Purpose: To investigate the foveal movement in eyes with epiretinal membrane after vitrectomy and membrane peeling. Methods: A retrospective review of 85 eyes with epiretinal membrane treated with vitrectomy, membrane peeling, and internal limiting membrane removal. Using a self-designed computer program to compare the preoperative and postoperative images of optical coherence tomography to measure the amount of foveal movement. Analyze the relationships between foveal displacement, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, and the stage of epiretinal membrane. Results: Most of the fovea were nasally shifted. More movement happened in the first month and almost finished in the first year. The greater degree of foveal displacement was correlated with poorer initial visual acuity and thicker central foveal thickness. In considering with the ectopic inner foveal layer staging of epiretinal membrane by structural optical coherence tomography, the foveal realignment is greatest in Stage 4 (394.47 ± 171.44 µm), followed by Stage 1 (251.21 ± 135.40 µm), Stage 2 (235.70 ± 147.51 µm), and Stage 3 (219.86 ± 117.91 µm) at the postoperative 1 month. Conclusion: Most eyes of epiretinal membrane had the foveal moved nasally after membrane peeling and internal limiting membrane peeling. The larger amount of foveal movement was correlated with poorer initial best-corrected visual acuity. Dystopia fovea may be another factor affecting visual acuity in addition to other biomarkers in optical coherence tomography.

To investigate biometric and refractive results in patients with type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated by intravitreal injection (IVI) of ranibizumab (R) and bevacizumab (B) at the corrected age of 6. This is a single-center retrospective study. Infants diagnosed with type 1 ROP and treated with IVI of either R or B as the primary therapy were included. Data on axial length, anterior chamber depth (ACD), and lens thickness (LT) were obtained using A-scan ultrasound. Cycloplegic refraction, keratometry (K), and best-corrected visual acuity were also documented. Additionally, optical coherence tomography angiography was performed to assess the foveal avascular zone and the density of superficial and deep vessels. We analyzed the structural and functional differences between the 2 groups and compared them with findings from a previous study conducted when these children were between the ages of 1 and 3. The study included 60 eyes from 34 patients, with 34 eyes receiving B and 26 eyes receiving R injections for ROP. In biometric outcomes, there was still a deeper ACD (3.36 ± 0.24 mm in the B group; 3.52 ± 0.21 mm in the R group) and thinner LT (3.63 ± 0.16 mm in the B group; 3.53 ± 0.12 mm in the R group) in the R group, as previously reported at the age of 3. In the refractive aspect, the eyes treated with B had higher myopia at the ages of 1 and 3; however, at the age of 6, refractive errors did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. At the corrected age of 6, the eyes treated with IVI of R were associated with deeper ACD and thinner LT. Interestingly, the emmetropization process resulted in a similar incidence of high myopia at the age of 6, which was different from the outcomes observed at younger ages.

Background and Objectives: Cultural beliefs influence the conceptualization, adaptation, and coping strategies for diseases. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cultural beliefs and customs on the willingness to undergo cataract surgery in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: The data were retrospectively retrieved from the national Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). From the national database, we enrolled patients that were diagnosed with cataracts and underwent cataract surgery from 2001 to 2010. All the patients were stratified according to their gender and living area. Gender was categorized as male or female, and the living area was classified as urban or rural. We compared the difference in the number of surgeries between stratified patient groups in each Chinese lunar month. Results: The number of cataract surgeries decreased significantly in the seventh and twelfth lunar months for both genders. There was a significant reduction in cataract surgeries in both the urban and rural groups during the seventh lunar month. Interestingly, only the seventh lunar month had an association with sex in different living areas, which meant that in the seventh month, there was a gender-specific difference in the surgical numbers. Conclusions: The Taiwanese population holds a belief that surgical procedures, including cataract surgery, during the lunar ghost month is inauspicious. Citizens tend to avoid elective surgery due to cultural practice, resulting in a decrease in surgical numbers during the period of the Chinese New Year. The authorities should consider these cultural behaviors when developing medical policies and allocating resources. Healthcare providers should be aware of these superstitions and take them into account when providing medical care and advice to patients.

Rationale: The prevalence of idiopathic retinitis, vasculitis, aneurysms, and neuroretinitis (IRVAN) syndrome is <1/1,000,000, and it tends to occur in young women. Panretinal photocoagulation, focal laser photocoagulation, peripheral cryopexy, vitrectomy, and corticosteroid therapy are the traditional treatments. We reported a case of a senile patient with IRVAN syndrome who presented with severe exudation in both eyes and macular edema in the left eye, successfully treated by serial intravitreal aflibercept injections. Patient Concerns: A 77-year-old Taiwanese woman complained of progressive blurred vision in the left eye and ocular examinations revealed a visual acuity of 20/125 in the left eye. Diagnosis: Indirect fundoscopy and fluorescein angiography showed bilateral multiple aneurysms, vasculitis, optic nerve staining, and neovascularizations. In addition, optical coherence tomography demonstrated macular edema with subretinal fluid and exudations in the left eye. Interventions: Monthly intravitreal injections of antivascular endothelial growth factor with aflibercept 2.0 mg were administered in the left eye. Outcomes: The visual acuity in the left eye improved to 20/50 after 18 months of treatment. Macular edema and subretinal fluid regressed. Furthermore, vessel leakage and optic disc staining also improved. Lessons: This case is the first to demonstrate successful treatment of IRVAN syndrome-related central macular edema and exudations, in the absence of neovascularization, using a series of intravitreal aflibercept injections as monotherapy.

To report a unique case of a 31-year-old woman developing corneal ectasia after an abandoned laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) procedure with incomplete flap creation without laser ablation. A 31-year-old Taiwanese woman presented with corneal ectasia after a failed LASIK with an incomplete flap creation without laser procedure in her right eye 4 years ago. A visible scar was observed in the flap margin from the 7 to 10 o'clock position. The auto refractometer revealed myopia with high astigmatism, −1.25/−7.25 × 30. Keratometry was 47.00/40.75 D. In contrast, no sign of keratoconus was found in the fellow eye, which did not experience any surgery. Corneal tomography indicated that the incomplete flap scar was compatible with the main area of corneal ectasia. Furthermore, anterior segment optical coherence tomography showed a deep cutting plane and a relatively thin corneal bed. Both findings explained the cause for corneal ectasia. Corneal ectasia can occur whenever corneal structure or integrity is compromised.