Background: To determine the impacts of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on retinal and choroidal thickness measurement in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Participants were 28 patients with OSA treated with CPAP who were enrolled immediately after diagnosis and graded according to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) determined in an overnight polysomnography. Inclusion criteria were a new diagnosis of OSA and an indication for CPAP. Participants underwent a full ophthalmologic examination including standard automated perimetry (SAP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at the levels peripapillary, macular, and choroidal before CPAP onset, and after three and twelve months of CPAP. The data compared before and after treatment were intraocular pressure, SAP, and the thicknesses peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), total retinal (TR), retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), photoreceptor layer (PL), and choroidal. Results: After 3 months of CPAP, we observed thickening of the pRNFL (in 5/6 subfields) (p < 0.004) and TR (in 5/9 subfields) (p < 0.010). At 12 months, thickening persisted in these layers, this time affecting 2/6 and 2/9 subfields, respectively (p < 0.012 and p < 0.001, respectively). Choroidal thinning was observed at the temporal level at both 3 and 12 months compared to measurements before starting CPAP treatment (p = 0.014 and p = 0.038, respectively). SAP remained unchanged. Intraocular pressure was higher at 12 months than at 3 months (p = 0.001). Conclusions: 12 months of CPAP avoids retinal thinning and normalizes choroidal thickness in OSA patients.

Background: Optic nerve head (ONH) interpretation is a glaucoma screening method which may be influenced by criteria variability. Laguna ONhE software is a low-cost and non-invasive method of ONH analysis. Methods: We analysed the results of the Laguna ONhE application, interpreting 552 ONH images from the ACRIMA database, publicly available on the Internet, and compared them with the opinion of five experts. Diagnostic agreement was investigated using Cohen’s kappa (κ) with 95% confidence. Results: The kappa concordance index obtained with Laguna ONhE and the majority of the experts’ criterion (0.77) was significantly higher compared to that obtained with ACRIMA and the majority of the experts’ criterion (0.61). In 44.7% of the cases there was absolute agreement among the 5 experts and the Laguna ONhE program. Removing borderline cases from the analysis yielded increased diagnostic agreement (0.81). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of the Laguna ONhE program (0.953, p < 0.001) was not significantly different than AUROC of the majority of the experts’ criterion (0.925, p < 0.001), p = 0.052. Individually obtained expert’s AUROCs were significantly lower (0.636 to 0.913; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Laguna ONhE’s agreement with the experts is high, particularly where the diagnosis may be more obvious by the appearance of the ONH.

Purpose: To evaluate the 3-year effectiveness and safety of the XEN63 Gel Stent, both as a standalone procedure and combined with phacoemulsification, in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: This prospective, multicenter, non-randomized study included 85 eyes (85 patients) with medically-uncontrolled POAG. Subjects underwent either XEN63-standalone implantation (n = 46) or combined XEN63 + Phacoemulsification (n = 39). The primary endpoint was the cumulative probability of complete success (IOP ≥ 6 and ≥18 mmHg and reduction in IOP ≥ 20% from baseline without ocular-hypotensive medications) at 36 months. Results: At 36-months, the overall surgical success rate was 67.1% (95% CI: 50.8–86.9%), with significant differences between the standalone (78.3%) and combined groups (53.9%; p = 0.0173). Complete success was achieved in 45.9% of the total cohort. Preoperative mean IOP decreased significantly from 21.3 ± 4.7 mmHg to 14.3 ± 4.3 mmHg at the last-follow-up visit (LFUV) (p < 0.0001). Correspondingly, the mean number of medications was significantly reduced from 2.3 ± 0.8 to 0.7 ± 1.0 (p < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis showed that surgical strategy did not significantly influence IOP reduction. Numerical hypotony (IOP < 6 mmHg) occurred in 23.5% of eyes at Day 1 but resolved in 95% of cases by Month 1. One case of hypotonic maculopathy required device explantation. Serious late-onset events included one endophthalmitis (Month 30) and one retinal detachment (Month 26). Secondary needling was required in 8.2% of eyes. Conclusions: The XEN63 Gel Stent provided sustained IOP reduction and a significantly decreased medication burden over 36 months. Outcomes remained consistent regardless of whether the stent was implanted as a standalone procedure or combined with cataract surgery.

Background: To examine the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on central corneal thickness (CCT) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) followed for 12 months. Methods: Participants were patients with OSA and an indication for CPAP who were enrolled after diagnosis and graded according to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) determined in an overnight polysomnography. Each subject underwent a full ophthalmologic examination including ultrasound pachymetry (USP) with an SP3000 USP (Tomey Inc) at the time points just before CPAP onset, and after 3 and 12 months of CPAP treatment. Results: The study sample comprised 40 eyes of 20 patients. Adherence to CPAP was adequate (5.23 ± 1.77 h/night). After receiving 12 months of CPAP, positive correlation was observed between hours of CPAP use and CCT (r = 0.382, p = 0.015). Intermittent hypoxemia pre-CPAP or hypoxia severity pre-CPAP were also positively correlated with the CCT recorded after 12 months of CPAP (r = 0.394, p = 0.012; r = 0.324, p = 0.041). Significant correlations were, however, not observed after only 3 months of CPAP treatment. In addition, compared to measurements at 3 months, intraocular pressure was higher after 12 months of treatment. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that 12 months of correct adherence to CPAP are needed to detect significant CCT thickening, and that the greater the pre-CPAP hypoxemia, the greater the capacity for an increase in CCT to be produced in response to 12 months of this therapy.