Changes in the Hyperreflective Bands of Outer Retinal Layers after Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgical Removal

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between the outer retinal hyperreflective bands and visual acuity recovery after idiopathic epiretinal macular membrane (ERM) surgical removal.Methods: A prospective longitudinal non-comparative study was conducted that included a total of 68 patients with idiopathic ERM, who underwent consecutive 23 G pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) at San Juan University Hospital (Alicante, Spain) from January 2019 to January 2021. All patients underwent a complete preoperative standard ophthalmic examination, including measurement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) examination. This protocol was repeated at 1 and 3 months after surgery.Results: Mean preoperative decimal BCVA was 0.30 ± 0.13 and disruption of the first, second, third and fourth outer retinal hyperreflective bands was observed by SD-OCT in 9 (27.9%), 27 (39.7%), 33 (48.5%) and 17 patients (25%), respectively. BCVA improved after ERM peeling at 1 and 3 months in all patients, regardless of the presence of disruption in any hyperreflective band. Significantly larger improvement of BCVA was found at 3 months after surgery in patients not showing disruption of hyperreflective bands 1 and 4 (p = 0.048 and 0.001, respectively).Conclusions: The integrity of the outer retinal hyperreflective bands by SD-OCT in patients with idiopathic ERM is a valuable tool to determine the visual prognosis of the surgical treatment of this condition. A successful recovery of hyperreflective bands 1 and 4 with ERM surgery may be a potential biomarker of the visual improvement achieved due to their important anatomical relation with cone photoreceptors at the foveal level.

Prophylactic effect of brimonidine to minimize the incidence of subconjunctival hemorrhage in the early postoperative period after 23G pars plana vitrectomy

Background

Several studies have investigated and demonstrated the prophylactic effect of brimonidine drops in preventing subconjunctival hemorrhage in some microincisional ophthalmic surgeries, such as intravitreal injections or cataract surgery. However, there are no previous studies investigating this prophylactic effect after 23G microincisional vitreoretinal surgery.

Aim

The aim of the current study was to determine whether subconjunctival hemorrhage after 23G pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) could be prevented with the use of prophylactic topical brimonidine.

Methods

This was a phase III, prospective, interventional, randomized, controlled single-center clinical trial with a follow-up of 2 weeks. A total of 77 eyes (mean age: 68.4 ± 10.7 years) undergoing 23G PPV were included and randomized into two groups: group 1 including 41 patients receiving prophylactic preoperative treatment with brimonidine, and group 2 (control group) including 36 patients not receiving this prophylactic treatment. Differences in terms of number of conjunctival quadrants affected with subconjunctival hemorrhage were evaluated in each of the follow-up visits.

Results

The presence of subconjunctival hemorrhage was similar in both groups the first days after surgery (p > 0.05). At the last visit (10-14 days after surgery), this condition was significantly more frequent in control group where there was a significant difference, being more frequent in the control group (7.3% vs 28.6%, p = 0.022). The number of conjunctival quadrants affected was also similar in both groups, except for the last visit in which most of the patients treated with brimonidine (92.7%) showed no bleeding compared to 71.4% in control group. No effect on the efficacy of brimonidine treatment of the presence of blood hypertension, diabetes, and antiplatelet or anticoagulant treatment was observed.

Conclusion

Brimonidine seems to be a useful option to decrease subconjunctival hemorrhage after microincisional vitreoretinal surgery or improve its resolution during the first postoperative week. This finding should be mainly due to the vasoconstrictor effect of brimonidine.

Trial registration

EudraCT, 2012-002895-15 (registered 19 December 2012); https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=2012-002895-15.

Late-onset Endophthalmitis after XEN45® Implantation: A Retrospective Case Series and Literature Review

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To report the incidence of late-onset endophthalmitis following XEN45® stent implantation.

BACKGROUND

Long-term safety profile and efficacy in relation to the so-called microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) techniques are still under evaluation. The XEN45® gel stent entails a bleb formation and often requires postoperative conjunctival management, differing from the current reviewed concept of minimally invasive procedures. Endophthalmitis has been described among the complications, triggered in the majority of cases by tube extrusion.

CASES DESCRIPTION

From our chart of 293 eyes operated on between November 2016 and November 2019, five (1.7%) patients developed endophthalmitis, which took place in the months 3, 4, 5, 11, and 14 after surgery, respectively. Sixty percent had undergone previous needling procedures. All of them showed a previous flat bleb and developed perforation of the conjunctiva caused by the distal portion of the tube. One patient was early eviscerated due to a fateful course. Treatment consisted of intravitreal, oral, and topical antibiotics, as well as topical corticosteroids. Eighty percent underwent device withdrawal, conjunctival gap suturing, anterior chamber washout, aqueous humor (AH) tab extraction (one positive for S. epidermidis and one for Streptococcus agalactiae), and pars plana vitrectomy. A second patient was eviscerated due to phthisis bulbi. Out of three remaining patients, one underwent vitrectomy for retinal detachment, while two patients required glaucoma surgery for intraocular pressure control. The final VA was ≤20/125 in all patients.

CONCLUSION

The XEN45® device appears to trigger endophthalmitis by extruding the stent or unnoticed leakage through conjunctival defects. Special attention should be paid to flat and avascular blebs.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This series shows a higher rate of endophthalmitis (1.7%) compared with previous studies with a significant sample size (0.4-1.4%).

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Burggraaf-Sánchez de las Matas R, Such-Irusta L, Alfonso-Muñoz EA, et al. Late-onset Endophthalmitis after XEN45® Implantation: A Retrospective Case Series and Literature Review. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2021;15(3):153-160.