Effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during par plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetes retinopathy with mild cataract:a randomized clinical trial

●AIM:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)for proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)compared to those of PPV with subsequent cataract surgery.●METHODS:This multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in three Chinese hospitals on patients with PDR,aged>45y,with mild cataracts.The participants were randomly assigned to the combined(PPV combined with simultaneously cataract surgery,i.e.,phacovitrectomy)or subsequent(PPV with subsequent cataract surgery 6mo later)group and followed up for 12mo.The primary outcome was the change in best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)from baseline to 6mo,and the secondary outcomes included complication rates and medical expenses.●RESULTS:In total,129 patients with PDR were recruited and equally randomized(66 and 63 in the combined and subsequent groups respectively).The change in BCVA in the combined group[mean,36.90 letters;95%confidence interval(CI),30.35–43.45]was significantly better(adjusted difference,16.43;95%CI,8.77–24.08;P<0.001)than in the subsequent group(mean,22.40 letters;95%CI,15.55–29.24)6mo after the PPV,with no significant difference between the two groups at 12mo.The overall surgical risk of two sequential surgeries was significantly higher than that of the combined surgery for neovascular glaucoma(17.65%vs 3.77%,P=0.005).No significant differences were found in the photocoagulation spots,surgical time,and economic expenses between two groups.In the subsequent group,the duration of work incapacity(22.54±9.11d)was significantly longer(P<0.001)than that of the combined group(12.44±6.48d).●CONCLUSION:PDR patients aged over 45y with mild cataract can also benefit from early lens extraction during PPV with gratifying effectiveness,safety and convenience,compared to sequential surgeries.

Phakic posterior chamber intraocular lens for unilateral high myopic amblyopia in Chinese pediatric patients

AIM: To assess the outcomes of posterior chamber implantable collamer lens(ICL) implantation in Chinese pediatric patients with unilateral high myopic amblyopia.·METHODS: Eleven eyes of 11 amblyopic patients aged11.02±3.34 y underwent ICL(model V4, Staar Surgical Inc.)implantation to treat unilateral anisometropia were studied. Visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis, intraocular pressure(IOP),vaulting, corneal endothelial cell count and complications were evaluated. Patients completed follow-up at 3d, 1,3mo and the last follow-up time(mean 8.18 ±2.82mo)after surgery.· RESULTS: The mean myopic anisometropia was-13.70 ±3.25 D preoperatively and +0.69 ±2.63 D at 8mo postoperatively. The log MAR corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA) of the amblyopic eye was 1.51 ±0.72 preoperatively and 0.75±0.40 at 8mo postoperatively. The log MAR CDVA at 3d, 1, 3 and 8mo postoperatively improved by a mean of 0.64, 1.55, 1.82 and 2.64 lines and gained more than 2 lines accounted for 18%, 45%, 45%,64%, respectively. The contrast sensitivity of 0.5, 1 and 2cpd in amblyopic eyes was significantly increased after surgery. No patient had near stereopsis recovery. The vaulting at 3 and 8mo was significantly lower than that at1 mo postoperatively. No other intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed, except an acute pupillary block glaucoma happened in a patient at two weeks postoperatively.·CONCLUSION: This short-term results indicate that ICL implantation can be a promising alternative therapy for high myopic anisometropic amblyopia in pediatric patients who have failed with conventional treatments and not suitable to corneal refraction surgery.

Evaluation of dynamic stereopsis in intermittent exotropia patients

AIM: To delineate the characteristics of the dynamic stereopsis test and analyze related parameters in intermittent exotropia [X(T)] patients. METHODS: Fifty-seven X(T) patients and 55 normal subjects were enrolled in this study. The normal and X(T) groups were used to test the reproducibility and reliability of the dynamic stereopsis test, and Bangerter filters with densities of 0.2 were then used to simulate suppression to test for traditional and dynamic stereopsis. In the X(T) group, the measurements included 1) dynamic stereopsis test comprising three parts: motion+disparity, motion only and disparity only; 2) ocular deviation angle; 3) Bagolini striated lens test; 4) disease course; and 5) Titmus stereopsis test. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability of the dynamic stereopsis method was 0.901 in the normal and X(T) groups, and none of the X(T) patients were able to pass the static and dynamic stereopsis tests after using the 0.2 Bangerter filter. The accuracy rate was greater than 80% in the normal group and 31.81%, 36.36%, and 45.45% for the motion+disparity, motion-only and disparityonly components of the traditional test for X(T) patients diagnosed with stereoblindness via traditional tests,respectively. Patients with a long disease course(>1 y) had worse dynamic stereopsis than those with a short disease course(<1 y; P<0.05, Chi-square test). The deviation angle was not correlated with the motion+disparity, disparityonly, or the motion-only test components(all P>0.05, Chisquare test). CONCLUSION: Dynamic stereopsis is preserved in certain X(T) patients diagnosed with stereoblindness via traditional tests. A long disease course was shown to be a negative factor for dynamic stereopsis in X(T) patients which might be associated with worse progression, and provide good references clinically.