The latest medical research on Ophthalmic Pathology

The research magnet gathers the latest research from around the web, based on your specialty area. Below you will find a sample of some of the most recent articles from reputable medical journals about ophthalmic pathology gathered by our medical AI research bot.

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High-Fluence Epithelium-off Accelerated Pulsed Corneal Cross-linking (15 mW/cm2; 7.2 J/cm2) for Pediatric Keratoconus: A 3-Year Retrospective Analysis.

Refractive Surgery

To assess the safety and efficacy of treatment and secondarily determine the topographic changes, visual outcomes, and demarcation line depth after high-fluence pulsed light accelerated cross-linking (ACXL) in pediatric patients (younger than 18 years) with progressive keratoconus.

This retrospective analysis included 32 eyes (25 children, aged 11 to 18 years), with progressive keratoconus treated with high-energy epithelium-off pulsed light ACXL (7.2 J/cm2, 15 mW/cm2, 12 minutes, 2 seconds on/1 second off). Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), Scheimpflug tomography, and anterior optical coherence tomography measurements were recorded preoperatively and 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively.

A total of 32 eyes were included. Significant CDVA improvement, pachymetry, and maximum keratometry reduction were found at all follow-up visits. Mean keratometric values remained stable, and astigmatism showed a mild worsening (< 0.25 D) with statistical significance at 1 and 3 years. Total aberration showed discordant results and coma aberration had a slight improvement without statistical significance. The demarcation line depth was 265 ± 26 μm. Three patients developed mild haze without visual acuity loss. None of the patients underwent a second CXL procedure.

In pediatric patients, high-fluence epithelium-off pulsed light ACXL appears to be a safe and effective procedure to halt the progression of keratoconus, slightly improving the CDVA and keratometric values. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e148-e155.].

Camellin-Calossi Formula for Intraocular Lens Power Calculation in Patients With Previous Myopic Laser Vision Correction.

Refractive Surgery

To assess the performance of the Camellin-Calossi formula in eyes with prior myopic laser vision correction.

This was a retrospective case series. Patients included had a history of uncomplicated myopic laser vision correction and cataract surgery. The primary outcome measures were cumulative distribution of absolute refractive prediction error, absolute refractive prediction error, and refractive prediction error. These parameters were estimated post-hoc using the Camellin-Calossi, Shammas, Haigis-L, Barrett True-K with or without history, Masket, and Modified Masket formulas and their averages starting from biometric data, clinical records, postoperative refraction, and intraocular lens power implanted.

Seventy-seven eyes from 77 patients were included. The Camellin-Calossi, Shammas, Haigis-L, Barrett True-K No History, Masket, Modified Masket, and Barrett True-K formulas showed a median absolute refractive error (interquartile range) of 0.25 (0.53), 0.51 (0.56), 0.44 (0.65), 0.45 (0.59), 0.40 (0.61), 0.60 (0.70), and 0.55 (0.76), respectively. The proportion of eyes with an absolute refractive error of ±0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00 diopters (D) for the Camellin-Calossi formula was 54.5%, 72.7%, 85.7%, 92.2%, 98.7%, and 100%, respectively. The cumulative distribution of the Camellin-Calossi formula showed the best qualitative performances when compared to the others. A statistically significant difference was identified with all of the others except the Haigis-L using a threshold of 0.25, with the Shammas, Modified Masket, and Barrett True-K at a threshold of 0.50 D and the Barrett True-K and Modified Masket at a threshold of 1.00 D.

The Camellin-Calossi formula is a valid option for intraocular lens power calculation in eyes with prior myopic laser vision correction. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e156-e163.].

Interchangeability in Automated Corneal Diameter Measurements Across Different Biometric Devices: A Systematic Review of Agreement Studies.

Refractive Surgery

To provide an up-to-date review of the agreement in automated white-to-white (WTW) measurement between the latest topographic and biometric devices.

