Incidence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Macular Neovascularization in Extensive Macular Atrophy with Pseudodrusen-like Appearance.

Purpose: To report the incidence, features, and clinical outcomes of macular neovascularization (MNV) in a large Italian cohort of patients with extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (EMAP).

Methods: Retrospective, longitudinal study including 79 EMAP patients (158 eyes) with ≥6 months of follow-up at three retina clinics. Medical records and imaging were reviewed for demographic and clinical data, including age, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), MNV features, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy size, measured by short-wavelength autofluorescence and refined with near-infrared and OCT imaging.

Punctate Inner Choroidopathy (PIC)-like Reaction in Stage 3 Extensive Macular Atrophy with Pseudodrusen-like Appearance (EMAP).

Purpose: To describe a rare complication in a patient with extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (EMAP), suggesting immune dysregulation in advanced stages of the disease.

Methods: Case Report. Multimodal imaging -including true-color fundus photography, blue autofluorescence, high-resolution optical coherence tomography (Hi-Res OCT), swept-source OCT angiography, and dye-based angiography- was used to evaluate retinal alterations.

Extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (EMAP) clinical characteristics, diagnostic criteria, and insights from allied inherited retinal diseases and age-related macular degeneration.

Extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (EMAP) was first described in France in 2009 as a symmetric and rapidly progressive form of macular atrophy primarily affecting middle-aged individuals. Despite the recent identification of a significant number of cases in Italy and worldwide, EMAP remains an underrecognized condition. The clinical triad typical of EMAP consists of vertically oriented macular atrophy with multilobular borders, pseudodrusen-like deposits across the posterior pole and mid-periphery, and peripheral pavingstone degeneration.

Simple Epithelial Transplantation for Ocular Surface Reconstruction After Severe Ocular Burn Injury.

Purpose: To manage ocular surface complications and recover conjunctival and corneal epithelia after unilateral severe chemical burn.

Methods: We performed simple conjunctival epithelial transplantation (SCET) to obtain renewal of fornix and bulbar-tarsal conjunctiva epithelium, followed by simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) to recover limbal function and epithelial corneal surface. Slit-lamp examination, fluorescein staining, in vivo confocal microscopy, Kheirkhah grading system for symblepharon severity, Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, and best-corrected visual acuity were assessed before surgery, at 1 to 3 months after SCET and SLET, and thereafter at 6 to 12 to 36 months.

Obesity, body fat distribution and eye diseases.

Background: The prevalence of obesity, a chronic disease, is increasing, and obesity is now considered a global epidemic. Eye diseases are also increasing worldwide and have serious repercussions on quality of life as well as increasingly high costs for the community. The relationships between obesity and ocular pathologies are not yet well clarified and are not pathologically homogeneous: they seem to be somehow linked to excess body fat, especially to the distribution of adipose tissue and its ectopic deposits.

CSF levels of Chitinase3like1 correlate with early response to cladribine in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Cladribine has been introduced as a high-efficacy drug for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Initial cohort studies showed early disease activity in the first year after drug initiation. Biomarkers that can predict early disease activity are needed.

Towards a Long-Read Sequencing Approach for the Molecular Diagnosis of RPGR Genetic Variants.

Sequencing of the low-complexity ORF15 exon of RPGR, a gene correlated with retinitis pigmentosa and cone dystrophy, is difficult to achieve with NGS and Sanger sequencing. False results could lead to the inaccurate annotation of genetic variants in dbSNP and ClinVar databases, tools on which HGMD and Ensembl rely, finally resulting in incorrect genetic variants interpretation. This paper aims to propose PacBio sequencing as a feasible method to correctly detect genetic variants in low-complexity regions, such as the ORF15 exon of RPGR, and interpret their pathogenicity by structural studies.

UNVEILING THE HIDDEN: EARLY MANIFESTATIONS OF EXTENSIVE MACULAR ATROPHY WITH PSEUDODRUSEN-LIKE APPEARANCE.

Purpose: To describe novel microperimetry and imaging findings in two patients affected by extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance without signs of retinal pigment epithelium atrophy.

Methods: Case series. Both patients underwent mesopic and dark-adapted two-color scotopic microperimetry, followed by multimodal imaging assessment including ultra-widefield photography, fundus autofluorescence, high-resolution optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, and high-magnification module.

CORRELATION BETWEEN MICROPERIMETRY AND IMAGING IN EXTENSIVE MACULAR ATROPHY WITH PSEUDODRUSEN-LIKE APPEARANCE.

Purpose: To determine the correlation between microperimetry and imaging findings in extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (EMAP).

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included 44 consecutive patients with EMAP (88 eyes) and 30 healthy subjects (60 eyes). Both groups underwent visual acuity assessment, mesopic and scotopic microperimetry, fundus photography, autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, and optical coherence tomography angiography.

22 Renewal of conjunctival epithelium over amniotic membrane to perform autologous simple conjunctival epithelial transplantation (SCET): in vitro validation and results of clinical application for primary pterygium.

