Bilateral central retinal vein occlusion following COVID-19 vaccination: Cause or coincidence?

AIM: To report a case of sequential bilateral ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) following the third dose of anti-COVID 19 vaccination. METHODS: Observational case report. RESULTS: A 73-year-old Caucasian male patient, with no known medical history, complained of sudden vision loss in his right eye (RE) 18 days following the third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech anti-COVID 19 vaccination. Ten days later, he suffered from sudden vision loss in his left eye (LE).Best-corrected visual acuity was limited to counting fingers at 50cm in both eyes.Fundus examination of both eyes revealed signs of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) with diffuse superficial and deep retinal hemorrhages in all four quadrants. Diagnosis was confirmed of fluorescein angiography.Optical coherent tomography (OCT) showed an ischemic hyperreflectivity and disorganization of the inner retinal layers in both eyes with significantly increased central macular thickness, associated to intraretinal fluid accumulation in LE.An urgent systemic assessment was requested. A mild hypertension was discovered and the rest of the work up was unremarkable. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, we report the first case of bilateral CRVO in a healthy patient after anti-COVID 19 vaccination. CRVO occurred few days following third shot of vaccine followed by a sequential CRVO in the fellow eye in a patient with recently diagnosed very mild hypertension and no thrombo-embolic risk factors, strongly suggesting a relationship between both events. Nowadays, CRVO should be kept in mind as a potential side effect of Covid-19 vaccination and should be added to the spectrum of their ophthalmic complications.

Prevalence and predictors of metamorphopsia after successful vitrectomy surgery for macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

AIM: To estimate metamorphopsia prevalence, predictors and etiologies in patients operated for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with detached macula with successful results. METHODS: Retrospective study including 50 eyes of 50 patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy for RRD with detached macula with standard silicone oil (SO) tamponade. Patients who had successful surgery with durable anatomic reapplication of the retina after SO removal were included. Patients were examined on day 1, day 7,1 month, and 3 months after surgery. Best corrected visual acuity, Amsler grid, fundus biomicroscopy, Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) and fundus auto-fluorescence (FAF) were performed in all patients after surgery. Structural abnormalities such as macular folds, macular epiretinal membrane, cystoid macular edema, and foveal disruption of the ellipsoid layer were observed on SD-OCT. Macular displacement was identified on FAF. RESULTS: We identified metamorphopsia as post-operative visual impairment in 27 patients among 50 (54%). Clinical assessment found that a delay > 7 days between symptoms and surgery (p < 0.001), more than 2 detached quadrants (p=0.012), and stage C of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (p=0.035) were associated to metamorphopsia. Regarding multimodal imaging findings, only macular folds and macular displacement were significantly correlated with the occurrence of postoperative metamorphopsia (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Metamorphopsia is a common complaint after vitrectomy for RRD. Macular rotation and folds would be the main causes after complete and durable reapplication of the retina.

Management of eyelids' primary malignancies.

Purpose: We report our experience in surgical management of primary malignant tumors of the eyelids. We have specified the various surgical techniques used, as well as functional and anatomical results.Patients and methods: A review of patients admitted for malignant tumor of the eyelids in the oculoplastic department of the Hedi Raies Institute of Ophthalmology from January 2012 to December 2021.Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients with malignant eyelid tumors were hospitalized. Surgical treatment involved 114 tumor lesions, which represents 95% of the cases. One hundred and eleven lesions (97.4%) had been operated by simple tumor resection. Safety margins were, respectively, 4 mm in 63.2% and from 5 to 6 mm in 34.2%. Extemporaneous histological examination was performed in three cases (2.6%). Reconstruction involved the anterior lamella (AL) in 92 cases (80.7%), the posterior lamella (PL) in 66 cases (57.9%), the medial canthus in 18 cases (15, 8%), and lateral canthus in 4 cases (3.5%). The excision was oncological in 85 cases (74.6%) and incomplete in 19 cases (16.7%). Tumor recurrence occurred in seven cases (6.1%), after an average delay of 36 months.Conclusion: The anatomical and functional features of the eyelids require a good reconstruction of the transfixion eyelid defect. Many reconstruction methods are available, allowing extensive and complex palpebral repairs. Oncologic prognosis is conditioned by the surgical quality.

Long-Term Results of Combined Trabeculotomy Trabeculectomy in Primary Congenital Glaucoma.

