Sezin Akça Bayar

Late capsular block syndrome presenting with posterior capsule opacification

PURPOSE: To assess the results of posterior neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy in patients with late postoperative capsular block syndrome (CBS) with decreased vision because of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). SETTING: Baskent University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara, Turkey. DESIGN: Case‐control study. METHODS: Patients with CBS who had phacoemulsification and foldable hydrophilic or hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens implantation with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis were retrospectively reviewed. Transparent to slight milky fluid had collected in the capsular bag. Capsular block syndrome was undiagnosed before the PCO developed. The CBS was treated with Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy, after which the change in refraction, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), complications, and inflammation rate were evaluated. Follow‐up examinations were at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 6 months. RESULTS: The mean time between cataract surgery and laser capsulotomy was 48 months ± 10.27 (SD) (range 28 to 66 months). The Nd:YAG capsulotomy was successful in all eyes. Capsulotomy did not change the refraction in 14 eyes (93.3%). One patient (6.6%) had a change of +0.75 diopter. After capsulotomy, the logMAR CDVA improved in 13 cases (mean 0.26 ± 0.18; range 0.0 to 0.7) and did not change in 2 cases. There were no complications, inflammation, or significant IOP changes. CONCLUSIONS: Neodymium:YAG laser capsulotomy in patients with PCO associated with late CBS increased visual acuity without a significant change in refraction or IOP. Capsular block syndrome may be asymptomatic and remain undiagnosed for a long time after cataract surgery before PCO develops. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Severe corneal changes following intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Purpose: To report a series of severe corneal changes following intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) for age-related macular degeneration. Design: Retrospective noncomparative case series. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the corneal changes that developed after the procedure in 1200 (460 patients) intravitreal injections of bevacizumab. Results: Five significant corneal changes (1.1%) occurred in these patients within the 1st postinjection week. The severe corneal changes included corneal infiltrative keratitis (n = 2) and corneal stromal edema and descemet folds (n = 3). The findings depended on clinical examination and biomicroscopic and confocal evaluation. In terms of causality assessment, no rechallenge was possible. The appropriate treatment was applied and recovery was achieved in all patients during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab may cause corneal changes. The safety and effects of bevacizumab on the cornea should be evaluated in detail.

Anterior segment complications after phacovitrectomy in diabetic and nondiabetic patients

Purpose. To evaluate early and late postoperative anterior segment complications of phacovitrectomy and foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in eyes with cataract and coexisting vitreoretinal disease in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Setting. Department of Ophthalmology, Baskent University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Methods. The records of 189 consecutive patients with cataract and posterior segment pathology necessitating phacovitrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Patient profile, indications for surgery, preoperative findings, intraoperative and postoperative course, and postoperative outcome were evaluated. Phacoemulsification was performed through a clear corneal incision with IOL implantation prior to 23-G pars plana vitrectomy. Results. There were 97 (51.3%) diabetic and 92 (48.6%) nondiabetic patients. The most common indications for surgery were vitreous hemorrhage (57; 58.7%), tractional detachment (35; 36%), and premacular hemorrhage (5; 5.1%) in diabetic patients, and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (40; 43.4%), macular hole (22; 23.9%), epiretinal membrane (20; 21.7%), and vitreomacular traction (10; 10.8%) in nondiabetic patients. Early (within 4 weeks) postoperative complications included elevation of intraocular pressure, fibrinous uveitis, corneal edema, and development of posterior synechia. Long-term (after 4 weeks) complications included migration of silicone oil into the anterior chamber, posterior capsule opacification, and decentered IOL. The ratio of fibrinous uveitis, posterior synechia, and posterior capsule opacification was found higher in the diabetic group (all p<0.05). Conclusions. Combined vitreoretinal surgery and phacoemulsification is safe and effective in treating vitreoretinal abnormalities coexisting with cataract in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Diabetic patients should be monitored more carefully for fibrinous uveitis and posterior synechia in the early postoperative period and for posterior capsular opacification in the late postoperative period.

