Recommendations for the management of childhood juvenile idiopathic arthritis-type chronic anterior uveitis.

IMPORTANCE: Australian- and New Zealand-based, uveitis-specialized ophthalmologists have produced recommendations for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-type chronic anterior uveitis. BACKGROUND: Historically, the visual prognosis of JIA-type chronic anterior uveitis has been poor. New medical advances are likely to improve outcomes, but recently published guidelines are tailored for ophthalmic care in Europe and the United States. DESIGN: This work involved a consensus survey and a panel meeting. PARTICIPANTS: The Australian and New Zealand JIA-Uveitis Working Group (29 ophthalmologists) participated in the work. METHODS: The Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This work yielded consensus statements. RESULTS: The Working Group achieved consensus around 18 statements related to clinical evaluation, use of topical and regional corticosteroids, use of systemic corticosteroid and non-corticosteroid immunomodulatory drugs, and management of secondary cataract and glaucoma in childhood JIA-type uveitis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand JIA-Uveitis Working Group provide current and regionally applicable advice for managing chronic anterior uveitis in children with JIA.

Teleophthalmology for the elderly population: A review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Ophthalmology is one of the most requested medical speciality services in the elderly population. Although numerous studies have shown the potentials of telemedicine for the provision of ophthalmology services, the extent of its usability in older adults and the aged population is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics and usability features of teleophthalmology for the elderly population. METHOD: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL for relevant studies since 2008. Forty-five papers met the eligibility criteria and included in this review. We used a multifaceted model to extract the data and analyze findings by cross-tabulation. RESULTS: The majority of the reviewed papers included participants of 65 years of age or older. Most of the studies were conducted in the USA (38 %). Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and cataract were the most researched eye diseases, and among the imaging technologies, retinal photography had been used the most (72 %). The studies showed teleophthalmology can improve access to specialty care, reduce the number of unnecessary visits, alleviate overloads on treatment centers, and provide more comprehensive exams. It also made services cost-saving for stakeholders and cost-effective in rural areas. However, teleophthalmology was not cost-effective for patients above 80 and low-density population areas. CONCLUSION: Evidence is lacking for the usability and effectiveness of teleophthalmology for the elderly population. The findings suggest that primary care providers in collaboration with ophthalmologists could provide more effective eye care to elderly population. Appropriate training is also necessary for primary care doctors to manage and refer older patients in a timely manner. Diagnostic value and cost-effective imaging modalities which are the core of the teleophthalmology, can be enhanced by image processing techniques and artificial intelligence.

New observations and emerging ideas in diagnosis and management of non-infectious uveitis: A review.

BACKGROUND: Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is an immune-mediated disease with clinical symptoms such as eye pain, redness, floaters, and light sensitivity. NIU is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. OBJECTIVE: This review describes current and emerging therapies for NIU. METHODS: PubMed searches were conducted using the terms uveitis, therapy, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologics, intravitreal injections, intraocular implants, and adverse events deemed relevant if they presented data relating to prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of uveitis. RESULTS: Diagnosis and management of NIU may require collaboration among different healthcare providers, including ophthalmologists and rheumatologists. Although many patients with NIU respond to corticosteroid (CS) therapy, long-term CS use can be associated with potentially severe adverse events. Localized CS therapies have been developed to reduce adverse events; however, some intravitreal injections and intraocular implants were linked to elevated intraocular pressure and cataracts. CS-sparing therapies such as biologics have demonstrated efficacy and safety while reducing CS burden. Biologics targeting tumor necrosis factor provide CS-sparing options for patients with NIU. Additional studies are needed to address long-term efficacy and safety of biologics targeting IL-6 and inhibitors of JAK/STAT. CONCLUSION: Biologics, JAK/STAT inhibitors, and improved localized therapies may provide additional options for patients with NIU.

Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence-Based Grading of Diabetic Retinopathy in Primary Care.

Importance: There has been wide interest in using artificial intelligence (AI)-based grading of retinal images to identify diabetic retinopathy, but such a system has never been deployed and evaluated in clinical practice. Objective: To describe the performance of an AI system for diabetic retinopathy deployed in a primary care practice. Design, Setting, and Participants: Diagnostic study of patients with diabetes seen at a primary care practice with 4 physicians in Western Australia between December 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017. A total of 193 patients consented for the study and had retinal photographs taken of their eyes. Three hundred eighty-six images were evaluated by both the AI-based system and an ophthalmologist. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sensitivity and specificity of the AI system compared with the gold standard of ophthalmologist evaluation. Results: Of the 193 patients (93 [48%] female; mean [SD] age, 55 [17] years [range, 18-87 years]), the AI system judged 17 as having diabetic retinopathy of sufficient severity to require referral. The system correctly identified 2 patients with true disease and misclassified 15 as having disease (false-positives). The resulting specificity was 92% (95% CI, 87%-96%), and the positive predictive value was 12% (95% CI, 8%-18%). Many false-positives were driven by inadequate image quality (eg, dirty lens) and sheen reflections. Conclusions and Relevance: The results demonstrate both the potential and the challenges of using AI systems to identify diabetic retinopathy in clinical practice. Key challenges include the low incidence rate of disease and the related high false-positive rate as well as poor image quality. Further evaluations of AI systems in primary care are needed.

