BMJ Open Ophthalmology最新文献

Background/aims: Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a common complication of visual impairment. However, demographic and clinical characteristics may modify the prevalence and impact of the condition. The aim was to investigate the prevalence of CBS among visually impaired military veterans and the associated impact of visual hallucinations.

Methods: Cross-sectional screening and survey study of members at Blind Veterans UK, a national charity supporting ex-armed forces men and women with a registered visual impairment. Data were analysed using membership records followed by a prospective CBS screening measure and survey.

Results: 461 military veterans with CBS were identified from 4109 individual records, representing 11.2% (95% CI 10.2% to 12.2%) of the population. From this, 115 members (24.9%) participated in the survey. The average age was 82.5 (±12.3) years and 89.6% were male. The most common ophthalmic condition was age-related macular degeneration (58.3%) and participants had severely reduced visual acuity (average better eye 1.2 (±1.4) LogMAR). Reporting 'bothersome' hallucinations was associated with living with CBS for over 3 years (p=0.01) and hallucinating at least once per week (p=0.05). Diverting attention elsewhere was considered an effective relief strategy among 64.9% (95% CI 56.2% to 73.6%) of those who had used this. Fewer than half (44.3%) had disclosed their symptoms to a hospital doctor and corresponding clinical management was variable.

Conclusion: CBS was common among visually impaired military veterans and was associated with negative outcomes. However, limitations include identifying cases through retrospective screening and not controlling for visual acuity and rehabilitation. Findings may not generalise beyond veterans in the charity's database. Yet, the findings yield evidence for a therapeutic benefit of relief strategies in managing symptoms and the need to promote dialogue about visual hallucinations between patients and clinicians.

Background/aims: To determine the accuracy of an innovative paper-based, low-cost, easily accessed, portable method of evaluating the visual field (VF).

Methods: Two groups of consecutive patients with glaucoma and controls were enrolled. Both eyes were assessed, and the Humphrey field analyser (HFA) (24-2) was used to identify patients with and without VF defects. The TsiogkaSpaeth grid (TS) grid test was performed in each eye of all participants. The Humphrey VF examination and the TS grid examination were conducted consecutively on the same day by two different examiners, prior to any other eye examinations. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the TS grid scotoma area were assessed, using the results found with the HFA as the reference standard. A mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random intercept per participant was used to account for the correlation between eyes.

Results: This prospective, cross-sectional study recruited 51 participants in a tertiary care hospital-based glaucoma department. Of them, 19 had glaucomatous defects in both eyes, 12 had defects in 1 eye only and 21 had no defects in either eye. The sensitivity and specificity of the TS grid test were 81.63% (95% CI 68% to 91.2%) and 84.91% (95% CI 72.4% to 93.3%), respectively, positive predicted value was 83.33% (95% CI 69.8% to 92.5%) and negative predictive value was 83.33% (95% CI 70.7% to 92.1%). The area under the curve was 0.83 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.91). There was a significant correlation between the TS grid test score and the VF Index of the HFA 24-2 (r=0.87, p<0.0001) and the mean deviation of the HFA 24-2 (r=0.85, p<0.0001).

Conclusions: The TS grid test offers a reliable, low-cost alternative for VF examination in glaucoma patients. This method could be advantageous in clinical settings with limited access to traditional testing equipment. The TS grid has limitations, including difficulty of fixation loss testing and ensuring the correct fixation distance. The test's self-administration reliability is uncertain, and some patients were unable to perform it. Other limitations concern the grid's design and the small sample size of the study.

Objective: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) registers enable population-based studies to monitor ROP screening programmes to improve their effectiveness. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of ROP and the coverage of screening in a South African cohort using a prospective ROP South African (ROPSA) register.

Methods and analysis: Infants born from 1 May 2022 to 31 January 2023 and screened prospectively for ROP at five neonatal intensive care units in Cape Town were included. The screening criteria were a gestational age (GA) <32 weeks or birth weight (BW) <1250 g. Data were extracted from the ROPSA register and analysed.

