Vitreoretinal Surgery in Uveitis: From Old to New Concepts - A Review.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to do a comprehensive literature review about the current role of pars plana vitrectomy in uveitis and in its different structural complications such as cystoid macular edema, epiretinal membrane, macular hole, and retinal detachment. METHODS: This comprehensive literature review was performed based on a search on PubMed, BioMed Central, Science Open, and CORE databases, of relevant articles abording pars plana vitrectomy in uveitis. DISCUSSION: Uveitis is a complex disease with multiple etiologies and pathogenic mechanisms. Therapeutic pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) may aid in uveitic structural complications such as cystoid macular edema, epiretinal membranes, macular hole, and retinal detachments even though some cases may present unpredictable visual outcomes. Diagnostic PPV with appropriate ancillary testing is also a valuable tool for the assessment and diagnosis of uveitis in a large proportion of patients. CONCLUSION: Over the years, pars plana vitrectomy has undergone significant transformations since its invention nearly 5 decades ago, however, the quality of evidence in the literature regarding its use for uveitis has not improved in the same way. Even though some structural uveitis complications (as previously mentioned) may respond well to surgery, there is still a certain unpredictability regarding its visual outcomes. On the other hand, diagnostic vitrectomy with appropriate ancillary testing is also a valuable tool for the assessment and diagnosis of uveitis in a large proportion of patients.

Large inferior retinectomies for proliferative vitreoretinopathy in silicone oil-filled eyes.

BACKGROUND: To describe the anatomical and functional outcomes and late complications in patients who developed inferior proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in silicone oil-filled eyes and who required reoperation with large inferior retinectomy. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective, interventional case series analysis. The study involved 18 individuals with tractional retinal re-detachment due to PVR development inferiorly in eyes who had undergone prior pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil as a tamponade. All patients included in the study underwent secondary surgery with large inferior retinectomy (from 120° to 270°) and silicone oil filling. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 44.0 ± 31.5 (± SD) months (range: 4 to 96 months. The anatomical success, defined as the complete reattachment of the retina until the last follow-up, was observed in 88.9% of the cases. The postoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/100 to hand motion at 60 cm. Only two cases (11.1%) did not achieve anatomical success at the last follow-up due to recurrent PVR and retinal re-detachment (one including hypotony). All of the patients were pseudophakic. The PVR grade, as well as the presence of PVR prior to primary surgery, showed no statistical correlation with BCVA, the extent of retinectomies, and final macular status. There was a statistically significant correlation between "Final BCVA" and "Initial BCVA" (r = 0.654) and between "Final BCVA" and "Extent of Retinectomy" (r = 0.615). CONCLUSIONS: Reoperation in eyes filled with silicone oil may be required when PVR is developed. Secondary surgery in these cases with large inferior retinectomy and silicone oil implantation may reach good anatomical success with low rates of late complications, besides improving visual acuity. A better BCVA at the time of re-RD diagnosis and cases of retinectomies with greater extensions showed a positive correlation with better functional outcomes. Trial registration Research Ethics Committee of the Suel Abujamra Institute reviewed and approved this study protocol (approval number, 5.404.961).

Central retinal artery occlusion secondary to presumed traumatic carotid artery dissection in a healthy child.

PURPOSE: To describe a rare case of a 13 years-old healthy child that presented CRAO secondary to carotid artery dissection, which occurred after a neck rotation movement. METHODS: Case report with prospective literature review. PATIENTS: One patient described in the case report. RESULTS: Not applicable. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Internal carotid artery dissection is a rare condition, specially in children, that can lead to serious cerebral-ocular ischemic events. It may occur due to direct vessel trauma or spontaneously. Prompt imaging screening is of paramount importance because early antithrombotic treatment or surgical intervention may significantly reduce the incidence of devastating ischemic events, such as stroke or central retinal artery occlusion.

