Pain Perception at Laser Treatment of Peripheral Retinal Degenerations With Green and Infrared Wavelengths

PURPOSE: To compare the pain perception at laser treatment of peripheral retinal degenerations with green (532-nm) and infrared (810-nm) wavelengths. DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Sequential patients with indications for photocoagulation of bilateral peripheral retinal degenerations were invited to participate in the study. Thirty patients (60 eyes) were enrolled in the study. Each patient had 1 eye treated with infrared laser (diode, 810-nm wavelength) and the other eye treated with green laser (frequency-doubled solid-state laser, diode-pumped, with 532-nm wavelength). The eyes were randomized to infrared or green wavelengths. The right eye was the first treated in all cases regardless of the wavelength arrangement. Immediately after photocoagulation of each eye, the patient was asked to grade pain perception according to an 11-point (ie, 0-10) numerical rating scale (NRS), with 0 meaning "No pain" and 10 meaning "Pain as bad as you can imagine." The primary outcome was the assessment of pain. RESULTS: The mean grading of pain perception was 2.80 (SD 1.27; mode and median = 2) to green wavelengths and 5.07 (SD 1.36; mode = 4 and median = 5) to infrared wavelengths (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed a statistically and clinically significant difference of pain perception between the 2 groups, with advantage to the green laser group. (Am J Ophthalmol 2010;150:726-730. (C) 2010 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)150572673

Cryotherapy vs Laser Photocoagulation in Scleral Buckle Surgery A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To compare the reattachment rate and visual acuity results among patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who underwent scleral buckle surgery with retinopexy by intraoperative cryotherapy (cryopexy) vs postoperative (1 month later) laser photocoagulation (laserpexy). Methods: Eighty-six patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment scheduled for scleral buckle surgery were randomly assigned to the cryopexy or laserpexy group. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was the 1-week reattachment rate. Other outcome measures included later reattachment rate (1 month and 6 months), best-corrected visual acuity, rate of subsequent operations, and postoperative complications. Results: The 1-week, 1-month, and 6-month anatomical success rates were similar in the 2 groups: 93% (40 patients), 100%, and 100% in the cryopexy group and 95% (41 patients), 100%, and 100% in the laserpexy group, respectively. Three patients in the cryopexy group and 2 in the laserpexy group underwent 1 additional rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery (pars plan vitrectomy) after primary failure at 1-week follow-up. The types of postoperative complications were similar in both groups, except for eyelid edema. Visual recovery was slower in the cryotherapy group, but the difference in visual acuity after 6 months was not significant. Conclusions: In patients with uncomplicated retinal detachment, both techniques of retinopexy have shown satisfactory anatomical and functional success. Laserpexy offers faster visual acuity recuperation with fewer postoperative complications but requires a second intervention and costs more than cryotherapy. Application to Clinical Practice: Laserpexy is a successful alternative to cryopexy in creating chorioretinal adhesion for scleral buckle surgery.128121519152

Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Versus Placebo to Reduce the Risk of Recurrences of Toxoplasma Gondii Retinochoroiditis: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)PURPOSE: To compare the effects of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole vs placebo in reducing the risk of recurrences of Toxoplasma gondii retinochoroiditis. DESIGN: Single-center, prospective randomized double-masked clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 95 patients from Campinas, Brazil, with active recurrent Toxoplasma gondii retinochoroiditis were included. The initially active toxoplasmosis lesions were successfully treated in all cases using trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (800 mg/160 mg) twice daily for 45 days. Subsequently, 5 patients dropped out of the study. The remaining patients were randomized to Group 1 (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole tablet every 2 days) or Group 2 (identical placebo tablet every 2 days). Randomization was 1:1, was stratified by sex, and used block sizes of 4. The primary outcome was recurrent toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis within 1 year, and the secondary outcome was a 1-year change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (ETDRS chart). RESULTS: The incidence of recurrent toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis within 12 months was 0 of 46 (0%) and 6 of 47 (12.80%) in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and placebo groups, respectively (P = .026). Visual acuity improvements in the 2 groups were similar. No treatment-limiting toxicity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy resulted in a 100% reduction in the recurrence of Toxoplasma gondii retinochoroiditis over 1 year of treatment. (C) 2014 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.1574762766Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Macular phototoxicity after corneal cross-linking

Paulo Rodolfo Tagliari Barbisan,1 Marina Gon&ccedil;alves Monteiro Viturino,1 Fernanda Maria Silveira Souto,1 Bo Tian,2,3 Roberto Damian Pacheco Pinto,1 Lucas Barasnevicius Quagliato,1 Maur&iacute;cio Abujamra Nascimento,1 Rosane Silvestre de Castro,1 Carlos Eduardo Leite Arieta1 1Department of Ophthalmology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, S&atilde;o Paulo, Brazil; 2Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA Purpose: To assess potential vascular, structural, and functional changes to the macula in patients with keratoconus that underwent ultraviolet A (UVA)&ndash;riboflavin-mediated corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) therapy.Patients and methods: Seventeen eyes from 17 patients of age 16 years or older with keratoconus undergoing CXL treatment were studied. The same eye served as its own control (before CXL vs after CXL). Eyes were evaluated in terms of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refractive error, intraocular pressure, Amsler grid, retinography, fluorescein angiography, autofluorescence, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) prior to CXL and 7 and 30 days after treatment. Multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) was recorded prior to and 7 days after CXL.Results: Mean (SD) BCVA by logMAR chart was 0.47 (&plusmn;0.12) pre-CXL, 0.55 (&plusmn;0.15) 7 days post-CXL (P=0.57), and 0.46 (&plusmn;0.10) 30 days post-CXL (P=0.87). Mean (SD) SD-OCT central macular thickness (&micro;m) was 253.62 (&plusmn;20.9) pre-CXL, 260.5 (&plusmn;18.7) 7 days post-CXL (P=0.48), and 256.44 (&plusmn;21.6) 30 days post-CXL (P=0.69). In 12 eyes, mfERG revealed a statistically significant increase (P=0.0353) in P1 latency (ms) of ring four from the pre-CXL period (39.45&plusmn;2.05) to 7 days post-CXL (41.04&plusmn;1.28) period. Regression analysis showed that the increase in P1 latency was correlated with the increase in central macular thickness (P=0.027). Furthermore, nine patients experienced a significant decrease in P1 amplitudes of rings 1 (P=0.0014), 2 (P=0.0029), 3 (P=0.0037), 4 (P=0.0014), and 5 (P=0.0012) from pre-CXL to 7 days post-CXL.Conclusion: In this pilot study, most of the patients exhibited slight changes in their mfERG parameters and OCT thickness, despite a lack of vascular abnormalities observed on fluorescein angiography/autofluorescence imaging, no alteration in BCVA, and no reports of symptoms. These changes could, therefore, be categorized as a mild subclinical effect of the corneal cross-linking procedure. Keywords: keratoconus, light damage, multifocal electroretinogram, UVA, phototoxicity, crosslinkin