The flipped-classroom approach to teaching horizontal strabismus in ophthalmology residency: a multicentered randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The flipped-classroom involves watching prerecorded lectures at home followed by group learning exercises within the classroom. This study compares the flipped classroom approach with the traditional classroom for teaching horizontal strabismus didactics in ophthalmology residency. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized controlled survey study from October 2017 to July 2018, 110 ophthalmology residents were taught esotropia and exotropia sequentially, randomized by order and classroom style. Flipped classroom participants were assigned a preclass video lecture prior to the in-class case-based activity. The traditional classroom included a preparatory reading assignment and an in-person lecture. Residents completed three identical 5-question assessments (pretest, post-test, and 3-month retention) and surveys for each classroom. The primary outcome measured residents' preferences for classroom styles; the secondary outcome compared knowledge acquisition. RESULTS: In our study cohort, the flipped classroom resulted in greater at-home preparation than the traditional classroom (P = 0.001) and was preferred by 33 of 53 residents (62%); 45 of 53 (85%) wished to see the flipped classroom used at least 25% of the time. The exotropia flipped classroom scored higher than traditional classroom on the pretest (3.71/5 [74%] vs 2.87/5 [57%]; P < 0.001) and post-test (4.53/5 [91%] vs 4.13/5 [83%]; P = 0.01) but not the 3-month retention test (3.53/5 [71%] vs 3.37/5 [67%]; P = 0.48). The esotropia classroom styles did not differ on pre- or post-test but demonstrated higher scores for the traditional classroom at 3-month retention (3.43/5 [69%] vs 2.92/5 [58%]; P = 0.03). Advantages cited for flipped classroom include being interactive and engaging while incentivizing better classroom preparation. CONCLUSIONS: The flipped classroom method was received favorably by trainees and may complement traditional methods of teaching.

Incidence and Management of Glaucoma or Glaucoma Suspect in the First Year After Pediatric Lensectomy.

Importance: Glaucoma can occur following cataract removal in children, and determining the risk for and factors associated with glaucoma and glaucoma suspect in a large cohort of children after lensectomy can guide clinical practice. Objective: To estimate the incidence of glaucoma and glaucoma suspect and describe its management in the first year following lensectomy in children before 13 years of age. Design, Setting, and Participants: A multicenter clinical research registry containing data for 1361 eyes of 994 children who underwent unilateral or bilateral lensectomy between June 2012 and July 2015 at 1 of 61 sites in the United States (n = 57), Canada (n = 3), and the United Kingdom (n = 1). Patients were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were enrolled in the registry within 45 days after lensectomy and had at least 1 office visit between 6 and 18 months after lensectomy. Patient data were reviewed, and glaucoma and glaucoma suspect were diagnosed by investigators using standardized criteria. Statistical analysis was performed between June 2017 and August 2019. Exposures: Clinical care 6 to 18 months after lensectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incidence risk using standardized definitions of glaucoma and glaucoma suspect after lensectomy. Results: Among 702 patients included in this cohort study, 353 (50.3%) were male and 427 (60.8%) were white; mean age at lensectomy was 3.4 years (range, 0.04-12.9 years). After lensectomy, glaucoma or glaucoma suspect was diagnosed in 66 of 970 eyes (adjusted overall incidence risk, 6.3%; 95% CI, 4.8%-8.3%). Glaucoma was diagnosed in 52 of the 66 eyes, and glaucoma suspect was diagnosed in the other 14 eyes. Mean age at lensectomy in these 66 eyes was 1.9 years (range, 0.07-11.2 years), and 40 of the 66 (60.6%) were eyes of female patients. Glaucoma surgery was performed in 23 of the 66 eyes (34.8%) at a median of 3.3 months (range, 0.9-14.8 months) after lensectomy. The incidence risk of glaucoma or glaucoma suspect was 15.7% (99% CI, 10.1%-24.5%) for 256 eyes of infants 3 months or younger at lensectomy vs 3.4% (99% CI, 1.9%-6.2%) for 714 eyes of infants older than 3 months (relative risk, 4.57; 99% CI, 2.19-9.57; P < .001) and 11.2% (99% CI, 7.6%-16.7%) for 438 aphakic eyes vs 2.6% (99% CI, 1.2%-5.6%) for 532 pseudophakic eyes (relative risk, 4.29; 99% CI, 1.84-10.01; P < .001). No association was observed between risk of developing glaucoma or glaucoma suspect and any of the following variables: sex, race/ethnicity, laterality of lensectomy, performance of anterior vitrectomy, prelensectomy presence of anterior segment abnormality, or intraoperative complications. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that glaucoma or glaucoma suspect developed in a small number of eyes in the first year after lensectomy and may be associated with aphakia and younger age at lensectomy. Frequent monitoring for signs of glaucoma following lensectomy is warranted, especially in infants 3 months or younger at lensectomy and in children with aphakia after lensectomy.

