Effects of slanted bilateral lateral recession vs conventional bilateral lateral recession on convergence insufficiency intermittent exotropia:a prospective study

AIM:To observe the surgical effects of slanted bilateral lateral recession(S-BLR)versus conventional bilateral lateral recession(C-BLR)in convergence insufficiency intermittent exotropia(CI-IXT).METHODS:Using a randomized,double-blind,prospective design,22 patients with CI-IXT who were admitted to Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from July 2019 to December 2020 were included.Patients were randomly divided into either S-BLR or C-BLR group for their subsequent strabismus surgery.All patients were followed up for 12mo.Near deviation,distant deviation,and neardistance difference(NDD)were measured in all patients.RESULTS:Twelve months after surgery,NDD improvement was 10(8,13)prismatic degrees(PD)in S-BLR group and 3(1,6)PD in C-BLR group(P=0.011).The near deviation of S-BLR group was 0(-2,2)PD,while that of C-BLR group was-4(-6,-3)PD(P=0.005).Before and after surgery,the difference in the distant deviation between the two groups was not statistically significant.There was no statistically significant difference in near stereopsis between the two groups(P=0.380)at 12mo.The success rate at 12mo after operation was 90.91%and 72.73%in the two groups(P=0.280).CONCLUSION:CI-IXT patients treated with S-BLR have better surgical outcomes than those treated with C-BLR,which indicates S-BLR is a safe and effective operation pattern.

Comparison of bilateral/unilateral lateral rectus recession and unilateral recession-resection for intermittent exotropia:a Meta-analysis

AIM: To compare the effectiveness of unilateral recession-resection(R&R) and bilateral/unilateral recession(BLR/ULR) for treatment of basic type of intermittent exotropia [IX(T)].METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, to identify randomized controlled trials and comparative studies regarding the effectiveness of R&R and BLR/ULR for IX(T). Based on which, a Meta-analysis was then performed in terms of long-term success rate, overcorrection rate, and recurrence rate.RESULTS: Nine studies in total satisfy the specified eligibility criteria. BLR is at disadvantage to R&R at a short-term follow-up [<2 y, OR 0.56(0.33-0.94) for success rate; OR 2.11(1.17, 3.81) for undercorrection rate]. However, BLR achieved a higher success rate [OR 2.49(1.61, 3.86)] and a lower undercorrection rate [OR 0.40(0.23, 0.71)], compared to that of R&R at a long-term followup(>2 y). There is no significant difference was found in overcorrection rate, regardless of the length of follow-up time [OR 0.85(0.41, 1.75)]. In the treatment for small-angle IX(T), the final outcome was significantly different between the groups, demonstrating a more successful alignment [OR 0.37(0.18, 0.74)] and a lower undercorrection [OR 3.50(1.28, 7.26)] in the R&R group than in the ULR group. While for moderate-angle IX(T)(20 PD-25 PD), the effectiveness of R&R and ULR is quite equivalent with similar success rate [OR 1.08(0.65, 1.79)] and undercorrection rate [OR 0.89(0.54, 1.48)]. CONCLUSION: As regard to the effect of BLR and R&R, R&R shows an advantage over BLR at short term. But, BLR is more effective in the long term for the basic typeIX(T) in children. R&R surgery should be a better choice for the treatment of small-angle IX(T) of ≤20 PD than ULR. However, both of ULR and R&R are recommended for moderate-angle IX(T) from 20 PD to 25 PD.

Long-term postoperative outcomes of bilateral lateral rectus recession vs unilateral recession-resection for intermittent exotropia

