Comparison of choroidal thicknesses in patients with coronary artery disease and patients at risk of coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare choroidal thicknesses (CTh) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients at risk of coronary artery disease and investigate whether thinning of the choroid can be used as a biomarker for development of coronary artery disease in patients at risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was composed of 103 eyes of 53 patients with coronary artery disease, and the control group was composed of 62 eyes of 32 patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia without coronary artery disease. CAD was diagnosed in patients with one of the following: myocardial infarction with/without ST segment elevation, clinically proven history of cardiac catheterization testifying greater than 50% obstruction in at least one coronary artery, revascularization operations. The control group consisted of clinically proven patients with normal coronary arteries. The choroidal thickness was measured with enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography under the fovea and at six other points, located at 500 micron, 1000 micron and 1500 micron nasal to the fovea and 500 micron, 1000 micron, 1500 micron temporal to the fovea. RESULTS: The subfoveal choroidal thickness was significantly thinner in the coronary artery disease group compared to the control group (244 µm vs. 289 µm; p < 0,001). In all other measured regions (nasal 500, nasal 1000, nasal 1500, temporal 500, temporal 1000, and temporal 1500 micron), CTh was statistically significant thinner in the CAD group. A negative significant linear relationship (low level) between CAD duration and choroidal thickness in the subfoveal, nasal 1000, nasal 1500, temporal 500, temporal 1000 micron regions was detected. CONCLUSION: Patients with CAD have a decreased choroidal thickness compared to patients at risk of CAD. Detection of CTh thinning in a patient with diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia, which pose a risk for CAD may be a predictor of development of coronary artery disease. Clinical Trials Registration Kocaeli Derince Training and Research Hospital ethics committee-protocol number: 2020-106.

Assessment of macular choroidal thickness, central macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer in patients receiving oral isotretinoin treatment.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of oral isotretinoin therapy in choroidal thickness, central macular thickness (CMT), and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Choroidal thicknesses, CMT, and RNFL thickness of 64 eyes were evaluated at baseline and the end of the third month of isotretinoin therapy by spectral-domain OCT. For assessment of choroidal thickness, OCT measurements were obtained at the fovea with 6 additional measurements at adjacent locations (at 500-1000-1500 µm temporal to the fovea and 500-1000-1500 µm nasal to the fovea). RESULTS: There was not a statistically significant difference between the baseline and third-month follow-up measurements of choroidal thicknesses at seven distinct locations (p > 0.05). Similarly, RNFL thickness and CMT did not change with a mean dose of 30 (±6) mg per day isotretinoin therapy during follow-up (101.82 vs 102.24, p = 0.079; 217.77 vs 217.25, p = 0.731, respectively). CONCLUSION: After the use of oral isotretinoin for 3 months, no significant side effects have been observed in choroidal thickness, CMT, and RNFL thickness by OCT.

Topiramate-Induced Acute Myopia, Diplopia, and Photosensitivity: A Case Report.

Topiramate is primarily used as an antiepileptic drug. It has also demonstrated effectiveness in migraine prophylaxis, depression, trigeminal neuralgia, bipolar disorders, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The drug has a large number of potential ocular side effects, such as acute-onset angle closure glaucoma (ACG), acute myopia, nystagmus, diplopia, photosensitivity, suprachoroidal effusions, peri-orbital edema, and blepharospasm. Presently described is the case of a 24-year-old woman presenting with a sudden loss of vision in both eyes. Her medical history revealed that the patient had initiated topiramate use 12 days earlier. The uncorrected visual acuity was 20/400 in both eyes and the best corrected visual acuity was determined to be 20/25 in the right eye with -5.50 spherical refractive correction and 20/20 in the left eye with -6.25 spherical refractive correction. On the second day of examination, diplopia developed. The patient's clinical condition was considered to be related to the drug and topiramate was discontinued immediately. The clinical findings of the patient subsequently improved rapidly without treatment. On the fifth day of examination, her autorefractometry measurements were +0.25 -0.25 α 121° in her right eye and +0.25 in her left eye and her uncorrected visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes with normal bilateral anterior chamber depth. She had no vision complaint or diplopia but she began to experience photosensitivity, which persisted for 4 months before regressing completely. When ophthalmologists encounter acute myopia and acute-onset ACG, especially in young patients, they should keep the use of topiramate in mind.

