Internal limiting membrane peeling for large macular hole: Tailoring the rhexis to the shape of the hole

Purpose: To report a simple modification of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling tailored to the shape of the macular hole to improve the closure rates. Methods: This is a single?center interventional case series. conducted between 2016 and 2020. The minimum follow?up was 4 months. All surgeries were performed by one surgeon. Twenty consecutive patients (21 eyes) with large idiopathic macular holes (horizontal diameter: ?600 ?m) were enrolled; vertical hole diameters were also measured using spectral?domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Following vitrectomy, ILM peeling was performed over a horizontally oval area (additional 1 disc?diameter temporally); perfluoropropane gas (C3F8, 15%) tamponade was used. Hole closure and change in best?corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were monitored after absorption of the gas. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuities were compared using paired t?test. IBM SPSS (ver. 26) was used for analysis. Results: The macular holes were horizontally oval rather than circular without exception: mean horizontal and vertical diameters were 714 ?m (range: 600–1020 ?m) and 602 ?m (490–844 ?m), respectively. Following vitrectomy, macular hole closure was obtained in 20/21 eyes by the last follow?up (mean: 28 months, median: 34 months; range 4–48 months). Mean Snellen BCVA improved from 20/200 to 20/63 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: All the macular holes in the study were observed to be horizontally oval. A corresponding horizontal enlargement of the ILM rhexis yielded excellent anatomical and satisfactory visual outcomes

Combined occlusion of branch retinal artery and vein secondary to prepapillary arterial loops.

A middle‑aged diabetic and hypertensive man presented with diminished vision in the left eye. Fundus examination revealed prepapillary arterial loops, but with features of venous rather than arterial occlusion. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography confirmed the presence of a branch retinal vein occlusion along with two branch retinal artery occlusions. The resultant macular edema responded well to intravitreal triamcinolone and laser photocoagulation though the visual improvement was moderate.

Optical coherence tomography and autofluorescence findings in chronic phototoxic maculopathy secondary to snow‑reflected solar radiation.

A professional mountain trekker presented with gradual, moderate visual decline in one eye. The subnormal vision could not be explained by the examination of anterior and posterior segment of either eye, which was unremarkable. Optical coherence tomography and autofluorescence imaging revealed subtle defects in the outer retina, which correlated with the extent of visual disturbance. A novel presentation of retinal phototoxicity due to indirect solar radiation reflected from snow in inadequately protected eyes of a chronically exposed subject is reported.

Publish or perish: The art of scientific writing.

Publishing manuscripts is the only way by which scientists communicate with each other. In recent times, there is an increasing desire to publish manuscripts from the developing world for a variety of reasons. Though, performing a research study is challenging in itself, writing it for publication is the final frontier that can be daunting, especially for the novice. Work that remains unpublished in one form or the other is essentially incomplete or undone. Hence, it is critically important for one to publish one’s findings in a reputed journal. The purpose of this paper is to alleviate the mystique involved in manuscript writing and provide a blueprint where the subheadings given under each of the sections of introduction, methods, results and discussion can be expanded as per the particular study and the manuscript can be constructed in a stepwise manner. We hope that by following this approach, potential researchers and practicing ophthalmologists will develop the skill and aptitude for medical writing, and that the developing world shall do justice to its tremendous intellectual capital by making meaningful contributions to global scientific literature.

Management of macular epiretinal membrane by vitrectomy and intravitreal triamcinolone.

A patient underwent successful vitrectomy for macular epiretinal membrane with anatomical and functional improvement. 10 weeks later, there was a recurrence of macular edema with corresponding visual decline. An intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide not only restored the macular anatomy but also improved the visual outcome beyond that achieved after surgery.

A preliminary study of Heavy Brilliant Blue G for internal limiting membrane staining in macular hole surgery.

