Response to Comments on 'Acute Bilateral Neuroretinitis and Panuveitis in A Patient with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Report'.

PURPOSE: to respond to comments on our case report on COVID associated neuroretititis. METHODS: We gathered up to date statistics about the prevalence and incidence of epidemic retinitis in Iran and specifically our region, north-east of Iran. RESULTS: Our response to Kawal et al comments includes 3 items. First, the PCR result of the vitreous specimen was positive for COVID-19. Secondly, the clinical course of the patient's illness was typically similar to our numerous COVID patients and we were in the middle of the second peak of COVID at the time. Thirdly, although other causes of epidemic retinitis such as west nile river are relatively rare in our region, we had a significant rise in the incidence of epidemic retinitis in the peak of COVID. So, the most probable cause may be COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Although the ocular findings of our patient was similar to epidemic retinitis caused by other well-known organisms, we believe that based on positive vitreous sample PCR for COVID, typical clinical course of systemic illness, being in the peak of COVID pandemic with significant increase of similar patients during this period, our patient had COVID associated neuroretinitis/ epidemic retinitis.

Acute effects of coffee consumption on the microcirculation of macula and optic nerve head.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the acute changes in retinal vasculature following coffee consumption. Methods: This is an interventional case series. The subjects were 22 healthy young adults. They were asked to rest in a silent room for 15 min; then, their heart rate, blood pressure, and arterial oxygen saturation pressure were measured with a single patient monitoring system. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A) imaging of the disc and macula were performed for both eyes of the subjects. These measurements were repeated 45 min after drinking a cup of 450 ml of coffee containing a standard dose of 130 mg of caffeine. Macular and optic nerve head neurovasculature changes were assessed. Results: The results of our study did not show a significant change in peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and neural structural and vascular parameters of the optic nerve head. Although assessments of macular vasculature showed a significant decrement in superficial (p = 0.01) and deep vessel density (p = 0.05) at parafovea, vessel densities (VDs) at the fovea, and deep capillary plexus at perifovea showed no significant change. Conclusion: Consuming one cup of coffee (150 mg caffeine) statistically changes central foveal thickness and parafoveal blood flow but likely does not have a clinical impact in healthy young adults.

Acute retinal necrosis. Management and visual outcomes: a case series.

BACKGROUND: The present study reports the functional and anatomical outcomes of eyes with acute retinal necrosis(ARN). METHODS: This is a retrospective case series conducted at a tertiary Eye Hospital from March 2015 to March 2020. Medical records of patients with clinical and laboratorial-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-diagnosis of ARN were reviewed. To identify factors related to the outcomes of visual acuity(VA) and retinal detachment (RD) over time, Cox proportional hazards regression modeling and survival analyses were used. RESULTS: Twenty-three eyes of 23 patients (16 male, 7 female) were reviewed. Based on the PCR results, 16 cases (69.6%) had Varicella zoster virus, 3 cases (13%) had Cytomegalovirus, 1 patient (4.3%) had Herpes simplex virus associated ARN, and 1 case (4.3%) had negative PCR. The incident rate for ≥ 2-line VA gain was 0.28/eye-year (EY) (95% CI 0.21 ± 0.26) while the rate of severe vision loss was 0.09/eye-year (95% CI 0.05 ± 0.08). The RD development was observed at a rate of 0.43/eye-year (0.42 ± 0.02), which occurred in 9 eyes with a mean time of 100 days after the initial presentation of ARN. Patients' age was the only factor associated with 2-line or more gain in VA over time with a hazard ratio of 0.921 (95% CI 0.854-0.993, P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Generally, although being crucial, treatment is not highly effective in improvement of VA and decrease of RD development, as well as vision loss, in patients with ARN. However, treatment prevents fellow eye involvement efficiently. Younger age is associated with better response to treatment and more chance to achieve better VA.

Acute Bilateral Neuroretinitis and Panuveitis in A Patient with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Report.

Purpose: Herein, we report a case of bilateral neuroretinitis and panuveitis in a patient recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Case presentation: A 37-year-old male patient with a history of recovered COVID-19, which was confirmed with nasopharyngeal reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), about one-month ago was referred with one-week history of bilateral severe vision loss. Visual acuity was counting fingers, and bilateral retinitis and panuveitis were revealed in ocular examination. The result of the vitreous sample using RT-PCR was positive for SARS-CoV-2 and negative for Herpesviridae viruses and mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroid.Conclusion: We report a case of bilateral neuroretinitis and panuveitisin a recovered COVID-19 patient and positive RT-PCR of the vitreous sample. It is suggested to apply intraocular sampling and evaluation for COVID-19 in patients with the new-onset of uveitis and/or retinitis during the pandemic.

