Eye Diseases Commons^™

Ai-Enhanced Fluorescein Angiography Detection Of Diabetes-Induced Silent Retinal Capillary Dropout And Rna-Seq Identification Of Pre-Symptomatic Biomarkers, Yiyan Peng, Huishi Toh, Dennis Clegg, Peng Jiiang

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Objective: Retinal capillary dropout, characterized by acellular capillaries or "ghost vessels," is an early pathological sign of diabetic retinopathy (DR) that remains undetectable through standard clinical imaging techniques until visible morphological changes, such as microaneurysms or hemorrhages, occur. This study aims to develop a non-destructive artificial intelligence (AI)-based method using fluorescein angiography (FA) images to detect early-stage, silent retinal capillary dropout.

Methods: We utilized 94 FA images and corresponding destructive retinal capillary density measurements obtained through retinal trypsin digestion from 51 Nile rats. Early capillary dropout was defined as having an acellular capillary density of >= 18 counts per mm2. …

Yap1-Dependent Regulation Of Cell Size In Bcam-Positive Limbal Corneal Progenitor Cells, Kosei Suzuki, Shinri Sato, Markus H. Frank, Natasha Y. Frank, Yuzuru Sasamoto

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cell size has been associated with stem and progenitor cell states across multiple tissues, yet its regulation in the human corneal epithelium remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to characterize cell-size differences among limbal and corneal epithelial cell populations defined by the limbal stem cell (LSC) marker ABCB5 and the transit-amplifying cell (TAC) marker BCAM, and to investigate the molecular regulators of progenitor cell size. ABCB5-positive LSCs and BCAM-positive TACs were identified and isolated by flow cytometry, and the mean cell size was estimated using forward scatter (FSC). As a result, ABCB5-positive LSCs were significantly smaller than ABCB5-negative limbal epithelial …

Inpatient Versus Outpatient Management Of Bilateral Optic Nerve Head Elevation Presentation To A Tertiary Emergency Department, Mengchen Suo, Johnny Lo, Fred K. Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Increased accessibility to fundus cameras has changed the referral pattern for patients with suspected bilateral optic nerve head elevation (BONHE) presenting to emergency departments (EDs). We aim to review the management of these patients to streamline the process. Methods: A retrospective review of patients with suspected BONHE referred to a tertiary centre ED between 2017 and 2022. We collected demographics, referral source, clinical assessment, neuroimaging and retinal imaging results. Final diagnosis and treatment outcomes were compared between those managed as inpatients and those managed as outpatients. Results: 100 patients were referred to the ED with a suspected BONHE. Most …

Exploring Pediatric Leprosy In An Endemic Area: Case Series Of Eight Patients In Indonesia, Gitalisa Andayani Adriono, Tri Rahayu, Sri Linuwih Sw Menaldi, Nelfidayani Nelfidayani, Retno Sulistyo Wardani, Kahlil Gibran, Malika Sabrina Yunifananda, Kartika Qonita Putri, Yunia Irawati

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Leprosy remains a significant public health concern in endemic regions such as Indonesia. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their naive immunity and close familial contacts. This study aims to report cases of pediatric leprosy in Lembata, Indonesia, focusing on clinical characteristics and associated risk factors.

Case Illustration: A case series of eight pediatric patients (<15 >years) diagnosed with leprosy was conducted during a community-based screening program in Lembata, Indonesia, in 2022. Of 140 individuals examined, 8 were children. Most patients were male (6/8) with a mean age of 11.75 years. Multibacillary (MB) leprosy predominated (7/8), and a history …

Meeting Report From The 2025 Cure Ocular Melanoma (Cure Om) Global Science Meeting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 2025, Andrew E. Aplin, Katherina Alsina, Allison S. Betof, Joseph Birkett, Marcus O. Butler, George Cole, Rizwan Haq, Florian A. Karreth, Vinit B. Mahajan, Rahul Marpadga, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Paul Nathan, Jonas A. Nilsson, Gary Palmer, Joseph J. Sacco, Takami Sato, Sarah Stanhope, Pang-Ning Teng, Kyleigh Lipira

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The 2025 Cure Ocular Melanoma (CURE OM) Global Science Meeting took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on October 25th, 2025. Several promising drug candidates are in development; however, there is still an urgent need for better prevention, detection, and treatment of uveal melanoma. The purpose of this meeting was to promote international collaboration and idea exchange between scientists, industry, and patient advocates.

