Enhancing Corneal Sensitivity in Diabetic Patients Through an Innovative Ophthalmic Solution: In Vivo and Vitro Results.

: Diabetes is a well-recognised factor inducing a plethora of corneal alterations ranging from dry eye to reduced corneal sensibility, epithelial defects, and reduced cicatrisation. This cohort study aimed to assess the efficacy of a novel ophthalmic solution combining cross-linked hyaluronic acid (CHA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and inositol (INS) in managing diabetes-induced corneal alterations. Specifically, it evaluated the solution's impact on the tear breakup time (TBUT), the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), and corneal sensitivity after three months of treatment.

Tomographic and topographic predictive factors of big bubble formation during deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in keratoconus.

Purpose: To identify preoperative predictors of big bubble (BB) formation during deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in patients with keratoconus (KC).

Methods: DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study in an Italian tertiary centre.

Study Population: Consecutive patients with KC undergoing DALK from January 2021 to July 2023.

Influence of Opacity Depth on Big Bubble Formation During Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in Corneal Stromal Scars.

Purpose: To identify the key preoperative predictors of big bubble (BB) formation during deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in patients with corneal stromal scars (CSS).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with CSS after infective keratitis who underwent BB-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty between January 2021 and July 2023 at a tertiary referral center. Topographic and tomographic data were collected to compare the rates and types of BB formations.

Biomarker Signature in Aqueous Humor Mirrors Lens Epithelial Cell Activation: New Biomolecular Aspects from Cataractogenic Myopia.

Inflammatory, vasculogenic, and profibrogenic factors have been previously reported in vitreous (VH) and aqueous (AH) humors in myopic patients who underwent cataract surgery. In light of this, we selected some mediators for AH and anterior-capsule-bearing lens epithelial cell (AC/LEC) analysis, and AH expression was correlated with LEC activation (epithelial-mesenchymal transition and EMT differentiation) and axial length (AL) elongation. In this study, AH (97; 41M/56F) and AC/LEC samples (78; 35M/43F) were collected from 102 patients who underwent surgery, and biosamples were grouped according to AL elongation.

RETINAL TECTONICS AFTER MACULAR PUCKER SURGERY: Thickness Changes and En Face Displacement Recovery.

Purpose: To study visual function, retinal layer thickness changes, and tangential displacement after pars plana vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane.

Methods: Retrospective series of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane, with 6-month follow-up including best-corrected visual acuity, optical coherence tomography, M-charts, epiretinal membrane grading, and infrared fundus photograph at time 0 (T0, preop) at months 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 6 (T6) postop (±1 week). Retinal layer thickness and tangential ( en face ) retinal displacement between successive times for the entire retinal surface and the central horizontal and vertical meridian were also measured.

Correlation between Morphological Characteristics of Macular Edema and Visual Acuity in Young Patients with Idiopathic Intermediate Uveitis.

Macular edema (ME) is a common complication of intermediate uveitis (IU). It is often responsible for a decrease in visual acuity (VA). Three distinct patterns of macular edema have been described in intermediate uveitis, namely, cystoid macular edema (CME), diffuse macular edema (DME), and serous retinal detachment (SRD).

Short-Term ROS Detection and Oxidative Stress Regulators in Epiretinal Membranes and Vitreous from Idiopathic Vitreoretinal Diseases.

Background: A plethora of inflammatory, angiogenic, and tissue remodeling factors has been reported in idiopathic epiretinal membranes (ERMs). Herein we focused on the expression of a few mediators (oxidative, inflammatory, and angiogenic/vascular factors) by means of short-term vitreal cell cultures and biomolecular analysis.

Methods: Thirty-nine (39) ERMs and vitreal samples were collected at the time of vitreoretinal surgery and biomolecular analyses were performed in clear vitreous, vitreal cell pellets, and ERMs.

Cortisol awake response imbalance as an indicator of acute central serous chorioretinopathy: Relationship with choriocapillaris and choroidal features.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to measure in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) the salivary cortisol awake response (CAR) delta percentage (Δ%) variation, a distinct and robust indicator of cortisol rhythm during wakefulness, commonly proposed as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity, whose alteration is frequently associated with several adverse health outcomes.

Methods: In the present cross-sectional observational study, salivary CAR Δ% variation was assessed in 17 adult male subjects affected by acute naïve CSC and compared to 17 matched healthy controls. Choroid vasculature metrics were assessed in the study population by measuring the subfoveal choroidal thickness (FCT) and the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) by the imaging technique of enhanced-depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-SD-OCT).

Biopsychosocial Illness Model: From the Lung to the Eye.

Studies on the impact of different pathologies on the quality of life have made the translation of multidisciplinary scientific knowledge into a unified model of biopsychosocial disease possible in which several important biological variables are integrated with psychological-functional and sociological variables [...

Branch retinal artery occlusion caught in the act by an optical coherence tomography angiography image: case report.

Background: Retinal artery occlusion is a vascular entity caused by the temporary blockage of retinal arterioles.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 57-year-old woman a partial visual loss in the right eye due to a cilioretinal artery occlusion. Ophthalmoscopy revealed a focal area of retinal whitening superior to the optic nerve in the right eye, while the left eye was within the limit.

Comparative Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Antiamoebic, and Antiviral Efficacy of Ophthalmic Formulations.

The extensive use of ophthalmic antibiotics is contributing to the appearance of resistant bacterial strains, which require prolonged and massive treatments with consequent detrimental outcomes and adverse effects. In addition to these issues, antibiotics are not effective against parasites and viruses. In this context, antiseptics could be valuable alternatives.

