American Journal of Ophthalmology

American Journal of Ophthalmology RSS feed: Current Issue. The American Journal of Ophthalmology is a peer-reviewed, scientific publication that welcomes the submission of original, previously unpublished manuscripts directed to ophthalmologists and visual science specialists describing clinical investigations, clinical observations, and clinically relevant laboratory investigations. Published monthly since 1884, the full text of the American Journal of Ophthalmology and supplementary material are also presented on the Internet at www.AJO.com . The American Journal of Ophthalmology publishes Original Articles, Brief Reports, Perspectives, Editorials, Abstracts, Correspondence, Book Reports and Announcements. Perspectives, Editorials, and Abstracts (from other journals) are published by invitation. Manuscripts are accepted with the understanding that they have not been and will not be published elsewhere substantially in any format, and that there are no ethical problems with the content or data collection. Authors may be requested to produce the data upon which the manuscript is based and to answer expeditiously any questions about the manuscript or its authors. See AJO policies on redundant publication.

How We Currently Choose to Repair Retinal Detachment in the United States Medicare Population
Three very different methods are currently used to repair acute retinal detachments. Elsewhere in this issue of the Journal, Hwang reviews data obtained from Medicare part B summaries, finding regional differences in the choice of procedure for repair of retinal detachment. The author gives us an interesting snapshot of practice patterns in the current era regarding retinal detachment repair in patients 65 and older. Several limitations exist in the study, however. First, we cannot determine, within the group of patients who underwent vitrectomy, what percentage of this group also had placement of a scleral buckle. Second, we have no data regarding outcomes, nor do we know whether the procedure performed was primary or a reoperation, particularly if pneumatic retinopexy was chosen initially. Third, we have no data regarding lens status. Interesting findings in this study are the high rate of pneumatic retinopexy use, especially in the Northeast, and the remarkably low rate of scleral buckling alone nationwide.

Incidence of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Purpose: To estimate the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and to characterize the factors associated with increased risk of CMV retinitis. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 1600 participants with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) but without CMV retinitis at enrollment who completed at least 1 follow-up visit in the Longitudinal Study of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA) were seen every 6 months to obtain disease and treatment history, ophthalmic examination, and laboratory testing. Incidence of CMV retinitis and risk factors for incident CMV retinitis were assessed. Results: The incidence rate of CMV retinitis in individuals with AIDS was 0.36/100 person-years (PY) based upon 29 incident cases during 8134 PY of follow-up. The rate was higher for those with a CD4+ T cell count at the immediately prior visit below 50 cells/?L (3.89/100 PY, P < .01), whereas only 1 individual with a CD4+ T cell count of 50 to 99 cells/?L and 2 individuals with a CD4+ T cell count >100 cells/?L developed CMV retinitis. Having a CD4+ T cell count below 50 cells/?L at the clinical visit prior to CMV retinitis evaluation was the single most important risk factor (HR: 136, 95% CI: 30 to 605, P < .0001) for developing retinitis. Conclusions: Patients with AIDS, especially those with severely compromised immune systems, remain at risk for developing CMV retinitis in the HAART era, although the incidence rate is reduced from that observed in the pre-HAART era.

Prevalence of Inflammatory Back Pain in a Cohort of Patients With Anterior Uveitis
Purpose: To determine the prevalence of inflammatory back pain in an anterior uveitis cohort. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Patients with anterior uveitis were recruited from the clinic of an ophthalmologist to complete a survey between March and December 2008. Patients were classified with inflammatory back pain if they had ?2 positive responses to 4 validated inflammatory back pain questions: presence of morning stiffness >30 minutes in duration; improvement in back pain with exercise but not with rest; awakening from back pain during the second half of the night only; and presence of alternating buttock pain. Disease activity was assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). The impact of disease on quality of life was measured using the EuroQOL (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Twenty-five patients underwent further rheumatologic examination. Results: One hundred forty-one of 167 patients (84.4%) completed the survey. Sixty-six of 141 patients (46.8%) were classified to have inflammatory back pain. Mean BASDAI (4.2, SD 2.41) and EQ-5D scores (0.73, SD 0.21) were lower than patients with no inflammatory back pain (0.82, SD 0.16, P = .0048). In the subgroup that underwent rheumatologic assessment, a classification of inflammatory back pain was 92% sensitive and 67% specific for a diagnosis of inflammatory back pain. Conclusions: The prevalence of inflammatory back pain in a cohort of anterior uveitis patients was found to be 46.8%. Patients with inflammatory back pain had worse quality of life than those without. Ophthalmologists may use these questions on back pain to select patients classified to have inflammatory back pain to refer for early rheumatologic assessment.

Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Diagnosis of Acute Postoperative Endophthalmitis
Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the diagnosis of postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis among patients who underwent cataract surgery at a tertiary care center. Design: Prospective experimental study. Methods: This was a single-center study of 64 eyes of 64 patients presenting with clinical signs and symptoms of endophthalmitis within 1 year of cataract surgery. Patients with glaucoma filtering or cornea surgery in the past year, postoperative trauma, fungal endophthalmitis, or preoperative inflammatory conditions were excluded. Vitreous samples were obtained during vitreous tap or vitrectomy and sent for both culture and qPCR with sequencing. Vitreous samples obtained from 50 patients undergoing vitrectomy for noninflammatory indications served as controls. The main outcome measures were the sensitivity of qPCR compared to culture and concordance of results of pathogen identification with sequencing vs phenotypic speciation. Results: qPCR detected 16s bacterial DNA in 37 patients (66%), compared to 19 (34%) with traditional culture. Only 1 patient had a positive result by culture (Nocardia species) but negative result by qPCR. For the 18 samples positive by both qPCR and culture, there was a 100% concordance in pathogen identification between sequencing and phenotypic speciation. Conclusion: In cases of suspected bacterial endophthalmitis, qPCR offers an improved diagnostic yield and may be a useful adjunct to traditional culture. Further large-scale clinical studies are needed to elucidate the full clinical utility of qPCR.

Subconjunctival Sirolimus for the Treatment of Chronic Active Anterior Uveitis: Results of a Pilot Trial
Purpose: To evaluate the safety and possible efficacy of subconjunctival sirolimus for the treatment of chronic active anterior uveitis. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial. Methods: This single-center pilot trial enrolled 5 patients with chronic active anterior uveitis. The study drug was administered as a single subconjunctival injection of 30 ?L (1320 ?g) sirolimus in the study eye at the baseline visit. Study visits were performed at baseline, at 2 weeks, at 4 weeks, and monthly until 4 months, and included a complete ophthalmic examination, review of systems, adverse event assessment at each visit, physical examination, and ancillary ophthalmic testing at some visits. The primary outcome measure was a 2-step reduction in the anterior chamber inflammation within 4 weeks of injection of the study drug. Results: There were 3 female and 2 male patients; 4 patients had idiopathic anterior uveitis and 1 had psoriatic arthritis-associated anterior uveitis. Three of the 5 patients met the primary outcome criteria by showing at least a 2-step decrease in inflammation within 4 weeks; 2 patients showed a 1-step decrease in inflammation within the same time frame. No recurrence was encountered during a 4-month follow-up. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusions: Subconjunctival sirolimus appears to be well tolerated in this pilot trial and shows promise as a treatment for active inflammation in patients with chronic anterior uveitis. Larger studies are needed to assess its usefulness in uveitis.