Pachychoroid disease spectrum: review article.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to do a comprehensive literature review about the current understandings of the pachychoroid disease spectrum, describing its multimodal imaging analysis, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and current types of management. METHODS: This comprehensive literature review was performed based on a search on the PubMed database, of relevant pachychoroid published papers according to our current knowledge. DISCUSSION: The pachychoroid disease spectrum, according to some authors, includes the following: pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE), central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV)/aneurysmal type 1 neovascularization (AT1), and more recently focal choroidal excavation (FCE) and peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS). Each one of these entities will be described and discussed in this article. CONCLUSION: Significant advances in multimodal imaging have enabled a better understanding of the typical choroidal changes in pachychoroid disease spectrum. The clinical knowledge and managing options about this disease significantly increased in the last years. However, it is still unclear why some eyes with typical pachychoroid disease phenotype show no evidence of RPE damage and subretinal fluid (uncomplicated pachychoroid) while others present progressive tissue damage, neovascularization, and atrophy.

Acute Thyroiditis and Bilateral Optic Neuritis following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination with CoronaVac: A Case Report.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of acute thyroiditis and bilateral optic neuritis associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. METHODS: A single case report from a tertiary referral center. RESULTS: The patient described in the following case report developed acute thyroiditis and bilateral optic neuritis following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The patient underwent pulse therapy followed by oral tapering corticosteroid therapy with an improvement of the bilateral disc swelling and the visual field, and recovery of thyroid-stimulating hormone to the normal limits. CONCLUSION: Although the association between immunization and the onset of demyelinating manifestations of the central nervous system is well documented, this is the first reported case of bilateral optic neuritis and acute thyroiditis and subsequent to administration of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Intraocular silicone oil brain migration associated with severe subacute headaches: a case report.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to report a rare case in which a patient presented symptomatic silicon oil brain migration, documented by MRI, several years after vitreoretinal surgery. METHODS: This is a case report with a prospective literature review. PATIENTS: The patient described in the case report. RESULTS: Case report. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: For several years, silicone oil (SiO) has been widely used as a long-term intravitreal tamponading agent to treat complex retinal detachments. There are rare reports in the literature demonstrating the migration of SiO into the brain. The aim of this article is to report a rare case in which the patient presented severe headaches several years after vitreoretinal surgery, with migrated SiO appearing in MRI as an oval lesion within the horn of the right lateral ventricle. To the best of our knowledge, there are very few reports of symptomatic SiO brain migration in the literature.

Caracterização de ectasia subclínica com análise integrada da tomografia e biomecânica da córnea / Characterization of subclinical ectasia with integrated corneal tomography and biomechanics assessments

RESUMO O artigo tem como objetivo descrever de forma prospectiva diferentes casos de ectasias altamente assimétricas (very asymmetric ectasia, VAE) para diferenciar formas subclínicas ou "frustas" do ceratocone (forme fruste keratoconus - FFKC) de casos de doença ectásica unilateral. O Caso 1 é um paciente de 39 anos, que admitiu ter coçado intensamente apenas o olho direito (OD) na juventude, se apresentando com ectasia unilateral tratada com sucesso por meio de implante de anel intraestromal em OD. O olho esquerdo (OE) apresentou-se normal ao exame completo por meio de propedêutica multimodal e acuidade visual não corrigida (AVsc) de 20/20, estável por mais de 5 anos, com TBI (tomography and biomechanical index) de 0.02. No Caso 2 é um paciente de 15 anos com ectasia clínica em OD, e OE com topografia normal, mas alterações tomográficas e biomecânicas, incluindo o TBI 0,56, caracterizarando a doença subclínica (FFKC). O Caso 3 é a mãe do paciente do Caso 2, de 46 anos, que se apresentou com presbiopia, sem qualquer histórico oftalmológico relevante. A AVsc foi de 20/20 em cada olho, topografia de Placido com leve encurvamento inferior, mas sem sinais definitivos de ectasia. A avaliação biomecânica e tomográfica revelou sinais de ceratocone em ambos os olhos, com TBI de 1,0 e 0,99. Esses três casos estão de acordo com a definição do consenso global e a hipótese de dois acertos (two-hit hypothesis), que ceratocone é uma doença bilateral, mas ectasia pode ocorrer por causa estritamente mecânica unilateralmente (ou em qualquer olho). A relevância da propedêutica multimodal é destacada, destacando-se a integração do estudo biomecânico e tomográfico com imagens de Scheimpflug.

