COVID-19 and Eye: A Review of Ophthalmic Manifestations of COVID-19

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had health implications of unprecedented magnitude. The infection can range from asymptomatic, mild to life threatening respiratory distress. It can affect almost every organ of the body. Ophthalmologists world over are reporting various manifestations of the infection in the eye. This review was undertaken to help ophthalmologists recognize the possible manifestations and the stage of the viral disease when they commonly appear. Literature search was performed for the publications on ophthalmic manifestations of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) between January 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. 46 case reports, 8 case series, 11 cross sectional/cohort observational studies, 5 prospective interventional studies, 3 animal models/autopsy studies and 6 reviews/meta-analysis were included. Conjunctivitis is the most common manifestation and can develop at any stage of the disease. Direct effect due to virus, immune mediated tissue damage, activation of the coagulation cascade and prothrombotic state induced by the viral infection, the associated comorbidities and drugs used in the management are responsible for the findings in the eye. The viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) has been isolated from ocular tissues but the role of eye as a route for infection is yet to be substantiated. Ophthalmic manifestations may be the presenting feature of COVID-19 infection or they may develop several weeks after recovery. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the possible associations of ocular diseases with SARS-CoV-2 in order to ask relevant history, look for specific signs, advise appropriate tests and thereby mitigate the spread of infection as well as diagnose and initiate early treatment for life and vision threatening complications.     

Update on ocular graft-versus-host disease

Ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) occurs as a complication following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and is associated with significant ocular morbidity resulting in a marked reduction in the quality of life. With no current consensus on treatment protocols, management becomes challenging as recurrent oGVHD often refractory to conventional treatment. Most authors now diagnose and grade the disease based on criteria provided by the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference (NIH CC) or the International Chronic oGVHD (ICCGVHD) consensus group. This article will provide an insight into the diagnostic criteria of oGVHD, its classification, and clinical severity grading scales. The inflammatory process in oGVHD can involve the entire ocular surface including the eyelids, meibomian gland, corneal, conjunctiva, and lacrimal system. The varied clinical presentations and treatment strategies employed to manage them have been discussed in the present study. The recent advances in ocular surface imaging in oGVHD patients such as the use of meibography and in vivo confocal microscopy may help in early diagnosis and prognostication of the disease. Researching tear proteomics and identification of novel potential tear biomarkers in oGVHD patients is an exciting field as they may help in objectively diagnosing the disease and monitoring the response to treatment.     

Microvascular and functional changes according to the fundus location of the affected arteriovenous crossing in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural and functional changes occurring in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) according to the distance of the affected arteriovenous (AV) crossing to the centers of the fovea and optic disc by optic coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Methods:Forty-five patients with unilateral BRVO and 45 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this retrospective observational study. Images of the macula (3 mm × 3 mm) and affected AV crossing sites were obtained by OCTA. The fovea-AV crossing distance (FAVD), optic disc-AV crossing distance (DAVD), and optic disc-fovea distance (DFD) were measured.Results:The FAVD/DFD ratio was positively correlated with the vessel density in the superficial and deep affected hemifields (r = 0.430, P < 0.05 and r = 0.308, P < 0.05, respectively) and negatively correlated with the superficial foveal avascular zone and logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity (r = –0.412, P < 0.05 and r = –0.356, P < 0.05, respectively). The DAVD/DFD ratio was not correlated with the logMAR visual acuity, superficial FAZ area or vessel densities in the affected hemifield (all P > 0.05).Conclusion:The affected AV crossing site that was further away from the fovea had better visual acuity and quantitative microvascular parameters in the affected hemifields. However, this correlation was not observed for the distance between the affected AV crossing site and the optic disc.     

Embolic Protection Devices in Saphenous Vein Graft and Native Vessel Percutaneous Intervention: A Review

The clinical benefit of percutaneous intervention (PCI) depends on both angiographic success at the site of intervention as well as the restoration of adequate microvascular perfusion. Saphenous vein graft intervention is commonly associated with evidence of distal plaque embolization, which is correlated with worse clinical outcomes. Despite successful epicardial intervention in the acute MI patient treated with primary PCI, distal tissue perfusion may still be absent in up to 25% of cases [1-3]. Multiple devices and pharmacologic regimens have been developed and refined in an attempt to protect the microvascular circulation during both saphenous vein graft intervention and primary PCI in the acute MI setting. We will review the evidence for various techniques for embolic protection of the distal myocardium during saphenous vein graft PCI and primary PCI in the native vessel.     

