Indirubin alleviates retinal neurodegeneration through the regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling

Retinal neurodegenerative disease is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly in developed countries,including glaucoma,diabetic retinopathy,traumatic optic neuropathy and optic neuritis,etc.The current clinical treatment is not very effective.We investigated indirubin,one of the main bioactive components of the traditional Chinese medicine Danggui Longhui Pill,in the present study for its role in retinal neurodegeneration.Indirubin exhibited no detectable tissue toxicity in vivo or cytotoxicity in vitro.Moreover,indirubin improved visual function and ameliorated retinal neurodegeneration in mice after optic nerve crush injury in vivo.Furthermore,indirubin reduced the apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells induced by oxidative stress in vitro.In addition,indirubin significantly suppressed the increased production of intracellular reactive oxygen species and the decreased activity of superoxide dismutase induced by oxidative stress.Mechanically,indirubin played a neuroprotective role by regulating the PI3K/AKT/BAD/BCL-2 signaling.In conclusion,indirubin protected retinal ganglion cells from oxidative damage and alleviated retinal neurodegeneration induced by optic nerve crush injury.The present study provides a potential therapeutic medicine for retinal neurodegenerative diseases.

Non-contact wide-field viewing system-assisted scleral buckling surgery for retinal detachment in silicone oilfilled eyes

AIM:To evaluate scleral buckling(SB)surgery using a noncontact wide-field viewing system and 23-gauge intraocular illumination for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in silicone oil(SO)-filled eyes.METHODS:Totally 9 patients(9 eyes)with retinal detachment in SO-filled eyes were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent non-contact wide-field viewing system-assisted buckling surgery with 23-gauge intraocular illumination.SO was removed at an appropriate time based on recovery.The patients were followed up for at least 3mo after SO removal.Retinal reattachment,complications,visual acuity and intraocular pressure(IOP)before and after surgery were observed.RESULTS:Patients were followed up for a mean of 8.22mo(3-22mo)after SO removal.All patients had retinal reattachment.At the final follow-up,visual acuity showed improvement for 8 patients,and no change for 1 patient.The IOP was high in 3 patients before surgery,but it stabilized after treatment;it was not affected in the other patients.None of the patients had infections,hemorrhage,anterior ischemia,or any other complication.CONCLUSION:This new non-contact wide-field viewing system-assisted SB surgery with 23-gauge intraocular illumination is effective and safe for retinal detachment in SO-filled eyes.

Effect of navigation endoscopy combined with threedimensional printing technology in the treatment of orbital blowout fractures

●AIM:To explore the combined application of surgical navigation nasal endoscopy(NNE)and three-dimensional printing technology(3DPT)for the adjunctive treatment of orbital blowout fractures(OBF).●METHODS:Retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of patients with OBF who underwent surgical treatment at the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University between July 2012 and November 2022.The control group consisted of patients who received traditional surgical treatment(n=43),while the new surgical group(n=52)consisted of patients who received NNE with 3DPT.The difference in therapeutic effects between the two groups was evaluated by comparing the duration of the operation,best corrected visual acuity(BCVA),enophthalmos difference,recovery rate of eye movement disorder,recovery rate of diplopia,and incidence of postoperative complications.●RESULTS:The study included 95 cases(95 eyes),with 63 men and 32 women.The patients’age ranged from 5 to 67y(35.21±15.75y).The new surgical group and the control group exhibited no statistically significant differences in the duration of the operation,BCVA and enophthalmos difference.The recovery rates of diplopia in the new surgical group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 1mo[OR=0.03,95%CI(0.01–0.15),P<0.0000]and 3mo[OR=0.11,95%CI(0.03–0.36),P<0.0000]postoperation.Additionally,the recovery rates of eye movement disorders at 1 and 3mo after surgery were OR=0.08,95%CI(0.03–0.24),P<0.0000;and OR=0.01,95%CI(0.00–0.18),P<0.0000.The incidence of postoperative complications was lower in the new surgical group compared to the control group[OR=4.86,95%CI(0.95–24.78),P<0.05].●CONCLUSION:The combination of NNE and 3DPT can shorten the recovery time of diplopia and eye movement disorder in patients with OBF.