In this systematic review, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for articles published between 2017 and 2023, focusing on WTW agreement studies on adult, virgin eyes, with or without cataract and no other ocular comorbidities. Studies evaluating WTW measurements performed with autokeratometers, manual calipers, or manual image analysis were excluded. When available, the following metrics for the agreement of WTW measurements between pairs of devices were included: mean difference ± standard deviation, 95% limits of agreement (LoA), LoA width, 95% confidence interval (95 CI%), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Forty-one studies, covering comparisons for 19 devices, were included. Altogether, 81 paired comparisons were performed for 4,595 eyes of 4,002 individuals. The mean difference in WTW measurements between devices ranged from 0.01 mm up to 0.96 mm, with varying CI. The 95% LoA width ranged from 0.31 to 2.45 mm (median: 0.65 mm). The majority of pairwise comparisons reported LoA wider than 0.5 mm, a clinically significant value for phakic intraocular lens sizing.

Nearly all analyzed studies demonstrated the lack of interchangeability of the WTW parameter. The corneal diameter, assessed by means of grayscale en-face image analysis, tended to demonstrate the lowest agreement among devices compared to other measured biometric parameters. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e182-e194.].

Enhancing Vault Prediction and ICL Sizing Through Advanced Machine Learning Models.

Refractive Surgery

To use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to accurately predict vault and Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) size.

The methodology focused on enhancing predictive capabilities through the fusion of machine-learning algorithms. Specifically, AdaBoost, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Support Vector Regression, LightGBM, and XGBoost were integrated into a majority-vote model. The performance of each model was evaluated using appropriate metrics such as accuracy, precision, F1-score, and area under the curve (AUC).

The majority-vote model exhibited the highest performance among the classification models, with an accuracy of 81.9% area under the curve (AUC) of 0.807. Notably, LightGBM (accuracy = 0.788, AUC = 0.803) and XGBoost (ACC = 0.790, AUC = 0.801) demonstrated competitive results. For the ICL size prediction, the Random Forest model achieved an impressive accuracy of 85.3% (AUC = 0.973), whereas XG-Boost (accuracy = 0.834, AUC = 0.961) and LightGBM (accuracy = 0.816, AUC = 0.961) maintained their compatibility.

This study highlights the potential of diverse machine learning algorithms to enhance postoperative vault and ICL size prediction, ultimately contributing to the safety of ICL implantation procedures. Furthermore, the introduction of the novel majority-vote model demonstrates its capability to combine the advantages of multiple models, yielding superior accuracy. Importantly, this study will empower ophthalmologists to use a precise tool for vault prediction, facilitating informed ICL size selection in clinical practice. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e126-e132.].

Anterior Segment Biometry During Accommodation After Posterior Chamber Phakic Implantable Collamer Lens Implantation.

Refractive Surgery

To evaluate the dynamic changes in anterior segment parameters during accommodation following Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) implantation with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).

Under the accommodation of 0.00 diopters (D), 3.00 D, and maximum amplitude, SS-OCT was used to examine the anterior segment parameters, including ICL vault, ICL depth (the distance between the corneal endothelium and the posterior surface of ICL), crystalline lens thickness, anterior chamber depth, and various parameters of the anterior chamber angle, comprising angle opening distance, angle recess area, trabecular iris space area, and trabecular iris angle.

During accommodation, the ICL vault showed a significant decrease from baseline (536 ± 278 μm) to 3.00 D (522 ± 281 μm), followed by an increase from 3.00 D to maximum amplitude (548 ± 306 μm) (analysis of variance [ANOVA], P < .001). Four eyes (2.61%) exhibited a decrease in ICL vault to less than 100 μm (47 ± 32 μm) at maximum accommodation. The ICL depth decreased significantly as accommodation increased (ANOVA, P < .001). Crystalline lens thickness increased, whereas anterior chamber depth decreased during accommodation (ANOVA, P < .001). The anterior chamber angle widened during 3.00 D of accommodation but narrowed at maximum accommodation, leading to significant changes in the angle opening distance, angle recess area, trabecular iris space area, and trabecular iris angle during accommodation (ANOVA, P < .001 for all).

