Refined Anam-Net:Lightweight Deep Learning Model for Improved Segmentation Performance of Optic Cup and Disc for Glaucoma Diagnosis

In this work,we aim to introduce some modifications to the Anam-Net deep neural network(DNN)model for segmenting optic cup(OC)and optic disc(OD)in retinal fundus images to estimate the cup-to-disc ratio(CDR).The CDR is a reliable measure for the early diagnosis of Glaucoma.In this study,we developed a lightweight DNN model for OC and OD segmentation in retinal fundus images.Our DNN model is based on modifications to Anam-Net,incorporating an anamorphic depth embedding block.To reduce computational complexity,we employ a fixed filter size for all convolution layers in the encoder and decoder stages as the network deepens.This modification significantly reduces the number of trainable parameters,making the model lightweight and suitable for resource-constrained applications.We evaluate the performance of the developed model using two publicly available retinal image databases,namely RIM-ONE and Drishti-GS.The results demonstrate promising OC segmentation performance across most standard evaluation metrics while achieving analogous results for OD segmentation.We used two retinal fundus image databases named RIM-ONE and Drishti-GS that contained 159 images and 101 retinal images,respectively.For OD segmentation using the RIM-ONE we obtain an f1-score(F1),Jaccard coefficient(JC),and overlapping error(OE)of 0.950,0.9219,and 0.0781,respectively.Similarly,for OC segmentation using the same databases,we achieve scores of 0.8481(F1),0.7428(JC),and 0.2572(OE).Based on these experimental results and the significantly lower number of trainable parameters,we conclude that the developed model is highly suitable for the early diagnosis of glaucoma by accurately estimating the CDR.

Effect of low dose laser cycloplasty on deepening anterior chamber in chronic angle-closure glaucoma

AIM:To describe the outcome of using low-dose laser cycloplasty(LCP)in chronic angle-closure glaucoma(CACG).METHODS:A retrospective case series.Medical charts of CACG patients who underwent LCP in the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University were reviewed.The main outcomes included intraocular pressure(IOP),the number of glaucoma medication,anterior segment parameters and surgery-related complications.RESULTS:A total of 7 eyes of 7 CACG patients(age 38.9±11.0y)underwent LCP with a mean follow-up of 27.1±13.7mo(range 16-48mo).Following LCP,mean IOP and glaucoma medications decreased from 26.1±6.1 mm Hg with 3.1±1.1 glaucoma medications pre-treatment to 14.9±3.1 mm Hg(P=0.027)with 0.4±1.1 glaucoma medications(P=0.001)at final follow-up.The anterior chamber depth(ACD),angle opening distance500 and trabecular-iris angle increased from 1.65±0.33 mm,0.05 mm(range 0-0.30 mm)and 5.1°(range,0-31.97°)at baseline to 1.98±0.43 mm(P=0.073),0.53 mm(range 0.42-0.91 mm,P=0.015),45.9°(range,40.2°-59.4°),(P=0.015)in the long-term follow-up,respectively.The deepening of ACD and reopening of anterior chamber angle(ACA)was observed in 6 eyes(85.7%).CONCLUSION:LCP is a promising treatment option for patients with CACG via reducing IOP and glaucoma medication without serious complications.In addition,LCP can bring a significant deepening in ACD and reopening of ACA.

Structural measurements and vessel density of spectraldomain optic coherence tomography in early,moderate,and severe primary angle-closure glaucoma

