Photocoagulation Up to Ora Serrata in Diabetic Vitrectomy to Prevent Recurrent Vitreous Hemorrhage

Purpose@#To evaluate the role of performing photocoagulation up to ora serrata during vitrectomy in preventing recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (VH) in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). @*Methods@#This retrospective, nonrandomized study included 60 eyes from 60 patients who had undergone PPV for VH due to PDR. These patients were divided into two groups: group 1, those who underwent photocoagulation up to ora serrata using the scleral indentation technique during surgery; and group 2, those who did not undergo scleral indentation when photocoagulation and underwent photocoagulation up to vortex veins. Their hospital records were analyzed to investigate the recurrence rate of VH, the time until recurrence of VH after surgery, logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measured before surgery and at 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery, and the occurrence of complications such as neovascular glaucoma (NVG) during follow-up. @*Results@#Group 1 exhibited lower recurrence rate of VH (2 of 30 [6.7%] vs. 10 of 30 [33.3%], p = 0.01) and lower occurrence of postoperative NVG (2 of 30 [6.7%] vs. 8 of 30 [26.7%], p = 0.038) compared with group 2. There were no statistically significant differences in logMAR BCVA measured at 1, 2, and 3 years between the two groups (at 1 year: 0.54 ± 0.43 vs. 0.54 ± 0.44, p = 0.954; at 2 years: 0.48 ± 0.47 vs. 0.55 ± 0.64, p = 0.235; at 3 years: 0.51 ± 0.50 vs. 0.61 ± 0.77, p = 0.200). Logistic regression analysis showed that among several factors that could affect recurrence rate of VH, only range of photocoagulation performed was a statistically significant factor (odds ratio, 0.119; 95% confidence interval, 0.022–0.659; p = 0.015). @*Conclusions@#Photocoagulation treatment over a wider range with scleral indentation could be a beneficial adjunct procedure for preventing postoperative recurrent VH following diabetic vitrectomy.

Influence of Preoperative Corneal Endothelial Status on Postoperative Corneal Endothelium Density after Cataract Surgery

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of preoperative corneal endothelial status on postoperative corneal endothelium density after cataract surgery. METHODS: We evaluated 228 eyes of 158 patients who underwent cataract surgery. Corneal endothelial status and central corneal thickness were measured before surgery and 1 day, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Patients were classified by preoperative endothelial cell density (three groups) and their coefficients of variation and hexagonality (two groups). Clinical parameters, including corneal endothelial cell losses, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, spherical equivalent refraction and central corneal thickness were measured to compare the intergroup indices. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in corneal endothelial cell losses at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery in any of the groups based on corneal endothelial cell density. There were increases in corneal thickness at 1 day and 1 month after surgery that were significantly higher in the low-endothelial cell density group than the 2,000-2,500 cells/mm² cell density group (p < 0.05), but there were no differences after the 3-month time point. There were no significant differences in clinical parameters for the coefficient of variation and hexagonality groups until 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We observed reversible corneal edema in the low endothelial group; however, there were no significant intergroup differences in corneal endothelial cell loss due to preoperative corneal endothelial status. Our results suggest that cataract surgery is relatively safe for patients with morphologically abnormal corneal endothelium and/or low endothelial density; the safety is primarily due to improved equipment and surgery techniques.

Correlation between Quantification of Metamorphopsia and Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Patients with Epiretinal Membrane

PURPOSE: To investigate the quantification of metamorphopsia with a novel method that uses Monpack One (Metrovision, Perenchies, France) and to compare the relationship between metamorphopsia score and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM). METHODS: This study included 37 eyes of 35 patients with idiopathic ERM. We examined the patients using SD-OCT and quantified the degree of metamorphopsia using the Monpack One. On the topographic map of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) grid, central retinal thickness at the fovea (1 mm), and parafovea (3 mm) was measured with the SD-OCT software. The correlation between these factors was analyzed. We repeated the metamorphopsia test twice in 22 eyes of 11 healthy subjects in order to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and evaluate the reproducibility and reliability of the new metamorphopsia test. RESULTS: On the ETDRS grid, the retinal thickness (µm) of the central, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal subfields was 495 ± 102, 428 ± 98, 454 ± 78, 434 ± 83, and 463 ± 95, respectively. The mean total metamorphopsia score was 24.8 ± 13.9, while those for the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal subfields were 14.7 ± 9.1, 15.1 ± 8.6, 15.9 ± 8.9, and 14.6 ± 8.6, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed that total metamorphopsia score was significantly related to central retinal thickness (p = 0.01). Moreover, each subfield of parafoveal retinal thickness positively correlated with metamorphopsia subfield score (p 0.9) in all subfields. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of metamorphopsia in ERM could be quantified objectively on each subfield using the Monpack One metamorphopsia test. The degree of metamorphopsia significantly correlated with retinal thickness measurements based on SD-OCT.