Biomechanical analysis of an absorbable material for treating fractures of the inferior orbital wall

AIM:To investigate the biomechanical properties and practical application of absorbable materials in orbital fracture repair.METHODS:The three-dimensional(3D)model of orbital blowout fractures was reconstructed using Mimics21.0 software.The repair guide plate model for inferior orbital wall fracture was designed using 3-matic13.0 and Geomagic wrap 21.0 software.The finite element model of orbital blowout fracture and absorbable repair plate was established using 3-matic13.0 and ANSYS Workbench 21.0 software.The mechanical response of absorbable plates,with thicknesses of 0.6 and 1.2 mm,was modeled after their placement in the orbit.Two patients with inferior orbital wall fractures volunteered to receive single-layer and double-layer absorbable plates combined with 3D printing technology to facilitate surgical treatment of orbital wall fractures.RESULTS:The finite element models of orbital blowout fracture and absorbable plate were successfully established.Finite element analysis(FEA)showed that when the Young’s modulus of the absorbable plate decreases to 3.15 MPa,the repair material with a thickness of 0.6 mm was influenced by the gravitational forces of the orbital contents,resulting in a maximum total deformation of approximately 3.3 mm.Conversely,when the absorbable plate was 1.2 mm thick,the overall maximum total deformation was around 0.4 mm.The half-year follow-up results of the clinical cases confirmed that the absorbable plate with a thickness of 1.2 mm had smaller maximum total deformation and better clinical efficacy.CONCLUSION:The biomechanical analysis observations in this study are largely consistent with the clinical situation.The use of double-layer absorbable plates in conjunction with 3D printing technology is recommended to support surgical treatment of infraorbital wall blowout fractures.

Optical coherence tomography angiography for macular microvessels in ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion treated with conbercept:predictive factors for the prognosis

AIM:To evaluate the predicative factors of visual prognosis using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)in ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO)patients with macular edema(ME)after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment.METHODS:In this retrospective analysis,data from 60 patients(60 eyes)with a definite diagnosis of ischemic BRVO with ME by fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)were studied.The eyes with ME according to spectral domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)underwent intravitreal conbercept(IVC)and 3+pro re nata(PRN)regimen.The injection times were recorded.Two weeks after injection,fundus laser photocoagulation was performed in the non-perfusion area of the retina.The patients were followed up once a month for 6mo.The bestcorrected visual acuity(BCVA),foveal avascular zone(FAZ),and A-circularity index(AI),at 6mo and the baseline were compared.RESULTS:All patients showed significant improvement in BCVA from 0.82±0.32 to 0.39±0.11 logMAR(P<0.001).The mean central macular thickness(CMT)significantly decreased from 476.22±163.54 to 298.66±109.23μm.Both the FAZ area and AI at 6mo were significantly higher than those at the baseline:the FAZ area increased(0.38±0.02 vs 0.39±0.02 mm^(2),P<0.05);the AI increased(1.27±0.02 vs 1.31±0.01,P=0.000).The baseline BCVA showed a significantly positive correlation with the baseline FAZ area,FAZ perimeter(PERIM)and AI,final visual gain(FVG)and injection times,respectively(P<0.001).FVG showed a significantly negative correlation with the FAZ area,PERIM,AI and injection times,but a significantly positive correlation with vessel densities(VDs)300μm area around FAZ(FD-300;P<0.001).Injection times was positively correlated with the baseline FAZ area,and AI,but inversely correlated with the baseline FD-300(P<0.001).However macular ischemia was noted in 5 cases during follow-up.CONCLUSION:Using OCTA to observe macular ischemia and quantify parameters can better predict the final visual prognosis of patients before treatment.The changes in FAZ parameters may influence the visual prognosis and injection times.