AIM:To compare the macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer(GCIPL)thickness,retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thickness,optic nerve head(ONH)parameters,and retinal vessel density(VD)measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)and analyze the correlations between them in the early,moderate,severe primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACG)and normal eyes.METHODS:Totally 70 PACG eyes and 20 normal eyes were recruited for this retrospective analysis.PACG eyes were further separated into early,moderate,or severe PACG eyes using the Enhanced Glaucoma Staging System(GSS2).The GCIPL thickness,RNFL thickness,ONH parameters,and retinal VD were measured by SD-OCT,differences among the groups and correlations within the same group were calculated.RESULTS:The inferior and superotemporal sectors of the GCIPL thickness,rim area of ONH,average and inferior sector of the retinal VD were significantly reduced(all P<0.05)in the early PACG eyes compared to the normal and the optic disc area,cup to disc ratio(C/D),and cup volume were significantly higher(all P<0.05);but the RNFL was not significant changes in early and moderate PACG.In severe group,the GCIPL and RNFL thickness were obvious thinning with retinal VD were decreasing as well as C/D and cup volume increasing than other three groups(all P<0.01).In the early PACG subgroup,there were significant positive correlations between retinal VD and GCIPL thickness(except superonasal and inferonasal sectors,r=0.573 to 0.641,all P<0.05),superior sectors of RNFL thickness(r=0.055,P=0.049).More obvious significant positive correlations were existed in moderate PACG eyes between retinal VD and superior sectors of RNFL thickness(r=0.650,P=0.022),and temporal sectors of RNFL thickness(r=0.740,P=0.006).In the severe PACG eyes,neither GCIPL nor RNFL thickness was associated with retinal VD.CONCLUSION:The ONH damage and retinal VD loss appears earlier than RNFL thickness loss in PACG eyes.As the PACG disease progressed from the early to the moderate stage,the correlations between the retinal VD and RNFL thickness increases.

Phacoemulsification with or without goniosynechialysis for angle-closure glaucoma: a global Meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials

AIM: To compare the benefits and potential harms of routine phacoemulsification(phaco) alone and combined surgery with goniosynechialysis(GSL) for angle-closure glaucoma(ACG) and coexisting lens opacity, as shown in different randomized controlled trials(RCTs).METHODS: A systematic review was conducted searching several databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov from the inception to September 2018 for RCTs with data published on the effects and safety of phaco and intraocular lens implantation combined with GSL or routine cataract surgery alone. Several studies were recruited which reported data at baselines and postoperative follow-up, including the mean values of postoperative intraocular pressure(IOP) and mean numbers of antiglaucoma medications using postoperatively. The numbers of complications happening were also included. Fixedeffect and random-effect models were applied, and the quality of evidence was evaluated.RESULTS: Analysis of the seven included RCTs, with a total number of 321 participants(358 eyes) diagnosed with ACG and cataract, received a solo procedure(phaco group) or a combined surgery(phaco-GSL group) randomly, and follow-up periods ranging from 2 to 12 mo postoperatively. The involved studies showed that the mean value of IOP between the two groups at 3(four studies, one study follow-up at 2 mo postoperative was included), 6, 12 mo postoperative were not significantly different. Only two studies reported the change in IOP value at 12 mo compared with baseline but showed nosignificant differences between the two interventions. Although three studies did not have the significant difference in the number of medications using to reduce IOP at 3 mo postoperatively, two studies reported that the participants using fewer anti-glaucoma medications at 12 mo postoperative in the phaco group than in the phacoGSL surgery group.CONCLUSION: The analysis provides a low to moderatequality evidence that phaco-GSL surgery lead to an equivalent IOP-lowering effect. The phaco-GSL surgery may not help patients to reduce the consumption of antiglaucoma eyedrops in the long period. The results of this analysis suggested that additional GSL may not be necessary for primary angle closure glaucoma(PACG) patients. Further studies, especially RCTs with more participants and longer follow-up time were needed to provide more sufficient data.

Combined treatment of phacoemulsification and single-port limited pars plana vitrectomy in acute angle-closure glaucoma

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of combined treatment of phacoemulsification(PE) and micro-incisional single-port transconjunctival limited pars plana vitrectomy(PPV) in acute angle-closure glaucoma(AACG).METHODS: A retrospective study included 26 patients who underwent PE diagnosed with AACG. Among them, 16 patients(16 eyes) underwent PE alone, 10 patients(10 eyes) underwent combined limited vitrectomy and PE. Then we compared intraocular pressure(IOP), anterior chamber angle, anterior chamber depth, central corneal thickness and corneal endothelial cell count before and after surgery, and effective PE time during cataract surgery.RESULTS: Effective PE time was shorter in the combined surgery group than in the single surgery group(P=0.040). There was no statistically significant difference in IOP and best-corrected visual acuity between the two groups postoperatively. At 6 mo postoperatively, there was no difference in the anterior chamber angle, anterior chamber depth, and central corneal thickness between two groups, but corneal endothelial cell count was higher in the combined surgery group than in the single surgery group(P=0.046). No complication such as vitreoretinal disease, endophthalmitis, bullous keratopathy was noted.CONCLUSION: Combined micro-incisional single-port transconjunctival limited PPV and PE are more effective and safer than PE alone because of less operation time and fewer complications for management of AACG.

