Berner Augenklinik am Lindenhofspital

IntroductionThis study evaluates the efficacy and safety of faricimab in a real-world cohort of treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Data were retrospectively collected from 130 eyes of 118 patients across 11 centers of the Swiss Retina Research Network, all treated with faricimab using a treat-and-extend regimen and followed for 12 months between May 2022 and October 2024.MethodsDemographic data, visual and anatomical outcomes, treatment intervals, and adverse events were extracted from the electronic medical records over a 12-month follow-up period. Main outcomes included change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), presence of intra- and subretinal fluid, retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED), injection intervals, and safety. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation.ResultsTwelve months after the initiation of faricimab therapy, mean BCVA improved from 64.6 ± 14.1 to 69.2 ± 20.3 ETDRS (Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study) letters (p < 0.001), while mean CRT decreased from 386.3 ± 172.3 to 246.6 ± 90.4 μm (p < 0.001). An early anatomical response to faricimab was observed in 34.6% of eyes achieving complete retinal fluid resolution after the first injection and in 55.6% after 12 months. The mean treatment interval was extended to 10.5 ± 4.3 weeks, with 26.2% of eyes achieving intervals of 8–11 weeks and 39.2% achieving intervals of ≥ 12 weeks after 12 months. Intraocular inflammation occurred in 0.77% of eyes (n = 1, anterior uveitis); serious adverse events were not reported.ConclusionFaricimab demonstrates favorable anatomical and functional outcomes with extended treatment intervals in a majority of patients with treatment-naïve nAMD, offering the potential of reduced treatment burden and the absence of retinal fluid in more than half of the subjects during the first year, while maintaining safety in a real-world setting.

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?Modern high-resolution anterior segment tomographers are capable of extracting surface height data from the corneal front and back surfaces and from the epithelium–stroma interface.The higher refractive index of the corneal epithelium suggests that the cornea should be considered as a dual-layer structure to account for potential inhomogeneity in the epithelial thickness.What is the implication of the main finding?Model surfaces, such as floating best-fit spheres or conoids, could be fitted to the height map data within a specific region of interest to determine relevant surface characteristics such as curvatures, asphericities, and apex positions.Based on a dataset with bilateral repeat measurements in a cataractous population, we were able to confirm that the extracted surface characteristics seem to be very robust. However, surface asphericity should be extracted from a larger region of interest to ensure more robust data.We investigated the repeatability of the MS-39 in determining power vector components—the spherical equivalent (SEQ) and astigmatic powers (C0 and C45) and asphericity (Q)—of corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium in a large patient cohort. In this retrospective cross-sectional single-centre study, we evaluated a dataset containing 600 MS-39 anterior segment tomography measurements from 200 eyes (three repeat measurements each) taken prior to cataract surgery. The exported measurements included height map data for the epithelium, stroma, and endothelium surface. Model surfaces (spherocylinder (SphCyl), cylindrical conoid (CylConoid), and biconic (Biconic), all in the 3/6 mm zone) were fitted using nonlinear iterative optimisation, minimising the height difference between the measurement and model. The mean (MEAN) and standard deviation (SD) for each sequence of measurements were derived and analysed. In the 3 mm and 6 mm zone, the MEAN SEQ was 53.47/53.56/53.57 and 53.21/53.54/53.54 D for SphCyl/CylConoid/Biconic for the epithelium, −4.47/−4.51/−4.51 and −4.45/−4.50/−4.50 D for the stroma, and −6.23/−6.26/−6.26 and −6.18/−6.29/−6.30 D for the endothelium. With the three surface models and the 3/6 mm zone, the SD for SEQ/C0/C45 was in the range of 0.04 to 0.11/0.05 to 0.13/0.04 to 0.11 D for epithelium; 0.01 to 0.02/0.01 to 0.05/0.01 to 0.06 D for stroma; and 0.01 to 0.02/0.02 to 0.07/0.03 to 0.07 D for endothelium. Fitting floating model surfaces with astigmatism to map data of the corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium seems to be a robust and reliable method for extracting equivalent power and astigmatism using all the datapoints within a region of interest.

The treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) likely involves a series of treatment episodes separated by gaps during which no vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor injections are delivered. Our aim is to differentiate the episodes and gaps with the isolation forests algorithm using the Fight Retinal Blindness! registry. We analysed 11 786 injection intervals (12 803 injections) and found that the period between adjacent injections≥38 weeks (95% CI 34 to 43 weeks) apart could be regarded as a treatment gap. The results will allow treatment episodes to be isolated so that the treatment patterns of DMO can be characterised more accurately.

To establish a national consensus on assessing visual function for fitness to drive in Switzerland. The minimum medical requirements for visual function for fitness to drive are regulated by Swiss Federal Law, namely, by the Traffic Licensing Ordinance (TLO). The medical examination techniques relevant in this context and their assessment are not further specified therein, which leads to legal inequality among drivers and uncertainty among examiners. We established a study group of representatives of the Traffic Medicine Section of the Swiss Society of Forensic Medicine and the Traffic Commission of the Swiss Society of Ophthalmology to develop a national consensus on assessing visual function for fitness to drive in Switzerland. In structured meetings, the authors discussed medical examination techniques and available international and local recommendations on this topic, with respect to Swiss legislation. In the event of a contrary opinion, the topic was discussed again in a follow-up session until we reached an agreement. We defined consensus as complete agreement on the subject under discussion. The study group held five in-person meetings between March 2019 and January 2023. The authors developed recommendations intended for all professional groups assessing driving fitness. We prepared an aid for daily practice on how to examine the minimum medical requirements for visual function listed in the TLO Annex 1, using standardized test procedures and considered how to interpret the findings obtained, accounting for aspects of traffic medicine and ophthalmology. A consensus on the assessment of visual function for fitness to drive in Switzerland is crucial to ensure legal equality for drivers and legal certainty for examiners. Regular review of the consensus is imperative if we are to consider future legal developments and new scientific evidence in assessing fitness to drive.