AIM: To discuss the long-term postoperative results of bilateral lateral rectus recession(BLR) and unilateral lateral rectus recession-medial rectus resection(RR) in therapy of intermittent exotropia.METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 213 cases of intermittent exotropia who underwent surgery between2008 and 2010. The patients were grouped into BLR group and RR group. Motor outcomes were divided into three groups on the basis of the angle of deviation after surgery: overcorrection(esotropia/phoria 】5△), orthophoria(esotropia/phoria ≤5△to exotropia/phoria ≤10△), and undercorrection/recurrence(exotropia/phoria 】10△).Titmus test was used to evaluate stereoacuity, the stereoacuity 【800s of arc meaned the patients had stereopsis. Surgical outcome including motor criteria and sensory status were compared at postoperative 6, 12,24 mo and at 36 mo examination between groups. RESULTS: At 12, 24 mo after surgery, the motor outcomes had no difference(P 】0.05) between groups.However, the motor outcomes at 6, 36 mo were signally different in each group, indicating the success rate in RR group at 6mo was higher than that in BLR group(83.02%vs 82.24%, P 【0.05) but the result was contrary at the 3y examination(60.75% vs 43.40%, P 【0.05). No statistical significance were found in the sensory outcomes between the groups at mean of 3.7y follow-up.CONCLUSION: The motor outcomes in RR group were better than in BLR group at 6mo after surgery, while the3 y outcomes were better in BLR group. This may be due to the recurrence rate of the BLR was lower than the RR group’s.

Survival analysis following early surgical success in intermittent exotropia surgery

AIM:To assess the consecutive recurrence following early success of intermittent exotropia surgery and to determine the clinical factors that affect the survival.METHODS:One hundred and thirty-five patients who underwent intermittent exotropia surgery and experienced early surgical success[≤5 prism diopters(PD)esophoria(E)to≤10 PD exophoria(X)on the postoperative sixth month]were enrolled in this study.Their consecutive survival on the postoperative first year,second year and third year and at the last visit of fourth year or more,and the factors that might affect their survival,were analyzed.The final surgical outcomes after the postoperative fourth year were also investigated by dividing the patients into the success group(≤5 PD E to≤10 PD X)and the failure group(】5 PD esodeviation or】10 PD exodeviation)RESULTS:The survival rates from the Kaplan-Meier analysis were 97.78%,92.89%,83.70%and 50.49%on the postoperative first,second and third years and fourth year or more,respectively.None of the clinical factors was determined to have affected the survival.The amount of the exodrift was largest(2.29 PD)between the first year and the second year,and smallest(1.47 PD)between the fourth year and the last visit.Sixty-three patients had their final visit after the postoperative fourth year,and 29 of them were in the failure group.Twentyfive patients in the failure group had an intermittent exotropia(IXT)of【20 PD with good to fair distant fusion;two had an IXT of【20 PD with poor distant fusion;one had an IXT of≥20 PD with fair distant fusion;and another had delayed-onset consecutive esotropia.The exodeviation on the postoperative sixth month was smaller in the success group than in the failure group(2.81 PD vs 5.86 PD,P=0.012).The reoperation rate for recurrent IXT was 3.7%.CONCLUSION:The survival rate steadily decreases with the exodrift,but the amount of the exodrift decreases with long-term follow-up.The final outcomes demonstrate favorable results via surgical success or small-angle IXT with good fusion in most of the patients.A smaller deviation on the postoperative sixth month is associated with long-term survival.

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.

Surgery at early versus late for intermittent exotropia:a Meta-analysis and systematic review

AIM:To compare the outcomes between early surgery and late surgery for intermittent exotropia(IXT)with a Metaanalysis.METHODS:Scientific databases including PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,Cochrane and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched prior to December 16,2019.From this broad database search,we performed some Meta-analysis including eleven independent studies,to further evaluate the outcome(s)when comparing early versus late surgery for IXT.The boundaries between early and late surgery and the surgery methods were not inconsistent,so subgroup analyses were conducted by different boundaries of age at surgery and different surgical approaches.The pooled odds ratios(ORs)and the 95%confidence interval(CI)were estimated according to the random-effects model for high heterogeneity between studies.RESULTS:Eleven retrospective studies were included in this Meta-analysis.No significant difference between early and late surgery was observed for IXT patients(OR_(First follow-up)=0.88,95%CI 0.53-1.44,P=0.61;OR_(Final follow-up)=1.48,95%CI 0.94-2.31,P=0.09).However,sensitivity analysis performed by sequentially omitting individual studies showed that the final follow-up result was not stable.Subgroup analyses revealed that an earlier surgical procedure could lead to a better outcome in the 4-year boundary subgroup as well as the bilateral lateral rectus recession(BLR)subgroup for the final follow-up(OR_(4y)=2.64,95%CI 1.57-4.44,P=0.00;OR_(BLR)=2.25,95%CI 1.36-3.74,P=0.00).CONCLUSION:Early surgery for IXT provides a better long term follow-up outcome when patients are younger than 4 years old or choose the BLR surgical method.