Diffusion tensor imaging of optic nerve and optic radiation in primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma using 3T magnetic resonance imaging

AIM: To evaluate the value of quantitative diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in assessing the axonal and myelin damage of the optic nerves and optic radiations in patients with chronic primary angle -closure glaucoma (PACG) by using high -field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (3T). METHODS: Twenty patients with bilateral chronic PACG and twenty age - and sex matched disease -free control subjects were enrolled. Conventional MRI and DTI were performed on all subjects using 3T MR scanner. Mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivities (AD) and radial diffusivities (RD) of each optic nerve and each optic radiation were measured by using post -processing software of DTI studio 2.3, and then compared between left eyes and right eyes and between patients group and control group. The pairedsample t- test were used. RESULTS: There was no abnormality in the shape and signal intensity of the optic nerves and optic radiations in patients group and control group on the conventional MRI. No significant differences were observed in the FA, MD, AD and RD between the right and left optic nerves and optic radiations within patients group and control group (P>0.05). The optic nerves and optic radiations of patients with chronic PACG, as compared with control subjects, had significantly higher MD, AD, RD and significantly lower FA (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The diffusivity of optic nerves and optic radiations in chronic PACG group showed abnormal and diffusivity parameters could be used markers of axonal and myelin injury in glaucoma.

Pentacam changes in primary angle-closure glaucoma after different lines of treatment

AIM: To assess the changes in the anterior chamber parameters using Pentacam following four different lines of treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACG).METHODS: A retrospective comparative study included 126 patients(126 eye) presented within 24-48 h after acute angle-closure glaucoma(AACG). Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A(68 eyes) with controlled intraocular pressure(IOP) ≤21 mm Hg, which included subgroup A1(34 eyes) with clear lens underwent Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridotomy(LPI) and subgroup A2(34 eyes) with cataract underwent standard phacoemulsification;and group B(58 eyes) with uncontrolled IOP, which included subgroup B1(30 eyes) with clear lens underwent trabeculectomy and subgroup B2(28 eyes) with cataract underwent combined phacoemulsification and trabeculectomy. Patients were fol owed up for at least 3 mo. Primary outcomes were Pentacam anterior segment measurements [anterior chamber angle(ACA) and depth(ACD)]. Secondary outcomes were changes in IOP, visual acuity(VA) and recorded complications. RESULTS: At the 3^(rd)month, there was significant increase in the ACA values in all studied groups compared to preoperative values(P<0.001). The highest percent of increase in ACA was recorded in phacotrabeculectomy group B2(128.40%). There was significant increase in ACD values at 3^(rd)month compared with baseline values(P<0.001) for groups A1, A2, and B2;without change in B1 trabeculectomy group. The maximum deepening of ACD was noticed in group B2 with 94.27% increase. Significantdecrease in postoperative IOP in groups A2, B1 and B2(P<0.001, P=0.014, and P<0.001 respectively). In group A1 there was significant increase in 3^(rd)month postoperative IOP from baseline values(P<0.001). The maximum decrease in IOP was noticed in group B2 with 59.54% decrease. VA improvement in 3^(rd)month postoperative was recorded in all studied groups, maximum VA improvement was observed in group B2 up to 0.2 log MAR.CONCLUSION: Pentacam can be a helpful tool in studying and comparing the effect of the different lines of management of PACG on the anterior chamber measures. Phacotrabeculectomy was proved to be an effective line for managing PACG with resultant significant increase in the anterior chamber parameters, IOP reduction as well as maximum VA improvement. LPI has only temporary effect on IOP with significant changes in ACA and ACD. Phacoemuslification alone can be an option in treating PACG. Trabeculectomy resulted in temporary increase in the anterior chamber parameter which subsequently returned to baseline values.