CRYSTALLINE RETINOPATHY FROM HYPEROXALURIA: LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP.

PURPOSE: To report long-term follow-up in a patient with retinal oxalosis from primary hyperoxaluria. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed for this patient. PATIENTS: A 6-year-old girl that presented to our clinic before and after combined kidney/liver transplant. RESULTS: Optical coherence tomography and fundus findings consistent with oxalate crystal deposition. CONCLUSION: Progressive macular changes, including atrophy and fibrosis can occur in crystalline retinopathy, secondary to hyperoxaluria, after combined hepatorenal transplant.

Safety and tolerability of loteprednol etabonate 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic suspension in pediatric subjects.

BACKGROUND: Loteprednol etabonate 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic suspension (LE/T) is indicated for steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular conditions where superficial bacterial ocular infection or a risk of bacterial ocular infection exists. LE/T was shown to be safe in healthy volunteers and patients aged 18 years and older with minimal effect on intraocular pressure (IOP). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of LE/T in pediatric subjects by examining data from two clinical studies. METHODS: Two randomized, multicenter, double-masked, parallel-group (one two-arm, the other four-arm) studies were conducted in subjects aged 0-6 years (N = 245). One study assessed LE/T compared with vehicle in the management of lid inflammation (n = 108) and the other compared LE/T with loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.5% (LE), tobramycin ophthalmic solution 0.3% (tobramycin), and vehicle in the treatment of blepharoconjunctivitis (n = 137). In the first study, subjects were randomized to LE/T or vehicle administered four times daily (qid) for the first 7 days followed by twice daily (bid) for 7 days along with warm compresses bid for the entire 2 weeks. In the second study, subjects were randomized to LE/T, LE, tobramycin, or vehicle administered qid for 14 days. Treatment-emergent ocular and non-ocular adverse events (AEs) and bilateral vision were assessed at all study visits in both studies. In addition, in the lid inflammation study, IOP was assessed at all visits. The primary safety endpoint in both studies was the incidence of treatment-emergent AEs. RESULTS: The incidence of LE/T treatment-emergent AEs was low. A total of four ocular AEs were reported for three LE/T-treated subjects in the first study (conjunctivitis [two events], meibomian gland dysfunction, and corneal staining), and one ocular AE was reported for an LE/T-treated subject in the second study (eye pain). A total of 13 non-ocular AEs were reported for eight LE/T-treated subjects in the two trials. The most prevalent non-ocular AEs were pyrexia (three events) and rash (two events). There were no differences in the incidence of specific ocular and non-ocular AEs between the LE/T group and the comparator treatment group. In both studies, there were no clinically meaningful reductions in vision at follow-up visits. Mean IOP and IOP changes from baseline, assessed in the lid inflammation study, were not different between LE/T and vehicle treatment groups at any study visits. CONCLUSION: The results of these two clinical trials demonstrate the short-term safety of treatment with topical LE/T in pediatric subjects (0-6 years of age) with lid inflammation or blepharoconjunctivitis.