EphA3 deficiency in the hypothalamus promotes high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma A3(EphA3)is a member of the largest subfamily of tyrosine kinase receptors-Eph receptors.Previous studies have shown that EphA3 is associated with tissue development.Recently,we have found that the expression of EphA3 is elevated in the hypothalamus of mice with diet-induced obesity(DIO).However,the role of EphA3 in hypothalamic-controlled energy metabolism remains unclear.In the current study,we demonstrated that the deletion of EphA3 in the hypothalamus by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing promotes obesity in male mice with high-fat diet feeding rather than those with normal chow diet feeding.Moreover,the deletion of hypothalamic EphA3 promotes high-fat DIO by increasing food intake and reducing energy expenditure.Knockdown of EphA3 leads to smaller intracellular vesicles in GT1-7 cells.The current study reveals that hypothalamic EphA3 plays important roles in promoting DIO.

Safety profile of 0.0015%tafluprost eye drops in China:a post-marketing observational study

AIM:To investigate the treatment pattern and safety of tafluprost for glaucoma and ocular hypertension(OH)in clinical practice in China.METHODS:This post-marketing observational study included patients who received tafluprost to lower intraocular pressure(IOP)within 30d between September 2017 and March 2020 in 20 hospitals in China.Adverse drug reactions(ADRs)during tafluprost treatment and within 30d after the treatment were collected.RESULTS:A total of 2544 patients were included in this study,of them 58.5%(1488/2544)had primary open angle glaucoma(POAG),21.9%(556/2544)had OH and 19.7%(500/2544)used tafluprost for other reasons.Of 359 ADRs occurred in 10.1%(258/2544)patients,and no serious adverse event occurred.The most common ADR was conjunctival hyperemia(128 ADRs in 124 patients,4.9%).Totally 1670 participants(65.6%)combined tafluprost with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors(CAIs;37.1%,620/1670),sympathomimetics(33.5%,559/1670),β-blockers(33.2%,555/1670),other prostaglandin analogs(PGAs;15.6%,260/1670)and other eye drops(15.1%,253/1670).The highest incidence of conjunctival hyperemia was noted in patients who received tafluprost in combination with other PGAs(23 ADRs in 23 patients,8.8%,23/260)and the lowest was in combination with CAIs(16 ADRs in 16 patients,2.6%,16/620).Tafluprost was applied in primary angle-closure glaucoma(41.6%,208/500),after glaucoma surgery(17.8%,89/500)and after non-glaucoma surgery(15.8%,79/500).CONCLUSION:Tafluprost is safe for POAG and OH,and tolerable when combined with other eye drops and under various clinical circumstances.

Artificial intelligence in individualized retinal disease management

Owing to the rapid development of modern computer technologies,artificial intelligence(AI)has emerged as an essential instrument for intelligent analysis across a range of fields.AI has been proven to be highly effective in ophthalmology,where it is frequently used for identifying,diagnosing,and typing retinal diseases.An increasing number of researchers have begun to comprehensively map patients’retinal diseases using AI,which has made individualized clinical prediction and treatment possible.These include prognostic improvement,risk prediction,progression assessment,and interventional therapies for retinal diseases.Researchers have used a range of input data methods to increase the accuracy and dependability of the results,including the use of tabular,textual,or image-based input data.They also combined the analyses of multiple types of input data.To give ophthalmologists access to precise,individualized,and high-quality treatment strategies that will further optimize treatment outcomes,this review summarizes the latest findings in AI research related to the prediction and guidance of clinical diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases.

Bilateral circumscribed choroidal hemangioma:a case report

Dear Editor,Bilateral circumscribed choroidal hemangioma(CCH)is mostly associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome and rarely occurs in healthy individuals.So,we present the case about bilateral CCH that occurred in a healthy person and to evaluate the efficacy of 0.05 mL of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(anti-VEGF)medication and laser photocoagulation in the treatment of CCH.We obtained the written informed consent from the patient,and this case study was in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Artesunate inhibits proliferation and migration of RPE cells and TGF-β2 mediated epithelial mesenchymal transition by suppressing PI3K/AKT pathway