Post-operative strabismus control and motor alignment for basic intermittent exotropia

AIM：To assess strabismus control and motor ocular alignment for basic exotropia surgery at 5y follow-up.METHODS：The medical records of 80 consecutive patients aged less than 17 years of age,who underwent surgery for basic exotropia by a single surgeon between years 2000 to 2009 and completed a minimum of 5y follow-up post-operatively were reviewed.Pre- and post-operative characteristics were documented at 1wk,6mo,1,3 and 5y follow-up.Subjects at 5-year follow-up were assigned to the success group if they had a postoperative angle of deviation within 10 prism diopters of exotropia or within 5 prism diopters of esotropia for distance on prism cover test,and had moderate to good strabismus control.The remaining subjects were assigned to the failure group.RESULTS：Post-operative surgical success at one week was 75%,which decreased to 41% at 5y follow-up.The success group was noted to have more patching pre-operatively（P=0.003）.The duration of patching a day（P=0.020） and total duration of patching preoperatively（P=0.030） was higher in the success group.Surgical success at 1y（P=0.004） and 3y（P=0.002） were associated with higher surgical success at 5y follow-up.CONCLUSION：Post-operative motor alignment and strabismus control for basic exotropia surgery at 1y and beyond is associated with higher exotropia surgery success at 5-year follow-up.There is an association between pre-operative patching and 5-year surgical success of basic intermittent exotropia surgery.

Factors affecting residual exotropia after two muscle surgery for intermittent exotropia

AIM： To study the factors affecting residual exotropia（〉10 PD） at 4-6wk postoperative visit following two rectus muscle surgery for intermittent exotropia [bilateral lateral rectus（LR） recession or unilateral recess resect procedure].METHODS： A retrospective chart review of patients with intermittent exotropia ≤50 PD who underwent two rectus muscle surgery in between Jan. 2011 to Dec. 2013 was performed. Possible factors were compared between patients with residual exotropia（〉10 PD） and successful outcome（within 10 PD of orthotropia） at the 4-6wk postoperative visit. Effect/dose ratio was calculated by dividing the effect of surgery by the total amount（mm） of muscle surgery done.RESULTS： One hundred and fifty-seven patients with mean age of 14y（range 3-53y） were included. Twentyseven patients（17.2%） had residual exotropia at 4-6wk postoperative follow up. Age at surgery（P=0.009） and preoperative deviation for distance（P≤0.001） and near（P=0.001） were identified as important predictors of unsuccessful outcome. The occurrence of residual exotropia was not affected by amblyopia, anisometropia, lateral incomitance, pattern deviation, vertical deviation, type of exotropia or type of surgery done（recess-resect or bilateral LR recession）. The effect/dose ratio was more in deviations 〉40 PD in the both recess-resect and bilateral LR recession type of surgery. The effect/dose ratio was less in patients with residual exotropia as compared to the successful outcome group（1.36 PD/mm vs 2.05 PD/mm in the bilateral LR recession surgery and 1.93 PD/mm vs 2.63 PD/mm in the unilateral recess-resect surgery）.CONCLUSION： Residual exotropia is seen in 17% of patients after two muscle surgery for intermittent exotropia. Patients with older age and larger preoperative deviation have greater chances of developing failure of two muscle strabismus surgery for intermittent exotropia.

