Analgesic Effects of Tramadol During Panretinal Photocoagulation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of tramadol for the reduction of pain in panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). METHODS: A double-masked randomized controlled study was performed. Fifty-eight eyes in 29 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were enrolled. The eyes of the patients were randomized into two groups. Group A received an empty capsule. Group B received an oral intake of 100 mg tramadol. The capsule used in Group A had the same appearance as that used in Group B. Pain during PRP was assessed using a visual analog scale. Vital signs, including blood pressure and heart rate, were measured. RESULTS: The mean pain scores for groups A and B were 4.80+/-2.10 and 3.83+/-1.82 (p=0.09). There were no significant differences in the mean pain scores between the two groups. More patients in group A complained of greater pain than moderate intensity (visual analogue scale=4). Systemic blood pressure increased significantly in group A after laser treatment. However, there were no significant differences in the diastolic blood pressure changes between the two groups. We found no statistical correlation in the heart rate changes. CONCLUSIONS: We failed to prove that tramadol is effective for pain relief because of the small sample size. However, tramadol was effective for the relief of more severe pain. It was also found to stabilize vital sign changes, such as systolic blood pressure during PRP.

Comparison of Macular Thickness Measurements Between Fourier-Domain and Time-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Normal Eyes and Eyes With Macular Diseases

PURPOSE: To define and measure macular thickness and volume using Fourier domain OCT (FD OCT) and compare the values with Stratus OCT in normal eyes and eyes with macular disease. METHODS: On the same day, macular thicknesses of the ETDRS 9 subfield and total macular volumes were measured in 35 eyes of 23 normal subjects and 19 diseased eyes of 24 patients with FD OCT and Stratus OCT. The macular cube scan protocol for FD OCT and the fast macular thickness map protocol for Stratus OCT were used to measure macular thicknesses. RESULTS: Foveal thickness of the central subfield in FD OCT (251.49+/-79.45 micrometer) was thicker than the value of Stratus OCT (210.26+/-60.57 micrometer) (p<0.001) in all eyes. Total macular volume was 7.72+/-1.06 mm3 and 7.04+/-0.96 mm3 for FD OCT and Stratus OCT, respectively (p<0.001). Retina thickness of the ETDRS 9 subfields in FD OCT was thicker than the value obtained using Stratus OCT. In addition, foveal thickness differences were statistically significant in both the normal and diseased eye groups. CONCLUSIONS: Macular thickness and total macular volume as measured by the FD OCT were larger than the values obtained using the Stratus OCT in both the normal and the diseased eye groups. The measuring algorithm of FD OCT defines the top of RPE as the outer retinal boundary, but Stratus OCT defines the outer retinal boundary as the IS/OS junction of the photoreceptor. Therefore, macular thicknesses of FD OCT are thicker than those of Stratus OCT. This difference should be considered when comparing the results of FD OCT with those of Stratus OCT.

The Clinical Features of Patients with Early Recurrence and with Orthophoria After Intermittent Exotropia Surgery

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical features of patients with exodeviation of more than 15 prism diopters (PDs) within one month and with orthophoria over three years after surgical correction of intermittent exotropia. METHODS: The early recurrence group consisted of patients with a final distance and near exodeviation more than 15PDs within one month after surgical correction of intermittent exotropia. The surgical success group was defined as patients with orthophoria over three years after surgical correction of intermittent exotropia. Sex, age at onset and surgery, office control status, refraction status, A-V pattern, preoperative and postoperative angles of ocular deviation, binocular sensory status, and the presence of diplopia on postoperative one day were retrospectively investigated and compared between these two groups. RESULTS: Out of a total of 68 patients, early recurrence occurred in 33 patients, and success was achieved in 35 patients. Factors including sex, age at onset and surgery, office control status, and diplopia on postoperative one day did not differ between the two groups. Preoperative near-angles of ocular deviation, A-V pattern of strabismus, preoperative stereopsis, and the range of postoperative overcorrection contributed to early recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Factors related to early recurrence were larger preoperative near-angles of ocular deviation, presence of A-V pattern, poor preoperative stereopsis, and a smaller amount of overcorrection on postoperative day 1.