AIM:To study the braking effectiveness of artesunate on transforming growth factor(TGF)-β2 mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)in vitro.METHODS:The fostered ARPE-19 cells were processed with artesunate alone or combined with the TGF-β2.The CCK-8 examination was utilized to test the cell propagation.Cell migration was detected by scratch as well as the Transwell examination.The EMT characters and activation of PI3K/Akt signal channel were estimated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.The Western blotting was utilized in order to confirm the vitreous of controls as well as patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR)were collected and the levels of PI3K,phospho-PI3K,Akt.RESULTS:Disposal of ARPE-19 cells with artesunate(50-150μmol/L)obviously suppressed their propagation and immigration,which dependent on the concentration and time.Artesunate suppressed the EMT which was induced by TGF-β2 in ARPE-19 cells through sustaining the expression of vimentin andα-SMA through the suppression of PI3K,phospho-PI3K,phospho-Akt and Akt.Levels of PI3K,phospho-PI3K,AKT and phospho-Akt was increased in the vitreous in PVR(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Such findings indicate that PI3K/Akt signal channel is highly activated in vitreous of PVR.Artesuante is an operative depressor of the propagation,immigration and TGF-β2-mediated EMT of ARPE-19 cells by reduced the expression of PI3K/Akt channel.

Combination of ranibizumab with photodynamic therapy vs ranibizumab monotherapy in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIM:To compare the efficacy and safety of combination of ranibizumab with photodynamic therapy(PDT)vs ranibizumab monotherapy in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration(AMD).METHODS:The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials(CENTRAL)in the Cochrane Library,Pubmed,and Embase were searched.There were no language or data restrictions in the search for trials.Only randomized controlled trials(RCTs)were included.Methodological quality of the literatures was evaluated according to the Jadad Score.RevMan 5.2.6 software was used to do the meta-analysis.RESULTS:Seven studies were included in our systematic review,among which four of them were included in quantitative analysis.The result shows that the ranibizumab monotherapy group had a better mean best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)change vs baseline at month 12 compared with that of the combination treatment group,and the statistical difference was significant(WMD,-2.61;95%CI,-5.08 to-0.13;P=0.04).However,after the removal of one study,the difference between the two groups showed no significant difference(WMD,-2.29;95%CI,-4.81 to 0.23;P=0.07).Meanwhile,no significant central retinal thickness(CRT)reduction was found in the combination treatment group and the ranibizumab monotherapy group at 12 months follow-up.Nevertheless,the combination group tended to have a greater reduction in CRT(WMD,-4.13μm;95%CI,-25.88to 17.63,P=0.71).The proportion of patients gaining more than 3 lines at month 12 in the ranibizumab group was higher than in the combination group and there was a significant difference(RR,0.72;95%CI,0.54 to 0.95;P=0.02).Whereas there was no significant difference for the proportion of patients gaining more than 0 line at month12 between the two groups(RR,0.93;95%CI,0.76 to1.15;P=0.52).The general tendency shows a reduction in ranibizumab retreatment number in the combination treatment group compared with the ranibizumab monotherapy group.As major adverse events,the differences in the number of eye pain,endophthalmitis,hypertension and arterial thromboembolic events were not significant between the two groups,and the incidence of serious adverse events in the two groups was very low.CONCLUSION:For the maintenance of vision,the comparison of the combination of ranibizumab with PDT vs ranibizumab monotherapy shows no apparent difference.Compared with the combination of ranibizumab and PDT,patients treated with ranibizumab monothearpy may gain more visual acuity(VA)improvement.The combination treatment group had a tendency to reduce the number of ranibizumab retreatment.Both the two treatment strategies were well tolerated.

Effect of luteolin on apoptosis and vascular endothelial growth factor in human choroidal melanoma cells

AIM:To investigate the effects of luteolin on apoptosis,the cell cycle,and the expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in human choroidal melanoma cells(C918 and OCM-1).METHODS:C918 and OCM-1 cells cultured in vitro were treated with various concentrations of luteolin(0,5,10,15μmol/L).Cell growth was observed with an inverted microscope,and cell cycle arrest was detected by propidium iodide(PI)staining using flow cytometry.Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst33342 staining,and apoptosis rate was determined by Annexin V-FITC/PI experiments using flow cytometry.The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2,Bax and VEGF was analyzed using Western blots.The levels of VEGF secreted by the cells into the supernatant was analyzed using ELISA.RESULTS:After treating with 5 to 15μmol/L luteolin for 48 h,the fusion degree of C918 and OCM-1 cells decreased,and more floating apoptotic cells appeared.Luteolin treatment increased the G0-G1 phase ratio of the C918 and OCM-1 cells,blocked cell cycle progression,and increased the apoptosis rate of the C918 and OCM-1 cells.Western blot showed that luteolin decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and VEGF in the C918 and OCM-1 cells and increased the expression of Bax protein.The ELISA results showed that 10 to 15μmol/L luteolin decreased the cell secretion of VEGF.CONCLUSION:Luteolin may induce apoptosis by regulating the levels of apoptosis-related proteins in C918 and OCM-1 cells.Luteolin can induce cell cycle arrest,decrease the expression of VEGF.