Quality of life in adult intermittent exotropia and the risk factors

AIM: To study the quality of life of adult patients with intermittent exotropia(IXT) in China and analyze the factors affecting the quality of life in IXT patients.METHODS: Total y 109 cases of normal eye(control group), 77 cases of IXT(IXT group) and 115 cases of strabismus control group(except IXT) were collected. The quality of life of the patients was assessed by Chinese version of adult strabismus patient’s quality of life scale(CAS-20). The differences of general characteristics, visual function and quality of life were analyzed, and the effects of individual factors and visual function on quality of life of patients with IXT were analyzed.RESULTS: The IXT group had a high proportion of patients with family history, low proportion of patients with amblyopia compared with strabismus control group. The proportion with normal near and far stereopsis of IXT group were lower than that of normal control group. The best corrected visual acuity of IXT group was higher than that of strabismus control group, but lower than the control group. In addition, the median strabismus degree in IXT group was higher than that in other strabismus control group. The median psychosocial scores and median visual function scores of the IXT group was lower than that of the normal control group, but not different from strabismus control group. Occupation status, course of disease, far stereopsis and near stereopsis significantly affected the quality of life in IXT patients.CONCLUSION: Adult IXT patients in China have a certain proportion of family history and lower quality of life, The main factors affecting the quality of life of IXT patients is stereopsis, course of disease and occupation status.

Comparison of contrast sensitivity based on the surgical results for intermittent exotropia

AIM: To compare contrast sensitivity(CS) based on the surgical results for intermittent exotropia(IXT) and to examine the relationship between CS and photophobia.METHODS: Medical records of the patients who underwent bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession for IXT between 4 and 12 years old were reviewed retrospectively. They were categorized based on the surgical results;successful correction group(n=36) and overcorrection group(esotropia ≥10 PD at 3 mo postoperatively, n=18). Using CGT-2000 test for CS was performed binocularly, and subjective reports of photophobia was investigated preoperatively and at 3 mo postoperatively. Objective photophobia was defined as a significant decrease in CS in the presence of glare.RESULTS: Preoperatively, there was no difference in CS between the groups. Postoperatively, under mesopic conditions, significant improvement of CS was observed at 6.3°, 4°, and 2.5° in the successful correction group and at 6.3° and 4° in the overcorrection group, regardless of glare. Under photopic conditions, at all visual angles except 0.64°, improvement in CS was noted in both groups while CS worsened significantly at 0.64° in the overcorrection group postoperatively. At all visual angles under photopic conditions postoperatively, regardless of glare, CS in the overcorrected group was significantly worse than that in the successful correction group, and CS was significantly decreased by addition of glare in both groups. All patients except one(96.4%) in the successful correction group and 8 patients(61.5%) in overcorrection group showed improvement of photophobia postoperatively, which correlated with CS under photopic conditions(P=0.001, 0.03).CONCLUSION: After surgery for IXT, CS under photopic conditions improve at all visual angles except 0.64°, while CS is significantly worse in the overcorrection group postoperatively at 0.64°. Subjective photophobia havesignificant correlation with CS under photopic conditions, and may be used as an objective indicator of photophobia.

Effect of Bilateral Lateral Rectus Recession in Intermittent Exotropia according to the Limbus Insertion Distance

Purpose: The aim of this work was the evaluation of the effect of the limbus insertion distance (LID) of the lateral rectus on the surgical results of bilateral lateral rectus recession in intermittent exotropia (IXT) in children and adults. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 76 patients. The patients were divided into two groups: group I (age 5 - 13 y), group II (>13 y). All the patients had basic type of intermittent exotropia (IXT) and all of them underwent bilateral lateral recessions according to the preoperative angle of deviation. Intraoperatively, the distance of limbus insertion was measured by surgical calipers. The dose response effect was calculated as the difference between the preoperative angle and postoperative angle divided by total amount of recession and cases were followed at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months postoperative. Results: The mean LID in group I was (6.2 ± 0.61 mm) and (6.1 ± 0.55 mm) in group II. The mean dose response (MDR) at 1 year postoperative was (2.32 ± 0.25 mm) in group I and (2.26 ± 0.23) in group II. In patients with LID 6.25 mm who had larger mean dose response (2.52 ± 0.15). There was a significant positive correlation between the LR muscle LID and the dose-response effect. Conclusion: There is positive correlation between the LID of the LR muscle and the recession effect in bilateral lateral rectus recession in treatment of IXT.

