Orbital Gas after 25-Gauge Pars Plana Vitrectomy with Incorrect Gas Mixture.

We present 2 cases of sutureless 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy and fluid-gas exchange, in which incorrect gas concentrations likely led to elevated intraocular pressures and retrobulbar gas. Combined removal of orbital gas with anterior orbitotomy and pars plana vitrectomy was performed in the first case to address expanding intraocular and retrobulbar gas resulting from a suspected error in gas dilution. Vitreous and orbital gas removal by needling was effective in the second case. In patients with elevated intraocular pressure and orbital gas accumulation after vitrectomy, combined intraocular and orbital decompressions were effective in optimizing clinical outcomes. There is no consensus regarding the best management of orbital gas after vitrectomy. We propose that a multidisciplinary technique should be considered, when available.

27-GAUGE PARS PLANA/PLICATA VITRECTOMY FOR PEDIATRIC VITREORETINAL SURGERY.

PURPOSE: To report on the feasibility of 27-gauge (G) vitrectomy for pediatric patients. METHODS: This study is an international, multicenter, retrospective, interventional case series. Participants were patients 17 years or younger who underwent 27-G vitrectomy for various indications. RESULTS: The records of 56 eyes from 47 patients were reviewed. Mean age was 5.7 ± 5.2 years. Diagnoses included retinopathy of prematurity (Stages 3 with vitreous hemorrhage, 4A, 4B, and 5), Terson's syndrome, traumatic macular hole, posterior capsular opacification, endophthalmitis, and others. Instruments used were the 27-G infusion, 27-G vitreous cutter, 27-G light pipe, and 27-G internal limiting membrane forceps. Instrument bending was noted in one (1.8%) case. There were no cases with intraoperative complications, infusion issues, or postoperative endophthalmitis. There were 67/145 (46%) sclerotomies that required suturing, of which most (51/145) were sutured out of precaution. There were four cases (7.1%) that required conversion to a larger gauge and three cases (5.3%) that developed postoperative hypotony. Mean visual acuity improved from logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution 1.32 (20/420) to 0.72 (20/105), after a mean follow-up of 125.1 days (P = 0.01). Anatomic success was achieved in 96.4% of eyes after a single surgery. CONCLUSION: Twenty-seven-gauge vitrectomy was safe and feasible in selected pediatric vitreoretinopathies. Further studies are warranted to examine indications and outcomes.

Refractive Outcomes of Four-Point Scleral Fixation of Akreos AO60 Intraocular Lens Using Gore-Tex Suture.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To determine the refractive outcomes after 4-point scleral fixation of the Akreos AO60 intraocular lens with Gore-Tex suture. METHODS: This was a single referral center, multi-surgeon, retrospective consecutive case series. A total of 63 eyes met the inclusion criteria for having received surgical implantation of the Akreos AO60 intraocular lens with Gore-Tex suture from August 2014 to December 2018. Exclusion criteria included all ocular pathology that precluded an accurate refraction, concurrent ocular surgery, poor corrected pre-operative visual potential, among other factors. Main outcome measures included post-operative uncorrected visual acuity (VA), best-corrected VA, and spherical equivalent deviation from target. RESULTS: Mean pre-operative BCVA was 0.67 ± 0.64 LogMAR (20/93 Snellen). Mean final post-operative BCVA was 0.17 ± 0.18 (20/28 Snellen) and mean final post-operative UCVA was 0.31 ± 0.22 (20/41 Snellen). Mean post-operative spherical equivalent was -0.57 D. Mean post-operative astigmatism was 0.85 D. CONCLUSION: Refractive outcomes after secondary implantation with Akreos AO60 are favorable in eyes with good visual potential.

A Multicenter Study of Pediatric Macular Holes: Surgical Outcomes With Microincisional Vitrectomy Surgery.

Purpose: Pediatric macular holes occur often related to trauma and rarely require surgical intervention. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate outcomes of microincisional vitrectomy surgery. Methods: A multicenter retrospective consecutive case series was conducted of pediatric patients undergoing surgery for macular hole repair. Results: A total of 31 eyes from 8 centers were included in this study. The mechanism of macular hole development was blunt trauma in 30 eyes (97%) and industrial laser in 1 eye (3%). The rate of anatomic closure after primary vitrectomy was 81% (25 eyes); the final anatomic closure rate after a secondary vitrectomy was 94% (29 eyes). There was a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity from initial presentation (20/164) to final follow-up (20/100) (P = .009). Conclusions: Microincisional vitrectomy surgery for pediatric macular holes results in substantial anatomic success and modest improvement in visual acuity.