ABSTRACT The article aims to prospectively describe different cases of highly asymmetric ectasia (very asymmetric ectasia, VAE) to differentiate subclinical or "frustrated" forms of keratoconus (forme fruste keratoconus - FFKC) from cases of unilateral ectatic disease. Case 1 is a 39-year-old patient with unilateral ectasia treated with an intrastromal ring implant. The contralateral eye was normal due to multimodal propaedeutics, stable for more than 3 years, with a TBI of 0.02. The patient admitted to having intensely scratched only his right eye in his youth. In Case 2, a 15-year-old patient with clinical ectasia in the right eye, had a left eye with normal topography and tomographic and biomechanical changes characterizing FFKC. Case 3 is the mother of the case 2 patient, aged 46, who presented with presbyopia, without any relevant ophthalmological history. Uncorrected visual acuity of 20/20 in each eye, Placido topography with slight lower curving, but without definitive signs of ectasia. The biomechanical and tomographic evaluation revealed signs of keratoconus in both eyes. These three cases are in accordance with the definition of the global consensus: keratoconus is a bilateral disease, but ectasia can occur because of strictly mechanical unilateral (in any eye). The relevance of multimodal refractive imaging is highlighted, with a focus on integrating biomechanical and tomographic assessments with Scheimpflug images.

Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis Evolving With Submacular Granuloma.

DUSN is an infectious ocular disease that can lead to severe visual impairment and blindness. It usually occurs in young healthy individuals and depending on the stage of the disease, clinical presentation may range from mild vitritis and multifocal gray-white lesions in outer retina to optic atrophy.Parasites of different sizes and species have been proposed as the etiological agent of this disease. Thus, it is hypothesized that different infectious worms may be considered as the likely cause of a both autoimmune and toxic form of nematode retinopathy.Most patients present with already severe visual impairment and in the later stages of the disease, where the likelihood of improvement is low, despite therapy. In cases of early diagnosis, prompt treatment, whether with oral antihelmintic or direct photocoagulation of the worm, patients may show considerable visual improvement and have a more favorable prognosis.

Diagnóstico do ceratocone: um artigo de revisão / A review of keratoconus diagnosis

Resumo Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão sobre o diagnóstico do ceratocone, com enfoque nos métodos propedêuticos disponíveis. Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa no banco de dados PubMed com as palavras chave: Keratoconus, diagnosis, topography e tomography. Por se tratar de uma revisão, não houve restrição de período para a publicação dos artigos selecionados. Foram também utilizados o manual Prefered Practice Pattern(PPP) da academia americana de oftalmologia, assim como o site "eyewiki.aao.org". Resultados: Dos 641 artigos encontrados no PubMed, assim como os usados como referência para o PPP, 36 foram selecionados por serem considerados mais relevantes para o tema proposto. O site "eyewiki.aao.org" foi utilizado como referência para as figuras. Conclusão: O diagnóstico do ceratocone evoluiu consideravelmente desde quando foi primeiramente descrito. É desejável que seja feito em suas fases precoces devido ao alto potencial de morbidade desta doença. Uma possível integração entre os múltiplos índices diagnósticos, investigação genética, biologia molecular e inteligência artificial é almejado para uma maior acurácia diagnóstica.

