Publications

2022

Claessens D, Ichhpujani P, Singh RB. MacuFix® versus Amsler grid for metamorphopsia categorization for macular diseases. Int Ophthalmol. 2022;42(1):229–238.
PURPOSE: Macular diseases often lead to metamorphopsia, which is traditionally tested using the Amsler grid. This study evaluates a novel method for assessing metamorphopsia, based on the software AMD-A Metamorphopsia Detector, application MacuFix®. METHODS: In this observational study, the usability of a new smartphone-based testing method to assess metamorphopsia was evaluated in 45 patients experiencing metamorphopsia in at least one eye using the questionnaire "System Usability Score (SUS)." Additionally, the diagnostic adherence of self-monitoring with the Amsler grid was compared to self-monitoring with the novel software MacuFix®. RESULTS: The average score of the SUS questionnaire in this study was 76.7 ± 15.5, corresponding to the "good" score on the grading scale. The average interval between two home administered tests was significantly shorter (6 days) when the application was used as compared to using the Amsler grid (19 days). The odds ratio of the frequency of patients using the application to the patients using the home test was 4. CONCLUSION: MacuFix® application can help in effective home monitoring of macular function as high user satisfaction and increased testing frequency was observed in its use in patients with macular diseases.
Baskaran M, Kumar R, Friedman D, Lu QS, Wong HT, Chew PT, Lavanya R, Narayanaswamy A, Perera S, Foster P, Aung T. The Singapore Asymptomatic Narrow Angles Laser Iridotomy Study: Five-Year Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(2):147–158.
PURPOSE: To examine the efficacy of laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) in patients who received a diagnosis of primary angle-closure suspect (PACS). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter, randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT00347178) enrolled 480 patients older than 50 years from glaucoma clinics in Singapore with bilateral asymptomatic PACS (defined as having ≥2 quadrants of appositional angle closure on gonioscopy). METHODS: Each participant underwent prophylactic LPI in 1 randomly selected eye, whereas the fellow eye served as a control. Patients were followed up yearly for 5 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was development of primary angle closure (PAC; defined as presence of peripheral anterior synechiae, intraocular pressure [IOP] of >21 mmHg, or both or acute angle closure [AAC]) or primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) over 5 years. RESULTS: Of the 480 randomized participants, most were Chinese (92.7%) and were women (75.8%) with mean age of 62.8 ± 6.9 years. Eyes treated with LPI reached the end point less frequently after 5 years (n = 24 [5.0%]; incidence rate [IR], 11.65 per 1000 eye-years) compared with control eyes (n = 45 [9.4%]; IR, 21.84 per 1000 eye-years; P = 0.001). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for progression to PAC was 0.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.83; P = 0.004) in LPI-treated eyes compared with control eyes. Older participants (per year; HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.10; P < 0.001) and eyes with higher baseline IOP (per millimeter of mercury; HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.22-1.50; P < 0.0001) were more likely to reach an end point. The number needed to treat to prevent an end point was 22 (95% CI, 12.8-57.5). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with bilateral asymptomatic PACS, eyes that underwent prophylactic LPI reached significantly fewer end points compared with control eyes over 5 years. However, the overall incidence of PAC or PACG was low.
Heidary G, Aakalu V, Binenbaum G, Chang M, Morrison D, VanderVeen D, Lambert S, Trivedi R, Galvin J, Pineles S. Adjustable Sutures in the Treatment of Strabismus: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(1):100–109.
PURPOSE: To review the scientific literature that evaluates the effectiveness of adjustable sutures in the management of strabismus for adult and pediatric patients. METHODS: Literature searches were performed in the PubMed database through April 2021 with no date limitations and were restricted to publications in English. The searches identified 551 relevant citations, of which 55 were reviewed in full text. Of these, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and were assigned a level of evidence rating by the panel methodologist. The search included all randomized controlled studies regardless of study size and cohort studies of 100 or more patients comparing the adjustable versus nonadjustable suture technique, with a focus on motor alignment outcomes or reoperation rates. RESULTS: The literature search yielded no level I studies. Of the 17 articles that met the inclusion criteria, 11 were rated level II and 6 were rated level III. Among the 12 studies that focused on motor alignment outcomes, 4 small randomized clinical trials (RCTs) did not find a statistically significant difference between groups, although they were powered to detect only very large differences. Seven of 8 nonrandomized studies found a statistically significant difference in motor alignment success in favor of the adjustable suture technique, both overall and in certain subgroups of patients. Successful motor alignment was seen in both exotropia (in 3 studies that were not limited to children) and esotropia (in 1 study of adults and 2 of children). The majority of included studies that reported on reoperation rates found the rates to be lower in patients who underwent strabismus surgery with adjustable sutures, but this finding was not uniformly demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are no level I studies evaluating the effectiveness of adjustable sutures for strabismus surgery, the majority of nonrandomized studies that met the inclusion criteria for this assessment reported an advantage of the adjustable suture technique over the nonadjustable technique with respect to motor alignment outcomes. This finding was not uniformly demonstrated among all studies reviewed and warrants further investigation in the development and analysis of adjustable suture techniques.