Context: Surgical outcomes of vitrectomy for idiopathic macular hole using a “heavy” Brilliant Blue G (HBBG) solution for staining and removal of the internal limiting membrane (ILM). Settings and Design: Prospective interventional case series conducted in a tertiary eye care hospital. Materials and Methods: Nineteen patients (20 eyes) with idiopathic macular hole were enrolled to undergo vitrectomy with ILM peeling using HBBG. BBG dye was made heavy by mixing with 10% dextrose normal saline (DNS) solution in 2:1 ratio. The adequacy of ILM staining was noted intraoperatively. The closure rates of macular hole and visual improvement were recorded. Patients were followed up postoperatively on day 1, week 1, and subsequently at 1, 3, and 6 months, and every 6th month thereafter. Statistical Analysis: Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used; P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ranged from 20/1000 to 20/63 (median: 20/100). Intraoperatively, the ILM stained very well in all eyes, and was easily removed. All macular holes closed postoperatively. The mean follow-up was 6.15 ± 2 months (range: 4-10; median: 6 months). Final BCVA ranged from 20/20 to 20/80 (median: 20/40), amounting to a significant visual improvement (P = 0.0001). BCVA improved by 1-8 Snellen lines in 19 eyes (95%); 16 eyes (80%) improved by ≥2 lines; 13 eyes (65%) achieved a final BCVA of 20/40 or better. Conclusions: Addition of 10% DNS to BBG dye allowed good ILM staining with less dye during macular hole surgery, and provided excellent anatomic and visual outcomes.

Branch retinal artery occlusion secondary to dengue fever.

Dengue is known to affect the posterior segment of the eye, with a range of hemorrhagic and inflammatory sequelae. A 28-year-old lady convalescing from dengue fever complained of unilateral blurring of inferior visual field. She was evaluated clinically and with fluorescein angiography. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 bilaterally. Fundus examination revealed a branch retinal artery occlusion in the right eye. Fluorescein angiogram confirmed the clinical diagnosis; and also revealed a late staining and leakage from the affected arterial segment. The patient maintained status quo over a follow-up of six months. We report a major vascular occlusion complicating classic dengue fever even in the absence of severe systemic manifestations.

Pegaptanib sodium for ocular vascular disease.

Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) is a selective RNA aptamer that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 165 , the VEGF isoform primarily responsible for pathologic ocular neovascularization and vascular permeability, while sparing the physiological isoform VEGF 121 . After more than 10 years in development and preclinical study, pegaptanib was shown in clinical trials to be effective in treating choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration. Its excellent ocular and systemic safety profile has also been confirmed in patients receiving up to three years of therapy. Early, well-controlled studies further suggest that pegaptanib may provide therapeutic benefit for patients with diabetic macular edema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion. Notably, pegaptanib was the first available aptamer approved for therapeutic use in humans and the first VEGF inhibitor available for the treatment of ocular vascular diseases.

Vitrectomy for circumscribed choroidal hemangioma with exudative retinal detachment refractory to transpupillary thermotherapy.

We report successful surgical management of a circumscribed choroidal hemangioma with exudative retinal detachment refractory to transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT). A 33-year-old man with symptomatic serous macular detachment in the left eye (Snellen acuity: 20/200) secondary to a paramacular choroidal hemangioma was treated with TTT. The nonresponsive detachment was subsequently managed by vitrectomy, endophotocoagulation and silicon-oil tamponade. It resulted in complete resolution of the tumor and the detachment. Silicon oil was removed at four months. Visual acuity improved to 20/80 by the last follow-up visit at 10 months without any recurrence.

Combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion secondary to systemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

We report a rare case of low-grade systemic B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) causing central retinal artery and vein occlusion, which was the only manifestation of disease recurrence. A young man with resolved systemic NHL underwent fluorescein angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to investigate a severe unilateral visual loss. A combined vascular occlusion was observed in the right eye. Neuroimaging detected optic nerve infiltration; but no systemic/ central nervous system involvement was observed. The patient was treated with high-doses of corticosteroids and optic nerve irradiation. The optic neuropathy and vascular occlusion were resistant to treatment. The subsequent neovascular glaucoma was treated by panretinal photocoagulation, which relieved the pain, but vision was not recovered. No further recurrence was observed over the following year.

Giant nodular posterior scleritis simulating choroidal melanoma.