The anterior segment, including ICL vault and anterior chamber angle, undergo significant dynamic changes during accommodation. These accommodative changes may require careful monitoring for the surgery design of ICL implantation. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e164-e172.].

Comprehensive Assessment of Posterior Corneal Asphericity Change Calculated by Tangential Radius of Curvature After FS-LASIK and SMILE.

Refractive Surgery

To evaluate changes in posterior corneal asphericity (ΔQ) using the tangential radius of curvature after femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) procedures.

One hundred twenty right eyes of myopic patients who underwent either FS-LASIK or SMILE procedures were analyzed using Sirius 3D corneal topography for assessment. The tangential radius was employed to calculate both preoperative and postoperative posterior corneal Q-values across each semimeridian. After both surgical interventions, the ΔQ value variations across the 360° semimeridional regions of the posterior corneal surface were compared.

A marked postoperative increase in the posterior corneal Q-value was documented. No significant differences were noted between the postoperative Q-values or ΔQ-values of the two surgical approaches. Among patients with moderate myopia, postoperative Q-value exhibited considerably lower increases and ΔQ-value significantly smaller than their counterparts with high myopia. Moreover, the fluctuation in ΔQ across semimeridional regions was less evident in patients with moderate myopia than in those with high myopia. Notably, the degree of ΔQ fluctuation across semimeridional regions was similar between both surgical categories. These data offer insights into variations in the posterior corneal surface after refractive surgeries depending on the degree of myopia, illuminating their clinical relevance.

Both FS-LASIK and SMILE introduce notable changes to posterior corneal asphericity among patients with different myopia intensities. Furthermore, the influence on the asphericity across the entire posterior surface is similarly distributed between FS-LASIK and SMILE techniques. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e133-e141.].

Utilization of the Reinstein ICL Sizing Formula With Hand-held Ultrasound Biomicroscopy Measurements.

Refractive Surgery

To evaluate the accuracy of the Reinstein formula with hand-held ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) measurements for sizing of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL).

A total of 107 myopic eyes of 57 patients implanted with the ICL were included in the study. The size of the ICL was selected based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Agreement between the vault predicted by the Reinstein formula and the vault measured postoperatively was analyzed with Bland-Altman plots.

A total of 95% and 81% of patients had a postoperative vault ranging from 150 to 1,000 and 250 to 750 μm, respectively. The mean vault predicted by the Reinstein formula and the postoperative vault in the current study were 580 ± 181 and 547 ± 200 μm, respectively. The size recommendations of the Reinstein formula and the formula provided by the manufacturer, the Kojima formula, and the Dougherty formula overlapped in 50%, 57%, and 49% of eyes, respectively.

The results show that the Reinstein formula combined with a hand-held UBM provides reliable sizing predictions of the ICL. However, considering that robotic UBM measurements have demonstrated a narrower range of deviation in predicting vault depth in previous studies, a direct comparison study between robotic UBM and hand-held UBM measurements is necessary to fully assess the limitations of combining hand-held UBM with the Reinstein formula. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e142-e147.].

Photorefractive Keratectomy in Student Naval Aviators: Outcomes of the U.S. Navy Accessioning Study.

Refractive Surgery

To present the outcomes of the U.S. Navy photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) accessioning study conducted between 2000 and 2005 that helped lead to the acceptance of laser vision correction within the U.S. aviation industry.

In this prospective masked study, a total of 301 students who had PRK and underwent naval flight training were compared to 4,368 untreated peers. Three training pipelines were compared: propeller/jet transport, jet fighters, and helicopters. The evaluated metrics were flight and academic performance (assessed for the primary and advanced stage of the training as normalized Navy Standard Score [NSS]), as well as the student attrition rate from training.

