Efficacy of conbercept after switching from bevacizumab/ranibizumab in eyes of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion

AIM: To explore the efficacy of conbercept after switching from bevacizumab/ranibizumab in eyes of central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO) through optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA). METHODS: Patients with prior treatment of a minimum of three consecutive intravitreal injections of either bevacizumab or ranibizumab, followed by injection of conbercept, were recruited. The minimal follow-up period after switching was 12 mo. Central retinal thickness(CRT), best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), the interval of injections was reviewed. Perfusion density(PD) and vascular length density(VLD) of superficial and deep capillary plexus were acquired from OCTA images before and after switching. RESULTS: Twenty-four eyes were included. CRT significantly decreased from 460.71±153.23 μm(before switching) to 283.92±38.27 μm at the end of follow-up(P<0.001). However, BCVA gained to some extent(from 0.98±0.33 to 0.76±0.42 log MAR) but the difference was not significant(P=0.070). After switching to conbercept the injection interval extended from 5.2±2.3 wk to 8.3±3.9 wk(P=0.012). At the end of follow-up, PD of deep retinal layer decreased significantly compared with before switching(from 34.62%±5.27% to 33.26%±5.82%, P=0.016), similar result was found in VLD of deep retinal layer but not in PD or VLD in superficial layer.CONCLUSION: In cases of refractory macular edema secondary to CRVO, switching to conbercept improves macular thickness and extends interval of injection. Retinal microvasculature cannot improve with treatment of conbercept.

Early vitrectomy combined with pan retinal photocoagulation, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and gradual cyclophotocoagulation for treatment of neovascular glaucoma

To the editor: Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is refractory glaucoma characterized by neovascularization of iris or anterior chamber angle, which often leads to dramatic elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and severe vision loss.[1] Series of studies have been reported regarding managing NVG with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy or in combination with anti-glaucoma surgery.[2,3,4] However, the effect of anti-VEGF seems only temporary and it does not improve the prognosis in the long term.[5] Therefore, pan retinal photocoagulation (PRP) remains necessary for improving long term prognosis.[5] However, it is not easy to complete PRP early in NVG patients due to corneal edema, hyphema, or vitreous hemorrhage. We conducted this prospective interventional case series study to propose a protocol which could confine NVG in an early stage. The aims of our treatment modalities included that controlling IOP immediately, complete PRP as soon as possible, anti-VEGF as adjuvant and controlling residual glaucoma with gradual cyclophotocoagulation.

Ce1-xSmxO2-x/2—A novel type of ceramic material for thermal barrier coatings

In this study, Ce1-xSmxO2-x/2 ceramics were synthesized by sol-gel route and solid state sintering method. The phase structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The morphologies of the synthesized powders and the corresponding bulk samples were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their thermal diffusivities and thermal expansion coefficients were measured by the laser-flash method and the pushing-rod method, respectively. Results show that pure Ce1-xSmxO2-x/2 powders with single fluorite structure are synthesized successfully, and their microstructures of the corresponding bulk samples are very dense. With the increase of Sm2O3 content, their thermal expansion coefficients decrease due to the higher electro-negativity of Sm3+ ions as compared with that of Ce4+ ions. Their thermal conductivities at 1000 degrees C lie in the range of 1.62-2.02 W/(m.K) due to the phonon scattering caused by the substituted atoms and oxygen vacancies. The Ce1-xSmxO2-x/2 ceramics can be used as ceramic candidates for novel thermal barrier coatings (TBCs).

Microstructure and properties of Al_(0.3)CrFe_(1.5)MnNi_(0.5)Ti_x and Al_(0.3)CrFe_(1.5)MnNi_(0.5)Si_x high-entropy alloys

In this article, the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of the Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5Tixand Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5Six（x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0） high-entropy alloys were investigated via X-ray diffraction（XRD）scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, digital display Vickers hardness tester, and electrochemical technique These alloys are mainly composed of BCC solid-solution structure. When adding high content of Ti or Si elemen（x C 0.5）, some intermetallic compounds are found in the microstructure, which makes the alloys have a high hardness, high brittleness, and easy cracking. While the alloys with low content of Ti or Si（x = 0.2） have a hardness of HV 420–HV 430, and its hardness increases about 14 %compared with that of Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5. Electrochemical results in 3.5 % NaCl solution show that the alloying elements Ti and Si have a negative influence on the corrosion resistance of the Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5alloys.