The magnitude of childhood BL/SVI in Sumba and Yogyakarta is high. Our study suggests that a large proportion of childhood BL/SVI in Indonesia is avoidable.

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness that rises significantly each year  along with the increasing diabetic population. It is estimated that 1 out of 3 people with diabetes will suffer from DR and 1 in 10 of them will be threatened with blindness. The main problem on DR management is the delay in diagnosis since most patients in the early stages do not experience visual impairment.Methods: Descriptive research was conducted over three months on 175 patients diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) within the Internal Medicine Clinic at Hasanuddin University Hospital. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess knowledge of DR amongst the diabetic patients.Results: The level of DR knowledge among type 2 DM was split into three categories. The level of knowledge on DM complication was within the good category for 109 patients (61.6%), whilst the level of knowledge on DR screening was within the the sufficient category for 150 patients (84.7%) and knowledge on DR management was within the good category for 98 patients (55.4%). Although the level of knowledge was categorized good for the majority of respondents, the remaining 45 (25.4%) respondents had never done DR screening, and most patients (57.1%) believed that DM patients tend not to screen due to the lack of knowledge about DR.Conclusion: In general, patients with type 2 DM have a good level of knowledge about diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in vitreous and serum samples, analyze the ratio, and compare among proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) subgroups. Patients and Methods: This study included 17 eyes of patients with PDR, identified as the PDR group which was divided into three subgroups (vitreous hemorrhage [VH], VH with fibrotic tissues, and tractional retinal detachment), and five control eyes (nucleus and intraocular lens drop). Vitreous and serum samples were obtained on the same day. The VEGF-A and PDGF-AB concentrations were calculated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: The VEGF-A and PDGF-AB concentrations in vitreous samples were significantly higher in the PDR group (630.72 ± 342.81 pg/mL) compared with those in the control group (153.58 ± 145.85 pg/mL); however, they were not detected in serum samples. The vitreous/ serum ratio of the VEGF-A concentration in the PDR group (2.1 ± 1.8) was significantly higher compared with that in the control group (0.31 ± 0.33). The VEGF-A concentrations in vitreous samples were highest in the VH group and lowest in the VH with fibrotic tissue subgroup (mean difference 536.16 pg/mL). The vitreous VEGF-A/PDGF-AB concentration ratios were also significantly different among the PDR subgroups. Conclusion: High concentrations of VEGF and PDGF in vitreous samples of PDR eyes indicate its local related activity in PDR pathology. There is a possibility of PDGF involvement in the pathogenesis of PDR. The VEGF/PDGF concentration ratios possibly play a significant role in the formation of fibrotic tissue in PDR.

Background: This study was aimed to compare the effect of laser photocoagulation (LF), intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) and combined treatments on biomarkers of oxidative stress such as aldehhyde dehidrogenase (ALDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and vitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients.Methods: In this single blind randomized clinical trial, 72 eyes from 69 cases of proliferative DR in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between February 2011 - June 2013 were randomized into 4 groups : 1) control (n = 18); 2) LF pre-vitrectomy (n = 18); 3) IVB pre-vitrectomy (n = 18); and 4) combined IVB and LF pre-vitrectomy (n = 18). One-way ANOVA was used to compare oxidative stress parameters in the four groups.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the average plasma ALDH activity (0.034 ± 0.02; 0.027 ± 0.02; 0.025 ± 0.02; 0.031 ± 0.11 IU/mg protein; p = 0.66), vitreal MDA level (1.661 ± 1.21; 1.557 ± 1.32; 1.717 ± 1.54; 1.501 ± 1.09 nmol/mL; p = 0.96) and SOD activity) (0.403 ± 0.50; 0.210 ± 0.18; 0.399 ± 0.49; 0.273 ± 0.32 U/mL; p = 0.38) among these four groups, respectively. However, the VEGF vitreal level (pg/mL) showed a statistically significant difference (0.356 ± 0.60; 0.393 ± 0.45; 0.150 ± 0.24; 0.069 ± 0.13; p = 0.05). The VEGF level in combination group was five times lower than the control group (p = 0.05).Conclusion: Combined treatments of DR by IVB and LF were correlated with lower vitreal MDA and plasma VEGF level, but did not have any effect on plasma ALDH and vitreal SOD in proliferative DR. Combined treatments with IVB and LF are recommended for the management of proliferative DR patients.

Background: Myopia is a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye. This disease is a major cause of visual disability, which presents in 108 million persons globally. Purpose: This study aims to determine the relationship between the degree of myopia, the axial length, and the choroidal thickness (CT). Methods: This is an observational analytical study that made use of a cross-sectional design. A total of 59 participants with refractive errors underwent treatment at Hasanuddin University Hospital and 116 eyes were measured and analyzed. The choroidal thickness was measured using the Enhance Depth Imaging OCT (EDI-OCT) tool, which is divided into nine observational areas. Furthermore, all data obtained were compared using statistical analysis, such as the one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation test (p < 0.05). Results: There was a significant relationship between the choroidal thickness with axial length (p < 0.05) and myopia degrees (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The thickness of the choroid decreases with an increase in the axial length and degree of myopia, which further indicates that the higher the myopia degree, the thinner the choroidal vasculature.

Introduction. This study aimed to assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) levels within vitreous and blood serum samples of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and their relationship to the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Methods. Seventeen eyes of patients with RRD were included in the RRD group and divided into three subgroups: RRD without PVR, RRD with PVR grades A and B, and RRD with PVR grade C. Five control eyes (nucleus and intraocular lens drop) were included in this study. Blood serum and vitreous samples were collected during vitrectomy. VEGF-A and PDGF-AA levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The mean vitreous VEGF-A level in the RRD group was 131.71 ± 58.25 pg/mL, and the mean vitreous PDGF-AA level was 174.62 ± 65.17 pg/mL. Both levels were significantly higher in the RRD group compared with the control group ( p < 0.05 ). Vitreous VEGF-A and PDGF-AA levels were the highest in RRD with PVR grade C subgroup, with mean levels of 179.87 ± 21.02 pg/mL and 229.44 ± 14.09 pg/mL, respectively ( p < 0.05 ). The vitreous VEGF-A/PDGF-AA ratios in the RRD subgroups were completely different. Conclusion. Based on the tendency of VEGF-A and PDGF-AA levels, RRD surgery has to be performed as soon as possible prior to retinal cell death and membrane proliferative formation.

No abstract

Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes. Retinol and α-tocopherol of diabetic models prevent the damage of photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cells (RGC) caused by hyperglycemia. Objective This study aims to examine the effect of retinol and α-tocopherol on photoreceptor and RGC densities and the expression of caspase-3 and -7 on the retinal layers of the diabetic rat model. Methods Alloxan 150 mg/kg body weight single dose was used to develop animal models, which were separated into eight groups. These consist of one group without intervention (group 1), one positive control with only induced alloxan (group 2), and others receiving retinol (group 3 and 6), α-tocopherol (group 4 and 7), or their combination (group 5 and 8). Furthermore, histopathological examination was performed using Hematoxylin–Eosin staining to evaluate the photoreceptor and RGC densities, while immunohistochemistry staining evaluated the caspase-3 and -7 expressions. Results In the treatment group, the highest and lowest densities were identified in diabetic rats given α-tocopherol (group 7) and retinol (group 3) respectively. The caspase-3 and -7 expression showed that the group given α-tocopherol (group 7) had the lowest value. Conclusion In diabetic rats, retinol and α-tocopherol compounds maintained densities and prevented photoreceptor and RGC death. However, α-tocopherol was more promising than retinol or combinations in the prevention of retinal cells apoptosis.