Comparison of phacotrabeculectomy and sequential surgery in the treatment of chronic angle-closure glaucoma coexisted with cataract

AIM： To compare the safety and effectiveness of phacotrabeculectomy versus sequential surgery in chronic angle-closure glaucoma（CACG） with coexisting cataract.·METHODS： One hundred and sixty-two CACG patients（162 eyes） were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 87patients（87 eyes） in group A had underwent phacotrabeculectomy with intraocular lens（IOL）implantation, and 75 patients（75 eyes） in group B had underwent sequential surgery with IOL implanted. Best-corrected visual acuity（BCVA）, intraocular pressure（IOP）, complications and anterior chamber angle（ACA）were measured.· RESULTS： Demographic characteristics of the two groups were similar. A mean follow-up period was 15±6mo（range 13 to 24mo）, a mean IOP of 12.14 ±5.32 mm Hg in group A and 11.38 ±4.06 mm Hg in group B（P =0.84） at the last follow up. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the cumulative probability of success in both groups was similar（P =0.61）. Anterior uveitis and hypotony were the most common complications in group A, whereas group B experienced shallow anterior chamber with trabeculectomy. With the exception of anterior uveitis, no complications occurred to 11 trabeculectomized eyes. All postoperative measurements of anterior chamber showed statistically significant differences in each group according to the preoperative data（P〈 0.05）. However,fewer changes occurred in group B than in group A.· CONCLUSION： Phacotrabeculectomy and sequential surgery exhibit similar IOP reduction, visual recovery,and complications when treating CACG patients with cataract. However, for a wider ACA, phacotrabeculectomy has demonstrated higher effectiveness than sequential surgery.

The association between matrix metalloprotease-9 gene polymorphisms and primary angle-closure glaucoma in a Chinese Han population

AIM:To examine the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)of matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) gene and primary angleclosure glaucoma(PACG)in a Chinese Han population.METHODS:DNA samples were extracted from peripheral-blood mononuclear cells of 214 PACG patients and 224 healthy controls.Genotyping of rs3918249,rs3918254,rs17577 and rs3787268 in MMP-9was performed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)analysis and the direct sequencing technique.The association between these genetic polymorphisms and risk of PACG was estimated by χ2 test.RESULTS:The distributions of rs3918249,rs3918254,rs17577 and rs3787268 genotypes among cases and healthy controls were compatible with that from HardyWeinberg equilibrium(HWE,P】0.05).The increased frequency of CC and CT genotypes of rs3918254 were observed in PACG patients compared to healthy controls[P=0.006,P corrected(Pcorr)=0.048].The haplotype analysis showed that the CCGG haplotype was nominal associated with PACG(P=0.015),however,the significant was lost when the Bonferroni correction was used(Pcorr=0.105).CONCLUSION:Our results revealed that rs3918254 in MMP-9 may be a susceptible locus to PACG in China,people with the CC and CT genotypes of rs3918254 are more susceptible to PACG.The susceptibility to PACG inChinese Han patients may be not influenced by SNPs rs3918249,rs3787268 and rs17577 in MMP-9.

Etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of neovascular glaucoma

Neovascular glaucoma is defined as iris and/or anterior chamber angle neovascularization associated with increased intraocular pressure. It is a secondary glaucoma that is most frequently caused by severe retinal ischemia. The most common diseases responsible for the development of neovascular glaucoma are diabetic retinopathy, ischemic central retinal vein occlusion,and ocular ischemic syndrome. Uncommon causes include ocular radiation, ocular tumors, uveitis and other miscellaneous conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important and likely predominant agent involved in the pathogenesis of intraocular neovascularization and neovascular glaucoma. The evolution of clinical and histopathological changes from predisposing conditions to the occurrence of rubeosis iridis and neovascular glaucoma is divided into four stages: prerubeosis, preglaucoma, open angle glaucoma, and angle-closure glaucoma.

