Prognosis Of Visual Acuity Research Articles

The presence of an operculum verified by optical coherence tomography and other prognostic factors in macular hole surgery

To evaluate the prognostic influence of the presence of an operculum in macular hole and to correlate the prognosis for postoperative visual acuity (VA) with the size of the macular hole, its duration and preoperative VA. We carried out a prospective study of 61 eyes of 59 patients with full thickness macular hole. All patients were examined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in order to ascertain the presence of an operculum. The VA was measured with the ETDRS chart. A standard pars plana vitrectomy with inner limiting membrane peeling was performed in all cases and 20% C2F6 was used as tamponade. Anatomical closure was obtained after one surgical procedure in 59/61 (97%) patients. Linear regression analysis showed only baseline VA to be predictive of visual outcome (p < 0.001). The presence of an operculum preoperatively did not correlate with VA either pre- or postoperatively, nor with the anatomical closure rate. The finding that postoperative VA in macular hole correlates with preoperative VA seems to allow for good prediction of postoperative VA in macular hole surgery. However, the presence of an operculum is of no prognostic significance.

Photodynamische Therapie mit Verteporfin bei Rezidiven choroidaler Neovaskularisationen (CNV) nach primärer Argonlaserkoagulation

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin has been successfully introduced to treat choroidal neovascularisations (CNV) that have more than 50% classic CNV components due to exudative age-dependent macular degeneration (AMD) and other diagnoses. However, what is still unclear is if patients with recurrent subfoveal CNV who have had prior laser coagulation can also profit from PDT for CNV. The course of visual acuity (ETDRS) and the fluorescein angiographic findings were retrospectively analysed after standard PDT of recurrent subfoveal CNV after prior argon laser coagulation of an extrafoveal or juxtafoveal CNV in AMD or other diagnoses. A total of 20 consecutive eyes from 19 AMD patients were evaluated. After 12 months in 14 of the 20 eyes (70%) deterioration in visual acuity of 3 or more ETDRS lines could be avoided and likewise in 7 of 16 eyes (44%) after 24 months. After the 1st year, 5 of the 7 eyes (71%) with recurrent subfoveal CNV after laser coagulation of a myopic, postinflammatory or idiopathic CNV had deterioration of visual acuity of less than three lines or an improvement in visual acuity. Despite the low number of patients examined, we could see an indication for PDT in recurrent subfoveal CNV after prior argon laser coagulation of extrafoveal or juxtafoveal CNV. When the patient presented with a CNV cause other than AMD, a better prognosis for visual acuity was achieved.

Prognóstico visual para facectomia: retinômetro de Heine e orifício estenopéico múltiplo

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a acurácia do retinômetro de Heine e do orifício estenopéico múltiplo no prognóstico da acuidade visual pós-facectomia. MÉTODOS: Foram examinados 65 olhos com o retinômetro de Heine e com o orifício estenopéico múltiplo. Após a facectomia os pacientes foram submetidos à refração e os resultados comparados com a previsão dos instrumentos. O grupo 1 é formado por pacientes com acuidade visual pior que 20/100 e o grupo 2 melhor ou igual a 20/100. RESULTADO: O retinômetro de Heine teve bons resultados em 21% e 44%, nos grupos 1 e 2 respectivamente. O orifício estenopéico múltiplo teve bons resultados em 26% e 52%, nos grupos 1 e 2 respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: O retinômetro de Heine tem acurácia semelhante ao orifício estenopéico múltiplo no prognóstico da acuidade visual pós-facectomia. Os instrumentos não devem ser usados para contra-indicar a facectomia devido ao grande número de resultados falso-negativos.

