Research Letters
Outcomes of first cases of DMEK at a Canadian university hospital centre
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) provides better visual outcomes and lower rejection rates than Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).1,2 However, steep learning curves, higher rebubbling rates, and failure risks have been noted.3–6 This study aimed to report and analyze the outcomes of the first DMEK cases in our university-based centre.Features and management of strabismus from skull base chordoma
Chordomas are rare neoplasms derived from primitive notochordal remnants that almost always develop from bone and that can occur anywhere along the spinal axis from the clivus to the sacrum.1,2 Fifty percent of these tumours occur in the sacrococcygeal area, 35% arise from the clivus, and 15% arise elsewhere in the vertebral column.3 Skull base chordomas account for 0.3%–1.0% of intracranial tumours.4 Chordomas can develop at any age, but they typically affect patients in the third, fourth, and fifth decades of life.Clinical course and poor prognostic factors of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease in a tertiary uveitis clinic
Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that can present with ophthalmic, neurologic, auditory, and dermatologic manifestations.1 In this study, we investigated possible factors that might subsequently result in poor visual function.Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the ophthalmology training of Canadian medical students
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted medical education across the globe due to unique logistical challenges and physical-distancing protocols.1 For this reason, medical educators have had to adapt to these unprecedented times at a rapid rate. Concerns with ophthalmology's representation in medical school curricula were identified before the 2020 pandemic.2–4 An increasingly crowded medical curriculum has led to the erosion of ophthalmology education for undergraduate medical students.Appointment trends in new and established patients in ophthalmology and optometry during a pandemic
In response to COVID-19 being formally declared a pandemic, US health care systems implemented protocols aimed at mitigating risk for both patients and providers.1 The American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Optometric Association recommended delaying all elective ambulatory provider visits and rescheduling routine ophthalmic visits.2,3 Although these measures reduced the potential for transmission, little is known about how outpatient ophthalmic care has been affected. The current study evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on both new and established patients of different disease acuity scheduled to be seen in optometry, general, and subspecialty clinics.Accuracy of self-reported risk factors for hydroxychloroquine retinopathy
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an effective and typically well-tolerated anti-inflammatory medication, but retinal toxicity is a potential side effect.1 Current screening guidelines recommend baseline ophthalmic examination to rule out maculopathy and then yearly examination with visual field and optical coherence tomography after 5 years of HCQ use.1 The presence of HCQ retinopathy risk factors,2 such as HCQ duration ≥5 years, HCQ daily dose >5 mg/kg real body weight, tamoxifen use, or renal disease, should increase suspicion for retinopathy and may modify the retinopathy screening timeline.Profile of glaucoma surgical and laser procedures in Alberta from 2003 to 2018
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and increases in prevalence with age across all ethnic groups.1 The volume of various glaucoma procedures may fluctuate with disease prevalence, introduction of new therapies, changes in practice patterns, and number of surgeons. Evaluating trends in different glaucoma procedure utilization rates is critical for health policy planning. Given the recent introduction of micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), prior studies have not assessed its influence on the volume of different glaucoma procedures.Low prevalence of fibrate use in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and established diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is common, with estimated prevalences of 25% (type 2 diabetes [T2D]) and 77% (type 1 diabetes [T1D]).1 The estimated 10-year cumulative incidence of DR is 67% (T2D not on insulin), 79% (T2D on insulin), and 89% (T1D)2 and at 25 years is 97% (T1D).3 DR comprises 3 processes: (i) nonproliferative DR (microaneurysms, intraretinal hemorrhages, intraretinal microvascular anomalies) and proliferative DR (neovascularization, vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment); (ii) diabetic macular edema (ME), from vessel leakage within the macula; and (iii) macular ischemia.
