Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-based screening program for retinopathy of prematurity and its treatment in an Indian population.

Purpose: The purpose was to study the incidence, risk factors, and anatomical outcomes after laser treatment in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out. Infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of 12 referral hospitals between April 2016 and September 2017 were screened according to the latest Indian guidelines based on the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity. Results: The incidence of ROP in 1648 eyes screened was 25.36% (418 eyes), out of which high-risk prethreshold ROP (type 1) was observed in 9.95% (164 eyes). Decreased hemoglobin (P < 0.001), oxygen requirement (P = 0.008), and number of blood transfusions (P = 0.037) were significant with type 1 than type 2 (low-risk prethreshold) ROP. Stages 1, 2, and 3 were observed in 82 (32.28%), 154 (60.62%), and 18 (7.08%) eyes, respectively. Aggressive posterior ROP (APROP) was observed in 20.73% eyes with type 1 ROP. Ten eyes showing APROP were treated at an early gestational age of 29 weeks. All infants with type 1 ROP were treated with laser photocoagulation only. Conclusion: One-fourth of the infants showed ROP and one-tenth needed laser photocoagulation, the outcome of which was excellent. Risk factors predisposing to ROP were anemia, high oxygen supplementation, increased number of blood transfusions, and septicemia. ROP screening in infants ≥1700 g birth weight associated with various systemic risk factors may be beneficial in the Indian population.

Smartphone guided wide-field imaging for retinopathy of prematurity in neonatal intensive care unit - a Smart ROP (SROP) initiative.

Purpose: To suggest a low cost, non-contact smartphone-based screening system in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and to illustrate its potential clinical application as a potential future tool for teleophthalmology. Methods: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)-based bedside ROP screening done between January 2018 and May 2018. Documentation of ROP was done by using a smartphone and +40D, +28D, or +20D indirect non-contact condensing lenses. By using the coaxial light source of the phone, this system works as an indirect ophthalmoscope that creates a digital image of the fundus. With smartphone-based camera we extracted high-quality still images extracted from the video clip. Results: Total of 228 eyes of 114 infants screened for ROP between January 2018 and May 2018. Incidence of total ROP was 23.68%, out of which incidence of type 1 ROP was 8.77%. After initial screening with indirect ophthalmoscope, we uesd smartphone imaging to document ROP in 28 eyes out of 55 eyes having ROP. Image quality was good in 89.28% eyes. Field of view vary from 46°, 53°, and 90° with +20D, +28D, and +40D indirect condensing lenses, respectively, which gives excellent images for bedside ROP documentation. Conclusion: The described technique of smartphone fundus photography is a light weight, cost-effective, user friendly, high-quality wide-field fundus photographs for bedside documentation of ROP in NICUs using readily available instruments that are handy and portable with simple power sources. Smartphones has the potential to be operated with only one hand. It can also be used as a future telescreening device.

Focal choroidal excavation: Cause or effect?

We report the imaging characteristics of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) and associated choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) and interpret the probable etiopathogenesis of FCE through findings in four patients detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). FCE was found as an acquired entity in two of our cases subsequent to treatment of CNVM, whereas in the two other cases FCE was pre-existing. Furthermore, association of FCE with pachychoroid spectrum is reaffirmed through this case series.

Long-term efficacy and safety of verteporfin photodynamic therapy in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) having visual acuity (VA) better than 20/60 in a real-world scenario in India. Methods: Retrospective review of 42 eyes of 40 patients (mean age 64.3 years) with best-corrected VA (BCVA) 20/60 or better and mean follow-up of 40 months (median 38 months; range 12-71 months) treated with PDT and anti-VEGF or triamcinolone for indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-proven subfoveal PCV. Results: : Mean BCVA improved from 0.22 logMAR at baseline to 0.15 at last visit (P < 0.001). On ICGA, polyp was observed in 42 eyes (100%) and branching vascular network (BVN) in 37 eyes (88.1%). Polyp regressed in 33 (78.6%) of 42 eyes and BVN in 26 (70.3%) of 37 eyes after combined therapy at 3 months. Mean greatest linear diameter reduced significantly (P < 0.001) from 7.22 mm to 4.11 mm. Standard-fluence PDT was performed in 35 eyes and reduced-fluence in 7 eyes. The mean number of PDT was 1.17 with mean number of injections being 6.38 at the end of follow-up. In five eyes, more than one PDT was administered. Of 42 eyes, 40 showed complete resolution of serous macular detachment (SMD) after the combined therapy at 3 months; 17 (42.5%) of the 40 eyes showed no recurrence of fluid on spectral domain optical coherence tomography till the last visit with a mean follow-up of 27 months. On long-term follow-up, SMD reoccurred in 23 eyes with a mean follow-up period of 9.64 ± 5.24 months. Of 38 eyes having a double-layer sign (DLS) on optical coherence tomography at baseline, 37 eyes were having regression of the DLS, that is, it either reduced or resolved at the final visit. At the final visit, 66.7% (P < 0.001) eyes were having fluid-free retina. No complication of subretinal hemorrhage was noted. Of the 42 eyes, only one eye had BCVA worse than 20/60 on the final visit. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to look into the long-term effect of combined PDT with anti-VEGF in PCV in eyes having good VA. Long-term effect of combined PDT appears to be a safe and effective treatment for PCV in eyes having good VA with better outcomes in real-world setting. This study further strengthens the superiority of the combined treatment modality for treatment of subfoveal PCV with no or minimal risk of complication on long-term follow-up.