«Do Not Do¼ recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study.

PURPOSE: Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do¼ recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. RESULTS: A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's¼ occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified «Do Not Do¼ recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved.

Recomendaciones «no hacer» para retinopatías: estudio mixto de consenso / «Do Not Do» recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study

Antecedentes y objetivos Entre las principales causas de ceguera y de pérdida severa de la visión se encuentran la degeneración macular asociada a la edad, el edema macular diabético y la oclusión venosa de la retina. Las recomendaciones «no hacer» son estrategias para mejorar la calidad asistencial y optimizar los costes sanitarios. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo definir por consenso prácticas de escaso valor en las enfermedades mencionadas, además de estimar su ocurrencia. Materiales y métodos Estudio de métodos mixtos. En una primera fase se buscó el consenso de un panel multidisciplinar de expertos a través de la técnica del grupo nominal. En una segunda fase, se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo, mediante el cual se revisaron los registros de historias clínicas. Resultados Fueron establecidas 7 recomendaciones para degeneración macular asociada a la edad, 4 para edema macular diabético y 5 para oclusión venosa de la retina. En total, 1.012 registros de pacientes fueron revisados por los 4 hospitales participantes. La revisión de historias clínicas reveló que los «no hacer» consensuados ocurrían en un rango entre 0,6 y 31,4% de los casos incluidos en el estudio. Conclusión Este estudio identificó recomendaciones «no hacer» en estas enfermedades que ocurren con relativa frecuencia en la práctica clínica. Es necesario revisar el proceso asistencial para erradicar estas prácticas y mejorar la calidad asistencial (AU)

Background and objective Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do» recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. Materials and methods Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. Results A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's» occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. Conclusions This study identified «Do Not Do» recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved (AU)

«Do Not Do¼ recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study. / Recomendaciones «no hacer¼ para retinopatías: estudio mixto de consenso.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do¼ recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. RESULTS: A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's¼ occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified «Do Not Do¼ recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved.

Clinical features, management and outcomes of patients with sterile endophthalmitis associated with intravitreal injection of antivascular endothelial growth factor. / Características clínicas, manejo y resultados de los pacientes con endoftalmitis estéril asociados con la inyección intravítrea de factores de crecimiento endotelial antivascular.

PURPOSE: Analyze clinical features, management and outcomes of patients with sterile endophthalmitis associated with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor. METHODS: Observational retrospective case series of patients with sterile endophthalmitis following anti-VEGF intravitreal injections. Clinical data of patients treated with intravitreal anti-VEGFs during one year have been revised. Those who have presented an episode of sterile endophthalmitis are analyzed and their causality and management are studied. RESULTS: Seven patients have had a sterile endophthalmitis onset within 4days after intravitreal injection (aflibercept n=5 and ranibizumab n=2). These patients have some active neovascular condition: age related macular degeneration (n=4), myopic choroidal neovascularization (n=1) or macular edema: diabetic macular edema (n=1), branch retinal vein occlusion (n=1). Shared signs and symptoms included painless vision loss, anterior chamber and vitreous cell and lack of hypopyon. In all patients, visual acuity returned to within one line of baseline acuity. CONCLUSION: Differentiating cases of sterile from infectious endophthalmitis may be challenging. It is crucial to differentiate both entities as a good diagnosis determines the visual prognosis. We should be aware of minimal inflammation after repeated intravitreal injections in order to establish the adequate treatment.

[Kearns-Sayre syndrome: ophthalmic manifestations]. / Síndrome de Kearns-Sayre: manifestaciones oftalmológicas.

The clinical case and genetic diagnosis of Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) is described in a young patient. The findings included: ptosis, ocular motility disturbances, pigmentary retinopathy, as well as mitral insufficiency. A muscle biopsy revealed mitochondrial cytopathyand heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA deletions. KSS is a rare neuromuscular disorder defined by a characteristic triad of progressive external ophthalmoplegia, pigmentary retinopathy and atrioventricular block. Early detection is essential to avoid potential cardiac complications.

