The incidence, monitoring coverage and clinical characteristics of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy in the United Kingdom.

Background: Retinal monitoring is recommended for hydroxychloroquine users to detect pre-symptomatic retinopathy and preserve visual function. However, the incidence of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy and monitoring coverage in the U.K.

The UK clinical eye research strategy: refreshing research priorities for clinical eye research in the UK.

Objectives: To validate and update the 2013 James Lind Alliance (JLA) Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership (PSP)'s research priorities for Ophthalmology, as part of the UK Clinical Eye Research Strategy.

Methods: Twelve ophthalmology research themes were identified from the JLA report. They were allocated to five Clinical Study Groups of diverse stakeholders who reviewed the top 10 research priorities for each theme.

Topographic patterns of retinal lesions in multiple evanescent white dot syndrome.

Purpose: To demonstrate different topographic distributions of multiple-evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) and secondary MEWDS disease and to describe possible associations.

Methods: Clinical evaluation and multimodal retinal imaging in 27 subjects with MEWDS (29 discrete episodes of MEWDS). Ophthalmic assessment included best-corrected visual acuity testing and multimodal retinal imaging with OCT, blue-light autofluorescence, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, fundus photography, and widefield pseudocolor and autofluorescence fundus imaging.

A nationwide survey of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy presenting to the hospital eye service in the United Kingdom.

Background: The risk of developing hydroxychloroquine retinopathy is considered sufficient to justify national monitoring programmes. There are an estimated 71,144-77,170 long-term hydroxychloroquine users in the UK. However, the number of patients diagnosed with retinopathy is unknown.

Modern Solutions for Ancient Pathogens: Direct Pathogen Sequencing for Diagnosis of Lepromatous Leprosy and Cerebral Coenurosis.

Microbes unculturable in vitro remain diagnostically challenging, dependent historically on clinical findings, histology, or targeted molecular detection. We applied whole-genome sequencing directly from tissue to diagnose infections with mycobacteria (leprosy) and parasites (coenurosis). Direct pathogen DNA sequencing provides flexible solutions to diagnosis of difficult pathogens in diverse contexts.

The Cellular Composition of the Uveal Immune Environment.

The uveal tract consists of the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid; these three distinct tissues form a continuous layer within the eye. Uveitis refers to inflammation of any region of the uveal tract. Despite being grouped together anatomically, the iris, ciliary body and choroid are distinct functionally, and inflammatory diseases may affect only one part and not the others.

Structural Abnormalities of the Central Retina in Neurofibromatosis Type 2.

Introduction: This case-control study seeks to systematically characterize the central retinal findings in a large cohort of patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) as well as the examination of the potential use of this technique as a diagnostic tool in NF2.

Methods: Fifty-four patients with an NF2 diagnosis seen in a quaternary national service were age- and gender-matched to 55 controls from the normal population. Two masked assessors categorized SD-OCT images using predefined abnormalities: retinal tufts, epiretinal membrane (ERM) appearance, retinal hamartoma, and foveal contour.

Retinal Optical Coherence Tomography in Neuromyelitis Optica.

Background And Objectives: To determine optic nerve and retinal damage in aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in a large international cohort after previous studies have been limited by small and heterogeneous cohorts.

Methods: The cross-sectional Collaborative Retrospective Study on retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) in neuromyelitis optica collected retrospective data from 22 centers. Of 653 screened participants, we included 283 AQP4-IgG-seropositive patients with NMOSD and 72 healthy controls (HCs).

Systemic corticosteroid use in UK Uveitis practice: results from the ocular inflammation steroid toxicity risk (OSTRICH) study.

Objectives: To ascertain adherence to an international consensus target of ≤7.5 mg/day of prednisolone for maintenance systemic corticosteroid (CS) prescribing in uveitis and report the frequency of courses of high-dose systemic CS in the UK.

Methods: We conducted a national, multicentre audit of systemic CS prescribing for uveitis at 11 UK sites between November 2018 and March 2019.

Cohort profile: a collaborative multicentre study of retinal optical coherence tomography in 539 patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (CROCTINO).

