Exudative Retinal Detachment in Ocular Inflammatory Diseases: Risk and Predictive Factors.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the risk and risk factors for exudative retinal detachment (ERD) in ocular inflammatory diseases. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients with noninfectious ocular inflammation had been followed longitudinally between 1978 and 2007 at 4 US subspecialty uveitis centers. The main outcome measurements were occurrences of ERD and predictive factors. RESULTS: A total of 176 of 14,612 eyes with ocular inflammation presented with ERD. Among uveitis cases, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKH) (odds ratio [OR] = 109), undifferentiated choroiditis (OR = 9.18), sympathetic ophthalmia (OR = 8.43), primary or secondary panuveitis (OR = 7.09), multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis (OR = 4.51), and "other" forms of posterior uveitis (OR = 16.9) were associated with a higher prevalence of ERD. Among the 9,209 uveitic or scleritic eyes initially free of ERD and followed, 137 incident ERD cases were observed over 28,949 eye-years at risk (incidence rate = 0.47% [0.40%-0.56%/eye-year]). VKH (HR = 13.2), sympathetic ophthalmia (HR = 5.82), undifferentiated choroiditis (HR = 6.03), primary or secondary panuveitis (HR = 4.21), and rheumatoid arthritis (HR = 3.30) were significantly associated with incident ERD. A significant dose-response relationship with the prevalence and incidence of ERD were observed for AC cells and vitreous cell activity. African Americans had significantly higher prevalence and incidence of ERD. CONCLUSIONS: Other ocular inflammatory conditions in addition to VKH syndrome and posterior scleritis were associated with increased risk of ERD, indicating that ERD does not necessarily dictate a diagnosis of VKH or posterior scleritis. In addition, the relationship between ERD and inflammatory severity factors implies that inflammation is a key predictive factor associated with developing ERD and requires early and vigorous control.

Complications of femtosecond-assisted laser in-situ keratomileusis flaps.

Femtosecond-assisted laser in-situ keratomileusis flaps have revolutionized refractive surgery since their introduction. Although these lasers are exceedingly safe, complications still do occur. This review focuses specifically on examining the literature and evidence for flap complications during femtosecond-assisted laser in-situ keratomileusis as well as their management.

Trends in female representation in published ophthalmology literature, 2000-2009.

PURPOSE: To examine trends in female first and last authors in clinical ophthalmology literature published from January 2000 to December 2009. METHODS: A total of 3760 articles in American Journal of Ophthalmology (AJO), 2347 articles in Archives of Ophthalmology (Archives), and 3838 articles in Ophthalmology spanning 10 years of published ophthalmology peer-reviewed literature were examined. All original research articles and brief reports indexed online were included. Author gender was determined by an exhaustive Internet search. Articles were excluded if the sex of the author could not be determined or was not applicable (for example, articles by a study group rather than an individual author). RESULTS: Gender information was identified in 86.8% of articles for first authors and 86% for last authors. The number of female first authors (P < 0.0001) and last authors (P = 0.005) increased significantly in the study period in all journals examined, with a significant association between the sex of the first and last authors (OR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.96-2.46; P < 0.0001), when examining all articles. Female representation increased for last authors significantly only in Ophthalmology. There was a significant correlation between gender of the first author and total number of authors that was not observed with last-author sex. CONCLUSIONS: Female first authorship has increased from 2000 to 2009 and is correlated with the gender of the last author; however, there were fewer female last authors compared to female first authors in the same period.

Comparison of expert graders to computer-assisted image analysis of the retina in retinopathy of prematurity.