Phacoemulsification versus combined phacotrabeculectomy in the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma with cataract: a Meta-analysis

AIM： To compare the efficacy and safety of phacoemulsification（Phaco） against combined phacotrabeculectomy（Phacotrabe） in primary angle-closure glaucoma（PACG） with coexisting cataract.·METHODS： By searching electronically the Pub Med,EMBASE, Scientific Citation Index and Cochrane Library published up from inception to January 2014, all randomized controlled trials that matched the predefined criteria were included. The quality of included trials was evaluated according to the guidelines developed by the cochrane collaboration. And the outcomes estimating efficacy and safety of two different surgical treatments were measured and synthesised by Rev Man 5.0.· RESULTS： Five randomized controlled trials were selected and included in Meta-analysis with a total of468 patients（468 eyes） with both PACG and cataract. We found that Phacotrabe had a greater intraocular pressure（IOP） lowing effect [preoperative IOP： weighted mean difference（WMD）=0.58, 95% confidence intervals（95% CI,-0.53 to 1.69）, P =0.31; postoperative IOP： WMD =1.37,95% CI（0.45 to 2.28）, P =0.003], a lower number of antiglaucoma medications [risk ratio（RR）=0.05, 95% CI（0.02 to 0.18）, P 〈0.00001] needed postoperatively and less serious damage of optic nerve [RR =0.48, 95% CI（0.21 to 1.07）, P =0.07], but a higher risk of complications[odds ratio（OR）=0.04, 95% CI（0.01 to 0.16）, P 〈0.00001]compared with Phaco. The rest studies indicated that there had no significantly difference between the two surgical methods for postoperative best-corrected visual acuity（BCVA） [WMD =-0.05, 95% CI（-0.14 to 0.05）, P =0.32] and loss of visual field [RR=1.06, 95% CI（0.61 to1.83）, P =0.83].·CONCLUSION： Phaco alone compared with Phacotrabe had a better effect in IOP reduction, whereas the securitydecline. Considering the number of sample size, our results remains to be further studied.

Current applications of machine learning in the screening and diagnosis of glaucoma: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

AIM: To compare the effectiveness of two well described machine learning modalities, ocular coherence tomography(OCT) and fundal photography, in terms of diagnostic accuracy in the screening and diagnosis of glaucoma. METHODS: A systematic search of Embase and Pub Med databases was undertaken up to 1 st of February 2019. Articles were identified alongside their reference lists and relevant studies were aggregated. A Meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy in terms of area under the receiver operating curve(AUROC) was performed. For the studies which did not report an AUROC, reported sensitivity and specificity values were combined to create a summary ROC curve which was included in the Meta-analysis.RESULTS: A total of 23 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion in the Meta-analysis. This included 10 papers from the OCT cohort and 13 from the fundal photos cohort. Random effects Meta-analysis gave a pooled AUROC of 0.957(95%CI=0.917 to 0.997) for fundal photos and 0.923(95%CI=0.889 to 0.957) for the OCT cohort. The slightly higher accuracy of fundal photos methods is likely attributable to the much larger database of images used to train the models(59 788 vs 1743). CONCLUSION: No demonstrable difference is shown between the diagnostic accuracy of the two modalities. The ease of access and lower cost associated with fundal photo acquisition make that the more appealing option in terms of screening on a global scale, however further studies need to be undertaken, owing largely to the poor study quality associated with the fundal photography cohort.

Post-miosis changes in the anterior chamber structures in primary and lens-induced secondary chronic angle-closure glaucoma

To evaluate post-miosis changes in the anterior chamber structures in various angle-closure glaucomas(ACG). Totally 14 eyes of primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma(PCACG), 12 eyes of lens-induced secondary chronic angleclosure glaucoma(LSACG) and 14 healthy eyes were recruited. After miosis, for PCACG group, intraocular pressure(IOP) and anterior chamber depth(ACD) changed not significantly, while anterior chamber angle widened significantly. LSACG group showed a significant increase in IOP, decrease in ACD, and narrowing in anterior chamber angle. Healthy eyes showed significant decreases in IOP and anterior chamber parameters. Thus, miosis could widen the anterior chamber angle of patients with PCACG, while increase the narrowing of anterior chamber angle and IOP of patients with LSACG. We should pay attention to the distinction between PCACG and LSACG patients and the proper administration of pilocarpine in the treatment of patients with chronic ACG.