[Intravitreal bevacizumab in the treatment of idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasis type I]. / Bevacizumab intravítreo como tratamiento de las telangiectasias yuxtafoveales idiopáticas tipo i.

CLINICAL CASE: We report a case of a 42 year-old male with a macular edema due to idiopathic juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis type i, treated with 3 sequential injections of intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg in 0.05 ml). Anatomical improvements were observed after one year of follow up. DISCUSSION: There is currently no general consensus regarding the treatment of unilateral idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasis. The therapeutic options are, grid laser photocoagulation, intravitreal triamcinolone, verteporfin photodynamic therapy, or anti-VEGF. Visual acuity and anatomical improvements were observed in this case after intravitreal bevacizumab. Thus, intravitreal bevacizumab seems to be effective to treat macular edema in idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasis type i.

Further development of forensic eye color predictive tests.

In forensic analysis predictive tests for external visible characteristics (or EVCs), including inference of iris color, represent a potentially useful tool to guide criminal investigations. Two recent studies, both focused on forensic testing, have analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes underlying common eye color variation (Mengel-From et al., Forensic Sci. Int. Genet. 4:323 and Walsh et al., Forensic Sci. Int. Genet. 5:170). Each study arrived at different recommendations for eye color predictive tests aiming to type the most closely associated SNPs, although both confirmed rs12913832 in HERC2 as the key predictor, widely recognized as the most strongly associated marker with blue and brown iris colors. Differences between these two studies in identification of other eye color predictors may partly arise from varying approaches to assigning phenotypes, notably those not unequivocally blue or dark brown and therefore occupying an intermediate iris color continuum. We have developed two single base extension assays typing 37 SNPs in pigmentation-associated genes to study SNP-genotype based prediction of eye, skin, and hair color variation. These assays were used to test the performance of different sets of eye color predictors in 416 subjects from six populations of north and south Europe. The presence of a complex and continuous range of intermediate phenotypes distinct from blue and brown eye colors was confirmed by establishing eye color populations compared to genetic clusters defined using Structure software. Our study explored the effect of an expanded SNP combination beyond six markers has on the ability to predict eye color in a forensic test without extending the SNP assay excessively - thus maintaining a balance between the test's predictive value and an ability to reliably type challenging DNA with a multiplex of manageable size. Our evaluation used AUC analysis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curves) and naïve Bayesian likelihood-based classification approaches. To provide flexibility in SNP-based eye color predictive tests in forensic applications we modified an online Bayesian classifier, originally developed for genetic ancestry analysis, to provide a straightforward system to assign eye color likelihoods from a SNP profile combining additional informative markers from the predictors analyzed by our study plus those of Walsh and Mengel-From. Two advantages of the online classifier is the ability to submit incomplete SNP profiles, a common occurrence when typing challenging DNA, and the ability to handle physically linked SNPs showing independent effect, by allowing the user to input frequencies from SNP pairs or larger combinations. This system was used to include the submission of frequency data for the SNP pair rs12913832 and rs1129038: indicated by our study to be the two SNPs most closely associated to eye color.

Triamcinolone and bevacizumab as adjunctive therapies to panretinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose. To evaluate efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone (IVT) and bevacizumab (IVB) as adjunctive treatments to panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods. In 60 eyes of 45 patients with PDR, PRP (PRP group), PRP with IVT (IVT group), or PRP with IVB (IVB group) was performed. Regression of new vessels (NV), changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and contrast sensitivity at 1,2, and 6 months were evaluated. Results. Initial mean numbers of active NV and BCVA were 3.45 and 67.35 in the PRP group, 4.35 and 76.65 in the IVT group, and 4.79 and 75.53 in the IVB group. At the 6-month follow-up, numbers of active NV were 2.5 (P = 0.064), 1.11 (P = 0.000), and 1.11 (P = 0.002), and there was a mean loss of 2,6 (P = 0.055), 3.9 (P = 0.011), and 0.9 letters (P = 0.628) in the PRP, IVT, and IVB groups, respectively. Changes in CMT in the PRP and IVT groups were not significant, but significantly increased in the IVB group (P = 0.032). Contrast sensitivity remained stable in PRP and IVB groups and slightly decreased in IVT group. Conclusions. Adjunctive use of both triamcinolone and bevacizumab with PRP lead to a greater reduction of active NV than PRP alone in PDR, although no differences were seen between the two of them.