Peripheral Vaso-Occlusive Events Following Trauma in Patients With Sickle Cell Trait.

Sickle cell trait (SCT) is a common hemoglobin variant, particularly in patients of African descent. Patients with SCT have an increased risk of adverse ocular events following trauma with subsequent elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). The authors describe three cases of young males with peripheral vaso-occlusive events following ocular trauma with subsequent elevated IOP. These cases demonstrate the importance of careful peripheral exams in young patients with SCT following trauma. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:e84-e87.].

FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF PERIPHERAL RETINAL VASCULATURE AFTER PRIMARY INTRAVITREAL RANIBIZUMAB FOR RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY.

PURPOSE: To evaluate angiographic findings in neonates up to 150 weeks postmenstrual age who received intravitreal ranibizumab for primary treatment of Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of fluorescein angiogram findings was completed for 30 eyes of 16 neonates who received intravitreal ranibizumab as primary treatment for Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity between April 2013 and January 2015. Outcome measures included maturity to Zone III, vascular blunting, vascular loops, vascular dilatation, capillary dropout, and vascular fluorescein leakage. RESULTS: Mean gestational age was 24 weeks and mean postmenstrual age at time of intravitreal ranibizumab treatment was 35 weeks. Fluorescein angiograms performed at 44 weeks to 150 weeks postmenstrual age showed only 50% of eyes reached vascularization to Zone III; 40% had persistent vascular leakage; and ≥90% exhibited vascular blunting, vascular dilatation, and/or capillary dropout. CONCLUSION: Although intravitreal ranibizumab is effective in initial cessation of Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity, vascularization to Zone III was only achieved in 50% of eyes in our series and most eyes had fluorescein angiography evidence of vascular anomalies. If future studies are performed comparing treatment with laser photocoagulation to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, fluorescein angiographic studies should be considered to assess the status of the peripheral retinal vasculature to determine treatment effect.

Aggressive Posterior Retinopathy of Prematurity and a TUBA1A Mutation inde Morsier Syndrome.

The authors report a case of a premature male neonate born at 25.3 weeks gestational age weighing 605 grams with septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and a heterozygous mutation in TUBA1A c.715A>C, a critical gene for microtubules, who developed asymmetric and aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This report presents a novel mutation associated with SOD and proposes that optic nerve hypoplasia may have potentiated a severe ROP phenotype. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:629-632.].

RETINAL DETACHMENT SURGERY IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION: Visual and Anatomic Outcomes.

PURPOSE: Pediatric retinal detachments (RDs) are unique in etiology, anatomy, and prognosis compared with the adult population. The mechanisms of pediatric RD include tractional (TRD), rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, traumatic, and other types, such as exudative or hemorrhagic. This study examined visual and anatomical outcomes of pediatric RD undergoing surgical repair at a single university referral center. METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series of patients clinically diagnosed and undergoing surgery for RD between birth and 15 years of age from 2002 to 2013 at a single academic institution. RESULTS: A total of 206 patients (231 eyes) were included in this study, of which 25 (12%) had bilateral RD. Of those patients, 67 (29%) had TRD (retinopathy of prematurity, persistent fetal vasculature, or familial exudative vitreoretinopathy), 51 (22%) had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (myopia, X-linked retinoschisis, or Stickler syndrome), 60 (26%) had traumatic RD, and 53 (23%) were due to other types of RD, such as Coats disease or coloboma. Presenting best-corrected visual acuity better than 20/200 correlated with better final best-corrected visual acuity (P < 0.0001). Anatomical success was strongly correlated with visual acuity outcome (P < 0.00001) and was significantly more likely in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment versus TRD (78% vs. 39%, P < 0.05). The rates of obtaining a final best-corrected visual acuity > 20/200 were poorer in TRD (10%) compared with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (39%, P < 0.01) or traumatic RD (28%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Visual and anatomical outcomes varied among categories of RD. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were associated with the best outcomes (anatomical success and globe conservation), whereas TRDs generally had poorer visual and anatomical outcomes.

