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Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) cause visual loss due to dysfunction or progressive degeneration of photoreceptors. These diseases show marked phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. The Israeli IRD consortium (IIRDC) was established in 2013 with the goal of performing clinical and genetic mapping of the majority of Israeli IRD patients. To date, we recruited 2,420 families including 3,413 individuals with IRDs. On the basis of our estimation, these patients represent approximately 40% of Israeli IRD patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is, by far, the largest reported IRD cohort, and one of the first studies addressing the genetic analysis of IRD patients on a nationwide scale. The most common inheritance pattern in our cohort is autosomal recessive (60% of families). The most common retinal phenotype is retinitis pigmentosa (43%), followed by Stargardt disease and cone/cone–rod dystrophy. We identified the cause of disease in 56% of the families. Overall, 605 distinct mutations were identified, of which 12% represent prevalent founder mutations. The most frequently mutated genes were ABCA4, USH2A, FAM161A, CNGA3, and EYS. The results of this study have important implications for molecular diagnosis, genetic screening, and counseling, as well as for the development of new therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases.

Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a primary cause of reduced vision following both cataract and successful vitreoretinal surgery. The incidence of clinical CME following modern cataract surgery is 0.1-2.35%. Preexisting conditions such as diabetes mellitus and uveitis as well as intraoperative complications can raise the risk of postsurgical CME. The etiology of CME is not completely understood. Prolapsed or incarcerated vitreous and postoperative inflammatory processes have been proposed as causative agents. Pseudophakic CME is characterized by poor postoperative visual acuity. Fluorescein angiography shows the classical perifoveal petaloid staining pattern and late leakage of the optic disk. Optical coherence tomography is a useful diagnostic tool, which displays cystic spaces in the outer nuclear layer. The most important differential diagnoses include age-related macular degeneration and other causes of CME such as diabetic macular edema. Most cases of pseudophakic CME resolve spontaneously. The value of prophylactic treatment is doubtful. First-line treatment of postsurgical CME should include topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can be considered complementary. In cases of resistant CME, periocular or intraocular corticosteroids present an option. Antiangiogenic agents, though experimental, should be considered for nonresponsive persistent CME. Surgical options should be reserved for special indications.

In a real-world setting, eyes with DME considered refractory to anti-VEGF therapy after three monthly injections which were switched to DEX implant and had better visual and anatomical outcomes at 12 months than those that continued treatment with anti-VEGF therapy.

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Over a follow-up of 24 months, vision improved in diabetic macular edema eyes after treatment with dexamethasone implants, both in eyes that were treatment naive and eyes refractory to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment; however, improvement was greater in naive eyes.

Inflammation is substantially contributing to the development and worsening of diabetic retinopathy in general and diabetic macular edema (DME) in particular, which provides the rationale to treat DME with corticosteroids. While anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are mostly chosen as a first-line treatment, there is an important role for steroids in the treatment algorithm for DME. A slow-release bioerodible dexamethasone implant and an extended-release nonbioerodible fluocinolone acetonide insert are both approved for the treatment of DME and provide the advantage of sustained drug delivery and reduced treatment burden. Steroids bare the complications of cataract progression and increase of intraocular pressure (IOP). However, with dexamethasone implant, IOP rise is well manageable with topical treatment in almost all cases. Dexamethasone implant has been shown to be effective in the treatment of naive DME as well as in eyes nonresponding to anti-VEGF agents. In these cases, early switching to steroids may be considered and has been shown to be beneficial. Fluocinolone acetonide is reserved for severe cases of chronic DME insufficiently responsive to other available therapies. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to realize the role of steroids in the current treatment algorithm of DME.

PurposeTo evaluate the various patterns of subretinal fluid (SRF) in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the absence of macular neovascularisation (MNV) and to assess the long-term outcomes in these eyes.MethodsThis retrospective study included only eyes with non-neovascular AMD and associated SRF. Eyes with evidence of MNV were excluded. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was obtained at baseline and at follow-up, and qualitative and quantitative SD-OCT analysis of macular drusen including drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and associated SRF was performed to determine anatomic outcomes.ResultsForty-five eyes (45 patients) were included in this analysis. Mean duration of follow-up was 49.7±36.7 months. SRF exhibited three different morphologies: crest of fluid over the apex of the drusenoid PED, pocket of fluid at the angle of a large druse or in the crypt of confluent drusen or drape of low-lying fluid over confluent drusen. Twenty-seven (60%) of the 45 eyes with fluid displayed collapse of the associated druse or drusenoid PED and 24 (53%) of the 45 eyes developed evidence of complete or incomplete retinal pigment epithelial and outer retinal atrophy.ConclusionNon-neovascular AMD with SRF is an important clinical entity to recognise to avoid unnecessary anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Clinicians should be aware that SRF can be associated with drusen or drusenoid PED in the absence of MNV and may be the result of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) decompensation and RPE pump failure.