Clear lens phacoemulsification in Alport syndrome: refractive results and electron microscopic analysis of the anterior lens capsule

Purpose To report the ocular findings of patients with Alport syndrome and the results of clear lens extraction in this patient group. Methods Twenty-three eyes of 15 patients with a diagnosis of Alport syndrome were included in this study. Clear corneal phacoemulsification and intraocular foldable lens implantation was performed in eyes with indeterminate refractive errors and/or poor visual acuity and anterior capsule samples were analyzed with electron microscopy. Results All patients had a history of hereditary nephritis and/or deafness as systemic involvement. Ophthalmologic examination revealed anterior lenticonus with high myopia and/or irregular astigmatism in all patients. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.67 ± 0.17 logMAR (range 1.0-0.4) preoperatively and 0.17 ± 0.08 logMAR (range 0.3-0.0) postoperatively. Postoperative refractive lenticular astigmatism dramatically decreased and no ocular complications arose during the follow-up period. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of the lens capsules supported the diagnosis of Alport syndrome. Conclusions Clear lens phacoemulsification and foldable intraocular lens implantation is a safe and effective therapeutic choice for the management of uncorrectable refractive errors and low visual acuity due to anterior lenticonus in patients with Alport syndrome.

Laser Photocoagulation in Intermediate Uveitis Associated with Retinoschisis

Purpose: To describe cases of pars planitis associated with retinoschisis, in which laser photocoagulation was carried out. Methods: Retrospective review. Results: Three pars planitis cases were associated with retinoschisis and underwent laser photocoagulation. All cases were idiopathic. Retinoschisis was located in the inferior retinal quadrants in all cases and all of them were in bullous formation. None of the cases developed retinal detachment. Conclusion: As well as posterior vitreous detachment, or peripheral retinal tears, retinoschisis may accompany pars planitis. Laser photocoagulation of the pars plana is effective in these cases both as a treatment and to prevent sight-threatening complications like retinal detachment.

Ophthalmologic Findings in Children with Leukemia: A Single-Center Study

Objectives: Ophthalmologic disease in patients with acute leukemia occurs due to primary leukemic infiltration (involvement), or secondary to the disease and its treatment. In recent years the life expectancy of acute leukemia patients has increased with the advent of modern therapies. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of ocular manifestations in children with acute leukemia. Materials and Methods: The study included 120 patients diagnosed with acute leukemia at Başkent University Hospital, Pediatric Hematology Department between 1995 and 2010. All the patients were examined by an ophthalmologist via direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Results: Among the patients, 83 (69.2%) were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 35 (29.1%) with acute myeloblastic leukemia, and 2 (1.7%) with mixed-lineage leukemia. In all, 58 ophthalmic manifestations were noted in 41 patients (34.2%). In our patients, 12 ophthalmologic involvements were present at admission and 46 ocular findings occurred during follow-up. The incidence of these manifestations increased with age. Conclusion: Ophthalmologic manifestations were not correlated with gender, hematological parameters at disease onset, type of leukemia, or the frequency of relapse and survival. To more clearly determine the effect of ophthalmologic manifestations on the prognosis of leukemia, larger scale and multi-center studies are needed.

Spontaneous Regression of Optic Disc Pit Maculopathy in a Six-Year-Old Child

A 6-year-old boy with a complaint of blurred vision for two months was referred to our clinic. His visual acuity was 20/32 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed optic disc pit maculopathy in the right eye. The patient was followed for 6 months without any treatment. At the end of the 6-month period, the patient’s visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes. The OCT imaging showed spontaneous regression of the optic disc pit maculopathy. In this case report, it is concluded that in children, spontaneous regression of the optic pit maculopathy with full recovery of visual acuity is possible. The development of optic pit maculopathy in childhood is rare and there are not enough studies on the treatment methods. Therefore, our case report may be helpful in the management of similar cases of pediatric optic disc maculopathy.

