Analysis of Serum Homocysteine and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

PURPOSE: To investigate levels of serum homocysteine in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome and the association between serum homocysteine levels and risk of coronary heart disease. METHODS: From March 2013 to September 2013, 37 patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome and 59 age-matched patients (control group) were enrolled in this prospective study. Serum homocysteine levels were compared between the 2 groups. We compared the estimated 10-year risk of coronary heart disease based on Framingham risk score between the 2 groups. Additionally, we analyzed correlations between risk of coronary heart disease and serum homocysteine levels. RESULTS: The mean homocysteine level of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome was significantly higher than the control group (13.3 ± 6.8 µmol/L vs. 10.0 ± 5.2 µmol/L, p = 0.009). The rate of high risk defined as a 10-year coronary heart disease risk >20% in the patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome was significantly higher than in the control group (21.4% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.048). Correlation between serum homocysteine levels and estimated 10-year risk of coronary heart disease was statistically significant (r = 0.578, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperhomocysteinemia and high risk of coronary heart disease were observed in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Therefore, we suggest efforts to prevent coronary heart disease in pseudoexfoliation syndrome patients with hyperhomocysteinemia are necessary.

Risk Factors for Early Postoperative Intraocular Pressure Elevation after Phacoemulsification in Trabeculectomized Eyes

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the frequency and risk factors for early postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after phacoemulsification in patients with a prior trabeculectomy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of 200 eyes (172 patients, study group) with filtering bleb after previous trabeculectomy and 207 eyes (144 patients, control group) without previous trabeculectomy, who underwent temporal clear corneal phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implantation. Twelve possible risk factors including age, gender, glaucoma type, interval from trabeculectomy to phacoemulsification, axial length, preoperative IOP, preoperative bleb morphology (height, vascularity), glaucoma medication, and concomitant intraoperative procedures (iris manipulation, anterior vitrectomy, subconjunctival mitomycin C injection) were analyzed to identify independent risk factors using a multivariate logistic regression method. Early postoperative IOP elevation was defined as IOP value > or = 25 mm Hg or an IOP increase > or = 10 mm Hg the morning after surgery compared to the preoperative IOP. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the frequency of IOP elevation between the study group (25 eyes, 12.5%) and control group (6 eyes, 2.9%; p < 0.001). The mean early postoperative IOP (15.2 +/- 6.7 mm Hg) was significantly higher than preoperative IOP (12.5 +/- 4.4 mm Hg) in the study group (p < 0.001). Risk factors for early postoperative IOP elevation were low bleb height (odds ratio; OR = 9.995, p = 0.003) and iris manipulation (OR = 4.831, p = 0.026) in the study group while risk factors were preoperative use of glaucoma medication (OR = 3.492, p = 0.004) and iris manipulation (OR = 34.249, p = 0.009) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Phacoemulsification increases the risk of IOP spike in prior trabeculectomized eyes, especially those with low bleb height and intraoperative iris manipulation. We suggest intraoperative and postoperative efforts to minimize intraocular inflammation and earlier follow-up examination in these patients.

Clinical Features and Surgical Outcomes of Sturge-Weber Syndrome with Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To report clinical manifestations including neurocutaneous and ocular findings and to evaluate outcomes of trabeculectomy in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome. METHODS: The medical records of 10 eyes of 8 glaucoma patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome who were followed up for at least 1 year after trabeculectomy were reviewed retrospectively. We analyzed neurocutaneous and ocular findings, cumulative surgical success rates, and complications in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome. RESULTS: The mean patient age at the time of surgery was 12.6 +/- 13.0 years and mean follow-up period was 71.6 +/- 81.8 months. All patients showed various clinical findings including facial hemangioma (8 patients), seizure (6 patients), intracranial lesion (6 patients), developmental delay (4 patients), conjunctival/episcleral hemangioma (4 eyes), and choroidal hemangioma (4 eyes). Postoperative success was achieved in 8 out of 10 eyes (80.0%). Postoperatively, serous retinal detachment occurred in 2 out of 4 eyes with preoperative diffuse choroidal hemangioma. CONCLUSIONS: Management of glaucoma associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome requires multidisciplinary treatment because of systemic involvement. Trabeculectomy appears to be an effective and relatively safe surgical option for glaucoma associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome. However, serious complications such as serous retinal detachment should be considered when planning trabeculectomy for patients with diffuse choroidal hemangioma.