Outcomes in bullous retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: To report two patients with giant retinal tear (GRT) associated retinal detachment in the setting of baseball trauma. OBSERVATIONS: Two patients presented with retinal detachment associated with GRT following blunt trauma with a baseball. The first was a superotemporal GRT detachment treated with scleral buckling, pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser, and silicone oil injection. He subsequently underwent cataract surgery with silicone oil removal and at two year follow up the retina with attached with best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20. The second case was an inferotemporal GRT detachment treated initially with laser demarcation, however the tear progressed to a retinal detachment that was then treated with pars plana vitrectomy and lensectomy, endolaser, perfluoro-octane (PFO), and silicone oil injection. At the one year follow up, the retina was attached and the best-corrected visual acuity was 20/30. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: GRTs are an uncommon cause of retinal detachment. While pars plana vitrectomy with tamponade is standard in GRT management, there is variability in the use of scleral buckling and PFO in these cases. This is in contrast to retinal dialysis where scleral buckle alone can yield favorable results. Though a baseball ocular trauma is common, retinal involvement is rare compared to other sports injuries such as those occurring with tennis, soccer and golf. Sports trauma remains an important cause of retinal injury and patients should be counseled on the need for eye protection.

Antiphosphospholipid syndrome presenting with amaurosis fugax and cotton wool spots.

PURPOSE: To describe the importance of considering vaso-occlusive disease on the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with amaurosis fugax (AF) and unilateral cotton wool spots (CWS). OBSERVATIONS: A 69-year-old female with history of obesity, hyperlipidemia and recent orthopedic surgery, presented with 3 days of worsening monocular AF and CWS in the right eye. She was diagnosed with antiphosphospholipid syndrome based on positive serologic testing for antiphosphatidylserine IgM, anticardiolipin IgM. The patient was treated with lipid lowering medication, long-term aspirin, and has followed a weightloss and physical therapy program under medical supervision. The CWS resolved and AF symptoms have not recurred. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Antiphospholipid syndrome can be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with AF, assymetric CWS, and/or rapid progression of symptoms.

Bilateral Retinal Detachments After Intravitreal Injection of Adipose-Derived 'Stem Cells' in a Patient With Exudative Macular Degeneration.

A 77-year-old woman with exudative macular degeneration underwent bilateral intravitreal injections of "stem cells" at a clinic in Georgia. One month and 3 months after injection, she developed retinal detachments in the left and right eyes, respectively. Increased awareness within the medical community of such poor outcomes is critical so that clinics offering untested practices that have been shown to be potentially harmful to patients can be identified and brought under U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:772-775.].

Retinal Detachment Associated With Atopic Dermatitis.

Ocular manifestations related to atopic dermatitis include keratoconus, keratoconjunctivitis, cataract, and retinal detachment. The authors report three cases of retinal detachment associated with atopic dermatitis. Although the pathogenesis is poorly understood, chronic blunt trauma may play a role in the development of retinal detachment. In addition, retinal detachments associated with atopic dermatitis may have lower rates of successful retinal detachment repair. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:513-517.].

Visualization of the retina and vitreous during vitreoretinal surgery: new technologies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Visualization remains a critical factor in successful ocular surgery.Here we review new technology that has the potential to allow for safer and more efficient retinal surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: Vitreoretinal surgery poses unique visualization challenges such as the need for specialized optical systems and the delicate and microscopic features of retinal structures. Better retinal visualization allows for new approaches to increasingly complex retinal cases. Wide-angle viewing has allowed stereopic visualization of the peripheral retina. Improved lighting systems have shown better safety profiles and can facilitate bimanual techniques. The potential to improve surgical decision making has been shown with intraoperative imaging such as optical coherence tomography. SUMMARY: Although some of the benefits of these developments have yet to be proven, improved technology for visualization during retinal surgery will hopefully allow for safer and more efficient surgeries.

Retinal Detachment in a Combined Case of Stickler Syndrome and X-Linked Retinoschisis.

A 12-year-old boy presented with a total rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and a giant retinal tear in the right eye. Clinical examination, optical coherence tomography, and fundus images showed an optically empty vitreous, lattice degeneration, and retinoschisis of the macula. Genetic testing revealed mutations in the COL2A1 and RS1 genes, confirming a dual diagnosis of Stickler syndrome and X-linked retinoschisis, respectively. This represents the first published account of a patient with both Stickler syndrome and X-linked retinoschisis. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:83-86.].

