W. Sanderson Grizzard

Perforating Ocular Injuries Caused by Anesthesia Personnel

Between February 1988 and May 1990, the authors treated 12 perforating ocular injuries caused by anesthetic injections around the eye. All 12 injections were performed by nonophthalmologists. Eleven were performed by anesthesiologists and one by a certified nurse anesthetist. Five were caused by blunt needles and seven by sharp needles. Two of the eyes had multiple posterior exit wounds. The five eyes that had sharp needle, single perforations (i.e., one entrance wound and one exit wound) were easily managed with cryopexy, laser, or observation. All five of these eyes have a visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Six vitrectomies were performed on the five patients with single perforations caused by blunt needles; three of these eyes have a visual acuity of counting fingers or worse. The two patients who had multiple posterior exit wounds required a total of four procedures. The visual acuity in these eyes is 20/400 and light perception. Anesthesia personnel should be well trained before attempting ocular anesthesia. The use of blunt needles does not prevent ocular penetration.

Endophthalmitis after Pars Plana Vitrectomy

Purpose: To describe the clinical course and incidence of culture-proven Postvitrectomy endophthalmitis in 18 patients from five academic centers and three private practices. Methods: Patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for recent trauma or endophthalmitis were excluded. The average age was 58 years (range, 21–85 year). Sixty-one percent of the patients (11/18) had diabetes mellitus. The indication for initial vitrectomy was vitreous hemorrhage (n = 10), macular epiretinal membrane (n = 3), recurrent retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (n = 2), retinal detachment with retinoschisis (n =1), proliferative diabetic retinopathy with tractional retinal detachment (n =1), and dislocated intraocular lens (n =1). None of these eyes received prophylactic intraocular antibiotics during the vitrectomy. Results: All eyes were treated with intraocular antibiotics after the diagnosis of Postvitrectomy endophthalmitis was made. Final visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to no light perception and included five eyes with 20/50 or better visual acuity and 11 eyes with less than 5/200 visual acuity. Nine eyes had a final visual acuity of no light perception. Of the 16 eyes infected with a single organism, 71 % (5J7) of eyes infected with coagulasenegative staphylococci retained 20/50 or better final visual acuity compared with no eyes (0/9) infected with other organisms ( P = 0.005). Two eyes infected with both coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Streptococcus had a final visual acuity of 20/ 400. Three eyes with a total hypopyon later had enucleation or evisceration. Based on the data from four medical centers, the incidence of endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy performed over the last 10 years was 9/12,216 (0.07%). Conclusion: Endophthalmitis after vitrectomy is rare. Postvitrectomy bacterial endophthalmitis caused by organisms other than coagulase-negative staphylococci has a poor visual prognosis.

A multivariate analysis of anatomic success of retinal detachments treated with scleral buckling

One hundred and twenty-three preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were evaluated to assess their effect on anatomic success of scleral buckling for retinal detachment. The relative importance of each variable was tested in a logistic regression equation. This equation identified ten significant variables for predicting the outcome of retinal detachment surgery. The significant variables were: preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (adjusted odds ratio, AOR, 13.60), previous buckle by G.F. Hilton (AOR = 8.03), total detachment (AOR = 5.72), preoperative vitreous hemorrhage (AOR = 3.08), tension less than 10 mm Hg (AOR = 2.40), hemorrhagic complications (AOR = 2.62), previous buckles by others (AOR = 2.10), injection into the vitreous at surgery with either saline or balanced salt solution (AOR = 2.32) or air/sulfahexafluoride (AOR = 7.06), and preoperative vision less than 0.3 (20/60 or worse) (AOR = 2.14). The number of cryopexy applications was specifically tested in the equation, but while significant in a univariate analysis, it was not found to be significant in the multivariate analysis.

Pneumatic retinopexy : a two-year follow-up study of the multicenter clinical trial comparing pneumatic retinopexy with scleral buckling

The authors report 2-year follow-up information on 179 of 198 eyes (90%) enrolled in a previously published multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing pneumatic retinopexy (PR) with scleral buckling (SB) for the management of selected retinal detachments. Scleral buckling was compared with PR with regard to redetachment after the initial 6-month follow-up period (1% versus 1%), overall attachment (98% versus 99%), subsequent cataract surgery (18% versus 4%; P less than 0.05), preoperative visual acuity (no significant difference), and final visual acuity of 20/50 or better in eyes with macular detachment for a period of 14 days or less (67% versus 89%; P less than or equal to 0.05). Reoperations after a failed PR attempt did not adversely affect visual outcome. After 2 years, PR continues to compare favorably with SB.

Multifocal Pigment Epithelial Detachments By Reticulum Cell Sarcoma: A Characteristic Funduscopic Picture

Patients with systemic reticulum cell sarcoma often develop evidence of ocular involvement months or several years prior to the onset of neurologic symptoms. This neoplasm appears to have proclivity of arising multicentrically within the subpigment epithelial space, as well as in the vitreous. When this occurs it may produce a peculiar ophthalmoscopic picture of multiple large, solid detachments of the pigment epithelium that is rarely duplicated by any other disease. Three patients illustrating this disease are presented. RETINA 4:135-143, 1984