Multi-Grader Validation Of The Telemedicine Retinopathy Of Prematurity Severity Score, Harrison W. Pratt, Sarthak V. Shah, Cindy S. Zhao, Arthur R. Brant, Caroline R. Baumal, Cagri G. Besirli, Audina M. Berrocal, Kimberley A. Drenser, Anna L. Ells, Clio Armitage Harper, G. Baker Hubbard, Eric D. Nudleman, Polly Quiram, Irena Tsui, Edward Wood, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Tatiana Rosenblatt, Jochen Kumm, Darius M. Moshfeghi

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

We aimed to statefully validate Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) grading by evaluating intergrader variability over age-matched simulated exams. In a prospective retinal photographic grading cohort study, both eyes of twenty patients with five images per eye per visit were graded by twelve expert graders across six weekly visits. For each eye visit, ROP experts graded the Zone, Stage, and Plus, from which the Telemedicine ROP Severity Score (tROP-SS) was calculated. Graders retained knowledge of prior assessments for a given eye and followed International Classification of ROP rules. Intergrader coefficient of variation (CoV) for Zone, Stage, Plus, and tROP-SS remained below …

Welch Allyn Panoptic Fundoscopic Training For Internal Medicine Residents, Vinh Ngo, Huy Vuong, Oscar Garcia

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

A Rare Complication Of Leukemic Retinopathy Secondary To Chronic Myeloid Leukemia In Blast Phase, Waleed S. Malik, Vinh Ngo, Kuljot Bansi

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Pre-Training Patients Using A Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation On Visual Field Reliability In First-Time Test Takers, Lillian M. Centlivre B.S., Derek Zahnleuter B.S., Rahul Babu B.S., Chaesik Kim, Kaitlin Ziadeh Md, Hanna Simmons Md, Vivian Rajeswaren Md, Aleskey Parker Williams Do, Jacob Im Md, Aleksey Mishulin Md, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi Md, Hassan Tokko

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: Effect of Pre-Training Patients Using a Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation on Visual Field Reliability in First-Time Test Takers

Authors: Lillian Centlivre BS, Derek Zahnleuter BS, Rahul Babu BS, Chaesik Kim BSEE, Kaitlin Ziadeh MD, Hanna Simmons MD, Vivian Rajeswaren MD, Aleksey Parker Williams DO, Jacob Im MD, Aleksey Mishulin MD, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi MD, Hassan Tokko MD

Background: Visual field (VF) testing is essential for detecting glaucoma, but reliability is limited by patient inexperience and poor fixation. Prior studies report VF test reliability around 59%, primarily attributed to increased fixation loss (FL). Other studies note 75.9% reliability using training videos …

Abca4 Versus Prph2-Associated Retinopathy: Clinical And Electrophysiological Findings, Rachael C. Heath Jeffery, A. Thompson, Johnny Lo, Andrea L. Vincent, Minal Patil, Lorenzo Bianco, Maurizio Battaglia Parodi, Lucia Ziccardi, Carmen Dell’Aquila, Lucilla Barbano, Wei Chao Tang, Choi Mun Chan, Camiel J.F. Boon, Jonathan Hensman, Ta Ching Chen, Chien Yu Lin, Pei Lung Chen, Ajoy Vincent, Anupreet Tumber, Elise Heon, John R. Grigg, Robyn V. Jamieson, Elisa E. Cornish, Benjamin N. Nash, Jeremy Chou, Tina M. Lamey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical features, electrophysiology, and variant spectrum in ABCA4- and PRPH2-retinopathies and to identify novel electrodiagnostic biomarkers to differentiate between these two genotypes. Methods. We conducted an international multicenter case-control study of patients with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of ABCA4- or PRPH2-retinopathy. Age at symptom onset, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), electroretinography (ERG) components, and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging were compared. Subgroup exploratory analysis was performed on those patients with a phenotype similar to central areolar choroidal dystrophy (“CACD-like”), those with flecks distributed throughout the posterior pole (“fleck-like”) and a healthy …

