Faculty Bibliography

Purpose: The purpose of the study sfias to understand the pre-, intra-and postoperative clinical findings of eyes that developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) follosfiing macular hole surgery (MHS). Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of MHS that developed RRD over a six year period (2009-2014) by a single surgeon (KJSFI) sfias performed. All patients had a uniform surgical approach: pars plana vitrectomy, posterior hyaloid interface (PHI) separation, internal limiting membrane peeling, inspection of the retinal periphery sfiith scleral indentation, and gas insuffation. Any pre-or intraoperative retinal tears or precursors sfiere treated sfiith laser photocoagulation. Patients sfiith RRD on postoperative examination sfiere analyzed. Results: 293 macular hole repairs sfiere performed during the study period. 9 patients had postoperative RRD (3.1%). Of the 9 patients reviesfied, the average age sfias 64 years (SD=7.2). 5/9 patients had pre-existing retinal pathology including lattice (2), peripheral retinal tufts (2), and previous retinal tear (1). 4/9 patients had intraoperative laser photocoagulation treatment for these lesions. One patient, sfiith no visible precursor, had a mother and sister sfiith history of bilateral RRD. The average time to detection of RRD sfias 52 days (range=11-180) sfiith 6/9 patients presenting sfiithin the first 60 days. RRD location sfias inferior in 7/9 patients. All detachments sfiere repaired sfiith subsequent surgery. In patients sfiho completed postoperative follosfi-up, 7/8 had documented macular hole closure via optical coherence tomography. Of 6 patients sfiith documented pre-and postoperative visual acuities, 1 patient had loss of visual acuity sfihile the remaining patients improved visual acuity by 2-5 Snellen lines. Conclusions: RRD is a knosfin complication of MHS. Our results suggest that a majority of these eyes have pre-existing retinal pathology or predisposition to RRD. Other findings include early postoperative onset of RRD (most sfiithin the first 2 months) and a tendency to form inferior detachments. The complication is not clearly associated sfiith failure of macular hole closure and most cases result in favorable visual outcomes. Careful preoperative peripheral retinal examination and prophylactic treatment of precursors appears to be sfiarranted, but cannot fully prevent this complication

PURPOSE: To describe a series of previously normotensive eyes experiencing sustained elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) associated with long-term intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical data were reviewed for 25 eyes of 23 patients with neovascular AMD who had increased IOP while receiving interval doses of intravitreal ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab. All eyes had tolerated multiple anti-VEGF injections in the past without IOP elevations. RESULTS: After a mean of 20.0 anti-VEGF injections (range, 8-40 injections), the mean IOP was 29.8 mm Hg (range, 22-58 mm Hg), compared with a baseline of 16.9 mm Hg (range, 14-21 mm Hg). The mean highest IOP while receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy was 35.8 mm Hg (range, 23-58 mm Hg). Overall, 23 of 25 cases required IOP management. In the remaining 2 cases, anti-VEGF dosing was switched from regular interval dosing to an optical coherence tomography-guided variable regimen, with subsequent improvement in IOP without antiglaucoma treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Serial injections of anti-VEGF agents may lead to persistent IOP elevations that require glaucoma therapy. The clinician should recognize this phenomenon, as it can occur even if the patient has tolerated multiple prior injections without IOP elevation. Further exploration of the relationship between anti-VEGF therapy and IOP is needed

PURPOSE: To evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab as a potential treatment for decreased visual acuity secondary to central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: In this prospective interventional case series, patients with central retinal vein occlusion were administered intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg at baseline and monthly for 2 additional doses. Thereafter, the patients were given additional ranibizumab if they had macular edema by optical coherence tomography, leakage during fluorescein angiography, or any intraretinal hemorrhage. RESULTS: There were 35 eyes of 35 patients who at baseline had a mean visual acuity of 44.2 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters and a mean central macular thickness of 638 mum. At 12 months, mean visual acuity of 32 eyes improved by 16.5 letters and macular thickness decreased to 164 mum (P < 0.001 vs. baseline for each). At 24 months, mean visual acuity of 24 eyes improved by 17.8 letters and macular thickness was 263 mum (P < 0.001 vs. baseline for each). Patients received an average of 10.2 injections during the first year and 6.6 injections during the second year. No cases of endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, or neovascularization were observed. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal ranibizumab caused a significant improvement in visual acuity and central retinal thickness, which persisted for up to 2 years with minimal side effects

