Glioma-associated radiation retinopathy treated successfully with aflibercept.

Radiation retinopathy is a chronic, progressive retinal microangiopathy which can occur with variable latency after retina exposure to ionizing radiation used for cancer treatment. It can occur secondary to treatment of nasopharyngeal tumors, as well as intraocular tumors, such as uveal melanoma and retinoblastoma. Several treatment modalities have been reported including intravitreal corticosteroids, intravitreal anti-VEGFs and argon laser photocoagulation. Our purpose is to present a case report of bilateral radiation retinopathy with macular edema in one eye that was revealed 6 years after glioma therapy and treated successfully by using monotherapy of aflibercept. A 59-year-old male patient presented with gradually deteriorating visual acuity in his left eye for the past 12 months. Best corrected visual acuity in his right eye was 20/25 and in his left eye 20/100. Fundoscopy and fluorescein angiography revealed severe non-proliferative retinopathy in his right eye and proliferative retinopathy in his left eye with macular edema. Following complete work-up and due to his past medical history, he was diagnosed with radiation retinopathy. The patient received 6 intravitreal injections of aflibercept in a period of 9 months in order to treat macular edema and radiation retinopathy. According to the literature, there is minimal experience using aflibercept monotherapy to successfully treat macular edema due to radiation retinopathy. In addition, radiotherapy for glioma is a rather rare cause of radiation retinopathy compared to other more common causes, such as nasopharyngeal tumors, meningiomas, and uveal melanomas.

Risk factors for intraoperative floppy iris syndrome: a prospective study.

PurposeTo evaluate risk factors for intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) in patients undergoing phacoemulsification.MethodsParticipants in the study were 1274 consecutive patients, who underwent routine phacoemulsification cataract surgery. The following data were recorded and evaluated as possible risk factors: ophthalmological conditions, axial length of the eye, sociodemographic features, clinical data (hypertension and diabetes mellitus), medications being taken at the time of surgery, and duration of their intake. Cases were characterized intraoperatively as IFIS and non-IFIS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed.ResultsIFIS was observed in 63/1274 eyes (4.9%, 95% CI: 3.9-6.7%). Current use of tamsulosin, alfuzosin, terazosin, benzodiazepines, quetiapine, and finasteride, as well as hypertension, were all independently associated with IFIS. Significant associations were noted for male sex, rivastigmine, and short axial length, which did not reach significance at the multivariate analysis. Duration of α-blockers intake was not found to be associated with IFIS.ConclusionApart from the well-established associations with α-blockers, this prospective study points to benzodiazepines, quetiapine, finasteride, and hypertension as potential risk factors for IFIS. Short axial length and rivastigmine were significantly associated with IFIS only at the univariate analysis.

Cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity: a MRI study of the surgical-anatomical relationship of the neonatal conjunctival fornices to the globe.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the surgical-anatomical relationship of the neonatal conjunctival fornices to the globe in order to ascertain whether adequate cryotherapy is possible in infants with stage 3 retinopathy of prematurity using a trans-scleral approach without opening the conjunctiva. METHODS: Magnetic resonance (MR) scans of the orbit were performed on an adult and an infant of 38 weeks post-conceptual age with maximal posterior placement of a MR-compatible replica of the Schulenburg cryoprobe in the nasal and temporal aspects of the globe. RESULTS: In the infant MR scan, the scleral indentation produced by the probe was anterior to the equator on the nasal side and at, or just anterior to, the equator on the temporal side. Nasally, the scleral indentation reached only the more anterior part and not the posterior part of zone 2 and none of zone 1. Temporally, the scleral indentation reached the central part of zone 2 but not the posterior part of zone 2 or zone 1. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that adequate cryotherapy with a trans-scleral approach without opening the conjunctiva is unlikely to be achieved in the more immature neonate with posteriorly located retinopathy of prematurity. To permit access of the cryoprobe to the more posterior part of the globe, one radial conjunctival incision from the corneal limbus in each quadrant may be required to achieve adequate ablation of the posterior non-vascularised retina in these high-risk infants.

Hemostatic effects of SF6 after diabetic vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: To investigate the hemostatic effects of SF6 gas in preventing postoperative vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic vitrectomy. METHODS: A prospective, randomized study of 33 diabetic eyes with vitreous hemorrhage, treated by vitrectomy. In 17 of our cases SF6 20% was injected into the eye at the end of the operation, while in 16 cases BSS remained in the vitreous cavity. RESULTS: The incidence of vitreous hemorrhage recurrence was 17.6% for the SF6 group and 12.5% for the BSS group (statistically not significant). Progression of lens opacities was observed in 23.5% of the SF6 group, and in 18.8% of the BSS group (statistically not significant, with a higher incidence in the SF6 group). CONCLUSIONS: SF6 gas did not show hemostatic effects in the cases studied. Furthermore, it may have contributed to cataract progression. Therefore we suggest that the use of SF6 is not recommended as a treatment modality in preventing new vitreous hemorrhage after diabetic vitrectomy.