. Ophthalmologic examination revealed retinal pallor and edema along the superotemporal arteriole in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography showed increased thickness of the inner retinal layers of the superotemporal retina. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated an arm-retina time of 1 minute and 43 seconds, with no vascular sheathing and capillary fallout. A diagnosis of left superotemporal branch retinal artery occlusion was made. Initial blood tests revealed a hemoglobin level of 19.3 g/dL (11.8-14.6 g/dL), hematocrit of 62% (34.3-43.0%), and erythrocytes of 6.56 × 10/L (3.7-4.8 × 10/L). He revealed later that he had been on weekly testosterone injections (testosterone enanthate 250-mg depot injection) since 2011. He was also exposed to a moderately high altitude, when his symptoms occurred, raising the possibility of worsening hypercoagulability resulting in his thrombotic event. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of a trans man who developed branch retinal artery occlusion after self-administering supraphysiological doses of testosterone. In a young patient with no history of cardiovascular risk factors who develops retinal arterial occlusion, other causes such as hypercoagulable syndromes must be excluded. This case warns of the dangers of unregulated testosterone use, especially at supraphysiologic doses, and the risks of thrombotic events from secondary polycythemia.

To explore the all-cause mortality in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.A retrospective cohort study of patients with CMV retinitis (CMVR) presented to a tertiary referral center in Singapore from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2015.A total of 144 patients were studied (87 survived, 11 lost to follow up, 46 died). Patients with bilateral CMVR and six-month follow up CD4 + T cell count50 cells/mmBilateral ocular involvement and lack of immune recovery in patients with AIDS and CMVR are associated with shorter survival time.

To report the clinical findings, anatomical features, and treatment outcomes in subjects with ocular tuberculosis (OTB) at 24 months in the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1. Of the ...

Longitudinal evidence on retinal microvasculature and subsequent systemic inflammatory alteration is lacking. We investigated the association between retinal microvasculature and immune response among patients with HIV/AIDS over a 9-month antiretroviral therapy.We conducted a prospective cohort study on patients with HIV/AIDS at Singapore Communicable Disease Centre since June 2011. We recruited all eligible patients and then reviewed them every 3 months over a 9-month follow-up, including performing blood tests (CD4+/CD8+ T-cell counts and HIV viral load), blood pressure, anthropometry measurements, and retinal photography at each visit. We assessed retinal vascular indexes using a semiautomated computer-based program. Finally, we applied a linear mixed model to analyze associations between baseline retinal vascular indexes and 9-month changes of CD4+/CD8+ T-cell counts and HIV viral load throughout study observation, after adjusting for major confounders.We found that narrower arteriolar caliber (per 10 μm decrease), wider venular caliber (per 10 μm increase), and larger arteriolar branching angle (per 10° increase) in the retina assessed at baseline were significantly associated with 9-month reductions in CD4+ T-cell count by 52.97 cells/μL (P = 0.006), 33.55 cells/μL (P = 0.01), and 39.09 cells/μL (P = 0.008), accordingly.Patients with HIV/AIDS with a suboptimal retinal microvascular morphology tended to fail immune restoration undertaking a 9-month antiretroviral therapy.

To examine disease profile of tubercular uveitis (TBU) in Paediatric population. Among 945 patients of the retrospective multinational study by the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1,...

An international, expert led consensus initiative was set up by the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS) group to develop systematic, evidence, and experience-based recommendations for the treatment of ocular TB using a modified Delphi technique process. In the first round of Delphi, the group identified clinical scenarios pertinent to ocular TB based on five clinical phenotypes (anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, choroiditis, retinal vasculitis, and panuveitis). Using an interactive online questionnaires, guided by background knowledge from published literature, 486 consensus statements for initiating ATT were generated and deliberated amongst 81 global uveitis experts. The median score of five was considered reaching consensus for initiating ATT. The median score of four was tabled for deliberation through Delphi round 2 in a face-to-face meeting. This report describes the methodology adopted and followed through the consensus process, which help elucidate the guidelines for initiating ATT in patients with choroidal TB.

Purpose: Tubercular intermediate uveitis (TIU) and panuveitis (TBP) are difficult to manage because of limitations in diagnostic tools and lack of evidence-based treatment guidelines. The Collabora...

Purpose: To standardize a nomenclature system for defining clinical phenotypes, and outcome measures for reporting clinical and research data in patients with ocular tuberculosis (OTB).Methods: Uveitis experts initially administered and further deliberated the survey in an open meeting to determine and propose the preferred nomenclature for terms related to the OTB, terms describing the clinical phenotypes and treatment and reporting outcomes.Results: The group of experts reached a consensus on terming uveitis attributable to tuberculosis (TB) as tubercular uveitis. The working group introduced a SUN-compatible nomenclature that also defines disease "remission" and "cure", both of which are relevant for reporting treatment outcomes.Conclusion: A consensus nomenclature system has been adopted by a large group of international uveitis experts for OTB. The working group recommends the use of standardized nomenclature to prevent ambiguity in communication and to achieve the goal of spreading awareness of this blinding uveitis entity.