Abstract Objective: To Perform a review on the diagnosis of keratoconus, focusing on the available propaedeutic methods. Methods: A search was performed in the PubMed database using the key words: Keratoconus, diagnosis, topography and tomography. As it is a review, there was no restriction regarding the publication period of the selected articles. Furthermore, both the preferred practice pattern(PPP) manual of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, as well as the website "eyewiki.aao.org" were used as reference. The project was submitted to the research ethics committee of the Federal University of São Paulo / UNIFESP / SP 2018 (# 2,568,770). Results: Out of the 641 papers found in PubMed, in adition to those used as a reference for PPP, 36 were selected while considered more relevant to the adopted theme. The website "eyewiki.aao.org" was used as a reference for the images. Conclusion: The diagnosis of keratoconus has evolved considerably since it was first described. It is desirable to diagnose it on the early stages due to its high potential of morbility. A possibility of an integration between the various diagnostic indices, genetic research, molecular biology and artificial intelligence is recommended for greater diagnostic accuracy.

Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis: review article.

Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis (DUSN) is an ocular infectious disease that can lead to severe visual impairment and blindness. It usually occurs in healthy young individuals and depending on the stage of the disease, it may present as vitritis, multifocal gray-white lesions in the outer retina, and derangement of the retinal pigment epithelium, narrowing of the retinal vessels and optic atrophy. Parasites of different sizes and species have been proposed as the etiologic agent of DUSN, including Ancylostoma caninum, Toxocara canis, and others. Thus, it is hypothesized that different infectious worms may be considered as the likely cause of both an autoimmune and toxic form of nematode retinopathy. Because serologic testing is variable, the definitive diagnosis is made when clinical characteristics of DUSN are found in conjunction with an intraocular worm. Ancillary tests can assist in the differential diagnosis when the nematode cannot be visualized, such as fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, electrophysiological tests, visual field studies, and more recently, optical coherence tomography angiography. Cases in which the worm can be identified, it is defined as confirmed DUSN, and eyes with the typical clinical features but without identification of the worm should be classified as presumed DUSN. In confirmed DUSN, the classic treatment is directly photocoagulation of the worm; however, it can only be visualized in 30% (to 40%) of cases. Treatment of presumed DUSN cases with high-dose oral albendazole has shown encouraging results. However, perhaps due to the disease's rarity or its underdiagnosis, there are no studies comparing current treatment modalities in both presumed and confirmed DUSN. Due to the possibility of this disease being, in part, autoimmune nematode retinopathy, corticosteroids associated with both albendazole or laser therapy, could be in any way beneficial. Thus, further comparative studies are necessary to elucidate the best treatment for this potentially blinding disease.

Ethical aspects in the use of electronic medical records: analyzing who matters the most / Aspectos éticos no uso de registros médicos eletrônicos: analisando o que mais importa

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the patients' perspectives regarding the introduction of the electronic medical record into use in an ophthalmologic hospital and its impact on the doctor/patient relationship. Methods: The cross-sectional study analyzed the impact of the electronic medical record on the doctor-patient relationship based on the patients' opinions after electronic medical record implementation compared with use of traditional paper records. The same doctor attended all patients and completed questionnaires during patient interviews that analyzed empathy, punctuality, efficiency, information clarity, doctor cordiality, respect, trustworthiness, patient benefits from the technology, confidentiality, and humanized care. The inclusion criteria included age of 18 years or older, adequate cognition, previous treatment in the same institution by the same doctor using paper medical records and later the electronic medical record, and free and informed written patient consent. The exclusion criteria included age below 18 years, inadequate time to answer the questionnaire, first patient visit, doubtful interview responses, and first visit before 6 months after electronic medical record implementation. The data were analyzed descriptively by relative and absolute frequencies. A previous pilot study of 20 patients yielded 95% confidence intervals for the percentages of agreement for the electronic medical record questionnaire responses obtained and found that 160 patients was adequate for performing the study. Results: The patients reported that the electronic medical record had a positive impact on the doctor-patient relationship in all areas considered. Over 94% of patients responded affirmatively when questioned about their confidence in the confidentiality of their data, 38.3% noted changes in the doctor's concern for service and 68% agreed that clarity of the information provided by the doctor was greater with the electronic medical record. Conclusion: Based on the patients' perceptions, the EMR positively affected the doctor-patient relationship after the implementation of the technology in a private ophthalmologic hospital.