Results: 696 of 1154 (60.3%) eligible infants were screened, almost half of whom (45.7%) did not complete screening. ROP was detected in 220 infants (31.6%, 95% CI 28.3% to 35.3%), 7 (1.0%) of whom required treatment. Infants with incomplete screening had a lower mean GA than those who completed screening; 28.7 (SD 1.6, range 25-33) and 29.1 (SD 1.7, range 24-36) weeks, respectively (p=0.004) and a lower mean BW; 1048 (SD 203, range 650-1690) g and 1108.5 (SD 227, range 640-1840) g, respectively (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Data from the ROPSA register on the frequency of any ROP and treatment-requiring ROP may be biased due to low screening coverage and high incomplete screening. Reasons need to be explored and corrective interventions initiated. The ROPSA register will enable the impact of these interventions to be monitored. The findings of this study will contribute to the ongoing revision of South African national ROP screening guidelines.

Background: The advent of generative artificial intelligence has led to the emergence of multiple vision large language models (VLLMs). This study aimed to evaluate the capabilities of commonly available VLLMs, such as OpenAI's GPT-4V and Google's Gemini, in detecting and diagnosing ocular diseases from retinal images.

Methods and analysis: From the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) study, we selected 44 representative retinal photographs, including 10 healthy and 34 representing six eye diseases (age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, visually significant cataract, myopic macular degeneration and retinal vein occlusion). OpenAI's GPT-4V (both default and data analyst modes) and Google Gemini were prompted with each image to determine if the retina was normal or abnormal and to provide diagnostic descriptions if deemed abnormal. The outputs from the VLLMs were evaluated for accuracy by three attending-level ophthalmologists using a three-point scale (poor, borderline, good).

Results: GPT-4V default mode demonstrated the highest detection rate, correctly identifying 33 out of 34 detected correctly (97.1%), outperforming its data analyst mode (61.8%) and Google Gemini (41.2%). Despite the relatively high detection rates, the quality of diagnostic descriptions was generally suboptimal-with only 21.2% of GPT-4V's (default) responses, 4.8% of GPT-4V's (data analyst) responses and 28.6% for Google Gemini's responses rated as good.

Conclusions: Although GPT-4V default mode showed generally high sensitivity in abnormality detection, all evaluated VLLMs were inadequate in providing accurate diagnoses for ocular diseases. These findings emphasise the need for domain-customised VLLMs and suggest the continued need for human oversight in clinical ophthalmology.

Objective: To evaluate multimodal imaging (MMI) biomarkers for predicting progression from intermediate to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods and analysis: This prospective longitudinal cohort study included patients with intermediate AMD (iAMD) enrolled in the University of Colorado AMD registry between July 2014 and August 2023, with follow-up through February 2024. At enrolment, patients' medical histories and MMI were collected. Baseline and follow-up imaging were reviewed for progression to geographic atrophy (GA) and neovascular AMD (nAMD). Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard modelling with competing risks to determine HRs for progression.

Results: A total of 367 patients (733 eyes) with iAMD were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 27.8 months. During this period, 100 eyes progressed to GA, 58 to nAMD. Adjusted for age, BMI and hypertension, progression to nAMD was significantly associated with soft drusen (HR 5.31, 95% CI 1.95 to 14.4, p=0.001), pigmentary changes (HR 2.74, 95% CI 1.52 to 4.92, p=0.0008) on colour fundus photography (CFP) and subretinal hyper-reflective material (SHRM) (HR 3.36, 95% CI 1.88 to 6.02, p<0.0001) and intraretinal hyper-reflective foci (IHRF) (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.57, p=0.0001) on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Adjusted for age, progression to GA was predicted by soft drusen (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.27, p=0.020), drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment (PED) (HR 5.51, 95% CI 2.49 to 12.2, p<0.0001), avascular non-drusenoid PED (HR 6.59, 95% CI 1.54 to 28.1, p=0.011), pigmentary changes (HR 4.44, 95% CI 2.84 to 6.96, p<0.0001) on CFP and nnSRF (HR 6.41, 95% CI 1.39 to 29.6, p=0.017), SHRM (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.45 to 4.49, p=0.001), drusenoid PED (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.43 to 3.55, p=0.0005), avascular non-drusenoid PED (HR 4.67, 95% CI 2.45 to 8.92, p<0.0001), IHRF (HR 6.27, 95% CI 3.89 to 10.1, p<0.0001) and incomplete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy (HR 9.42, 95% CI 5.82 to 15.2, p<0.0001) on OCT (table 3).