Botulinum toxin augmented bilateral lateral rectus recession versus three muscles surgery in large-angle intermittent exotropia

AIM: To report the surgical outcomes of correcting large angle intermittent exotropia in adult patients by bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession with intraoperative use of botulinum toxin and to compare the results with those of bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession and unilateral medial rectus resection. METHODS: The medical records of patients who underwent surgical correction of large angle intermittent exotropia [exotropia >50 prism dioptre(PD)] were retrospectively reviewed. Two groups of patients were identified;Group Ⅰ(21 patients) had bilateral lateral recti recession augmented with intraoperative botulinum toxin A(BTA) injection into the recessed muscles and group Ⅱ(30 patients) were treated by bilateral lateral recti recession with unilateral medial rectus muscle resection. Preoperative data were extracted for age, gender, refraction, type of exotropia, angle of stereopsis and angle of deviation. The main outcome measures were the postoperative angle of deviation and stereoacuity angle by Titmus test measured at the end of one year of postoperative follow up. RESULTS: By the end of the first postoperative year, 10 patients in group Ⅰ(47.6%) and 20 patients in group Ⅱ(66.7%) achieved esotropia/esophoria <5 PD or exotropia/exophoria <10 PD. The difference in surgical success rate was not statistically significant(P=0.1) but there was a statistically significant higher rate of undercorrection in group Ⅰ(P=0.03). On the other hand, 3 patients in group Ⅰ(14.3%) and 5 patients in group Ⅱ(16.7%) had improved stereopsis;this difference in the sensory outcome was not statistically significant(P=0.8). In the BTA augmented surgery group, good stereoacuity and smaller preoperative angle of deviation were associated with significantly higher surgical success rate(P=0.004, 0.01 respectively). CONCLUSION: BTA augmented bilateral lateral recti recession is associated with higher rate of undercorrection as compared to bilateral lateral recti recession with unilateral medial rectus resection in the correction of large angle intermittent exotropia. The surgical success rate in BTA augmented surgery group is observed to be higher in patients with preoperative smaller angle of deviation and in patients with good stereoacuity.

Advances in surgery procedures for convergence insufficiency-type intermittent exotropia

Intermittent exotropia with convergence insufficiency is defined as a greater exodeviation measured at near than at distance of at least 10 prism diopters and it is harmful to binocular vision at earlier time. This paper mainly introduces three operation patterns including lateral rectus recession(s) with or without a slanting procedure, unilateral lateral rectus recession with medial rectus resection, and medial rectus resection(s) with or without a slanting procedure.

Clinical investigation of surgery for intermittent exotropia

Objective:To investigate the time and postoperative binocular vision of strabismus surgery for children with inter- mittent exotropia(X(T).Methods:A retrospective investigation was conducted in 80 child patients with intermittent exotropia. Pre-and postoperative angles of deviation fixating at near(33 cm)and distant targets(6 m)were measured with the prolonged alternate cover testing.The binocular function was assessed with synoptophore.Twenty-one patients took the postoperative synoptophore exercise.Results:(1)A week after surgery,96.2%of the 80 patients had binocular normotopia,while a year after surgery,91.3%of the 80 patients had binocular normotopia;(2)Preoperatively,58 patients had near stereoacuity,while post- operatively,72 patients achieved near stereoacuity(P<0.05);(3)Preoperatively,64 patients had Grade I for the synoptophore evaluation and postoperatively,76 patients achieved Grade I.Meanwhile,55 patients had Grade II preoperatively and 72 achieved Grade II postoperatively.For Grade III,there were 49 patients preoperatively and 64 patients postoperatively(P<0.05);(4)Pa- tients of 5～8 years old had a significantly better recovery rate of binocular vision than those of 9～18 years old(P<0.05);(5) Patients taking postoperative synoptophore exercise had a better binocular vision than those taking no exercise(P<0.05).Con- clusions:(1)Strabismus surgery can help to preserve or restore the binocular vision for intermittent exotropia;(2)Receiving the surgery at young ages may develop better postoperative binocular vision;(3)The postoperative synoptophore exercise can help to restore the binocular vision.