Resumo Objetivo: Investigar as perspectivas dos pacientes em relação à introdução do prontuário eletrônico em uso em um hospital oftalmológico e seu impacto na relação médico / paciente. Métodos: O estudo transversal analisou o impacto do prontuário eletrônico na relação médico-paciente com base na opinião dos pacientes após a implementação do prontuário eletrônico em comparação com o uso de registros tradicionais em papel. O mesmo médico atendeu a todos os pacientes e completou questionários com pacientes que analisaram empatia, pontualidade, eficiência, clareza da informação, cordialidade do médico, respeito, confiabilidade, benefícios para o paciente da tecnologia, confidencialidade e cuidado humanizado. Os critérios de inclusão incluíam idade de 18 anos ou mais, cognição adequada, tratamento prévio na mesma instituição pelo mesmo médico, usando registros médicos em papel e, posteriormente, o prontuário eletrônico e consentimento livre e esclarecido por escrito do paciente. Os critérios de exclusão incluíram, idade abaixo de 18 anos, tempo inadequado para responder ao questionário, primeira consulta do paciente, respostas duvidosas à entrevista e primeira visita antes de 6 meses após a implementação do prontuário eletrônico. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente por frequências relativas e absolutas. Um estudo piloto prévio de 20 pacientes forneceu intervalos de confiança de 95% para as porcentagens de concordância para as respostas do questionário de prontuário eletrônico obtido e constatou que 160 pacientes eram adequados para realizar o estudo. Resultados: Os pacientes relataram que o prontuário eletrônico teve impacto positivo na relação médico-paciente em todas as áreas consideradas. Mais de 94% dos pacientes responderam afirmativamente quando questionados sobre sua confiança na confidencialidade de seus dados, 38,3% observaram alterações na preocupação do médico com o serviço e 68% concordaram que a clareza das informações fornecidas pelo médico era maior com o prontuário eletrônico. Conclusão: As vantagens do prontuário eletrônico foram o rápido acesso à informação, clareza dos dados, recuperação rápida e organizada da informação e agilidade nos serviços.

Lente Macular Scharioth / Scharioth Macula Lens (SML)

Resumo Objetivo: Revisar criticamente a literatura sobre o implante intraocular da Lente Macular Scharioth (SML) em pacientes com estágios avançados de Degeneração Macular Relacionada à Idade (DMRI). Métodos: A pesquisa bibliográfica foi feita nas bases de dados do Pubmed e Google Acadêmico, com os termo dry AMD, devices e Scharioth Macula Lens. Utilizamos os artigos prospectivos, retrospectivos ou relatos de casos publicados em inglês ou português nos últimos cinco anos, com esses termos. Resultados: Foram encontrados um total de 19 artigos, todos em inglês. Sendo que destes, 5 relacionavam-se a complicações da cirurgia de catarata e outro à degeneração macular exsudativa e foram excluidos. Portanto, foram utilizadas 13 referências para esta revisão. Conclusão: A Scharioth Macula Lens foi desenvolvida como lente intraocular suplementar para olhos pseudofácicos com DMRI, mas vem sendo usada também em pacientes com outra maculopatias. Os resultados iniciais relatados são animadores.

Abstract Objective: In this review we critically evaluated the publications on the intraocular implant of the Scharioth Macular Lens (SML) in patients with advanced stages of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Methods: The literature search was done in Pubmed and Google Scholar database, with the term dry AMD, devices and Scharioth Macula Lens. We use prospective, retrospective articles or case reports published in English or Portuguese in the last five years under these terms. Results: A total of 19 articles were found, all in English. Of these, 5 were related to complications of cataract surgery and another to Exudative Macular Degeneration. Therefore, 13 references were used for this review. Conclusion: Scharioth Macula Lens was developed for pseudophakic eyes with AMD and has also been used in patients with other maculopathies. The initial results reported are encouraging.