Investigation of human papillomavirus and Epstein-Barr virus DNAs in pterygium tissue

PURPOSE. Recent studies postulated the presence of a probable relationship between pterygium and neoplasia. This study aimed to investigate the role of two oncogenic viruses, human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), in the development of conjunctival pterygia. METHODS. Polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the presence of HPV and EBV in 30 primary and 10 recurrent pterygia samples. Twenty conjunctival samples obtained from patients undergoing cataract surgeries were used as the control group. Patient groups had similar sex, race, and age distribution to eliminate bias. For exploration of HPV in groups, two different PCR methods (in-house PCR with two different primer sets and one real-time PCR method) were studied. The presence of EBV was shown by real-time PCR method. RESULTS. HPV was identified in none of the pterygia and control group patients. However, EBV was detected in 3 out of 30 (10%) primary pterygia patients and in none of the recurrent pterygia and control patients. CONCLUSIONS. Up to now, HPV has been blamed as the major viral pathogen in the etiopathogenesis of pterygium. The current results suggest that EBV may also be involved in the pathogenesis of pterygium, but further larger studies with larger cohorts are required to confirm this hypothesis. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2009; 19: 175-9

Characterization of macular lesions in punctate inner choroidopathy with spectral domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE: Punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) is an ocular inflammatory disease. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) allows detailed visualization of retinal and choroidal structures. We aimed to describe the retinal changes on SD-OCT associated with PIC lesions localized in the macula. METHODS: Retrospective case series: PIC lesions not associated with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and captured by macular SD-OCT scans were identified and characterized. RESULTS: Twenty-seven PIC lesions from seven patients (eight eyes) were identified and classified into four categories according to disease activity and temporal changes. Among clinically inactive patients, two main patterns were noted on OCT: (1) retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) elevation with sub-RPE hyper-reflective signals and (2) localized disruption of outer retinal layers with choroid and Bruch's membrane (BM) generally spared. Clinically active patients demonstrated lesions with intact BM with RPE elevation that fluctuated with disease activity and sub-RPE hyper-reflective signals. Photoreceptor-associated bands on SD-OCT (PRs) were not visible during active disease, but returned to normal visibility when lesions were clinically stable. Seven lesions in patients without clinically detected activity demonstrated alteration of RPE elevation. CONCLUSION: SD-OCT can provide detailed structural characteristics of PIC lesions. RPE elevation is noted in many lesions while BM and choroid are spared. Photoreceptor-associated bands on SD-OCT appear compressed during clinically active stages and are visible during stabilization. OCT may provide information on activity not detected clinically. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12348-011-0054-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Management of optic disc pit maculopathy: the European VitreoRetinal society optic pit study

Purpose: To evaluate a variety of techniques, and their anatomical and functional results, for the treatment of optic disc pit maculopathy (ODP-M). A secondary aim was to report on results of secondary procedures in cases of initial failure or recurrence. Methods: Multicentre retrospective study of 95 eyes with ODP-M, treated by 25 surgeons from 12 countries. Primary outcomes were anatomical resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal fluid (IRF) and visual acuity (VA) at 12 months. Results: Higher rates of SRF and IRF resorption were achieved in eyes treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) compared to external laser with or without tamponade: 64/72 (88.9%) versus 8/14 (57.1%) for SRF (p = 0.003), and 50/59 (84.7%) versus 3/10 (30%) for IRF (p = 0.002). The addition of juxtapapillary laser or internal limiting membrane (ILM) peel during PPV did not improve SRF or IRF resolution. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with tamponade and PPV with tamponade plus endolaser were associated with significant visual gain. In the former group, VA improved from a mean of logMAR 0.91 (20/162), to a mean of logMAR 0.52 (20/66) at 12 months; in the latter group, VA improved from a mean of logMAR 0.82 (20/132) to a mean of logMAR 0.47 (20/59) at 12 months. Retreatments were performed in 14 eyes (15.7%), only enhancing anatomical outcomes. Conclusion: Vitrectomy with tamponade had better final outcomes than external laser treatment with or without gas tamponade. Laser endophotocoagulation and ILM peel provided no additional benefit. A secondary treatment resulted in anatomical but not functional improvement