Birdshot Chorioretinopathy: A Case Report and a Case Study in Japanese Patients

There have been numerous case reports of birdshot chorioretinopathy(BC) from Europe and USA. However, only 10 cases of BC have been reported in Japan. We report the case of a Japanese patient with BC and review the clinical characteristics of BC among Japanese patients previously reported. We report the case of a 64-year-old Japanese man, who was seen at our clinic and then diagnosed as hasing BC. 20 eyes of 11 patients with BC reported in the Japanese literature previously, including our patient, were studied. Age at the initial onset, sex, ocular findings, prognosis of visual acuity and the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) were evaluated. In our case bilateral cream-colored subretinal exudates presented symmetrically and in time developed depigmented atrophic 'birdshot like' scar lesions. Ocular inflammation responded to oral prednisolone without exacerbation and good visual acuity was maintained. The age at the onset ranged from 19 to 78 years(mean 54.5), and 8 patients were women. Cystoid macular edema(CME) was found in 30% of 11 Japanese patients, and optic disc edema was seen in 50%. Final visual acuity was more than 20/40 in 75% and less than 20/200 in 12.5% of the cases. HLA-A 29, which is frequently associated with Caucasian patients, was not positive in any of the Japanese patients, and no specific locus was determined. We observed a rare case of BC. Age at initial onset, sex, and ocular findings of Japanese patients with BC were consistent with those of Europe and the US and good visual acuity was maintained in almost all cases. We suggest that the disease mechanism of BC in Japanese patients is different from that of Caucasian patients, because HLA-A 29 was negative in all Japanease patients.

Penetrating ocular injuries in the south lebanese conflict: Data review, 1992–1997

A retrospective study was conducted to assess the outcome and to identify the characteristics and prognostic factors of penetrating ocular trauma in conditions of warfare. Primary visual acuity, location of wound, presence of intraocular foreign body, and presence of prolapsed ocular tissue were statistically associated with prognosis for final visual acuity. Twenty-four percent of injuries were bilateral, and 51% of patients were legally blind as a result of their injuries.

Visual acuity and astigmatism after eccentric penetrating keratoplasty - a retrospective study on 117 patients

The purpose of this study was to asses the functional results of eccentric homologous penetrating keratoplasty in respect of diagnosis as well as position and size of the corneal graft. In this retrospective study, visual acuity and astigmatism of 117 cases of a round eccentric homologous penetrating keratoplasty in 91 eyes of 91 patients were analysed. The PK became necessary because of a corneal ulcer (104), 6 eyes with corneal scars and 7 eyes with ectatic corneal diseases. Using 84 postoperative slides the following parameters were quantified: graft diameter and transparency, distance of the geometric centre of the cornea from the central trephination margin (distance) as well as from the geometric centre of the graft (decentration). Seventeen grafts were classified as eccentric peripheral keratoplasty (mean diameter 5.0 +/- 1.7 mm) with the optical axis through the host cornea and 67 as eccentric central keratoplasty (7.0 +/- 1.3 mm) with the optical axis through the graft. The average follow-up period was 25 months. The astigmatism after 3/12/24 months was 6.7/6.3/5.5 D, but was irregular and not measurable in 74 %/52 %/49 %. The astigmatism increased with increasing decentration (24 months, p = 0.04). After 3/12/24 months, the VA in ulcers was 0.1/0.16/0.16, in scars 0.2/0.6/0.5 and in ectatic diseases 0.3/0.5/0.6. The position of graft and the visual acuity did not correlate significantly. After 24 months, larger the graft size was associated with better visual acuity. With increasing decentration the visual acuity decreased (p = 0.02) and was significantly lower (0.15) in the case of - 2.0 < distance < 2.0 mm than in the case of distance > 2.0 mm (0.4; p = 0.01). The diagnosis resulting in eccentric penetrating keratoplasty seems to have a major impact on the long-term functional prognosis of visual acuity. In addition, visual acuity is limited by high and often irregular astigmatism. Our results indicate that an increasing decentration of the graft is not invariably associated with decreasing visual acuity, provided the graft-host junction is not located in direct proximity of the optical axis.

Retrospective longitudinal study of visual acuity change in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

To determine the extent that clinically evident macular lesions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) help to establish their prognosis for visual acuity (VA) retention. The records of 182 patients with RP were reviewed. The macular lesion status at the initial examination was determined to be no lesion, a bull's-eye atrophic lesion, or a geographic atrophic lesion. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship of initial VA, macular lesion type, and RP genetic subtype to predict the VA change per 5-year period. The regression effect of lesion type on the VA change was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Patients with no macular lesion had a predicted 5-year change of less than 1 line, whereas those with either a bull's-eye or geographic atrophic lesion had a predicted 5-year change of three to four lines. The 5-year changes were not related to a patient's age or level of VA at initial presentation, when controlling for type of macular lesion. By examining longitudinal data, the authors found that the presence or absence of a macular lesion at the patient's initial visit was an important determinant of VA loss in this cohort of patients with RP. These findings are of value when counseling patients with RP regarding their prognosis for preservation of VA.

Anticoagulation and cataract surgery: a review of the current literature.