Contrast Sensitivity in Microtropic and Anisometropic Eyes of Successfully Treated Amblyopes

Objectives: To assess and compare contrast sensitivity function in the previously amblyopic and non-amblyopic “normal” eyes of patients with microtropia and anisometropia who achieved 20/20 visual acuity after occlusion therapy. Materials and Methods: Contrast sensitivity was tested monocularly on both eyes of 34 successfully treated microtropic and 15 anisometropic subjects (visual acuity 20/20 in both eyes). Contrast sensitivity function was evaluated by CSV-1000E and age-matched nomograms were used (spatial frequencies of 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree [cpd]) for comparison. Results: The mean age of subjects was 11.2±1.3 years in the microtropic group, 9.8±1.7 years in the anisometropic group (7-12 years); the mean follow-up time was 16.4±3.2 months (12 to 92) in the microtropic group and 27.7±1.8 months (12-84) in the anisometropic group. Statistical comparison of the microtropic amblyopic eyes versus non-microtropic eyes showed significant differences at spatial frequencies of 3, 12 and 18 cpd (3 cpd, t=2.8, p=0.007; 6 cpd, t=1.1 p=0.261; 12 cpd, t=2.2, p=0.033; 18 cpd, t=2.2, p=0.030). When anisometropic eyes were compared with non-anisometropic eyes, there was a significant difference only at 12 cpd (t=2.1 p=0.049). The comparison of non-amblyopic eyes versus age-matched nomograms revealed no differences at any of the spatial frequencies (p>0.05 for all). Conclusion: Contrast sensitivity was decreased in patients with amblyopia, especially in the microtropic group. The assessment of contrast sensitivity function may serve as a new parameter for termination of occlusion therapy.

Choroidal Osteoma and Secondary Choroidal Neovascularization Treated with Ranibizumab

A 47-year-old female patient presented with a complaint of decreased vision in the right eye. Her visual acuity was 0.16 in the right eye and 1.0 in the left eye. Fundus examination revealed a slightly elevated, yellowish-white lesion with regular borders at the macula of the right eye. Early and late hyperfluorescence related with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was detected in the right eye on fundus fluorescein angiography. B-scan ultrasonography revealed a hyperechoic choroidal lesion with acoustic shadowing. The lesion was diagnosed as choroidal osteoma. The patient received 3 injections of intravitreal ranibizumab. After 4 months, the visual acuity of the right eye was 0.9 and the CNV had regressed. Follow-up at about 7 months revealed reduced visual acuity in the right eye with an increase in subretinal fluid. An additional ranibizumab injection was administered. In this case report, we discuss the findings and treatment of a rare case of choroidal osteoma with secondary CNV.

Ocular tuberculosis in a patient undergoing hemodialysis therapy.

To the Editor, On 11 March 2011, Japan was devastated by a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami (1). Chances to carry out emergency medical care were scarce, as there was a clear division between those who died in the tsunami and those who were spared. However, another serious problem has emerged: that posed by chronic kidney disease. In particular, the affected areas have lost electricity and running water, creating “dialysis refugees”. It is estimated that more than 10 000 dialysis patients reside in the affected areas. Given the widespread damage in which many roads were destroyed, dialysis patients need to be sent to more distant areas. A committee member of the Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians stated that “We had previously formulated countermeasures based on the view that the damage caused by the earthquake would be localized, but that was a mistake”. Problems related to dialysis have also arisen in regions adjacent to the affected areas due to scheduled power blackouts. These blackouts are implemented in set time blocks (e.g. for 3 h) in turns each day in order to prevent a large scale power outage. Due to the long durations needed to carry out dialysis, operating dialysis machines continuously during these scheduled blackouts has been a challenge. An important lesson learned is that it will be necessary in the future not only to prepare for emergency medical treatment, but also to form broad cooperative linkages and formulate plans in advance in order to accommodate the needs of patients with chronic kidney illnesses, such as dialysis.