PURPOSE: To analyze the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ocular fluids in management of tubercular (TB) anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. METHODS: In Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1 (25 centers, n = 962), patients with TB-related uveitis were included. 59 patients undergoing PCR of intraocular fluids (18 females; 53 Asian Indians) were included. RESULTS: 59 (6.13%) of COTS-1 underwent PCR analysis. PCR was positive for Mycobacterium TB in 33 patients (23 males; all Asian Indians). 26 patients were PCR negative (18 males). Eight patients with negative PCR had systemic TB. Anti-TB therapy was given in 18 negative and 31 PCR cases. At 1-year follow-up, five patients with positive PCR (15.15%) and three with negative PCR (11.54%) had persistence/worsening of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Data from COTS-1 suggest that PCR is not commonly done for diagnosing intraocular TB and positive/negative results may not influence management or treatment outcomes in the real world scenario.

To report the pattern of posterior and panuveitis at a tertiary referral center in Singapore.Subgroup retrospective analysis of 334 new posterior and panuveitis cases, from the Ocular Autoimmune Systemic Inflammatory Infectious Study (OASIS) database. Descriptive analysis was performed and visual outcome and complications were reported.The etiology for posterior uveitis and panuveitis was infectious in 162 patients (48.5%), non-infectious in 144 patients (43.1%), and idiopathic in 28 patients (8.4%). More patients with bilateral disease had a non-infectious etiology (n = 82, 50.9%) (p = 0.012). The most common complication was epiretinal membrane (n = 20, 12.3%) for the infectious group and cystoid macular edema (n = 12, 8.3%) for the non-infectious group.The proportion of etiologies in our cohort varies from other studies. Understanding the variations and demographic associations allows the diagnosis and management of posterior and panuveitis to be further improved.

To report the epidemiology and classification of ocular inflammation at a tertiary eye care center in Singapore.Retrospective cohort study of the clinical records of consecutive new cases from the Ocular Autoimmune Systemic Inflammatory Infectious Study (OASIS) database from 2004-2015.A total of 2200 patients were studied from the OASIS database. The most common anatomic diagnosis was anterior uveitis (55.9%), posterior uveitis (17.5%), panuveitis (9.6%), and intermediate uveitis (4.7%). In addition, scleritis (6.1%), keratouveitis (2.8%), retinal vasculitis (2.2%), and episcleritis (1.2%) were observed. Etiology was established in 65.1%, with 35.2% of patients associated with non-infectious etiologies. The most common etiologies found were presumed tuberculosis (7.2%), followed by cytomegalovirus infection (6.9%), herpetic infection (6.3%), HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis (4.2%), and ankylosing spondylitis (3.8%).The pattern of ocular inflammation in Singapore has similarities with both Western and Asian populations. Anterior uveitis was the most common, with non-infectious etiologies being slightly more common than infectious etiologies.

Purpose To investigate the tear cytokine profile in HIV patients with dry eye disease (DED) and study the association between the severity of ocular inflammatory complications and tear cytokines levels. We postulate that HIV-mediated inflammation may be the underlying pathogenic mechanism for HIV-associated DED. Methods The current prospective case-control study compared tear film cytokine profiles in DED patients with HIV infection (n = 34) and age/gender-matched DED patients without HIV infection [controls (n = 32)]. Participants were recruited from tertiary referral eye care centre and communicable disease clinics, Singapore. Ocular surface health was documented using tear film, Schirmer’s test, corneal staining, and conjunctival injection measurements. Tear samples were collected using Schirmer’s strips and analysed for the levels of 41 cytokines using Luminex bead assay. Logistic regression models were performed to determine correlation and significance. Results Among the 41 cytokines analysed, statistically significant differences were observed in the mean values of epithelial growth factor (EGF), growth related oncogene (GRO) and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10). EGF and IP-10 levels were higher and GRO levels were lower in the tears of DED patients with HIV infection compared to DED patients without HIV infection. No significant association was found between varying levels of ocular surface parameters and cytokine concentrations in HIV patients with DED (p > 0.05). Conclusions EGF and IP-10 were significantly elevated and GRO levels were lower in the tear profile of HIV patients with DED compared to immunocompetent patients with DED. This study suggests a novel cytokine driven paradigm for ocular inflammatory complications of HIV infection. Additional studies in large organised cohorts can validate the results.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infection that can affect the eye as first and sole presentation without features of systemic disease. Controversy exists regarding diagnosis and management of tubercular uveitis (TBU), further compounded by regional variations in disease expression. Purpose: Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1 aims to address knowledge deficits through collaboration amongst uveitis specialists across the globe by sharing the data of patients with TBU presented at participating centers from January 2004 to December 2014. Methods: Data collection was facilitated by a novel method of real-time encrypted web-based data entry allowing regular updates as new data and recommendations become available. Results: Information on clinical features, investigation findings, management, and treatment outcomes were reviewed to get an idea about real world scenario. Conclusion: The current review aims to focus on methodology and briefing of published reports from COTS group in COTS-1 study to highlight key messages from this large data.

