Diabetic Retinopathy among Patients with Prediabetes Attending the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a Tertiary Eye Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy is a specific microvascular ocular complication associated with diabetes. However, retinopathy has also been reported in people with prediabetes. The study aimed to find out the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among patients with prediabetes attending the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary eye care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with prediabetes attending the outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary eye care centre from 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Board (Registration number: 594/2021 P). All patients had their eyes dilated and examined under the slit-lamp with a 90 D convex lens or indirect ophthalmoscopes with a 20 D lens to find retinopathy. All patients aged 40 to 79 years with intermediate hyperglycemia were included in the study. Convenience sampling was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 141 patients with prediabetes, diabetic retinopathy was found in 8 (5.67%) (1.85-9.49, 95% Confidence Interval). Among which all patients 8 (5.67%) had mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Among patients with retinopathy, all 8 (5.67%) were obese, 3 (37.50%) were hypertensive, 5 (62.50%) patients had intermediate hyperglycemia for more than 6 months, and 2 (25%) had a family history of diabetes mellitus. Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in prediabetes patient was found to be higher than the other studies conducted in similar settings. Keywords: diabetic retinopathy; prediabetes; prevalence.

Clinico-epidemiological Study of Patients with Glaucoma in a Tertiary Eye Center, Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: Major cause of irreversible blindness is glaucoma which is increasing as a significant global health problem. Knowledge of glaucoma burden and its clinical characteristics in this region is essential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional hospital -based study conducted at Glaucoma unit in CHEERS Hospital, Bhaktapur from August 2015 to July 2019. Patients' demographic profile, along with comprehensive eye examination findings were reviewed from the records. Data analysis was done with IBM SPSS version 24 and was presented in mean (±SD), frequency and proportions and a chi- square test was applied. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Total of 310 glaucoma cases were included in this study. The mean age presentation was 61.89±14.4 years, and the majority of patients (52.9%) were in the age group 60-79 years. Most patients had primary open angle glaucoma (171, 55.2%) followed by primary angle closure glaucoma (92, 29.7%). CONCLUSION: Primary open angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. The proportion of glaucoma increased with increasing age (> 40 years). Provision of screening programs targeting persons with risk factors and opportunistic eye examinations would be beneficial in detection of glaucoma.

Clinical variations and therapeutic challenges in the management of symptomatic retinal artery macroaneurysm: a tertiary center experience.

PURPOSE: To find out clinical characteristics, therapeutic options, and visual outcome in symptomatic retinal artery macroaneurysm (RAMA) patients. METHOD: Newly diagnosed cases of symptomatic RAMA from January 2015 to December 2019 were included. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients with mean age 62.46 years ± 14.89 (SD) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. RESULT: Hypertension was present in 66.6% of the patients, and the commonest site was superotemporal (12 eyes, 80%). The most commonly employed treatment was Nd: Yag laser hyaloidotomy in 4 eyes (26.6%). Other treatments were intravitreal bevacizumab in 3 eyes (20%), focal laser with intravitreal bevacizumab in 3 eyes (20%), PPV with focal laser (13.3%) in 2, focal laser only in one (6.6%), PPV with focal and intravitreal bevacizumab in one (6.6%). The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline was 1.35 ± 0.84 LogMAR, which improved to 0.39 ± 0.53 LogMAR at the last follow-up. Presenting VA 0.77 (±0.40) improved to 0.20 (±0.17) p value (0.180) in intravitreal bevacizumab only group, 1.29 (±0.35) to 0.75 (±0.15) p value 0.66 in Nd: Yag laser group, 2.67 (±0.58) to 0.46 (±0.28) p value 0.019 in PPV group and did not improve in combined anti-VEGF and focal laser group due to dense hard exudates at the fovea in one and persistent cystoid macular edema in another case. CONCLUSION: With regard to its presentation, which can vary tremendously, there are no approved guidelines for its treatment. The present study reinforces the need for a treatment guideline development. Customization of treatment should be considered depending on the clinical presentation of each case.

