Background Intravitreal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is now considered the gold standard for the treatment of various retinal disorders. As therapy has evolved, so too have the treatment regimens employed by physicians in clinical practice; however, visual outcomes observed in the real world have typically not reflected those reported in clinical trials. Possible reasons for this include a lack of consensus on treatment regimens and a lack of clarity about what the aims of treatment should be. Methods The Vision Academy Steering Committee met to discuss the principles of an ideal treatment regimen, using evidence from the literature to substantiate each point. Literature searches were performed using the MEDLINE/PubMed database (cut-off date: March 2016) and restricted to English-language publications. Studies with fewer than ten patients were excluded from this review. Results The Steering Committee identified the following four key principles for the ideal treatment regimen for anti-VEGF management of retinal diseases: 1. Maximize and maintain visual acuity (VA) benefits for all patients 2. Decide when to treat next, rather than whether to treat now 3. Titrate the treatment intervals to match patients’ needs 4. Treat at each monitoring visit. Conclusions It is proposed that the adoption of a proactive and more personalized approach in the clinic such as a treat-and-extend regimen will lead to benefits for both the patient and the physician, through a reduction in the associated treatment burden and better utilization of clinic resources. Implementation of the four principles should also lead to better VA outcomes for each patient, with a minimized risk of vision loss.

Aims: To present an authoritative, universal, easy-to-use morphologic classification of diabetic maculopathy based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Methods: The first draft of the project was developed based on previously published classifications and a literature search regarding the spectral domain optical coherence tomography quantitative and qualitative features of diabetic maculopathy. This draft was sent to an international panel of retina experts for a first revision. The panel met at the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, and elaborated the final document. Results: Seven tomographic qualitative and quantitative features are taken into account and scored according to a grading protocol termed TCED-HFV, which includes foveal thickness (T), corresponding to either central subfoveal thickness or macular volume, intraretinal cysts (C), the ellipsoid zone (EZ) and/or external limiting membrane (ELM) status (E), presence of disorganization of the inner retinal layers (D), number of hyperreflective foci (H), subfoveal fluid (F), and vitreoretinal relationship (V). Four different stages of the disease, that is, early diabetic maculopathy, advanced diabetic maculopathy, severe diabetic maculopathy, and atrophic maculopathy, are based on the first four variables, namely the T, C, E, and D. The different stages reflect progressive severity of the disease. Conclusion: A novel grading system of diabetic maculopathy is hereby proposed. The classification is aimed at providing a simple, direct, objective tool to classify diabetic maculopathy (irrespective to the treatment status) even for non-retinal experts and can be used for therapeutic and prognostic purposes, as well as for correct evaluation and reproducibility of clinical investigations.

The novel pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has challenged the medical community. While diagnostic and therapeutic efforts have been focused on respiratory complications of the disease, several ocular implications have also emerged. SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been found in tears of the infected patients, and reports suggest that the ocular surface could serve as a portal of entry and a reservoir for viral transmission. Clinically, COVID-19 has been associated with mild conjunctivitis, which can be the first and only symptom of the disease. Subtle retinal changes like hyperreflective lesions in the inner layers on optical coherence tomography (OCT), cotton-wool spots, and microhemorrhages have also been reported. In addition, COVID-19 has been associated with an increased incidence of systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus and Kawasaki disease, which are particularly relevant for ophthalmologists due to their potentially severe ocular manifestations. Several treatment strategies are currently under investigation for COVID-19, but none of them have been proved to be safe and effective to date. Intensive care unit patients, due to risk factors like invasive mechanical ventilation, prone position, and multiresistant bacterial exposure, may develop ocular complications like ocular surface disorders, secondary infections, and less frequently acute ischemic optic neuropathy and intraocular pressure elevation. Among the array of drugs that have shown positive results, the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine has raised a concern due to their well-known retinal toxic effects. However, the risk of retinal toxicity with short-term high-dose use of antimalarials is still unknown. Ocular side effects have also been reported with other investigational drugs like lopinavir-ritonavir, interferons, and interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 inhibitors. The aim of this review was to summarize ophthalmological implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection to serve as a reference for eye care and other physicians for prompt diagnosis and management.

Diabetic macular edema (DME), pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (CME), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal vascular occlusion (RVO), and uveitis are ocular conditions related to severe visual impairment worldwide. Corticosteroids have been widely used in the treatment of these retinal diseases, due to their well-known antiangiogenic, antiedematous, and anti-inflammatory properties. Intravitreal steroids have emerged as novel and essential tools in the ophthalmologist’s armamentarium, allowing for maximization of drug efficacy and limited risk of systemic side effects. Recent advances in ocular drug delivery methods led to the development of intraocular implants, which help to provide prolonged treatment with controlled drug release. Moreover, they may add some potential advantages over traditional intraocular injections by delivering certain rates of drug directly to the site of action, amplifying the drug’s half-life, contributing in the minimization of peak plasma levels of the drug, and avoiding the side effects associated with repeated intravitreal injections. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the use of intravitreal steroids as a treatment option for a variety of retinal diseases and to review the current literature considering their properties, safety, and adverse events.

Purpose: To verify the efficacy of nonvisible micropulse diode laser irradiation in the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods: Twenty-two patients with CSC for a total of 24 eyes with a disease duration longer than 3 months were included in a prospective study. Patients underwent Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity (VA) examination, dilated ophthalmoscopy fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography before treatment and during follow-up. Treatment with a micropulse diode laser was given with a duty cycle of 15%. Multiple spots were placed over and adjacent to the area of retinal pigment epithelium leak or decompensation. Results: Mean follow-up was 14 months (range 3–36 months). Powers used ranged from 1 to 2 W (mean 1.35 W). Mean number of spots was 215 (range 90–400). Fourteen eyes were treated once, nine eyes received two to three treatments, and one eye had five treatments during a follow-up of 3 years. Subretinal fluid was resolved or improved in two third of cases 1 month after laser treatment, and in three-quarters at the end of follow-up. Mean retinal thickness was 328 μm, 197 μm, and 168 μm before, 1 month after irradiation, and at the end of follow-up, respectively. No evidence of RPE or retinal changes due to laser treatment were discernible in most of the eyes. Median VA was 20/32 (range 20/100–20/20) before treatment and 20/25 (range 20/200–20/20) at the end of the follow-up. Conclusions: Nonvisible micropulse diode laser may have efficacy in the treatment of CSC. A randomized study with larger series is needed.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether depression is associated with vision impairment (VI) in population-based studies in adults. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched, from inception to June 2020. Studies were included if they provided two-by-two data for calculating the OR of association between VI and depression, or crude and/or an adjusted odds ratio (OR) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. The proportion of VI and depression was also extracted. ORs were pooled using random-effect models, proportions were pooled using random intercepts logistic regression models. Overall, 29 articles (31 studies) were included: of those, 18 studies used survey data (622,312 participants), 10 used clinical examination data (69,178 participants), and 3 used administrative databases (48,162,290 participants). The proportion of depression (95%CI) was 0.17 (0.13–0.22) overall and 0.27 (0.21–0.33) in VI subjects. The proportion of VI was 0.10 (0.07–0.16) overall and 0.20 (0.13–0.29) in depressed subjects. The association between VI and depression was direct: crude ORs were 1.89 (1.51–2.37) for survey data, 2.17 (1.76–2.67) for clinical examination data, and 3.34 (1.01–11.11) for administrative databases; adjusted ORs were 1.75 (1.34–2.30), 1.59 (1.22–1.96), and 2.47 (0.97–6.33), respectively. In conclusion, VI and depression are prevalent morbidities and should be actively sought when either is identified, especially in older adults.