To report two cases of young immunocompetent males with herpes simplex acute retinal necrosis (HSV ARN) with initial diagnosis of unilateral disc swelling.Retrospective case series.Two young immunocompetent males who were diagnosed to have unilateral disc swelling were treated as presumed optic neuritis and started on systemic steroids. On dilated fundal examination, unilateral retinitis and vasculitis was found after 2-3 days of systemic steroids and the diagnosis of ARN was made. Tetraplex vitreous tap subsequently returned as HSV-2 and HSV for the first and second patient, respectively. Both patients had no significant systemic medical history and tested negative for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite aggressive treatment, both patients developed profound visual morbidity.Close monitoring of patients with unilateral disc swelling and dilated fundus evaluation is critical, particularly upon initiation of systemic steroid therapy, even if immunocompetent, as misdiagnoses can result in potentially devastating consequences.

Background: The introduction of fundus photography has impacted retinal imaging and retinal screening programs significantly. Literature Review: Fundus cameras play a vital role in addressing the cause of preventive blindness. More attention is being turned to developing countries, where infrastructure and access to healthcare are limited. One of the major limitations for tele-ophthalmology is restricted access to the office-based fundus camera. Results: Recent advances in access to telecommunications coupled with introduction of portable cameras and smartphone-based fundus imaging systems have resulted in an exponential surge in available technologies for portable fundus photography. Retinal cameras in the near future would have to cater to these needs by featuring a low-cost, portable design with automated controls and digitalized images with Web-based transfer. Conclusions: In this review, we aim to highlight the advances of fundus photography for retinal screening as well as discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and implications of the various technologies that are currently available.

The tear film cytokine profiling data in this article was obtained from a prospective case-control study with a sample size of 34 dry eye disease (DED) patients with HIV infection and 32 DED patients without HIV infection, see “A distinct cytokines profile in tear film of dry eye disease (DED) patients with HIV infection” (R. Agrawal, P.K. Balne, A. Veerappan, V.B. Au, B. Lee, E. Loo, A. Ghosh, L. Tong, S.C. Teoh, J. Connolly, P. Tan, 2016) [1]. Tear samples were collected from all the subjects using Schirmer׳s strips and cytokine profiling was done using the Luminex bead based multiplex assay with a panel of 41 analytes. The cytokine level differences in each group of subjects were analyzed using logistic regression models.

Objective: To analyze the demographic profile, treatment, and visual outcome of the patients with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in a multicenter collaborative retrospective cohort study.Methods: Medical records of the patients with SO from UK, Singapore, India were reviewed for history of ocular trauma or surgery and subsequent development of uveitis consistent with SO, presenting symptoms, treatment, and visual outcomes.Results: A total of 130 patients were diagnosed with SO during the study period. Eighty-one (62.3%) patients were men. The mean age was 48.4 ± 15.5 years. The most common presenting symptom was blurring of vision (89.2%), followed by pain (29.2%) and floaters (23.8%). Ninety-two (70.7%) required additional immunosuppressive therapy. Thirty-six (27.9%) patients underwent enucleation of the inciting eye.Conclusions: SO is a potentially sight-threatening disease with high rates of visual loss. It warrants prompt evaluation and treatment. With the advances and availability in immunotherapy, the visual prognosis is relatively good.

Purpose: To contribute a global description of the spectrum of choroidal involvement in tubercular uveitis (TBU).Methods: Retrospective cohort study of TBU patients with choroidal involvement from ...

Purpose To describe clinical findings and outcomes for ocular toxoplasmosis in an international multicenter collaborative study. Methods Retrospective analysis of 190 patients diagnosed with ocular toxoplasmosis from three study sites (Brazil, India, and Singapore). Results There were 93 (48.9%) females with a mean age of 32.8 years. The most common symptoms were isolated blurring of vision (36.8%), followed by blurring of vision with floaters (21.1%). Treatment regimens varied largely from monotherapy to multiple combination therapies. Final visual acuity of ≥20/40 was achieved in 106 (74.2%) patients. In a median follow-up period of 31 weeks (range 12-749 weeks), 83/190 (43.7%) patients suffered a relapse. Conclusions There appears to be geographical variation in the presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis. Compared to previous studies, we did not observe the '"dual peak" phenomenon of chronic and active disease based on age at presentation, and there was less bilateral and macular involvement (but more peripheral involvement).

Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate the spectrum of scleritis from database of Ocular Autoimmune Systemic Inflammatory Infectious Study (OASIS) at a tertiary eye referral eye institute in Singapore. Clinical records of 120 patients with scleritis from a database of 2200 patients from Ocular Autoimmune Systemic Inflammatory Infectious Study (OASIS) were reviewed. Results 56.6% were females, with a mean age of 48.6 ± 15.9 years. 75 (62.5%) had diffuse anterior scleritis, 25 (20.8%) had nodular anterior scleritis, 7 (5.8%) had necrotizing anterior scleritis and 13 (10.8%) had posterior scleritis. Ocular complications were observed in 53.3% of patients, including anterior uveitis (42.5%), raised intraocular pressure (12.5%), and corneal involvement (11.7%). Autoimmune causes were associated with 31 (25.8%) of patients, and 10 (8.3%) patients had an associated infective etiology, much higher than Caucasian studies. 53.3% of patients were treated with oral corticosteroids while 26.7% required immunosuppressives. Conclusions Infective etiology needs to be considered in patients of scleritis from Asian origin. In our study and in OASIS database, scleritis was associated with systemic autoimmune disease and ocular complications.