Current Hot Potatoes in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has evolved to the treatment of choice for patients with drug-resistant and symptomatic AF. Pulmonary vein isolation at the ostial or antral level usually is sufficient for treatment of true paroxysmal AF. For persistent AF ablation, drivers and perpetuators outside of the pulmonary veins are responsible for AF maintenance and have to be targeted to achieve satisfying arrhythmia-free success rate. Both complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) ablation and linear ablation are added to pulmonary vein isolation for persistent AF ablation. Nevertheless, ablation failure and necessity of repeat ablations are still frequent, especially after persistent AF ablation. Pulmonary vein reconduction is the main reason for arrhythmia recurrence after paroxysmal and to a lesser extent after persistent AF ablation. Failure of persistent AF ablation mostly is a consequence of inadequate trigger ablation, substrate modification or incompletely ablated or reconducting linear lesions. In this review we will discuss these points responsible for AF recurrence after ablation and review current possibilities on how to overcome these limitations.     

Role of hepatic vein catheterisation and transient elastography in the diagnosis of idiopathic portal hypertension

Background

Idiopathic portal hypertension is a rare cause of portal hypertension, frequently misdiagnosed as cryptogenic cirrhosis. This study evaluates specific findings at hepatic vein catheterisation or liver stiffness in idiopathic portal hypertension.

Methods

39 cases of idiopathic portal hypertension patients were retrospectively reviewed. Hepatic vein catheterisation and liver stiffness measurements were compared to matched patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, and non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis, included as controls.

Results

Hepatic vein-to-vein communications were found in 49% idiopathic portal hypertension patients precluding adequate hepatic venous pressure gradient measurements in 12. In the remaining 27 patients, mean hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) was 7.1 ± 3.1 mmHg. Only 5 patients had HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg. HVPG was markedly lower than in cirrhosis (17 ± 3 mmHg, p < 0.001). Mean liver stiffness in idiopathic portal hypertension was 8.4 ± 3.3 kPa; significantly higher than in non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis (6.4 ± 2.2 kPa, p = 0.009), but lower than in cirrhosis (40.9 ± 20.5 kPa, p = 0.005). Only 2 idiopathic portal hypertension patients had liver stiffness >13.6 kPa.

Conclusions

Patients with idiopathic portal hypertension frequently have hepatic vein-to-vein communications and, despite unequivocal signs of portal hypertension, HVPG and liver stiffness values much lower than the cut-off for clinical significant portal hypertension in cirrhosis. These findings oblige to formally rule-out idiopathic portal hypertension in the presence of signs of portal hypertension.     

康柏西普联合全视网膜激光光凝治疗缺血型视网膜中央静脉阻塞的疗效

目的:探讨康柏西普联合全视网膜激光光凝治疗缺血型视网膜中央静脉阻塞的临床疗效。方法:选取2017-01/2019-01在我院诊治的缺血型视网膜中央静脉阻塞患者80例80眼进行回顾性研究。根据治疗方式分为两组,A组40例40眼采用玻璃体腔注射康柏西普3+PRN治疗联合全视网膜激光光凝治疗;B组40例40眼采用玻璃体腔注射康柏西普3+PRN治疗。分别记录治疗前及治疗后3、6、12mo患者的最佳矫正视力(BCVA)和黄斑中心凹视网膜厚度(CMT),观察药物注射次数及不良反应。结果:治疗后12mo与治疗前比较,A组BCVA由1.05±0.58改善至0.41±0.37(P<0.01),B组由0.98±0.51改善至0.63±0.53(P<0.01),两组间比较无差异(P>0.05);A组CMT由592.30±79.75μm下降至260.08±86.23μm(P<0.01),B组CMT由604.98±81.73μm下降至406.83±162.97μm(P<0.01),且两组间比较有差异(P<0.01)。A组康柏西普注射3.15±0.43次,B组3.83±1.06次,两组间比较有差异(P<0.01)。随访期间,A组患者均未出现不良反应,B组继发新生血管性青光眼2例2眼。结论:康柏西普治疗缺血型视网膜中央静脉阻塞安全有效,联合全视网膜激光光凝可以显著改善视力,黄斑水肿消退效果更佳更稳定,降低复发率,减少并发症。     

