Longitudinal renal function changes during real-world anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for diabetic macular edema in Japan.

Purpose: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the longitudinal changes in renal function and central macular thickness (CMT) and their impact on visual outcomes during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME).

Study Design: This study employed a retrospective observational design and analyzed data from treatment-naive patients with DME (62 cases, 100 eyes) receiving anti-VEGF therapy for 36 months. Baseline and follow-up assessments were conducted at 12, 24, and 36 months.

[A case of anti-IgLON5 disease with recurrent respiratory failure].

A 72-year-old woman with a seven-year history of Parkinson's disease, characterized by gait instability, rigidity, and postural instability, was admitted to our department for evaluation of recurrent episodes of hypoxemia and altered consciousness. During hospitalization, she experienced recurrent episodes of respiratory failure, prompting the measurement of anti-IgLON5 antibodies, which were found to be positive, leading to a diagnosis of anti-IgLON5 disease. The respiratory failure could not be attributed to vocal cord paralysis or respiratory muscle weakness, leading to the hypothesis that subglottic laryngeal spasm was the cause.

Painless Mass on the Eyelid: Kimura Disease.

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. It usually presents with regional lymphadenopathy in the head-and-neck region and swelling of the salivary glands and subcutaneous tissues. Periocular involvement in KD is rare.

Effects of Eye Movement Training and Changes of Gaze During Walking in a Patient With Oculomotor Disorder After Brainstem Hemorrhage.

We report a case of a patient who developed pontine hemorrhage and presented with eye movement disorders but was able to regain conjugate eye movement through eye movement training, resulting in improved walking ability.  The patient was a 39-year-old man who presented with cerebral hemorrhage. He was admitted to the hospital due to a pontine hemorrhage extending from the midbrain to the medulla oblongata and perforation of the fourth ventricle.

Bilateral Foveal Damage Induced by Indirect Picosecond Nd:YAG Laser Exposure: A Case Report.

Accidental retinal injuries caused by lasers without appropriate eye protection are not rare; most cases are unilateral. We report the case of a medical nurse who sustained bilateral foveal damage through indirect exposure to a picosecond dermal laser. A 23-year-old nurse working in a cosmetic surgery clinic was using a picosecond KTP/Nd:YAG laser for tattoo removal.

Kimura's disease: a mysterious orbital mass.

A male patient in his 20s presented with right lower eyelid swelling and occasional eye ache that was first noticed 3 years ago. Ocular examination revealed a palpable orbital mass, proptosis and restriction of right eye movement. The best-corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 6/24.

A Case of Wernicke's Encephalopathy With Objective Evaluation of Pupil Findings Using a Pupillometer.

Wernicke encephalopathy is a nutritionally disabling encephalopathy resulting from thiamine deficiency. The typical triad of symptoms in Wernicke's encephalopathy includes impaired consciousness, ocular motility disturbances, and ataxic gait. Although constricted pupils and diminished light reflexes are recognized features of Wernicke's encephalopathy, few reports have specifically focused on these findings.

Determination of putrefactive amine and ammonia concentrations around decomposed corpses.

The surface of a rotting corpse is covered with liquid decomposition products that have flowed out of the body that include putrefactive amines produced via putrefaction and decarboxylation reactions of proteins. Ammonia generated by deamination is also present around the corpse as a liquid or gas. As these putrefactive substances are toxic to humans, we attempted to measure the concentration of putrefactive substances in decomposed corpses in this study.

Comparative Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Aflibercept and Brolucizumab in Human Aqueous Humor Using Nano-Surface and Molecular-Orientation Limited Proteolysis.

Aflibercept and brolucizumab, two anti-VEGF agents used as intravitreal injections in ophthalmology, differ significantly in molecular weight (aflibercept-115 kDa and brolucizumab-26 kDa). Using aqueous humor samples collected after drug administration, we measured and performed a comparative analysis of pharmacokinetics and half-lives of these drugs in the human eye. Since the quantification of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using antigen-antibody reactions, such as ELISA, is influenced by endogenous ligands or anti-drug antibodies, we employed nano-surface and molecular-orientation limited proteolysis (nSMOL), combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), for accurate measurements.

Comparative analysis of axial length measurement method for eyes with submacular hemorrhage.

Purpose: To identify a method for comparing preoperative axial length (AL) measurements with postoperative AL in submacular hemorrhage (SMH).

Study Design: Retrospective.

Methods: This study included 30 patients who underwent vitrectomy for SMH (January 2016-January 2023) with preoperative and postoperative AL data.

A new tube chamber system for evaluation of anterior chamber pressure during phacoemulsification tested in porcine eyes.

Aim: To measure the optimal anterior chamber pressure (ACP) for safe phacoemulsification using a new tube chamber system with internal pressure measurement function in the porcine eye.