PURPOSE: To determine the influence of lens status on postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) in eyes undergoing vitrectomy for repair of recurrent retinal detachment (RD) resulting from proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). DESIGN: Retrospective, consecutive, nonrandomized, single-center series. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five eyes with recurrent RD resulting from PVR were reviewed retrospectively. In all, 99 eyes underwent relaxing retinotomy at the time of surgery (68.4%). Perfluorocarbon gas (n = 60) or silicone oil (n = 85) were used as postoperative tamponades. For analysis, eyes were subdivided first based on tamponade and retinotomy status. The resultant groups then were divided further by lens status into 2 groups: aphakic eyes (aphakic group) and phakic and pseudophakic eyes (nonaphakic group). RESULTS: Surgical reattachment was achieved in all eyes except one. Eyes receiving both silicone oil and relaxing retinotomy had the worst baseline characteristics compared with those receiving other interventions. In this subset of eyes, a significantly lower proportion of hypotony was found in those eyes that were aphakic after surgery when compared with those eyes that were nonaphakic (P = .037). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of PVR often results in ultimate retinal reattachment. In eyes receiving both relaxing retinotomy and silicone oil, higher IOPs and a lower proportion of hypotony are found where a native lens or intraocular implant is absent. Removal of the lens or intraocular implant may be considered for those eyes at greatest risk of hypotony.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of lens status upon the anatomic and visual results in primary diabetic vitrectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative, consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred two eyes of 85 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and its complications that underwent primary vitrectomy. METHODS: The eyes that remained phakic after vitrectomy were compared with the eyes that were either aphakic or pseudophakic (nonphakic) postoperatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraoperative and postoperative complications, vitreoretinal reoperation rate, and ultimate anatomic and visual success with at least 6 months' follow-up. RESULTS: Preoperatively, 72 eyes were phakic, and 30 were aphakic (n = 1) or pseudophakic (n = 29). During vitrectomy, 1 eye underwent lensectomy and 12 eyes underwent phacoemulsification with lens implantation. Postoperatively, 59 eyes were phakic and 43 eyes were nonphakic. The vitreoretinal reoperation rate was significantly higher (P = 0.04) for the phakic group (28.8%) than for the nonphakic group (11.6%). Rubeosis iridis developed in 3 phakic eyes and no nonphakic eyes (P = 0.26). Intraoperative complications were similar in the phakic and nonphakic groups (P = 0.40). Postoperative complications such as rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (P = 0.39), nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage (P = 0.07), and anterior chamber complications (P = 0.60) were also similar. Visual acuity improved by at least 0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units in 76.2% of the phakic eyes and 86.0% of the nonphakic eyes (P = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes that were phakic after primary diabetic vitrectomy had a significantly higher subsequent vitreoretinal reoperation rate when compared with nonphakic eyes, suggesting that diabetic eyes are less likely to require additional vitreoretinal surgery if they are rendered nonphakic before or during vitrectomy.

We sought to study the presence of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and its ligands, advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), S100/calgranulins and amphoterin (high mobility group box 1 protein; HMGB1), in the vitreous cavity and epiretinal membranes (ERMs) of eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Undiluted vitreous specimens were collected from 30 eyes of 30 patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for repair of retinal detachment (RD) secondary to PDR (n = 15) or PVR (n = 15). The vitreous samples obtained from 10 eyes undergoing macular hole repair were used as controls. Epiretinal membranes were obtained from eight eyes with PDR and from 10 eyes with PVR. The levels of AGEs in the vitreous were measured using ELISA. The vitreous levels of soluble RAGE (sRAGE), S100/calgranulins and amphoterin were measured using Western blot analyses. The localization of RAGE and its ligands in ERMs was determined with immunohistochemistry. The vitreous levels of sRAGE were significantly increased in both PDR and PVR (p < or = 0.05) compared to control vitreous. In both PDR and PVR, the vitreous levels of AGEs (p < or = 0.01), S100/calgranulins (p < or = 0.05), and amphoterin (p < or = 0.01) were also elevated compared to control eyes. Expression of RAGE was detected in six of eight ERMs from eyes with PDR and eight of 10 ERMs from eyes with PVR. Many cells expressing RAGE also expressed vimentin, suggesting a glial cell origin. Ligands for RAGE were also detected in ERMs, with AGEs detected in five eyes with PDR and eight eyes with PVR. Similarly, S100 and amphoterin ERM expression was observed in six eyes with PDR; these ligands were also expressed in ERMs from eyes with PVR (8 and 7 cases, respectively). We conclude that RAGE and its ligands are increased in the vitreous cavity of eyes with PDR and PVR and are present in ERMs of eyes with these proliferative retinal disorders. These findings suggest a role for the proinflammatory RAGE axis in the pathogenesis of proliferative retinal diseases.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone treatment for macular edema from central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and hemiretinal vein occlusion (HRVO). METHODS: This study was a retrospective medical records review of 24 eyes of 24 patients (mean age, 71 years) that were injected with 4 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of macular edema due to CRVO (n = 21) and HRVO (n = 3). Of the 24 eyes, 14 were injected once, 6 were injected twice, 3 were injected 3 times, and 1 received 4 injections. Mean follow-up time was 10 months (range, 3-24 months). The average time between onset of symptoms and first injection was 5.4 months (range, 2-48 months). Available documents on pre- and postinjection optical coherence tomography central foveal thickness in 23 of 39 total injections were evaluated. RESULTS: All injections resulted in reduction in central foveal thickness as determined by optical coherence tomography. The mean central foveal thickness decreased to 55% of preinjection values ([n = 23] 635 vs. 352 mum, respectively; P < 0.001). The average gain in visual acuity was 1.3 Snellen lines (range, -3-7) over the course of the study period. Ten eyes gained > or =2 lines of visual acuity, 3 eyes improved 1 line, 7 eyes remained the same, and 4 eyes worsened. There was no correlation between improvement in foveal thickness and corresponding visual gain (P = 0.24). None of the eyes of diabetic patients (n = 6) or patients with ischemic CRVO (n = 2) improved in visual acuity. The difference in mean baseline (20/167) and mean final visual acuity (20/91) was statistically significant (P = 0.015). The mean best postinjection visual acuity (20/67) was also significantly higher than the mean final visual acuity (P = 0.019). When diabetic and ischemic CRVO patients were excluded, the difference between mean baseline visual acuity and mean final visual acuity was found to be highly significant ([n = 16] 20/133 vs. 20/67, respectively; P < 0.001), while mean final and best postinjection visual acuities (20/50) did not differ (P = 0.085). Eight of 16 phakic eyes showed progression of cataract, 2 of which underwent cataract extraction. Nine of 18 patients without a history of glaucoma developed ocular hypertension and required glaucoma medication during postinjection follow-up. Trabeculectomy was performed on two eyes with glaucoma. Two other eyes developed epiretinal membranes, one of which underwent vitrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal triamcinolone may be effective in treating macular edema from CRVO and HRVO. Subjects with concurrent diabetes or ischemic central retinal vein were less likely to have visual improvement