The gut-eye axis:from brain neurodegenerative diseases to age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is a serious neurodegenerative disease of the retina that significantly impacts vision.Unfortunately,the specific pathogenesis remains unclear,and effective early treatment options are consequently lacking.The microbiome is defined as a large ecosystem of microorganisms living within and coexisting with a host.The intestinal microbiome undergoes dynamic changes owing to age,diet,genetics,and other factors.Such dysregulation of the intestinal flora can disrupt the microecological balance,resulting in immunological and metabolic dysfunction in the host,and affecting the development of many diseases.In recent decades,significant evidence has indicated that the intestinal flora also influences systems outside of the digestive tract,including the brain.Indeed,several studies have demonstrated the critical role of the gut-brain axis in the development of brain neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.Similarly,the role of the“gut-eye axis”has been confirmed to play a role in the pathogenesis of many ocular disorders.Moreover,age-related macular degeneration and many brain neurodegenerative diseases have been shown to share several risk factors and to exhibit comparable etiologies.As such,the intestinal flora may play an important role in age-related macular degeneration.Given the above context,the present review aims to clarify the gut-brain and gut-eye connections,assess the effect of intestinal flora and metabolites on age-related macular degeneration,and identify potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies.Currently,direct research on the role of intestinal flora in age-related macular degeneration is still relatively limited,while studies focusing solely on intestinal flora are insufficient to fully elucidate its functional role in age-related macular degeneration.Organ-on-a-chip technology has shown promise in clarifying the gut-eye interactions,while integrating analysis of the intestinal flora with research on metabolites through metabolomics and other techniques is crucial for understanding their potential mechanisms.

Effects of baffie and intraocular pressure on aerosols generated in the noncontact tonometer measurement during COVID-19

AIM: To investigate the effects of baffle and intraocular pressure(IOP) on the aerosols generated in the noncontact tonometer(NCT) measurement and provide recommendations for the standardized use of the NCT during coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). METHODS: This clinical trial included 252 subjects(312 eyes) in The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University from March 7, 2020, to March 28, 2020. Sixty subjects(120 eyes) with normal IOP were divided into two groups. One group used an NCT without a baffle, another group used an NCT with a baffle. Another 192 subjects(192 eyes) were divided into four groups: Group A;(without a baffle+normal IOP), Group A;(without a baffle+high IOP), Group B;(with a baffle+normal IOP) and Group B;(with a baffle+high IOP). Particulate matter(PM) 2.5 and PM10 generated by all subjects were quantified during the NCT measurement. The IOP values were recorded simultaneously. Effects of baffle and IOP on aerosols generated during the NCT measurement were analyzed.RESULTS: In the normal eye group with a baffle, the aerosol density decreased in a wave-like shape near the NCT with the increase in the number of people measured for IOP, demonstrating no cumulative effect. However, in the normal eye group without a baffle, there was a cumulative effect. PM2.5 and PM10 in Group A;were higher than Group A;(both P<0.001). The PM2.5 and PM10 in Group B;were higher than Group B;(P<0.01, P<0.001 respectively). The PM10 of Group B;was lower than Group A;(P<0.01). PM2.5 in Group B;were lower than Group A;(P<0.01). The median of per capita PM2.5 and PM10 in the combined Group A;+A;were 0.80 and 1.10 μg/m;respectively, which were higher than 0.20 and 0.60 μg/m;in the combined Group B;+B;(both P<0.01). The median of per capita PM2.5 and PM10 in the combined Group A;+B;were 0.10 and 0.20 μg/m;respectively, which were lower than 1.30 and 1.70 μg/m;in the combined Group A;+B;(both P<0.001).CONCLUSION: More aerosols could be generated in patients with high IOP. After the NCT is equipped with a baffle, per capita aerosol density generated decreased significantly near the NCT;And with the increase in the number of people measured for IOP, the aerosols gradually dissipated near the NCT, demonstrating no cumulative effect. Therefore, it is suggested that the NCT should be equipped with a baffle, especially for patients with high IOP.

