Acute Submacular Hemorrhage Resulting from Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Monocular Patient.

To present the management and outcomes of a case of acute submacular hemorrhage due to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). A single case was retrospectively evaluated. A 79-year-old man with a history of submacular hemorrhage from nAMD and persistent disease activity in the left eye presented with acute submacular hemorrhage in his better-seeing right eye, which was previously closely monitored for an extrafoveal serous pigment epithelial detachment without exudation.

RobOCTNet: Robotics and Deep Learning for Referable Posterior Segment Pathology Detection in an Emergency Department Population.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a robotically aligned optical coherence tomography (RAOCT) system coupled with a deep learning model in detecting referable posterior segment pathology in OCT images of emergency department patients.

Methods: A deep learning model, RobOCTNet, was trained and internally tested to classify OCT images as referable versus non-referable for ophthalmology consultation. For external testing, emergency department patients with signs or symptoms warranting evaluation of the posterior segment were imaged with RAOCT.

An Experimental Model Exhibiting Anterograde and Retrograde Vascular Occlusion of Facial Fillers to Avoid Vision Loss.

Background: Facial filler injection techniques that help decrease the risk of vascular occlusion are an important growing area of study. This study demonstrates a model of injecting fillers into a simulated bifurcated arterial system, using different sized needle gauges at a constant injection pressure.

Methods: Three facial fillers were injected into a bifurcated intravenous tubing with continuous irrigation at a constant pressure to simulate a vascular system.

Update on Retinal Drug Toxicities.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to provide an update on the clinical presentations and diagnostic findings of drug-induced retinal toxicities.

Recent Findings: Several newly FDA-approved medications have been associated with acute retinal toxicities, including brolucizumab, MEK inhibitors, ulixertinib, and FGFR inhibitors. Additionally, as previously believed-to-be well-tolerated medications, such as pentosan sulfate sodium, anti-retroviral therapies, and certain intraoperative ocular medications, are used more frequently or for longer periods of time, associated toxic retinopathies and inflammatory reactions have been reported.

An Evaluation of the Microvasculature of Macular Nodules in Coats Disease Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography: A Report of 3 Cases.

Purpose: This work aimed to examine the microvasculature of macular fibrosis in Coats disease.

Methods: Three boys (aged 3, 4, and 6 years) with Coats disease (stages 2B to 3A2) and macular fibrotic nodules were imaged using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) on the Spectralis spectral-domain OCT tabletop and investigational portable Spectralis Flex module (version 6.9, Heidelberg Engineering).

Clinicopathologic correlation of aniridia: Optical coherence tomography angiography and histopathologic observations.

Purpose: To describe optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in a patient with aniridia and correlate with representative histopathology.

Observations: OCTA images of the macula of a pediatric aniridic patient, who has nystagmus and impaired vision bilaterally, demonstrate a complete absence of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in both the superficial and deep vascular complexes (SVC and DVC). In addition, larger superficial blood vessels were found to be abnormally diving from the SVC into the DVC.

Relationship between 2-Hour Tacrolimus Concentrations and Clinical Outcomes in Long Term Kidney Transplantation.

Tacrolimus is routinely monitored using trough concentrations, however, recent data have suggested that area under the curve (AUC) provides better correlation with toxicity and efficacy. Area under the curve is cumbersome to measure, but studies have demonstrated that surrogate time points such as 2-hour concentrations are well correlated with AUC. This is a single center, retrospective study of adult kidney transplant recipients with 2-hour tacrolimus concentrations measured over three years post-transplant.

Microvascular Features of Treated Retinoblastoma Tumors in Children Assessed Using OCTA.

Background And Objective: To describe the microvascular features of treated, clinically regressed, or reactivated retinoblastoma lesions using an investigational portable optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) system.

Patients And Methods: Single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, consecutive case-series of children with previously treated retinoblastoma who underwent portable OCTA of posterior retinoblastoma lesions.

Results: Eight tumors from seven eyes of five children with retinoblastoma were included.

Appearance of pediatric choroidal neovascular membranes on optical coherence tomography angiography.

Purpose: Compared with fluorescein angiography (FA), the gold standard for diagnosing choroidal neovascularization (CNV) activity, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is non-invasive without risks associated with fluorescein dye use, and may be especially advantageous in the diagnosis and monitoring of children with CNV.

Methods: Eight eyes from eight patients aged 12 months to 18 years were imaged with the investigational Spectralis OCTA (version 6.9, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and the RTVue XR Avanti (Optovue Inc.

Assessment of Macular Microvasculature in Healthy Eyes of Infants and Children Using OCT Angiography.

Purpose: To assess macular vasculature in healthy infants and children using OCT angiography (OCTA).

