Argus II retinal prosthesis for retinitis pigmentosa in the Middle East: The 2015 Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology Gradle Lecture.

Background: To describe the outcomes of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who received the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System.

Methods: This retrospective, interventional case series evaluated 10 consecutive patients who received the Argus II retinal implant and underwent visual function tests with the system on and system off. The main outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events), and visual function measured by computer-based objective tests, including square localization (SL) and direction of motion (DOM).

Prepapillary vascular loop-a new classification.

Background/objectives: To analyze the ophthalmic characteristics of congenital prepapillary vascular loop (PVL) and to propose a new morphologic classification dividing the loops into six types.

Subjects/methods: Collaborative multinational multicentre retrospective study of PVL cases.

Results: There was a total of 49 cases (61 eyes), 37 unilateral (75.

Preoperative Bevacizumab for Tractional Retinal Detachment in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and safety of an intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab (IVB) as a preoperative adjunct to small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) compared with PPV alone in eyes with tractional retinal detachment secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: This prospective, double-masked, randomized, multicenter, active-controlled clinical trial enrolled 224 eyes of 224 patients between November 2013 and July 2015.

Teleophthalmology image-based navigated retinal laser therapy for diabetic macular edema: a concept of retinal telephotocoagulation.

Background: To determine the feasibility and efficacy of a retinal telephotocoagulation treatment plan for diabetic macular edema.

Methods: Prospective, interventional cohort study at two clinical sites. Sixteen eyes of ten subjects with diabetic macular edema underwent navigated focal laser photocoagulation using a novel teleretinal treatment plan.

Serum molecular signature for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: The risk of vision loss from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) can be reduced with timely detection and treatment. We aimed to identify serum molecular signatures that might help in the early detection of PDR in patients with diabetes.

Methods: A total of 40 patients with diabetes were recruited at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 20 with extensive PDR and 20 with mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Attitudes of Saudi Arabian Undergraduate Medical Students towards Health Research.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate attitudes, perceptions and perceived barriers towards health research among Saudi Arabian undergraduate medical students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between August and October 2014 and included 520 students from five medical schools across Saudi Arabia. An anonymous online survey with 21 close-ended questions was designed to assess students' attitudes towards research, contribution to research-related activities, awareness of the importance of research, perception of available resources/opportunities for research, appreciation of medical students' research contributions and perceived barriers to research.

Diabetic glomerulosclerosis can be the pathogenesis of refractory diabetic macular edema.

Background: Kidney failure provoked by glomerulosclerosis leads to fluid filtration deficits and other disorders of kidney function. Refractory diabetic macular edema (DME) can be another warning sign of glomerulosclerosis in diabetic patients.

Case: A 40-year-old Saudi male presented with macular edema that was refractory to all possible medical and surgical ophthalmic interventions in both eyes.

The use of a virtual reality surgical simulator for cataract surgical skill assessment with 6 months of intervening operating room experience.

Purpose: To evaluate a haptic-based simulator, MicroVisTouch™, as an assessment tool for capsulorhexis performance in cataract surgery. The study is a prospective, unmasked, nonrandomized dual academic institution study conducted at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medical Center (Baltimore, MD, USA) and King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

Methods: This prospective study evaluated capsulorhexis simulator performance in 78 ophthalmology residents in the US and Saudi Arabia in the first round of testing and 40 residents in a second round for follow-up.

Vitreous hemorrhage in pediatric age group.

Purpose. To identify and study causes of vitreous hemorrhage (VH) in pediatric age group and to investigate factors predicting visual and anatomical outcomes. Procedure.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography findings in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy suggest a type 1 neovascular growth pattern.

Purpose: To report spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Patients And Methods: Seventeen eyes of 15 consecutive patients diagnosed with PCV based on typical clinical and angiographic findings were imaged with macular SD-OCT including line scans passing through the polyps.

Results: SD-OCT findings included typical and atypical retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) detachments and subretinal and intraretinal fluid in all eyes.

Role of Intravitreal Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Injections for Choroidal Neovascularization due to Choroidal Osteoma.

We treated 26 eyes of 25 young patients having a mean age of 30 years with intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor for choroidal new vessel (CNV) formation overlying choroidal osteoma over a mean follow-up of 26 months. Mean number of injections was 2.4 at 6 months, 3.

Review of choroidal osteomas.

Choroidal osteomas are rare benign ossifying tumors that appear as irregular slightly elevated, yellow-white, juxtapapillary, choroidal mass with well-defined geographic borders, depigmentation of the overlying pigment epithelium; and with multiple small vascular networks on the tumor surface. Visual loss results from three mechanisms: Atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium overlying a decalcified osteoma; serous retinal detachment over the osteoma from decompensated retinal pigment epithelium, and most commonly from choroidal neovascularization. Recent evidence points to the beneficial effects of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor antagonists in improving visual acuity in serous retinal detachment with or without choroidal neovascularization.

Surgical simulators in cataract surgery training.

Background: Virtual simulators have been widely implemented in medical and surgical training, including ophthalmology. The increasing number of published articles in this field mandates a review of the available results to assess current technology and explore future opportunities.

Method: A PubMed search was conducted and a total of 10 articles were reviewed.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in children 16 years of age or younger.

Purpose: To study the anatomical and visual outcomes and prognostic factors that may predict the outcomes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in children.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients 16 years of age or younger who underwent retinal reattachment surgery for RRD at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital from 1996 to 2005 and the King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital from 2002 to 2006, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Good visual outcome was defined as ≥20/200.

Anesthesia for pars plana vitrectomy with insulin needle, is it possible?

Peribulbar block is commonly used for ocular posterior segment surgery. This work aimed to compare the efficacy of using 12.5 mm to 25 mm standard needle length in performing single injection peribulbar block for retinal surgery.

Surgical treatment and histopathology of a symptomatic free-floating primary pigment epithelial iris cyst in the anterior vitreous.

We report the surgical removal of an iris pigment epithelial cyst that was floating freely in the posterior chamber of an 18-month-old child. The reason for surgical removal was disturbance in near vision secondary to the movement of the cyst across the visual axis. Visual disturbance secondary to a unilateral anterior vitreous iris cyst at this age is a rare presentation and, to the best of our knowledge, has not been reported previously as an indication for surgery.

Ocular manifestations of branchio-oculo-facial syndrome: report of a novel mutation and review of the literature.

Purpose: To report unusual ocular manifestations of branchio-oculo-facial syndrome (BOFS) caused by a novel mutation in activating enhancer binding protein 2 alpha (TFAP2A).

Methods: Full ophthalmological evaluation and direct sequencing of TFAP2A.

Results: A 10-year-old girl with unusual ocular manifestations of BOFS such as elliptical shaped microcornea and a novel de novo TFAP2A mutation was identified.

Optical coherence tomography demonstration of Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy in a child.

Considering the importance of optical coherence tomography in clinical decision making, the veracity of these images is critical. The authors describe a 5-year-old girl with Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy of different stages of development in both eyes in which the optical coherence tomography appearance correlated well with both the staves of the disease and the visual function.