Yasin Toklu

Short-term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin(®)) on retrobulbar hemodynamics in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Acta Ophthalmol. 2011: 89: e41–e45

Time course of silicone oil emulsification.

Purpose: To investigate the natural course of silicone oil emulsification after silicone oil tamponade usage in retinal detachment surgery. The presence of a group of patients whose silicone oil tamponades we preferred to keep as long as possible because of high risk of redetachment enabled us to investigate the course of in vivo silicone oil emulsification. Methods: Thirty-two cases that were considered to have a high risk of redetachment after silicone oil removal were closely monitored, and it was preferred to keep the silicon oil as long as possible until first signs of silicone oil emulsification were observed. Any ocular complication directly related to the silicone oil tamponade did not arise in any of these cases, and the only indication for silicone oil removal was the signs of emulsification. Results: The silicone oil emulsification time ranges from 5 months to 24 months with a mean of 13.2 ± 4.8 months. In most cases, it occurs within the first year. However, there are also 2 cases where emulsification is not observed until the 24th month. Conclusion: It could be possible to extend the silicone oil removal time up to 1 year to achieve a stable retinal status in cases with a high risk of redetachment.

Suspected Bacterial Endophthalmitis Following Sustained-release Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant: A Case Report

A 58-year-old man admitted to our opthalmology department with the complaint of branch retinal vein occlusion. He was treated with intravitreal Ozurdex in the right eye. Two days after the injection, the patient presented with ocular pain and the visual acuity was hand movement. A diagnosis of endophthalmitis was made. We performed emergent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and the implant was removed from the vitreous cavity using a retinal forceps. A combination of vancomycin 1.0 mg and amikacin 0.4 mg was injected intravitreally. However, because of the blurring in the vitreus one week after the procedure, phacoemulsification and a repeat PPV was performed. Five days after the last procedure the signs and symptoms of endophthalmitis were resolved. Our case demonstrated that endophthalmitis could develop after intravitreal implantation of Ozurdex. Surgical removal of the implant and immediate vitrectomy seems to be a useful treatment option in these cases.

Isolated sixth nerve palsy after intravitreal bevacizumab injection.

Purpose: To report a case of sixth nerve palsy after intravitreal bevacuzimab injection. Methods: After intravitreal bevacizumab injection in a 64-year-old man, the patient admitted to our clinic with the complaint of diplopia. A complete ophthalmologic examination was done to clear the symptomatology of patient. Results: Examination of ductions revealed marked limitation of abduction of the right eye and full ductions of the left eye, consistent with right lateral rectus paralysis. Conclusions: Although intravitreal bevacizumab injections are generally well tolerated, it is possible that some serious systemic adverse events may occur. For this reason, patients must be closely monitored following these injections.

Investigation of the Efficacy of the Cone Location and Magnitude Index in the Diagnosis of Keratoconus

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of The Cone Location and Magnitude Index (CLMI) in keratoconus diagnosis. Methods: 301 eyes of 159 keratoconus patients and 394 eyes of 265 refractive surgery candidates as a control group were enrolled in this retrospective clinical study. CLMI was compared with keratometric corneal topography parameters, wavefront aberrations, and pachymetry data derived from optical coherence tomography using independent sample t-tests and ROC curves. Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the most accurate parameter in keratoconus diagnosis. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between CLMI and the other measurements. Results: Average axial CLMI (aCLMI) was 8.19 ± 6.15 D in the keratoconus group and 0.83 ± 0.62 D in the control group (p = 0.001). aCLMI had the greatest sensitivity (89%), specificity (94%), and accuracy (92%) for the keratoconus diagnosis at the best cut-off point of 1.82 according to the ROC curve. Logistic regression analysis selected aCLMI as the most accurate measurement among the other parameters (accuracy 92.8%). aCLMI showed strongest correlations with coma-like aberrations (r = 0.881), total high-order aberrations (r = 0.858), and vertical coma (r = −0.814), respectively. Conclusion: CLMI is a robust index for screening keratoconus with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

Short-term effects of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection on ocular blood flow evaluated with color Doppler ultrasonography

