Dilek Erkan

Submacular surgery for choroidal neovascularization secondary to optic nerve drusen

PURPOSE To report a case of bilateral choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to optic nerve drusen (OND). DESIGN Interventional case report. METHODS A 9-year-old girl presented with peripapillary CNV of the right eye and peripapillary and subfoveal CNV of the left eye secondary to OND. The CNV was excised with submacular surgery in the left eye. RESULTS Visual acuity increased from 0.05 to 0.3 in the left eye after submacular surgery and did not change from 0.3 in the right eye during 6-month follow-up. Partial retinal pigment epithelial atrophy, but no recurrence of CNV, was observed after CNV excision. CONCLUSION Subfoveal CNV is an uncommon complication of OND and surgical excision may be useful in selected cases.

Exophthalmometry values of Turkish adult population and the effect of age, sex, refractive status, and Hertel base values on Hertel readings.

Purpose To establish normal exophthalmometry values in the adult Turkish population, and the impact of age, gender, interpupillary distance, Hertel base selection, and refractive status on globe position. Methods Exophthalmometry measurements and refractive status of 2477 subjects were conducted in one tertiary and five primary health care centers. Change of globe position by age, intersex differences in terms of globe position, correlations of Hertel base with exophthalmometry results, and interpupillary distance (IPD) were evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to test determination effect of each variable on final Hertel reading. Results Median Hertel reading was 13 mm, and 95% of the population had an upper limit of 17 mm for both eyes. There was a negative correlation between spherical equivalent of refractive status and exophthalmometry results and a weak positive correlation between IPD and exophthalmometry result. Mean Hertel value was found to decrease significantly after the third decade. Hertel base value was found to have moderate linear correlation with Hertel results. A weak correlation was detected with Hertel base/IPD ratio with final Hertel results. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed and only 13% and 20% of change in Hertel values bilaterally were found to be determined by other variables (age, IPD, refractive status, and Hertel base value) for females and males. Conclusions Normative dataset for exophthalmometry results of the Turkish population is established to be used in clinical practice and research. Only 13% to 20% of change in Hertel values was detected to be determined by age, IPD and Hertel base values.

Secondary glaucoma after congenital cataract surgery

Purpose: Glaucoma has been recognized as an infrequent but serious complication following surgery for congenital cataract in childhood. We conducted a retrospective review of patients in whom glaucoma had developed after surgery for congenital cataract. Methods: We reviewed the records of 87 eyes of 53 patients on whom cataract surgery had been performed between February 1982 and March 1995 at Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital, Samsun. Results: The average postoperative follow-up is 4.5 years (range 1 to 12 years). We identified open angle glaucoma (OAG) in 17 eyes, chronic angle closure glaucoma (ACG) in six eyes, and acute angle closure glaucoma (AACG) in two eyes. The average time between cataract surgery and the diagnosis of glaucoma was 6.08 years (range one week to 10 years). The mean time to diagnosis of glaucoma was 4.7 years (range 4 months to 10 years) for OAG, 4.3 years (range 1 to 8 years) for ACG and, for AACG, 7 days and 10 months following surgery. Medication alone was successful in intraocular pressure control in 17 of 25 eyes (<21 mmHg), and additional surgical procedures resulted in intraocular pressure control in eight eyes in which they were performed. Conclusion: Patients undergoing cataract surgery early in life should be routinely examined for possible postoperative glaucoma.

Pars plana vitrectomy for ocular complications of Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To evaluate the outcomes of vitreoretinal surgery for the ocular complications of Behcets disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 20 eyes of 15 patients with Behçets disease (9 men, 6 women; mean age at surgery, 31.0 +/- 1.8 years; range, 21-44 years) who had undergone vitreoretinal surgery for Behcets disease at Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Samsun, Turkey, between January 2000 and September 2003. Postoperative visual acuity outcome, course of uveitis, and complications were evaluated in all patients. RESULTS Indications for surgery were vitreous opacities in 10 eyes (50%), cystoid macular edema in 5 eyes (25%), epiretinal membrane in 3 eyes (15%), and vitreous hemorrhage in 2 eyes (10%). At the last postoperative follow-up, visual acuity had increased 2 Snellen lines or more in 10 (50%) of 20 eyes. Cystoid macular edema completely improved in 3 (60%) of 5 eyes after vitrectomy. Uveitis attacks significantly decreased during follow-up (P = .015). Immunosuppressive treatment was stopped in 11 (73%) of 15 patients. Retinal detachment and phthisis were not observed in any eye. CONCLUSION Vitreoretinal surgery may be useful in the treatment of posterior segment complications of Behcets disease.