Effect of antiglaucoma agents on short-term intraocular pressure fluctuations after intravitreal bevacizumab injections.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of prophylactic pressure-lowering medications on intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes after intravitreal injections (IVIs) METHODS: In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, 74 eyes that were candidates for intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection (IVI) (0.05 mL, 1.25 mg of bevacizumab) were enrolled and sorted randomly into five groups, group 1: topical timolol 0.5% (n = 16); group 2: topical brimonidin (n = 15); group 3: oral acetazolamide 250 mg (n = 14); group 4: intravenous mannitol (1.5 gr/kg) (n = 16); group 5: no intraocular pressure-lowering medication (n = 13). Medications were administered 30-60 min prior to injection. None of the patients had history of glaucoma. Intraocular pressure was measured before (baseline), 5 min after (T5), 10 min after (T10), 15 min after (T15) and 30 min after (T30) IVI using Goldmann Tonometer. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant, but relatively weak negative correlation between the amount of vitreous reflux post-IVI intraocular pressure elevation (Spearman's rho = -0.315, p = 0.006). There was no difference of the amount of vitreous reflux (P = 0.196) between study groups. The baseline mean IOP for Groups 1, 2, 3,4 and 5 were 11.19 ± 3.7, 10.07 ± 2.19, 11 ± 2.98, 10.13 ± 3.48 and12.54 ± 2.60 mmHg, respectively. (P = 0.214) There was no difference of peak IOP spike between groups at T5: 37 ± 19.7, 34.80 ± 15.76, 33.43 ± 18.29, 33.56 ± 16.88, 34.92 ± 9.99 mmHg (P = 0.977). There was also no difference of IOP at T10, T15 and T30 between study groups: P = 0.979, P = 0.994 and P = 0.692, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although it is advisable to prevent IOP spikes, our study showed that use of prophylactic pressure-lowering medications with every mechanism of action has no effect in IOP spikes following intravitreal bevacizumab injections in non-glaucomatous eyes. Trial registrationThe study was registered with clinicaltrails.gov (ID# NCT02140450). Trial registration date: 05.09.2014.

Optical coherence tomography angiography analysis of the retina in patients recovered from COVID-19: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the density of the macular microvasculature and the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) analysis. METHODS: In a comparative cross-sectional, observational study, patients recovered from COVID-19 were included in this study. All included subjects exhibited a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Spectral domain macular OCTA was performed at least 2 weeks after recovery from systemic COVID-19. Vessel density (VD) of the superficial (SCP) and deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) and the area of the FAZ were measured in COVID-19 recovered patients versus age-matched normal controls. RESULTS: Thirty-one recovered COVID-19 patients and 23 healthy normal controls were studied. Mean quality scan index was 7.64 ± 0.66 in the COVID cases and 8.34 ± 0.71 in the normal controls (p = 0.001). Mean SCP VD and DCP VD of the COVID cohort were significantly lower than the SCP VD and DCP VD of the control group in the foveal and parafoveal regions. FAZ area was greater in the COVID cohort, but this difference was not statistically significant. In addition, in the COVID cohort, VD of the SCP was lower in patients with a history of COVID-19 hospitalization versus those without such a history, but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Patients recovered from COVID-19 displayed alterations in the retinal microvasculature, including a significantly lower VD in the SCP and DCP. Patients with coronavirus infection may be at risk of retinal vascular complications.

Ocular Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Northeast of Iran.

PURPOSE: To evaluate ocular findings in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Northeast of Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional, observational study all consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at the central referral center of these patients in northeast of Iran were included. Ocular examinations (external and slit) were randomly performed for the patients who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and six COVID wards of the hospital. Moreover, Chart records and serum chemistry results were collected. RESULTS: A total of 142 patients with the mean age of 62.6 ± 15 years (range: 23-96 years) and almost equal gender distribution (male: N = 77, 54.2%) were included in the study. During the initial external examination by the ophthalmologist, 44 (31%) patients were found to have conjunctival hyperemia and 22 (15.5%) patients had chemosis. Consecutive slit examination showed 41 (28.9%) conjunctival hyperemia, 22 (15.5%) chemosis, 11 (7.7%) cataract, and 9 (6.3%) diabetic retinopathy. The patients with at least one ocular manifestation had significantly higher blood urea levels at the time of admission compared to those with no obvious ocular involvement (median: 41.5, IQR: 28-66.3 vs. median: 33, IQR: 23.8-51.8, P = .023). Moreover, a significant difference was observed in the total white blood cell count, lymphocyte percent, neutrophil count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and blood urea level between patients with positive and negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 virus. None of the patients reported ocular symptoms prior to systemic involvement. The proportion of patients with at least one ocular manifestation was significantly higher in those admitted in the ICU compared to the non-ICU wards. wards. While conjunctival hyperemia was the most prevalent ocular finding in all patients, chemosis was the most common ocular manifestation in ICU admitted patients. CONCLUSION: Ocular manifestation was observed in more than half of our COVID-19 patients. Hence, it seems important to involve ophthalmologist in the diagnosis and management of these patients.

