The retinal vessel changes are the primary and major features of retinal vascular diseases. The retinal vessel is part of systemic vessels with its own characteristics to sustain normal retinal function. These basic characteristics are important to the correct understanding and proper treatment of retinal vascular diseases. Always keep in mind that the retinal vessels is one part of the systemic vascular system, thus retinal vascular diseases may have systemic etiology, and systemic drug administration may have a profound effects to the whole body. However retinal vascular system also has its own structural and functional characteristics, thus retinal vascular diseases are also different from the systemic diseases. Finally the main function of retinal vascular network is to maintain the neuro-retinal function, thus we should balance the vision protection and treatments against abnormal retinal blood vessels. Over-treatments may damage the retinal vision.
Corticosteroids are widely used to treat ocular fundus diseases such as inflammatory disease, macular edema and choroidal neovascularization. To increase local drug concentration and reduce systemic side effects, corticosteroids are often delivered by periocular or intravitreal injection. However there are still more and more clinical complications with the expanded scope of application of these drugs. In order to achieve the best riskbenefit ratio, fully understanding the pharmacological characteristics, indications, contraindications and complications of corticosteroid is critical for clinicians to prescribe this drug to their patients.
Objective To analyze the problems in the diagnosis of Coats disease and its main causes of misdiagnosis. Methods The clinical data of a group of patients with Coats diseases who had undergone indirect ophthalmoscopy, ocular fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and follow-up examination were retrospectively analyzed. The main causes of misdiagnosis were analyzed via reviewing the images of FFA and revising or confirming the initial diagnosis of Coats diseases according to the main features of abnormal dilation of retinal capillary vessels. Result In 68 patients (75 eyes), there were 45 cases whose initial diagnosis was Coats disease while the final diagnosis was not, in whom the final diagnosis was old retinal vein occlusion in 21, retinal vasculitis in 9, diabetic retinopathy in 3, old posterior uveitis in 3, congenital retinoschisis in 3, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, racemose hemangioma, old rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, macular epiretinal membrane, and idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasis in 1, respectively. There were 23 patients who was diagnosed as Coats disease in the final diagnosis but not the initial one. The initial diagnosis was old posterior uveitis in 6 patients, retinal vasculitis in 5, exudative age-related macular degeneration in 4, retinal main arterial tumor in 2, retinal angioma in 3, intraocular tumor in 2, and central serous chorioretinopathy in 1. Conclusions There are many problems in the clinical diagnosis of Coats disease. The main reason of misdiagnosis is that the clinicians can not comprehensively master the core of the definition of Coats disease and its clinical characters. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005, 21: 377-380)
Objective To evaluate the effect of transpupillary thermo therapy (TTT) on the treatment of intraocular tumors. Methods A total of 50 patients with intraocular tumors, including 37 choroidal hemangioma, 2 retinal capillary hemangioma, 5 choroidal osteoma, 4 choroidal melanoma, and 2 retinoblastoma (RB) underwent TTT and were followed up for 1～20 months. Results In 30 patients with choroidal hemangioma (average follow-up was 5.1 months), 29 (96.7%) had pigment scarring in different levels and the retinal detachemnts were partly or completely recovered; 1 had no obvious improvement. The visual acuity was unchanged in 24 (80.0%) patients, improved in 41 (13.3%) and declined in 2 (6.7%). In 2 patients with retinal capillary hemangioma, no effect was found. In 5 eyes (4 patients) with choroidal osteoma (average follow-up was 6 months), no change of the tumor was found in 1 and the atrophic spots were seen in 4; the visual acuity was unchanged in 3, improved in 1 and declined in 1. In 4 patients with choroidal melanoma (average follow-up was 8 months), the tumor was shrunken in 1, unchanged in 2, and enlarged in 1; the visual acuity was unchanged in 2 and declined in 2. In 2 patients with RB, RB was totally shrunken in 1 and partly shrunken in 1. Visual acuity of one child patient who was followed up for 20 months could not be examined, and was unchanged in another one who was followed up for 3 months. No severe complications were found in the patients during the treatment and the follow-up. Conclusions TTT is effective for the treatment of some intraocular tumors except retinal capillary hemangioma. It is a kind of potential treatment for intraocular tumors with few side-effect. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2003，19：144-148)