Prevalence of intermittent exotropia among primary and secondary school students in Shantou,China

Background: Few prevalence studies on intermittent exotropia(IXT) based on Chinese populations. Furthermore, longitudinal change in this pattern within a local setting has not been reported in the past. This study aims to determine the profile of children with IXT in China.Methods: A total of 7,537 subjects from nine multi-layer primary and secondary schools participated in this investigation. The position of eyes was examined by using Hirschberg test and alternate cover test. The obtained results were classified according to respective features and analyzed statistically. Results: The prevalence of IXT among the participants was 7.98%, accounting for 73.04% of all types of strabismus. Junior high school students had a lower prevalence of IXT than elementary and senior high school counterparts. Logistic regression analysis showed that IXT was mainly found in male pupils at high grades in rural areas and in male secondary students at high grade in urban regions. Conclusions: IXT was shown to be more prevalent than other types of strabismus in Chinese children. Furthermore, the distribution and characteristics of IXT greatly varied among participants.

Intermittent disturbance mechanical behavior and fractional deterioration mechanical model of rock under complex true triaxial stress paths

Mechanical excavation,blasting,adjacent rockburst and fracture slip that occur during mining excavation impose dynamic loads on the rock mass,leading to further fracture of damaged surrounding rock in three-dimensional high-stress and even causing disasters.Therefore,a novel complex true triaxial static-dynamic combined loading method reflecting underground excavation damage and then frequent intermittent disturbance failure is proposed.True triaxial static compression and intermittent disturbance tests are carried out on monzogabbro.The effects of intermediate principal stress and amplitude on the strength characteristics,deformation characteristics,failure characteristics,and precursors of monzogabbro are analyzed,intermediate principal stress and amplitude increase monzogabbro strength and tensile fracture mechanism.Rapid increases in microseismic parameters during rock loading can be precursors for intermittent rock disturbance.Based on the experimental result,the new damage fractional elements and method with considering crack initiation stress and crack unstable stress as initiation and acceleration condition of intermittent disturbance irreversible deformation are proposed.A novel three-dimensional disturbance fractional deterioration model considering the intermediate principal stress effect and intermittent disturbance damage effect is established,and the model predicted results align well with the experimental results.The sensitivity of stress states and model parameters is further explored,and the intermittent disturbance behaviors at different f are predicted.This study provides valuable theoretical bases for the stability analysis of deep mining engineering under dynamic loads.

Comparative Analysis of Continuous versus Intermittent Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to Ulcers

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) presents as a prevalent clinical challenge, with annual incidence rates ranging from 80 to 150 cases per 100,000 individuals. Guidelines for managing patients with UGIB due to bleeding ulcers recommend a continuous infusion of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). However, studies comparing intermittent dosing of PPI therapy show that this regimen achieves similar clinical benefits. If the clinical efficacy remains equivalent, intermittent dosing will be more cost-effective for patients and the health care system. Our research study aims to analyze the comparative effectiveness of intermittent versus continuous PPI therapy after endoscopic treatment in patients with UGIB, focusing on such endpoints as rebleeding risk at 3-and 7-day mortality rates. Methods: Resources searched included MEDLINE, EMBASE, PUBMED, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from January 2010 through December 2023 with the inclusion of meta-analysis, systematic review, review, or ACG guideline recommendations. Results of the analysis show how recommendations regarding high vs. low PPI regimen changed over time: from no difference in regimen in 2010 to recommending continuous regimen in 2012 to declaring insufficient evidence between choosing one regimen over another in 2013 to determine that both regimens were comparable to each other in 2014-2018 and finally to recommending both regimens in 2021. To conclude, our review shows that in patients with bleeding ulcers and high-risk endoscopic findings, intermittent PPI therapy is non-inferior to continuous PPI infusion for three days, seven days bleeding risk or mortality rates;however, it remains challenging to determine the most optimal intermittent regimen due to heterogeneity of RCTs included in meta-analyses, and further trials will need to be performed.

