The human sclera accounts for 95% of the surface of the eyeball, providing ample contact area which is suitable for targeted trans-scleral ocular drug delivery. Currently there are several tans-scleral sustained-release strategies, including intra-scleral delivery, episcleral delivery, as well as tans-scleral iontophoresis. Different devices and methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, for example, intra-scleral delivery is somehow invasive, and episcleral delivery device needs to be made thin to prevent erosion of conjunctiva, iontophoresis needs to be frequently repeated as of its short-term effect. With the development of bio-material engineering technology, episcleral microfilm could become an ideal drug delivery route for posterior segment ocular diseases.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness in diabetic patients. It is particularly important to set up simpler, safer, non-invasive and highly effective methods for diagnosis as well as monitoring DR. A variety of new fundus imaging techniques show great advantages in early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of DR in recent years. The main characteristics of wide-field scanning laser imaging system is achieving a large range of retinal image in a single photograph and without mydriasis. It provides several options for color images, FFA and FAF, which satisfy to detect the retina, choroid and vascular structure. Multi spectral fundus imaging system is suitable for DR screening, because it is able to recognize the typical characteristics of DR, such as microaneurysms, hemorrhage and exudation, and is non-invasive and convenient. OCT angiography is a quantitative examination that provides foveal avascular zone area, macular blood flow density, which provides strong evidence for DR diagnosis. The improvement of these new techniques will help us to build up a personalized evaluation system of DR.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of 41G ultramicroneedle subretinal injection of balanced salt solution (BSS) in the treatment of large diameter macular holes (MH). MethodsA prospective clinical intervention study. A total of 22 eyes of 22 large-diameter full-layer MH patients diagnosed by examination in Tianjin Eye Hospital from March to June 2024 were included in the study. Twenty-two eyes with large diameter full-thickness MH were included in the study. The minimum diameter of MH in the affected eyes was all greater than 400 μm. The affected eyes received 25G pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling and 41G ultramicroneedle subretinal injection of BSS. The affected eyes underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), microperimetry, fundus autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations before and 1 and 3 months after surgery. BCVA was measured using the standard logarithmic visual acuity chart and converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity for statistical analysis. The minimum and base diameter of MH were measured using OCT. Microperimetry was performed using a macular integrity assessment device, recording the macular integrity index (MII) and macular threshold (MT) within 10° of the macular. The changes in BCVA, MII, MT, and the closure of MH and the occurrence of complications were compared and analyzed before and after surgery. For the comparison of the same continuous indicators before and after surgery, Student's t-test was used if the data were normally distributed and had equal variances, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used if the data were not normally distributed; the correlation between different indicators was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. ResultsAmong the 22 cases (22 eyes), there were 4 males and 18 females; all were unilaterally affected. The age was 66 (60, 71) years. The duration of the disease was 5 (2.5, 12.0) months. The logMAR BCVA of the affected eyes was 1.24±0.57, and the MII and MT were 100.0 (99.53, 100.00) and 19.0 (13.23, 21.78) dB, respectively. One month after surgery, all MH were closed, with 20 (90.91%, 20/22) and 2 (9.09%, 2/22) eyes classified as typeⅠand Ⅱ closure, respectively. At the last follow-up, the logMAR BCVA was 0.62±0.58, and the MII and MT were 99.9 (59.45, 100.00) dB and 23.6 (19.33, 26.25) dB, respectively; compared with before surgery, the logMAR BCVA (t=3.579), MII (Z=－2.374), and MT (Z=－2.997) were significantly improved, and the differences were all statistically significant (P＜0.05). Correlation analysis showed that postoperative BCVA was significantly positively correlated with preoperative BCVA (r=0.41), the minimum and base diameter of MH (r=0.64, 0.58), disease duration (r=0.63), and age (r=0.50) (P＜0.05). No surgery-related complications occurred in all affected eyes during the follow-up period. Conclusion41G ultramicroneedle subretinal injection of BSS can effectively improve the hole closure rate of large diameter MH-affected eyes in the short term, improve visual function, and has good safety.
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in the treatment of different types of chorioretinal coloboma with retinal detachment (RD). MethodsA single-center, retrospective clinical study. From April 2021 to March 2023, 24 eyes of 23 patients who were diagnosed as chorioretinal coloboma with RD in Henan Provincial Eye Hospital were included in this study. There were 11 males with 12 eyes and 12 females with 12 eyes. The mean age was (33.3±13.7) years old. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spectral domain optical coherence tomography were performed. The BCVA examination was performed using a international standard logarithmic visual acuity chart, which was converted into logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity during statistics. According to the types of chorioretinal coloboma, the affected eyes were divided into the coloboma involved the optic disc group and the coloboma not involved the optic disc group, with 15 eyes and 9 eyes. According to whether the RD containing the coloboma area, the affected eyes were divided into RD containing the coloboma area group and the RD not containing the coloboma area group, with 15 eyes and 9 eyes. All eyes underwent standard pars plana three-channel 25G PPV, retinal laser photocoagulation combined with silicone oil tamponade. The follow-up time after surgery was (19.5±16.3) months. The last follow-up was the time point for efficacy determination. The retinal reattachment, BCVA recovery and postoperative complications were observed. Paired t-test or t test was performed for comparison of quantitative data. Fisher's exact test was performed for comparison of qualitative data. ResultsAt the last follow-up, retinal reattachment was achieved in 20 eyes (83.3%, 20/24). The logMAR BCVA of the coloboma involved the optic disc group before and after surgery were 1.85±0.62 and 1.71±0.71, the difference was no significant (t=0.845, P=0.412). The logMAR BCVA of the coloboma not involved the optic disc group before and after surgery were 1.75±0.45 and 0.84±0.26, the difference was statistically significant (t=6.153, P＜0.001). The improvement of BCVA in the coloboma not involved the optic disc group was significantly higher than that in the coloboma involved the optic disc group after surgery, with statistically significant differences (t=3.024, P=0.006). There was no significant difference in the retinal reattachment rate between the two groups (P=0.615). There was no significant difference in the retinal reattachment rate between the RD containing the coloboma area group and the RD not containing the coloboma area group (P=0.259). Postoperative complications included elevated intraocular pressure in five eyes, cataract progression in ten eyes, recurrent RD in two eyes, bullous keratopathy in one eye and band-shaped keratopathy in one eye. ConclusionPPV combined with silicone oil tamponade is safe and effective in the treatment of chorioretinal coloboma with RD, the improvement of visual acuity in the coloboma not involved the optic disc group is better than that in the coloboma involved the optic disc group after surgery.