The data presented in this article shows the longitudinal analysis of tear fluid cytokine profiles, blood CD4 and CD8 counts and HIV viral load in 34 dry eye patients with HIV infection during the HAART therapy. Clinical samples were collected from HIV patients with dry eye disease at the time of presentation to the clinic (visit 1), three months (visit 2) and 6 months (visit 3) after the presentation. At each time point tear samples were evaluated for 41 cytokines using Luminex bead based multiplex assay and blood samples were tested for HIV viral load and CD4 and CD8 counts.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the safety of substituting the first day post-operative review after routine cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) with a telephone survey. Design/methodology/approach – Prospective non-randomised cohort study. A standardised questionnaire of five common ocular symptoms (general condition, vision, eye pain, headache, nausea or vomiting) was administered by a trained nurse on the first post-operative day. The patients were reviewed in clinic two to 14 days later. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed for complications (endophthalmitis, raised intra-ocular pressure, wound leaks and uveitis) requiring deviation from standard treatment. Findings – Over 13 months, 256 eyes of 238 patients underwent uncomplicated phacoemulsification by four consultant surgeons. Only one patient reported poor general condition, blurred vision and eye pain. She was subsequently found to have corneal oedema and raised intra-ocular pressure when recalled for an earlier review. Best corrected visual acuity better than 20/40 was achieved in 80.5 per cent of patients. There were no other post-operative complications noted from medical records review. Research limitations/implications – Non-randomised nature, skewed surgical expertise, lack of a control group and patient experience data. In all, 22 patients (9.2 per cent) were also uncontactable for the telephone interview. Practical implications – A nurse-administered telephone survey seemed to be a safe and effective alternative to first day post-operative review after routine phacoemulsification. The survey also enabled the detection of serious post-operative complications. The first day post-operative hospital visit may be safely substituted in a selected patient population with greater patient convenience achieved and liberation of clinic resources. Originality/value – This is the first study which utilises a standardised questionnaire as a form of post-operative review in an Asian population.

To report the clinical features and outcome of patients with presumed tubercular uveitis (TBU). Retrospective analysis of patients with presumed TBU at a tertiary referral eye care centre in Singapore between 2007 and 2012 was done. Main outcome measures were failure of complete resolution of uveitis or recurrence of inflammation. Fifty three patients with mean age of 44.18 ± 15.26 years with 54.72% being males were included. 19 (35.85%) had bilateral involvement, with panuveitis and anterior uveitis being the most common presentations. 36 (67.92%) patients received antitubercular therapy (ATT), and 28 received concurrent systemic steroids. 15 (28.30%) eyes of 11 (30.55%) patients in the ATT group and 4 (21.05%) eyes of 3 (17.64%) patients in the non-ATT group had treatment failure (p value = 0.51). The use of ATT, with or without concurrent corticosteroid, may not have a statistically significant impact in improving treatment success in patients with presumed TBU.

We describe the results of a study to determine the prevalence and characteristics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis among HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional prospective study of patients with CD4 lymphocyte count ≤100 cells/mm3 recruited from public HIV clinics. The diagnosis was made by a trained ophthalmologist using slit lamp biomicroscopy and corroborated on fundus photography. A total of 201 patients were screened. The median age was 32 years, 77% were men, median CD4 count was 47 cells/mm3, and 62% were on antiretroviral treatment. Prevalence of CMV retinitis was 7% (14/201, 95% CI 4–11%). CMV retinitis was not associated with age, gender, injection drug use, CD4 count, WHO clinical stage, or antiretroviral treatment status. Blurring of vision and reduced visual acuity 3 or who develop blurring of vision in Vietnam should be screened for CMV retinitis.

Cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is the most common opportunistic ocular infection in patients with AIDS. Comprehensive analysis of aqueous humor for immunologic factors has yet to be performed in patients with CMVR. This study aims to perform comprehensive immune factor analysis of aqueous humor in CMVR patients to determine the presence of any characteristic immunological profile in the aqueous humor.Comparative prospective analysis of aqueous humor was performed across three groups: (1) AIDS patients with CMVR (CMVR group) (n=20), (2) HIV-positive patients without CMVR (HIV group) (n=6) and (3) patients undergoing cataract surgery with no underlying ocular infection or inflammation (control group) (n=11). At least 100μl of aqueous humor was drawn from all subjects and fractionated prior to analysis for 41 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors with the FlexMAP 3D (Luminex®) platform using the Milliplex Human Cytokine® kit.Three distinct immunologic signatures were observed in the aqueous humor of the three groups. Statistically significant differences (p0.05) were observed across the three groups with the HIV group having lower levels and CMVR group having raised levels for the following factors: IP-10, fractalkine, PDGF-AA, G-CSF, Flt-3L and MCP-1.Aqueous humor though clinically quiescent in CMVR revealed a unique immunologic signature consistent with a combined Th-1 and monocyte-macrophage mediated response. Subsequent longitudinal analysis of aqueous cytokine levels of CMVR through the course of treatment would allow better understanding of the immunopathogenetic mechanisms of CMVR. This may also be used to better prognosticate the disease, predict complications and allow better assessment of treatment response and individualization of treatment in the future.

