Is overactive bladder a nervous or bladder disorder? Autonomic imaging in patients with overactive bladder via dynamic pupillometry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in dynamic pupillometry in patients with idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: The study included 40 female patients with idiopathic OAB and 40 healthy female volunteers as a control group. Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Dynamic pupillometric parameters were measured with a commercially available unit (MonPack One, Metrovision, France) at baseline and on the 30th day of treatment with an antimuscarinic treatment (drug-agent) (solifenacin 5 mg daily). Initial, minimum, maximum and mean pupil diameters, the latency and duration of contraction and dilatation of the pupil, the amplitude of contraction and dilatation velocity were automatically measured and compared between the groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between two groups with respect to age and body mass index (p = 0.288, 0.755, respectively). The measurements of initial, minimum and mean pupil diameters were significantly lower in patients with OAB compared to healthy controls (p = 0.007, 0.002, 0.001, respectively). OAB patients had significantly longer latency of pupil dilatation, latency of pupil contraction and shorter duration of pupil contraction than control group (p = 0.028, 0.029, 0.021, respectively). After the antimuscarinic treatment, latency of pupil contraction, latency of pupil dilatation and duration of pupil contraction shortened significantly (all p < 0.001). Pupil dilatation velocity increased significantly during the treatment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The dynamic pupillometric findings in this study imply impaired autonomic dysfunction, mostly the increased parasympathetic action, in OAB patients and the modulatory effects of antimuscarinic treatment.

Choroidal and macular thickness changes in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients without diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVES: To explore choroidal thickness (ChT) and retinal thickness (RT) changes in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Sixty patients with Type 1 DM and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this prospective case-control clinical study. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. ChT of each participant was measured at the fovea and horizontal nasal and temporal quadrants at 500-µm intervals to 1500 µm from the foveola using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Age, gender, disease duration, serum glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose level, axial length (AL) and refractive error were noted and analyzed. RESULTS: Mean disease duration, mean HbA1c and mean fasting blood glucose in diabetic patients were 6.1±2.8 years, (8.9±0.9)% and 287.5±69.1 mg/dl, respectively. Age, gender, AL, spherical equivalent differences between the patients and subjects were insignificant (p>0.05). Subfoveal ChT, nasal quadrant ChT measurements, temporal 1500 µm and mean nasal ChT were significantly lower in diabetic patients (p<0.05 for all). Temporal 500 µm and 1000 µm ChT measurements, mean temporal ChT, average ChT, central macular thickness and average macular thickness did not differ significantly between the groups (p>0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is choroidal thinning in young Type 1 diabetic patients with early period of disease duration without diabetic retinopathy nor any other systemic diseases. Choroidal changes in type 1 DM seem to begin at nasal and distal temporal retina. These results need to be verified by larger and longitudinal studies.

Diabetic Macular Edema.

Diabetic macular edema (DME), one the most prevalent causes of visual loss in industrialized countries, may be diagnosed at any stage of diabetic retinopathy. The diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of DME have become straightforward with recent developments in fundus imaging, such as optical coherence tomography. Laser photocoagulation, intravitreal injections, and pars plana vitrectomy surgery are the current treatment modalities; however, the positive effects of currently available intravitreally injected agents are temporary. At this point, further treatment choices are needed for a permanent effect. SOURCES OF DATA SELECTION: The articles published between 1985-2015 years on major databases were searched and most appropriate 40 papers were used to write this review article.

Delayed visual loss due to radiation retinopathy.

Radiation retinopathy remains a devastating cause of visual morbidity in patients undergoing radiation for globe, orbit, and head and neck malignancies. A 65-year-old female was admitted with the complaint of low vision in the right eye for two months. Best corrected visual acuity was 20/32 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. Slit lamp examination was normal in both eyes. Fundoscopic examination revealed perifoveolar hard exudates, paramacular microhemorrhages, telangiectasias, and macular degeneration in both eyes. Fundus florescein angiography showed enlargement of the foveal avascular zone, perifoveal capillary telangiectasia, and widespread venous beading bilaterally. Optical coherence tomography revealed bilateral cystoid macular edema. The prediagnosis of diabetic retinopathy was not confirmed because of the absence of diabetes mellitus after endocrinologic evaluation. Detailed medical history explored external beam radiotherapy to the head and neck region for nasopharyngeal cancer 10 years ago. The ultimate diagnosis was radiation retinopathy.

Retinal structural changes in systemic arterial hypertension: an OCT study.

PURPOSE: To assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and macular thickness changes in young adults with systemic arterial hypertension. METHODS: This study included 80 young patients (age 23.8 ± 2.8 years) with systemic hypertension (sHT) without any known systemic or ocular disease and 80 age-matched (23.5 ± 2.1 years) healthy controls. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular thickness, and GCC thickness were measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Mean disease duration was 3.45 ± 1.48 years (range 2-10). Differences in intraocular pressure, body mass index, axial length, and spherical equivalent between the groups were insignificant (p>0.05). The differences in RNFL thickness did not differ between the groups. Patients with sHT had significantly lower central macular thickness (p = 0.037), inner superior macular thickness (p = 0.045), and outer temporal superior and outer temporal inferior GCC (p<0.001 for both). The RNFL thickness did not differ significantly in all quadrants between the groups (p>0.05). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly correlated with inner temporal superior and inner temporal inferior GCC thickness in a negative manner (p<0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Ganglion cell complex thickness decrease is possibly a better retinal marker for hypertensive changes with respect to RNFL and macular thickness.