A Two-Phase Paradigm for Joint Entity-Relation Extraction

An exhaustive study has been conducted to investigate span-based models for the joint entity and relation extraction task.However,these models sample a large number of negative entities and negative relations during the model training,which are essential but result in grossly imbalanced data distributions and in turn cause suboptimal model performance.In order to address the above issues,we propose a two-phase paradigm for the span-based joint entity and relation extraction,which involves classifying the entities and relations in the first phase,and predicting the types of these entities and relations in the second phase.The two-phase paradigm enables our model to significantly reduce the data distribution gap,including the gap between negative entities and other entities,aswell as the gap between negative relations and other relations.In addition,we make the first attempt at combining entity type and entity distance as global features,which has proven effective,especially for the relation extraction.Experimental results on several datasets demonstrate that the span-based joint extraction model augmented with the two-phase paradigm and the global features consistently outperforms previous state-ofthe-art span-based models for the joint extraction task,establishing a new standard benchmark.Qualitative and quantitative analyses further validate the effectiveness the proposed paradigm and the global features.

The role of pericyte in ocular vascular diseases

Pericytes are located in the stromal membrane of the capillary outer wall and contain endothelial cells.They are pivotal in regulating blood flow,enhancing vascular stability,and maintaining the integrity of the blood-retina barrier/blood-brain barrier.The pluripotency of pericytes allows them to differentiate into various cell types,highlighting their significance in vascular disease pathogenesis,as demonstrated by previous studies.This capability enables pericytes to be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and a target for the treatment of vascular disorders.The retina,an essential part of the eyeball,is an extension of cerebral tissue with a transparent refractive medium.It offers a unique window for assessing systemic microvascular lesions.Routine fundus examination is necessary for patients with diabetes and hypertension.Manifestations,such as retinal artery tortuosity,dilation,stenosis,and abnormal arteriovenous anastomosis,serve as typical hallmarks of retinal vasculopathy.Therefore,studies of ocular vascular diseases significantly facilitate the exploration of systemic vascular diseases.

Comparison of persistent submacular fluid in different preoperative macular status after vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

AIM： To compare the incidence of persistent submacular fluid（SMF） and visual outcome after pars plana vitrectomy（PPV） for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment（RRD） in different preoperative macular status according to optical coherence tomography（OCT）.METHODS： A non-randomized, retrospective review was performed for patients who underwent successful PPV for RRD. OCT exams were taken preoperatively and 1 mo after surgery, until SMF disappeared. According to the preoperative macular status on OCT, patients were divided into two groups： macula-off RRD（Group A） and maculaon RRD（Group B）. In Group A, there were two subgroups： macula partly detached（Group A1） and macula totally detached（Group A2）. The main outcome measures were the presence of SMF on OCT 1 mo after surgery, and the preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuities（BCVA）, among the different groups and depending on the presence or absence of persistent SMF.RESULTS： A total of 139 eyes of 139 patients were included in the study. Persistent SMF at 1 mo after surgery was 15.8%（22/139）, all occurring in Group A（22/101）; Group B had no SMF at 1 mo after surgery（0/38, P=0.002）. The incidence of persistent SMF at 1 mo after surgery in Group A1 was 50%（14/28）, and in Group A2 was 11.0%（8/73, P〈0.001）. Significant differences were shown between the presence and absence of persistent SMF on foveolaoff RRD, the preoperative BCVA, the 1 mo postoperative BCVA, and the degree of the BCVA improvement from 1 mo postoperatively to the final follow-up（P〈0.05）. However, there were no significant differences in the final BCVA（P〉0.05）.CONCLUSION： Persistent SMF after PPV for retinal detachment is associated with preoperative macular status. Macula-uninvolving RRD shows no persistent SMF after PPV. Macular partly detached RRD has a higher incidence of SMF than macula totally detached RRD after PPV. The persistence of SMF may be responsible for the delayed visual recovery, whereas there were no significant differences in the final visual acuity.

