Risk of renal damage associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy for diabetic macular edema in routine clinical practice.

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) have been shown to be effective in the treatment of diabetic macular edema. However, there is little information about the systemic effects of intraocular administration of anti-VEGF drugs in patients with coexistent diabetic nephropathy because it can produce adverse renal effects. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed the effect of intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs (bevacizumab, ranibizumab, or aflibercept) on eFGR and microalbuminuria (MicA) in patients with diabetic macular edema and nonproliferative retinopathy without chronic kidney disease (CKD). Results: Sixty-six patients were included, 54.5% male and 45.5% female, with a mean age of 66.70 ± 11.6 years. The mean follow-up of patients with antiangiogenic treatment was 42.5 ± 28.07 months, and the mean number of injections was 10.91 ± 7.54. In 12.1% of the cases, there was a worsening of the glomerular filtration rate (eFGR) and a 19.7% worsening of the microalbuminuria (MicA). The number of injections was not related to the worsening of the eFGR (P = 0.74) or the MicA (P = 0.239). No relationship was found between the type of drug and the deterioration of the GFR (P = 0.689) or the MicA (P = 0.53). Conclusions: Based on the results, there is a small proportion of patients with increase in MicA and the decrease in eFGR after anti-VEGF therapy, and these was no associated with the number of injection or the drug type. Ophthalmologists should be aware of renal damage in order to do a close monitoring of renal function and proteinuria after intravitreal administration of anti-VEGF mainly in hypertensive patients.

Idiopathic sclerochoroidal calcifications: Case report, metabolic causes and differential diagnosis / Calcificações esclerocoroidais idiopáticas: relato de caso, causas metabólicas e diagnóstico diferencial

Abstract Sclerochoroidal calcifications (SC) are a rare and benign ocular condition characterized by yellow-white irregular subretinal lesions usually found in the supero-temporal arcade of the midperipheral fundus in middle-aged elderly men. We present a clinical case of a 79- year-old patient who during a fundus examination presented raised whitish nodules in the supero-temporal arcade in the right eye. After performing optical coherence tomography, ultrasound, ocular computed tomography and laboratory analysis, she was diagnosed with idiopathic sclerochoroidal calcifications The pathogenesis of sclerochoroidal calcifications remains unclear but systemic conditions should be discarded. It is important to distinguish sclerochoroidal calcifications from other conditions such as tumors.

Resumo Calcificações esclerocoroidais (SC) são uma condição ocular rara e benigna caracterizada por lesões sub-retinianas irregulares amarelo-brancas, geralmente encontradas na arcada superotemporal do fundo médio-periférico em homens idosos de meia-idade. Apresentamos um caso clínico de uma paciente de 79 anos que durante exame de fundo apresentou nódulos esbranquiçados elevados na arcada superotemporal do olho direito. Após realizar tomografia de coerência óptica, ultra-sonografia, tomografia computadorizada ocular e análise laboratorial, ela foi diagnosticada com calcificações esclerocoroidais idiopáticas A patogênese das calcificações esclerocoroidais permanece incerta, mas as condições sistêmicas devem ser descartadas. É importante distinguir calcificações esclerocoroidais de outras condições, como tumores.

Corneal Topographic, Anatomic, and Biomechanical Properties in Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To determine corneal topographic, anatomic, and biomechanical properties in patients newly diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study including 25 patients recently diagnosed with severe OSAHS (apnea-hypopnea index above 30) and a paired control group of 25 healthy subjects. All patients underwent a complete eye examination with an elevation topography Pentacam Scheimpflug study and a study with Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer, collecting several topographic, anatomic, and biomechanical variables. RESULTS: Fifty eyes of 25 patients (23 of them were men) diagnosed with OSAHS by somnography and the same number of healthy subjects (23 of them were men) were included, with an average age of 64 ± 11 years (range 45-78 years) for cases and an average age of 64 ± 11 years (range 45-81 years) for the controls. No differences were found in keratometry, cylinder, refractive indexes, Bad-D, or pachymetry. The mean corneal volume for cases was 58.64 ± 3.05 mm and for the controls 60.48 ± 3.33 mm (P = 0.005). The mean minimum radius for cases was 7.49 ± 0.31 and for the controls 7.36 ± 0.30 (P = 0.035). The mean elevation in apex for cases was 8.46 ± 5.18 and for the controls 2.38 ± 2.36 (P ≤ 0.001). Two eyes with a topographic diagnosis of keratoconus (KC) and another 6 with subclinical KC were detected using the Pentacam in the OSAHS group. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the corneal topographic and biomechanical variables in patients with severe OSAHS present different values from the general population with a trend toward KC values, such as keratoconus index or paired keratoconus index. Compared with the control group, significant differences were found in corneal volume, corneal elevation, and minimum radius.