Development and Practice of Store-and-Forward Telehealth Systems in Ophthalmology Dental and Emergency.

Store-and-forward (S&F) telehealth system has been becoming an increasing application in remote medical consultations. In this paper, we will introduce three novel S&F telehealth systems we developed for ophthalmological, dental and emergency applications. We will explain the general system architecture of the S&F systems. Then we will focus on the specific features and components in each system implemented for meeting their respective clinical requirements. In the final section we will present further implementation details and practices and provide discussions.

Retinal image registration and comparison for clinical decision support.

BACKGROUND: For eye diseases, such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), involved in long-term degeneration procedure, longitudinal comparison of retinal images is a common step for reliable diagnosis of these kinds of diseases. AIMS: To provide a retinal image registration approach for longitudinal retinal image alignment and comparison. METHOD: Two image registration solutions were proposed for facing different image qualities of retinal images to make the registration methods more robust and feasible in a clinical application system. RESULTS: Thirty pairs of longitudinal retinal images were used for the registration test. The experiments showed both solutions provided good performance for the accurate image registrations with efficiency. CONCLUSION: We proposed a set of retinal image registration solutions for longitudinal retinal image observation and comparison targeting a clinical application environment.

Light and portable novel device for diabetic retinopathy screening.

BACKGROUND: To validate the use of an economical portable multipurpose ophthalmic imaging device, EyeScan (Ophthalmic Imaging System, Sacramento, CA, USA), for diabetic retinopathy screening. DESIGN: Evaluation of a diagnostic device. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-six (272 eyes) were recruited from diabetic retinopathy screening clinic of Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia, Australia. METHODS: All patients underwent three-field (optic disc, macular and temporal view) mydriatic retinal digital still photography captured by EyeScan and FF450 plus (Carl Zeiss Meditec, North America) and were subsequently examined by a senior consultant ophthalmologist using the slit-lamp biomicroscopy (reference standard). All retinal images were interpreted by a consultant ophthalmologist and a medical officer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The sensitivity, specificity and kappa statistics of EyeScan and FF450 plus with reference to the slit-lamp examination findings by a senior consultant ophthalmologist. RESULTS: For detection of any grade of diabetic retinopathy, EyeScan had a sensitivity and specificity of 93 and 98%, respectively (ophthalmologist), and 92 and 95%, respectively (medical officer). In contrast, FF450 plus images had a sensitivity and specificity of 95 and 99%, respectively (ophthalmologist), and 92 and 96%, respectively (medical officer). The overall kappa statistics for diabetic retinopathy grading for EyeScan and FF450 plus were 0.93 and 0.95 for ophthalmologist and 0.88 and 0.90 for medical officer, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Given that the EyeScan requires minimal training to use and has excellent diagnostic accuracy in screening for diabetic retinopathy, it could be potentially utilized by the primary eye care providers to widely screen for diabetic retinopathy in the community.

Retinal video recording a new way to image and diagnose diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To validate the use of retinal video recording for diabetic retinopathy screening by comparing with standard retinal photography and slit-lamp examination. DESIGN: Evaluation of a new diagnostic technique. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred patients. METHODS: All fundus images were captured using standard retinal still photography (FF 450 plus; Carl Zeiss) and retinal video (EyeScan; Ophthalmic Imaging System, Sacramento, CA), followed by a gold standard slit-lamp biomicroscopy examination. All videos and still images were de-identified, randomized, and interpreted by 2 senior consultant ophthalmologists (M.L.T-K. and L.L.). Kappa statistics, sensitivity, and specificity for all the diabetic retinopathy signs and grades were calculated with reference to slit-lamp examination results as the gold standard. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity and specificity of video recording for detecting diabetic retinopathy signs and grades. RESULTS: The mean age (± standard deviation [SD]) of participants was 52.8 ± 15.1 years, mean duration of diabetes (± SD) was 13.7 ± 9.7 years, and the mean glycosylated hemoglobin level was 8.0 ± 1.7%. Compared with the gold standard slit-lamp examination results, the sensitivity and specificity of video recording for detecting the presence of any diabetic retinopathy was 93.8% and 99.2%, respectively (ophthalmologist 1), and 93.3% and 95.2%, respectively (ophthalmologist 2). In contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of retinal photography was 91.8% and 98.4%, respectively (ophthalmologist 1), and 92.1% and 96.8%, respectively (ophthalmologist 2), for detection of any diabetic retinopathy. Both imaging methods had 100% sensitivity and specificity in detecting sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. For overall diabetic retinopathy grading by both ophthalmologists, the measurements of agreement (Cohen's κ coefficient) between the overall grading obtained from the retinal video versus slit-lamp examination and retinal photography versus slit-lamp examination were more than 0.90. Technical failure rate for retinal video recording and retinal photography were 7.0% and 5.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that retinal video recording was equally as effective as retinal photography in the subjects evaluated in this study. It is a novel alternative diabetic retinopathy screening technique that not only offers primary eye care providers the opportunity to view numerous retinal fields within a short period but also is easy to learn by nonexperienced personnel with minimal training. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Intravitreal voriconazole for the treatment of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Scedosporium apiospermum.

