Retinal Vascular Occlusion after COVID-19 Vaccination : More Coincidence than Causal Relationship? Data from a Retrospective Multicentre Study

Background: To investigate whether vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the onset of retinal vascular occlusive disease (RVOD). Methods: In this multicentre study, data from patients with central and branch retinal vein occlusion (CRVO and BRVO), central and branch retinal artery occlusion (CRAO and BRAO), and anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) were retrospectively collected during a 2-month index period (1 June–31 July 2021) according to a defined protocol. The relation to any previous vaccination was documented for the consecutive case series. Numbers of RVOD and COVID-19 vaccination were investigated in a case-by-case analysis. A case– control study using age- and sex-matched controls from the general population (study participants from the Gutenberg Health Study) and an adjusted conditional logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results: Four hundred and twenty-one subjects presenting during the index period (61 days) were enrolled: one hundred and twenty-one patients with CRVO, seventy-five with BRVO, fifty-six with CRAO, sixty-five with BRAO, and one hundred and four with AION. Three hundred and thirty-two (78.9%) patients had been vaccinated before the onset of RVOD. The vaccines given were BNT162b2/BioNTech/Pfizer (n = 221), followed by ChadOx1/AstraZeneca (n = 57), mRNA1273/Moderna (n = 21), and Ad26.COV2.S/Johnson & Johnson (n = 11; unknown n = 22). Our case–control analysis integrating population-based data from the GHS yielded no evidence of an increased risk after COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.60–1.45, p = 0.75) in connection with a vaccination within a 4-week window. Conclusions: To date, there has been no evidence of any association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and a higher RVOD risk

Sex Bias in Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neuroinflammation: Relevance for Dimethyl Fumarate Immunomodulatory/Anti-oxidant Action

In the present study, upon showing sexual dimorphism in dimethyl fumarate (DMF) efficacy to moderate the clinical severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Dark Agouti rats, cellular and molecular substrate of this dimorphism was explored. In rats of both sexes, DMF administration from the day of immunization attenuated EAE severity, but this effect was more prominent in males leading to loss of the sexual dimorphism observed in vehicle-administered controls. Consistently, in male rats, DMF was more efficient in diminishing the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes infiltrating spinal cord (SC) and their reactivation, the number of IL-17+ T lymphocytes and particularly cellularity of their highly pathogenic IFN-gamma+GM-CSF+IL-17+ subset. This was linked with changes in SC CD11b+CD45+TCR alpha beta- microglia/proinflammatory monocyte progeny, substantiated in a more prominent increase in the frequency of anti-inflammatory phygocyting CD163+ cells and the cells expressing high surface levels of immunoregulatory CD83 molecule (associated with apoptotic cells phagocytosis and implicated in downregulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte reactivation) among CD11b+CD45+TCR alpha beta- cells in male rat SC. These changes were associated with greater increase in the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 expression in male rats administered with DMF. In accordance with the previous findings, DMF diminished reactive nitrogen and oxygen species generation and consistently, SC level of advanced oxidation protein products, to the greater extent in male rats. Overall, our study indicates sex-specificity in the sensitivity of DMF cellular and molecular targets and encourages sex-based clinical research to define significance of sex for action of therapeutic agents moderating autoimmune neuroinflammation-/oxidative stress-related nervous tissue damage

Incidence of submacular haemorrhage (SMH) in Scotland : a Scottish Ophthalmic Surveillance Unit (SOSU) study

PURPOSE: Submacular haemorrhage (SMH) is a cause of severe visual loss in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The incidence is uncertain and furthermore there is no widely used classification system nor agreed best practice. The aim of this national surveillance study was to identify the incidence, presenting features and clinical course of new fovea-involving submacular haemorrhage associated with nAMD. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent monthly to every ophthalmic specialist in Scotland over a 12-month period asking them to report all newly presenting patients with acute SMH secondary to nAMD of at least two disc diameters (DDs) in greatest linear diameter. A follow-up questionnaire was sent 6 months after initial presentation. Cases related to other causes were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cases were reported giving an incidence of 5.4 per million per annum (range 2-15). The mean age was 83 years (range 66-96) and females accounted for 17/29 (59%). Fifteen of the 29 cases (52%) had a past history of AMD, of which 7 had nAMD. Nineteen of the 29 cases (66%) presented within 7 days of onset and the majority had SMH of < 11 DD (20/29, 69%). Treatment options comprised the following: observation (n = 6, 21%), anti-VEGF alone (n = 6, 21%) or vitrectomy with co-application of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), anti-VEGF and gas (n = 17, 58%). The vitrectomy group experienced the greatest change in vision from logMAR 1.89-1.50 (p = 0.374). Four of 20 (20%) cases with 6 months follow-up suffered a re-bleed at a mean time of 96 days. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence, clinical features and course of a consecutive national cohort of patients with SMH secondary to nAMD are presented

Unterschwellige Laserkoagulation mit einem Standardlaser bei RCS - Eine Fallserie

Shutter artwork on Silcock's Waltzer - W28 - circa 1958

Long-term follow-up of lamellar macular holes and pseudoholes over at least 5 years

PURPOSE To assess morphological and functional changes of lamellar macular holes and pseudoholes with or without vitrectomy and membrane peeling with at least 5 years follow-up. METHODS Retrospective study of 73 eyes with lamellar macular hole (LH, n = 28), macular pseudohole (PH, n = 31), and pseudohole with cleaved edges (cleavedPH, n = 14). Forty-six eyes were merely observed without vitreoretinal intervention (observation group), and 27 eyes underwent vitrectomy with membrane peeling (vitrectomy group). Outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and morphological retinal parameters evaluated with optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT and SD-OCT). RESULTS Mean follow-up was 8.3 years (5-12); mean age was 67 years (46-84). In the observation group, median BCVA (logMAR) at first exam was 0.2 (LH), 0.1 (PH), 0.2 (cleavedPH) and at last exam 0.3 (LH, p = 0.02), 0.2 (PH), 0.15 (cleavedPH). In the vitrectomy group, median BCVA at first exam was 0.4 (LH), 0.3 (PH), 0.25 (cleavedPH); before vitrectomy BCVA was 0.5 (LH), 0.35 (PH), 0.35 (cleavedPH); and at last exam BCVA increased to 0.3 (LH), 0.2 (PH, p < 0.05), 0.1 (cleavedPH, p < 0.05). At last exam, BCVA of LH was significantly worse compared to PH and cleavedPH. In the observation group, 6 of 29 eyes with PH or cleavedPH showed a spontaneous resolution of the epiretinal membrane with improvement of the foveal contour. Nine of 16 eyes with LH and 2/20 eyes with PH presented lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) in SD-OCT. CONCLUSIONS LH, PH, and cleavedPH are often stable over a very long time. LH tends to worse visual function compared to PH and cleavedPH. A spontaneous separation of epiretinal membranes in the long-term is not uncommon. Vitreoretinal intervention should be considered in cases with significant visual loss or functional and morphological progression