VOLUME 88 - ISSUE 2

PURPOSE: To compare the refractive prediction error of Hill-radial basis function 3.0 with those of 3 conventional formulas and 11 combination methods in eyes with short axial lengths.
METHODS: The refractive prediction error was calculated using 4 formulas (Hoffer Q, SRK-T, Haigis, and Hill-RBF) and 11 combination methods (average of two or more methods). The absolute error was determined, and the proportion of eyes within 0.25-diopter (D) increments of absolute error was analyzed. Furthermore, the intraclass correlation coefficients of each method were computed to evaluate the agreement between target refractive error and postoperative spherical equivalent.
RESULTS: This study included 87 eyes. Based on the refractive prediction error findings, Hoffer Q formula exhibited the highest myopic errors, followed by SRK-T, Hill-RBF, and Haigis. Among all the methods, the Haigis and Hill-RBF combination yielded a mean refractive prediction error closest to zero. The SRK-T and Hill-RBF combination showed the lowest mean absolute error, whereas the Hoffer Q, SRK-T, and Haigis combination had the lowest median absolute error. Hill-radial basis function exhibited the highest intraclass correlation coefficient, whereas SRK-T showed the lowest. Haigis and Hill-RBF, as well as the combination of both, demonstrated the lowest proportion of refractive surprises (absolute error >1.00 D). Among the individual formulas, Hill-RBF had the highest success rate (absolute error ≤0.50 D). Moreover, among all the methods, the SRK-T and Hill-RBF combination exhibited the highest success rate.
CONCLUSIONS: Hill-radial basis function showed accuracy comparable to or surpassing that of conventional formulas in eyes with short axial lengths. The use and integration of various formulas in cataract surgery for eyes with short axial lengths may help reduce the incidence of refractive surprises.

Keywords: Cataract; Lenses, intraocular; Axial length, eye; Refractive errors; Artificial intelligence

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of intravitreal dexamethasone implant used as either an adjuvant or a switching therapy for diabetic macular edema in patients with poor anatomic response after three consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab.
METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with diabetic macular edema who received three consecutive doses of ranibizumab as initial therapy and demonstrated poor response. A single dose of intravitreal dexamethasone implant was administered to these patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment modalities: the adjuvant therapy group, consisting of patients who continued treatment with ranibizumab injection after receiving intravitreal dexamethasone implant, and the switch therapy group, consisting of patients who were switched from ranibizumab treatment to intravitreal dexamethasone implant as needed. The main outcome measurements were best corrected visual acuity and central retinal thickness at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up.
RESULTS: In this study that included 64 eyes of 64 patients, the best corrected visual acuity and central retinal thickness values did not significantly differ between the groups at baseline and at 6 months of follow-up (p>0.05). However, at 12 months, the best corrected visual acuity values in the adjuvant and switch therapy groups were 0.46 and 0.35 LogMAR, respectively (p=0.012), and the central retinal thickness values were 344.8 and 270.9, respectively (p=0.007).
CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting, it seems more reasonable to use intravitreal dexamethasone implant as a switch therapy rather than an adjuvant therapy for diabetic macula edema refractory to ranibizumab despite three consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab. Patients switched to intravitreal dexamethasone implant were found to have better anatomic and visual outcomes at 12 months than those who continued ranibizumab therapy despite their less-than-optimal responses.

Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Macular edema/drug therapy; Dexamethasone/administration & dosage; Drug implants; Intravitreal injections; Ranibizumab/administration & dosage; Tomography, optical coherence; Endothelial growth factors

PURPOSE: Although Brazil has a high prevalence of retinoblastoma, there is a lack of epidemiological data on the disease. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with retinoblastoma in the ophthalmology department of a pediatric tertiary referral hospital in Ceara, Brazil.
METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted by retrospectively analyzing the clinical and socioeconomic data from the medical records of pediatric patients followed-up at the hospital between 2007 and 2021. Retinoblastoma was diagnosed on the basis of a fundoscopic or histopathologic examination.
RESULTS: The data of 105 patients were included in the study, and the mean patient age at the time of diagnosis was 1.7 years. Most of the patients were women (50.5%) and hailed from rural areas (57.4%), which was associated with a higher tumor stage. Of the 150 patients, 57.1% initially presented with leukocoria. Ocular hyperemia was associated with more advanced stages of retinoblastoma (p=0.004). Bilateral involvement was observed in 25.7% of the patients and at a significantly younger age (p=0.009). The presence of retinal detachment, vascularized lesions, and vitreous seeds significantly increased the likelihood of requiring enucleation.
DISCUSSION: This study presents an epidemiological description of retinoblastoma in Brazil, which highlights the significance of early detection. Delayed diagnosis is associated with a poorer visual prognosis and higher mortality rate, particularly in patients with unilateral disease. Risk factors for a more severe disease were retinal detachment, vascularized lesions, and vitreous seeds. The correlation between histopathological features and clinical outcomes was limited.
CONCLUSION: Further studies are required to assess the influence of ocular hyperemia, fundoscopic assessment, and histopathologic findings on the prognosis of retinoblastoma. Moreover, it is critical to devise interventions to reduce the time-to-diagnosis in rural areas.