Tick infestation masquerading as a nodule in the eye lid.

INTRODUCTION: Ticks are ectoparasites which can lead to various blood borne diseases. Tick bite may resemble pigmented nevi, mole or nodule resulting a diagnostic dilemma. Tick bite in eye lid is rare and this case report describes tick bite in lower eye lid mimicking a traumatized pigmented nodule where the tick was identified only on magnification and was successfully removed mechanically. CASE: A 61-year-old man presented to the eye out patient department with a sudden and painful black pigmented lesion on the right lower lid for four days. The tick was manually removed with forceps. CONCLUSION: This case report explains the need for a high index of suspicion as tick bite in sudden or recent onset pigmented lesions especially in endemic areas.

Baseline Predictive Factors of Visual Outcome and Persistence of Subretinal Fluid Based on Morphologic Changes in Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Idiopathic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

BACKGROUND: To determine the influence of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) changes on visual outcome and persistence of subretinal fluid (SRF) in patients with idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective study done in 48 eyes of 45 patients diagnosed as CSCR, all eyes were subjected to fundus photography, spectral domain OCT, and fluorescein angiography (FA) in selected cases. RESULTS: Retinal pigment epithelium detachment was present in 22.91% of the cases at presentation. The logMar best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.46±0.29 at presentation to 0.18±0.22 at 3 months (P-value<0.01). The mean foveal thickness was 486.81±146.06 µm at presentation and 259±94.5 µm at 3 months (P-value<0.01) (paired T-test). OCT factors that were associated with poor visual outcome (BCVA>0.3 logMar) were disruption in the inner segment (IS)/outer segment (OS) junction or external limiting membrane (ELM) line and hyper-reflective dots in the intra/subretinal layer (P-value<0.05) (Fischer's Exact test). Out of the total 48 eyes, 26 had persistent SRF at 3 months. The presence of discontinuation in IS/OS junction and hyper-reflective dots in the intra/subretinal layer were the only two OCT factors that were associated with the persistence of SRF (P-value<0.01) (Pearson's Chi-square test). CONCLUSION: Visual outcome and persistence of subretinal fluid at 3 months can be predicted on the basis of early morphologic changes in OCT. This will aid in counseling patients regarding its course and may guide us in its management.

Lens induced glaucoma in a tertiary eye care centre in Western Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: Lens induced glaucoma due to hypermature cataracts is an important cause of secondary glaucoma in the developing world. The most common etiology of lens induced glaucoma is phacomorphic glaucoma from untreated senile cataract. OBJECTIVES: To study the demographics, clinical presentations and surgical outcome of lens induced glaucoma (LIG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is the prospective case series of fifty three patients eyes with LIG over a 6 months period from June 2015 to November 2015. All cases of lens induced glaucoma underwent cataract surgery. Data including demographics, clinical presentations, surgical outcome were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Studies 20.0. RESULTS: The mean age was 61.5 years (Standard deviation 8.9) with predominantly women (30, 56.6%) were affected. Phacomorphic glaucoma (38, 71.7%) was the main cause of lens induced glaucoma, followed by phacolytic glaucoma (15, 28.3%). The main clinical symptoms were reduced vision (100%), eye pain (96.2%) and redness of eyes (62.3%). All patients (100%) presented with visual acuity of <3/60 or worse and intraocular pressure (IOP) more than 40 mm Hg (34, 64.2%). All 53(100%) patients underwent cataract surgery and all of them had tremendously reduced intraocular pressure with a mean 13.9 mmHg and vision had improved from >6/18 as noted in 16(30.2%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: The main clinical presentations of LIG are triad of acute reduced vision, eye pain and redness. The better final BCVA is found when there is an early presentation and less IOP at the time of presentation Public awareness, early detection and early intervention aids in good visual recovery and control of intraocular pressure in LIG.