Visualization of the posterior precortical vitreous pocket in vivo with triamcinolone.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Howard F Fine.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
PURPOSE: To report the onset of bilateral angle closure glaucoma resulting from ciliochoroidal effusions noted after taking escitalopram. DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A 41-year-old woman with a medical history of depression was placed on escitalopram and presented with acute bilateral angle closure glaucoma. A medical history and ophthalmic examination (including slit-lamp photography and high-frequency ultrasonography) were performed at the time of diagnosis and at resolution of her symptoms. RESULTS: High-frequency ultrasonography revealed bilateral choroidal effusions with ciliary body detachments and angle closure. Attempts to reduce intraocular pressure with topical ocular antihypertensive drugs and subsequent laser peripheral iridotomy were unsuccessful. Over the course of four days, the use of topical cycloplegics, corticosteroids, and discontinuation of escitalopram resulted in normalization of intraocular pressures, deepening of anterior chamber depths, and resolution of her uveal effusions. CONCLUSIONS: The use of escitalopram resulted in uveal effusions, angle rotation, and acute bilateral angle closure glaucoma. Discontinuation of escitalopram and corticosteroid therapy resulted in normalization of the patient's eyes.
PURPOSE: To report the short term anatomic and visual acuity response after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective study of patients with macular edema due to CRVO who were treated with at least one intravitreal injection of bevacizumab 1.25 mg in 0.05 mL. Patients underwent Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS: There were 16 eyes of 15 consecutive patients with a mean age of 76.1 years (SD 9.8 years). Intravitreal triamcinolone had been previously administered to 9 patients, but all of these patients either had no improvement or had excessive intraocular pressure caused by the triamcinolone. The patients received a mean of 2.8 injections of bevacizumab per eye. No adverse events were observed, including endophthalmitis, clinically evident inflammation, increased intraocular pressure, retinal tears, retinal detachment, or thromboembolic events in any patient. The mean central macular thickness at baseline was 887 microm and decreased to a mean of 372 microm at month 1 (P < 0.001). The mean baseline acuity was 20/600 (logMAR = 1.48) and the mean acuity at month 1 was 20/200 (logMAR = 1.05), a difference that was highly significant (P = 0.001). At last follow-up, a mean of 3 months after the first injection, the mean visual acuity was 20/138 (logMAR = 0.84), which was significantly better than baseline (P < 0.001). Visual acuity improvement, defined as a halving of the visual angle, was seen in 14 of the 16 eyes. CONCLUSION: Initial treatment results of patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO did not reveal any short-term safety concerns. Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in a significant decrease in macular edema and improvement in visual acuity. The number of patients in this pilot study was limited and the follow-up is too short to make any specific treatment recommendations, but the favorable short-term results suggest further study is needed.
PURPOSE: To describe the short-term anatomical and visual acuity responses after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CNV secondary to AMD who were treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) during a 3-month period. Patients underwent best-corrected Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS: There were 266 consecutive eyes of 266 patients who received injections, and follow-up information was available for 251 (94.4%). The mean age of the patients was 80.3 years, the mean baseline visual acuity was 20/184, and 175 (69.7%) had inadequate response to alternate methods of treatment. At the 1-month follow-up (data available for 244 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/137 (P < 0.001 as compared with baseline), and 74 (30.3%) of patients had improvement in visual acuity as defined by a halving of the visual angle. At the 2-month follow-up (data available for 222 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/122 (P < 0.001), and 78 (31.1%) of patients had visual improvement. At the 3-month follow-up (data available for 141 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/109 (P < 0.001), and 54 (38.3%) of patients had visual acuity improvement. The mean central macular thickness at baseline was 340 mum and decreased to a mean of 247 microm at month 1 (P < 0.001) and 213 microm at month 3 (P < 0.001). At 1 month, two patients had mild vitritis, as did one patient at 2 months, who had a history of recurrent uveitis. No endophthalmitis, increased intraocular pressure, retinal tear, or retinal detachment occurred. The risk for thromboembolic disorders did not seem to be different than reported previously in studies concerning macular degeneration. CONCLUSION: There were no apparent short-term safety concerns for intravitreal bevacizumab injection for CNV. Treated eyes had a significant decrease in macular thickness and improvement in visual acuity. The follow-up was too short to make any specific treatment recommendations, but the favorable short-term results suggest further study is needed.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
PURPOSE: Lower eyelid retraction after trauma presents a challenging management problem. We postulated that a porous polyethylene (pPE) eyelid spacer coated with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) matrix could deliver corticosteroid locally over extended periods and modulate inflammation and scar formation. We designed a pPE corticosteroid-eluting implant and evaluated its characteristics in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The release characteristics of pPE implants coated with a PVA/TA matrix of low, intermediate, and high doses of TA were studied in vitro. The implants were then placed in the posterior lamella of lower eyelids of Dutch Belted rabbits for 12 weeks. Clinical events were recorded and eyelids were examined for gross and histologic features, including capsular thickness and degree of vascularity, fibrovascular ingrowth, and inflammatory response. RESULTS: In vitro, implants coated with the intermediate and high doses of TA released the drug at a steady rate for at least 78 days. In rabbits, the PVA and PVA/TA coating prevented fibrovascular ingrowth, except where breaks in the PVA/TA coat were present. Implants with PVA/TA coating demonstrated less inflammation and capsule vascularity. An inverse correlation between TA dose and capsule thickness was noted. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a novel drug-release pPE eyelid implant. The corticosteroid-eluting implant demonstrated antiangiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, which could prove beneficial in the treatment of lower eyelid retraction.