Barrantes PC, Zhou P, MacDonald S, Ioakeim-Ioannidou M, Lee NG. Granular Cell Tumor of the Orbit: Review of the Literature and a Proposed Treatment Modality. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2022;38(2):122–131.
PURPOSE: To document a unique case of granular cell tumor of the orbit, located lateral to and abutting the optic nerve, that benefited from treatment with proton beam irradiation, with a comprehensive review of the literature on granular cell tumor of the orbit. METHODS: Clinicopathologic case report with detailed imaging features and histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluation for cytoplasmic tumor biomarkers differentiating granular cell tumor (GCT) from it mimicking lesions with relevant literature citations. The authors reviewed 20 cases of orbital GCT from 2011 to 2020 in addition to 40 cases from 1948 to 2011 and included a summary of imaging and clinical features, outcomes, and recommended treatment modalities. RESULTS: A 32-year-old man with 1-year history of left retrobulbar pain and diplopia on lateral gaze, intermittent left eyelid swelling, and a tonic left pupil was found to have a fusiform intraconal mass extending toward the orbital apex and abutting the optic nerve. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical investigations collectively supplied data diagnostic of a GCT with an initial low proliferation rate. GCT is a soft tissue neoplasm that originates in the nervous system and can occur anywhere in the body. This enhancing tumor is isointense to gray matter on T1-weighted MRI, hypointense on T2. After an incisional biopsy, the patient's symptoms persisted, and follow-up imaging several months later revealed further growth of the mass. The impossibility of complete surgical removal prompted the decision to treat with proton beam radiation therapy, which resulted in substantial regression in the size of the residual tumor. Most frequently involving the inferior rectus muscle (42%), orbital GCT is usually benign with only 4 reported cases of malignant orbital GCT (7%). Wide surgical resection with complete removal is usually curative for benign orbital GCT, and proton beam radiation therapy can aid in tumor shrinkage. CONCLUSIONS: GCT should be considered in the differential diagnosis when encountering patients with mass lesions involving the extraocular muscles, peripheral nerves, or less frequently, the optic nerve or orbital apex. Immunohistochemical analysis of biopsied tissue is required for the definitive diagnosis of GCT. Consideration of adjuvant therapies such as proton beam radiation therapy may be appropriate in cases of incomplete surgical resection of benign GCT. Proton beam radiation therapy can be an excellent therapeutic option for symptomatic relief and residual tumor size reduction with an acceptable toxicity profile.
Lorenzo M, Devlin J, Saini C, Cho KS, Paschalis E, Chen DF, Silva RN, Chen S, Margeta M, Ondeck C, Sola-Del Valle D, Chodosh J, Ciolino J, Pineda R, Pasquale L, Shen L. The Prevalence of Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Undergoing Ophthalmic Surgeries. Ophthalmol Glaucoma. 2022;5(2):128–136.
PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of autoimmune disease (AiD) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) undergoing ophthalmic surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with POAG undergoing any ophthalmic surgery and control subjects undergoing cataract surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear from March 2019 to April 2020. METHODS: All available medical records with patient demographics, ocular, and medical conditions were reviewed. Differences in AiD prevalence were assessed and adjusted for covariates using multiple logistic regression. Additionally, a subgroup analysis comparing the POAG patients with and without AiD was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To assess the prevalence of AiD based on the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association list. RESULTS: A total of 172 patients with POAG and 179 controls were included. The overall prevalence of AiD was 17.4% in the POAG group and 10.1% in the controls (P = 0.044); 6.4% of POAG patients and 3.4% of controls had more than 1 AiD (P = 0.18). The most prevalent AiDs in POAG group were rheumatoid arthritis (4.6%) and psoriasis (4.1%), which were also the most common in controls (2.8% each). In a fully adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis accounting for steroid use, having an AiD was associated with 2.62-fold increased odds of POAG relative to controls (95% confidence interval, 1.27-5.36, P = 0.009); other risk factors for POAG derived from the analysis included age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04, P = 0.006), diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.31, P = 0.008), and non-White ethnicity (OR, 4.75, P < 0.001). In a case-only analysis involving the eye with worse glaucoma, there was no statistical difference in visual field mean deviation or retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in POAG patients with AiD (n = 30) and without AiD (n = 142, P > 0.13, for both). CONCLUSIONS: A higher prevalence of AiD was found in POAG patients compared with control patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. The presence of AiD was associated with increased risk for POAG after adjusting for covariates. Additional factors may have prevented a difference in RNFL thickness in POAG patients with and without AiD. Autoimmunity should be explored further in the pathogenesis of POAG.
