Coats’ disease of adult‑onset in 48 eyes.

Background: Coats’ disease diagnosed in adulthood is an idiopathic, retinal exudative vascular disease without an inciting factor and has retinal features different from the childhood disease. Aim: To describe clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of eyes with Coats’ disease first diagnosed in patients 35 years or older. Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients first diagnosed with Coats’ disease at the age of 35 years or more at a tertiary eye care center between January 1995 and 2012. Eyes with retinal exudation or Coats’‑like response from secondary causes were excluded. Results: Forty‑five of 646 patients (7%) diagnosed with Coats’ disease had adult‑onset disease. Mean age at presentation was 47 years. Systemic hypertension was the most common (22%) systemic association and decreased vision the predominant presenting feature (83%). Localized (<6 clock h) presentation (74%) was unique to adults as against diffuse involvement (69%) in children (P < 0.001). Eyes were treated with laser photocoagulation 29 (60%), cryotherapy (4%), or both (2%) with surgical intervention in three (6%) eyes. Following treatment eight (35%) eyes improved, 11 (48%) eyes were stable while four (12%) eyes worsened due to complications. Conclusion: Adult‑onset Coats’ disease has less extensive involvement, more benign natural course, and a more favorable treatment outcome as against the childhood‑onset disease. The bilateral presentation emphasizes the need for regular follow‑up to detect possible future involvement of the fellow eye.

Sympathetic ophthalmitis following vitreoretinal surgery: Does antecedent trauma make a difference.

Background: Sympathetic ophthalmitis (SO) has been reported following vitrectomy; however, there is a lack of data on the role of antecedent penetrating ocular trauma impacting the disease manifestation in eyes developing SO following vitrectomy. Aim: To report differences in the presentation and outcomes of SO in eyes with or without a history of antecedent penetrating trauma; SO being diagnosed after vitreoretinal (VR) surgery. Design: Comparative case series. Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients presenting with SO following VR surgery, diagnosed between 1995 and 2011 were included. Eyes with and without prior penetrating injury were included in Group I (n = 7) and Group II (n = 10), respectively. All Group I patients had received systemic steroids prior to presentation. Demographic and clinical parameters were evaluated. Results: Differences were observed between Group I and Group II mainly with regards to time interval between VR surgery and diagnosis of SO (1.5 months vs. 8 months, P = 0.10), presence of neurosensory detachments (100% vs. 30%, P = 0.01), and the inciting eye vision at presentation (nil light perception in 28.5% vs. 80%, P = 0.049). Other differences observed though not statistically significant were optic disc and retinal vessel involvement (42% vs. 70%, P = 0.28), Dalen‑Fuchs nodules (localized vs. diffuse) and leaks on fundus fluorescein angiography (pin‑head vs. pin‑point leak). Conclusion: SO in patients with antecedent penetrating ocular trauma present early with the central serous chorioretinopathy‑like picture. Prior use of systemic steroids might have a bearing on the differences in presentation and the visual acuities between the two groups.

Epiretinal membrane removal in patients with Stargardt disease.

Epiretinal membranes (ERMs) in Stargardt disease have been known to undergo spontaneous separation in children. Results of surgical intervention in adult patients with Stargardt disease have rarely been reported. A retrospective review of results of surgical intervention for ERM causing visual impairment in two adult patients of Stargardt disease was carried out. Both patients developed ERM in one eye during their follow‑up period with the resultant drop in their preexisting visual acuity. Postsurgery, restoration of foveal contour with some improvement in visual acuity was observed in both patients. No adverse effect of surgery was noted.

Normative spectral domain optical coherence tomography data on macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in Indians.

Aim: To provide the normative data of macular and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in Indians using spectral domain OCT (Spectralis OCT, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) and to evaluate the effects of age, gender, and refraction on these parameters. Design: Observational, cross‑sectional study. Materials and Methods: The eyes of 105 healthy patients aged between 20‑75 years, with no ocular disease and best corrected visual acuity of 20/20, were scanned using standard scanning protocols by a single examiner. Exclusion criteria included glaucoma, retinal diseases, diabetes, history of prior intraocular surgery or laser treatment. The mean macular and RNFL thickness were recorded, and the effects of age, gender, and refraction on these parameters were evaluated. This data was compared with published literature on Caucasians to assess the ethnic variations of these parameters. Results: The normal central foveal thickness in healthy Indian eyes measured using Spectralis OCT was 260.1 ± 18.19 μm. The nasal inner quadrant showed maximum retinal thickness (338.88 ± 18.17 μm).The mean RNFL thickness was 101.43 ± 8.63 μm with maximum thickness in the inferior quadrant. The central foveal thickness showed a gender‑based difference (P = 0.005) but did not correlate significantly with age (P = 0.134), whereas the parafoveal, perifoveal thickness, macular volume, and RNFL thickness showed significant negative correlation with age. Conclusions: Our study provides the normative database for Indians on Spectralis OCT. It also suggests that age should be considered while interpreting the macular thickness and RNFL, whereas gender should also be given consideration in central foveal thickness.

Failure of globe conservation in a case of adult onset retinoblastoma

Adult onset retinoblastoma is a rare intraocular malignancy. The majority of the cases are treated with enucleation, due to late presentation and advanced-stage tumors. Here we report a case of a 30-year-old female who presented with an intraocular mass with exudative retinal detachment in her right eye. B-scan ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] confirmed the diagnosis of retinoblastoma. In an attempt to salvage the globe, she was treated with chemotherapy, which resulted in excellent regression of the tumor mass by the end of 8 months follow-up. The patient was followed-up regularly with focal treatment whenever necessary. Two years later, she developed a massive recurrence necessitating enucleation. Histopathologic examination revealed a moderately differentiated retinoblastoma with choroidal invasion. Attempt to salvage the globe in adult onset retinoblastoma with chemoreduction and focal therapy may be possible; however, regular long-term follow-up is necessary for recurrence which warrants timely intervention