Background and Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) and treatment satisfaction (TS) in patients with diabetic retinopathy treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Material and Methods: The panel study included 95 patients who underwent PRP for diabetic retinopathy. Eligible patients with no history of previous PRP were interviewer-administered the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) and Retinopathy Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RetTSQ) beforehandand one month after the last session of laser application. The study was conducted between June 2017 and June 2019 at tertiary care center in Serbia, Belgrade. We assessed pre- to post-PRP values of the composite score and subscale scores of VFQ-25 and RetTSQ, using a paired samples t-test. Univariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between binary outcomes and potential predictors. Multivariate regression included predictors from univariate analyses that were statistically significant. Results: The mean VFQ-25 composite score was 65.4 ± 17.4 before and 63.3 ± 19.5 after PRP (p = 0.045). Subscale analysis showed that two of the 11 items achieved a significant decrease after laser application (general vision and dependency). The mean RetTSQ score at baseline was 60.0 ± 11.8 and at the exit visit was 60.3 ± 12.3 (p = 0.858). Sub-scale analysis showed significant deterioration for five of the 13 items. Multivariate logistic regression found that significant predictor of VFQ-25 composite score reduction was fewer laser burns (p = 0.002) while significant predictor of RetTSQ total score reduction was presence of hyperlipidaemia (p = 0.021). Conclusion: The use of vision-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction questionnaires in conjunction with clinical examination, appears to provide a more comprehensive overview of an individual’s daily well-being following PRP. Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy leads to deterioration of some of the patients’ perceived VR-QOL and TS. Health-care providers should inform patients about their treatment options and together decide which therapeutic method is best for them.
1 January 2015 in Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo
Introduction. Adie’s (tonic) pupil is a neuro-ophthalmological disorder characterized by a tonically dilated pupil, which is unresponsive to light. It is caused by damage to postganglionic fibers of the parasympathetic innervation of the eye, usually by a viral or bacterial infection. Adie’s syndrome includes diminished deep tendon reflexes. Outline of Cases. We report data of a 59-year-old female with unequal pupil sizes. She complained of blurred vision and headache mainly while reading. She had a 35-year history of hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis. On exam, left pupil was mydriatic and there was no response to light and at slit lamp we saw segments of the sphincter constrict. We performed 0.125% pilocarpine test and there was a remarkable reduction of size in the left pupil. The second case is a 55-year-old female who was referred to the University Eye Clinic because of a headache and mydriatic left pupil. She had diabetes mellitus type 2, as well as hepatitis A virus 20 years earlier. On exam, the left pupil was mydriatic, with no response to light. Test with diluted pilocarpine was positive. Neurological examinations revealed no abnormality in either case so we excluded Adie’s syndrome. Conclusion. Adie’s tonic pupil is benign neuro-ophthalmological disorder of unknown etiology. Most patients commonly present no symptoms and anisocoria is noticed accidentally. Although the etiology is unknown, there are some conditions that cause tonic pupil. It may be a part of a syndrome in which tonic pupil is associated with absent deep tendon reflexes.
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate quantitative differences in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between diabetic patients and healthy controls and to identify the early OCTA biomarkers for diabetic macular changes. Methods: Ophthalmological examination and OCTA were performed on two groups of diabetic patients (with and without mild diabetic retinopathy) and healthy controls. Macular, foveal, perifoveal, and parafoveal vessel density (VD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and flow area in the choriocapillaris were calculated. Results: A total of 431 eyes of 233 participants were analyzed. The VD in the SCP in the whole macula was the lowest in the DM + DR group and lower than in the DMnoDR group; however, in the fovea, it was the highest in the DM + DR group and higher than in the DMnoDR group. The VD in the SCP in the parafovea was lower in the DM + DR group than in the DMnoDR group, and in the perifovea, it was lower in the DMnoDR group than in the control group. The VD in the DCP in the macula, parafovea, and perifovea was lower in the DM + DR group than in the DMnoDR and control groups. The FAZ and flow areas in the choriocapillaris were smaller in the DM + DR group than in both the DMnoDR and control groups. Conclusions: VD reduction in the SCP and the DCP of the macular and parafoveal regions, as well as in the DCP of the perifoveal region, may indicate progression of diabetic retinopathy from subclinical to clinical stages; however, an increase in the foveal region in the SCP can be a compensatory mechanism. VD reduction in the perifovea and whole macula in the SCP can be a screening factor for subclinical macular changes. FAZ reduction before clinical signs of retinopathy may be an early compensatory vascular mechanism.
