Outcomes of Primary Transconjunctival 23-Gauge Vitrectomy in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Presumed Endogenous Fungal Endophthalmitis.

PURPOSE: To report the outcomes of primary transconjunctival 23-gauge (23-G) vitrectomy in the diagnosis and treatment of presumed endogenous fungal endophthalmitis (EFE). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients with EFE who underwent diagnostic transconjunctival 23-G vitrectomy at a tertiary referral center. RESULTS: Nineteen eyes of 15 patients with EFE were included in the study. Four patients had bilateral and 11 patients unilateral disease. Sixteen eyes of 15 patients underwent 23-G vitrectomy to confirm the diagnosis using vitreous culture, polymerase chain reaction, and histopathologic examinations. All affected eyes were treated with intravitreal amphotericin B 5 µg/0.1 mL. Fourteen patients received additional systemic antifungal therapy. Diagnostic 23-G vitrectomy confirmed the diagnosis of EFE in 75% of the eyes (12/16). Candida was found to be a causative agent in 62.5% and Aspergillus in 12.5% of the eyes. Retinal detachment was the most common complication (42% of eyes). CONCLUSIONS: EFE can be easily confirmed using primary 23-G vitrectomy.

Critical evaluation of the usability of augmented reality ophthalmoscopy for the training of inexperienced examiners.

PURPOSE: To measure the value of augmented reality technology usage to teach the medical students performing binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. METHODS: Thirty-seven medical students were randomly assigned to the training of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy either in the conventional way or with augmented reality ophthalmoscopy (ARO). For testing student's skills, they had to examine a real person using a conventional ophthalmoscopy system and draw the optic disk. They also had to fill out a questionnaire. Subjective and objective evaluations were performed. RESULTS: Thirty-seven students were randomly assigned to two groups. Eighteen students were trained with conventional ophthalmoscopy and 19 students with ARO. The questionnaires showed no differences. Performing an objective analysis, the median ophthalmoscopy training score for the conventional ophthalmoscopy group was 1.2 (range, 0.67-2) and showed a significant difference (P < 0.0033) to the ARO group (median 2; range, 0.67-2). CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence that a single ARO training is efficient to improve ophthalmoscopy skills. As the objective analysis showed, the ARO group had a significantly superior performance. Our study also indicates that subjective evaluation of the fundus drawings without systematic analysis is prone to errors.

Retrospective evaluation of patients with uveal melanoma treated by stereotactic radiosurgery with and without tumor resection.

IMPORTANCE: The present study intended to analyze the suitability of single-dose stereotactic radiotherapy in the treatment of uveal melanoma that cannot be handled with ruthenium-brachytherapy and therefore is a challenge for ophthalmologists concerning local tumor control, as well as preservation of the eye and visual function. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate local tumor control, eye preservation, visual course, radiation complications, metastases, and death after single-dose stereotactic radiotherapy (SDRT) applied exclusively or combined with tumor resection in uveal melanomas that are neither suitable nor favorably located for ruthenium brachytherapy. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational case series. SETTING: Primary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-eight patients with uveal melanoma were treated. INTERVENTION: Between June 3, 2003, and March 18, 2008, patients with uveal melanoma received SDRT monotherapy (group 1, 60 patients) or SDRT combined with tumor resection (group 2, 18 patients). Radiotherapy was performed with a tumor-surrounding dose of 25 Gy on a linear accelerator. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Local tumor control, eye preservation, visual results, and radiation complications. RESULTS: Within a median follow-up of 33.7 months (range, 0.13-81.13 months), 6 recurrences occurred in group 1; none recurred in group 2. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for local control was 85% at 3 years in group 1 and 100% in group 2 (P = .22). Eye preservation rate was 77% vs 87% at 3 years (groups 1 and 2, respectively) (P = .82). Visual acuity decreased with a median loss of -18 Snellen lines (group 1) and -22 Snellen lines (group 2). More retinopathies (P = .07), opticopathies (P = .27), and rubeotic glaucomas (P = .10) occurred in group 1. No significant difference was observed in the development of metastases (P = .33). The groups differed in overall survival because of 2 deaths occurring shortly after surgery in group 2 for unexplained reasons (P = .06). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Survival analysis suggested that SDRT with combined tumor resection might be associated with increased tumor control and fewer radiation complications than SDRT as monotherapy. Both groups had similar eye retention rates and were comparable concerning the decrease in visual function in most eyes. However, the protocol was stopped after 3 unexplainable deaths after surgery.

Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment of macular edema in central retinal vein occlusion: one-year results.

PURPOSE: To report on the anatomic and visual acuity response after intravitreal bevacizumab injection in patients with macular edema due to non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: In a retrospective study, 21 consecutive patients (21 eyes) with non-ischemic CRVO underwent, on average, 3.7 intravitreal bevacizumab injections (1.25 mg). Ophthalmic examination included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) at baseline and follow-up visits. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline and at follow-up visits if needed. Primary outcomes were change of BCVA and CRT. RESULTS: The follow-up period for all of the included patients was 12 months. The mean BCVA was unchanged at the 12-month examination (baseline: 20/160; 12 months: 20/160) (P = 0.771). The mean CRT decreased from 780 microm (standard deviation [SD] +/- 324 microm) at the baseline to a mean of 462 microm (SD +/- 248 microm) at 12 months (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in a significant decrease in CRT without significant improvement of visual acuity in patients with non-ischemic CRVO after a follow-up of 12 months.

Subfoveal hemorrhage after verteporfin photodynamic therapy in treatment of choroidal neovascularization.

BACKGROUND: To identify the frequency of new subfoveal hemorrhage and its impact on visual acuity 2 weeks following verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive, interventional case series. At a tertiary retinal referral center, 104 eyes of 97 consecutive patients with predominantly classic subfoveal CNV were treated by PDT. Morphological outcomes include new subfoveal hemorrhage assessed on the photo review (pretreatment, 2 and 12 weeks after PDT). Visual acuity outcomes include moderate (3-5 ETDRS lines) and severe (6 and more ETDRS lines) loss of visual acuity at 2 weeks after PDT. RESULTS: In this study, 104 eyes of 97 patients were analyzed. CNV in all eyes was secondary to AMD. New subfoveal hemorrhage was found in 22% (23/104) of the eyes 2 weeks following PDT. 17.4% (4/23) of the eyes with new subfoveal hemorrhage had moderate or severe loss of visual acuity. In such eyes the 12-week examination revealed considerable resorption of the new subfoveal hemorrhage with some improvement of visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: In 3.8% of the eyes that underwent PDT for predominantly classic subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD, new subfoveal hemorrhage may result in moderate or severe loss of visual acuity within 2 weeks. In all eyes with new subfoveal hemorrhage, considerable resorption of the hemorrhage and some improvement of the visual acuity were seen at 12 weeks. Candidates for PDT should be informed about the low risk of this complication.