No abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to provide objective and real-life data concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemicon ophthalmology residency training in Portugal.Material and Methods: Descriptive survey-based study applied to current Portuguese ophthalmology residents (n = 80 eligible).Results: Seventy-five residents participated (94% response rate). All except one (99%) admitted a change in their routine clinical practice during the pandemic, and most (89%) continued to be engaged in ophthalmology department duties. Twenty-five percent were deployed to COVID-19 units, which was combined with ophthalmological activities in about half of them (47%). A significant proportion of participants stated that they were enrolled in the following ophthalmological activities: emergency/inpatient care (87%), outpatient visits (73%; general 70% vs subspecialty 29%), and surgical procedures (64%). Twenty-five percent did not assist in any outpatient visits and 36% did not participate in any surgical procedures. On a scale from 1 (no impact) to 5 (maximum impact), most participants classified their perceived negative impact of the pandemic on the training program as 3 (24%), 4 (40%), or 5 (27%). Participants highly agreed with the extension of the residency program (80%) in order to to make up for training disruption.Discussion: Most trainees provided ophthalmological care during the pandemic. However, those clinical activities were essentially related to general and emergency care. Surgical experience was significantly curtailed. As such, strategies are needed to guarantee a high-quality learning process. Further studies are required to develop an international perspective on how ophthalmology training programs have been affected so that educational organizations can make recommendations regarding standardized adjustments to training programs.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the training of ophthalmology residents nationwide.

No abstract

This study provides descriptive data on injuries developed in a subpopulation of Portuguese amateur youth football players that could represent a focus for future prevention.

No abstract

Conversion to aflibercept for persistent DME resulted in functional and anatomical improvements and these outcomes were not influenced by previous bevacizumab exposure. Pre-switch CMT was a predictor of anatomical changes after aflibercept.

No abstract

Background: In this paper, we evaluate the different thresholding strategies that have been used for the quantification of the choriocapillaris (CC) and explore their repeatability and the interchangeability of the measurements resulting from its application.Methods: Observational study. Eighteen eyes from nine healthy volunteers aged >18 years were imaged four consecutive times with a SD-OCTA system (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) using a 10°×10° highresolution protocol centered on the fovea. Projection artifacts were removed, and the CC was bracketed between 10 and 30 µm below Bruch's membrane. For the quantification of CC, we used four flow deficits (FD) parameters: FD number, mean FD size, total FD area and FD density. We performed a systematic review of literature to collect the thresholding methods that have been used for the quantification of CC. The CC quantification parameters were then evaluated after applying each of the thresholding strategies. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Pearson's correlation analysis were used to compare the repeatability and interchangeability among the different thresholding strategies for quantifying the CC.Results: A total of 72 optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) examinations were considered.The systematic review allowed us to conclude that three local thresholding strategies (Phansalkar, mean and Niblack) and three global thresholding strategies (mean, default, Otsu) have been used for CC quantification.These strategies were evaluated in our observational study. We found a high agreement within the same method in the quantification of FD number, mean FD size, total FD area and FD density but a poor agreement with different strategies. Local strategies achieved a significantly superior ICC than global ones in CC quantification. Conclusions:In conclusion, the interchangeability of the CC quantification using different thresholding strategies is low, and direct comparisons should not be performed. Local thresholding strategies are significantly superior to global ones for quantifying CC and should be preferred. There is an unmet need for a uniform strategy to quantify CC in future studies.