Keywords: Retinoblastoma; Retinal neoplasms; Epidemiology; Prevalence; Risk factors; Delayed diagnosis; Child

PURPOSE: This prospective, randomized, unmasked, clinical trial aimed to report the visual outcomes of cataract surgery on both eyes versus cataract surgery on one eye in Brazilian patients.
METHODS: This study included patients with bilateral cataracts and binocular visual acuity worse than or equal to 0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. The patients were randomly assigned to undergo surgery on one (Control Group) or both eyes (one eye at a time; Intervention Group). Postoperatively, self-reported visual function using Catquest-9SF (primary outcome measure), binocular visual acuity, stereopsis, and ocular dominance (secondary outcome measures) were compared.
RESULTS: A total of 151 patients (77 and 148 eyes in the Control and Intervention Groups, respectively) completed the follow-up. Patients who underwent surgery on both eyes exhibited significantly better self-reported visual function (p=0.036) and stereopsis (p=0.026) than those who underwent surgery on one eye. Binocular visual acuity and ocular dominance did not affect the group comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS: Surgery on both eyes resulted in significantly better self-reported visual function and stereopsis than surgery on one eye.

Keywords: Cataract; Cataract extraction; Quality of life; Treatment outcome; Visual acuity; Binocular vision; Stereopsis

PURPOSE: Myopia, or nearsightedness, is one of the most common eye conditions worldwide. However, a comparison of the effectiveness of different laser-assisted interventions is lacking. Thus, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of LASIK and IntraLASIK in addressing myopia.
METHODS: The study was conducted in two ophthalmology clinics in Beijing, China, in 2022. A total of 84 patients (152 eyes) with different degrees of myopia were examined and underwent LASIK (n=46, 80 eyes) or IntraLASIK (n=38, 72 eyes). Keratometry, corneal topography, pachymetry, visual acuity evaluation, and corneal biomechanical analysis were performed before and after the intervention.
RESULTS: IntraLASIK produced more precise flaps than LASIK, with deviations of <8 mm and 0.1 mm from the intended thickness and diameter, respectively. LASIK resulted in nonuniform flaps, with thickness deviations of 5-86 mm. IntraLASIK demonstrated a superior efficacy for patients with severe myopia and thin corneas, with a mean spherical equivalent of 0.9 D at 6 months compared to the 1.4 D for LASIK. Approximately 91% and 83% of the patients with mild to moderate and severe myopia, respectively, achieved results within ± 0.49 D from the refractive target with IntraLASIK.
CONCLUSIONS: Corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor decreased with an increase in laser intensity, and they decreased faster with thinner corneas. Thus, IntraLASIK is more useful than LASIK in patients with thin corneas and severe myopia.

Keywords: Myopia; Lasers; Cornea; Keratomileusis; Laser in situ

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the perception and degree of satisfaction of blind individuals regarding an electronic cane prototype with a wearable haptic interface.
METHODS: Two scenarios with different obstacles were created to conduct tests with the canes (the user's cane and the prototype one). The perception and satisfaction of participants regarding the electronic cane were assessed using a questionnaire, the number of collisions during the tests, and the time each individual took to complete the course in each scenario.
RESULTS: Ten blind individuals who used the white cane participated in this study. Eight were males, and two were females. Their age ranged from 23 to 43 (average 32.3 ± 7.13 years and median 32 years). There was a tendency for fewer collisions with ground obstacles when the electronic cane was used than when the white cane was used. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the number of collisions and the course completion time in each scenario with either canes tested.
CONCLUSION: Overall, the perception and satisfaction of individuals regarding the prototype used were positive.