Management of acquired punctal stenosis with perforated punctal plugs.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency of perforated punctal plug in acquired punctal stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five eyes of 33 patients who had epiphora due to punctal stenosis were included in this study. After biomicroscopic examination and lacrimal dilatation punctal stenosis was managed with the perforated punctal plugs in all patients. In the following period epiphora, plug tolerance, lacrimal drainage were evaluated and graded. Lacrimal drainage was evaluated with fluorescein dye disappearing test. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged between 31 and 80 (mean 55.78 ± 13.11). Preoperatively punctal dilatation and lacrimal system irrigations were performed on all patients. Lacrimal system irrigation was positive in all patients. Perforated punctal plugs were placed in the inferior puncti in all patients. The plugs were explanted 6 months after operation. The follow-up period ranged between 6 and 24 months. Plug tolerance was good in 97.8% of the eyes in the 1st month visit. Epiphora decreased remarkably in 88.9% of the patients 1 month after plug implantation, except one whose plug dropped off spontaneously in 2 weeks. Fluorescein disappearing times were found under 3 min in 97.8% of the eyes after plug explanations. CONCLUSION: Punctum stenosis is one of the several disorders that cause lacrimal drainage obstruction. Perforated punctal plugs are found convenient and effective in managing punctal stenosis.

Comparison of transcanalicular diode laser dacryocystorhinostomy and external dacryocystorhinostomy in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the success, complication, and patient discomfort rates of transcanalicular diode laser dacryocystorhinostomy (TCDL-DCR) and external dacryocystorhinostomy (EX-DCR) surgeries performed in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty consecutive patients were included in the study, and groups were assigned according to DCR technique. Thirty-four (42.5%) patients received TCDL-DCR (Group A) and 46 (57.5%) patients (Group B) received EX-DCR with temporary silicone stent intubation. The success of surgery was determined by the relief of epiphora, patient satisfaction, endoscopic evaluation of ostium patency, and lacrimal system syringing. Pearson Chi-Square test, Fisher's Exact test, and Student's t-test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Group A included 22 females and 12 males with a mean age of 49.1 ± 15.1 years, Group B included 35 females and 11 males with a mean age of 50.8 ± 11.7 years. There was no difference between groups in terms of age and gender (P = 0.905 and P = 0.167, respectively). The duration of the operation was 22.2 ± 4.8 minutes for Group A, while it was 56.3 ± 15.7 minutes for group B (P = 0.0001). In two patients in Group A, injury in the medial turbinate was recorded, and in Group B, 14 patients experienced mild to severe perioperative bleeding. The perioperative complication rate was significantly different between the groups (P = 0.004). Success in relieving symptoms was 79.4% for Group A and 89.1% for Group B. The difference in the success rates was not statistically significant (P = 0.229). CONCLUSIONS: Although EX-DCR success rate was higher than that achieved with TCDL-DCR, the latter, with its shorter duration of surgery, lower perioperative complication rate, and a similar success rate, may be a good and acceptable surgical alternative in treatment of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Incidence of and risk factors for increased intraocular pressure after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To identify the incidence of and risk factors associated with the development of glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out between September 1996 and January 2007 with 729 patients' 749 eyes, which underwent penetrating keratoplasty at the 1st Eye Clinic at Dr. Lütfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul. Six attending surgeons performed all the surgeries at the same center. Age, sex, preoperative diagnosis, the presence of preoperative glaucoma, the status of the lenses, and additional surgery performed during keratoplasty, which may affect the postoperative intraocular pressure, were evaluated. RESULTS: The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 86 years (with a mean of 40.9 +/- 20.4 years). Two hundred seventy-seven (61.9%) of the patients were female and 452 (38.1%) were male. Intraocular pressure increases in the early postoperative period occurred in 41 (5.5%) eyes and chronically elevated intraocular pressure was found in 124 (16.6%) eyes. Preoperative diagnosis of inflammatory diseases such as graft thinning (relative risk [RR] = 4.96), traumatic scar formation (RR = 2.66), graft abscess (RR = 2.62), graft rejection (RR = 2.61), bullous keratopathy (RR = 2.59), and corneal abscess (RR = 1.52) were found to be risk factors for the development of glaucoma. Also, the following were significantly associated with an increased risk of glaucoma: peripheral anterior synechia (P = 0.019), preoperative glaucoma (P = 0.0001), and additional surgery combined with penetrating keratoplasty (P = 0.0001). The average period between surgery and the first intraocular pressure elevation was 5.0 +/- 6.5 months for all eyes. The mean intraocular pressure value of eyes that developed glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty was 27.9 +/- 5.8 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: Increased intraocular pressure after penetrating keratoplasty is a common clinical problem, and the risk factors are preoperative diagnosis of inflammatory diseases, peripheral anterior synechia, preoperative glaucoma, and additional surgery combined with penetrating keratoplasty.