Miller S, Fliotsos M, Justin G, Yonekawa Y, Chen A, Hoskin A, Blanch R, Cavuoto K, Meeralakshmi P, Low R, Gardiner M, Liu TYA, Agrawal R, Woreta F, (IGATES) IGATES. Global Current Practice Patterns for the Management of Open Globe Injuries. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022;234:259–273.
PURPOSE: To determine global current practice patterns for the management of open globe injuries and identify areas of variation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: An online survey assessed global management paradigms for open globe injuries from August 2020 to January 2021. Responses were collected from experts at eye trauma centers and emergency departments worldwide who manage ≥1 open globe injury per month. The survey assessed the use/selection of antibiotics and steroids, procedural and imaging decisions, and admission practices for open globe injuries. RESULTS: Responses were received from representatives of 36 of 42 institutions (85.7%), of which 33 (78.6%) had sufficient trauma volume to be included. Included responses were distributed across North America (n=12, 36.4%), Asia (n=12, 36.4%), South America (n=4, 12.1%), Africa (n=3, 9.1%), Europe (n=1, 3.0%), and Australia (n=1, 3.0%). Preoperative systemic antibiotics for open globe injuries were administered by 75.8% (n = 25/33) of institutions, while 30.3% (n = 10/33) administered preoperative topical antibiotics. Intraoperative ophthalmic antibiotics for open globe injuries were used by 54.5% (n = 18/33) of experts. Most institutions also administered postoperative systemic antibiotics (n = 23 [69.7%]) and topical steroids (n = 29 [87.9%]), although specific medication choices diverged. At 19 responding centers (61.3% of the 31 that had trainees), residents participated in surgical repairs. Many institutions discharged patients after repair, but 54.5% (n = 18/33) of locations routinely admitted them for observation. CONCLUSIONS: Preferred management practices for open globe injuries vary widely. To ensure the highest standard of care for all patients, evidence-based international guidelines for the treatment of these injuries are needed.
Català P, Thuret G, Skottman H, Mehta J, Parekh M, Ní Dhubhghaill S, Collin R, Nuijts R, Ferrari S, LaPointe V, Dickman M. Approaches for corneal endothelium regenerative medicine. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2022;87:100987.
The state of the art therapy for treating corneal endothelial disease is transplantation. Advances in the reproducibility and accessibility of surgical techniques are increasing the number of corneal transplants, thereby causing a global deficit of donor corneas and leaving 12.7 million patients with addressable visual impairment. Approaches to regenerate the corneal endothelium offer a solution to the current tissue scarcity and a treatment to those in need. Methods for generating corneal endothelial cells into numbers that could address the current tissue shortage and the possible strategies used to deliver them have now become a therapeutic reality with clinical trials taking place in Japan, Singapore and Mexico. Nevertheless, there is still a long way before such therapies are approved by regulatory bodies and become clinical practice. Moreover, acellular corneal endothelial graft equivalents and certain drugs could provide a treatment option for specific disease conditions without the need of donor tissue or cells. Finally, with the emergence of gene modulation therapies to treat corneal endothelial disease, it would be possible to treat presymptomatic patients or those presenting early symptoms, drastically reducing the need for donor tissue. It is necessary to understand the most recent developments in this rapidly evolving field to know which conditions could be treated with which approach. This article provides an overview of the current and developing regenerative medicine therapies to treat corneal endothelial disease and provides the necessary guidance and understanding towards the treatment of corneal endothelial disease.
He B, Tanya S, Wang C, Kezouh A, Torun N, Ing E. The Incidence of Sympathetic Ophthalmia After Trauma: A Meta-analysis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022;234:117–125.