The attrition rate was lower in the PRK group compared to controls (15.9% vs 23.2%; P = .004). In the primary stage of training, students who had PRK outperformed controls in flight training performance in the propeller/jet transport pipeline (average NSS after PRK: 52.4 ± 7.5 vs controls: 50.7 ± 6.4, P = .02), but the flight performance in the jet fighter and helicopter pipelines was comparable between the two groups. Academic performance in the primary stage of training was approximately 7% to 13% higher in students who had PRK for all training pipelines. During the advanced training stage, there was no difference in the flight performance between the groups in any of the presented pipelines. Academic performance was significantly better for students who had PRK in the helicopter pipeline (51.2 ± 11.0 vs 46.7 ± 11.7 P < .001) but comparable between the two groups in the remaining pipelines.

Refractive surgery did not have adverse effects on flight performance metrics. Pilots who had PRK had comparable or better outcomes than their untreated peers. [J Refract Surg. 2024:40(3):e173-e181.].

Functional Classification of Intraocular Lenses Based on Defocus Curves: A Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis.

Refractive Surgery

To explore a potential functional classification of intraocular lenses (IOLs) based on monocular visual acuity defocus curves (VADCs) as a primary end-point.

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed. Two independent reviewers screened the literature for inclusion and data extraction. Inclusion criteria were full-text primary clinical studies of IOLs, published in English from 2010 onward, involving patients undergoing cataract or refractive lens exchange. A cluster analysis was conducted to explore similarities in the range of field (RoF) and increase of visual acuity from intermediate to near (ΔVA).

A total of 107 studies were ultimately included from the 436 identified in the systematic search, with an additional 5 studies added through the snowballing technique search. The cluster analysis was conducted using 69 reports that included monocular VADCs. Two main categories were identified based on the achieved RoF for 0.2 and 0.3 logMAR: full (FRoF) and partial (PRoF) RoF IOLs. Three subcategories were identified for FRoF depending on ΔVA: continuous (FRoF-C), smooth (FRoF-Sm), and steep (FRoF-St). On the other hand, PRoF IOLs shared the characteristic of monotonous decrease in visual acuity and were subclassified into two subcategories depending on the achieved RoF: narrowed (PRoF-N) and extended (PRoF-Ex). An additional subcategory was added to PRoF, enhanced (PRoF-En), for 7 reports alternating between PRoF-N and PRoF-Ex depending on the use of 0.2 or 0.3 logMAR as a cut-off for calculating the RoF.

IOLs can be functionally classified into six types depending on the RoF and shape of the monocular VADC. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(2):e108-e116.].

Long-term Prevalence of Opacification of a Hydrophylic Acrylic Rotationally Asymmetric Refractive Multifocal Intraocular Lens.

Refractive Surgery

To determine the prevalence of opacification of a hydrophylic intraocular lens (IOL) with hydrophobic coverage and the percentage of explantations required, determining possible risk factors associated with these opacifications.

This ambispective study enrolled 575 eyes of 296 patients (age 36 to 87 years) that underwent cataract surgery between 2010 and 2017 with implantation of different models of Lentis Mplus IOLs: LS-312-MF30, LS-313-MF15, LS-313-MF30, LU-313-MF30, and LU-313-MF30T (Oculentis GmbH). Visual, refractive, and slit-lamp biomicroscopic changes were evaluated in a long-term follow-up. The percentage of cases with IOL opacification and the percentage of cases in which IOL explantation was required due to such opacifications were calculated at each visit. Five of the explanted IOLs from this series could be analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX).

IOL opacification developed in 63 eyes (11.0%). With 95% confidence, the prevalence of IOL opacification was between 842 and 1,401 cases per 10,000 eyes. The time elapsed between surgery and the presence of IOL opacification ranged between 0 and 9.3 years (mean: 4.7 ± 2.2 years). No significant differences in terms of IOL opacification rate were found according to gender (P = .378). No significant differences were found in arterial hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or hyperthyroidism rates between eyes with or without IOL opacification (P ≥ .053). IOL explantation was needed in 9 eyes (1.57%). SEM-EDX analysis confirmed the presence of rough areas on the IOL surface containing different components, such as calcium, phosphorous, copper, or nitrogen.