Photodynamic Therapy for Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy According to Degree of Choroidal Hyperfluorescence

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) depending on the degree of hyperfluorescence based on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for treating chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: Twenty-three eyes of 23 patients with chronic CSC were recruited for the present study. The minimum follow-up period was six months. The total energy of PDT was reduced to 25 J/cm2 for 83 seconds. The baseline middle-phase ICGA findings were classified as intense or low hyperfluorescence depending on the degree of hyperpermeability from choriocapillaris. The change in mean best-corrected visual acuity, the resolution of subretinal fluid, recurrence rate, and complication were analyzed in relation to each ICGA finding at baseline. RESULTS: The baseline ICGA findings showed intense hyperfluorescence in 11 eyes (47.8%) and low hyperfluorescence in 12 eyes (52.2%). The subretinal fluid resolved completely one month after a single application of low-fluence PDT in both groups. The subretinal fluid recurred in one of 12 eyes (8.3%) with low hyperfluorescence and in no eyes (0%) with intense hyperfluorescence. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of recurrence between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-fluence PDT appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for long-standing chronic CSC regardless of the degree of hyperfluorescence based on the ICGA.

Analysis of Inpatients with Bacterial Keratitis Over a 12-Year Period: Pathogenic Organisms and Antibiotic Resistance

PURPOSE: To investigate the distribution of bacterial keratitis isolates and the shifting trends of in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates for inpatients with bacterial keratitis. METHODS: Three hundred ninety-two bacterial isolates with 366 positive culture cases from consecutive corneal scrapes of 988 clinically diagnosed bacterial keratitis inpatients hospitalized at Yeungnam University Hospital between January 1998 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The bacteriological profiles and in vitro resistance were evaluated in the first and second six-year periods. RESULTS: The percentage of positive cultures was 37.0% (366/988). The commonly isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms were S. epidermidis (98; 25.0%) and P. aeruginosa (41; 10.5%), respectively. The ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative isolates was 1.24:1. The Gram-positive isolates significantly decreased compared to the Gram-negative isolates in the last six-year period (45.3% versus 54.7%, respectively) relative to those in the first six-year period (66.1% versus 33.9%, respectively). S. epidermidis and S. aureus decreased, and E. cloacae, S. marcescens, and S. maltophilia increased in the last six-year period. The resistance of fluoroquinolone to the Gram-positive isolates, though not statistically significant, tended to increase to 34.1% from 21.5% (p=0.061), and the methicillin-resistant S. aureus tended to increase to 54.2% from 30.0% (p=0.055). CONCLUSIONS: S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa were the most common bacterial keratitis isolates in Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates. The Gram-positive isolates tended to decrease, though the Gram-negative organisms tended to increase in the last six-year period compared to the first six-year period. Empirical antibiotic selection should be based on local susceptibility patterns and distribution of bacterial isolates.

Corneal Endothelial Cell Changes in Korean Patients with Exfoliation Syndrome

PURPOSE: To compare the corneal endothelial cell changes in both eyes of Korean patients with clinically unilateral exfoliation syndrome using specular microscopy. METHODS: A total of 144 eyes of 72 patients diagnosed with clinically unilateral exfoliation syndrome at Yeungnam University Hospital between March 2000 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Comparisons of corneal morphometric analysis were made including endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation, hexagonality, and central corneal thickness between the exfoliative and fellow non-exfoliative eyes in 72 patients with naive unilateral exfoliation syndrome. If patients received intraocular surgery during the follow-up periods, the number of intraocular surgeries and changes of the above-mentioned morphometric analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: The paired exfoliative and fellow non-exfoliative eyes did not differ in endothelial cell density (2587.0 +/- 391.0 vs. 2626.8 +/- 354.6 cells/mm2, p = 0.321), in the coefficient of variation of cell size (35.9 +/- 5.1 vs. 37.1 +/- 4.7%), hexagonality (59.5 +/- 7.3 vs. 57.8 +/- 6.3%), and central corneal thickness (530.5 +/- 37.6 vs. 532.0 +/- 35.2 microm). However, the exfoliative eyes had significantly higher values for the number of intraocular surgeries (0.97 +/- 0.78 vs. 0.28 +/- 0.48, p < 0.001) and decrement of corneal endothelial cells (410.9 +/- 538.7 vs. 19.0 +/- 284.5 cells/mm2, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant morphologic differences in corneal endothelium between exfoliative eyes and fellow eyes in the present study. However, the authors suggest that specular microscopic examination be performed before intraocular surgery in eyes with exfoliation syndrome when considering the higher frequency of intraocular surgeries and the resultant corneal endothelial damages observed in the present study.