[Vogt Koyanagi Harada syndrome]. / Síndrome de Vogt Koyanagi Harada.

CASE REPORTS: Case 1. A female patient with visual loss and migraine who was found to have an exudative, bilateral retinal detachment. Steroid therapy was commenced initially and then cyclosporin-A added. Nine months later, her vision was 10/10 in the right eye and 9/10 in the left eye. Case 2. A female patient with unclear vision who was found to have an exudative, bilateral retinal detachment. Systemic steroid therapy was given and ultimately her vision was 9/10 in the right eye and 8/10 in the left eye. DISCUSSION: Vogt Koyanagi Harada syndrome is a bilateral granulomatous panuveitis associated with neurologic and dermatologic disorders. When a patient has exudative multifocal and bilateral retinal detachment and systemic symptomatology, the possibility of this disease needs to be suspected. Good visual prognosis is possible if early treatment is given.

Diode laser photocoagulation of choroidal neovascularization associated with retinal pigment epithelial detachment.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Association of choroidal neovascularization with pigment epithelial detachment is not an uncommon feature. Since this condition usually has a poor visual outcome, new treatments should be developed. METHODS: We studied the anatomical and visual results of 11 eyes with this association as a manifestation of an Exudative Age Related Macular Degeneration which were treated with diode laser photocoagulation guided by indocyanine green angiography. The average follow up time was 25.5 months (from 12 to 48 months). RESULTS: Complete closure with complete resolution of the exudates and flattening of the detachment was observed in five eyes (45%). Visual acuity in the final examination improved or remained stable in 6 cases (55%). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that diode laser photocoagulation guided by indocyanine green angiography is at least as effective as conventional lasers with shorter wavelengths for treatment of vascularized pigment epithelial detachments in Age Related Macular Degeneration.

Bone marrow transplantation retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow transplantion (BMT) is the treatment of choice for both malignant and nonmalignant disorders of the bone marrow. BMT retinopathy occurs after a latent period of 6 months and usually recovers after a few weeks. METHODS: We present a case of BMT retinopathy (BMT) in a patient with a high-degree of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We analysed the funduscopic and angiographic findings, and the evolution of the case. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: After a period of two and a half years we observed the spontaneous complete resolution of the fundus lesions and the recovery of visual acuity All of this confirm the theory that BMT retinopathy does not progress beyond the ischemic microvascular stage.

Central serous chorioretinopathy following pigment epithelium detachment: fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography follow-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the evolution from idiopathic serous pigment epithelium detachment (PED) to central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: Fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) were performed using the digital imaging system Topcon IMAGEnet H 1024. RESULTS: A leakage point which later became the typical smokestack image of a CSC was found in the upper margin of the persistent PED. Dilation of the choroidal vessels under the detached neuroepithelium was also seen. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and angiographic evidence about the relation between the two entities can help us to understand CSC as a potential evolution of PED and to continue searching for the common injury of the pigment epithelium which probably is the primary event.

Two different genetic markers for high and low myopia.

In myopia patients, Rh and acid phosphatase were typed in two groups: group 1 consisted of 214 patients with low myopia (-6 D or less); group 2 of 124 patients with high myopia (more than -6 D). Statistical analysis of the markers showed a good Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for both groups. In the Rh system there was a significant difference between group 1 and the control population (p < 0.05), but not between group 2 and control (p > 0.1). In the case of ACP there was a significant difference between group 2 and the control population (p < 0.05), but not between group 1 and control (p > 0.25). We conclude that the observed association between myopia and Rh system (chromosome 1) involves low myopia, while the association between myopia and acid phosphatase (chromosome 2) involves high myopia. Further DNA research will lead to more specific results.