PRCIS: Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in Tunisian children seems to be characterized by a high prevalence of inherited and advanced forms of the disease. Primary combined trabeculotomy trabeculectomy (CTT) allowed satisfactory long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) control and reasonable visual outcome. PURPOSE: To report the long-term outcome of CTT as the initial glaucoma surgery in children with PCG. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of children who underwent primary CTT for PCG between January 2010 and December 2019. The main outcome measures were IOP reduction, corneal clarity, complications, refractive errors, and visual acuity (VA). Success was defined as IOP <16 mm Hg without (complete) or with (qualified) antiglaucoma medication. The WHO criteria of vision loss were used to categorize visual impairment (VI). RESULTS: Of 62 patients, 98 eyes were enrolled. At the last follow-up, the mean IOP was reduced from 22.7 ± 4.0 mm Hg to 9.7 ± 3.9 mm Hg ( P < 0.0001). The complete success rate was 91.6%, 88.4%, 84.7%, 71.6%, 59.7%, and 54.3%, at the first, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth year, respectively. Follow-up averaged 42.1 ± 28.4 months. Preoperatively, 72 eyes (73.5%) had significant corneal edema versus 11 eyes (11.2%) at the end of the follow-up ( P < 0.0001). Endophthalmitis was encountered in one eye. Myopia was the most common refractive error (80.6%). Data on Snellen VA were available for 53.2% of the patients; 33.3% achieved a VA ≥6/12, 21.2% had mild VI, 9.1% had moderate VI, 21.2% had severe VI, and 15.2% were blind. The failure rate was statistically correlated to the early disease onset (<3 mo) and to preoperative corneal edema ( P = 0.022 and P = 0.037, respectively). CONCLUSION: Primary CTT seems to be a good procedure in a population with advanced PCG at presentation, problematic follow-up visits, and limited resources.

[Orbital cellulitis: diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic approach in a reference center in Tunis, Tunisia (a retrospective study of 109 cases)]. / Les cellulites orbitaires: approche diagnostique, thérapeutique et pronostique dans un centre de référence à Tunis, Tunisie (une étude rétrospective sur 109 cas).

Orbital cellulitis is a rare disease. Two anatomo-clinical forms can be distinguished: a preseptal "benign" form and a retroseptal "severe" form. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic profile of orbital cellulitis in a third-line Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia. We conducted a retrospective study involving 109 patients hospitalized for orbital cellulitis. Two groups were distinguished: the retroseptal cellulitis group including 42 patients (38.5%) and the preseptal cellulitis group including 67 patients (61.5%). The average age of patients was 27.1 ± 34.8 years. The sex ratio M/F was 0.84 (45.9% of male patients). Acute sinusitis was the most frequently identified portal for retroseptal cellulitis entry (35.7%, n=15), while acute dacryocystitis was the most common cause of preseptal cellulitis (23.9%, n=16). Diabetes, non-functioning eye and prior use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were associated with retroseptal cellulitis (p=0.007, p=0.022 and p=0.014 respectively). All patients received systemic antibiotic therapy. Ten patients (23.8%) of the retro-septal cellulitis group and 5 patients (7.46%) of the preseptal cellulitis group underwent surgery. Nine cases of blindness (8.2%), a case of septic shock and a case of death were reported. Poor prognostic factors were a time of consultation > 7 days (aOR = 4.277, 95% CI = 2.504-32.426, p = 0.006) and Chandler stage>III (aOR = 7.009, 95% CI = 1.69-51.839, p = 0.029). In developing countries and especially in Tunisia, orbital cellulitis can be sight threatening or even life-threatening. Early management could lead to a favorable outcome without sequelae.

Ophthalmic Manifestations of Newly Diagnosed Acute Leukemia Patients in a Tunisian Cohort.