Background: Transplantation of ex vivo cultured conjunctival cell layers, generated on amniotic membrane or other scaffolds, provides a viable option in treating heterogeneous ocular surface conditions. By comparison, cell therapy is costly, labour-intensive and subject to good manufacturing practice requirements and regulatory approval; no conjunctival cell-based therapy is currently available. Several techniques are available after primary pterygium excision to recover the ocular surface anatomy by restoring healthy conjunctival epithelium and preventing recurrence and complications.

Microscopic corneal epithelial changes and clinical outcomes in simple limbal epithelial transplantation surgery after treatment with amniotic membrane eye drops (AMED): A case report.

Purpose: To describe the microscopic epithelial changes and the clinical outcomes of a patient treated with amniotic membrane eye drops (AMED) because of a persistent epithelial defect (PED) and a partial limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK).

Observations: A 72-year-old patient, who had previously undergone SLET and DALK due to a total LSCD, presented with a PED related to a partial LSCD, and was treated with AMED for one month. We evaluated the patient's visual acuity, the Oxford grading scale, the Wong-Baker Pain Rating Scale, and in vivo confocal microscopy, both at baseline and 3 months after the end of treatment.

CSF TNF and osteopontin levels correlate with the response to dimethyl fumarate in early multiple sclerosis.

Background: Disease activity in the first years after a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is a negative prognostic factor for long-term disability. Markers of both clinical and radiological responses to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are advocated.

Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate the value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory markers at the time of diagnosis in predicting the disease activity in treatment-naïve multiple sclerosis (MS) patients exposed to dimethyl fumarate (DMF).

Autologous simple conjunctival epithelial transplantation for primary pterygium.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a new method of conjunctival transplantation to achieve recovery of the normal conjunctival epithelium over the bare sclera after pterygium excision and prevent its recurrence.

Methods: After excision of the primary pterygium, we performed simple conjunctival epithelial transplantation (SCET) in which we glued an amniotic membrane patch pre-loaded with tiny autologous conjunctival tissue fragments over the scleral defect. Slit-lamp evaluation was performed at 2 and 7-10 days, and then at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, together with confocal microscopy at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Extended Depth of Focus Versus Monofocal IOLs in Patients With High Myopia: Objective and Subjective Visual Outcomes.

Purpose: To compare the objective and subjective outcomes between the extended depth of focus (EDOF) Mini Well intraocular lens (IOL) and the aspheric monofocal Mini-4-Ready IOL (both SIFI S.p.A.

The Role of Topical Povidone-Iodine in the Management of Infectious Keratitis: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this prospective explorative study was to evaluate the safety and the effectiveness of topical polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) administered during the time-to-results period for pathogen identification and susceptibility testing in patients with infectious keratitis (IK). A corneal swab (CS) for antimicrobial evaluation was performed at enrollment (T0) and topical 0.66%-PVP-I was administered until the laboratory results were available (T1).

Longitudinal Study of Optic Disk Perfusion and Retinal Structure in Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate optic disk perfusion and neural retinal structure in patients with subacute Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and LHON carriers, as compared with healthy controls.

Methods: This study included 8 patients with LHON in the subacute stage, 10 asymptomatic carriers of a LHON-associated mitochondrial DNA mutation, and 40 controls. All subjects underwent measurement of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness using optical coherence tomography and optic disk microvascular perfusion (Mean Tissue [MT]) using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG).

Early corneal and optic nerve changes in a paediatric population affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Purpose: The relation between OSAS and eye diseases is well known in adults, while very few and contradictory data can be found regarding paediatric ages. The aim of this study is to explore the early corneal, macular and optic nerve changes in paediatric patients with OSAS.

Methods: Prospective study that enrolled children aged ≥ 4 years referred to the Paediatric Pneumology Clinic in Verona for suspected obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and investigated with the overnight respiratory polygraphy.

Do behaviour change techniques increase adherence to home exercises in those with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders? A systematic review.

Objectives: To investigate whether behaviour change techniques (BCTs) can influence adherence to home exercise in people with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMD).

Design: A systematic review of randomised control trials, non-randomised control trials, case-control studies and cohort studies. Results were presented narratively.

Features of Retinitis-like Lesions in Vitreoretinal Lymphoma.

: To describe the distinguishing features of retinitis-like lesions seen in vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) from viral and toxoplasma retinitis.: In this multicenter, retrospective study, we reviewed charts and imaging of consecutive patients with VRL. The associated features and the characteristics of retinitis-like lesions were assessed and compared with those of viral and toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis.

Long-Term Anatomic and Visual Outcome Following Vitrectomy for Stage 4B and 5 Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Background And Objectives: Surgical indications in stages 4B and 5 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are not universally accepted. The authors' purpose is to evaluate the long-term anatomic and visual outcomes of vitrectomy for retinal detachment (RD) associated with stages 4B and 5 ROP.

Patients And Methods: Data of patients who consecutively underwent vitrectomy for stages 4B and 5 ROP from 1999 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and included grade of retinal attachment and visual acuity (VA) at the last follow-up.

Very late recurrence of iris melanoma: 45 years after treatment.

Iris melanoma is a rare tumour that accounts for ~3-4% of all uveal melanoma cases. In the past, surgical resection was the sole treatement option, whereas nowadays, it has been replaced by brachytherapy as treatment of choice. Surgical resection is still in use in selected cases but combined with adjuvant radiotherapy in cases of incomplete resection.