ABSTRACT Purpose Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have recently been used to treat patients with biologic refractory noninfectious uveitis (NIU). This narrative review updates the current evidence relevant for their application in patients with refractory NIU. Methods A literature search was performed for articles published until October 2023 in the PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL databases using the key terms “noninfectious uveitis” and “Janus kinase inhibitor” or “JAK inhibitor” without any exclusion criteria. Published articles were selected based on their clinical focus, relevance for ocular disease, time since publication and study design reflecting their scientific soundness with a critical appraisal of drug safety aspects. Results Janus kinases are transmembrane signaling proteins. Their inhibition has shown therapeutic potential experimentally and in patients with multiple immune-mediated diseases, including NIU. JAK inhibitors differ from biological agents in that they inhibit not one specific but multiple cytokines. These agents can be ingested orally and seem superior to adalimumab for most indications. While there is no doubt regarding their efficacy in treating immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, reports regarding their safety are increasing, and the findings are generally confusing and contradictory. Since substantiated information about their specific safety profiles in patients with inflammatory eye disease is lacking, their position in the therapeutic algorithm for uveitis has yet to be determined. Conclusions In the absence of evidence from controlled clinical trials, JAK inhibitor therapy is still rendered experimental and currently considered only for sight-threatening uveitis. JAK inhibitors may be considered for specific NIU entities for which there is insufficient response or secondary loss of response to conventional or biologic disease-modifying drugs.

Cortical excitation/inhibition dynamics have been suggested as a key mechanism occurring after stroke. Their supportive or maladaptive role in the course of recovery is still not completely understood. Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-electroencephalography coupling to study cortical reactivity and intracortical GABAergic inhibition, as well as their relationship to residual motor function and recovery longitudinally in patients with stroke. Electroencephalography responses evoked by TMS applied to the ipsilesional motor cortex were acquired in patients with stroke with upper limb motor deficit in the acute (1 week), early (3 weeks), and late subacute (3 months) stages. Readouts of cortical reactivity, intracortical inhibition, and complexity of the evoked dynamics were drawn from TMS-evoked potentials induced by single-pulse and paired-pulse TMS (short-interval intracortical inhibition). Residual motor function was quantified through a detailed motor evaluation. From 76 patients enrolled, 66 were included (68.2±13.2 years old, 18 females), with a Fugl-Meyer score of the upper extremity of 46.8±19. The comparison with TMS-evoked potentials of healthy older revealed that most affected patients exhibited larger and simpler brain reactivity patterns (Pcluster<0.05). Bayesian ANCOVA statistical evidence for a link between abnormally high motor cortical excitability and impairment level. A decrease in excitability in the following months was significantly correlated with better motor recovery in the whole cohort and the subgroup of recovering patients. Investigation of the intracortical GABAergic inhibitory system revealed the presence of beneficial disinhibition in the acute stage, followed by a normalization of inhibitory activity. This was supported by significant correlations between motor scores and the contrast of local mean field power and readouts of signal dynamics. The present results revealed an abnormal motor cortical reactivity in patients with stroke, which was driven by perturbations and longitudinal changes within the intracortical inhibition system. They support the view that disinhibition in the ipsilesional motor cortex during the first-week poststroke is beneficial and promotes neuronal plasticity and recovery.

This study investigates the results of nasal tip reconstruction with the frontonasal flap compared with other locoregional flaps. All nasal tip reconstructions with locoregional flaps performed during a 10-year period were included. Defect size, flap type, risk factors, comorbidities, complications, revisions, and secondary operations were retrospectively assessed. Clinical follow-up examinations were performed after 12 months. Digital photographs were taken in standard projections preoperatively and at the time of the last follow-up examination, and the aesthetic results were assessed by three independent examiners, with nasal contour, symmetry, scarring, and match of skin colour between flap and nasal skin rated on a 4-point scale. Finally, patient satisfaction was obtained. A total of 112 nasal tip reconstructions were performed in 68 women and 44 men with a mean age of 71,4±10,2 years. Taking into account defect size, individual factors and patient preference, reconstruction was performed with 58 frontonasal flaps, 23 Rintala flaps, 20 paramedian forehead flaps and 11 bilobed flaps. Mean age and comorbidities of patients were comparable between flap types, except for a higher incidence of arterial hypertension and a lower incidence of diabetes mellitus in patients treated with frontonasal flaps. Defect size was the same in reconstructions with frontonasal flaps and Rintala flaps, smaller in bilobed flaps, and more extensive in paramedian forehead flaps. There were no differences in complication rates between the different flap techniques. Taking into account the planned second interventions (flap pedicle separations) in the paramedian forehead flaps, the frequency of unplanned corrections was comparable for all flap techniques. Aesthetic results and patient satisfaction were rated as very good or good in more than 90% with all techniques. Compared with the paramedian forehead flap, the frontonasal flap avoids a planned secondary procedure and an extensive donor defect. It allows for the coverage of defects at least the size of the Rintala flap and larger defects than the bilobed flap.