Arnaldo Furman Bordon

Técnica para injeção intravítrea de drogas no tratamento de doenças vítreorretinianas

Intravitreal injections are the standard technique applied in the treatment of some vitreoretinal diseases. In this paper the technique and complications of intravitreal injections are presented. In summary, the procedure involves various consecutive steps. Initially, days before the treatment topical antibiotics and acetazolamide may be prescribed for reduction of the ocular flora and intraocular pressure. Before the injection, the pupil should be dilated and topical anesthesia should be achieved. Injection shall be performed in the operating room under sterile conditions, the surgeon should wear surgical gloves and mask. The eye is then exposed with sterile blepharostat and sterile-drape thereby providing protection of the needle against the contact with contaminated lashes and lids. Injection is done 3.5 mm from the limbus through the pars plana. The needle should be inserted up to 6 mm into the vitreous cavity. Immediately after injection the patient must be examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy to verify central artery perfusion and complications as vitreous hemorrhage. Visual acuity better than light perception should be detected right after injection. If persistent central retinal artery occlusion is diagnosed, anterior chamber paracentesis should be performed. The patient may be discharged with an occlusive patch. Examination at the first postoperative day should exclude various complications such as endophthalmitis, and topical steroid and antibiotics should be prescribed for 7 days. Some complications encountered after intravitreal injections include retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, cataract, uveitis, ocular hypertension, or endophthalmitis.

Agreement between optical coherence tomography and fundus fluorescein angiography in post-cataract surgery cystoid macular edema

PURPOSE: To evaluate the agreement between optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) regarding the detection of cystoid macular edema (CME) following cataract surgery. METHODS: Retrospective comparative observational series of 25 eyes with suspected CME. Patients with low visual acuity and alterations in fundus biomicroscopy after cataract surgery underwent OCT scanning followed by FFA on the same visit. The diagnosis of CME was established considering fluorescein leakage on FFA and retinal thickness and/or cystoid spaces and/or subretinal fluid on OCT. RESULTS: Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients were enrolled. Twenty-two eyes had similar results on both OCT and FFA, of which 15 eyes had CME and 7 eyes had no CME. Two eyes had CME detected only by FFA and one eye only by OCT. The agreement between the two examinations was good (Kappa = 0.7331; p=0.0001) with no tendency to have neither more positive nor negative findings (p=1.0). CONCLUSION: According to these preliminary data, OCT seems to be as effective as FFA to detect CME with a good agreement between the two techniques.

Avaliação da tomografia de coerência óptica em pacientes portadores de degeneração macular relacionada à idade tratada com terapia fotodinâmica com verteporfina

PURPOSE: To identify the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT). STUDY DESIGN: Open, non-randomized, interventional case series. METHODS: ARMD patients were submitted to a complete ophthalmological examination, fluorescein angiography, and OCT at baseline (V0), 3, 6, 9 and 12 months (V3, V6, V9 and V12, respectively). PDT was carried out according to the TAP study. Visual acuity (VA) was measured using the logMAR ETDRS chart. The following foveal measurements were performed: foveal intraretinal thickness (FIRT), foveal choriocapillaris - RPE complex thickness (FCC-RPET) and total foveal thickness (TFT). The extrafoveal thicknesses measured were: extrafoveal intraretinal thickness (EFIRT), extrafoveal choriocapillaris - RPE complex thickness (EFCC-RPET) and total extrafoveal thickness (TEFT). Statistical analysis was performed using the block variance analysis test. RESULTS: Twenty-three eyes of 23 patients were enrolled. This study identified nine OCT patterns: 1) thickening of the foveal intraretinal layers; 2) thickening of the extrafoveal intraretinal layers; 3) thickening of the foveal choriocapillaris - RPE complex; 4) thickening of the extrafoveal choriocapillaris - RPE complex; 5) intraretinal fluid; 6) subretinal fluid; 7) subretinal pigment epithelium (RPE) fluid; 8) vitreo-retinal adhesion; 9) foveal depression. At baseline, FIRT and TFT were 398.5 µ and 639.2 µ, respectively. At V12 they were 173.7 µ e 423.9 µ, respectively, and this change was statistical significant (p=0.008 e p=0.003, respectively). The variation of the other foveal and extrafoveal measurements were not statistically significant. Foveal depression was present at baseline in 36.4% of the eyes, whereas at V12 it was present in 78.3%. Subretinal fluid was present in 36.4% of eyes at V0 and in 8.7% at V12. VA at baseline was 0.93 and it V12 was 1.04 (p=0,127). CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity was stable throughout the study. Foveal depression was reestablished in 78.3% at V12. FIRT and TFT decreased at a statistical significant level, from V0 to V12.

Hemorragia subaracnóidea e síndrome de Terson: estudo prospectivo

PURPOSE: To analyze the incidence, clinical course, ophthalmic findings, and prognosis of the patients with intracranial bleeding and Tersons syndrome. METHODS: A prospective consecutive study of patients admitted to the emergency room with the diagnosis of acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurological and funduscopic examinations were performed upon admission and at days 3, 7, 30 and 60 after the diagnosis. In all cases the clinical condition was graded according to the Hunt and Hess classification. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were enrolled in this study from July to October, 2000. Tersons syndrome was diagnosed in 5 of the patients (29.4%). Fifteen cases were associated with ruptured cerebral aneurysms, and the remaining two were caused by head trauma. There was no gender preponderance (9F:8M) and the median age was 48 years (range 22-80 years). Four of the five patients (80%) with Tersons syndrome died from intracranial complications, whereas 11 patients with intracranial bleeding and no ocular involvement survived. The leading cause of mortality was rebleeding. The ophthalmoscopic findings included intraretinal bleeding (3 cases), intraretinal and with subhyaloid hemorrhage (1 case) and intraretinal hemorrhage with cotton wool spots (1 case). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the incidence of Tersons syndrome was 29.4% and it was associated with a high mortality rate (80%).

Avaliação da função macular por eletrorretinografia focal e por angiofluoresceinografia em pacientes com degeneração macular relacionada à idade neovascular submetidos à terapia fotodinâmica com verteporfina

PURPOSE: To evaluate macular function by focal electroretinography and fluorescein angiography (FA) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration submitted to verteporfin photodynamic therapy (VPT). METHODS: Prospective study involving 22 patients with age-related macular degeneration and predominantly classic subfoveal neovascular membrane, in non consecutive series, treated with VPT and followed for 12 months. They had their best corrected visual acuity measured by ETDRS chart, changes of lesion measured by fluorescein angiography and cone function assessed by focal electroretinography at baseline and each 3month follow-up. RESULTS: All 22 patients completed the scheduled follow-up. After a mean of 3.5 sessions of treatment per patient, the mean visual acuity variation was not significant at the end of study. Eleven patients showed variation >1 line. 86% of patients achieved stabilization of lesion leakage at the end of the study. Focal electroretinography showed a mean of 194.88 nV in amplitude and 29.19 ms in latency and did not present a significant variation during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in focal electroretinography amplitudes and latencies after a 9-month period. Visual acuity did not show important variations during the 12 months. The decrease of lesion size showed a significant difference at 12 months with negative correlation between the amplitude of focal electroretinography and best corrected visual acuity.