AIM To evaluate the changes in ocular blood flow with color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection. METHODS A total of 46 patients who underwent IVTA (4 mg/0.1 mL) injection for diabetic macular edema (DME) (n=22), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) (n=12) and choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) (n=12) were included in the study. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistivity index (RI) were measured from the ophthalmic artery (OA), the central retinal artery (CRA) and the posterior ciliary artery (PCA) of each patient with CDU before, at the end of the first week and at the end of the first month following IVTA injection. RESULTS In the DME group, PSV of OA at the first of the first month (mean±SD) (37.48±10.87 cm/s) increased compared to pre-injection value (31.39±10.84 cm/s) (P=0.048). There was a statistically significant decrease (P=0.049) in PSV of CRA at the end of the first month (7.97±2.67 cm/s) compared to the pre-injection (9.47±3.37 cm/s). There was not any statistically significant difference on the other parameters in the DME group. Also, there was not any statistically significant difference on the ocular blood flow values in the CRVO and CNVM groups. CONCLUSION We observed that 4 mg/0.1 mL IVTA increased PSV of OA and decreased PSV of CRA in DME patients and did not have any effect on ocular blood flow values of CRVO and CNVM patients.

Anatomic and Functional Outcome of Triamcinolone-assisted 23-gauge Vitrectomy in Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with vitreomacular traction syndrome (VMT) treated with triamcinolone acetonid (TA) assisted 23-gauge (23-G) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy. Methods: Restrospective, case series. The medical charts of 13 eyes of 13 consecutive patients with VMT who underwent 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy were reviewed. All patients had at least six-month follow-up. The main outcome parameters were changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) between the baseline and postoperative follow- up examinations performed at the first, third, and sixth months after the surgery. Results: The mean follow-up period was 7 (range 6–15) months. The mean preoperative BCVA was 1.3±0.4 (logmar). The final BCVA was 0.5±0.3 (logmar) (p = 0.001). The mean CMT was 429±85 µm at baseline, which was significantly reduced to 255±47 µm at the final follow-up visit (p = 0.001). The mean CMT reduction was 174±101 (range: 32–348) µm. No postoperative complications were seen such as endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, hypotony, or glaucoma. Conclusion: Triamcinolone assisted 23-G transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy is an effective and safe surgical technique in the management of VMT syndrome. Further studies with large case series are needed.

The Effect of Intravitreal Bevacizumab as a Pretreatment of Vitrectomy for Diabetic Vitreous Hemorrhage on Recurrent Hemorrhage

Abstract Purpose: This study was constructed to compare the rate of rehemorrhage in patients with diabetic vitreous hemorrhage (VH) undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with versus without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection. Methods: It is a retrospective chart review of all patients who had undergone PPV for diabetic VH from January 2008 to January 2011. Patients who had undergone IVB injection before PPV were assigned to Group 1; the others were assigned to Group 2. Postoperative VH was the main outcome. Results: A total of 65 eyes of 60 patients (19 eyes in Group 1 and 46 eyes in Group 2) were examined. Postoperative VH occured in three eyes (15.8%) in Group 1 and in 13 eyes (28.3%) in Group 2, but this was not statistically significant (p: 0.347). Conclusion: Further studies to evaluate the effect of IVB on postoperative VH are needed.

Does therapeutic dose of sildenafil citrate treatment lead to central serous chorioretinopathy in patients with erectile dysfunction

The possible effects of sildenafil citrate administration at therapeutic dosage on visual acuity, color vision, intraocular pressure, macular thickness, macular volume, and central serous chorioretinopathy in patients with erectile dysfunction were evaluated. The study consisted of 43 male patients diagnosed as having erectile dysfunction according to the first five question version of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). All patients were given sildenafil citrate 50 mg po 2 to 3 times/week for a month. The patients were evaluated at the first week and at the end of the treatment. The macular thickness and volume assessments with optic coherence tomography did not differ significantly in foveal, parafoveal areas, parafoveal superior hemisphere, parafoveal inferior hemisphere, parafoveal temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants. Central serous chorioretinopathy was not found in any of the patients.

Angioedema after intravitreal bevacizumab injection

A 47-year-old male with a history of diabetes mellitus type 2 exhibited with decreased vision in both eyes. The diagnosis of cystoid macular edema (CME) was made and it was decided to administer bilateral intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injections. After intravitreal bevacizumab injection (1.25 mg/0.05 cc) to the right eye the patient had angioedema and conjunctival chemosis in the right eye which resolved in 48 h. One month later the left eye received intravitreal bevacizumab injection under the same conditions. Thirty minutes after the injection angioedema and conjunctival chemosis occurred in the left eye in which the signs and symptoms improved in 48 h. This report is the first one which describes angioedema after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. Care should be taken against the systemic hypersensitivity reactions when planned to receive intravitreal bevacizumab injection.