开窗支架型血管治疗近肾腹主动脉瘤的初步临床结果

目的回顾性分析开窗支架型血管治疗近肾腹主动脉瘤（AAA）的初步结果。方法4例合并严重疾病无法行开放手术的近肾AAA患者,根据术前CT数据定制个体化开窗支架型血管。于全身麻醉下置人此支架型血管并置入肾动脉支架。结果术后即时造影示各分支血管血流通畅,支架形态良好,两例有少量近端I型内漏。术后3个月复查4例患者支架形态正常,两例I型内漏均消失,但另一名患者出现Ⅱ型内漏。结论应用个体化开窗支架型血管治疗近肾AAA近期效果良好。     

心房颤动时人的肺静脉前庭组织中T型钙离子通道的表达改变

目的研究正常窦律（SR）与心房颤动（AF）两组患者肺静脉前庭（PVA）组织中T型钙离子通道（T-type calcium channel,TTCC）α1G、α1H亚基mRNA及蛋白的表达差异。方法术中获取各组患者（SR=34,AF=38）少量肺静脉前庭组织标本,实时荧光定量RT-PCR对各组α1G及α1H亚基的mRNA丰度相对定量（2-ΔΔCt法）;蛋白免疫印迹法比较两种α1亚基蛋白表达水平;HE染色及免疫组化染色比较两种α1亚基蛋白在细胞中的分布表达。结果与SR组相比,AF组患者的肺静脉前庭组织中TTCC的α1H亚基的mRNA表达丰度及亚基蛋白的表达水平均明显升高,但α1G亚基在两组中的表达水平接近,H-E染色及免疫组织化学染色结果与前一结论符合,并证实α1G、α1H亚基蛋白定位于心肌细胞膜表面。结论 AF组对比SR组,其T型钙通道α1H亚基表达显著增加,而α1G亚基的表达水平两组间无明显差异。     

血栓通离子导入联合康柏西普玻璃体腔注射治疗视网膜静脉阻塞合并黄斑水肿

目的：研究血栓通离子导入联合康柏西普玻璃体腔注射治疗视网膜静脉阻塞(RVO)合并黄斑水肿(ME)的临床效果及安全性。

方法：前瞻性研究。将2017-06/2019-06我院106例106眼RVO合并ME患者采用随机数字表法均分为观察组和对照组各53例53眼,均给予玻璃体腔注射康柏西普进行治疗; 观察组另加用血栓通注射液离子导入进行干预,用药时间3mo,两组均随访1a并根据病情进行补充治疗,观察并比较两组治疗前后最佳矫正视力(BCVA)、黄斑区中央视网膜厚度(CRT)、补充治疗情况、房水血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)水平及药物不良反应。

结果：两组治疗后BCVA明显改善(P<0.05),CRT明显降低(P<0.05),且观察组治疗3、6、12mo BCVA高于对照组,CRT低于对照组(P<0.05); 两组治疗后黄斑总容积和房水VEGF水平均明显降低(P<0.05),且观察组治疗1、3、6、12mo黄斑总容积和VEGF水平低于对照组(均P<0.05); 观察组康柏西普、曲安奈德注射次数和激光光凝患者占比均低于对照组(P<0.05); 观察组治疗期间发生眼压升高1眼、结膜下出血3眼,对照组发生结膜下出血2眼、眼内炎1眼,两组比较无差异(P>0.05)。

结论：血栓通离子导入联合康柏西普玻璃体腔注射治疗RVO合并ME可有效抑制VEGF表达,减轻ME并改善患眼视力,疗效和安全性均值得肯定。