Purpose: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) captures retinal damage in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). Previous studies investigating OCT in NMOSD have been limited by the rareness and heterogeneity of the disease. The goal of this study was to establish an image repository platform, which will facilitate neuroimaging studies in NMOSD.

Long-term efficacy and tolerability of TNFα inhibitors in the treatment of non-infectious ocular inflammation: an 8-year prospective surveillance study.

Background/aim: To report the efficacy and tolerability of antitumour necrosis factor-alpha therapy (TNF inhibitors [TNFi]) in the management of non-infectious ocular inflammation, including uveitis and scleritis, in adult patients over an 8-year period.

Materials And Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of infliximab and adalimumab in the treatment of non-infectious ocular inflammatory disease. 43 of 85 adult patients on TNFi (34 infliximab, 9 adalimumab) for ≥1 year with non-infectious uveitis or scleritis were followed from 2006 to 2014.

Uveitis and spondyloarthropathies.

Uveitis is a frequently occurring extra-articular manifestation of spondyloarthropathies (SpAs), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), reactive arthritis (ReA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), occurring in both adults and children with SpA. Uveitis occurs with varying frequency according to the SpA subtype (33% in AS, 6-9% in PsA, 25% in ReA, 13% in undifferentiated SpA and 2-5% in IBD), the presence of HLA-B27 and with increasing duration of disease. The majority of cases of uveitis in SpA are attributed to acute anterior uveitis but a minority of uveitis cases occur in the posterior segment of the eye.

An audit of the use of hydroxychloroquine in rheumatology clinics.

Objective: The aim was to audit the use, indications, complications and patient information regarding HCQ treatment in rheumatology clinics in a tertiary referral centre.

Methods: During a 9-month period, we identified all patients prescribed HCQ and attending rheumatology clinics in one hospital. We established: (i) the indication for HCQ; (ii) the prevalence of HCQ overdosing based on absolute body weight (ABW); (iii) documentation of warning of risk of retinal toxicity; (iv) systemic and ocular co-morbidities; (v) ocular symptoms during treatment; and (vi) reasons for stopping HCQ.

A Review of the Landscape of Targeted Immunomodulatory Therapies for Non-Infectious Uveitis.

Systemic immunomodulatory therapies are the principal means of managing non-infectious uveitis. This review aims to explore the current landscape of systemic uveitis treatments, including biologic therapies and the advent of biosimilar therapies.

IgG4-related disease presenting as posterior scleritis and vitritis, progressing to multifocal orbital involvement.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare, chronic inflammatory condition that may involve nearly every organ system. Originally identified as a cause of autoimmune pancreatitis, its characteristic histological and clinical features have been found in a wide variety of inflammatory presentations, including the eye and orbit. Here we describe an example of a case of IgG4-RD initially presenting as scleritis and vitritis, with further progression to multifocal bilateral orbital involvement.

Comparison of Visual Outcomes of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in Patients with and without Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: Diabetic patients have a greater risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) than nondiabetic patients. We compare visual outcomes, prevalence of bilateral/sequential ION, and predictors of visual outcomes in NAION between diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

Design: Case-control study.

Use of adalimumab in refractory non-infectious childhood chronic uveitis: efficacy in ocular disease--a case cohort interventional study.

Objective: To assess the use of adalimumab in the treatment of refractory non-infectious childhood chronic uveitis.

Methods: A case cohort interventional study was performed on patients with uveitis, who were treated with adalimumab after failure of treatment with a combination of corticosteroids and another immunosuppressant drug. Main outcome measures were (i) stability of vision, (ii) stability of inflammation and (iii) reduction of immunosuppressive load.

Detection of clinical and subclinical retinal abnormalities in neurosarcoidosis with optical coherence tomography.

The aim of this work was to determine if neurosarcoidosis (NS) patients exhibit quantitative and/or qualitative in vivo evidence of retinal abnormalities on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Retinal imaging was performed using spectral-domain Cirrus HD-OCT in 20 NS patients (40 eyes) and 24 age-matched healthy controls (48 eyes). Study participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and detailed neurological and ophthalmological evaluation.