Characteristics of macular microvasculature before and after idiopathic macular hole surgery

AIM:To evaluate the macular microvasculature before and after surgery for idiopathic macular hole(MH)and the association of preoperative vascular parameters with postoperative recovery of visual acuity and configuration.METHODS:Twenty eyes from 20 patients with idiopathic MH were enrolled.Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)images were obtained before,2 wk,1,and 3 mo after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling.Preoperative foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area and perimeter and regional vessel density(VD)in both layers were compared according to the 3-month best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA).RESULTS:The BCVA improved from 0.98±0.59(log MAR,Snellen 20/200)preoperatively to 0.30±0.25(Snellen 20/40)at 3 mo postoperatively.The preoperative deep VD was smaller and the FAZ perimeter was larger in the 3-month BCVA<20/32 group(all P<0.05).A significant reduction was observed in FAZ parameters and all VDs 2 wk postoperatively.Except for deep perifoveal VD,all VDs recovered only to their preoperative values.The postoperative FAZ parameters were lower during follow-up.Decreases in preoperative deep VDs were correlated with worse postoperative BCVA(Pearson’s r=-0.667 and-0.619,respectively).A larger FAZ perimeter(Spearman’s r=-0.524)and a lower deep perifoveal VD preoperatively(Pearson’s r=0.486)were associated with lower healing stage.CONCLUSION:The status of the deep vasculature may be an indicator of visual acuity in patients with a closed MH.Except for the deep perifoveal region,VD recovers only to preoperative levels.

Combining robot-assisted surgical system and 3D visualization system for teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery

AIM:To investigate the feasibility of teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery with a robot-assisted surgical system and a three-dimensional(3D) visualization system.METHODS:Enucleated porcine eyes were established as an animal model for removing foreign bodies.Forty medical students were recruited to remove foreign bodies to compare the traditional microscope and the 3D system.One junior resident performed the surgical task with manual and robot-assisted operations on 20 porcine eyes for each group.One senior surgeon evaluated the retinal invasion by a graded injury degree.The learning curve for minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery was described.RESULTS:Compared with the robot-assisted group,the injury degree was higher in the manual group.For the first ten surgeries,the manual and robot-assisted groups had injuries of 2.60±1.35(4 to 0) and 1.80±1.62(4 to 0),respectively.For the last ten surgeries,the injury degrees were 1.90±1.20(3 to 0) and 0.80±0.42(1 to 0).Considering the manual and robot-assisted groups together,95%,75% and 60% of the students considered surgical manipulation with the 3D visualization system to be more comfortable,easier and clearer,respectively.CONCLUSION:The robot-assisted surgical system and 3D visualization system may have value in teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery.

High speed small gauge anterior vitrectomy cutter for scleral fixated intraocular lens implantation

AIM： To report the outcomes of anterior vitrectomy using high speed cutter for scleral fixated intraocular lens （SFIOL） implantation in patients with posterior capsular rupture .METHODS： Medical records of 51 patients with posterior capsular rupture who received high speed cutter anterior vitrectomy via limbal incision with SFIOL implantation from June 2011 to December 2013 were reviewed retrospectively for visual outcomes and complications.RESULTS： Totally 51 eyes of 51 patients were identified （23 males and 28 females）. Mean age at surgery was 67.2±15y （range 27-91y）, with mean follow-up of 23±8.2mo （range 12-40mo）. The 49 （96.1%） eyes had improvement or unchanged of final postoperative visual acuity. The most common complication was vitreous haemorrhage （5.9%） and transient rise in intraocular pressure （5.9%） which all spontaneously resolved CONCLUSION： High speed cutter anterior vitrectomy via limbal incision is a safe and effective method for those with posterior capsular rupture for SFIOL implantation.