Long-Term Intraocular Pressure Changes after Pars Plana Vitrectomy: An 8-Year Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term changes of intraocular pressure (IOP) after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). METHODS: This was a retrospective historical cohort study. Patients with a history of vitrectomy in one eye by a single surgeon were enrolled. IOP of the operated eye was compared to the fellow eye. Previous scleral buckling, IOP rise due to surgical/anatomic complications, silicone oil (SO) emulsification, and contralateral ocular hypertension/glaucoma at recruitment were exclusion criteria. "Significant IOP rise" (>6.0 mmHg) and development of open angle glaucoma (OAG) were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-five eyes were included. Mean and median follow-up duration were 20.6 and 9.0 months, respectively. Mean baseline IOP and mean final IOP were 13.53 ± 3.75 mmHg and 16.52 ± 6.95 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.001). Forty-three patients developed "significant IOP rise" with no statistically significant relation to the indication of vitrectomy, the postoperative lens status, and number of vitrectomies (P = 0.410, P = 0.900, and P = 0.160, respectively). SO injection raised the probability of IOP rise in the long-term (P = 0.028). OAG occurred in 17 patients (7.5%) with no association to SO tamponade (P = 0.840). "Significant IOP rise" and OAG occurred in 3 and 1 control eyes, respectively, significantly lower than the rates in study eyes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Mean IOP slightly rose in the long-term after PPV. SO tamponade was associated with IOP rise in the long-term but not with the incidence of OAG. Both IOP rise and OAG were more probable after vitrectomy.

Comparison between Tear Film Osmolar Cocentration and Other Tear Film Function Parameters in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate tear film function in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) using tear film osmolarity (TFO) measurements compared to other tear film function tests. METHODS: DM patients without any history of ocular surface disorder but with potential effects on the tear film were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Data including dry eye symptoms, duration of DM, stage of diabetic retinopathy and blood hemoglobin A1c levels were recorded. Tear film break-up time (TBUT) and basic tear secretion (Schirmer test) were assessed. TFO was determined using the Tearlab Osmolarity System. The outcome measures were the difference between the mean values of TBUT, basic tear secretion and TFO in both the study and control groups. RESULTS: We recruited 51 DM patients and 20 control subjects with a mean age of 51.2 (range, 21 to 70) and 48.5 (range, 24 to 70) years, respectively. A total of 27 patients (53%) and 11 controls (55%) reported dry eye symptoms (p = 0.668). The mean TBUT was 10.2 ± 4.8 seconds in the study group versus 10.5 ± 2.8 seconds in controls, which was not significantly different (p = 0.747). The mean Schirmer test score was 8.1 ± 4.3 mm in the patients versus 10.1 ± 3.0 mm in the controls (p = 0.069). The mean TFO was 294.1 ± 12.9 mosmol/L in the patients versus 291.4 ± 14.5 mosmol/L in the controls (p = 0.456). It was significantly higher in patients with poor glycemic control determined by hemoglobin A1c > 8% (p = 0.003). TFO had a positive correlation with the duration of DM (p = 0.030) but not with the stage of diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.944). However, TFO showed a significant relationship with dry eye symptoms (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TFO is impaired in patients with uncontrolled DM and is better correlated with glycemic control and dry eye symptoms than the TBUT and Schirmer tests.

Effect of oral photochemotherapy (8-methoxypsoralen + UVA) on the electrophysiologic function of retina.