Objective lt;brgt;To evaluate the clinical effect of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) on circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH). Methods lt;brgt;The clinical data of 12 eyes of 12 patients with CCH treated with TTT were retrospectively analysed. Infrared diode laser Iridex, oculight SLX was used in TTT at 810 nm and power between 220 and 1000 mW with a beam diameter of 1.2 or 2.0 or 3.0 mm, with 1 to 2 minutes of exposure time. The visual acuity, subretinal fluid, complication ,thickness and hyperfluorescence of CCH were observed pre- and postoperatively in the treated eyes. The average period of follow-up was 10 months (6-16 months). lt;brgt; lt;brgt;Results lt;brgt;Among the 8 eyes with peripheral retinal detachment in 12 cases of CCH the peripheral subretinal fluid was completely absorbed in 6 eyes, and partially absorbed in 2 eyes after TTT treatment. In 8 patients undergone ultrasonography, the mean value of tumor thickness went down by 21.75 % in 7 eyes. The resultant visual acuity after treatment was improved in 3 eyes, maintained no change in 7 eyes and reduced in 2 eye. The fundus fluorescein angiography in 10 eyes revealed a significant decrease of the leakage in tumor. Postoperative complication of TTT in the 12 eyes included retinal hemorrhage (5 eyes) and retinal fold (1 eye). Conclusion lt;brgt;TTT is an effective treatment for CCH. lt;brgt; lt;brgt;(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 190-092)
Objective lt;brgt;To evaluated the effect of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). lt;brgt; lt;brgt;Methods lt;brgt;Sixty-two cases (62 eyes) of exudative AMD were managed with TTT. Before treatment, 58 cases underwent fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA),42 cases underwent simultaneous indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and 56 cases underwent optic coherence tomography (OCT).TTT was delivered using a 810 nm diode laser with variable spot sizes 0.5-3.0 mm and power range 60-40 mW,60 seconds duration. Sixty-two cases were followed up for 1-10 months with 4.8 months average. lt;brgt; lt;brgt;Results lt;brgt;The visual acuities of last visit were compared with those before the treatment. The visual acuity was unchanged in 43 cases (69.3%), improved in 15 cases (24.2%), and declined in 4 cases (6.5%). OCT was re-done in 51 cases and compared with OCT images before TTT treatment. The height of macular edema was unchanged in 29 cases (56.9%), decreased in 18 cases (35.3%), and increased in 4 cases (7.8%). The amelioration of visual acuity was compatible with that of macular configuration in the majority of cases (74.5%). Only in 13 cases (25.5%) the amelioration of visual acuity lagged behind that of macular configuration. The re-treatment was performed in 18 cases (29.1%), probably due to insufficiency of laser power. No side-effect was found. lt;brgt; lt;brgt;Conclusion lt;brgt;TTT makes most of the cases of exudative AMD retaining or improving their visual acuity. The employment is secured. Further exploration is needed in order to obtain the parameters of the laser treatment. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 180-183)
OCT angiography (OCTA) is a fast, noninvasive and quantifiable new technique, which is especially suitable for long-term follow-up in patients with hereditary retinochoroidal degeneration, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Best vitelliform macular dystrophy, adult onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy, doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy, choroideremia and Stargardt disease. During the follow-up, clinicians can find the subtle signs that explain disease development from the blood flow imaging, quantitatively describe the vascular density, timely detect and treat choroidal neovascularization. It is significant to explore the etiology and monitor the course of these diseases. With the development of more treatments for these diseases, OCTA parameters can also be used as indicators to evaluate and compare different therapeutic effects. In the future, more quantitative indicators of OCTA will be applied to evaluate the course of hereditary retinochoroidal degeneration, and provide valuable basis for early diagnosis and treatment.