AIMS: To determine correlation of width and tortuosity between expert graders and computer-assisted image analysis of the retina in narrow-field images of eyes with retinopathy of prematurity. METHODS: 11 digital images were selected based on severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Narrow field images were analysed for width and tortuosity of vessels using computer-aided image analysis of the retina (CAIAR), an image analysis software, and by four ROP experts. Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) assessed the correlation of CAIAR grading with expert grading. Intra-class correlations assessed agreement among graders. Width and tortuosity were compared among severity of ROP and treatment status using analysis of variance and generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: Expert measurements correlated well with measures from CAIAR for venule width (ρ=0.57-0.66) and arteriole tortuosity (ρ=0.71-0.81). Measurements from four graders agreed moderately well (intra-class correlations were 0.49 and 0.69 for venule width and arteriole tortuosity, respectively). Increased severity of ROP (no pre-plus/plus, pre-plus, plus) was associated with larger width (linear trend p=0.02 in two graders) and tortuosity (linear trend p<0.03 in all graders). Tortuosity measurements by CAIAR and graders were statistically different between treated and untreated eyes (p<0.002). CONCLUSIONS: We found moderate correlation between expert graders' assessment of vessel tortuosity and width and CAIAR using narrow-field images.

Gender characteristics among academic ophthalmology leadership, faculty, and residents: results from a cross-sectional survey.

PURPOSE: To determine if there is any association in ophthalmology between the gender of the chairperson and residency program director and the gender of faculty and residents. METHODS: An anonymous electronic survey was sent to 121 ophthalmology residency program directors. Demographic information pertaining to size, location, academic or community affiliation, and gender distribution of the faculty, residents, residency program directors and chairs was obtained. RESULTS: The response rate was 45.45% with 55 residency program directors responding to the survey. Academic programs comprised 53 (96%) of the programs studied. Male department chairs led all 53 (96%) programs. In terms of the residency program director gender, 37 (67%) were male, whereas 18 (34%) were female. Female faculty and residents comprised 313 (28%) and 270 (45%), respectively. Compared to departments with male chairs, departments with a female chair had a higher crude proportion of female faculty (35% vs. 28%; P = 0.300) and female residents (50% vs. 45%; P = 0.660), although there was no statistical difference. Departments with either a male or female residency program director had similar number of female faculty (28% vs. 28%; P = 0.991) and residents (44% vs. 46%; P = 0.689). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant association between the gender of the residency program director and chairperson with the proportion of female faculty and residents. Given a higher ratio of female residents relative to female faculty, it is probable that graduating female residents are choosing not to pursue academic medicine, shrinking the potential pool of female candidates for positions of departmental leadership.

Outcomes after breast conservation treatment with radiation in women with ductal carcinoma in situ and prior nonbreast malignancy.

Management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is controversial, as not all patients progress to invasive carcinoma. This report analyzes the outcomes after breast conservation treatment (BCT) with radiation in patients with DCIS following prior malignancy at another anatomic site. The study cohort was comprised of 14 women with DCIS who were treated between 1978 and 2003. The median age at diagnosis of DCIS was 54 years (mean 56; range 37-78) and for the prior nonbreast malignancy was 44 years (mean 47; range 27-76). All patients underwent breast conservation surgery followed by whole breast radiation and tumor bed boost. The median and mean follow-up times after treatment of DCIS were 8.0 and 9.1 years, respectively (range 2-18). The median and mean interval period between the prior malignancy and DCIS was 6.0 and 8.2 years, respectively (range 1-30). There was one (7%) local failure, two (14%) contralateral breast cancers, and one (7%) death from breast cancer that occurred 7 years after BCT following contralateral invasive breast cancer. In this cohort of 14 patients treated for DCIS of the breast after a prior nonbreast malignancy, treatment for DCIS resulted in a high rate of local control and should be considered for curative intent.

Semiautomated digital image analysis of posterior pole vessels in retinopathy of prematurity.

Plus disease is a major indicator for treatment in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and computer-assisted image analysis of vessel caliber and tortuosity in the posterior pole may indicate disease progression and severity. We sought to determine whether semiautomated digital analysis of posterior pole vessels using narrow field images with varying severity of ROP correlated with vessel width and tortuosity.

Image analysis of posterior pole vessels identifies type 1 retinopathy of prematurity.

Identification of type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) relies heavily on the presence of characteristics of plus disease, especially tortuosity. However, a relatively infrequent subset of eyes with type 1 ROP, eyes with zone 1, stage 3 ROP without plus disease, is included in treatment indications. We examined if posterior pole vessel width is associated with type 1 ROP in a subset of eyes with zone 1, stage 3 ROP without plus disease and whether vessel width differentiates type 1 from non-type 1 ROP.