Relationship of Choroidal Vasculature and Choriocapillaris Flow With Alterations of Salivary α-Amylase Patterns in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

Purpose: An abnormality in choroidal vasculature is a known factor in the pathogenesis of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), a chorioretinal disease affecting mostly middle-aged males. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the pathophysiology of CSC.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study in which characteristic choroidal vasculature metrics were assessed by measuring the subfoveal choroidal thickness (FCT) and the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) using the imaging technique of enhanced-depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-SD-OCT).

Agreement of rebound and applanation tonometry intraocular pressure measurements during atmospheric pressure change.

This study investigated the agreement of intraocular pressure measurements using rebound tonometry and applanation tonometry in response to atmospheric changes in a hyperbaric chamber. Twelve eyes of 12 healthy subjects were included in this prospective, comparative, single-masked study. Intraocular pressure measurements were performed by rebound tonometry followed by applanation tonometry in a multiplace hyperbaric chamber at 1 Bar, followed by 2, 3 and 4 Bar during compression and again at 3 and 2 Bar during decompression.

Topo-Pachimetric Accelerated Epi-On Cross-Linking Compared to the Dresden Protocol Using Riboflavin with Vitamin E TPGS: Results of a 2-Year Randomized Study.

In the present study (clinical trial registration number: NCT05019768), we compared the clinical outcome of corneal cross-linking with either the standard Dresden (sCXL) or the accelerated custom-fast (aCFXL) ultraviolet A irradiation protocol using riboflavin-D-α-tocopheryl poly(ethylene glycol)-1000 succinate for progressive keratoconus. Fifty-four eyes of forty-one patients were randomized to either of the two CXL protocols and checked before treatment and at the 2-year follow-up. The sCXL group was subjected to CXL with 30 min of pre-soaking and 3 mW/cm UVA irradiation for 30 min.

Phacoemulsification and nucleic acid-enriched aerosol: considerations from an eye model of cataract simulation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether phacoemulsification can generate aerosolized single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and retain sequence integrity using an artificial eye model for experimental cataract surgery.

Methods: A simulation of cataract surgery was performed using an anterior chamber eye model filled with an ssRNA probe at different scalar dilutions (kanamycin positive control ssRNA). A plastic conical cage was built over the artificial eye surface of the mock-up.

Exploring the Biopsychosocial Pathways Shared by Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC): A Literature Overview.

This study addressed the following question: "Is it possible to highlight the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) through common biopsychosocial pathogenetic pathways?". The study was conducted through electronic searches of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. All relevant selected human research studies published from January 2003 to December 2020 were included.

Epiretinal Membrane Surgery: Structural Retinal Changes Correlate with the Improvement of Visual Function.

Several parameters have been studied for identifying the visual outcomes after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling. This retrospective study aimed to analyze structural retinal changes with spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and their correlations with visual acuity improvement in patients with ERM undergoing PPV. Twenty-one pseudophakic eyes were enrolled in the study.

Short-Term Results of Ocriplasmin Versus Prompt Vitrectomy for Macular Hole. Which Performs Better?

In this retrospective study, we compared the anatomical and functional changes in patients with vitreomacular traction associated with macular holes between the following groups: (1) Patients who were treated with a single intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin (the OCRIALONE group); (2) those who failed the ocriplasmin treatment and underwent vitrectomy one month later (the OCRIVIT group); and (3) patients who directly underwent par plana vitrectomy (VITREALONE group). A total of 38 patients, 19 in the OCRIALONE group + OCRIVIT group (seven and 12 patients, respectively) and 19 in the VITREALONE group with focal vitreomacular adhesion associated with macular holes were evaluated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Functional examinations included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and microperimetry analysis.

Resilience of the Photoreceptors in Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy Observed by Microperimetry over Time.

Aims: To analyze the morphological and functional findings using microperimetry and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE).

Methods: This retrospective observational case series included four eyes of two patients with APMPPE. Best-corrected visual acuity range was from 20/20 to 20/250.

Microvascular impairment as a biomarker of diabetic retinopathy progression in the long-term follow up in type 1 diabetes.

This study aimed to explore differences in vascular and structural parameters using optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with type 1 diabetes (DM1) with mild signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR) over a two-year follow-up period. Parafoveal vessel density (PVD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area were analyzed. The thickness of three predefined retinal slabs was measured, including the inner limiting membrane (ILM)-inner plexiform layer (IPL), IPL-inner nuclear layer (INL), and the IPL-outer nuclear layer (ONL).

Acute Acquired Concomitant Esotropia From Excessive Application of Near Vision During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

The public health measures imposed in many countries to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak could have negative effects on children's physical and mental health. The authors describe four cases of acquired concomitant acute esotropia likely caused from excessive application of near vision during the COVID-19 lockdown. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus.

Inverted ILM-flap techniques variants for macular hole surgery: randomized clinical trial to compare retinal sensitivity and fixation stability.

To report closure rate, Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Retinal Sensitivity (RS) and Fixation Stability (FS) of idiopathic Macular Holes (MH) randomized to Cover Group (CG) or Fill Group (FG) of the Inverted Internal Limiting Membrane (ILM) flap surgical procedure. Twenty-eight patients were randomized (1:1) to receive a vitrectomy with either Cover or Fill ILM flap technique. All patients underwent BCVA, RS and FS assessment at baseline, 1-month and 3-months after surgery.