Correlation between Quantification of Metamorphopsia and Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Patients with Epiretinal Membrane

PURPOSE: To investigate the quantification of metamorphopsia with a novel method that uses Monpack One (Metrovision, Perenchies, France) and to compare the relationship between metamorphopsia score and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM). METHODS: This study included 37 eyes of 35 patients with idiopathic ERM. We examined the patients using SD-OCT and quantified the degree of metamorphopsia using the Monpack One. On the topographic map of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) grid, central retinal thickness at the fovea (1 mm), and parafovea (3 mm) was measured with the SD-OCT software. The correlation between these factors was analyzed. We repeated the metamorphopsia test twice in 22 eyes of 11 healthy subjects in order to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and evaluate the reproducibility and reliability of the new metamorphopsia test. RESULTS: On the ETDRS grid, the retinal thickness (µm) of the central, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal subfields was 495 ± 102, 428 ± 98, 454 ± 78, 434 ± 83, and 463 ± 95, respectively. The mean total metamorphopsia score was 24.8 ± 13.9, while those for the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal subfields were 14.7 ± 9.1, 15.1 ± 8.6, 15.9 ± 8.9, and 14.6 ± 8.6, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed that total metamorphopsia score was significantly related to central retinal thickness (p = 0.01). Moreover, each subfield of parafoveal retinal thickness positively correlated with metamorphopsia subfield score (p 0.9) in all subfields. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of metamorphopsia in ERM could be quantified objectively on each subfield using the Monpack One metamorphopsia test. The degree of metamorphopsia significantly correlated with retinal thickness measurements based on SD-OCT.

A Case of Transient Color Anomaly and Persistent Visual Field Defect after Sildenafil Citrate Overdose

PURPOSE: Sildenafil citrate, is an oral tablet demonstrating efficacy for maintaining an erection in males with erectile dysfunction by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). In the present study, we report 1 case of a transient color anomaly with visual field defect after an overdose of sildenafil citrate. CASE SUMMARY: One patient, a 39-year-old female, with no significant medical history other than previous major depressive disorder, visited an outpatient department due to the visual field defect that began after taking 30 tablets of sildenafil citrate (50 mg) 3 days earlier. A number of ophthalmologic tests were administered including visual acuity test, color vision test, fundus photography and the measurement of retinal structure with optical coherent tomography and her condition was monitored. The best corrected visual acuity was 1.0 in both right and left eyes in her first visit. The color anomaly and a central scotoma of both eyes were detected in the visual field test, while significant signs were not observed after evaluation using optical coherent tomography and fundus photography. After 5 weeks, the visual acuity was not affected, the color anomaly symptom disappeared and the focal visual field defect was present although improved. CONCLUSIONS: Transient color anomaly and persistent central scotoma caused by an overdose ingestion of sildenafil has not been reported in Korea, The related mechanisms may involve the inhibition of PDE5 on ganglion cells and bipolar cells in the retina and interruption of phosphodiesterase type 6 (PDE6) function in both rods and cones.

Adopting customers' empowerment and social networks to encourage participations in e-health services.

The aim of this article is to present an e-health model that embeds empowerment and social network intervention that may extend the role of customers in health care settings. A 25-item Likert-type survey instrument was specifically developed for this study and administered to a sample of 108 participants in Indonesia from October to November 2012. The data were analyzed to provide ideas on how to move forward with the e-health initiative as a means to improve e-health services. The survey revealed that there is a high demand for customers' empowerment and involvement in social networks to improve their health literacy and customer satisfaction. Regardless of the limitations of the study, the participants have responded with great support for the abilities of the prototype systems drawn from the survey. The survey results were used as requirements to develop a system prototype that incorporates the expectations of the people. The prototype (namely Clinic 2.0) was derived from the model and confirmed from the survey. Participants were selected to use the system for three months, after which we measured its impact towards their health literacy and customer satisfaction. The results show that the system intervention through Clinic 2.0 leads to a high level of customer satisfaction and health literacy.