The prevalence of opacification with time in Lentis Mplus IOLs is high, with no systemic risk factors associated with this complication, suggesting that it may be attributable to the material and/or the manufacturing process. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(2):e98-e107.].

The Effects of Whole-Corneal and Whole-Eye Higher Order Aberrations on the Discrepancy Between Refractive and Corneal Astigmatism in Otherwise Healthy Candidates for Refractive Surgery.

Refractive Surgery

To evaluate the effect of different whole-corneal and whole-eye higher order aberrations (HOAs) on levels of axis discrepancy.

This was a retrospective study including healthy candidates for refractive surgery, with one eye being randomly selected. A total of 360 eyes were included. Whole-corneal and whole-eye HOAs were measured twice with a Pentacam AXL Wave (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH), and subjective manifest refraction was obtained. Axis discrepancy was defined as the absolute difference between Total Corneal Refractive Power flat keratometry axis and manifest refractive axis. Two multiple linear regression models that sought to explore the effect of HOAs in predicting axis discrepancy while adjusting for corneal and refractive confounders were built.

Mean age was 29.1 ± 5.8 years and 63.9% of the patients were women. Mean manifest sphere and cylinder were -3.09 ± 2.36 and -1.45 ± 1.37 diopters (D), respectively. Mean cylinder axis discrepancy was 14.4 ± 14.5°. On multiple linear regression, the only variables significantly associated with axis discrepancy were corneal cylinder and corneal lower order aberrations [F(5,339) = 29.746; P < .001; adjusted R2 = 0.295]. Lower levels of corneal cylinder are by far the main contributor to astigmatism axis mismatch (ß = -1.164). There was not a single HOA, either corneal or ocular, that significantly loaded into any models.

Astigmatism axis mismatch decreases rapidly with increasing levels of corneal astigmatism. Corneal and whole-eye HOAs have no role in astigmatism axis mismatch in healthy candidates for refractive surgery. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(2):e89-e97.].

Blue-Light Filtering Monofocal Intraocular Lenses: A Study on Optical Function and Tolerance to Misalignment.

Refractive Surgery

To investigate the optical performance and tolerance to misalignment of blue-light filtering monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).

The optical properties of two monofocal IOLs featuring yellow chromophores, CT Lucia 621 PY (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG) and Clareon CNA0T0 (Alcon Laboratories, Inc), were assessed in monochromatic and polychromatic light while introducing spherical aberration (SA). Optical quality metrics derived from the modulation transfer function were assessed after optimal IOL centration at 3- and 4.5-mm pupils. In addition, each IOL's tolerance to misalignment was examined by inducing up to 1 mm of decentration and the effect of tilting it by 5 degrees at 3 mm.

The IOLs' resolution and contrast, while tested using a 3-mm aperture and an SA-neutral corneal model, indicated the CT Lucia 621 PY had a slightly higher modulation transfer function (MTF) at 50 lp/mm than the CNA0T0 under monochromatic conditions (0.77 vs 0.69). On introducing SA with (0.49 vs 0.40) and without (0.75 vs. 0.70) chromatic aberration, the CT Lucia 621 PY maintained its minimally better performance. When assessed with a 4.5-mm aperture in monochromatic light, the CT Lucia 621 PY displayed improved MTF with aberration-free cornea (0.71 vs 0.40) but performed worse after introducing SA (0.44 vs 0.62). However, both lenses achieved comparable MTF values under spherical and chromatic aberrations (0.28 vs 0.27). The IOL misalignment test revealed a better tolerance to tilt and decentration of the CT Lucia 621 PY across all conditions.

The CT Lucia 621 PY and CNA0T0 showed similar optical quality in different situations, with equal simulated distance visual acuity for both models. However, the CT Lucia 621 PY's aspheric design offers an advantage when dealing with often imperfect physiological conditions, displaying a more robust performance under tilt and decentration. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(2):e79-e88.].