Gene-Agnostic Therapeutic Strategies For Inherited Retinal Diseases: Neuroprotection And Immunomodulation, Lucas W. Rowe, S. Patricia Becerra, Robert E. Maclaren, Robert L. Avery, Charles C. Wykoff, Allen C. Ho, Carl D. Regillo, Dean Eliott, Andrew Osborne, Katie M. Binley, Thomas A. Ciulla

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Background/Objectives: Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) represent a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders caused by mutations in over 280 genes with more than 3100 identified variants. While gene-specific replacement therapies have achieved landmark success with voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) for biallelic RPE65-associated retinal dystrophy, developing individual therapies for each genetic subtype remains impractical. This review examines gene-agnostic therapeutic approaches utilizing neuroprotection and immunomodulation that target common pathophysiological mechanisms shared across multiple IRD genotypes. Methods: We reviewed the literature on neuroprotective and immunomodulatory gene therapy strategies for IRDs, focusing on neurotrophic factors and complement system modulation. Results: Neuroprotective approaches delivering neurotrophic factors—including pigment …

Infectious Retinitis Associated With Jak Inhibitors: The Ongoing Duality Of Jak Inhibitors, Jose S. Pulido, Fukutaro Mano, Marcello Casella, Susumu Ishida

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To discuss the recent evidence that Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors can cause viral retinitis.

METHODS: A commentary on the case report in this issue and a review of cases in the literature.

RESULTS: A total of 6 cases have now been reported of cytomegalovirus retinitis associated with Jak inhibitors. Additionally, there was a case of bilateral toxoplasma retinitis and a case of herpetic scleritis.

DISCUSSION: It is important to be aware of the potential blinding complications associated with JAK inhibitors and if the patient complains of acute vision loss and/or floaters, the patient should be emergently referred to a …

Essential Role Of Cd63 In Maintaining Corneal Epithelial Identity In The Human Limbus, Yuzuru Sasamoto, Kosei Suzuki, Shinri Sato, Catherine A.A. Lee, Gabrielle Martin, Bruce R. Ksander, Markus H. Frank, Natasha Y. Frank

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Building on the identification of ABCB5 as a marker of limbal stem cells (LSCs), this study examines CD63, a newly identified molecule co-expressed with ABCB5 in limbal epithelial cells, to define its role in maintaining corneal epithelial cell identity. Methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on flow cytometry–sorted Abcb5-positive and Abcb5-negative murine corneal epithelial cells. CD63 expression in human corneal tissue was assessed by immunostaining. CD63 was silenced in cultured human limbal epithelial cells using siRNA-mediated knockdown and resulting molecular and cellular changes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, RNA-seq, Western blotting, and cell proliferation assays. Results: RNA-seq analysis …

Comparison Of Ventilation Support During Laser Treatment Of Retinopathy Of Prematurity, Jason Peng, Raghav Taneja, Barry N. Wasserman, Krystal Hunter, Vineet Bhandari, Alla Kushnir

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Highlights: What are the main findings? Preterm infants undergoing ROP laser surgery with routine elective intubation had significantly longer durations of post-operative mechanical ventilation. Routine intubation during this procedure did not improve short-term clinical outcomes, such as overall hospital length of stay or timing of laser intervention in the infant’s life. What are the implications of the main findings? Routine intubation strategies may unnecessarily increase exposure to mechanical ventilation without improving clinical outcomes. Standardization of perioperative intubation practices across hospitals may be needed to optimize respiratory support in this vulnerable population. Objective: To compare respiratory outcomes between infants undergoing retinopathy …

Neuromyelitis Optica, Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Educator guide about how to support students with neuromyelitis optica.

