Steven G. Lin

Retinal pigment epithelial tears after intravitreal bevacizumab injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To study retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears after off-label intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Eyes with a vascularized pigment epithelial detachment (PED) that developed an RPE tear were compared with eyes with a vascularized PED but without an RPE tear. Methods: Nine retina specialists across the United States and in Europe participated in this retrospective case series. All eyes that received intravitreal bevacizumab injection for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) over 12 months (October 2005 to September 2006) were included. Eyes without all three confirmed tests (fluorescein angiography, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography) were excluded from analysis. Statistical analyses were performed on multiple characteristics of eyes with a vascularized PED that did and did not develop an RPE tear. Results: Among 2,785 intravitreal bevacizumab injections for 1,064 eyes, RPE tears were found in 22 eyes in 22 patients (2.2%). A vascularized PED was present in 21 of 22 eyes that developed an RPE tear (17.1% of PED eyes; 15, 100% occult CNV; 6, predominantly occult CNV). Mean interval from bevacizumab injections to RPE tears was 37.3 days. Mean follow-up time was 124.9 days. Mean subfoveal PED size was larger for eyes with tears than for those without tears (13.97 mm2 vs 9.9 mm2, respectively; P = 0.01; odds ratio, 1.09). There was substantially smaller mean ratio of CNV size to PED size for eyes with tears than for those without tears (27.9% vs 67.6%, respectively; P = 0.005). Mean pre–bevacizumab injection best-corrected Snellen visual acuity was 20/162, and mean post–RPE tear best-corrected visual acuity was 20/160 (P = 0.48). Conclusion: Large PED size is a predictor for RPE tears, and a small ratio of CNV size to PED size (<50%) is more common in eyes with RPE tears. Vision may be preserved despite RPE tears.

Pneumatic Retinopexy for the Repair of Retinal Detachments: A Comprehensive Review (1986–2007)

Pneumatic retinopexy has become an important surgical technique in the modern era of retinal surgical management for retinal detachments. It is primarily indicated for uncomplicated retinal detachments with retinal breaks involving the superior 8 clock hours of the fundus, although more complex retinal detachments may be successfully managed with this technique on a selected basis. Qualified candidates must be willing to maintain a specific head posture for five or more days for optimal outcome with pneumatic retinopexy. Basic surgical steps of pneumatic retinopexy include retinopexy of retinal breaks with cryotherapy or laser, intraocular gas injection before or after retinopexy, and maintenance of proper head posture by the patient for the required time period after surgery. Phakic eyes fared better than nonphakic eyes for pneumatic retinopexy, with the single-operation successes of 71-84% for the former and 41-67% for the latter. Despite lower single-operation successes with pneumatic retinopexy in comparison to sclera buckling, the multicenter pneumatic retinopexy trial and other published reports have shown that the final anatomical and visual outcomes are not disadvantaged by the initial pneumatic retinopexy. An extensive discussion of complications associated with pneumatic retinopexy is presented. In addition, a key feature of this review is a comprehensive update in the outcome of pneumatic retinopexy in published reports from 1986 to the present in chronological order not available in the current literature. This comprehensive summary shows updated average surgical outcomes for the 4,138 eyes in the 21-year period to be similar to previous reports: single-operation successes (74.4%), final operation successes (96.1%), new retinal breaks (11.7%), and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (5.2%).

Optical coherence tomography-measured pigment epithelial detachment height as a predictor for retinal pigment epithelial tears associated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections.

