Prevalence of glaucoma in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea: ocular morbidity and outcomes in a 3 year follow-up study

Purpose

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and progression of glaucoma in patients receiving treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We also investigated whether there is an association between severity of OSA and the incidence of glaucoma.

Methods

A total of 39 patients aged >30 years who had been diagnosed with moderate and severe OSA in the sleep clinic at Hamad General Hospital were assessed for the presence of glaucoma. The severity of OSA was graded as mild, moderate, or severe based on American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria using the apnea hypopnea index. Before enrollment, all patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including serial visual field tests, optical coherence tomography (OCT) with fundus photographs, and pachymetry. Enrolled patients were followed up in the ophthalmology outpatient clinic and sleep clinic for a period of 3 years.

Results

Examinations found that 8 (20.5% 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.9–37%) of the 39 patients with OSA had glaucoma. Six (75% 95% CI 36–96%) of these patients had normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and two (25% 95% CI 4.5–64.4%) patients had high-tension glaucoma. Among the 27 patients with severe OSA, 7 (25.9% 95% CI 8–34%) had glaucoma, and among 12 patients with moderate OSA, 1 (8.3% 95% CI 0.1–15%) had glaucoma. During the course of follow-up, two patients who previously did not have glaucoma were reclassified as NTG and two patients with glaucoma deteriorated. A higher prevalence of glaucoma in the severe OSA group compared with the moderate OSA group was found, albeit a statistically significant difference could not be attained (P=0.4).

Conclusions

Our study showed that severe OSA is an important risk factor for developing glaucoma. Adequate treatment of OSA, along with optimal ophthalmic care, resulted in better control of glaucoma.     

Anterior and intermediate uveitis cases referred to a tertiary centre in Alberta

BACKGROUND: We investigated the characteristics and causes of various uveitis subtypes in patients presenting to the Regional Eye Centre at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., and estimated the incidence of anterior uveitis in northern Alberta. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of all patients presenting with uveitis to a single, full-time ophthalmologist at the Regional Eye Centre from September 2004 to June 2005. Uveitis was classified according to onset, severity, anatomical subtype, etiology, recurrence rate, and response to treatment. Statistical analysis was used to compare patients referred by ophthalmologists with those referred by non-ophthalmologists. RESULTS: Two hundred and nine eyes of 171 patients were included in the study. Ophthalmologist referrals consisted of 67.4% anterior, 14.0% intermediate, and 18.6% panuveitis, and non-ophthalmological referrals were 92.8% anterior, 5.4% intermediate, and 1.8% panuveitis. Referrals from ophthalmologists were significantly more likely to be chronic, recurrent, and (or) less responsive to treatment than referrals from other sources. INTERPRETATION: Referral bias strongly affects the proportions of uveitis subtypes seen. Human leukocyte antigen-B27-associated diseases (especially ankylosing spondylitis), sarcoidosis, and herpes infections should be considered among the most likely causes of uveitis to be diagnosed in this patient population.     

Clinical features and visual outcomes of ocular sarcoidosis at a tertiary referral center in Tokyo

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To analyze clinical features, treatment, complications, and visual outcomes of ocular sarcoidosis at a tertiary center in Tokyo....     

Incidence of ocular morbidity among multibacillary leprosy patients during a 2 year course of multidrug therapy

AIM: To evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for ocular complications in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients during their 2 year, fixed duration, multidrug therapy (MDT). METHODS: Periodic eye examinations were conducted prospectively on a cohort of 301 consecutive newly diagnosed MB patients every 6 months during their 2 year course of MDT. Incidence of ocular pathology was calculated as the number of events per person year of event free follow up of patients who did not have the specific finding at baseline. RESULTS: 292 (97%) patients had one or more follow up visits. The incidence of lagophthalmos was 1.2%/patient year (95% CI 0.5% to 2.8%); corneal opacity was 7.4%/patient year (95% CI 5.1% to 10.6%); uveal involvement was 5.1%/patient year (95% CI 3.3% to 7.8%), and cataract that reduced vision to 6/18 or less was seen in 4.3%/patient year (95% CI 2.7% to 6.9%) of patients. Overall, 23 individuals (5.8%/patient year, 95% CI 3.9 to 8.8) developed leprosy related potentially blinding pathology during the 2 years of MDT. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 20% of patients with MB leprosy can be expected to develop ocular complications of leprosy during a 2 year course of MDT, many (11%) of which are potentially vision threatening. Ophthalmological monitoring to detect and treat ocular complications at defined intervals during MDT is indicated.     