Purpose: To report the presentations of syphilitic uveitides in Singapore.Methods: Retrospective noncomparative observational case series of 18 eyes from 12 patients with ocular syphilis between 2004 and 2009.Results: Patients were mainly male (91.7%). Median age was 49.5 (24–84) years. Initial visual acuity varied from 6/6 to counting fingers (CF) and was ≥6/12 in 7 eyes (38.8%). Blurring of vision (n = 11, 61.1%) was the most common presenting complaint. Anterior uveitis and panuveitis were both most common (n = 6, 33.3%). Treponemal and nontreponemal serologies were positive in 12 (100.0%) and 10 (83.3%) patients, respectively. Patients were treated systematically with penicillin therapy by infectious disease physicians.Conclusions: Ocular syphilis is seeing a worldwide resurgence. Although anterior uveitis and panuveitis were most common in this study, there was a large spectrum of ocular manifestations. Syphilitic uveitides can potentially cause severe loss of vision but are effectively treat...

Screening for cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is important in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and low CD4(+) counts. However, many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients lack access to specialist ophthalmological care. Telemedicine screening is a cost-effective method for screening these patients. We aimed to report the use of composite nine-field digital fundus photography (DFP) images for CMVR screening. We report its sensitivity and specificity in detecting CMVR and the level of agreement with gold-standard binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy.An audit was performed on our national CMVR screening program that screened all HIV patients referred to the Ophthalmology Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. All patients underwent retinal screening with DFP. Images were categorized as CMVR-positive, CMVR-negative, suspicious, or unreadable by blinded retinal specialists. Patients subsequently underwent dilated gold-standard indirect ophthalmoscopy by a different retinal specialist. Diagnoses were categorized as CMVR-positive, CMVR-negative, or unreadable. Sensitivity and specificity of retinal findings on DFP and kappa values for level of agreement between the two screening methods were calculated.Three hundred seventy screenings on 188 patients were performed. Twenty-three eyes diagnosed with CMVR on indirect ophthalmoscopy were also identified on DFP (100% sensitivity). A 99.9% specificity was achieved. The fundus photograph of one eye without CMVR was read as CMVR-positive because of an artifact, accounting for a false-positive. Kappa values ranged from 0.739 to 0.987.DFP is a sensitive and specific method of screening HIV patients for CMVR and has a high level of agreement with indirect ophthalmoscopy.

Purpose: To identify the causes of visual loss associated with uveitis and its risk factors.Methods: Review of 359 patients attending a uveitis service.Results: Anterior uveitis (n = 229, 63.8%) was most common, followed by panuveitis (n = 55, 15.3%). There were 82 infective cases with 29.3% associated with tuberculosis. Visual loss occurred in 100 (27.9%) patients, of which 27 (7.5%) had severe visual loss. The main causes of visual loss were cataract (26%) and glaucoma (12%). Cystoid macular edema (14.8%) accounted for severe visual loss. Panuveitis was predictive for visual loss (p = 0.022, odds ratio (OR) 2.22) and severe visual loss (p = 0.01, OR 3.47). Posterior uveitis (p = 0.005, OR 5.01) and chronic uveitis (p = 0.008, OR 3.83) also showed higher risk for severe visual loss.Conclusion: With panuveitis being the second most common presentation, early specialist referral is essential in preventing visual loss.

Objective: To evaluate the factors influencing final vision outcome after surgical repair of open globe injuries and to correlate the Ocular trauma score. Materials and Methods: Retrospective case analysis of patients with open globe injuries at a tertiary referral eye care centre in Singapore was performed. Pre-operative factors affecting final vision outcome in patients with open globe injury and correlation of ocular trauma score in our study with international ocular trauma scoring system was performed. Results: Case records of 172 eyes with open globe injury were analyzed. Mean age was 36. 67 years. Mean follow up was 12.26 m. Males were pre-dominantly affected. Initial visual acuity was ≥20/40, 20/50 < 20/200, 20/200- CF, HM- PL and NLP in 24 (14%), 39 (22.7%), 16 (9.3%), 66 (38.4%) and 27 (15.7%) eyes respectively. Final visual acuity was ≤20/40, 20/50 < 20/200, 20/200- 1/200, HM- PL and NLP in 76 (44.2%), 28 (16.3%), 11 (6.4%), 30 (17.4%) and 27 (15.7%) eyes respectively. Ocular trauma score in our study correlates with international ocular trauma scoring system. Conclusion: The present study showed pre-operative variables such as mode of injury, pre-operative visual acuity, traumatic cataract, hyphaema, relative afferent papillary defect, vitreous lossand vitreous hemorrhage to be adversely affecting the final vision outcome. Our study showed a good synchrony with international ocular trauma score (OTS) and based on this study we were able to validate application of OTS in Singapore population. Recognizing these factors can help the surgeon in evidence based counseling.