Scedosporium apiospermum is an increasingly recognized cause of endogenous fungal endophthalmitis in immunocompromised patients. The authors describe two patients with endogenous S. apiospermum endophthalmitis treated with intravitreal and systemic voriconazole. Despite a prolonged course of systemic antifungal treatment, both patients subsequently required enucleation for intractable ocular pain due to secondary scleritis. Histological examination of the globes demonstrated the presence of fungal hyphae. Endogenous S. apiospermum endophthalmitis need to be considered in the differential diagnosis of necrotizing retinitis. Despite its efficacy in suppressing disseminated S. apiospermum infection, voriconazole may be ineffective in the treatment of endogenous S. apiospermum endophthalmitis especially if treatment is delayed.

Telemedicine-friendly, portable tonometers: an evaluation for intraocular pressure screening.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP) readings from two portable, telemedicine-friendly tonometers for suitability in glaucoma screening. METHODS: 213 eyes of 107 consenting patients attending an eye clinic were tested with an I-care tonometer and a Pulsair-Easy Eye puff-air tonometer. Gold standard IOP was measured with a Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT). Effect of central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth and refractive errors on IOP measurements were also analysed. RESULTS: The mean difference of IOP by GAT and both the portable tonometers was +/- 2.2 mmHg. The analysis indicates minimal difference between IOP readings of both the portable tonometers. The mean difference between two consecutive readings by I-care was 0.01 mmHg. Using 21 mmHg as a threshold for suspected glaucoma, both the portable digital tonometers reported a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of >95%. In the subjects studied, central corneal thickness had statistically significant influence on IOP measurements while refractive errors and anterior chamber depth had no significant influence on IOP measurements with any tonometry. CONCLUSION: The IOP readings by both portable tonometers are comparable and were within clinically acceptable range from GAT. These portable tonometers are useful tools for IOP screening.

Remote ophthalmology services: cost comparison of telemedicine and alternative service delivery options.

We calculated the cost of an established tele-ophthalmology service, from a health-provider's perspective, and compared this with the cost of three other existing eye-care service delivery options. During a 12-month study period, 118 persons took part in the tele-ophthalmology consultations between a rural clinic located approximately 900 km from the Lions Eye Institute in Perth. The variable costs of tele-ophthalmology were 166.89 dollars(Australian dollars) per patient, and the alternatives cost 445.96 dollars, 271.48 dollars and 665.44 dollars per patient. Tele-ophthalmology incurred a set-up cost of 13,340 dollars. The threshold at which tele-ophthalmology became cheaper than any of the alternative options occurred at a workload of 128 patients. Tele-ophthalmology offers a viable alternative to conventional eye-care service in rural and remote areas.

Infliximab for juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Infliximab is a murine-human recombinant antitumour necrosis factor monoclonal antibody recently introduced for the treatment of autoimmune diseases in which tumour necrosis factor is thought to be a key mediator. Its role in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis is as yet undefined. METHODS: Six children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis, inadequately controlled on currently available therapy, were treated with infliximab between September 2002 and November 2004. All children were required to remain on low-dose immunomodulatory treatment in conjunction with the infliximab. A retrospective review of two electronic databases containing details of ophthalmology and rheumatology visits was conducted. RESULTS: In all six children, institution of infliximab therapy was associated with increased ease of management. Ocular inflammation and intraocular pressure control improved in all. It was also possible to reduce the dose or withdraw some glaucoma, steroid and other immunomodulatory drugs. Two children underwent intraocular surgery without noticeable flare of intraocular inflammation. No patient developed any serious systemic complications attributable to infliximab. CONCLUSION: Infliximab may be a useful adjunct to the management of refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. In our series it was associated with improved uveitis control and simplification of drug use as well as possibly improving safety of surgical intervention. This study suggests that its role is likely to be in conjunction with maintenance immunomodulatory treatment to provide more optimal disease control. Controlled studies are required to confirm its efficacy and safety, and the potential breadth of its use in uveitis and related disorders.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis immune restoration disease occurs during highly active antiretroviral therapy-induced restoration of CMV-specific immune responses within a predominant Th2 cytokine environment.

Plasma levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), soluble (s) CD30, sCD26 (dipeptidyl peptidase IV [DPP IV]) enzyme activity, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-I (TNFR-I) were assessed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who experienced CMV retinitis (CMVR) as an immune restoration disease (IRD) during their first 6 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and in CMV-seropositive, HIV-infected patients with similar baseline CD4(+) T cell counts who had uneventful immune reconstitution. Patients who experienced CMVR IRD had a significant increase in CMV-specific IgG during their first 12 months of HAART, indicating restored CMV-specific immune responses. They also had significantly higher levels of sCD30 both before HAART and for up to 12 months after start of treatment. sCD30 levels remained elevated during 48 months of HAART, suggesting persistence of a predominant Th2 cytokine environment. Levels of sCD26 (DPP IV) enzyme activity and TNFR-I did not differ significantly between the 2 groups at any time point.