Relationship between Phenotypic Changes of Dendritic Cell Subsets and the Onset of Plateau Phase during Intermittent Interferon Therapy in Patients with CHB

Objective This study aimed to evaluate whether the onset of the plateau phase of slow hepatitis B surface antigen decline in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with intermittent interferon therapy is related to the frequency of dendritic cell subsets and expression of the costimulatory molecules CD40,CD80,CD83,and CD86.Method This was a cross-sectional study in which patients were divided into a natural history group(namely NH group),a long-term oral nucleoside analogs treatment group(namely NA group),and a plateau-arriving group(namely P group).The percentage of plasmacytoid dendritic cell and myeloid dendritic cell subsets in peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes and the mean fluorescence intensity of their surface costimulatory molecules were detected using a flow cytometer.Results In total,143 patients were enrolled(NH group,n=49;NA group,n=47;P group,n=47).The results demonstrated that CD141/CD1c double negative myeloid dendritic cell(DNmDC)/lymphocytes and monocytes(%)in P group(0.041[0.024,0.069])was significantly lower than that in NH group(0.270[0.135,0.407])and NA group(0.273[0.150,0.443]),and CD86 mean fluorescence intensity of DNmDCs in P group(1832.0[1484.0,2793.0])was significantly lower than that in NH group(4316.0[2958.0,5169.0])and NA group(3299.0[2534.0,4371.0]),Adjusted P all<0.001.Conclusion Reduced DNmDCs and impaired maturation may be associated with the onset of the plateau phase during intermittent interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Intermittent sliding-lock-knot suture for limbal conjunctival autograft fixation in pterygium surgery:a technique note

AIM:To report a technique used with intermittent slidinglock-knot(ISLK)fixation for limbal conjunctival autografts in pterygium surgery and compared with those of routine intermittent(RI)fixation.METHODS:Consecutive patients with primary pterygium who had undergone pterygium excision combined with limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation between March 2021 and March 2022 at our institute were retrospectively analyzed.Primary outcome measures were mean duration of surgery and suture removal,degree of conjunctival hyperemia on postoperative day 1,pain score at suture removal,postoperative symptoms at 6mo,including conjunctival hyperemia,foreign body sensation,and graft stability.RESULTS:Ninety-eight patients underwent monocular surgery and were divided into ISLK(51 eyes)and RI(47 eyes)groups according to the type of conjunctiva autograft fixation method planned.There was no significant difference in mean duration of surgery between the two groups(18.59±2.39min vs 18.15±2.20min,P=0.417);however,compared to the RI group,shorter suture removal times were observed in the ISLK group[0.58min(0.42-0.87)vs 3.00min(2.21-4.15),P<0.001].The degree of conjunctival hyperemia on postoperative day 1 was milder in the ISLK group(P<0.001).Pain scores at suture removal were lower in the ISLK group than in RI group[1(0-3)vs 2(1-4),P<0.001].Postoperative symptoms at 6mo were comparable between the groups(P=0.487),with no recurrence.CONCLUSION:ISLK is an innovative method for limbal conjunctival autograft fixation after pterygium excision.Compared to RI fixation,ISLK facilitates suture removal and reduces discomfort,with comparable surgery duration and less conjunctival hyperemia.

Low Birth Weight and Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant Women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Ten years following these recommendations, we conducted this study to estimate the coverage for three doses of IPT-SP (IPT3) as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the maternity wards of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from antenatal consultations and clinical data of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine factors associated with LBW. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Median age of the mothers was 27 years, IQR [24-31]. More than a third (35.3%) of the mothers were primigravida. IPT3 coverage was 66.7% and 14.7% of newborns had a LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 33.3% [23.3-43.4] in women who had received fewer than 3 doses of IPT-SP and 5.4% [2.0-8.8] in those who had received at least 3 doses of IPT-SP (p Conclusion: Ten years following recommendations of the WHO on IPT-SP, malaria prevention based on IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé, and the proportion of LBW children remains high. Actions to strengthen the three-dose IPT-SP policy are needed to prevent malaria and its consequences among newborns in Togo.