Choroidal Thickness Changes in the Acute Attack Period in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate choroidal thickness changes during acute attacks of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). METHODS: Fifty patients with FMF and 50 healthy controls were included. Choroidal thickness of each participant was measured at the foveola and horizontal nasal and temporal quadrants at 500-µm intervals to 1,500 µm from the foveola using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. White blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum levels of fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated. The clinical findings (peritonitis, arthritis and pleuritis) were noted. RESULTS: Choroidal thickness was significantly thicker at all measurement points in FMF patients compared to healthy controls during an acute attack (p < 0.05). There were positive correlations between the choroidal thickness and ESR, fibrinogen and, particularly, CRP levels. Clinical findings did not change the choroidal thickness significantly (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased choroidal thickness in the acute phase of FMF is possibly related to the inflammatory edematous changes in the choroid.

Early Neurodegeneration of the Inner Retinal Layers in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

PURPOSE: This study explores retinal structural changes in type 1 diabetes without clinically diagnosed diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness, and macular thickness (MT) were measured in 90 type 1 diabetic patients by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The values were compared with 100 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The independent t test was used to assess differences in the mean age, mean diabetic and ocular parameters, and the thickness values between the diabetic and control groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between the thickness values and diabetic and ocular parameters. RESULTS: Whole-RNFL, the superior and inferior quadrants, and the superior half of the peripapillary RNFL thicknesses were significantly thinner in diabetic patients compared with controls (p < 0.05). GCC thicknesses in the average macular, outer temporal superior and outer temporal inferior sectors were significantly thinner in diabetic patients (p < 0.05). Central and average MTs were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). There were significant negative correlations of the duration of type 1 diabetes with the inner nasal MT, inner temporal superior GCC thickness, inner nasal inferior GCC thickness, and outer nasal superior GCC thickness (p < 0.05). Similarly, there were significant negative correlations of the level of HbA1c with the whole-RNFL thickness, superior-half-RNFL thickness, and superior-quadrant-RNFL thickness (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Type 1 diabetic patients without clinically diagnosed DR had neurodegeneration in the inner retinal layers compared with healthy controls.

Drastic effect of ranibizumab on choroidal neovascularization in idiopathic angioid streaks.

A 28-year-old man presented with bilateral vision loss. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.3 in the right eye (OD) and 0.6 in the left eye (OS). Fundoscopy and fluorescein angiography showed angioid streaks encircling the optic discs of both eyes (OU). Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) showed bilateral macular serous detachment. Systemic and ocular screening tests showed no specific cause for the angioid streaks. The patient had previously received pegaptanib sodium injection on three occasions, photodynamic therapy in OS, and no treatment in OD. Upon intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (twice in OU), subretinal fluid was nearly eliminated in OU. BCVA increased to 0.6 in OD and 0.9 in OS, and remained improved until 6 months after treatment.

Drastic effect of ranibizumab on choroidal neovascularization in idiopathic angioid streaks / Efeito dramático do ranibizumabe na neovascularização de coroide em estrias angióides idiopáticas

ABSTRACTA 28-year-old man presented with bilateral vision loss. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.3 in the right eye (OD) and 0.6 in the left eye (OS). Fundoscopy and fluorescein angiography showed angioid streaks encircling the optic discs of both eyes (OU). Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) showed bilateral macular serous detachment. Systemic and ocular screening tests showed no specific cause for the angioid streaks. The patient had previously received pegaptanib sodium injection on three occasions, photodynamic therapy in OS, and no treatment in OD. Upon intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (twice in OU), subretinal fluid was nearly eliminated in OU. BCVA increased to 0.6 in OD and 0.9 in OS, and remained improved until 6 months after treatment.

RESUMOUm homem de 28 anos apresentou-se com perda de visão bilateral. A melhor acuidade visual corrigida (BCVA) era 0,3 no olho direito (OD) e 0,6 no olho esquerdo (OS). A fundoscopia e a angiofluoresceinografia demonstraram estrias angióides ao redor dos discos ópticos em ambos os olhos (OU). A tomografia de coerência óptica de domínio espectral (SD-OCT) demonstrou descolamento seroso macular bilateral. Testes de triagem sistêmicas e oculares não mostraram causa específica para estrias angióides. O paciente tinha um historia de três tratamentos com injeção de pegaptanibe sódico e terapia fotodinâmica em OS e nenhum tratamento em OD. Após a injeção intravítrea de ranibizumabe (duas vezes em OU), fluido sub-retiniano quase desapareceu em OU. BCVA melhorou para 0,6 em OD e 0,9 em OS e não se alterou até o sexto mês de tratamento.

Diode laser-assisted transcanalicular dacryocystorhinostomy: the effect of age on the results.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of age on the success of transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy (TCDCR). METHODS: Seventy patients (70 eyes) who underwent transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy for the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction as a primary surgery were included in this retrospective, nonrandomized study. The patients were divided into two groups according to age. Mean ages were 21.3 ± 3.3 in group 1 and 60.3 ± 7.3 in group 2. The records of the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up examinations were evaluated, and the anatomical and functional outcomes were noted. Functional success was defined as the absence of epiphora as indicated by the patient. Anatomical success was determined as patency of the neo-ostium with irrigation. RESULTS: At the 3-month follow-up, 67% cases in group 1 showed anatomical success and 52% showed functional success; in group 2, the rates were 100% and 92%, respectively. Functional and anatomical success rates were the same for both the 6- and 12-month visits; 46% in group 1 and 76% in group 2. The results in group 2 were significantly better at all three follow-up visits (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly showed that the older patients experienced better transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy results than the younger patients. The diminished inflammatory response in the older population may be a possible contributing factor to these results.