To assess the condition of the corneal endothelium an extended period after cataract surgery in eyes with and without pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES), 46 patients with PES who underwent cataract surgery in the Eye Department at Oslo University Hospital in 2001 and 2002 were enrolled and compared to 101 matched controls without PES who had surgery in the same period. They were re-examined six to seven years following surgery with measurements of corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), pleomorphism, polymegathism, and corneal thickness taken.

It was reported that mean ECD was 2,024 cells/mm² ± 371 cells/mm² in eyes with PES and 2,144 cells/mm² ± 365 cells/mm² in eyes without PES. The difference was not statistically significant and no significant difference in polymegathism and pleomorphism was noted. It was also observed that mean corneal thickness was 543 µm and 547 µm in eyes with and without PES, respectively (not statistically significant). Furthermore, the presence of glaucoma in pseudoexfoliative eyes was not associated with endothelial cell changes.

Six to seven years following cataract surgery, no statistically significant differences were established in ECD, pleomorphism, polymegathism, and corneal thickness in eyes with and without PES. Additionally, no clinical signs of corneal decompensation were noted among the participants.

Investigators from the Netherlands examined the potential of a combined assessment of clinical risk factors and biomarker profiling in the prediction of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PRV) after retinal detachment in the following retrospective case-control study.

They used multiplex bead-based immunoassays for the simultaneous measurement of 50 biomarkers in subretinal fluid samples obtained from patients who underwent scleral buckling surgery for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Of 306 samples that were collected and stored in the BioBank, they selected 21 samples from patients in whom a redetachment developed as a result of PVR within three months after reattachment surgery for primary RRD (PVR group). The investigators compared these with age-, sex-, and storage time-matched RRD samples from 54 patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course after primary RRD repair (RRD group).

They found that preoperative PVR was the only clinical variable that was an independent predictor of postoperative PVR development (p=.035) and resulted in an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.51 to 0.83). They noted that the addition of the biomarkers chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 22, interleukin-3, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor improved the model significantly (p<.001) and resulted in an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.04). A sensitivity of 94.1% and a specificity of 94.2% were reached, using a cutoff value of 5%.

To conclude, in combination with preoperative PVR grade, the measurement of a single biomarker or a small multi-biomarker panel shows great potential and may predict postoperative PVR development after primary RRD in a highly sensitive and specific manner.

Using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), researchers investigated potential spatial associations between local neuroretinal function and local retinal thickness in patients with diabetes. They found that local neuroretinal function is not associated with full retinal thickness measured locally in patients with diabetes and no retinopathy, even in abnormal locations.

They studied 45 patients without retinopathy (10 with Type 1 diabetes; 35 with Type 2 diabetes; 49.9 ± 10.9 years old) and 29 age-similar controls (47.0 ± 12.8 years old) and compared N1-P1 amplitude (AMP) and P1 implicit time (IT) of mfERGs within the central ~20° diameter to spatially corresponding full retinal thickness measurements acquired by Stratus OCT3. AMP and IT were converted to Z-scores and retinal thickness was converted to percentile values. The study researchers defined local abnormalities as p≤0.023. Additionally, they examined subject group differences using T-tests and compared retinal thickness to mfERGs to determine spatial associations.

According to the researchers, average retinal thicknesses were similar for all subject groups and Type 1 group and controls had similar IT and AMP. They noted that the Type 2 group had reduced AMP and longer IT than the controls and the Type 1 group (p<0.001). Local associations between retinal thickness and mfERGs were not significant within any subject group or individuals, even for abnormal locations (p≥0.09). Moreover, abnormalities in most measures were greater in the patient groups than in the controls (p<0.008) except retinal thinning in the Type 1 group.

In conclusion, full retinal thickness measured locally by OCT is not a surrogate for mfERG in early diabetes. Neuroretinal function in Type 2 diabetes is worse than in Type 1 diabetes and controls. Fewer subjects in the Type 1 group could be a potential limitation.