This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among ophthalmology residents in Poland. An online, self-administered, anonymous survey was distributed among Polish ophthalmology residents in early 2021. Of 126 residents who completed the survey, 71.4% indicated that they would get vaccinated, 17.5% were unsure, and 11.1% would refuse vaccination. Married respondents with children (p = 0.036) and respondents living with their families (p = 0.310) were more likely to accept vaccination, believing that the vaccine is effective (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively), and fearing for themselves (p = 0.031 and p = 0.023, respectively) or their families (p = 0.032 and 0.055, respectively) getting infected. Respondents who contracted COVID-19 often reported the expected relief in sanitization (p = 0.011) as their reason for vaccination, and the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (p = 0.050) as their reason for not vaccinating. Unmarried residents and residents living alone often declared that they were waiting for the effectiveness and long-term complications of the vaccine to be assessed (p = 0.005, both). Residents living with their families were significantly less likely to report COVID-19 as the reason for refusing vaccination (p = 0.022). In conclusion, most ophthalmology residents expressed a willingness to get vaccinated. Marital status and cohabitants affect vaccination acceptance. People with COVID-19 have different reasons for accepting or refusing vaccination. Medical authorities should persuade citizens more to vaccinate.

Background. Differential diagnosis and follow-up of small anterior segment tumors constitute a particular challenge because they determine further treatment procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the UBM (ultrasound biomicroscopy) and AS-OCT (anterior segment optical coherent tomography) in distinguishing different types of anterior segment lesions. Methods. It was a retrospective, noncomparative study of case series of 89 patients with the suspicion of anterior segment tumor referred to the Ophthalmology Clinic, Medical University of Białystok, Poland, between 2016 and 2020. UBM was used to assess tumor morphology including height, location, and internal and external features. In cases in which UBM did not provide enough data, the AS-OCT images were analyzed. The data on demographics, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and rate of complications were also collected. Patients were followed up from 1 to 48 months. Results. The mean observation period was 26.61 ± 16.13 months. Among the patients, there were 62 women and 27 men at a mean age of 55.59 ± 19.48 (range: from 20 to 89 years.) The types of tumors were cysts (41%), solid iris tumors (37.1%), ciliary body tumors (7.9%), peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS 3.4%), corneal tumors (4.5%), and others (5.6%). Patients with cysts were younger than patients with solid iris tumor (p=0.002). Women had a cyst as well as solid iris tumor more frequently than men, but less often a ciliary body tumor (p<0.05). The horizontal size of tumor was positively correlated with patients’ age (r_s = 0.38 and p=0.003) and negatively correlated with visual acuity (r_s = −0.42 and p=0.014). During the 4 years of diagnosis, only 2.2% of lesions exhibited growth (growth rate of 0.02 mm per year). Among 15 cases in which visualization with UBM was not satisfactory (mostly iris nevi), AS-OCT was helpful in diagnosis of 13 patients. Conclusions. Both UBM and AS-OCT are effective methods in detection and diagnosis of tumors of the anterior eye segment, but in some cases, AS-OCT adds additional value to the diagnosis. Many lesions can be managed conservatively because they did not demonstrate growth during 4 years of the follow-up period.

