Vision loss in a pregnant woman with nephrotic syndrome

Purpose To report acute visual acuity loss in a pregnant woman with nephrotic syndrome. Case Report A 34-year-old pregnant woman was referred to our service for acute, bilateral visual impairment, associated with bilateral below knee edema (BKE). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was hand motion in the right eye and 20/200 in the left eye. Dilated fundus exam disclosed multiple pigment epithelium detachments involving the macula in both eyes. After consultation with a nephrologist a diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome was made. Unfortunately, a week later she lost the fetus. At follow-up evaluation, 20 days after the miscarriage, BCVA improved to 20/25 in both eyes with near normal restoration of the retinal anatomy. Conclusion In nephrotic syndrome, sequestration of interstitial fluids, which leads to classic generalized edema, could be the origin of interstitial accumulation of fluids in the retinal and subretinal layers. Increased awareness by the gynaecologists and prompt treatment may prevent fetus miscarriage.

A case of air pollution-induced Valsalva retinopathy

This is a case of Valsalva retinopathy during the season of annual transboundary haze pollution in Sarawak. A 22-year-old man with no known medical illness developed sudden onset of painless visual acuity loss preceded by persistent cough. Left eye fundus showed dense preretinal haemorrhage covering optic disc extendinginferiorly with breakthrough vitreous haemorrhage. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser, and fluid gas exchange in view of persistent dense vitreous haemorrhage after a month of conservative management. In conclusion, pars plana vitrectomy can be considered as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with Valsalva retinopathy developing extensive premacular haemorrhage.

Electrophysiology as a prognostic indicator of visual recovery in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery

Purpose Visual outcomes after cataract surgery in diabetic patients with retinal or visual pathway disease are difficult to predict as the fundus may be obscured, and assessment of visual potential is challenging. This study assessed the value of visual electrophysiology as a prognostic indicator of visual recovery in diabetic patients with cataract, prior to cataract surgery. Methods Forty-one diabetic patients (aged 52–80; 74 eyes) and 13 age-matched non-diabetic control patients (21 eyes) were examined prior to cataract surgery. Pre-surgical examinations included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp bio-microscopy, ISCEV-standard full-field electroretinography (ffERG), and flash visual evoked potential (flash VEP) testing. Electrophysiological assessments included quantification of the DA and LA ERG, oscillatory potentials (OPs; OP1, OP2, OP3, OP4) and flash VEP P1, P2, and P3 components. Post-operative BCVA was measured in all cases and the diabetic patients grouped according to the severity of visual acuity loss: mild (logMAR ≤ 0.1), moderate (0.1 < logMAR < 0.5), or severe (logMAR ≥ 0.5). A fourth group included those without diabetes. The pre-surgical electrophysiological data was compared between the four groups by analysis of variance. Results The severity of post-surgical visual acuity loss in the diabetic patients was classified as mild (N=22 eyes), moderate (N=31 eyes), or severe (N=21 eyes). In the group without diabetes, post-surgical visual impairment was classified as mild (N=21 eyes). The pre-operative DA 10.0 ERG a-wave amplitudes, DA 3.0 ERG OP2 amplitudes, and the LA 3.0 a- and b-wave amplitudes showed best significant differences among the four groups. The flash VEP did not show significant difference between groups. Conclusion Electrophysiological assessment of diabetic patients with cataract can provide a useful measure of retinal function. Full-field ERG components, including the DA 10.0 ERG a-wave, DA 3.0 ERG OP2 component, and the LA 3.0 a- and b-wave amplitudes, are of prognostic value in predicting post-surgical visual acuity, and may inform the surgical management of cataract patients with diabetes.