Pediatric keratoprosthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the authors' experience using keratoprosthesis to treat pediatric corneal opacity. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, consecutive, retrospective interventional series. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two eyes of 17 children with opaque corneas as a result of primary congenital disease and or previous failed keratoplasty. METHODS: A retrospective review of pediatric patients with a history of corneal opacification treated with keratoprosthesis surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraocular pressure, inflammation, clarity of the visual axis, visual acuity, refraction, complications, and retention of the prosthesis. RESULTS: Twenty-two eyes of 17 patients 1.5 to 136 months of age underwent 23 keratoprosthesis procedures. The follow-up period was 220 patient months (range, 1-37 months; mean, 9.7 months). In both cases implanted with the AlphaCor (Argus Biomedical Pty. Ltd., Perth, Australia), the keratoprosthesis was not retained. In one instance, the prosthesis sustained traumatic dislocation and was replaced with a cadaver cornea. In the second instance, the intralamellar implant began to extrude and was replaced with a Boston keratoprosthesis. In all 21 Boston cases, the prosthesis was retained without dislocation or extrusion. The visual axis remained clear in 100% of cases, although retroprosthetic membranes were removed in 5 eyes. Reoperation was necessitated for management of concurrent glaucoma (n = 3) or retinopathy (n = 2). There were no instances of surface infection or endophthalmitis. In 7 instances where patient age was 4 years or more, visual acuity ranged from counting fingers to 20/30. In the remaining cases, all infants were able to follow light, fingers, and objects. Intraocular pressure was controlled in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of the Boston keratoprosthesis rapidly establishes and maintains a clear optical pathway and does not prejudice management of concurrent glaucoma or retinopathy. The device is retained without extrusion or rejection and is appropriate for the management of pediatric corneal opacity.

The effect of amblyopia therapy on ocular alignment.

PURPOSE: We sought to describe the change in ocular alignment at 2 years after treatment of amblyopia in children younger than 7 years of age at enrollment. METHODS: A randomized clinical trial of patching versus atropine for 6 months followed by standard clinical care for 18 months was conducted in 357 children with anisometropic, strabismic, or combined amblyopia (20/40-20/100) whose ages ranged from 3 to younger than 7 years at enrollment. Ocular alignment was evaluated at enrollment and after 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS: At enrollment when tested at distance fixation, 161 (45%) children were orthotropic, 91 (25%) had a microtropia (1-8 Delta), and 105 (29%) had a heterotropia >8 Delta. Of the 161 patients with no strabismus, similar proportions of patients initially assigned to the patching and atropine groups developed new strabismus by 2 years (18% vs. 16%, P = 0.84). Of these cases of new strabismus, only 2 patients in the patching group and 3 patients in the atropine group developed a deviation that was greater than 8 Delta. Microtropia at enrollment progressed to a deviation greater than 8 Delta with similar frequency in both treatment groups (13% vs. 15%, P = 1.00). Of the 105 patients with strabismus greater than 8 Delta at enrollment, 13% of those in the patching group and 16% of those in the atropine group improved to orthotropia without strabismus surgery. Strabismus surgery was performed in 32 patients during the 2-year study period. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who had amblyopia treatment with patching or atropine for 6 months followed by standard clinical care were found to have similar rates of deterioration and improvement of ocular alignment. When parents begin amblyopia treatment for children without strabismus, they should be warned of the possibility of development of strabismus, although it is most often a small angle deviation. Strabismus resolved after amblyopia therapy in some cases.

Measurement of ocular torsion after macular translocation: disc fovea angle and Maddox rod.

PURPOSE: To compare two methods of measuring ocular torsion (the subjective Maddox rod [MR] test versus the objective disc-fovea angle [DFA] test) after macular translocation surgery. METHODS: Ocular torsion was measured on consecutive patients after macular translocation at Duke University Eye Center between August 2001 and April 2002. Both MR and DFA measurements of torsion were made at the same clinic visit 4 to 8 weeks after the translocation surgery and again within 3 months after extraocular muscle surgery to decrease torsion. MR and DFA measurements were each performed by a separate examiner who was blinded to the results of the other method. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (35 eyes) were included for evaluation. Twenty-nine of these patients had intorsion measured by both MR and DFA after macular translocation but before extraocular muscle surgery (MR mean of 40.3 + 7.2 degrees v DFA mean of 47.0 + 7.9 degrees [P <.001]). The intrapatient reproducibility of the MR test was high (using four readings per session), with a mean coefficient variation of 4.8%. Twenty-five patients had residual torsion measured by both MR and DFA after extraocular muscle surgery (MR mean of 4.2 + 4.7 degrees v DFA of mean 4.8 + 7.0 degrees). There was good correlation between MR and DFA measurements of torsion (r(2) = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: DFA measurement correlates well with MR measurement of torsion in patients after full macular translocation. This study verifies the reproducibility of MR to measure large angles of torsion and offers DFA as a simple corroborative test for measuring ocular torsion in patients with poor vision or cooperation.