The ophthalmic manifestations of dengue fever include a visually impairing maculopathy, where patients are left with a central or paracentral relative scotoma. The authors present a case of a 26-year-old female patient returning from Thailand with unilateral reduction in visual acuity and a central scotoma associated with dengue fever. The authors report the use of the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) as a noninvasive imaging platform to demonstrate its value in showing the persistent changes corresponding to the functional central scotoma in dengue-related maculopathy, which often cannot be visualized clinically or by standard OCT and fundus fluorescein angiography. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2016;47:1057–1060.]

To investigate the surgical outcomes, complications and postoperative progression in HIV patients undergoing cataract surgery in a teaching hospital.A retrospective cohort study of patients with HIV/AIDS who had cataract surgery from January 2000 until December 2011 at a tertiary referral multidisciplinary hospital in Singapore.We identified 44 eyes from 29 patients. Preoperatively, 41.3% had no ophthalmic manifestations of HIV/AIDS, while 16 eyes had quiescent cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR). Postoperatively, 1 eye developed new CMVR, while 1 eye had reactivation of previous CMVR. Of eyes with new or previous CMVR, 1 eye developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) postoperatively. Only 3 eyes had prolonged postoperative inflammation. There were no cases of endophthalmitis or cystoid macular edema. Postoperative improvement of at least two Snellen lines was achieved in 86.6% of eyes.Cataract surgery in HIV patients is generally safe, regardless of CD4 count, but their general and ocular health should be optimized preoperatively.

To determine quality of life in patients with uveitis and investigate the association between clinical parameters of uveitis and visual functioning.Prospective cross-sectional study. The interviewer- administered National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire (VFQ-25) was used in 117 adult outpatient uveitic patients. Their scores were compared against 48 controls with no ocular history. Subgroup differences amongst the patients were compared using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the associations of visual function and disease characteristics of uveitis.VFQ-25 composite scores for patients were significantly lower than controls in all domains except driving. In multivariable analysis, lower VFQ-25 composite scores were associated with a chronic course of disease, even after taking into account the influences of visual acuity, treatment regimes and location of disease.Uveitic patients reported poorer visual functioning. A chronic course of disease is associated with poorer functioning.

Purpose: To present a series of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis in 24 eyes. Methods: Retrospective non-comparative observational case series. Medical records were retrieved and individuals evaluated based on symptoms, risk factors, visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy and pathological examination of cornea epithelial scrapings. Demographic features, clinical course, predisposing factors, microbiological profile, treatment, final clinical outcome and visual acuity were recorded. Results: Of the 22 patients, 90.9% were men, with a mean age of 30.3 years (range 15 – 76 years). Two (9.1%) had bilateral involvement, 15 (68.2%) were non-contact lens users, 17 (77.3%) reported contamination with mud within 2 weeks (mean 6.8 days) of onset of symptoms. All patients presented with conjunctivitis and coarse, multifocal, punctate epithelial keratitis. Two out of 24 eyes (8.3%) had anterior stromal infiltrates, while 8 (33.3%) had anterior uveitis. Microsporidial spores were identified on modified trichrome staining of corneal epithelial scrapes in all eyes. All eyes were treated with epithelial debridement, topical fluoroquinolone and hexamidine diisethionate, 7 (31.8%) patients received oral albendazole, and all eyes with anterior uveitis received topical steroids. All cases resolved without visually significant sequelae. Conclusion: Microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis occurred mainly in males, is usually unilateral, presents as conjunctivitis and coarse, multifocal, punctate epithelial keratitis, and may incite anterior uveitis. Soil contamination is an important risk factor. Treatment with debridement, fluoroquinolones, hexamidine diisethionate with or without systemic albendazole is effective, with steroids reserved for any associated anterior uveitis.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the presentations, long-term outcomes, and visual prognostic factors in dengue-related maculopathy of 41 patients with dengue fever and impaired vision from dengue-related maculopathy in a retrospective noninterventional and observational series.The medical records of patients with dengue-related maculopathy diagnosed over 18 months between July 2004 and December 2005 at The Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Communicable Disease Center, Singapore, were reviewed and followed up for 24 months. Visual acuity and symptoms (presence of scotoma on automated visual fields and Amsler grid) were correlated with optical coherence tomography evaluation.Mean age was 28.7 years and there were more men (53.7%). The most common visual complaints were blurring of vision (51.2%) and central scotoma (34.1%). Most patients recovered best-corrected visual acuity20/40. Optical coherence tomography showed 3 patterns of maculopathy: 1) diffuse retinal thickening; 2) cystoid macular edema; and 3) foveolitis. The visual outcome was independent of the extent of edema, but scotomata persisted longest in patients with foveolitis and shortest with those with diffuse retinal thickening.Dengue-associated ocular inflammation is an emerging ophthalmic condition and often involves the posterior segment. Prognosis is variable. Patients usually regain good vision but may retain persistent scotomata even at 2 years despite clinical resolution of the disease. Optical coherence tomography patterns in dengue maculopathy are useful for characterization, monitoring, and prognostication of the visual defect.

