ABSTRACT
Aim. To examine subscale and total scores of NEI-VFQ questionnaire of type 2 diabetes patients at different diabetic retinopathy (DRP) stages. Methods. A total number of 201 patients have been included. Prior to ophthalmological examination all patients participated in the NEI-VFQ questionnaire. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale (ICDRS). Results. The diabetes duration in general health scores (p = 0.029); the stage (p = 0.011); and clinically significant macular edema (CSME) (p = 0.019) in general vision were found to be the most efficient factors. In near vision activities the most efficient factors were near vision acuity (NVA) (p = 0.0001) and DRP stage (p = 0.020). EDTRS visual acuity was found to be the most efficient factor in vision specific role difficulties (p = 0.034) and dependency (p = 0.011) whereas Snellen visual acuity was found to be among the most effective factors in distance activities (DA) (p = 0.014) and total scores (p = 0.026). Discussion. Difference was based not on the diabetes duration, clinically significant cataract (CSCat), CSME presence, and DRP stage but on the visual acuity levels of the better seeing eye of the patients.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose and dose-escalating therapy of interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of Behçet uveitis. METHODS: This study included 37 patients with refractory Behçet panuveitis unresponsive to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Induction interferon alfa-2a therapy was given as a daily dose of 3.0 million IU (MIU) subcutaneously for 14 days. Maintenance dose was achieved with 3.0 MIU 3 times per week given subcutaneously. The dosage was increased sequentially to 4.5, 6.0, and 9.0 MIU 3 times per week if uveitis relapses occurred. Total therapy duration was 24 months. Primary outcome measure was control of uveitis with quiescence during maintenance therapy. Ocular relapses per patient-year before and after initiation of interferon alfa-2a therapy and a corticosteroid-sparing effect were secondary outcomes. We also estimated the rate of remission after discontinuing interferon alfa-2a therapy. RESULTS: During maintenance therapy, interferon alfa-2a controlled uveitis in 35 patients (95%). In 15 patients (41%), a maintenance dosage of 3.0 MIU 3 times per week controlled uveitis without any relapse. The rate of uveitis relapses decreased from 3.52 per patient-year before to 0.75 per patient-year after initiating interferon alfa-2a therapy. Seventeen patients were receiving systemic corticosteroids at the time of initiation of interferon therapy. During the maintenance stage, 9 patients were able to discontinue and 8 to taper systemic corticosteroid therapy. Survival analysis estimated that the rate of remission after discontinuation of interferon alfa-2a therapy was 76% by 3 months. The rate of remission remained stable thereafter. CONCLUSION: A treatment protocol using a low-dose and dose-escalating therapy with interferon alfa-2a was able to control and achieve remission of uveitis in most patients with refractory ocular Behçet disease.
Subject(s)
Angiogenesis Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Behcet Syndrome/drug therapy , Interferon-alpha/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Adult , Angiogenesis Inhibitors/adverse effects , Behcet Syndrome/physiopathology , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Interferon alpha-2 , Interferon-alpha/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Recombinant Proteins , Treatment Outcome , Visual Acuity , Young AdultABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report the complications and long-term results of laser-induced chorioretinal venous anastomosis in vein occlusions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight consecutive eyes, 3 with central retinal vein (CRVO) and 5 with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), were observed for up to 5 years after attempted laser-induced chorioretinal venous anastomosis. RESULTS: Successful chorioretinal venous anastomoses were created in 2 (25%) eyes. Patients had severe complications, including vitreous hemorrhage, choroidal neovascular membrane, choriovitreal neovascularization, rubeosis iridis and neovascular glaucoma. CONCLUSION: The utilization of a chorioretinal venous anastomosis by laser with proposed laser settings as a therapeutic modality should be further analyzed, and a careful long-term follow-up must be done to avoid vision-threatening complications.
