Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer changes in asymptomatic essential thrombocythemia patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) changes using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with asymptomatic essential thrombocythemia (ET). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A consecutive case-control series of 30 patients with asymptomatic ET and age-similar, gender, refractive error, race-matched controls underwent a comprehensive eye examination and OCT of the peripapillary RNFL. Subjects with glaucoma, diabetes mellitus, hemoglobinopaties or other ocular diseases and those who underwent any retinal treatment were excluded. Inferior, superior, nasal and temporal peripapillary RNFL thicknesses were analyzed. One randomly selected eye per subject was compared with those of healthy ones. RESULTS: In the ET patients, the peripapillary RNFL thickness was particularly thin at the temporal quadrant (61.38 ± 9.82 µm, mean ± SD), and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.036) when compared with the control group (71.24 ± 10.28 µm). The average RNFL thickness was 88.73 ± 12.26 µm in the ET patients and 96.91 ± 13.66 µm in the control group. Although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.226), the average RNFL was 8.44% thinner in ET patients than in healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic ET patients may have peripapillary RNFL thinning as a result of their systemic illness. This study is the first to demonstrate peripapillary RFNL changes in asymptomatic ET patients.

Repeated bevacizumab injections versus mitomycin C in rotational conjunctival flap for prevention of pterygium recurrence.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of repeated bevacizumab injection in rotational conjunctival flap surgery versus rotational conjunctival flap with adjunctive mitomycin C (MMC) or rotational conjunctival flap alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety eyes of 90 patients who underwent primary pterygium surgery with rotational flap were evaluated. Patients were randomly assigned to undergo conjunctival rotational flap alone (Group A) or conjunctival rotational flap with either 0.02% MMC application (Group B) or adjunctive subconjunctival 2.5 mg/0.1 ml bevacizumab injection (Group C). Each group consisted of 30 eyes. Recurrence rates at 9 months were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in mean size of the pterygium across the limbus in terms of length (P > 0.5). The recurrence rates at 9 months were 26.6% (n = 8) in Group A, 13.3% (n = 4) in Group B, and 10% (n = 3) in Group C. The recurrence rates in Group B and C were significantly lower than in Group A (P = 0.1806). The recurrence rates were similar in Group B and C (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Subconjunctival bevacizumab injection may decrease the recurrence rate of primary pterygium surgery with rotational conjunctival flap. Further studies with a larger population and longer follow-up period are needed to supplement this study.