Dengue fever is the most prevalent vector-borne flavivirus infection in humans. Its ocular manifestations have only recently been reported with increasing frequency. We present a case of an air force rotary wing pilot who presented with dengue-related maculopathy and decrement in visual function. The pilot ultimately recovered full visual function and was returned to full unrestricted flying duties with the proviso of regular ophthalmic monitoring. Dengue-related maculopathy may present with retinal edema, blot hemorrhages, and vasculitis. Less common features include exudative retinal detachment, cotton wool spots, and anterior uveitis. It is generally self-resolving with good prognosis. Treatment is controversial, but a course of corticosteroids has been tried in view of a postulated underlying immune-mediated pathology. It is recommended that aviators who have recovered from dengue fever undergo a clinical ophthalmological examination before return to flying duties. Language: en

Dengue infection can affect the microcirculation by direct viral infection or activation of inflammation. We aimed to determine whether measured retinal vascular parameters were associated with acute dengue infection. Patients with acute dengue were recruited from Communicable Diseases Center, Singapore and age-gender-ethnicity matched healthy controls were selected from a population-based study. Retinal photographs were taken on recruitment and convalescence. A spectrum of quantitative retinal microvascular parameters (retinal vascular caliber, fractal dimension, tortuosity and branching angle) was measured using a semi-automated computer-based program. (Singapore I Vessel Assessment, version 3.0). We included 62 dengue patients and 127 controls. Dengue cases were more likely to have wider retinal arteriolar and venular calibers (158.3 μm vs 144.3 μm, p 4], p 4], p

This paper presents a novel augmented reality assistance platform for eye laser surgery. The aims of the proposed system are for the application of assisting eye doctors in pre-planning as well as providing guidance and protection during laser surgery. We developed algorithms to automatically register multi-modal images, detect macula and optic disc regions, and demarcate these as protected areas from laser surgery. The doctor will then be able to plan the laser treatment pre-surgery using the registered images and segmented regions. Thereafter, during live surgery, the system will automatically register and track the slit lamp video frames on the registered retina images, send appropriate warning when the laser is near protected areas, and disable the laser function when it points into the protected areas. The proposed system prototype can help doctors to speed up laser surgery with confidence without fearing that they may unintentionally fire laser in the protected areas.

This paper presents a robust outlier elimination approach for multimodal retina image registration application. Our proposed scheme is based on the Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) feature extraction and Partial Intensity Invariant Feature Descriptors (PIIFD), and we combined with a novel outlier elimination approach to robustly eliminate incorrect putative matches to achieve better registration results. Our proposed approach, which we will henceforth refer to as the residual-scaled-weighted Least Trimmed Squares (RSW-LTS) method, has been designed to enforce an affine transformation geometric constraint to solve the problem of image registration when there is very high percentage of incorrect matches in putatively matched feature points. Our experiments on registration of fundus-fluorescein angiographic image pairs show that our proposed scheme significantly outperforms the Harris-PIIFD scheme. We also show that our proposed RSW-LTS approach outperforms other outlier elimination approaches such as RANSAC (RANdom SAmple Consensus) and MSAC (M-estimator SAmple and Consensus).

Ganciclovir and valganciclor are antiviral agents used for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis. The conventional method for administering ganciclovir in cytomegalovirus retinitis patients is repeated intravitreal injections. In order to obviate the possible detrimental effects of repeated intraocular injections, to improve compliance and to eliminate systemic side-effects, we investigated the tuning of the ganciclovir pro-drug valganciclovir and the release from thin films of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), or mixtures of both, as a step towards prototyping periocular valganciclovir implants. To investigate the drug release, we established and evaluated a high throughput fluorescence-based quantification screening assay for the detection of valganciclovir. Our protocol allows quantifying as little as 20 ng of valganciclovir in 96-well polypropylene plates and a 50× faster analysis compared to traditional HPLC measurements. This improvement can hence be extrapolated to other polyester matrix thin film formulations using a high-throughput approach. The acidic microenvironment within the polyester matrix was found to protect valganciclovir from degradation with resultant increases in the half-life of the drug in the periocular implant to 100 days. Linear release profiles were obtained using the pure polyester polymers for 10 days and 60 days formulations, however, gross phase separations of PCL and acid-terminated PLGA prevented tuning within these timeframes due to the phase separation of the polymer, valganciclovir, or both.

A case series suggests that the spectrum of complications in dengue infection is widening., We report 13 cases of ophthalmic complications resulting from dengue infection in Singapore. We performed a retrospective analysis of a series of 13 patients with dengue fever who had visual impairment. Investigations included Humphrey automated visual field analyzer, Amsler charting, fundus fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography. Twenty-two eyes of 13 patients were affected. The mean age of patients was 31.7 years. Visual acuity varied from 20/25 to counting fingers only. Twelve patients (92.3%) noted central vision impairment. Onset of visual impairment coincided with the nadir of serum thrombocytopenia. Ophthalmologic findings include macular edema and blot hemorrhages (10), cotton wool spots (1), retinal vasculitis (4), exudative retinal detachment (2), and anterior uveitis (1). All patients recovered visual acuity to 20/30 or better with residual central scotoma by 12 weeks. These new complications suggest a widening spectrum of ophthalmic complications in dengue infection.