Clinical patterns and characteristics of uveitis in a tertiary center for uveitis in China

PURPOSE: To address the clinical pattern and characteristics of uveitis in a tertiary center for uveitis in China and compare the similarity and difference in the distribution of uveitis entities between China and other countries. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on the patients with uveitis referred to the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from January 1996 to December 2003. The clinical data including category, etiology, gender, and the age of the patients at uveitis presentation were analyzed and compared with studies published previously from other countries. RESULTS: There were 902 male and 850 female patients in our series. The mean age of these patients at uveitis presentation was 33.8 +/- 16.5 years. Anterior uveitis (800, 45.6%) was the most common anatomical entity, followed by panuveitis (727, 41.5%), posterior uveitis (119, 6.8%), and intermediate uveitis (106, 6.1%). Further classification with the etiology criteria revealed 16 entities in anterior uveitis, with idiopathic anterior uveitis being the most common entity (473, 27.0%). Twelve entities were identified in panuveitis, of which Beh?et disease (289, 16.5%) and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome (278, 15.9%) were the predominant ones. No specific entity was recognized in the intermediate uveitis group. Although a number of specific entities were identified in posterior uveitis, toxoplasmosis was noted in only two patients in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic anterior uveitis, Beh?et disease, and VKH syndrome are the most common entities of uveitis in China. Ocular toxoplasmosis, ocular histoplasmosis, and birdshot retinochoroidopathy are less common or absent in China.     

Patterns of uveitis in a tertiary eye care center in Iran

Purpose: To identify the distribution and characteristics of new uveitis referrals to a tertiary eye care center in Tehran. Methods: A three-year prospective study was carried out to obtain information on 544 new patients referred with uveitis. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed in all cases; a routine set of tests and an additional battery of directed workup were conducted when indicated. Results: Mean age was 32.3 years. There was no significant sex predominance. The most common forms of uveitis were anterior (38.4%) vs. other anatomical forms, chronic (62.1%) vs. acute (28.3%), nongranulomatous (85.5%) vs. granulomatous (14.5%), and noninfectious (83.5%) vs. infectious (16.5%). With regard to etiology, 45.5% were idiopathic, 19.9% were due to specific ocular disease, and 37.3% were associated with systemic disorders. Behçet's disease was the most common noninfectious disease and toxoplasmosis the most common infectious entity. The most prevalent causes were idiopathic, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocylitis, and seronegative spondyloarthropathies in anterior uveitis; toxoplasmosis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis in posterior uveitis; idiopathic, sarcoidosis, and multiple sclerosis in intermediate uveitis; and, finally, Behçet's disease, idiopathic, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome in panuveitis. The most frequent cause in patients under 16 years of age was pars planitis. Over 80% of the patients belonged to middle-to-upper socioeconomic classes. Uveitis significantly affected patients' lives in 63.1% of the cases. Conclusion: Although the current study was performed at a referral center, it may reflect to some extent the different distribution of uveitis in Iran and probably other Middle Eastern countries. Some entities such as presumed ocular histoplasmosis were not found, cytomegalovirus retinitis and birdshot chorioretinopathy were extremely rare, and HLA-B27-associated iridocyclitis was less commonly observed. In contrast, Behçet's disease, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis were among the more prevalent entities.     

Patterns of uveitis in a tertiary eye care center in Iran

PURPOSE: To identify the distribution and characteristics of new uveitis referrals to a tertiary eye care center in Tehran. METHODS: A three-year prospective study was carried out to obtain information on 544 new patients referred with uveitis. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed in all cases; a routine set of tests and an additional battery of directed workup were conducted when indicated. RESULTS: Mean age was 32.3 years. There was no significant sex predominance. The most common forms of uveitis were anterior (38.4%) vs. other anatomical forms, chronic (62.1%) vs. acute (28.3%), nongranulomatous (85.5%) vs. granulomatous (14.5%), and noninfectious (83.5%) vs. infectious (16.5%). With regard to etiology, 45.5% were idiopathic, 19.9% were due to specific ocular disease, and 37.3% were associated with systemic disorders. Behcet's disease was the most common noninfectious disease and toxoplasmosis the most common infectious entity. The most prevalent causes were idiopathic, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocylitis, and seronegative spondyloarthropathies in anterior uveitis; toxoplasmosis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis in posterior uveitis; idiopathic, sarcoidosis, and multiple sclerosis in intermediate uveitis; and, finally, Behcet's disease, idiopathic, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome in panuveitis. The most frequent cause in patients under 16 years of age was pars planitis. Over 80% of the patients belonged to middle-to-upper socioeconomic classes. Uveitis significantly affected patients' lives in 63.1% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Although the current study was performed at a referral center, it may reflect to some extent the different distribution of uveitis in Iran and probably other Middle Eastern countries. Some entities such as presumed ocular histoplasmosis were not found, cytomegalovirus retinitis and birdshot chorioretinopathy were extremely rare, and HLA-B27-associated iridocyclitis was less commonly observed. In contrast, Behcet's disease, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis were among the more prevalent entities.     