Purpose: The purpose was to study preinjection optical coherence tomography–related factors in age-related macular degeneration eyes with retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED) that may predispose retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tears associated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections. Methods: This multicenter retrospective case series involving 9 retina specialists and 7 centers investigated Stratus optical coherence tomography (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) parameters in eyes with vascularized PED (vPED) from February 2006 to February 2007. Of the 1,280 eyes in 1,255 patients receiving 2,890 intravitreal injections, there were 125 eyes with vPED. For every vPED eye that developed an RPE tear (Group 1), 3 or more vPED eyes without RPE tears (Group 2) were randomly selected in each study center during the same time period for comparison. The primary outcome measure was PED height (&mgr;m), and the secondary measures included volume index (vPED height × surface area), total macular volume, subretinal fluid, cystoid macular edema, center-point thickness, central 1 mm, and pre- and postinjection best-corrected Snellen visual acuities. Results: Twenty-one vPED eyes in 21 patients among 125 vPED eyes (16.8% of all vPED eyes) developed RPE tears. The 21 Group 1 eyes were compared with the 78 randomly selected Group 2 eyes. The vPED height was significantly higher for Group 1 eyes in comparison to Group 2 eyes (mean: 648.9 ± 245.0 vs. 338.1 ± 201.6 &mgr;m, P < 0.001). The same was true for the following: volume index (P = 0.001), subretinal fluid (P = 0.002), and total macular volume (P = 0.04). The mean preinjection and post-RPE tear best-corrected visual acuity were 0.92 logMAR (20/166) and 0.84 logMAR (20/137), respectively (P = 0.25). Multivariate analysis showed PED height to be the only significant risk factor associated with RPE tears in Group 1 eyes [odds ratio = 0.995 (95% confidence interval: 0.992–0.997), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: Elevated preinjection vPED height is the single most significant predictor for RPE tears after bevacizumab injections for vPED eyes. A vPED height >400 &mgr;m is associated with a significant risk for such a complication.

Acute Exudative Polymorphous Vitelliform Maculopathy Syndrome

Purpose The authors describe clinical characteristics of acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy syndrome, also termed polymorphous maculopathy syndrome (PMS), an unusual tapetoretinal disorder first reported by Gass. Methods Detailed ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, electrophysiology, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed on a patient with PMS. Results Numerous small, yellowish lesions arranged in a honeycombed pattern at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) around the disk and the macula, a shallow macular detachment (documented by OCT), and a perifoveolar yellow ring appeared in both eyes. Initial fluorescein angiography revealed mild early hyperfluorescence and late staining of the perifoveolar rings and the multifocal yellow lesions. Gradually, subretinal yellowish deposits gravitated as a meniscus below the macula with subsequent further changes. Electrophysiology showed reduced amplitudes of the electroretinogram and electrooculogram and abnormal dark adaptometry. A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in the left eye was successfully repaired, with a visual acuity of 20/30. Antecedent upper respiratory infection and headaches and positive serology for the coxsackie virus suggest the possibility of a virus-induced disorder. Genetic studies of this patient showed normal DNA sequences for the bestrophin and peripherin/ RDS genes. Conclusion This is the first report of PMS with the following characteristics: occurrence in a woman, development of a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and electroretinogram, visual-evoked response, color vision, and OCT findings. PMS has features similar to but also different from those of Harada disease and Best disease. Further studies are necessary to determine its relationship to other acquired conditions, such as virus-induced disorders, and genetic defects unrelated to abnormalities of the bestrophin and peripherin/ RDS genes.

Relation of pre-LASIK and post-LASIK retinal lesions and retinal examination for LASIK eyes

Aims: Analysis of highly myopic eyes (mean myopia −11 D) with post-LASIK vitreoretinal complications (breaks, retinal detachment) that also had pre-LASIK vitreoretinal pathology (lattice, breaks). Methods: Retrospective case series. Results: 67 eyes in 56 patients with pre-LASIK retinal examination developed post-LASIK vitreoretinal complications. 17 of the 67 eyes (25.4%) had pre-LASIK vitreoretinal pathology. 10 of the 17 eyes that underwent pre-LASIK prophylactic retinal treatment still developed post-LASIK lesions. They developed adjacent to pre-LASIK lesions for 15 of 17 eyes (88.2%), and outside of quadrant(s) of pre-LASIK lesions for five eyes (29.4%). Conclusion: Pre-LASIK retinal examination may predict locations of certain post-LASIK retinal lesions that may develop in highly myopic eyes with pre-LASIK vitreoretinal pathology, but prophylactic treatment may not prevent all post-LASIK vitreoretinal complications.

Characteristics of sixty myopic eyes with pre-laser in situ keratomileusis retinal examination and post-laser in situ keratomileusis retinal lesions.

