Mechanism of visual sensations experienced during pars plana vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the visual sensations experienced by patients during vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia. METHODS: 30 men and 45 women with a mean age of 65.3 +/- 10.6 years underwent vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia for macular disease. 28 eyes had an idiopathic epiretinal membrane, 13 had an idiopathic macular hole, 32 had macular edema (17 diabetic retinopathy and 15 retinal vein occlusion), and 2 had submacular hemorrhage. 49 patients with nonmacular disease underwent similar vitrectomy procedures and were used for comparison. An interview was conducted with the patient about his/her visual sensations during and within 3 h of the vitrectomy. RESULTS: 70 (93.3%) of the patients reported seeing lights, 53 (70.7%) reported seeing colors, and 48 (64.0%) reported seeing movements or moving objects. Of the patients who reported seeing movements or moving objects, 44 (58.7%) reported seeing surgical instruments, and 5 (6.7%) saw the surgeon's fingers or hands. Patients with macular diseases tended to report more visual sensations than patients with nonmacular diseases. The patients' description and drawings appeared to arise mainly from the shadows cast by the intravitreal objects, and some patients perceived highly accurate details including the movements and color of the objects. CONCLUSIONS: Visual sensations are experienced by approximately 90% of the patients, and there may be a common mechanism by which patients perceive the intravitreal objects that are not focused on by the retina through the eye's optical system.

Bilateral endophthalmitis in a patient with bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

AIM: To present a patient who developed bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis. METHODS: A 44-year-old man who was unconscious because of bacterial meningitis was referred to us for conjunctival hyperemia and decreased pupillary light reflexes. Ophthalmoscopy revealed inflammation in the anterior chamber and vitreous opacities in both eyes. He was diagnosed as having endogenous endophthalmitis associated with the meningitis. Ceftazidime and vancomycin hydrochloride were injected intravitreally and subconjunctivally repeatedly in both eyes. RESULTS: Vision improved to 20/200 in the left eye 1 month later, but the right eye became hypotonic and blind. Vision deteriorated to light perception in the left eye due to a retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and vitreous surgery successfully reattached the retina. Vision recovered to 20/80, and the retina has remained attached for 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that endogenous endophthalmitis be suspected in cases of meningitis, and if present, intravitreal and subconjunctival antibiotics should be promptly given to preserve vision.

Patients' descriptions of visual sensations during pars plana vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the visual sensations experienced by patients during vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Fifty-six men and 45 women with a mean age of 62.2 +/- 11.9 years (range, 30 to 89 years) were studied. Twenty-two eyes had an idiopathic epiretinal membrane, 10 had an idiopathic macular hole, 29 had macular edema (16 resulting from diabetic retinopathy and 13 resulting from retinal vein occlusion), 14 had proliferative diabetic retinopathy, 13 had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, four had proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and nine had other retinal diseases. The patients were questioned about their visual sensations during and within three hours after vitrectomy, which was performed under retrobulbar anesthesia using 2% lidocaine hydrochloride. Visual sensations perceived by the patients during surgery were reviewed. RESULTS: Ninety-one of the 101 patients experienced some type of visual sensation during the vitrectomy. Ninety-one (90.1%) patients reported seeing lights, 73 (72.3%) patients reported seeing one or more colors, and 57 (56.4%) patients reported seeing movements or moving objects. Of these latter 57 patients, 54 saw instruments and nine (8.9%) saw the surgeon's fingers or hands. In the 94 cases that had triamcinolone-assisted vitrectomy, 35 (37.2%) reported seeing many diffuse whirling black spots. Six patients (5.9%) found the visual experiences frightening. CONCLUSIONS: Visual sensations are experienced by approximately 90% of the patients despite full pain control, and surgeons should warn patients of these possibilities because they can be frightening. This should minimize patients' anxiety and stress during the surgery.

Woman with atypical unilateral Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy with visual improvement.

We describe a patient with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) who had a unilateral involvement and a gradual recovery of vision. A 50-year-old woman was referred to our clinic in December 2004 for the treatment of left optic neuritis. The visual acuity was 0.01 in her left eye and 1.5 in her right eye. The left eye had a central scotoma and a relative afferent pupillary defect. Ophthalmoscopy revealed a hyperaemic optic disc with indistinct margins in the left eye. Fluorescein angiography showed circumpapillary microangiopathy in both eyes and staining of the left optic disc. An nt 11778 mutation was identified and she was diagnosed with LHON. The central scotoma gradually improved, and the visual acuity had recovered to 0.3 in August 2007. LHON should still be considered even in older female patients presenting with unilateral acute visual loss when microangiopathy is seen. In such cases, molecular testing is effective in confirming a diagnosis of LHON.

Subjective visual sensation during vitrectomy under retrobulbar anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To report a precise illustrated image of patient's view during vitrectomy. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 56-year-old male with cystoid macular edema (CME) associated with epiretinal membrane underwent vitrectomy. The patient seemed to find gratification in being operated on because he was able to see what was going on. He was a professional artist in computer graphics, and he drew three different pictures depending on the surgical procedures. RESULTS: These pictures depicted the moving of pasty, whirling fluid during core vitrectomy, numerous black or gray spots like snowflakes by intravitrealy injected crystals of triamcinolone acetonide, and a sharp tapered instrument coming into the center and membrane-like material being peeled off. CONCLUSIONS: Patients may see a precise shape in a constant size, scale, and detailed movement as well, focused on the retina without described optics. Further investigation will be required to determine this mechanism.