Treatment of Refractory Filamentary Keratitis With Autologous Serum Tears.

PURPOSE: To report a case of filamentary keratitis (FK) successfully treated with autologous serum tears and to review the pathogenesis and management of FK. METHODS: Case report including high-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography and filament histopathology. CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old Hispanic man presented with pain and photophobia of the right eye. He was found to have a corneal epithelial defect and a small peripheral infiltrate 4 months after Laser Assisted in situ Keratomileusis. After resolution of the epithelial defect, he developed FK. Over a 4-month period, conservative management with aggressive lubrication, lid hygiene, topical corticosteroids, topical cyclosporine, bandage contact lenses, and oral doxycycline failed to resolve the corneal filaments. Notably, treatment with 20% autologous serum tears, four times daily, led to a sustained resolution of the FK within 1 week. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates the complexity of FK management and introduces autologous serum tears as a viable management option when conservative approaches to this condition fail.

Visual response and anatomical changes on sequential spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in birdshot chorioretinopathy treated with local corticosteroid therapy.

BACKGROUND: Birdshot chorioretinopathy is a chronic bilateral inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by bilateral retinal vasculitis, mild to moderate vitritis, retinal vascular leakage, cystoid macular edema (CME), and typical "birdshot" chorioretinal lesions. Typically, patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy are treated with systemic immunosuppressive and/or corticosteroid therapy in an effort to minimize loss of vision. Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) has shown regional or generalized photoreceptor loss in addition to both retinal as well as choroidal thinning in these patients. The present study describes anatomical changes of the retina and alterations in choroidal thickness and vasculature on sequential spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in 4 patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy treated with local corticosteroids. METHODS: A retrospective observational case series identified 4 consecutive patients (8 eyes) at New England Eye Center, Boston diagnosed with birdshot chorioretinopathy according to the research criteria of the international consensus conference that were managed by a single retina specialist and treated exclusively with local corticosteroid therapy (intravitreal/sub-tenon injections) without systemic immunosuppression. All patients underwent longitudinal SD-OCT imaging with both the 512 × 128 cube scan and the 1-line raster protocol. A chart review was performed to review the visual response to treatment. Two independent observers analyzed sequential SD-OCT images for retinal parameters such as occurrence of CME at any time during the course of disease, presence of retinal thinning and presence of hyper-reflective foci within the retina, and choroidal parameters including its thickness and its vasculature. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 47 years (26-60 years). Mean duration of follow-up was 96 months. All patients were HLA-A29 positive. Visual acuity remained stable in 75 % of eyes, 63 % eyes had central retinal thinning, 75 % eyes had hyper reflective foci within the retina and 75 % eyes had CME during follow-up. Mean total sub-foveal choroidal thickness of all 8 eyes at the time of the last SD-OCT was significantly lower than at initial SD-OCT (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This case series suggests that treatment with local corticosteroids may have good visual outcome despite retinal and choroidal thinning. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to further determine the benefits of local corticosteroid therapy.

Traumatic open globe injury in young pediatric patients: characterization of a novel prognostic score.

BACKGROUND: Open globe injury is a common cause of monocular blindness in children. Current formulas to predict outcomes of open globe injury often rely heavily on visual acuity and presence of an afferent pupillary defect, examination elements that are difficult to assess in young children. We aimed to analyze the features of open globe injuries in children aged 0-6 years to facilitate development of a novel algorithm for predicting visual outcomes in this age group. METHODS: The medical records of patients 0-6 years of age presenting at a single institution with open globe injury from 2000 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Epidemiology, physical examination, and intervention data were used to develop a prognostic algorithm. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were included. Mean age at presentation was 4.2 years (range, 1.9-6.7). Glass was the most common mechanism of injury. Associated findings included uveal prolapse (93%), choroidal detachment (39%), hyphema (32%), and retinal detachment (11%). In addition to primary repair, 43% patients required a lensectomy, and 7% underwent surgery to repair retinal detachment. Complicating cataract (P < 0.005) and a wound >6 mm (P < 0.05) were associated with a final visual acuity worse than 20/40. A novel algorithm for predicting visual outcome was devised with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 92%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients 0-6 years of age with open globe injuries present unique risk factors for poor outcome. The trauma score generated by our algorithm is not reliant on presenting visual acuity and may be useful in predicting prognosis in very young children.