Keywords: Blindness; Canes; Patient satisfaction; Perception; Haptic technology; Wearable electronic devices; Surveys and questionnaires

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictive value of initial intraocular pressure difference of the detached and fellow eyes of patients with complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment on postoperative persistent ocular hypotony.
METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 538 eyes of 538 unilateral complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment patients with a proliferative vitreoretinopathy grade of C-1 or higher, treated with silicone oil endotamponade following pars plana vitrectomy. The patients were divided into Group A (patients having silicone oil removal without ocular hypotony; n=504) and Group B (patients with persistent ocular hypotony following silicone oil removal [n=8, 23.5%] and with retained silicone oil [n=26, 76.5%] due to the risk of persistent ocular hypotony; total n=34). Ocular hypotony was defined as an intraocular pressure of <6 mmHg on two or more occasions. Patients' demographics, including age, sex, and follow-up time, and ocular characteristics, including ocular surgical and trauma history, initial and final best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure and initial intraocular pressure difference of the detached and fellow eyes, and anatomical success rates and postoperative complications, were retrospectively collected from the electronic patient files.
RESULTS: The initial intraocular pressure was significantly lower in the detached eyes of Group B than in Group A (8.3 ± 3.5 vs. 12.9 ± 3.3, p<0.001). Also, the initial intraocular pressure difference was significantly higher in Group B than in Group A (8.9 ± 3.2 vs. 2.2 ± 2.7mmHg, p<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the cutoff value of the initial intraocular pressure difference was 7.5mmHg for the risk of persistent ocular hypotony. The most influential factors on postoperative persistent ocular hypotony in the binary logistic regression analysis were the initial intraocular pressure difference and the need for a retinectomy.
CONCLUSION: In eyes with complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treated with pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade, the initial intraocular pressure difference could be of value in predicting postoperative persistent ocular hypotony and could guide surgeons on the decision of silicone oil removal.

Keywords: Hypotony; Intraocular pressure; Pars plana vitrectomy; Retinal detachment; Silicone oils; Ocular hypotension; Visual acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of upper eyelid ptosis repair with Muller muscle-conjunctival resection on meibomian gland function and ocular surface parameters.
METHODS: Thirty-eight patients who underwent ptosis repair with Muller muscle-conjunctival resection were retrospectively reviewed. Meibomian gland loss, Ocular Surface Disease Index OXFORD score, meiboscore, and noninvasive keratograph break-up time were measured preoperatively and at 1st, 3rd, and 6th months postoperatively.
RESULTS: Noninvasive keratograph break-up time values decreased significantly at 1st and 3rd months postoperatively compared to the preoperative level, but were similar to the preoperative level at 6th months postoperatively (p<0.001 and p=0.628, respectively). Ocular surface disease index, OXFORD score, meibomian gland loss, and meiboscore values increased significantly in the 1st and 3rd postoperative months compared to the preoperative period, but these values decreased to preoperative levels in the 6th postoperative month (p<0.001 and p>0.05, respectively).
CONCLUSION: There is a transient deterioration in meibography findings and OSDI score in the early postoperative period after Muller muscle-conjunctival resection. Patients undergoing Muller muscle-conjunctival resection may require topical lubricants, especially in the first 3 postoperative months.

Keywords: Meibomian glands; Blepharoptosis; Preoperative period; Conjunctiva; Muscles; Eyelid diseases; Diagnostic techniques, ophthalmological

This study aimed to evaluate the morphometric and volumetric dimensions of the lacrimal gland in patients with inactive thyroid eye disease and compare them with the values reported in the literature. This case series evaluated consecutive patients with inactive thyroid eye disease treated at a tertiary eye hospital from 2015 to 2020. The patients' baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were obtained. The axial and coronal length, width, and volume of the lacrimal gland were measured on computed tomography scan images, and the results were statistically analyzed. A total of 21 patients (42 orbits) with inactive thyroid eye disease were evaluated. Their mean age was 49.0 ± 14.6 years, and 12 (57.1%) of them were men. The main complaint was dryness, and the majority of the patients had good vision and mild proptosis. The mean axial length and width of the lacrimal gland were 19.3 ± 3.9 mm and 7.5 ± 2.1 mm, respectively; coronal length and width, 20.4 ± 4.5 mm and 7.5 ± 2.1 mm, respectively; and lacrimal gland volume, 0.825 ± 0.326 mm³. Age, sex, or laterality were not found to be determinants of lacrimal gland enlargement. Patients with thyroid eye disease have enlarged lacrimal gland even in the nonactive phase of the disease multifactorial aspects influence the lacrimal gland in thyroid eye disease, making it difficult to establish a clear correlation with predisposing factors. Further studies are warranted to better understand the association between thyroid eye disease and the lacrimal gland.

