Guidelines from an expert panel for the management of diabetic macular edema in the Malaysian population.

AIM: To derive a Malaysia guideline and consensus as part of the Malaysia Retina Group's efforts for diagnosis, treatment, and best practices of diabetic macular edema (DME). The experts' panel suggests that the treatment algorithm to be divided into groups according to involvement the central macula. The purpose of DME therapy is to improve edema and achieve the best visual results with the least amount of treatment load. METHODS: On two different occasions, a panel of 14 retinal specialists from Malaysia, together with an external expert, responded to a questionnaire on management of DME. A consensus was sought by voting after compiling, analyzing and discussion on first-phase replies on the round table discussion. A recommendation was deemed to have attained consensus when 12 out of the 14 panellists (85%) agreed with it. RESULTS: The terms target response, adequate response, nonresponse, and inadequate response were developed when the DME patients' treatment responses were first characterized. The panelists reached agreement on a number of DME treatment-related issues, including the need to classify patients prior to treatment, first-line treatment options, the right time to switch between treatment modalities, and side effects associated with steroids. From this agreement, recommendations were derived and a treatment algorithm was created. CONCLUSION: A detail and comprehensive treatment algorithm by Malaysia Retina Group for the Malaysian population provides guidance for treatment allocation of patients with DME.

Endogenous Endopthalmitis in Disseminated Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) Bacteremia.

Endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) is an ocular infection resulting from hematogenous spread from the remote primary source. Risk factors include endocarditis, bacteria meningitis, immunosuppressive state, and invasive procedures in patients with sepsis. We present a case of a 43-year-old gentleman with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus who was admitted for bilateral nasoseptal cellulitis with a right nasal wall abscess and right vocal cord palsy. At presentation, he just had preseptal cellulitis without any posterior segment involvement. He underwent incision and drainage under the Otorhinolaryngology team. Unfortunately, postoperatively he developed sepsis with a hematogenous spread of infection systemically involving his right eye (endophthalmitis) and his heart valve (infective endocarditis). Blood culture revealed Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) infection. He had six weeks of intravenous cloxacillin and three times intravitreal injections of vancomycin and ceftazidime with complete resolution of signs and symptoms. In the case of a poorly controlled diabetic patient with an extensive regional infection, the presence of ocular symptoms and signs that are suggestive of EE must be taken seriously and warrant a complete eye examination as early detection and treatment of EE is crucial for better prognosis.

The efficacy of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in severe post-operative fibrinous reaction after uneventful phacoemulsification - a case series and review.

Objective: To report the effectiveness of recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in severe post-operative fibrinous reaction. Method: The presentation of a case series. Result: Four patients developed severe post-operative inflammation about six days after an otherwise uneventful cataract surgery. Three women, with an average age of 63.25 years old, were included. At the same time, three patients had underlying comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The average duration of the operation was 31.25 minutes. All operations were performed by different surgeons. All underwent uneventful cataract surgery. They presented with a dense fibrin in anterior chamber within a week of post-operative review. All patients received 25 micrograms in 0.1 mL of intracameral rtPA injection. Assessment included anterior chamber fibrin reaction before and after injection by slit lamp biomicroscopy two hours, 24 hours and one week after rtPA application. Serial visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) were taken pre and one-week post rtPA application. Injection of rtPA effectively caused fibrinolysis in all the cases presented. Conclusion: Fibrinolysis after cataract surgery with conventional topical medications can be time consuming and less efficient. Intracameral application of 25 µg rtPA is an efficient management of fibrin reaction in cataract surgery. Abbreviations: rtPA = recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, IOP = intraocular pressure, BCVA = best corrected visual acuity, PCIOL = posterior chamber intraocular lens.

Comparison of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease and controls.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and macular thickness (MT) between patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (NDCKD) and controls, as well as between different stages of NDCKD. We also evaluated the correlation between pRNFL thickness and MT with duration of NDCKD. METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Subjects were divided into NDCKD and control groups. Both pRNFL thickness and MT, including center subfield thickness (CST), average MT as well as average ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. One-way ANCOVA test was used to compare the differences in pRNFL and MT between NDCKD and controls, as well as between the different stages of NDCKD. Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were employed to determine the effects of NDCKD duration on pRNFL thickness and MT. RESULTS: A total of 132 subjects were recruited, 66 with NDCKD and 66 controls. There was a statistically significant difference in superior (110.74 ± 23.35 vs 117.36 ± 16.17 µm, p = 0.022), nasal (65.97 ± 12.90 vs 69.35 ± 10.17 µm, p = 0.006), inferior quadrant (117.44 ± 23.98 vs 126.15 ± 14.75 µm, p = 0.006), average pRNFL (90.36 ± 14.93 vs 95.42 ± 9.87 µm, p = 0.005), CST (231.89 ± 26.72 vs 243.30 ± 21.05 µm, p = 0.006), average MT (268.88 ± 20.21 vs 274.92 ± 12.79 µm, p = 0.020) and average GC-IPL (75.48 ± 12.44 vs 81.56 ± 6.48, p = 0.001) values between the NDCKD group and controls. The superior quadrant (p = 0.007), nasal quadrant (p = 0.030), inferior quadrant (p = 0.047), average pRNFL (p = 0.006), average MT (p = 0.001) and average GC-IPL (p = 0.001) differed significantly between different stages of NDCKD. There was no correlation between pRNFL thickness and MT with duration of NDCKD. CONCLUSION: CST, average MT, average GC-IPL thickness, average pRNFL and all quadrants of pRNFL except the temporal quadrant were significantly thinner in NDCKD patients compared to controls. These changes were associated with the severity of CKD, but not its duration.