Optic Neuritis, Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Educator guide about how to support students with optic neuritis.

Modeling Inherited Retinal Disease In Zebrafish, Meet Patel

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) affect millions of people worldwide. Majority of IRDs are caused by degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptor cells (PRCs) due to gene mutations. The overarching goal of my dissertation is to model and evaluate the molecular role of various gene candidates involved in IRDs such as cone rod dystrophy (CRD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Mutations in CDHR1, a photoreceptor specific cadherin have been associated with CRD and recapitulated in mouse CDHR1 knockouts. However, the molecular function of CDHR1 remains unknown. CDHR1 has been shown to localize at the leading edge of murine rod nascent outer segment …

Ocular Surface Disease Following Lasik And Cataract Surgery: A Review Of Their Interrelated Complications, Matthew D. Spangler, Nila Kirupaharan, John D. Sheppard

Department of Ophthalmology Faculty Publications

Background: Ocular surface disease is a multifactorial condition that is very commonly caused by dry eye disease (DED). Ophthalmic procedures intended to improve visual outcomes, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and cataract surgery, can paradoxically cause or exacerbate underlying ocular surface disease. This results in worsening vision and quality of life.

Areas covered: This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to ocular surface disease development following LASIK and cataract surgery. Both procedures are associated with the transection of corneal nerves, leading to decreased tear production, surface instability, altered neurotrophin production, and impairment of the blink reflex. Furthermore, these incisional procedures …

A Colorful Enigma: A Case Of Orange Palpebral Spots In A 63-Year-Old Woman, Obarikanemi Nwogu, Karl Kellawan

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

The thin, vascularized skin of the eyelids makes them prone to irritation and discoloration, potentially revealing underlying issues, such as subcutaneous deposits, and an abundance of pigments like carotenoids and lipofuscins. First described in 2008 by Assouly et al, orange palpebral spots (OPS) present as painless orange-yellow lesions on the upper eyelids, primarily affecting White women with Fitzpatrick skin types I to III. Despite various hypotheses, the exact cause of OPS remains elusive, with no established links to malignancy or systemic illnesses.

Case Presentation

A 63-year-old woman, with a medical history including basal and squamous cell carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, …

Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Surveillance: A Delphi Panel Consensus, Juan Alban, R. Christopher Bowen, David A. Reichstein, Meredith Mckean, Jose Lutzky, Ezekiel Weis, Richard D. Carvajal, Susan Dulka, Brian G. Morse, Marcus O. Butler, Suthee Rapisuwon, Kevin B. Kim, Sanjay Chandrasekaran, Allison Betof Warner, Jonathan S. Zager, Bartosz Chmielowski, Sapna P. Patel, Leonel Fernando Hernandez-Aya, Zelia M. Correa, Leslie A. Fecher, Yana G. Najjar, Kamaneh Montazeri, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Asad Javed, Dan S. Gombos, April K. S. Salama, Katy Tsai, Frank H. Miller, Nikhil Khushalani, Rino S. Seedor, Evan J. Lipson, Sunil A. Reddy, Elizabeth Buchbinder, Shailender Bhatia, Anna Pavlick, Inderjit Mehmi, Thomas Aaberg, Alexandra P. Ikeguchi, Ivana K. Kim, Scott D. Walter, Arun D. Singh, Ryan J. Sullivan, Jacob S. Choi, Basil K. Williams, Marlana Orloff, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Megan D. Schollenberger, Namita Gandhi, J. William Harbour, Sunandana Chandra

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Uveal melanoma is a rare but aggressive intraocular malignancy that metastasizes in up to half of patients, most commonly to the liver, despite effective local treatment. In the absence of robust evidence, there are no standardized guidelines for post-treatment surveillance, resulting in wide variation in imaging modalities, frequency, and duration across physicians and institutions. This study aimed to develop expert consensus recommendations for surveillance strategies in patients with uveal melanoma.

METHODS: A modified Delphi method was conducted across three iterative survey rounds between September 2024 and February 2025 using an online platform. Panelists included medical oncologists, ocular oncologists, radiologists, …