Ocular Diseases on Naru Island, Japan: a Seven-year Survey

Purpose: To examine the characteristics over seven years of ocular diseases in a closed society on Naru Island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Subjects: Annual eye examinations were performed during routine physical examinations on Naru Island, Japan from 1995 to 2002. We examined 639 (213 males and 426 females) in1995, 579 (196 males and 383 females) in1998 and 421 (159 males and 262 females) in 2002. Results and Discussion: Pterygium appeared to increase with age. The prevalence of cataract was higher in woman than in man. Cataract was more prevalent in those with pterygium than in those without one. The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation increased with age, and it was greater in those with cataract than in those without one. Conclusions: The incidence of degenerative and agerelated diseases in this population followed for seven years showed a tendency to increase with age

Retro-mode imaging of fibrovascular membrane in proliferative diabetic retinopathy after intravitreal bevacizumab injection

The F10 is a new commercially available scanning laser confocal ophthalmoscope (SLO) that can perform multiple functions. We determined the usefulness of noninvasive evaluation of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) pathologies before and after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) using the new indirect viewing system of the retro-mode function of the F10 SLO, and compared the images histologically with surgically excised fibrovascular membrane from two cases. In PDR, neovascular vessels in fibrovascular membrane were clearly seen with the retro-mode, even after IVB and without blood flow. The F10 SLO may be useful in evaluating neovascular vessels in fibrovascular membrane in PDR and for determining the precise retinal changes in diabetic retinopathy

Optic disc hemorrhage in a young female following mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination: a case report

Background: Since the development of the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine, there have been many reports of its adverse effects. While respiratory symptoms are common, many other symptoms in various organs have been reported. Herein, we report a case of optic disc and retinal hemorrhage that developed immediately after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination.Case presentation: A healthy 18-year-old Japanese female noticed floater in the left eye 1 day after the second vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 (Pfizer Inc.). Her visual acuity was 20/20 in the left eye, and Goldmann visual field test showed a relative scotoma around blind spot and in the temporal lower quadrant. It was considered due to subretinal hemorrhage and optic disc swelling. Fundus examination revealed retinal and optic disc hemorrhage. Pupillary reflex was intact and central critical flicker was not impaired, indicating that optic nerve was not involved. There was no sign of inflammation, vascular abnormality, nor history of an intense Valsalva maneuver. The hemorrhage resolved spontaneously within 5 months.Conclusion: This case expands the clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination-associated ocular adverse events, and it should be kept in mind when patients with similar symptoms visit clinics. The case report will help clinicians avoid unnecessary and invasive examinations and treatment

Geometric Morphometrics Can Predict Postoperative Visual Acuity Changes in Patients With Epiretinal Membrane: A Retrospective Study

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of the geometric morphometrics method for the evaluation of retinal deformation in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and determine whether the degree of deformation can serve as a predictive factor for postoperative visual outcome.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data from 29 eyes of 29 patients with primary ERM. Preoperative optical coherence tomography images were compared with images of their normal fellow eyes using the geometric morphometrics thin-plate spline technique. Conventional parameters such as retinal layer thickness and previously reported indices were also measured. The correlation between the preoperative parameters and visual acuity was evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using a paired t-test, and associations between the optical coherence tomography image parameters and visual acuity were determined using Spearman\u27s rank correlation coefficient.Results: Bending energy, which was calculated using geometric morphometrics, was significantly associated with visual acuity as well as conventional optical coherence tomography parameters and previously reported indices. Multiple regression analysis showed that bending energy was an independent predictive factor for postoperative visual acuity changes.Conclusions: The geometric morphometrics method is an effective approach for evaluating the severity of ERM and predicting the efficacy of surgery.Translational Relevance: Geometric morphometrics can effectively evaluate retinal deformation in eyes with epiretinal membrane

Transcorneal three-port vitrectomy without conjunctival incision.

Background: Although widely accepted, pars plana vitrectomy is difficult to perform when patients have a large filtering bleb. We describe technical details of 25-gauge transcorneal vitrectomy and the clinical outcomes. Methods: We performed 25-gauge transcorneal vitrectomy on seven eyes of seven patients (female: male, 4:3; age, 39 to 77 years; mean, 66.1 years) between January 2005 and February 2007. Phacoemulsification via a corneal incision was followed by continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis (CCC) of the posterior capsule. We used a notched contact lens to perform 25-gauge transcorneal vitrectomy. Results: Four patients with idiopathic ERM and three with secondary ERM were treated by 25-gauge vitrectomy. Postoperative visual acuity was good in most of them and the cell density of the corneal endothelium was maintained. Conclusion: These advantages of this procedure are that the conjunctiva and ocular surface can be completely maintained and vitreous incarceration can be avoided. Thus, 25-gauge vitrectomy might be particularly suitable for treating glaucoma with a filtering bleb. (158 words/200 words

Motivational Factors for Learners of Russian Statistical Analysis with R

The purpose of this study is to make clear the motivational components or orientationsfor Japanese university students to start studying Russian, and analyze statistically the relationship between the orientations and learning outcomes. The results of the analysisshowed as follows: First, a feeling of excitement for studying something new (findingorientation) and expectation that the Russian language someday would be of use (practicalorientation) could be the motivational components at the start of learning. Theseorientations, however, do not reflect an influence on the learning results. Students’ learning habits are much more influential on the learning outcome than the initial motivational components. Second, interest in the culture or societies, in which the target language is spoken, has been considered as integrative orientation in the existing studies, but it might be better to explain it as “relationship orientation”. Third, the negative attitudes toward the language studied in the past, namely, difficulty of English grammar or feeling of being weakin English, have an unexpectedly large influence on studying Russian language at the start of learning. Therefore, to those who do not have effective study habits, no type of orientation would have an influence on learning Russian unless we take some kind of nonconventional approach to the learning situation.研究論