PURPOSE: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, bilateral panuveitis that occurs following open globe injury (OGI), with a variable incidence reported in the literature. Our objective was to determine the incidence proportion and incidence rate of SO following OGI to help guide shared physician-patient decision making. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from inception to November 2020 for population-based studies on OGI and SO in adults and children. Two reviewers independently screened search results. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate the incidence proportion and incidence rate. The Risk Of Bias In Non-Randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The study was registered on PROSPERO CRD42020198920. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies were utilized in the meta-analyses. After OGI, the estimated overall incidence proportion of SO was 0.19% (95% CI 0.14%-0.24%) and the incidence rate of SO was 33 per 100,000 person-years, (95% CI 19.61-56.64) with I2 of 13% and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SO after OGI is rare. The estimated incidence proportion and incidence rate are useful when counselling patients regarding management options after OGI. Further studies are needed to examine the influence of age, the extent and location of trauma, timing of repair, and prophylactic eye removal on the incidence of SO.
Habib L, North V, Freitag S, Yoon M, Lefebvre D, Lee NG. Medical comorbidities and orbital implant exposure. Acta Ophthalmol. 2022;100(3):e813-e819.
PURPOSE: To investigate medical conditions and systemic therapies associated with orbital implant exposure in patients with anophthalmic sockets. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients who underwent enucleation or evisceration at a single centre between January 1, 2008 and March 1, 2018. Medical comorbidities, including peripheral or coronary artery disease, rheumatologic conditions, diabetes, malignancy and history of smoking were recorded. Use of immunomodulatory and anticoagulation therapy at the time of eye removal was noted. Patients were divided into two groups-those with implant exposure and those without. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to compare groups. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients underwent eye removal surgery over a ten-year period. Implant exposure was seen in 20 (8.7%) patients. Univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between groups in rates of smoking, malignancy, and immunomodulatory therapy at the time of surgery. A history of smoking (HR = 11.72; 95% CI: 2.95, 46.53; p = 0.0001) and immunomodulatory therapy (HR = 8.02; 95% CI: 1.96, 32.87; p = 0.004) were independent predictors of exposure. The probability of exposure was 81.2% when all three risk factors were present versus 4.4% when none were present (c-index = 0.737, 95% CI: 0.608, 0.865; p < 0.001). The model was a good fit to the data (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test p = 0.475). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and immunomodulatory therapy were associated with orbital implant exposure in patients with anophthalmic sockets. This is the first report examining medical comorbidities in patients with orbital implant exposure. Understanding the pathophysiology of implant exposure is crucial to preoperative planning and postoperative care.
Chinn R, Michalak S, Shoshany T, Bishop K, Staffa S, Hunter D. Effect of Sequential and Simultaneous Patching Regimens in Unilateral Amblyopia. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022;233:48–56.
PURPOSE: Many clinicians treat unilateral amblyopia with glasses alone and initiate patching when needed; others start glasses and patching simultaneously. In this study, we reviewed the outcomes of the two approaches at our institution. DESIGN: Retrospective nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: Setting: Institutional practice. PATIENT POPULATION: All patients diagnosed with amblyopia at Boston Children's Hospital between 2010 and 2014. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Unilateral amblyopia (visual acuity (VA) 20/40 to 20/200 with interocular difference ≥3 lines,) age 3 to 12 years, with a 6-month follow-up visit. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Deprivation amblyopia, prior amblyopia treatment, treatment other than patching, surgery. Patients were categorized as "simultaneous treatment" (concurrent glasses and patching therapy at their first visit) or "sequential treatment" (glasses alone at first visit, followed by patching therapy at second visit.) Observation procedures: Patient demographics, VA, and stereopsis were compared. OUTCOME MEASURES: VA and stereopsis at the last visit on treatment. RESULTS: We identified 98 patients who met inclusion criteria: 36 received simultaneous treatment and 62 sequential treatment. Median amblyopic eye VA improved similarly between the simultaneous (∆0.40; interquartile range [IQR], 0.56-0.30 logMAR) and sequential (∆0.40; IQR, 0.52-0.27 logMAR) groups. Patients without stereopsis at first visit had better stereopsis outcomes with sequential treatment (5.12 [IQR, 4.00-7.51] log stereopsis) compared with simultaneous treatment (8.01 [IQR, 5.65-9.21]) log stereopsis, P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: VA improved approximately 4 lines regardless of treatment type. For children without stereopsis at first presentation, sequential patching yielded better stereopsis outcomes. These findings require further validation and highlight the importance of evaluating stereopsis in future studies.