Purpose: To describe ocular manifestations of acute leukemia in a Tunisian cohort and to assess the associations between ophthalmic findings and epidemiological, clinical, and biological features of the disease. Methods: A prospective study included patients newly diagnosed with acute leukemia referred to our clinics between January 2019 and July 2020. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic evaluation and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at presentation, then every two months during one year. We defined two groups: Group 1 included patients with leukemic ophthalmopathy and group 2 included patients with normal ophthalmic examination. Results: Forty-six patients were enrolled. The mean age of patients was 32.1±15.3 years. The sex ratio M/F was 1.55 (28 male patients and 18 females). Twenty-nine patients (63%) had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 17 (37%) had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The average follow-up was 9.1 months (range: 3-12 months). We observed ophthalmic manifestations in 28 patients (61%). Among them, 17 (61%) had vision-threatening complications. The posterior segment was the most common site of ocular involvement (82% of group1). Primary leukemic infiltration (Disc edema, ptosis, exophthalmos) was present in 13 eyes (14.1%). Twenty-seven eyes (29.3%) had secondary involvement lesions (Subconjunctival hemorrhage, periorbital ecchymosis, retinal/sub-hyaloid hemorrhage, dilated/tortuous veins). Twenty-one eyes (22.8%) showed other ocular manifestations which etiopathogenesis is not yet fully understood (White-centred hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, serous retinal detachment, hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment). Leukemic retinopathy was significantly more frequent in adults (23/39 and 1/7 in adult and pediatric groups, respectively; p=0.003). Patients suffering from AML were more likely to have secondary ocular involvement (20/29 and 7/17 in AML and ALL patients, respectively; p=0.047). Retinal hemorrhages were statistically associated with anemia and thrombocytopenia (p=0.041 and p=0.034; respectively). Conclusion: Leukemic ophthalmopathy seems to be frequent and may lead to severe visual impairment. An ophthalmic assessment complemented with SD-OCT has paramount importance in all newly diagnosed acute leukemic patients.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Congenital Cataract Surgery with Primary Intraocular Lens Implantation in a Tunisian Cohort.

Purpose: To describe the clinical features of congenital cataract (CC) in a Tunisian cohort and to assess the surgical outcomes of primary intraocular lens implantation in two groups based on the age at surgery. Methods: This study was a prospective analysis of children under 5 years with CC that were operated between January 2015 and 2020. The surgery consisted of phacoaspiration with posterior capsulorhexis and primary implantation. Group 1 comprised children operated at <2 years of age and Group 2 comprised children operated between 2 and 5 years. Peri and postoperative surgical events as well as refractive and visual outcomes were compared between both the groups. Results: Fifty-five (84 eyes) infants were enrolled. Group 1 included 30 (48 eyes) children and Group 2 included 25 (36 eyes) patients. The mean follow-up was 27.60 ± 19.89 months. The mean delay between the diagnosis and the cataract surgery was 11.97 ± 13.84 months. Of 14 (16.7%) eyes with postoperative visual axis opacification (VAO), 9 (10.7%) eyes required pars plana membranectomy. The VAO was not statistically associated with the age at surgery (P = 0.112), but significantly correlated with sulcus implantation (P = 0.037). The final mean visual acuity was 0.51 logMAR and comparable between both the groups (P = 0.871). Poor visual outcome was significantly associated with low age at presentation (<6 months; P = 0.039), delay between the diagnosis and time of surgery (P = 0.001), preoperative nystagmus (P = 0.02), and poor parental compliance to amblyopia treatment (P = 0.009). Conclusions: Primary implantation seems to be safe and efficient. VAO appears to become an avoidable occurrence owing to better surgical techniques. Amblyopia remains the biggest barrier to final visual outcome.

Surgical management of a traumatic intralenticular abscess: a case report.

lntralenticular abscess is a very rare entity that has been described after penetrating trauma, intraocular surgery and metastatic spread. We report a case of intralenticular abscess treated surgically by phacoemulsification with good postoperative results. A 32-year-old patient presented with right eye redness and defective vision of 4 days following thorn injury. The visual acuity was limited to counting fingers. Anterior segment examination revealed healed lamellar corneal tear, 3+ cells in the anterior chamber, iris synechia and heterogeneous opacity of the crystalline lens. Vitreous and fundus were normal. Initially, we prescribed topic and systemic antimicrobial treatment. Lens extraction was performed 1 week later by phacoemulsification with primary intraocular lens implantation. The immediate postoperative recovery was uneventful. The visual acuity at last follow-up was 9/10. In the current case, lens extraction associated with systemic and local antimicrobial treatment allowed infection control and good visual outcome.