Methods: The 20-gauge and 21-gauge straight tips with yellow and orange sleeves, respectively, were covered by a test chamber combined with a pressure sensor for measuring ACP. This was measured for 20s from 10s after starting aspiration in the linear mode using vacuum levels of 200 and 150 mm Hg with a 20-gauge tip, and 300 and 250 mm Hg with a 21-gauge tip.

Adverse effect of Henle fiber layer hemorrhage due to retinal arterial macroaneurysm rupture on retinal sensitivity.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Henle fiber layer hemorrhage (HFLh) on retinal sensitivity (RS) before and after displacement of the submacular hemorrhage (SMH) caused by retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) rupture.

Methods: This retrospective study included 31 eyes undergoing vitrectomy for SMH. Eyes were grouped based on the presence or absence of HFLh (HFLh [+/-] group).

A Case of Sympathetic Ophthalmia After Corneal Perforation.

We report a case of sympathetic ophthalmia that developed in the fellow eye following therapeutic corneal transplantation and amniotic membrane transplantation for corneal perforation caused by corneal ulceration. A 62-year-old man presented with discharge, lacrimation, and decreased visual acuity in the left eye. He was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer and treated with antimicrobial agents, but corneal epithelial erosion persisted, leading to nontraumatic corneal perforation.

Prevalence and Transmission Cycle of Avian Pathogens in the Isolated Oceanic Islands of Japan.

Avian haemosporidian parasites and avian pox virus (APV) are well-known pathogens for their impact on avian populations, especially in oceanic islands where introduced pathogens show strong virulence for endemic and naïve birds. The Bonin Islands are a group of oceanic islands 1000 km south of Tokyo. Like the Hawaiian Islands, there are many endemic and endangered species as well as introduced species, which have greatly affected the native avian fauna.

Preclinical study of novel human allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell sheets toward a first-in-human clinical trial for myopic chorioretinal atrophy.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells may have neuroprotective and tissue regenerative capabilities and the potential to rescue retinal degeneration in chorioretinal diseases including myopic chorioretinal atrophy. Transplantation of human (allogeneic) adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell (adMSC) suspensions has been clinically conducted to treat retinal degenerative diseases. However, serious side effects including proliferative vitreoretinopathy and epiretinal membrane formation have been reported.

Congenital extraventricular neurocytoma with atypical features in a 3-day-old neonate.

Extraventricular neurocytoma (EVN) is a rare neuronal tumor with a marked tendency towards ganglionic or glial differentiation. Although EVN commonly occurs in young adults, congenital cases are extremely rare, and standardized therapeutic strategies remain undetermined. The presence of atypical features such as increased mitotic activity on histological analysis is correlated with a higher rate of recurrence and poor prognosis.

Voluntary blinks and eye-widenings, but not spontaneous blinks, facilitate perceptual alternation during continuous flash suppression.

The fact that blinks occur more often than necessary for ocular lubrication has led to the proposal that blinks are involved in altering some aspects of visual cognition. Previous studies have suggested that blinking can modulate the alternation of different visual interpretations of the same stimulus, that is, perceptual alternation in multistable perception. This study investigated whether and how different types of blinks, spontaneous and voluntary, interact with perceptual alternation in a multistable perception paradigm called continuous flash suppression.

[Fundamental Study on Artifacts and Displacement Force of Cosmetics Such as Eye Makeup in MRI Examinations].

Purpose: In MRI examinations, makeup cosmetics may cause image artifacts or be adsorbed by a static magnetic field. However, there are no reports on each cosmetic material ingredient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the displacement force and image artifacts caused by cosmetic ingredients and to clarify the cosmetic ingredients that need to be removed.

Factors affecting outcome of acquired comitant esotropia with restricted use of digital devices: ACEDD Study 3.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate factors associated with outcomes after 3 months of instructed usage of hand-held digital devices (DD) in patients with acquired comitant esotropia (ACE).

Methods And Analysis: This prospective multicentre observational study included patients with ACE, aged 5-35 years, who used DD within 1 year of onset and were followed up for clinical findings and instructed use of DD. The outcomes were classified into four groups: cured, improved, unchanged and worsened.

Usage status of biologics for the chronic treatment of optic neuritis in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders in Japan.

Purpose: To investigate the usage status of biologics for the chronic treatment of optic neuritis including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders in Japan.

Design: Multicenter retrospective case series.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with anti-aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) positive optic neuritis and had been initiated on biologics (satralizumab, eculizumab, and inebilizumab) between January 2020 and August 2022 were identified at 30 facilities in Japan.

Semaphorin 3D promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression and metastasis through macrophage reprogramming.

Axon guidance molecules are frequently altered in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and influence PDA progression. However, the molecular mechanism remained unclear. Using genetically engineered mouse models to examine semaphorin 3D (SEMA3D), we identified a dual role for tumor- and nerve-derived SEMA3D in the malignant transformation of pancreatic epithelial cells and invasive PDA development.