Efficacy of Ologen matrix implant in Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation.

To determine the efficacy and safety of the Ologen collagen matrix adjunctive to Ahmed valve surgery. A randomized prospective multicentre clinical trial involving 58 patients that were followed for one year. Conventional surgery with Ahmed valve was performed in 31 eyes (Control group/CG) and in 27 Ologen (Ologen group/OG) was placed over the valve's plate. Baseline data: age, corneal thickness, intraocular pressure(IOP) and antiglaucoma medications.Postoperative data (days 1, 7 and months 1, 3, 6 and 12): IOP, antiglaucoma medications, visual acuity and complications were recorded. Frequency of hypertensive phase, complete and qualified success and survival rate were studied. No differences were found between CG and OG in the baseline data. The only difference between groups was a significantly lower IOP at day 1. No other differences were found in the follow-up between groups. Hypertensive phase (56%CG and 55%OG, p = 0,947), complete success 28,6%CG and 30,4%OG (p = 0,88) and qualified success 96,4% and 95,9%(p = 0,794). Survival rates at 1 year were 76,7%(CG) and 69,2%(OG)(p = 0,531). 38,7% of patients in the CG suffered some complication during follow-up and 61,5% in OG(p = 0,086). Ologen does not increase safety or efficacy in Ahmed valve surgery at one-year follow-up. This is the first study that shows no benefit of Ologen adjunctive to this surgery.

Behavior of hyperreflective foci in non-infectious uveitic macular edema, a 12-month follow-up prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Hyperreflective foci have been described in OCT imaging of patients with retinal vascular diseases. It has been suggested that they may play a role as a prognostic factor of visual outcomes in these diseases. The purpose of this study is to describe the presence of hyperreflective foci in patients with non-infectious uveitic macular edema and evaluate their behavior after treatment. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, observational, 12-month follow-up study. Inclusion criteria were age > 18 years and a diagnosis of non-infectious uveitic macular edema, defined as central macular thickness of > 300 µm as measured by OCT and fluid in the macula. Collected data included best corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness and the presence, number and distribution (inner or outer retinal layers) of hyperreflective foci. Evaluations were performed at baseline, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after starting treatment. RESULTS: We included 24 eyes of 24 patients. The frequency of patients with ≥11 hyperreflective foci was 58.4% at baseline, falling to 20.8% at 12 months. Further, hyperreflective foci were observed in the outer retinal layers in 50% of patients at baseline and just 28.6% at 12 months. Mean LogMAR visual acuity improved from 0.55 (95% CI 0.4-0.71) at baseline to 0.22 (95% CI 0.08-0.35) at 12 months (p < 0.001). Mean central macular thickness decreased from 453.83 µm (95% CI 396.6-511) at baseline to 269.32 µm (95% CI 227.7-310.9) at 12 months (P < 0.001). Central macular thickness was associated with number (p = 0.017) and distribution (p = 0.004) of hyperreflective foci. CONCLUSIONS: We have observed hyperreflective foci in most of our patients with non-infectious uveitic macular edema. During follow-up and after treatment, the number of foci diminished and they tended to be located in the inner layers of the retina.