Preoperative Intralesional Bevacizumab Injection in Primary Pterygium in Tunisian Patients: A Randomized Controlled Prospective Study.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of a single preoperative intralesional bevacizumab injection as an adjuvant treatment before primary pterygium surgery. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled interventional study from January 2019 to December 2020. The study included a total of 60 patients (60 eyes) with primary pterygium. We defined two groups of 30 patients each. Group A received an intralesional injection of bevacizumab (Avastin), 1 month before surgery (lesion excision and conjunctival autograft). Group B (control) had only the surgical treatment. Patients were followed up 7 days (D7), 1 month (M1), 3 months (M3), and 6 months (M6) postoperatively. Pre-, per-, and postoperatively, photographs of the lesions were taken, as well as a histopathological examination. The main outcome measures were the change in functional discomfort following intralesional bevacizumab injection and pterygium recurrence. Recurrence was defined as fibrovascular tissue growth invading the cornea. Therapeutic success was defined as the absence of pterygium recurrence in M6. Results: The mean age of the 60 patients was 54.17 ± 10.53. After bevacizumab injection, the preoperative functional discomfort score decreased significantly (P = 0.048). There was a significant improvement in grade and color intensity (P = 0.001). We noted no local nor systemic complications after intralesional injection of bevacizumab. After pterygium excision, the success rate was statistically higher in Group A (P = 0.047). There was no significant difference in either final best-corrected spectral visual acuity or astigmatism between the two groups. We noted a statistically significant association between recurrence and color intensity (P = 0.046), vascular density (P = 0.049), and the degree of elastic tissue degeneration (P = 0.040). Conclusion: A single preoperative subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab 1 month before surgery decreases the vascularity of newly formed blood vessels and hence may reduce the recurrence rate.

Central corneal thickness in a healthy Tunisian population.

AIM: To study the central corneal thickness of a Tunisian population and determine the influence of age, gender, axial length and refractive error on central corneal thickness (CCT) values. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 608 eyes of consecutive Tunisian patients without ophthalmic disease. Corneal tomography (Oculus Pentacam, USA) and a complete eye examination were performed on all patients. The relationship between the central corneal thickness values and variables of age, refractive error, axial length and gender was assessed. RESULTS: The mean central corneal thickness was 522±37.17µm (range 461 to 655 µm). No statistical association was found between central corneal thickness values and variables of age, refractive error, axial length and gender. CONCLUSIONS: The normal CCT value in the Tunisian population was of 522±37.17 µm. We have analyzed, for the first time, normal central corneal thickness values of a healthy Tunisian population.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment of central retinal vein occlusion with cilioretinal artery occlusion secondary to hormonal treatment: Case report and review.

INTRODUCTION: This report describes a case of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and cilioretinal artery occlusion (CLRAO) after hormonal treatment for induction of ovulation that was successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen. CASE REPORT: A 48 year-old woman was admitted to our department for sudden blurred vision in her left eye. The patient had a history of 3-months hormonal treatment for induction of ovulation. The best corrected visual acuity was 7/10 (20/32) in the left eye and 10/10 (20/20) in the right eye. Fundus examination of the left eye revealed flame-shaped haemorrhages, whitening of the retina along the distribution of cilioretinal artery and tortuous retinal veins. Fluorescein angiography confirmed the combination of a non-ischaemic CRVO with CLRAO. The patient was treated with a 2 h session of hyperbaric oxygen at 253 kPa (2.5 atmospheres absolute) once daily for a total of 30 sessions. Best corrected visual acuity improved to 10/10 (20/20) in the left eye. CONCLUSIONS: CRVO and CLRAO are both occlusive disorders. HBOT is a safe low-cost treatment modality that can be beneficial in some ocular pathologies. It can maintain oxygenation of the retina through the choroidal blood supply, decrease oedema and preserve compromised tissue adjacent to the ischaemic area.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in a patient with angioid streaks treated by bevacizumab.

OBJECTIVE: We report the association of polypoid choroidal vasculopathy (PVC) with angioid streaks (AS) secondary to pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) treated by intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old patient, followed in dermatology for a PXE, who consulted for a consulted for a decreased vision in his right eye (RE) for a month. On examination, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was at 1/20 P14 in the RE and at 8/10 P2 in the left eye (LE). Fundus examination revealed AS in both eyes, large patches of exudate at the posterior pole with retinal hemorrhages in the RE. Fluorescein angiography (FA) showed constant hypofluorescence by mask effect due to exudates and macular early hyperfluorescence with late diffusion associated with small hyperfluorescent lesions in the RE. We suspected CNV type 2. Macular Spectral Domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed significant retinal infiltration with pre-epithelial hyper-reflectivity bracing the diagnosis of type 2 CNV. In view of the importance of exudates and intra-retinal infiltration, we completed by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) which showed hypercyanecent vascular dilations grouped in clusters of grapes relevant to an associated VPC. The patient received eight monthly intravitreal (IVT) injections of bevacizumab with good anatomical evolution. At 10 months, visual acuity was 1/10 with disappearance of exudates and retinal infiltration. CONCLUSION: Patients with AS should receive regular follow-up given the risk of CNV but also of VPC, especially in cases of PXE. Multimodal imaging is of great help and ICGA remains inescapable.