High interpretable machine learning classifier for early glaucoma diagnosis

AIM:To develop a classifier for differentiating between healthy and early stage glaucoma eyes based on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thicknesses measured with optical coherence tomography(OCT),using machine learning algorithms with a high interpretability.METHODS:Ninety patients with early glaucoma and 85 healthy eyes were included.Early glaucoma eyes showed a visual field(VF)defect with mean deviation>-6.00 d B and characteristic glaucomatous morphology.RNFL thickness in every quadrant,clock-hour and average thickness were used to feed machine learning algorithms.Cluster analysis was conducted to detect and exclude outliers.Tree gradient boosting algorithms were used to calculate the importance of parameters on the classifier and to check the relation between their values and its impact on the classifier.Parameters with the lowest importance were excluded and a weighted decision tree analysis was applied to obtain an interpretable classifier.Area under the ROC curve(AUC),accuracy and generalization ability of the model were estimated using cross validation techniques.RESULTS:Average and 7 clock-hour RNFL thicknesses were the parameters with the highest impor tance.Correlation between parameter values and impact on classification displayed a stepped pattern for average thickness.Decision tree model revealed that average thickness lower than 82μm was a high predictor for early glaucoma.Model scores had AUC of 0.953(95%CI:0.903-0998),with an accuracy of 89%.CONCLUSION:Gradient boosting methods provide accurate and highly interpretable classifiers to discriminate between early glaucoma and healthy eyes.Average and 7-hour RNFL thicknesses have the best discriminant power.

Critical pathway for primary open angle glaucoma diagnosis

AIM： To develop a critical pathway for primary open angle glaucoma （POAG） diagnosis intended to be efficient, to unify criteria, reduce resource use and minimize costs to the health system. METHODS： We performed a systematic search on PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and ClinicalTrials.org databases and classified the quality of evidence from level I through III. RESULTS： A critical pathway was designed by setting a key-decision step by step model on the basis of the best current evidence. CONCLUSION： A critical pathway, evidence-based guideline, may be a useful tool intended to reduce costs while maintaining or even improving the quality of care for diagnosing a highly prevalent pathology such as open angle glaucoma.

Outcomes of chronic angle-closure glaucoma treated by phacoemulsification and endocyclophotocoagulation with or without endoscopically goniosynechialysis

AIM:To investigate the surgical outcomes of patients with chronic angle-closure glaucoma(CACG)treated with phacoemulsification(phaco)/endocyclophotocoagulation(ECP)with and without endoscopic goniosynechialysis(E-GSL).METHODS:A retrospective,nonrandomized,comparative case series was conducted.Patients with CACG who underwent phaco in combination with either ECP alone(ECP group)or GSL with ECP(E-GSL group)from 2018 to 2019 were followed for 12mo and reviewed.Clinical features and outcomes were identified and analyzed.The ECP and E-GSL groups were matched in age and baseline intraocular pressure(IOP).Changes in IOP,mean of visual acuity(VA),peripheral anterior synechiae(PAS)formation,and the number of glaucoma medications was examined.RESULTS:The ECP group included 32 eyes of 27 patients,and the E-GSL group included 32 eyes of 26 patients.The preoperative baseline IOP was 22.18±6.48 mm Hg in the ECP group and 22.95±6.71 mm Hg in the E-GSL group(P=0.644).The mean IOP reduction was 26.2%in the ECP group and 41.6%in the E-GSL group at 12mo.The mean postoperative VA(log MAR units)at 12mo was 0.47 in the ECP group and 0.36 in the E-GSL group.The reduction in PAS formation and the number of glaucoma medications was also higher in the ECP group than E-GSL group at 12mo.CONCLUSION:The phaco/ECP and phaco/E-GSL groups both achieve a significant reduction in IOP without complications associated with traditional glaucoma filtration surgeries.

