Freund, K. Bailey

ImportanceIntraocular pressure (IOP) elevations of clinical relevance have been observed after the commonly used 0.05-mL volume for intravitreous injections. However, more recently approved intravitreous agents involve volumes from 0.07 to 0.1 mL. It is not well established whether repeated 0.1-mL intravitreous injections may result in IOP-related complications.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of 1 year of repeated 0.1-mL intravitreous injections on IOP outcomes.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis study was a post hoc analysis of 2 clinical trials investigating the IOP safety of intravitreous lampalizumab on geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Both trials were conducted between 2014 and 2018 and recruited participants who were 50 years or older and had bilateral geographic atrophy. This post hoc analysis was performed between 2018 and 2022.InterventionsIntravitreous lampalizumab, 0.1 mL, every 4 weeks; lampalizumab, 0.1 mL, every 6 weeks; or sham procedure every 4 weeks or 6 weeks for 48 weeks.Main Outcomes and MeasuresIOP changes in the 4-week-frequency study arms and ocular adverse events to week 48 in all arms. The hypothesis for this analysis was formulated after data collection.ResultsAmong a total of 1851 participants, there was no change in mean pre-injection IOP values through 48 weeks in either arm. The adverse events glaucoma and ocular hypertension were reported for 1.8% of participants treated with lampalizumab and 1.6% of those in the sham arm.Conclusions and RelevanceOver 1 year, IOP increases were rare and did not affect treated participants more frequently than sham arm participants. These findings support the low risk of persistent IOP increases, on average, of intravitreous 0.1-mL injection volumes administered for 1 year in a manner similar to that performed in these clinical trials. These results may be valuable in the design of future therapeutic trials considering this volume for injections particularly as more recently approved agents use volumes of 0.07 to 0.1 mL.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02247479 and NCT02247531

Purpose: To describe the multimodal imaging findings of extensive choroidal caverns within a choroidal nevus in an eye with pachychoroid spectrum disease. Methods: A 69-year-old woman was referred with a known history of branch retinal vein occlusion in the right eye and choroidal nevus in the left eye. Fundus examination of both eyes revealed subretinal yellow deposits, suggestive of pachydrusen. Retinal venous collaterals were noted in the temporal macular of the right eye. A lightly pigmented choroidal lesion with nearly confluent overlying drusen and retinal pigment epithelial alterations, consistent with chronic choroidal nevus, was noted in the macula of the left eye. Results: Optical coherence tomography B-scans revealed thickened choroid (pachychoroid) with subfoveal choroidal thickness of 504 µ m and 580 µ m with large hyporeflective spaces suggestive of pachyvessels in both eyes. In the region of the choroidal nevus, the choroidal vascular spaces appeared comparatively large and were classified as “caverns” measuring up to 480 µ m in diameter. Optical coherence tomography angiography and indocyanine green angiography demonstrated the absence of flow within the caverns. Indocyanine green angiography further illustrated choroidal vascular hyperpermeability with patchy hyperfluorescent areas in both eyes. Wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography showed mild posterior scleral bowing, a feature occasionally documented with choroidal nevus, and highlighted greater hyporeflectivity and hypertransmission on optical coherence tomography within the caverns compared with the noncavernous choroidal vessels. Conclusion: Choroidal caverns can occur within choroidal nevus in the setting of pachychoroid disease.

Purpose: To describe two cases of retinal detachment with hydration folds and discuss the possible cause of these outer retinal abnormalities. Methods: The medical and imaging records of two patients with retinal detachment and hydration folds were examined. Patients: A 43-year-old myopic woman who developed a retinal detachment secondary to a macular hole and a 35-year-old man referred with a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment masquerading as an exudative detachment were each found to have retinal hydration folds. Results: On near-infrared reflectance imaging, the hydration folds appeared similar to eddy currents, and these corresponded to curvilinear outer retinal plications on optical coherence tomography. The photoreceptor outer segments appeared thickened and elongated, and there was apparent lateral expansion of the outer retinal layers. Conclusion: Hydration folds are found in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and demonstrate reproducible imaging characteristics on near-infrared imaging and optical coherence tomography. The cause for such outer retinal plications is currently unknown. We suspect that they form as a result of hydration of the glycosaminoglycans in the interphotoreceptor matrix, which lies between the photoreceptors. Additional studies are warranted to explore this pathophysiology.

Purpose: To describe atypical cases of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) associated with foveal exudation, increased choroidal thickness, and secondary Type 2 (subretinal) neovascularization. Methods: Four cases of atypical MEWDS were studied at a retina referral center. Patients underwent evaluation with multimodal retinal imaging, including fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, spectral-domain and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (OCT). Two patients were imaged with OCT angiography. Results: Four patients (3 female, 1 male) with a median age of 23.5 years presented with acute onset, painless, decreased central vision. All cases demonstrated fundus findings consistent with MEWDS on color photography, indocyanine green angiography, fluorescein angiography, fundus autofluorescence, and structural OCT imaging. On structural OCT, all 4 patients were noted to have hyperreflective subretinal material and increased subfoveal choroidal thickness ranging from 307 μm to 515 μm. Type 2 neovascularization was diagnosed in all four patients using fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and/or OCT angiography. Two patients had poor visual acuity at the last follow-up despite resolution of characteristic clinical findings of MEWDS. Conclusion: A subset of patients with atypical MEWDS may develop persistent poor vision due to subfoveal exudation and secondary Type 2 neovascularization. Patients showing increased choroidal thickness at presentation may be more susceptible to this unusual presentation.