A 45-year-old woman, complaining of sudden visual loss in the right eye (best-corrected visual acuity: 17/200), was suspected of having a malignant melanoma of the choroid. Fundus examination revealed a massive pale-colored subretinal mass temporal to the fovea, with adjoining choroidal folds and exudative retinal detachment. Ultrasonography was suggestive of posterior scleritis. Systemic evaluation was unremarkable. The patient was treated with high-dose systemic corticosteroids. The mass lesion resolved completely, with visual recovery to 20/20. Posterior scleritis should be suspected when evaluating subretinal mass-lesions, even when large and without overt inflammation. Early treatment may improve the visual prognosis and avoid misdirected management, including enucleation.

Macular ischaemia as a marker for nephropathy in diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To determine whether diabetic macular ischaemia is associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD), hyperlipidaemia, hypertension (HTN) and nephropathy. METHODS: Prospective case-control study from January to December 2001, involving 102 type 2 diabetic patients (aged 40-80 years), 59 with unilateral / bilateral macular ischaemia and 43 concurrent controls. Diabetic retinopathy was graded and macular ischaemia assessed by fundus examination, central fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. Systemic examination and laboratory investigations were done to evaluate systemic diseases. The associations were analysed by Chi-square test and Student's t-test. The significance of the variables as independent risk factors was tested by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Macular ischaemia was not associated with IHD (P=1.00); HTN (P=1.00) and hyperlipidaemia (P=0.30). Nephropathy was significantly associated with macular ischaemia (P=0.025; odds ratio [OR]: 2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-5.9). The association remained significant after controlling for age, gender, duration of diabetes, severity of retinopathy, HTN, IHD and hyperlipidaemia. Further, the association with nephropathy was not affected by the presence of macular isachaemia in one or both the eyes (P=0.39). CONCLUSION: Macular ischaemia may serve as a marker for nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus irrespective of the severity of retinopathy.

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR). Clinical profile and management.

PURPOSE: To report our experience with the diagnosis and management of Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) in a predominantly older Indian population.. METHODS: This prospective interventional non-comparative case series included 38 patients of FEVR and their 23 family members. The diagnosis was established by clinical examination, fluorescein angiography and family screening. Prophylactic photocoagulation/cryotherapy or surgical treatment was done depending on the severity of the disease. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 23.6 years. The fundus/fluorescein angiographic findings in 116 eyes of our 61 patients (6 eyes phthisical) were as follows: forty eight (41.4%) eyes had only peripheral avascular zone, 8 (6.9%) eyes had peripheral new vessels, and 35 (30.1%) eyes had retinal detachments (RD)--10 (8.6%) exudative, 5 (4.3%) tractional and 20 (17.2%) rhegmatogenous. Prophylactic photocoagulation or cryotherapy was done in 34 eyes for retinal holes, local exudative detachments and bleeding new vessels. All the eyes retained stable vision over a mean follow-up of 16 months. Only 14 RDs were suitable for surgery: scleral buckling, vitrectomy or both. The reattachment rate was 85.7% (12 of 14) and the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved to 5/60 or better in 50% of these eyes over a 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: FEVR appears to be more common than reported. Timely diagnosis and intervention is essential in view of the lifelong progression of the disease, late exacerbations, frequent involvement of family members, and poor surgical results. A high index of suspicion, family screening and early prophylaxis are recommended to prevent avoidable blindness from this underdiagnosed disease.

Management of age-related macular degeneration.

With the increase in life expectancy across the world, the magnitude of blindness due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is expected to rise. Exudative form is the major cause of visual loss from AMD. Several treatment options are available for this form of the disease. However, all treatment strategies aim at preservation of residual vision rather than regaining the lost vision. Two well-proven strategies are laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy. Other viable options are submacular surgery, transpupillary thermotherapy and pharmacological modalities like angiostatic-steroids. Oral anti-oxidants and zinc appear to be beneficial in preventing disease progression in early cases. Further research is on to explore more efficient treatments and to prove the safety and efficacy of large number of emerging newer treatment options.