The study objective was to assess chosen biochemical parameters of blood and bioelectric function of the retina in patients with T1DM. The study group consisted of 41 patients with T1DM with no signs of diabetic retinopathy. The control group included 21 pediatric patients. We performed (1) S-cone ERG testing with retina response stimulation in both eyes at the luminance of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 (cd × s/m²) with the 440 nm blue flash and light application of the amber background (300 ph cd/m², 495 nm wavelength), (2) anthropometric measurements, (3) biochemical investigations: IL-17, VEGF, and ADM by the ELISA method. A comparison of the ERG results with biochemical investigations indicates a likely correlation between the worsening of retinal bioelectric function and VEGF levels growing with diabetes duration. We showed a negative correlation between ADM and HbA1c and described possible causes of ADM reduction observed in subgroup I. We demonstrated the presence of bioelectric retinal dysfunction already before the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy, which provides new possibilities in the diagnosis of preclinical chronic complications of diabetes. The changes observed in the levels of IL-17, ADM, and VEGF suggest their involvement in the diabetic pathogenesis of eye diseases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ophthalmology residency training in Poland. An anonymous self-administered online survey involving polish ophthalmology residents was conducted between February 15 and 28, 2021. Of the 126 residents who completed the survey, 88.9% (n = 112) and 89.7% (n = 113) felt that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted their surgical training and overall training programs, respectively. Trainees providing care to patients with COVID-19 and female trainees indicated a greater negative impact of the pandemic on the implementation of the specialization program (p = 0.008 and p = 0.015, respectively) and on the acquisition of practical skills (p = 0.014 and p = 0.021, respectively). Approximately 94% (n = 118) of the residents surveyed participated in virtual training during the pandemic, and 99.2% (n = 124) positively assessed the content and usefulness of online teaching in everyday clinical practice. The most common platforms used for online meetings were Zoom (62.7%, n = 79) and Microsoft Teams (50.8%, n = 64). Approximately 79% (n = 99) of residents believed that, after the pandemic is over, at least some of the training courses and conferences should be conducted online. In addition, 13.5% (n = 17) of residents reported that they would like to undergo training and specialization courses in virtual form only after the pandemic is over. In summary, the present findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the implementation of the ophthalmology specialization program in Poland, with the greatest impact on surgical training. Trainees providing care to patients with COVID-19 are more likely to negatively assess the impact of the pandemic on the training process. Replacing traditional training with virtual methods was positively received by residents and considered very useful, and most residents reported a desire to maintain virtual training in ophthalmology in the future.

The ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically affected medical societies. We aim to provide an overview and summarize the information published so far concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology residency programs and the mental wellbeing of trainees, and to establish factors to help maintain successful residency training to ensure high-quality, specialist ophthalmic training. A literature search was conducted in October 2021 of the PubMed database for articles assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of ophthalmology trainees and on ophthalmology residency programs. Cross-sectional survey studies, editorials, articles in scientific journals, letters to editors, and commentaries were considered; finally, 19 studies were included after excluding abstract-only publications and conference posters. The studies’ demographic details, participant characteristics, interventions, outcomes, and limitations were extracted. Our summarized information showed the alarmingly significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology trainees’ mental health and the associated considerable changes in ophthalmic training programs. Thus, in future, virtual training and surgical simulators should be permanently introduced, in addition to traditional teaching, to complete successful ophthalmology residency programs. Additionally, we emphasize the need for a widely facilitated and encouraged access to psychological support programs for healthcare workers, including ophthalmologists.

This study evaluated the characteristics and clinical course of patients with iris cysts in the long-term follow-up (24–48 months). We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 39 patients with iris cysts (27 women and 12 men). Age, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), slit-lamp evaluation, and ultrasound biomicroscopy images were assessed. The mean age at diagnosis was 40.6 ± 17.48 years. Thirty (76.9%) cysts were peripheral, five (12.8%) were located at the pupillary margin, two (5.1%) were midzonal, and two (5.1%) were multichamber cysts extending from the periphery to the pupillary margin. A total of 23 (59%) cysts were in the lower temporal quadrant, 11 (28.2%) were in the lower nasal quadrant, and 5 (12.8%) were in the upper nasal quadrant. Cyst size was positively correlated with patient age (rs = 0.38, p = 0.003) and negatively correlated with visual acuity (rs = −0.42, p = 0.014). Cyst growth was not observed. The only complication was an increase in IOP in three (7.7%) patients with multiple cysts. The anatomical location of the cysts cannot differentiate them from solid tumors. The vast majority of cysts are asymptomatic, do not increase in size, and do not require treatment during long-term follow-up.