CONTEXT: Since we had observed electroretinographic (ERG) abnormalities in some patients undergoing photochemotherapy with normal eye examination, we decided to investigate the effects of this therapy on retinal function. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of oral photochemotherapy (8-methoxypsoralen + Ultraviolet-A) on electrophysiologic function of retina. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with vitiligo, psoriasis or eczema were enrolled. Patients with any abnormal eye exam or a positive drug or family history for retinal disease were excluded. Baseline standard ERG was provided with the RETIport32 device. The second ERG was performed 6 months after the first and at least 1 week after the last photochemotherapy session (mean number of sessions: 45 ± 11). The outcome measures were changes in rod response, standard combined response, single-flash cone response, 30-Hz flicker (N1-P1) and oscillatory potentials amplitudes. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled; 20 of them (mean age: 31.1 ± 12 years) completed the study. The mean rod response b-wave amplitude decreased from 88.9 ± 47.5 to 86.4 ± 36.6 and standard combined response b-wave amplitude decreased from 266.52 to 261.85 µV (p = 0.422 and p = 0.968, respectively) and the standard combined response a-wave amplitude increased from 155.4 ± 40.0 at baseline to 165.1 ± 48.4 in the follow-up ERG (p = 0.092). The mean single-flash cone response a-wave amplitude decreased insignificantly in the follow-up ERG trace (34.5 ± 13.7 and 29 ± 15.4, respectively, p = 0.242). The mean single-flash cone response b-wave amplitude showed an insignificant increase (p = 0.087). The amplitudes of 30-Hz flicker wave and oscillatory potentials did not change significantly in the follow-up ERG (p = 0.551 and p = 0.739, respectively). CONCLUSION: Since no significant change in ERG traces was observed, oral photochemotherapy seems safe for retinal electrophysiologic function.

Effectiveness of Technolas torsional eye tracking system on visual outcomes after photorefractive keratectomy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of Technolas 217Z eye tracking system (torsional component) in corneal surface irregularity and high order aberrations (HOAs) after photorefractive keratectomy. METHODS: Patients with compound myopic astigmatism among persons demanding refractive surgery in Khatam-al-Anbia Eye Hospital with the mean age of 29 years were enrolled in this double-blind randomized interventional study. The mean spherical equivalent (SE) of refractive error was -4.75 diopters(D) (range: -1.5 to -7.0), and the mean astigmatism was 3 D (range:1.0-4). Many studies were performed for each patient including: A complete eye examination, visual acuity and Monocular contrast sensitivity evaluation, and refraction. Corneal topography, Orbscan II, and wavefront aberrometry were conducted. One eye was randomly assigned for aspheric treatment and applying eye tracking system. The other eye was treated without torsional eye tracking system. The outcome measures were uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, corneal irregularity index in 3 mm and 5 mm optical zones in Orbscan II, and mean total HOAs at the 6-monthvisit. RESULTS: Fifty eyes of 25 patients were enrolled. Mean UCVA was improved significantly in both the study and control groups in the 6-month post-operative follow-up. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in UCVA and BCVA (P = 0.185 and P = 0.176, respectively). Total HOAs increased in both groups after PRK. However, they were lower in eyes treated with the eye tracking system (P < 0.001). Corneal irregularity index in 3 mm and 5 mm central zones in Orbscan II was significantly lower in the study group (P = 0.045 and P = 0.031 respectively). Contrast sensitivity function was not different in the 2 groups (P = 0.15). CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that applying 'Technolas 217z' eye tracker system (Bausch and Lomb Advanced) results in a more regular anterior surface of cornea. Therefore, we recommend it for surface laser refractive surgery.

Electrophysiologic evaluation of retinal function in patients with psoriasis and vitiligo.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relation between psoriasis and vitiligo with the electrophysiologic function of the retinal photoreceptors. METHODS: Patients with psoriasis or vitiligo referred for PUVA therapy were enrolled. Complete eye examination was performed. Patients with any drug or familial history or abnormal eye examination that might affect the retinal function were excluded. Standardized full-field electroretinogram (ERG) elicited with Ganzfeld stimuli using the commercial ERG system (Retiport32; Roland Consult) according to International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision guidelines was performed. The outcome measures were the difference between the mean rod response, standard combined response, single-flash cone response and 30-Hz flicker wave amplitudes of the patients and normal population. RESULTS: Seventy-six eyes of 38 patients (vitiligo: 21; psoriasis: 17) and 40 eyes of 20 normal subjects were enrolled in this study. The mean age of patients was 31.3 ± 11.3 years (range 16-54 years). Twenty-two patients (58 %) were female. The mean rod response b-wave, standard combined a- and b-waves, single-flash cone response b-wave and the 30-Hz flicker (N1-P1) amplitudes were significantly lower than the normal population in the same range of age as the study group. There was no significant difference between the patients with vitiligo and those with psoriasis in all wave amplitudes (P = 0.094). CONCLUSION: This study showed that overall retinal electrophysiologic function in patients with vitiligo or psoriasis is significantly impaired compared with normal population, independent of age and sex.