Conclusions: Key imaging biomarkers associated with the progression were identified, which may offer prognostic information for providers. However, the study is limited by its predominantly Caucasian population and single-centre design, which may affect the generalisability of certain biomarkers.

Objective: To assess the impact of eye drops containing high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) on corneal nerve regeneration, dendritic cell (DC) density, corneal sensitivity (CS) and ocular surface parameters in patients with keratoconus following corneal crosslinking (CXL).

Methods and analysis: 63 eyes of 55 patients with keratoconus were randomised to receive eye drops containing HMW-HA (n: 20) for 12 months, LMW-HA (n: 23) for 12 months and polyvinyl alcohol (n: 20) until closure of the epithelial defect in the control group after CXL. Subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) was imaged with corneal confocal microscopy and quantified with ACCMetrics. DC density was calculated with Image J. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and non-invasive break-up time (NI-TBUT) were evaluated. All measurements were performed before CXL and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postsurgery.

Results: At 6 months post-CXL, SNP reached to its preoperative. CS was higher in the HMW-HA groups compared with the other two groups in the 3rd and 6th month post-CXL. DC density was higher in the LMW-HA group compared with the HMW-HA group in the postoperative 3rd month. OSDI were higher in the control group compared with both the LMW-HA and HMW-HA groups at postoperative 3rd and 6th months. NI-TBUT was lower in the control group in the 6th and 12th months compared with the other groups.

Conclusions: The use of artificial tear drops containing HMW-HA may have a therapeutic effect to promote corneal nerve regrowth and support faster functional recovery after CXL.

Trial registration number: NCT06243991.

Objective: To quantitatively investigate the retinal size and shape distortion in different ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging systems.

Methods and analysis: We imaged the posterior segments of model eyes using Daytona, Mirante, CLARUS 500, VG2001, BMizar and TRC-NW8. We measured the scale bars of each grid and the compactness of each ring to quantify the size and shape distortion. The relationship between the relative size with eccentricity and axial length was analysed. The size and shape distortion were compared among different UWF systems.

Results: The size is positively associated with eccentricity (β=0.202-0.482; p<0.001) and negatively associated with axial length (β=-0.787 to -0.890; p<0.001) in all UWF systems. There is a significant difference in slopes across devices. The size distortion of Mirante is lower than the other UWF systems (p=0.0083-0.0472) except for TRC-NW8. Multivariate linear regression analysis found the adjusted R²=0.809-0.948, which was improved to more than 0.960 with a quadratic polynomial equation. Only Daytona showed shape distortion, and the compactness of Daytona is smaller than the others (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: Quantitative measurements identified different relationships between size distortion with axial length and eccentricity in different UWF systems, which can serve as a reference for correcting size distortion. Shape distortion only occurs in Daytona.

Objectives: Corneal neovascularisation (CoNV) is a major risk factor for corneal allograft rejection and failure. This study assessed the impact of preoperative lymphatic and haematic vascularisation of the graft bed on graft survival in a clinical setting.

Methods and analysis: This retrospective study included patients with histologically confirmed CoNV (positive staining for CD-31) who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PK) between 2008 and 2023 at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. Cases were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of lymphatic CoNV (podoplanin staining). Follow-up was 2 years or until graft failure. Outcome parameters included the risk of graft failure and leakage patterns in a subgroup with preoperative indocyanine green (ICG) angiography.