Association of peripheral anterior synechia,intraocular pressure,and glaucomatous optic neuropathy in primary angle-closure diseases

AIM:To investigate the association of peripheral anterior synechiae(PAS)with intraocular pressure(IOP)and glaucomatous optic neuropathy(GON)in primary angle closure(PAC)and primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACG).METHODS:Totally 355 eyes(238 PAC and 117 PACG)of 181 patients were included in this retrospective analysis of baseline data from a randomized clinical trial.All patients had undergone a comprehensive ophthalmic examination.The extent of PAS in clock hours as determined on gonioscopy was documented.The independent effect of the extent of PAS on IOP and the prevalence of GON were determined using multivariable generalized estimating equation(GEE)models.RESULTS:The frequency of GON increased with the extent of PAS and a higher IOP.PAS were more extensive(8 vs 1 clock hour,P<0.001)and IOP higher(28.01 vs 18.00 mm Hg,P<0.001)in PACG compared to PAC.The prevalence of GON among the PAS quartiles were 10.2%(PAS<0.5 clock hours),16.9%(PAS≥0.5 and PAS<3 clock hours),29.6%(PAS≥3 and PAS<7 clock hours),and 74.4%(PAS≥7 clock hours),respectively.After adjusting for IOP,age,gender,spherical equivalent,average Shaffer score and number of medications,the odds ratio(OR)for GON was 4.4(95%CI:1.5-13.0;P=0.007)with PAS≥3 clock hours and 13.8(95%CI:4.3-43.6;P<0.001)with PAS≥7 clock hours as compared to eyes with PAS<0.5 clock hours.The frequency of GON increased linearly with the extent of PAS.Extent of PAS was also associated with higher IOP.Eyes with both PAS≥6 clock hours and IOP≥21 mm Hg had the highest risk of GON compared to eyes with both PAS<6 clock hours and IOP<21 mm Hg(OR=18.0,95%CI:7.5-43.4;P<0.001).CONCLUSION:The extent of PAS in PAC and PACG is an important predictor of higher IOP and is linearly associated with GON independent of IOP,suggesting other factors related to PAS formation may be involved in the development of GON in PACG.

Primary Chronic Angle-closure Glaucoma in Chinese——A Clinical Exploration of Its Pathogenesis And Natural Course

Fourty-three cases (86 eyes) of primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma were randomly selected. An additional 44 cases (77 eyes) of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma and 30 normal subjects (34 eyes) were also randomly enrolled as control groups for comparison in the clinical study. Ultrasonic biometric measurements of the anterior chamber depth, lens thickness and axial length of the eyeball were performed. Using an potic microgauge attached to the slit-lamp, the entrance of anterior chamber angle was...

Increased aquaporin-1 levels in lens epithelial cells with primary angle-closure glaucoma

AIM： To determine the levels of aquaporin-1（AQP-1） in the lens epithelial cells（LECs） of primary glaucoma and to clarify its correlation with lens thickness.METHODS： This study comprised 64 eyes of 64 patients with primary glaucoma, who were divided into 3 groups： 25 eyes of 25 patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma（APACG）, 19 eyes of 19 patients with chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma（CPACG） and 20 eyes of 20 patients with primary open angle glaucoma（POAG）. This study also included 12 eyes of 12 patients with senile cataract as controls. The levels of AQP-1 in LECs were examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-q PCR） and immunohistochemistry. The lens thickness was measured by A-scan ultrasonography. RESULTS： The AQP-1 m RNA levels of LECs were 0.84±0.27, 0.69±0.34, 0.44±0.19 and 0.51±0.21 in APACG, CPACG, POAG and senile cataract group, respectively. The levels of AQP-1m RNA were significantly higher in PACG groups compared with those in senile cataract and POAG group（all P〈0.05）. The immunohistochemistry showed the AQP-1 expression were strong-positive in PACG groups, but weak-positive in senile cataract and POAG group. A positive correlation was found between AQP-1 m RNA levels and the lens thickness（r=0.645, P〈0.001）. CONCLUSION： These findings show that the higher expression of AQP-1 in LECs may contribute to increased lens thickness, which might be associated with the occurrence and development of PACG.

A case of 9p deletion syndrome with congenital infantile glaucoma,effective method of diagnosis,and treatment

Dear Editor,I am Dr.Jia X from the Department of Ophthalmology,Second Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,Changsha,China.I write to present a rare case report of 9p deletion syndrome with congenital infantile glaucoma in an infant,accompanying with an effective method of both diagnosis and treatment.