To describe our managing strategy for COVID-19 emergency, to evaluate the adherence to intravitreal treatment (AtT) rate during the outbreak in a referral hospital in Milan and to correlate it with patients clinical features. MethodsAtT rate of patients with scheduled intravitreal injections (IVT) during the COVID-19 outbreak from 23/02/20 to 31/03/20 was compared to the previous trimester and with March 2019. The impact of age, sex, visual function and diagnosis on the AtT rate during unlocked/locked weeks (from March 8 th ) was evaluated. ResultsOf 650 consecutive patients with scheduled IVT, AtT rate during the COVID-19 outbreak was 0.37. This was significantly lower compared to AtT registered in the previous trimester (0.92) and in the same weeks in 2019 (0.90) (both p <0.001). Patients adherent to treatment were significantly younger (p<0.001) and had a lower best-corrected visual acuity in the fellow eye (p=0.046).During the lockdown weeks AtT rate was significantly lower than in the two unlocked weeks (0.19 vs 0.73, p<0.001). In addition, the AtT rate in patients classified as "Emergent" during the lockdown weeks was 0.60. ConclusionsThese preliminary results can help the retina specialist community to foresee this unique scenario and to develop successful management strategies.

Background/objectives: To compare the number of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy in the 2 months following the beginning of lockdown (study period) because of COVID-19 epidemic with those performed in the two earlier months of the same year (intra-year control) and in the period of 2019 corresponding to the lockdown (inter-year control). Methods: Retrospective analysis of surgical procedures carried out at 39 Academic hospitals. A distinction was made between elective and urgent procedures. Intravitreal injections were also considered. Percentages for all surgical procedures and incidence rate ratios (IRR) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) events were calculated. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 20,886 versus 55,259 and 56,640 patients underwent surgery during the lockdown versus intra-and inter-year control periods, respectively. During the lockdown, only 70% of patients for whom an operation/intravitreal injection was recommended, finally underwent surgery; the remaining patients did not attend because afraid of getting infected at the hospital (23%), taking public transportation (6.5%), or unavailable swabs (0.5%). Elective surgeries were reduced by 96.2% and 96.4%, urgent surgeries by 49.7% and 50.2%, and intravitreal injections by 48.5% and 48.6% in the lockdown period in comparison to intra-year and inter-year control periods, respectively. IRRs for RRDs during lockdown dropped significantly in comparison with intra- and inter-year control periods (CI: 0.65–0.80 and 0.61–0.75, respectively, p < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: This study provides a quantitative analysis of the reduction of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy because of the COVID-19 epidemic.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore clinical features, diagnostic work-up, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN), and to propose a standardized management of this condition in childhood.MethodsClinical manifestations, diagnostic work-up, and treatment of three pediatric cases with ARN were analyzed. Furthermore, a review of the literature was performed from January 1990 to November 2021, focused on 1) clinical presentation; 2) differential diagnosis, including both infectious and non-infectious conditions; 3) key role of diagnostic techniques; and 4) currently available treatments.ResultsData from 72 children with ARN (69 from literature and 3 from our center) were analyzed. The most frequent presenting symptoms were red eye resistant to topical treatment (57%) and altered vision (58%), 25 patients had bilateral involvement. In 30% a known history of herpetic infection was reported. PCR testing on anterior chamber and/or vitreous sampling was performed in 46 cases (64%) and was diagnostic in 88% of them, with herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 being the most frequently identified pathogen (57%). All patients underwent systemic antiviral therapy (16% only oral); adjunctive intravitreal injections were performed in 21% of them.ConclusionsARN is a rare but severe ocular infection presenting as a panuveitis with occlusive retinal vasculitis and peripheral retinal necrosis. Varicella-zoster virus and HSV 1–2 are most frequently implicated. Due to a high incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and optic atrophy, ARN has a poor prognosis with a potentially severe impact on visual function. Although a prompt recognition is crucial to prevent complications, ARN diagnosis in children is still challenging.

Objectives To evaluate the outcomes of delayed intravitreal injections (IVIs) caused by the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods nAMD patients with scheduled IVIs between March 1st and April 30th, 2020 were stratified through a risk-based selection into a non-adherent group (NA-group) if they skipped at least one IVI and an adherent group (A-group) if they followed their treatment schedule. During the pandemic visit (v0), if a significant worsening of the disease was detected, a rescue therapy of three-monthly IVIs was performed. Multimodal imaging and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) findings were evaluated after 6 months (v6), compared between groups and with the visit prior the lockdown (v−1). Results Two hundred fifteen patients (132 females, mean age: 81.89 ± 5.98 years) delayed their scheduled IVI while 83 (53 females, mean age: 77.92 ± 6.06 years) adhered to their protocol. For both groups, BCVA at v0 was significantly worse than v−1 (mean 4.15 ± 7.24 ETDRS letters reduction for the NA-group and 3 ± 7.96 for the A-group) but remained stable at v6. The two groups did not significantly differ in BCVA trends after 6 months and neither for development of atrophy nor fibrosis. Conclusions A risk-based selection strategy and a rescue therapy may limit the long-term outcomes of an interruption of the treatment protocol in patients with nAMD.