The anticoagulated patient presenting for cataract surgery presents many dilemmas for anaesthetist and surgeon alike. Current evidence suggests that warfarin therapy significantly improves prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation with coexisting cerebrovascular disease, and those with non-tissue prosthetic heart valves. Inadequate anticoagulation in these groups exposes them to higher risk of systemic embolic complications, which are frequently devastating. Warfarin is an extremely complex drug. Attempted cessation and recommencement of warfarin therapy may not only reverse anticoagulation for unpredictable periods of time but may also expose patients to a transient yet dangerous hypercoagulable state. In most instances this state represents an additive risk to the untreated disease for which warfarin is being prescribed. It is difficult to accurately measure risks of local anaesthetic blockade in anticoagulated patients as techniques are not standardized. Smaller needles and single injections appear safer with deep eye blocks, while sub-Tenon's block and topical techniques appear safer still, and acceptable provided patients and surgeons are happy with the conditions so created. Retrobullbar haemorrhage appears to occur more frequently in anticoagulated patients who have their anticoagulation continued up to the time of cataract surgery. Retrobulbar haemorrhage is also more frequent in this same group even when anticoagulation is ceased prior to surgery when compared to non-anticoagulated patients. Prognosis for visual acuity with retrobulbar haemorrhage is generally good, given an experienced surgeon is present to rapidly decompress the eye.

Clinical expression of Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy in Swedish families with mutations in the bestrophin gene

Objective: To examine the clinical phenotype of three Swedish families with Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy (BMD) and three different mutations in the recently identified bestrophin gene. Methods: Three families, including 13 patients, were examined clinically using visual acuity testing, electro-oculography, fundus inspection, and fundus photography. The mutations were previously determined by direct sequence analysis of the individual exons in the bestrophin gene. Results: The largest family (SL76), with the Y85K (T357C) mutation in the bestrophin gene, demonstrated a clinical phenotype characterized by a variable degree of visual acuity reduction and a marked intrafamilial variability in macular pathology. The electro-oculograms, however, demonstrated similar results in all patients regardless of the severity of the macular dysfunction. The smallest family (SL3), with the mutation V9A (T130C) in the bestrophin gene, and the family (SL2) with the mutation D104E (C416A) demonstrated a similar clinical phenotype. The majority of patients (11/13 examined subjects) had a binocular visual acuity of 20/63 or better at a late stage of the disease course, indicating a relatively good prognosis for visual acuity in this specific phenotype. The ophthalmoscopic changes were followed in one of the patients for 38 years and in three of the patients for 19 years and showed that the macular appearance seems to be stable after adolescence. Conclusions: Patients with BMD and mutations in the bestrophin gene have a similar clinical phenotype characterized by a variable, but relatively moderate visual acuity reduction, atrophic changes in the macula, and pathological results of the electro-oculograms. The macular appearance remains essentially unchanged through the atrophic stage (stage IV) in the majority of patients, indicating a stationary disease course associated with this specific genotype.

Capsular sack-fixed IOL implantation in pediatric cataract. Visual prognosis and complications

The aim of the study was to evaluate results of visual acuity and binocularity and complications after cataract surgery with primary capsular bag-fixated IOL implantation in children. Thirty-three children [mean age (+/- SEM) 6.9 +/- 2.9 years, range 3-12 years] accounting for 43 eyes, were examined before and after surgery (15 traumatic, 19 developmental, and 9 congenital cataracts, of the latter two groups 9 unilateral and 19 bilateral cataracts). All eyes had a best corrected postoperative visual acuity of 0.5 +/- 0.05. The postoperative visual acuity of the traumatic cataracts was 0.6 +/- 0.07, of the developmental cataracts 0.5 +/- 0.07, and of the congenital cataracts 0.2 +/- 0.05. Of the 43 eyes, 17 (40%) showed a best corrected visual acuity of 0.5 or better. There was a positive correlation between morphology (lamellar versus subcapsular opacification) and visual acuity (0.7 +/- 0.07 versus 0.5 +/- 0.05; P < 0.05). Bilateral cataracts had a better postoperative visual acuity than unilateral cataracts (0.7 +/- 0.07 versus 0.2 +/- 0.05 P< 0.001) Stereopis was found postoperatively in 62% of the children. In one eye a capsular bag-fixated IOL implantation was not possible, and so the IOL was inserted in the sulcus. Four children presented with postoperative fibrin formation. Posterior capsule opacification occurred in 19% of the eyes in which a primary posterior capsulotomy had been performed. The prognosis of visual acuity and the results of stereopsis in children older than 3 years following capsular bag-fixated IOL implantation are very good. Both the intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were low.

