Archives: Projects/Publication

Three-year Follow-up Study of Blood-Retinal Barrier and Retinal Thickness Alterations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Mild Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Lobo C., Bernardes R., Figueira J., Faria de Abreu J., Cunha-Vaz J.

Purpose: To examine the 3-year alterations of the blood-retinal barrier and changes in retinal thickness occurring in the macular region in 14 eyes of 14 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: We classified 14 eyes of 14 patients with type 2 DM and mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, as having disease levels 20 (microaneurysms only) or 35 (microaneurysm plus retinal hemorrhage[s] and/or hard exudates) of Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test grading, by using 7-field stereoscopic fundus photographs. We examined them 7 times at 6-month intervals, using fundus photography, fluorescein sodium angiography, the retinal leakage analyzer (RLA)-modified confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope, and the retinal thickness analyzer. The retinal leakage and retinal thickness maps were aligned and integrated into 1 image. Data from the group of individuals with type 2 DM were compared with those of a healthy control population (n = 14; mean age, 48 years; age range, 42-55 years) to establish reference maps for the RLA and retinal thickness analyzers.

Results: Areas of abnormally increased fluorescein leakage were detected in all eyes examined at baseline. The sites of increased fluorescein leakage reached values as high as 483% above normal levels, but in 20 of the total 95 examinations performed, fluorescein leakage returned to normal levels. Every eye that showed reversal to normal levels of fluorescein leakage showed stabilization or a decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin A(1c) values at the same visit. When comparing the RLA-leaking sites among the 7 examinations, they remained, in general, in the same locations, but there was a clear fluctuation in the percentage of increases. No clear correlation was observed among the location of areas of increased retinal thickness and RLA-leaking sites, the number of microaneurysms, or the glycosylated hemoglobin A(1c) values. Microaneurysms on fundus photographs showed different cumulative incidences throughout the follow-up period in the different eyes. Associations between these different abnormalities suggest specific patterns of evolution of type 2 DM-related retinal disease.

Conclusions: The dominant alteration in the retina of patients with type 2 DM and mild nonproliferative retinopathy is the presence of RLA-leaking sites. This damage seems to be reversible and directly associated with variations in glycemic metabolic control. Together with the intensity and persistence of RLA-leaking sites, the rates of microaneurysm accumulation and alterations of the foveal avascular zone may characterize different genetically based phenotypes of diabetic retinopathy.

Arch. Ophthalmol. 2004; 122:211-217.

2004
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14769598

Macular alterations after small incision cataract surgery.

Lobo C., Faria P., Soares M., Bernardes R., Cunha-Vaz J.

Purpose: To characterize macular edema that occurs after uneventful cataract surgery.

Setting: Centre of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Institute of Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Methods: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients had uneventful phacoemulsification with implantation of a foldable intraocular lens. Postoperatively, patients were examined at 3, 6, 12, and 30 weeks. The examinations included retinal leakage analysis (Zeiss CSLO), optical coherence tomography (Humphrey Instruments), and retinal thickness analysis (Talia Technology, Ltd.). Results were compared with those in a control group comprising healthy subjects.

Results: Increases in retinal thickness (ie, over the mean +- 2 SD in the control group) reached a maximum at 6 weeks in 13 of 32 eyes (41%), after which recovery was progressive. At 30 weeks, all eyes had good visual acuity, but 7 eyes (22%) still had macular edema. The edema was located primarily in the central macular region. Leaking sites involving the vascular areas of the macula, which indicated areas of abnormal blood–retinal barrier permeability, were a frequent finding. The number of sites remained relatively stable during the first 12 weeks (88%) and decreased to 68% at 30 weeks, indicating a trend toward recovery.

Conclusion: Macular edema after cataract surgery occurred primarily in the central region of the macula and was associated with the presence of leaking sites, which were located predominantly in the vascular regions of the central macula.

J. Cataract Refract. Surg. 2004; 30:752-760.

2004
https://estudogeral.sib.uc.pt/dspace/bitstream/10316/4789/1/filec8f25efa8d4c466193440dc56773c881.pdf

Multimodal Macula Mapping: Characterization of Phenotypes of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Cunha-Vaz J., Bernardes R.

Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics ISOPT. 2004; 15-19.

2004

Mapping Clinically Significant Diabetic Macular Edema. Comparison Between Stereofundus Photography, RTA and OCT.

Bernardes R., Figueira J., Lobo C., Cunha-Vaz J.

Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics ISOPT. 2004; 197-200.

2004

The blood-retinal barriers system. Basic concepts and clinical evaluation.

Cunha-Vaz, J.

Experimental Eye Research 78 (2004) 715-721.

2004

Interpretation of Objectively Acquired Retinal Thickness Values.

Bernardes R., Cunha-Vaz J.

Arch. Ophthalmol. 2003; 121(9):1344-1345.

2003