ANATOMICAL AND VISUAL OUTCOMES OF INVERTED INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE FLAP TECHNIQUE VERSUS INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING IN MYOPIC MACULAR HOLE WITHOUT RETINAL DETACHMENT: A Preliminary Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: To compare the results of vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and inverted ILM flap for treating myopic macular hole without retinal detachment. METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients undergoing vitrectomy with either ILM peeling (n = 16) or inverted ILM flap technique (n = 12) were included. Outcomes were myopic macular hole closure by optical coherence tomography and visual acuity at 6 months and at the end of follow-up. RESULTS: Closure of myopic macular hole was achieved in 13 eyes (81.2%) of the ILM peeling group and in 11 eyes (91.7%) of the inverted ILM flap group. The median length of follow-up was 18 months in the peeling group and 10.3 in the inverted group. There were not statistically significant differences between restoration of the external limiting membrane, external limiting membrane and ellipsoid zone, and none of both layers between the two groups. The median best-corrected visual acuity (logarithm of minimal angle of resolution) at the end of follow-up was 0.25 (20/35 Snellen) in the peeling group and 0.4 (20/50) in the inverted group (P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Both techniques were associated with high closure rates of myopic macular hole but the small sample size and the retrospective design prevents any claims of superiority of one technique over the other.

Comparative study of penetrating keratoplasty and vitreoretinal surgery with Eckardt temporary keratoprosthesis in ocular trauma versus non-trauma patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of temporary keratoprosthesis combined with vitreoretinal surgery and penetrating keratoplasty in patients with or without trauma. METHODS: This retrospective study included 49 eyes in 49 non-trauma patients and 51 eyes in 48 ocular trauma patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty and vitreoretinal surgery with Eckardt temporary keratoprosthesis between 2009 and 2016, with a follow-up of at least 12 months. Study variables included previous corneal, glaucoma, or retinal surgeries; various intraoperative surgical maneuvers; lens status; vitreoretinal and corneal pathology; functional outcomes; anatomical retinal reattachment; graft clarity; and need for glaucoma surgery or treatment. RESULTS: The mean age was 56 years in the non-trauma group and 42 years in the ocular trauma group. A total of 45% of the non-trauma cases and 24% of the ocular trauma cases had a single functional eye. Pseudophakic and aphakic keratopathy was diagnosed in 41% of the non-trauma group and corneal laceration in 65% of the ocular trauma group. In the ocular trauma group, injuries were open globe injury in 78%, closed globe injury in 12%, and intraocular foreign body in 10%. Retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy was present in 39% of patients in the non-trauma group and in 35% of the ocular trauma group. Improvement or stability of visual acuity was higher among ocular trauma patients (86%) than in non-trauma patients (78%). The rate of clear corneal grafts was 49% in both groups. Retinal attachment was achieved in 90% and 78% of patients in the non-trauma and ocular trauma groups, respectively. The use of retinotomy had a positive influence on the final attached retina (p = 0.016). The placement of a scleral buckle significantly increased the risk of glaucoma (p = 0.004). Poor functional outcome was related to persistent retinal detachment (10% versus 16% in the non-trauma and ocular trauma groups, respectively), phthisis (25% versus 12%), hypotony (33% versus 18%), corneal graft end failure (51% in both groups), and secondary glaucoma (18% versus 24%). CONCLUSION: In patients with both vitreoretinal and corneal pathology, the use of Eckardt temporary keratoprosthesis combined with vitreoretinal surgery and penetrating keratoplasty resulted in improvement of visual acuity, particularly in the groups of ocular trauma and monocular patients. The high rate of retinal reattachment and the low rate of graft rejection was probably related to the use of new vitreoretinal techniques, including retinotomy in selected patients.

Comparison of Anatomical and Visual Outcomes between Idiopathic and Myopic Macular Holes Using the Internal Limiting Membrane or Inverted Internal Limiting Membrane Flap Technique.

PURPOSE: To compare the results of vitrectomy with those of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling or inverted ILM flap for treating myopic or idiopathic macular hole. METHODS: Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients undergoing vitrectomy with ILM peeling for macular hole (25 idiopathic and 14 myopic) and 27 eyes of 27 patients undergoing vitrectomy with inverted ILM flap (15 idiopathic and 12 myopic) were included. Outcome measures were macular hole closure by optical coherence tomography and visual acuity at 6 months. RESULTS: Closure was achieved in 25 (100%) idiopathic and 12 (86%) myopic macular holes in the ILM peeling group and in 14 (93%) idiopathic and 11 (91.77%) macular holes in the inverted ILM flap group. There were no statistically significant differences in restoration of the external limiting membrane and ellipsoid zone between the groups. Median best-corrected visual acuity (logarithm of minimal angle of resolution) at the end of follow-up was 0.22 (20/32 Snellen) in idiopathic and 0.4 (20/50) in myopic (P=0.042) patients in the ILM peeling group and 0.4 (20/50) in idiopathic and 0.4 (20/50) in myopic (P=0.652) patients in the inverted ILM flap group. CONCLUSION: Both techniques were associated with high closure rates in myopic and idiopathic macular holes, with somewhat better visual outcomes in idiopathic cases. The small sample size may have provided insufficient power to support the superiority of one technique over the other in the two groups.

Slipping Rib Syndrome as Persistent Abdominal and Chest Pain.

Slipping rib syndrome is an overlooked cause of persistent abdominal or chest pain. The etiology of this syndrome is not well understood, but the characteristic pain is from hypermobility of the false ribs. Although it is a diagnosis of exclusion, misdiagnosis may lead to an excessive workup. A simple clinical examination via the hooking maneuver is the most significant feature of its diagnosis. We describe the case of a 41-year-old woman with slipping rib syndrome.

Vasopresores en resucitación cardiopulmonar: la controversia continúa / Vasopressors for cardiopulmonary resuscitation

The Advanced Cardiac Life Support proposes the use of vasopressor drugs cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with the primary purpose of effectively and early restoration of spontaneous circulation. However, the increased return of spontaneous circulation with vasopressors has not improved neurological outcome at hospital discharge. Adrenaline has traditionally been the main tool of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines despite the lack of conclusive scientific evidence. Therefore other alternatives were considered at experimental level that has have failed to overcome the clinical results of this drug. In contrast to progress on the standardized management of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the controversy regarding the effectiveness of vasopressor therapy remains open in the last years due to lack of clinical data to support their usefulness.

El soporte vital avanzado propone el uso de vasopresores durante la resucitación cardiopulmonar, con la finalidad primordial de reestablecer de manera precoz y efectiva la circulación espontánea. Sin embargo, el aumento del retorno a la circulación espontánea asociada a los vasopresores no ha demostrado una mejoría en el pronóstico neurológico al alta hospitalaria. La adrenalina, ha sido tradicionalmente la herramienta principal de las guías de resucitación cardiopulmonar pese a la falta de evidencia científica concluyente. Por ello se han planteado otras alternativas a nivel experimental que no han logrado superar los resultados de este fármaco a nivel clínico. En contraste con los avances respecto al manejo estandarizado de la resucitación cardiopulmonar, el debate con respecto a la efectividad de la terapia vasopresora se mantiene abierto en los últimos años dada la falta de datos clínicos que corroboren su real utilidad.