Purpose: A survey of eyes with pre-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) retinal examinations and characteristics of post-LASIK retinal breaks and retinal detachments (RDs). Methods: A survey of worldwide vitreoretinal surgeons (424 physicians). Surveyed information included demographics, best-corrected visual acuity, degree of myopia, pre- and post-LASIK retinal findings, follow-up time, and treatment outcome. Results: Sixty eyes with pre-LASIK retinal examinations developed post-LASIK retinal breaks and RDs. There was an average of 2.3 breaks per eye, yielding a total of 140 breaks in the 60 eyes. Forty eyes also had RDs besides the retinal breaks. Large percentages of eyes had substantial myopia (mean myopia, −9.5 ± 5.8 diopters [D]) and complex vitreoretinal complications. Forty percent developed vitreoretinal complications within 6 months after LASIK. The 20 eyes that developed more extensive RDs (>3 clock hours) had a significantly higher mean myopia than did the 6 eyes that developed limited RD (≤3 clock hours) within 12 months after LASIK (−8.92 ± 6.82 D versus −3.50 ± 1.97 D, P = 0.03). There were significant statistical differences in distribution of retinal breaks and tears between the temporal and nasal quadrants (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively, &khgr;2, but not between the superior and inferior quadrants. Conclusion: Distributions of retinal breaks in this study were comparable with results found in non-LASIK eyes in young myopes. Treatment for post-LASIK vitreoretinal complications was highly successful. The vulnerability of such highly myopic eyes for vitreoretinal complications warrants their close monitoring.

Subconjunctival migration of silicone oil through a Baerveldt pars plana glaucoma implant

Extravasation of intraocular silicone oil through a sclerotomy into the subconjunctival space has been described.1 Oil migration through Molteno and Ahmed implants has also been reported in the literature.2,3 However, literature search revealed no cases of oil migration through a Baerveldt pars plana implant after a vitrectomy. We report such a case. In May 2001, a 58 year old white man presented with dense vitreous haemorrhage, hyphaema, and neovascular glaucoma (intraocular pressure (IOP) was 55 mm Hg by applanation tonometry) associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in his phakic right eye (RE), and background diabetic retinopathy in his left eye (LE). Visual acuity (VA) was RE: counting fingers, LE: 20/20. There were mild cortical and nuclear sclerotic cataracts in both eyes. The high IOP along with severe headache and nausea was refractory to maximal medical therapy. A pars plana vitrectomy, endophotocoagulation, and placement of a Baerveldt pars plana glaucoma implant (Model BG-102–350, surface area: 350 mm2 Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA) in the superior temporal quadrant allowed an immediate relief of severe ocular and systemic discomfort, and normalisation of the IOP …

TYPE 1 VERSUS TYPE 3 NEOVASCULARIZATION IN PIGMENT EPITHELIAL DETACHMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION AFTER ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY: A Prospective Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the response to aflibercept therapy for Type 1 and Type 3 neovascularization in pigment epithelial detachments associated with treatment-naive, neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Methods: In this multicentered, prospective study, eligible eyes underwent an intravitreal aflibercept injection protocol for 12 months. Visual acuity and morphologic features of the pigment epithelial detachments were compared at baseline and follow-up intervals between eyes with Type 1 versus Type 3 neovascularization. Results: Thirty-six eyes were analyzed. At 12 months, Type 1 lesions showed a 4.5 ± 23 Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter improvement (P = 0.1665) versus a 14 ± 11 (P = 0.0072) letter improvement with Type 3 lesions. Both Type 1 and 3 eyes showed a significant decrease in pigment epithelial detachment size, subretinal fluid, and subretinal hyperreflective material; however, Type 3 eyes had a greater reduction in pigment epithelial detachment size and subretinal hyperreflective material, as well as a reduction in central retinal thickness. Type 1 eyes required an average of 1.636 (range, 1–4) injections to resolve fluid, which was greater than Type 3 eyes, which required an average of 1.143 (range, 1–2) injections (P = 0.0251). Conclusion: Intravitreal aflibercept injections were efficacious for pigment epithelial detachments, but baseline and follow-up anatomical and functional outcomes differed in Type 1 versus Type 3 neovascularization. The better response of Type 3 eyes with fewer injections suggests that differentiation of the neovascularization subtype at the initial diagnosis may allow for a more tailored, optimal therapy.