Soft multifocal simultaneous image contact lenses: a review

Soft multifocal simultaneous image contact lenses have boomed in recent years due to the growing number of presbyopic patients demanding visual solutions, allowing them to maintain their current standard of living. The concept of ‘simultaneous image’ is based on blur interpretation and/or blur tolerance of superimposed multiple images on the retina formed by various powers of a contact lens. This is the basis for a specific type of multifocal contact lens developed for the compensation of presbyopia. Manufacturers have released a great variety of soft simultaneous image lens designs to meet different patient needs but their fitting is still unsatisfactory in some cases. Some presbyopes discontinue wearing contact lenses due to some limitations in visual quality and comfort that can be overcome with an appropriate contact lens selection based on a comprehensive pre‐fitting evaluation. This paper aims to review the different types of soft multifocal contact lenses that are currently available for presbyopic correction and to define the steps and factors crucial for their fitting, such as pupil, aberrations, accommodation and centring. A discussion about useful tools to achieve a customised fitting leading to a successful outcome, such as the defocus curve, power profile and questionnaires, is performed.     

Acute retinal necrosis results in low vision in a young patient with a history of herpes simplex virus encephalitis

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN), secondary to herpes simplex encephalitis, is a rare syndrome that can present in healthy individuals, as well as immuno‐compromised patients. Most cases are caused by a secondary infection from the herpes virus family, with varicella zoster virus being the leading cause of this syndrome. Potential symptoms include blurry vision, floaters, ocular pain and photophobia. Ocular findings may consist of severe uveitis, retinal vasculitis, retinal necrosis, papillitis and retinal detachment. Clinical manifestations of this disease may include increased intraocular pressure, optic disc oedema, optic neuropathy and sheathed retinal arterioles. A complete work up is essential to rule out cytomegalovirus retinitis, herpes simplex encephalitis, herpes virus, syphilis, posterior uveitis and other conditions. Depending on the severity of the disease, the treatment options consist of anticoagulation therapy, cycloplegia, intravenous acyclovir, systemic steroids, prophylactic laser photocoagulation and pars plana vitrectomy with silicon oil for retinal detachment. An extensive history and clinical examination is crucial in making the correct diagnosis. Also, it is very important to be aware of low vision needs and refer the patients, if expressing any sort of functional issues with completing daily living skills, especially reading. In this article, we report one case of unilateral ARN 20 years after herpetic encephalitis.     

Array-based DNA methylation profiling of primary lymphomas of the central nervous system

Background  

Although primary lymphomas of the central nervous system (PCNSL) and extracerebral diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cannot be distinguished histologically, it is still a matter of debate whether PCNSL differ from systemic DLBCL with respect to their molecular features and pathogenesis. Analysis of the DNA methylation pattern might provide further data distinguishing these entities at a molecular level.