Ophthalmic and central retinal artery flow velocities in patients with Behçet's disease

Vascular involvement is a well known manifestation of Behçets disease (BD) and may effect systemic and regional circulation in patients with BD. We evaluated ophthalmic and central retinal artery flow velocities in these patients. Mean ophthalmic and central retinal artery flow velocities were lower in patients with BD than in healthy controls, but the cause and significance of these findings remain to be defined.

Is Symptomatic Atherosclerotic Cerebrovascular Disease a Risk Factor for Normal-Tension Glaucoma?

Objective: To compare the incidence of glaucomatous optic disk appearance between patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stroke and healthy individuals with normal intraocular pressures (IOP). Subjects and Methods: 46 patients with ischemic stroke with evident lacunar infarction or large vessel atherosclerosis, and 93 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals, all with normal IOP, were included. Patients and controls were examined for the presence of high cup-to-disk ratios (>0.5). Results: Seven patients (15.22%) in the ischemic cerebrovascular disease (CVD) group and 3 controls (3.23%) had glaucomatous optic disk appearance. All subjects with glaucomatous optic disk appearance in the control group and 3 patients in the study group had visual field defects in concordance with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). The incidence of glaucomatous optic disk appearance was significantly higher in the group with symptomatic atherosclerotic CVD. Conclusion: Atherosclerotic CVD is a risk factor for having glaucomatous optic disk appearance. Symptomatic atherosclerosis involving the brain vasculature may also affect the eye and lead to NTG. Patients with ischemic strokes due to large artery atherosclerosis or small artery occlusion must be examined and followed for NTG.

Conjunctival necrosis due to subconjunctival injection of betamethasone in treatment of graft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty.

A rare side effect of betamethasone applied subconjunctivally is described. A 51-year-old man who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty in his left eye 2 months previously developed graft rejection and was treated by subconjunctival injection of betamethasone. Within 2 weeks, the patient complained of conjunctival hyperemia and irritation. Biomicroscopic examination revealed conjunctival and subconjunctival necrosis with white necrotic tissue at the subconjunctival corticosteroid injection site. Simple debridement and primary wound closure of the involved area resulted in complete healing. Ophthalmologists should be aware that subconjunctival injection of betamethasone may cause conjunctival necrosis.

Jellyfish Sting Injury to the Cornea

A 25-year-old woman presented to the emergency room 2 hours after a jellyfish sting to the left eye. Centrally located linear epithelial defects were observed on slit-lamp evaluation. The epithelial defects improved but did not heal totally after meticulous patching with antibiotic ointment and cycloplegic drops. Small, subepithelial negative staining areas within the epithelial defects were observed on day 3. Confocal microscopy was performed and revealed thread-like hyperreflective structures, mainly located at the basal epithelial layer. Following debridement of the traumatized areas, the corneal epithelium healed completely in 24 hours, resulting in increased visual acuity and decreased foreign body sensation. Jellyfish stings to the eye may involve the intrusion of the nematocysts, thread-like venomous structures, into the cornea. Debridement of these foreign bodies can be helpful in the treatment of resistant cases.

Bilateral simultaneous primary orbital lymphoma presenting with unilateral enophthalmos.

A 73-year-old woman was examined for palpable orbital masses behind the right upper eyelid and left lower eyelid leading to entropion. Hertel exophthalmometry readings were 6.0 mm in the right eye and 11.0 mm in the left eye with a base of 102 mm. MRI revealed bilateral hypointense orbital soft-tissue masses. Pathologic evaluation of incisional biopsy specimens revealed malignant tissue composed of diffuse, mitotically active, atypical large lymphoid cells positive for CD-20 with immunohistochemical staining, confirming the diagnosis of malignant diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Systemic survey was negative for extraorbital involvement. After R-CHOP chemotherapy (Rituximab 375 mg/m2 intravenously, Cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2 intravenously, Doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 intravenously, Vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 intravenously, Prednisolone 100 mg orally), Hertel measurements were 9.0 mm in the right eye and 11.0 mm in the left eye. The mass lesions were totally regressed in follow-up MRI. Although rare, non-Hodgkin lymphoma may present bilaterally as primary orbital lesions and can unexpectedly cause enophthalmos instead of proptosis.

Congenital Brown's syndrome: clinical and surgical approach

Browns syndrome is a well-recognized clinical disorder of ocular motility consisting mainly of a restriction of active and passive elevation in adduction. We report a series of 17 patients with true Browns syndrome and discuss the clinical features and results of surgical intervention. Surgery should be considered carefully for the treatment of this syndrome as reoperation may be necessary and spontaneous resolution is seen during long-term follow-up of some patients.