2025 Issue 2 at a Glance:
Esteemed colleagues,
In the second issue of 2025, the Turkish Journal of Ophthalmology includes five original articles, one review, two case reports and a letter to the editor.
In a study by Akagün and Altıparmak titled “Evaluation of Reasons for Discontinuation of Atropine 0.01% in Myopia Management: A Single-Center Retrospective Study from Türkiye”, the need to renew the medication every month emerged as the factor that most affected treatment adherence, especially among girls. Other factors such as light sensitivity and treatment duration also played a role in treatment discontinuation but had less impact compared to difficulty acquiring the drug. The study highlights the need to develop more practical medication protocols and adopt supportive approaches tailored to the specific needs of families to increase adherence to treatment (See pages 61-66).
In their study titled “Comparison of Humphrey 24-2 SITA Standard, SITA Fast, and SITA Faster Test Strategies in Patients with Glaucoma”, Köksaldı et al. found that the SITA Faster test had significantly shorter test duration, but there was no statistically significant difference between the three methods in terms of the depth and width of visual field defects. Although the findings suggest that the SITA Faster test is a reliable time-saving alternative, further studies are needed to evaluate the safety of its widespread use (See pages 67-73).
In a study titled “Microvascular and Ultrastructural Changes of the Retina and Choroid in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia”, Oruz et al. identified proliferative sickle cell retinopathy as an important risk factor for macular involvement. Significant changes such as foveal avascular zone enlargement and decreased vascular density were detected even in individuals without macular damage. Preventing such damage with early monitoring is critical for visual prognosis, and optical coherence tomography angiography imaging was shown to be an effective method for revealing these changes (See pages 74-81).
In their study titled “The Effect of Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling on Anatomical and Visual Outcomes in Patients with Macula-Off Retinal Detachment”, Bağcı et al. showed that internal limiting membrane peeling performed in macula-involving retinal detachment was effective in preventing epiretinal membrane development but did not significantly contribute to visual recovery. Despite the role of surgical strategies in achieving anatomical success, these results point to the importance of long-term data in terms of preserving visual function (See pages 82-85).
In a study titled “Outcomes of Eye Examination and Vision Screening in Term Infants Presenting to a Tertiary Hospital in Türkiye”, Zorlutuna Kaymak et al. observed that although family physicians and pediatricians knew the importance of the red reflex test, there were deficiencies in the application and interpretation of this test. Increasing education and awareness is recommended to enable clinicians to perform ophthalmological examinations more effectively in pediatric check-ups. In addition, the authors emphasized that the issue of whether to perform dilated fundus examination in healthy infants should be clarified according to national policies and patient profile, and further studies on this topic are needed (See pages 86-91).
In their review titled “Rational Drug Use in Extraocular Surgeries”, Açar and Aslan Katırcıoğlu question the necessity and effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in extraocular surgeries. Although it is known to be effective in reducing the risk of infection in some surgical interventions, the authors examined a wide range of extraocular surgeries in which antibiotic use is not necessary for every operation. While agents such as mitomycin-C and interferon alpha-2b have been shown to reduce recurrence rates and increase surgical success, it was emphasized that large, multicenter comparative studies are needed to generalize these results (See pages 92-98).
In the first case report of this issue, Özkan et al. reported the first case of bilateral chorioretinitis, unilateral foveal edema, and optic nerve damage after acute West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in Türkiye. The diagnosis was made in the absence of neurological involvement, based only on ocular symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing fundus findings specific to WNV chorioretinitis, especially for clinicians working in endemic areas (See pages 99-104).
In their case report titled “Progressive Loss of Myelinated Retinal Nerve Fibers in a Case of Open-Angle Glaucoma”, Jurkiewicz et al. associated the gradual loss of previously observed myelinated retinal nerve fibers with progressive optic nerve damage resulting from open-angle glaucoma. This phenomenon may indicate retinal ganglion cell layer damage and requires investigation of underlying causes such as ischemic attacks, Behçet’s disease, and pituitary adenoma. The authors emphasized that anatomic rarefication of myelinated retinal nerve fibers may be an important sign of progressive optic neuropathies and should prompt clinicians to conduct further examinations (See pages 105-108).
In their letter to the editor titled “Bilateral Keratoconus in Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis: A Rare Presentation - Is There Any Role of Autoimmunity?”, Sadhu et al. discuss the role of inflammatory and autoimmune processes in keratoconus pathogenesis and note that despite not being clinically apparent, the presence of subclinical inflammation may cause changes in the structure of the cornea. They reported the need for further research and the use of corneal topography in regular follow-up in the early stages of the disease in order to better understand such relationships (See pages 109-111).
We hope that the research presented in this issue, which sheds light on issues such as myopia management, glaucoma monitoring, retinal pathologies, and ophthalmic screening programs, will guide our valued readers both scientifically and practically.
We would like to thank all the researchers who contributed to this issue. Through your contributions, we hope that each and every issue will feature even richer content.
Respectfully on behalf of the Editorial Board,
Sait Eğrilmez, MD