Keywords: Graves' ophthalmology; Graves' disease; Lacrimal apparatus; Lacrimal apparatus diseases; X-ray computed tomography

This study aimed to propose a guideline for amblyopia treatment and follow-up. Studies show that amblyopia leads to a series of perceptual deficits, including loss of visual acuity, stereoacuity, and contrast sensitivity. Perceptual changes are also found in the sound eye, such as those involving the types of motion perception. The gold standard of treatment remains the prescription of eyeglasses, when indicated, and patching of the dominant eye. The treatment is mostly effective in patients aged <7 years and must be discontinued gradually, tapering off patching for at least 5 weeks. Atropine may be performed for penalization in hyperopic children whose amblyopic eye has better visual acuity under cycloplegia than the fellow eye. The discovery of significant neural plasticity in the amblyopic brain after the critical period opens possibilities for new treatment modalities even after childhood.

Keywords: Amblyopia; Atropine; Contrast sensitivity; Motion perception; Eyeglasses; Visual acuity; Prescriptions

We present the case of a 37-year-old woman who underwent bilateral penetrating keratoplasty for congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy at the age of 10 years. Over the subsequent 27 years, the patient's vision slowly deteriorated. Our examination revealed decompensation of the right corneal graft. We addressed this with regraft surgery. We then learned that the patient had been suffering from progressive hearing loss since adolescence. Tonal audiometry revealed hearing perceptive deafness of 25 dB, which was more prominent in the left ear. Because the patterns of progressive sensorineural hearing loss and congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy have both been linked to the same gene, slc4a11, we tested our patient for mutations in this gene. The test was positive for a heterozygous slc4a11 gene fifth exon mutation on chromosome 20p13-p12, which causes a frameshift. A combined clinical and genetic evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of Harboyan syndrome. After the genetic diagnosis of the disease, she was evaluated for the need for a hearing aid due to her hearing loss. The patient was also informed about genetic counseling.

Keywords: Chromosomes; Corneal dystrophies; Exon; Genetic testing; Hearing loss; Hereditary/genetics; Mutation; Sensorineural; slc4a11 gene

Optic neuritis is an important cause of unilateral and acute visual loss in young adults, but other differential diagnoses should be considered, especially when the disease has an atypical presentation. This report presents the case of a young woman with reduced visual acuity in her right eye, associated with optic disc edema and a relative afferent pupillary defect, that was initially misdiagnosed as optic neuritis and subsequently found to have paracentral acute middle maculopathy, possibly secondary to subtle impending central retinal vein occlusion. This case emphasizes the need to remember that retinal vascular diseases can occasionally mimic optic neuritis. Detailed anamnesis and ophthalmic examination can avoid unnecessary interventions.

Keywords: Optic disc; Papilledema; Optic neuritis; Retinal diseases; Diagnosis, differential; Visual acuity; Diagnostic errors

Aging and face sagging have many causes, and various techniques are used for treatment, including noninvasive procedures, such as focused ultrasound, which uses the principle of collagen regeneration by coagulative necrosis of the dermis layers using radiofrequency, but this procedure has complications. We reported a case of a 54-year-old female patient who complained of poor visual acuity in her right eye three days after a focused ultrasound facial aesthetic procedure, with the best visual acuity of 20/60. Biomicroscopy of the right eye revealed an acute cataract with three points of fibrosis extending from the posterior to the anterior capsule. The patient underwent phacoemulsification surgery with visual rehabilitation and improved vision of 20/20. We hypothesized that the occurrence of acute cataract was related to the inappropriate use of focused ultrasound.

Keywords: Cosmetic techniques; Skin aging; Rejuvenation; Ultrasonic therapy/adverse effects; High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation/methods; Cataract/etiology; Phacoemulsification; Lens implantation, intraocular; Visual acuity; Humans; Middle age; Female; Case

Langerhans cell histiocytosis comprises a heterogeneous range of clinical manifestations secondary to clonal proliferation of histiocytes, characterized by the accumulation of these cells in various organs and tissues. The ophthalmological component commonly involved is the orbit. Herein, we report a rare case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis with eyelid involvement, which resulted in severe ocular surface complications, which subsequently significantly impacted the patient's quality of life. This case report highlights the fact that despite being rare, Langerhans cell histiocytosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of eyelid lesions. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach with a systemic overview is crucial for managing the ocular complications.

Keywords: Dry eye syndromes; Erdheim-Chester disease/drug therapy; Human; Female; Case reports