Occurrence and reactivation of cytomegalovirus retinitis in systemic lupus erythematosus with normal CD4 counts

We present the first reported case of late recurrence of postoperative Enterococcus faecalis endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in a 45-year-old diabetic man. Culture-positive E faecalis endophthalmitis was diagnosed 2 days after uneventful phacoemulsification. Early vitrectomy with intravitreal and subconjunctival vancomycin and amikacin and topical vancomycin resulted in apparently complete clinical resolution after 4 months and a best corrected visual acuity of 20/25. Recurrent endophthalmitis with hypopyon occurred 7 months postoperatively and resolved with intravitreal vancomycin and topical prednisolone acetate 1%. However, the patient had a similar relapse at 9 months that resulted in deterioration of visual acuity to no light perception despite a repeat vitrectomy, intraocular lens explantation, capsular bag removal, and intravitreal antibiotics. The late recurrences could have been the result of persistent sequestration of the organism in the capsular bag.

To present the first case of Aspergillus terreus endophthalmitis in a patient without previous ocular surgery or immunocompromised status with a review of literature.

We report a case of anti-40kDa protein autoimmune retinopathy developing 9 years after thymoma excision on a background of Good Syndrome-associated cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis that suggests a separate pathogenetic pathway from that of previously reported thymoma-associated autoimmune retinopathies.

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare, devastating intraocular infection associated with poor outcome often from late diagnosis. We present a case report of acute onset bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus causing tenosynovitis of carpometacarpal joint in a 64 year old man with Type II Diabetes Mellitus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of endogenous endophthalmitis following tenosynovitis. This case also highlights the fact that prompt diagnosis and treatment is the key for good outcome.

To present the clinical characteristics of patients with anterior uveitis who had evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on polymerase chain reaction PCR-based assays for viral DNA in aqueous samples.This was a retrospective observational case series of 16 patients with CMV infection on qualitative polymerase chain reaction PCR-based assays for viral DNA in aqueous samples. Case records of 16 patients were reviewed and relevant clinical information was collected using a standardized data sheet.There were 10 male and 6 female patients, with 16 eyes included. The median age at the first attack was 52 years (range 27-77 years). Thirteen patients (81.3%) presented with an initial BCVA of 20/40 or better. Eleven eyes (68.8%) had anterior chamber inflammation of 1+ cells or less. Eight eyes (50.0%) had concomitant sectoral iris atrophy, while 2 eyes were noted to have heterochromic irides. Eleven patients (68.8%) presented with an elevated intraocular pressure. Seven patients (43.8%) had clinical features that led to a presumptive diagnosis of Posner-Schlossman syndrome, while 3 patients (18.8%) were initially diagnosed with Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis. Six patients were initially treated for uveitic glaucoma or anterior uveitis of unknown cause.There is a spectrum of clinical manifestations of CMV anterior uveitis. A high index of suspicion of a possible viral etiology, especially CMV, and subsequent accurate identification of the virus involved are fundamental to the overall therapeutic approach.

The study aims to analyze the trends of posterior uveitis and panuveitis patients seen by a tertiary eye center in Singapore between 2004 and 2012.We conducted a retrospective analysis of 363 consecutive new cases of posterior uveitis and panuveitis. The cases were segregated into idiopathic, infectious, or noninfectious.We found statistically significant differences between etiologies and ethnicity (p = 0.014). We noticed a statistically significant downward trend (Spearman's rho (ρ) = -0.812, p = 0.008) for dengue uveitis, and an upward trend for the idiopathic category (Spearman's rho (ρ) = 0.753, p = 0.019).We observed differences between etiologies and ethnicity, pointing toward potential susceptibility variations. There was an upward trend of idiopathic causes, possibly due to better control of systemic and infectious etiologies. The dengue uveitis incidence correlates well with our national statistics. The downward trend of dengue uveitis could be due to the introduction of Singapore's dengue surveillance in 2005, emphasizing the importance of controlling the disease.

A 52-year-old Chinese gentleman presented with right eye floaters and photopsia over one week. His visual acuities were 20/20 bilaterally. Posterior segment examination showed a right eye swollen optic disc and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) associated with an area of subretinal hemorrhage adjacent to the optic disc. Fundus fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiographies (ICGA) of the right eye did not demonstrate choroidal neovascularization (CNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), or retinal ischemia. Ultrasound B-scan revealed optic disc drusen (ODD). In view of good vision and absence of CNV, he was managed conservatively with spontaneous resolution after two months. Commonly, ODD may directly compress and mechanically rupture subretinal vessels at the optic disc, resulting in peripapillary subretinal hemorrhage, as was likely the case in our patient. Mechanical impairment of peripapillary circulation also results in retinal ischemia and may trigger the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and/or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), leading to subretinal haemorrhage. Compromise in central venous outflow with increased retinal central venous pressure from the direct mechanical effects of enlarging ODD results in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Patients with subretinal hemorrhage and CRVO from ODD should be monitored closely for the development of potentially sight-threatening complications.