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Participants: One hundred thirty-five normal maculae of 89 healthy infants and children (mean age, 8.

Macular Microvascular Findings in Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

Background And Objective: To describe depth-resolved macular microvasculature abnormalities in patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-two eyes (11 eyes of six patients with FEVR and 11 control eyes) were imaged with OCTA. Graders qualitatively analyzed the OCTA images of the superficial and deep vascular complexes for abnormal vascular features and compared to fluorescein angiography (FA).

Longitudinal Study of Visual Function in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration at 12 Months.

Purpose: To report the 1-year progression of visual impairment on psychophysical tests of visual function in patients with early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Participants: Patients with early and intermediate AMD were enrolled from the existing population at the Duke Eye Center, and healthy age-matched control participants were recruited from family members or friends of the AMD patients and from the Duke Optometry and Comprehensive Eye Clinics.

Hyperreflective Vitreous Opacities on Optical Coherence Tomography in a Patient With Bilateral Retinoblastoma.

An investigational, portable spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) unit revealed small hyperreflective opacities in both eyes of a patient with bilateral retinoblastoma. There was no evidence of vitreous seeding on ophthalmoscopy of either eye. Although the opacities may initially raise concern for potential vitreous seeding, this report suggests alternate potential etiologies for such opacities, which were also seen on imaging of a cohort of normal eyes in pediatric patients.

Orbital arteriovenous fistula presenting with choroidal pulsations on optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: To describe a case of orbital arteriovenous fistula diagnosed based on choroidal pulsations on optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Observations: A 69-year-old female originally referred for evaluation of macular degeneration. During acquisition of OCT images, choroidal pulsations of the right eye were noted on the B-scan on the instrument display.

Characterization of Corneal Donor Tissue Lesions by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography Compared With Eye Bank Technician Slit-Lamp Examination.

Purpose: To compare anterior segment spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) with eye bank technician slit-lamp examination (SLE) in characterizing lesions in donor corneas.

Methods: Twenty-nine donor corneas identified by eye bank technicians to have opacities or lesions potentially representing pathologic findings affecting the stroma were evaluated through the use of technician SLE, SLE photography, and OCT. Technicians were tasked with describing the lesion, estimating the lesion depth, and photographing their SLE findings.

Volumetric Measurement of Subretinal Blebs Using Microscope-Integrated Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: We advance studies of subretinal treatments by developing a microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (MIOCT) image-based method for measuring the volume of therapeutics delivered into the subretinal space.

Methods: A MIOCT image-based volume measurement method was developed and assessed for accuracy and reproducibility by imaging an object of known size in model eyes. This method then was applied to subretinal blebs created by injection of diluted triamcinolone.

Employing a biochemical protecting group for a sustainable indigo dyeing strategy.

Indigo is an ancient dye uniquely capable of producing the signature tones in blue denim; however, the dyeing process requires chemical steps that are environmentally damaging. We describe a sustainable dyeing strategy that not only circumvents the use of toxic reagents for indigo chemical synthesis but also removes the need for a reducing agent for dye solubilization. This strategy utilizes a glucose moiety as a biochemical protecting group to stabilize the reactive indigo precursor indoxyl to form indican, preventing spontaneous oxidation to crystalline indigo during microbial fermentation.

Design and Construction of Generalizable RNA-Protein Hybrid Controllers by Level-Matched Genetic Signal Amplification.

For synthetic biology applications, protein-based transcriptional genetic controllers are limited in terms of orthogonality, modularity, and portability. Although ribozyme-based switches can address these issues, their current two-stage architectures and limited dynamic range hinder their broader incorporation into systems-level genetic controllers. Here, we address these challenges by implementing an RNA-protein hybrid controller with a three-stage architecture that introduces a transcription-based amplifier between an RNA sensor and a protein actuator.

Preparing amorphous hydrophobic drug nanoparticles by nanoporous membrane extrusion.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to develop a simple and straightforward method for formulating hydrophobic drugs into nanoparticulate form in a scalable and inexpensive manner.

Materials & Methods: The nanoporous membrane extrusion (NME) method was used to prepare hydrophobic drug nanoparticles. NME is based on the induced precipitation of drug-loaded nanoparticles at the exits of nanopores.

Preparation of mineralized nanofibers: collagen fibrils containing calcium phosphate.

We report a straightforward, bottom-up, scalable process for preparing mineralized nanofibers. Our procedure is based on flowing feed solution, containing both inorganic cations and polymeric molecules, through a nanoporous membrane into a receiver solution with anions, which leads to the formation of mineralized nanofibers at the exit of the pores. With this strategy, we were able to achieve size control of the nanofiber diameters.