Utility of Bruch membrane opening-based optic nerve head parameters in myopic subjects.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether the new rim analysis software with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) shows advantages over the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with moderate myopia. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we studied 65 healthy subjects, 37 with spherical refractive errors in the range of -3 to -6 D (moderate, G1) and 28 with less than -3 D (low/non-myopic, G0). All patients were examined with Heidelberg Spectralis SD-OCT, including Glaucoma Premium Module Edition (GPME) software. With GPME, we analyzed the neuroretinal rim (Bruch membrane opening-minimum rim width [BMO-MRW]) and RNFL. RESULTS: The average age of subjects was 30.2 ± 9.3 years for G0 and 29.9 ± 7.1 years for G1 (p = 0.903). Mean sphere was -0.5 ± 0.3 D (-1.25 to 0 D) G0 and -3.9 ± 0.3 D (-6.00 to -3 D) G1 (p<0.001). The RNFL thickness comparison between G0 and G1 showed a significantly lower thickness in G1 (p = 0.018). The BMO-MRW measurements were similar in both groups (p = 0.331). With the BMO-MRW examination, the number of sectors classified as pathologic per subject in G1 were significantly lower compared to RNFL analysis (p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Ring analysis based on BMO-MRW measurements shows a lower rate of false-positives compared to RNFL thickness when studying healthy moderate myopic eyes and it would be advisable to take this into consideration when analyzing these patients.

Normative database for separate inner retinal layers thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in Caucasian population.

PURPOSE: Develop the first normative database of the thickness of every inner retinal layer in the macular area in a healthy, Caucasian population between 18 to 87 years old, using Spectralis Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). METHODS: On this transversal, observational study, 300 patients between 18 to 87 years old and without an ophthalmological condition were recruited. Macular OCT scans were performed on all patients (Spectralis OCT, Heidelberg Engineering). An axial length measurement, and keratometry were performed using an optical biometer. The volume and thickness of the different macular sectors of the inner retinal layers (retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cells layer (CGL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL)) were analyzed with the Spectralis OCT segmentation software. An eye was randomly selected for each patient. RESULTS: 297 patients (179 females and 118 males) were included in the study. The mean age was 56.07 years (range: 40.50-72). The multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between the RNFL thickness and the axial length (p < 0.001). The mean central retinal thickness was 278.2 µm (range: 266-291), the mean central RNFL thickness was 12.61 µm (range: 11-14), the mean central CGL thickness was 17.63 µm (range: 14-21) and the mean central IPL thickness was 22.02 µm (range: 20-25). The multivariate analysis showed a negative correlation between age and CGL thickness and inner IPL thickness (p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides a normative database of the volume of each of the inner retinal layers on a Caucasian population.

Molecular diagnosis and immunotherapy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe recent insights into how molecular diagnosis can improve indication and selection of suitable allergens for specific immunotherapy and increase the safety of this therapy. RECENT FINDINGS: As specific allergen immunotherapy targets specific allergens, identification of the disease-eliciting allergen is a prerequisite for accurate prescription of treatment. In areas of complex sensitization to aeroallergens or in cases of hymenoptera venom allergy, the use of molecular diagnosis has demonstrated that it may lead to a change in indication and selection of allergens for immunotherapy in a large proportion of patients when compared with diagnosis based on skin prick testing and/or specific IgE determination with commercial extracts. These changes in immunotherapy prescription aided by molecular diagnosis have been demonstrated to be cost-effective in some scenarios. Certain patterns of sensitization to grass or olive pollen and bee allergens may identify patients with higher risk of adverse reaction during immunotherapy. SUMMARY: Molecular diagnosis, when used with other tools and patients' clinical records, can help clinicians better to select the most appropriate patients and allergens for specific immunotherapy and, in some cases, predict the risk of adverse reactions. The pattern of sensitization to allergens could potentially predict the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy provided that these immunotherapy products contain a sufficient amount of these allergens. Nevertheless, multiplex assay remains a third-level approach, not to be used as screening method in current practice.

Molecular allergy diagnosis for the clinical characterization of asthma.

Defining the allergen sensitization of a patient with asthma at the molecular level by measuring specific IgE to purified natural or recombinant allergens can improve diagnostic accuracy and improve asthma phenotyping. Molecular diagnosis is possible thanks to the specificity of some markers of species-specific sensitization and resolve cross-reactivity phenomena from a true co-sensitization. None of this precision is possible with conventional allergy tests, and such information will eventually give clinicians the possibility to individualize the actions taken, including indications on reducing targeted-allergen exposure or selection of suitable allergens for specific immunotherapy, thereby increasing the safety and efficacy of immunotherapy. Nevertheless, all in vitro tests should be assessed alongside clinical history, as allergen sensitization does not necessarily imply clinical responsiveness.