Results: Of 17 included patients, lymphatic CoNV was identified in the excised corneal buttons of 10 cases (group 1). Seven cases stained only for haematic CoNV (group 2). Group 1 had a shorter age of CoNV (0.6±0.4 vs 2.3±0.8 years, p<0.001) and a higher rate of graft failure (6/10 vs 0/7, p=0.005). Lymphatic CoNV was only present in the age of CoNV less than 12 months. ICG leakage was associated with a younger age of CoNV (p=0.0338), corresponding to the presence of lymphatic CoNV at a younger age of CoNV.

Conclusion: Lymphatic CoNV in haemvascularised corneal stromal beds increases the risk of graft failure within 2 years. Lymphatic CoNV regression occurs within the first year of an inciting event. This time period or the presence of ICG dye leakage indicates a very high risk for corneal transplantation.

Objective: Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of sunscreen products is well recognised by consumers. This study explored how SPF could be applied to ultraviolet radiation (UV) protection from contact lenses (CL-SPF).

Methods and analysis: UV transmission through 15 commercially available contact lenses and three spectacle lens materials was measured with a deuterium light source and spectrophotometer. CL-SPF values were calculated using the standard in vitro method used to test and label skin products. Ray tracing was applied to two sunglass designs to assess the effect of solar angle and head orientation on light reaching the ocular surface. Cellular damage profile of human corneal and conjunctival cells across the UV range was assessed in vitro to inform an SPF equivalent for CLs.

Results: CLs tested fell into three categories: CL-SPF with no UV blocker=1.0-2.0 (equivalent to using no sunscreen); CL-SPF with Class 2 UV blocker=12.3-24.8 (equivalent to SPF15); and CL-SPF with Class 1 UV blocker=59.6-66.2 (equivalent to SPF 50+). Despite the UV-blocking characteristics of sunglasses, ocular surface protection can be substantially reduced at certain solar angle and head orientation combinations; on average, 76%-89% of light was prevented from reaching the ocular surface depending on the intensity of the tint (80%-20% transmission). The data also suggest that cell damage and death of ocular surface cells has a similar profile to that of the skin, but conjunctival cells are more susceptible to UV damage.

Conclusion: CL-SPF is a viable metric to communicate the protection from the absorption/transmission of UV radiation that CLs offers wearers. However, a contact lens will only project the area of the ocular surface it covers, which is limited to mainly the cornea and internal eye tissues with soft CLs.

Background/aims: Within the UK, there are approximately 340 000 people who are registered as sight impaired (SI) or severely Sight Impaired (SSI), mainly due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eye disease (DED) and glaucoma. This study aimed to explore the association between certification of visual impairment (CVI) and socioeconomic deprivation.

Methods: Data from all CVI forms across Northern Ireland (NI) between 2018 to 2022 were used for analysis. Data collected included age, sex, visual acuity (logMAR), postcode and certification category. Deprivation measure was obtained using the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2017 (NIMDM17). Patients were allocated a quintile from 1 (most deprived) to 5 (least deprived).

Results: Of the 1863 patients with VI who met the inclusion criteria, 1798 (97%) had postal codes recorded and therefore were allocated an NIMDM17 score. There were 755 patients in total, which were grouped into the most deprived and least deprived areas (357 and 398, respectively). Results showed that patients living in more deprived areas were significantly more likely to be certified as SI/SSI at a younger age than those living in less deprived areas (80.97 vs 85.77, respectively, p<0.001). This was seen in patients with AMD (85.1 vs 87.5, p=0.005) and DED (63.9 vs 69.8, p=0.013) but not in glaucoma (80.9 vs 84.1, p=0.073).

Conclusion: This study has shown that patients living in more deprived areas are more likely to be certified as SI or SSI at a significantly younger age compared with patients from less deprived areas across the certification database.