Chorio-retinal toxoplasmosis: treatment outcomes,lesion evolution and long-term follow-up in a single tertiary center

International Ophthalmology - Ocular toxoplasmosis is a common cause of ocular inflammation worldwide. The aim of this study is to characterize the clinical outcomes and lesion evolution of...     

Clinical features of childhood uveitis at a tertiary referral center in Southern Turkey

International Ophthalmology - To report the epidemiology, etiology, ocular characteristics, management, and visual outcomes of pediatric uveitis patients in Southern Turkey. The clinical records of...     

Visual outcomes and complications of posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in the first year of life

PURPOSE: To document the visual outcome and postoperative complications in infants who had congenital cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) implantation in the first year of life. SETTING: The Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. METHODS: Twenty-seven eyes of 20 infants were reviewed. Seven infants (14 eyes) had bilateral congenital cataract and 13 (13 eyes), uniocular cataract. The mean age at surgery was 4 months (range 3 weeks to 11 months). A standard surgical technique involved anterior capsulorhexis, phacoemulsification with or without posterior capsulorhexis with in-the-bag PC IOL implantation, and no anterior vitrectomy. Surgery was performed by 1 surgeon. The mean follow-up was 41 months (range 6 to 88 months). RESULTS: The main complication was lens reproliferation into the visual axis. Of the 11 eyes that did not have a primary posterior capsulorhexis, 10 had 1 or more capsulotomies. Seven required a neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy a mean of 6 months postoperatively, and 2 had 2 Nd:YAG capsulotomies. Six eyes also had a surgical capsulotomy when the membrane was deemed too thick for further laser treatment. Fourteen of 25 eyes had a primary posterior capsulorhexis; 8 had no further intervention. Four eyes had persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), 3 required a surgical capsulotomy, 2 had an Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy, 2 had an anterior vitrectomy, and 1 developed open-angle glaucoma. There was a mean refractive shift of 6.0 diopters after a mean follow-up of 41 months, with most of the myopic shift occurring in the first 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Visual axis reopacification was the main complication of IOL implantation in infants, with PHPV leading to more complications and repeat procedures. Anterior vitrectomy appeared to reduce the reoperation rate. Results indicate that primary posterior capsulorhexis is important and Nd:YAG capsulotomy is not satisfactory in infants. In addition, the reduction in glaucoma with IOL implantation, if borne out over the long term, is a significant advantage in cases of congenital cataract.     

Visual and anatomic outcomes of golf ball-related ocular injuries

Aims

To investigate the characteristics and prognoses of golf ball-related ocular injuries (GROIs) using standardized terminology, classification, and scoring systems.

Methods

Twenty-two GROI patients were assessed using the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology, Ocular Trauma Classification Group (OTCG) classification, and Ocular Trauma Score. Globe preservation and final visual acuity (FVA) were assessed according to the injury severity categorical designation.

Results

Fourteen patients were injured on golf courses and eight on driving ranges. Nine patients (40.9%) had open-globe injuries (five ruptures (22.7%), four penetrating injuries (18.2%)). All rupture cases required enucleation, whereas penetrating injury cases did not (the FVA ranged from 20/100 to no light perception). In open-globe injuries, wearing glasses protected against rupture (P=0.008). Thirteen patients sustained closed-globe injuries that were accompanied by lens subluxation (38.5%), choroidal rupture (30.8%), macular commotio retinae (38.5%), and traumatic optic neuropathy (7.7%). Twelve (54.5%) patients had orbital wall fractures. The mean number of related surgeries required was 1.5±1.7 across all patients.

Conclusion

Eyes with GROIs had devastating FVA and globe preservation status, especially those with open-globe injuries. Observing golf rules and improving driving-range facilities are essential for preventing GROIs. Protective eyewear may reduce ocular damage from GROIs, especially globe rupture.