Long-term Visual Function in Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epithellopathy is a chorioretinal inflammatory disease occurring in young, healthy adults. The long-term visual prognosis and recurrence rate is uncertain. We reexamined 28 patients (53 affected eyes) with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (mean follow-up, 8 years) to obtain details on the long-term functional visual outcome. The final visual acuities were 20/25 or better in 48 eyes (90.6%), 20/30 to 20/100 in four eyes (7.5%), and 20/200 in one eye (1.9%). Although the final visual acuity was good, 33 eyes (62.3%) were symptomatic with blurred vision, metamorphopsia, or scotomas. Thirty-six eyes (67.9%) had significant central visual field defects on follow-up examination. There were no recurrences after the initial month of symptoms. The chorioretinal scars did not enlarge with time. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy has a good longterm prognosis for visual acuity, although most patients have residual symptoms and paracentral scotomas.

Optic glioma of childhood: clinical, histopathological, and histochemical observations.

This report documents the long-term clinical and histopathological behaviour of eight intraorbital and 16 intracranial optic nerve gliomas and relates the therapeutic data to the prognosis for both visual acuity and survival. The mean age at onset of symptoms was 8.6 years and at the diagnosis 10.9 years. It is generally held that proptosis is mild in intraorbital glioma, but we encountered marked proptosis ranging from 7 to 12 mm in six of the eight intraorbital gliomas, which contained abundant Alcian-blue-positive mucoid material. Of the patients with intracranial optic nerve gliomas 37.5% survived for a mean of eight years after treatment with radiotherapy or surgery combined with radiotherapy. At follow-up ranging from five months to 11 years only one of the six patients with intracranial gliomas had full visual acuity. Our observations emphasise that, although optic nerve gliomas are benign hamartomas, the prognosis for visual acuity and survival is unfavourable in cases which are diagnosed and treated late. Histopathological and histochemical observations suggest that increase in the amount of mucoid material may contribute to rapid enlargement of intraorbital and intracranial optic gliomas.

Subnormal visual acuity in children: prognosis and visual evoked cortical potential findings.

Seventy-one children, age 4-12 years, with subnormal visual acuity (VA) in at least one eye (0.7 or less) were examined using visual evoked cortical potentials (VECPs) to pattern-reversal stimulation. Twenty-eight children with squint had mean VA 0.3 in squinting and 0.7 in non-squinting eyes. Thirty-one children had unexplained subnormal VA, mean 0.6. Twelve children with mild unclassifiable fundus abnormalities had mean VA 0.5. In the squinting eyes and the eyes with fundus abnormalities the mean latency of the VECP was significantly prolonged. In squinters the mean amplitude to stimulation of the squinting eyes and to binocular stimulation was significantly reduced. Statistically significant increase in the mean VA was observed in all groups except in the cases with visible fundus abnormalities. There was no statistically significant correlation between VECP parameters and final VA. In conclusion, VA prognosis could not be predicted from VECP data in individual cases.

The effects of visual field changes and ocular hypertension on the visual evoked potential.

The effects of visual field changes and ocular hypertension on visual evoked potentials were investigated by photopic ERG and by luminance and pattern-reversal EPs on 116 glaucomatous and on 7 normal eyes. The problem was approached by way of four investigations: Firstly, which nerve structures are affected by glaucoma and how do visual field defects caused by glaucoma influence the EP? The results show a functional diminution of all intraocular nerve structures in which the prelaminary part of the optic nerve is most affected. The EPs, especially the pattern-reversal EPs, are markedly diminished if the visual field defects extend inside the 10 degree boundary. Differences in the visual field defects of both eyes and the course of the sickness can be well observed by the EPs. Secondly, which preoperative prognosis for visual acuity produced by the EP can be given to patients who have a dense cataract in addition to glaucoma? A postoperative improvement of the visual acuity can be expected if the L-EPs are within the standard deviation. If the EP is distinctly diminished and does not increase with increasing stimulus intensity, then there is no hope for an improvement of the visual acuity after the operation. Thirdly, does a decrease of intraocular pressure in chronic and acute glaucoma influence the EP? In acute glaucoma with pressure levels of 50 mmHg or more, and sometimes in chronic glaucoma with pressure levels of about 30 mmHg, an increase of the amplitude of the EP and an improvement of the visual field could be noticed after pressure regulation. Fourthly, what is the behaviour of the EP in normal and glaucomatous eyes at experimentally elevated intraocular pressure? The amplitudes of the ERG components show a gradual decrease in normal as well as in glaucomatous eyes when intraocular pressure is increased and are maintained when intraocular pressure reaches systolic ophthalmic blood pressure. On the other hand, the EPs show a strong decrease in amplitude when intraocular pressure exceeds the mean ophthalmic blood pressure, particularly in the case of glaucomatous eyes.

Idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis.

Twenty-seven healthy adult patients had visual loss in one or both eyes because of exudation from juxtafoveolar retinal capillary telangiectasis of uncertain cause. These patients were subdivided as follows: group 1, men with uniocular involvement, intraretinal lipid exudation, and telangiectasis largely confined to the temporal half of the juxtafoveolar area; group 2, mostly men with symmetric areas of telangiectasis affecting the temporal half of the juxtafoveolar areas and minimal intraretinal exudation; group 3, both sexes with symmetric involvement of all of the parafoveolar capillary bed an minimal exudation; and group 4, one case of telangiectasis with occlusive perifoveolar capillary changes and familial optic disc pallor. The visual acuity prognosis in groups 1 through 3 is relatively good. Photocoagulation may be of some value in the treatment of patients in group 1.

Visual Prognosis in Carotid-Cavernous Fistula

The initial signs and symptoms and subsequent course of 74 patients with carotid-cavernous fistula were evaluated in relation to the prognosis for final visual acuity. Two thirds of the patients underwent carotid artery surgery because of the fistula. Of this surgical group, 12 (28%) had further visual loss and 5 (10%) had cerebral ischemia. Elevated intraocular pressure tended to be more frequent in patients with proptosis and conjunctival injection, but elevated pressure did not seems to be a major cause of visual loss. The visual prognosis was more favorable in this series than in previous reports.

Prognosis of Visual Acuity After Surgery for Detached Retina, with Special Reference to the Unaffected Eye

In 600 patients with successfully operated unilateral retinal detachment, the visual acuity prognosis of the operated eye was studied in relation to that of the normal eye. Within 2 years after operation, most of these patients were in the following three groups: (1) visual acuity worse than 0.5 in the non-detached retina and worse than 0.1 in the reattached one; (2) visual acuity better than 1.0 in the non-detached retina and worse than 0.3 in the reattached one; and (3) visual acuity better than 1.0 in the non-detached retina and better than 0.8 in the reattached one. Some of the patients in group 2 showed greater improvement of the visual acuity in the reattached retina, which occasionally became superior to that in the non-detached one. In spite of possible improvement until 2 years after operation, the visual acuity in the reattached retina was apt to decrease after more than 5 years following operation. The presence of macular detachment was ill for the recovery of visual acuity. About 30% of the patients with a visual acuity of about 1.0 in the non-detached retina showed no improvement of the visual acuity in the reattached retina. About 50% of the patients with successful surgery for retinal detachment had a difference of more than 0.6 in visual acuity between the non-detached and the detached retinas.

Surgical Correction of Lens Dislocation in Children

We treated nontraumatic ectopia lentis with the irrigation and aspiration method in 30 children and the Keeler/SITE instrument in three. Preoperative visual acuities were 6/21 (20/70) or worse in all patients; postoperatively, visual acuities improved in 29 of the 30 eyes and were 6/18 (20/60) or better in 24 (80%). Amblyopia was the major preoperative and postoperative complication. Results were also good in the three eyes in which we used the Keeler/SITE instrument. The prognosis for postoperative visual acuity in nontraumatic cases of ectopia lentis is good when either the irrigation and aspiration method or the Keeler/SITE instrument is used.

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment without Macular Involvement Treated with Scleral Buckling

Among 173 patients who had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with spared maculas, high percentage achieved anatomic and functional success. We reattached 171 (99%) of the retinas; 150 (76%) of the eyes had final visual acuities of 6/15 (20/50) or better. Eighteen eyes (10%) had final postoperative visual acuities reduced more than two lines from the preoperative level. This reduced visual acuity was primarily related to postoperative changes occurring in the macula. The prognosis both for anatomic reattachment and visual acuity after scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is significantly better when the macula is spared than when it is not. Large numbers of cryoapplications were not associated with macular complications.