Seasonal Variations in Ocular Axial Length Increase among Children in the Czech Republic.

In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia has increased worldwide as well as in European countries, and it has become an important medical and socioeconomic problem. Our prospective single-center study analysed the changes in ocular axial length (AXL) in a population of Central European schoolchildren from 2016 to 2019. The study included 528 eyes of 264 children with a mean age of 12.2 years at the beginning of the study. Visual acuity, ocular AXL, anterior chamber depth, and the questionnaire were examined at 6-month intervals (in spring and autumn, following the winter and summer periods, respectively). The average ocular AXL was 23.329 mm (median: 23.315 mm) at the beginning of the study and 23.525 mm (median: 23.505 mm) at the end of the study. The change in ocular AXL per month was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) during the winter period (average: 0.013 mm, median: 0.011 mm) than during the summer period (average: -0.001 mm, median: 0.000 mm). We observed a significantly higher increase in ocular AXL in a Caucasian population during the winter period (with lower daylight exposure) than the summer period.

Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of Clear Corneal Incision: Effect of the Lateral Stromal Hydration.

METHODS: The cohort included 65 clear corneal incisions of 49 patients who underwent cataract surgery. Corneal incisions were recorded using a Leica Proveo 8 microscope with an intraoperative OCT EnFocus™ device continuously during the surgery. Corneal incision morphology before and after lateral stromal hydration was analysed. RESULTS: Good adaptation of the corneal incision before hydration was present in 39 cases (60%), in 16 cases (24.6%), the prominence of posterior lip was present, and, in 10 cases (15.4%), the posterior lip tongue was inverted/retracted into the incision. In 38 cases (58.5%), hydration had no effect on the incision architecture; most often, it was primarily a well-adapted corneal incision (46.2%), less often an incision with posterior lip prominence (10.8%), or tongue inversion into the incision (1.6%) prior to hydration. Hydration worsened the incision architecture in 14 cases (21.5%); most often, it induced/worsened posterior lip prominence (15.4%), less often posterior lip retraction (1.6%), tongue inversion into the incision (1.6%), gap development in the peripheral part of the corneal incision (1.6%), or incomplete opening of the corneal incision (1.6%). In 13 cases (20%), hydration improved the incision architecture, especially in cases with inverted or retracted posterior lip tongue (12.3%), less often in cases with posterior lip prominence (7.7%). CONCLUSION: Lateral stromal hydration seldom affects the condition of the corneal incision. Still, it can cause both deterioration and improvement of the corneal incision architecture. Intraoperative OCT provides real-time monitoring of corneal incision morphology during hydration procedure.

Myopia Progression Risk: Seasonal and Lifestyle Variations in Axial Length Growth in Czech Children.

The growth in the prevalence of myopia leads to the growth of socioeconomic stress in society. It is important to detect any potential risk factors leading to myopia onset and progression. Among the potential risk factors, the lack of natural daylight exposure and the lack of the physical activity together with excess of near-work activities in children are the most prevalent. In the study, the axial length growth depending on the season and the type of behaviour was measured. The assessment was performed in 12-year-old children, 398 eyes of whom were included and measured during the winter and summer period. The children were categorized by the amount of time spent on near-work, physical, and outdoor activity. Results. Statistically significantly higher (p < 0.0001) axial length growth was observed during the winter period. Statistically significantly (p < 0.0001) more frequently, the eyeball growth has been proved during the winter season. According to the way of spending leisure time, no statistically significant difference was reported within the individual subgroups in the development of the eyeball length during the observed period. However, statistically significant differences were ascertained in the eyeball initial length within various groups. Conclusion. The lack of daylight exposure may lead to myopia progression.

The Measurement of Intraocular Biomarkers in Various Stages of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Using Multiplex xMAP Technology.

Purpose. To determine the intraocular levels of growth factors and cytokines in patients with various degrees of severity of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) using multiplex xMAP technology. Methods. A prospective cohort study of 61 eyes from 56 patients who were divided into 3 groups based on the severity of PDR. Patients in group number 1 are those who presented PDR with no need of repeated surgical intervention; patients in group number 2 had repeated vitreous bleeding; and patients in group number 3 had refractory neovascular glaucoma. The concentrations of proangiogenic, antiangiogenic, inflammatory, and neurotrophic factors were measured in intraocular fluid. The results were also compared with levels of factors measured in 50 eyes from 50 patients prior to senile cataract surgery (control group). Results. Patients with refractory neovascular glaucoma (the highest clinical severity group) had higher levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) (median1 37.19; median3 384.74; P = .00096), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFß-1) (median1 49.00; median3 414.40; P = .0017), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (median1 211.62; median3 352.82; P = .0454) compared with other PDR patients. Conclusions. Results of our study imply that levels of IL-6, TGFß-1, and VEGF correlate with the severity of PDR.

Defining the seriousness of proliferative vitreoretinopathy by aspiration of cytokines from the anterior chamber.

AIM: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy is the major cause of retinal detachment surgery failure. Our prospective cohort study of 27 eyes aimed to determine intraocular levels of growth factors and cytokines in patients with retinal detachment with various degrees of severity of proliferative vitreoretinopathy using multiplex xMAP(®) Technology. PATIENTS & METHODS: The concentrations of 12 proangiogenic, antiangiogenic, inflammatory and neurotrophic factors were measured from 0.05-ml samples of intraocular fluid using multiplex xMAP Technology. The results were compared with levels of various factors, which were measured in samples from the control group of 31 eyes prior to senile cataract surgery. RESULTS: The concentration of the MCP-1 cytokine was found to be higher in eyes with retinal detachment compared with the control group. The concentration of VEGF was found to be higher in eyes with retinal detachment complicated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy compared with the uncomplicated retinal detachment group and the control group. CONCLUSION: MCP-1 and VEGF may participate in pathogenesis of retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Biomarkers in disease detection and management have become important tools in modern clinical medicine, and their application to retinal disease should be no exception.