Pneumatic Retinopexy Failures: Cause, Prevention, Timing, and Management

BACKGROUND Pneumatic retinopexy is a procedure for reattaching the retina by injecting an expanding gas bubble and using either laser or cryopexy. The procedure is controversial because there may be a lower initial success rate, and intraocular gas may increase the risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective review of 107 unpublished consecutive cases of pneumatic retinopexy together with a literature review of 25 statistical series with primary attention to failures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out on the data set, and adjusted odds ratios for risk factors associated with failure were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS Initially, 74 (69%) of 107 patients had successful results, and with re-operations the success rate increased to 98%. Failure of the procedure to achieve retinal reattachment occurred soon after the initial procedure, with 86% of recorded failures occurring within the first month. The initial cause of failure was new or missed breaks in 14.9%, reopened initial breaks in 11.2%, and breaks never closed in 4.6%. Risk factors that showed a correlation with failure were patients being male (adjusted odds ratio = 2.65), eyes with preoperative visual acuity worse than 20/50 (adjusted odds ratio = 1.21), eyes with four quadrants of retinal detachment or total detachment (adjusted odds ratio = 2.03), aphakic or pseudophakic eyes (adjusted odds ratio = 1.91), and eyes with additional pathologic findings (adjusted odds ratio = 3.14). Poor visual outcome was associated with initial visual acuity less than 20/50 (adjusted odds ratio = 15.7) and eyes with four quadrants of retinal detachment or total detachment (adjusted odds ratio = 5.01). CONCLUSIONS Failures of pneumatic retinopexy occur early in the postoperative course. Factors known to be associated with failure of retinal reattachment using scleral buckling also were associated with failure in pneumatic retinopexy. A higher success rate in females was noted, suggesting that educational efforts may need to be greater in males. Poorer visual results occurred in patients with poor initial vision and in eyes with four quadrants of retinal detachment or total detachments.

Long-Term Outcomes in Eyes Receiving Fixed-Interval Dosing of Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agents for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE To report on long-term visual outcomes in patients receiving continuous fixed-interval dosing of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN Single-practice retrospective chart review. PARTICIPANTS One hundred nine eyes with exudative AMD receiving continuous fixed-interval dosing (every 4-8 weeks) of anti-VEGF therapy (ranibizumab, bevacizumab, or aflibercept) for at least 5 years. Eyes were excluded if they averaged fewer than 6.5 injections per year. METHODS Snellen visual acuity was recorded at baseline and all subsequent injections. Changes from baseline were calculated at yearly intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was mean change in letter score at 5, 6, and 7 years; secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients with 20/40 vision or better at 7 years and the mean change in letter score at each yearly time point based on baseline visual grouping (20/40 or better, 20/50-20/100, 20/200 or worse). RESULTS Forty-four, 75, and 109 patients with 7, 6, and 5 years, respectively, of continuous treatment were identified. Mean change in letter score at year 5 was +14.0 letters (P = 3.9 × 10(-9)), +12.2 letters at 6 years (P = 1.5 × 10(-7)), and +12.1 letters at 7 years (P = 3.8 × 10(-5)). Driving vision (20/40 or better) was achieved in 43.2% of treated eyes. Subanalysis revealed that the greatest visual gains at 5 and 7 years were seen in those patients with baseline visual acuity worse than 20/200 (+24.5 and +25.5 letters), followed by those with 20/50 to 20/100 vision (+6.7 and +6.9 letters), and finally those with 20/20 to 20/40 (+3.7 and +3.4 letters). Patients received an average of 10.5 injections per year. CONCLUSIONS Continuous fixed-interval dosing of anti-VEGF therapy in patients with exudative AMD results in favorable long-term preservation out to 7 years, with vision stabilizing or improving in 93.2% of eyes. Additionally, 43.2% of patients maintained driving vision in the treatment eye at 7 years compared with 10.1% at baseline. Our data suggest better outcomes with continuous therapy over published results with sporadic, as-needed therapy.

Scleral Buckling for Retinal Detachments Complicated by Periretinal Proliferation

Scleral buckling alone used to treat retinal detachment with massive periretinal proliferation resulted in an overall cure rate of 34.7%. The success rate declined with increasing severity of massive periretinal proliferation. A detailed anatomic classification for massive periretinal proliferation was used to define the configuration of the eyes undergoing operation. We currently recommend scleral buckling alone for moderate degrees of massive periretinal proliferation; we reserve vitrectomy with preretinal membrane removal and scleral buckling for more advanced cases.

Transpupillary thermotherapy in the management of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma.

PURPOSE To report a case of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma effectively managed with transpupillary thermotherapy. METHOD A 53-year-old man affected by extramacular circumscribed choroidal hemangioma had sustained a decline in visual acuity caused by subretinal fluid exudation into the macular area. Multiple attempts at treatment with scatter photocoagulation over the surface of the lesion for several years had been unsuccessful in reducing tumor-related exudation. The patient was examined on referral and underwent a single session of treatment employing transpupillary thermotherapy. The course of the lesion after treatment was documented with fundus photography and ultrasonography. RESULT Complete atrophy of the choroidal hemangioma with resorption of subretinal fluid was documented over the 6 months after transpupillary thermotherapy, with improvement in visual acuity. CONCLUSION Transpupillary thermotherapy is an effective alternative to conventional scatter photocoagulation or radiation therapy for precise ablation of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma.

Angioid Streaks Associated with Hereditary Spherocytosis

We examined members of a family in whom hereditary spherocytosis had appeared in three generations. Angioid streaks were confirmed in the second generation and presumed to exist in the first generation. A woman in the third generation with hereditary spherocytosis did not have angioid streaks but these are age-related and may develop later. The one individual in the second generation without hereditary spherocytosis did not have angioid streaks. Angioid streaks associated with hereditary spherocytosis in this family did not appear to be coincidental. Patients with hereditary spherocytosis should be examined for angioid streaks because of the implications for their vision.