22 April 2024 in European Journal of Ophthalmology
Background: The aim of the study was to detect the changes in retinal and choroidal vasculature via optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) by comparing the quantitative OCTA parameters in patients with and without myotonic dystrophies (DM). Material: The cross-sectional study. Forty-one consecutive patients affected by DMs were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were molecular diagnosis of DM types 1 and 2. To avoid the age effect on microvascular changes and to justify a comparison between DM1 and DM2 patients, two control groups matched for sex and age were established. Results: The vascular density was found to be significantly decreased in the DM groups compared to the controls in the macular, parafoveal and perifoveal zone of superficial capillary plexus ( p < 0.001 for the DM1 group, and p = 0.001, p = 0.005 and p = 0.026, respectively, for the DM2 group), as well as in the macular zone in the deep capillary plexus for DM1 ( p = 0.002) and deep macular and perifoveal zone for DM2 ( p = 0.007, p = 0.001, respectively). The foveal avascular zone showed no significant differences between DM1 and DM2 compared to their control groups ( p = 0.320 and p = 0.945, respectively). Conclusion: Our results show that DM is associated not only with the classic pigmentary changes but also with superficial and deep retinal microvasculature abnormalities, suggesting that these changes may be related to local hypoperfusion. Optical coherence tomography angiography is a useful tool for the diagnosis and characterization of retinal changes in DM and should be part of the standard evaluation of these patients.
1 January 2015 in Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo
Introduction. Vitreous or retinal hemorrhage occurring in association with subarachnoid hemorrhage is known as Terson?s syndrome. In Terson?s syndrome, intracranial hemorrhages are followed by intraocular hemorrhage, classically in the subhyaloid space, but may also include subretinal, retinal, preretinal, and vitreal collections. Vitreous hemorrhage recovery is usually spontaneous in six to 12 months, otherwise vitrectomy is considered. Outline of Cases. We report of two cases of Terson?s syndrome. The first was in a hypertensive middleaged female, following anterior communicating artery aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage, after postneurosurgical interventions. The second case report was of a young male who suffered from the bilateral vitreous hemorrhage after a severe traumatic brain injury. Conclusion. Terson?s syndrome should be considered in patients who had previous cerebral hemorrhage and are referred to eye specialist because of loss of vision. However, this phenomenon has only rarely been described in association with subdural and epidural hematomas or traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Objective Cross-cultural translation and validation of the Serbian version of the Retinopathy Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version (RetTSQs). Design Cross-sectional study. Settings The study was conducted between June 2017 and June 2018 at tertiary care centre in Serbia, Belgrade. Participants A total of 101 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) were included. All subjects were evaluated in two consecutive visits, the first during the initial contact to the clinic, while the second 4–6 weeks later. Main outcome measures Validation of Serbian version of the RetTSQs was the major outcome. Results Cronbach alpha coefficient of the subscales ranged from 0.783 (positive scale) to 0.811 (negative scale) and for all domains it was excellent at α=0.829. The intraclass correlation coefficient was greater than 0.8 for all of the subscales. Univariable analyses revealed that age, gender, education, marital status and working status did not affect the RetTSQ scores, whereas participants with non-proliferative DR reported significantly higher treatment satisfaction (TS) than those with proliferative retinopathy (p=0.001). The group who received laser treatment scored significantly lower than the group without it (p=0.004) regardless of type of performed laser. Positive and statistically significant correlations were found between the RetTSQ score and most of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 subscales. Conclusion Translated Serbian adaptation of the RetTSQs showed adequate psychometric characteristics as an acceptable, reliable and valid questionnaire. It was well understood by Serbian diabetic patients and it promises to be used in daily clinical work as an instrument for the assessment of TS for patients with DR.