Clinical and visual electrophysiological characteristics of vitelliform macular dystrophies in the first decade of life

Purpose: To evaluate patterns of pediatric vitelliform macular dystrophy (PVMD). Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of Indian children with vitelliform macular dystrophy (VMD) presenting within the first decade of life. Records were evaluated for clinical findings, family screening, and investigative findings including optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), full?field electroretinogram (ERG) and electrooculogram (EOG). Electrophysiology was scrutinized and audited for acquisition and interpretation errors. Findings on follow?up were also recorded. Results: 46 eyes of 24 patients were included. Mean age at presentation was 7.17 ± 2.17 years. Mean follow?up duration was 1.55 ± 1.69 years. Best disease was the commonest type of VMD detected (21 patients), while autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy was seen in three cases. Mean logMAR BCVA was 0.364 which decreased to 0.402 on follow?up. Hyperopia was noted in 29 out of 46 eyes (mean being +3.87 D, range ebing +0.75 to +8.75 D). Four eyes of four children had choroidal neovascular membrane at presentation, while another child developed while in follow?up. Solid type subretinal deposit was the commonest OCT finding (n = 29/38) and central hyper FAF was the commonest pattern (n = 18/32). EOG was available for review in 32 eyes, but was unreliable in 11 eyes. Seven eyes demonstrated complete absence of light rise on EOG. Conclusion: PVMD can present in advanced forms. Progression to complications with loss of visual acuity can happen within the first decade of life. EOG shows grossly suppressed waveforms in the light phase in a large number of such children

Clinical features and research progress in autosomal recessive Best disease / 中华眼底病杂志

Autosomal recessive Best disease (ARB) is a rare clinical fundus disease caused by BEST1 mutation.The critical features of ARB are the presence of multifocal subretinal yellowish lesions,which corresponding to the hyperfluorescent spots on FAF,scattered over the posterior pole of the retina,absent of typical vitelliform lesions in the macula.Imaging of OCT is often manifested as subretinal or intraretinal fluid,and cystoid macular edema,and hypereflective focus at RPE level.EOG shows an absent or severely reduced light rise (decreased value of Arden),which often accompanied by reduction and delay of the rod and cone ERG.Some patients with ARB show hyperopia,short axial length and shallow anterior chambers,with a corresponding high incidence of angle-closure glaucoma.Though there isn't any effective therapeutic methods of ARB at present,prevention and treatment for its complications such as angle-closure glaucoma and choroidal neovascularization should be considered.Present study about ARB mainly focus on some retrospective cases,and ARB is often misdiagnosed with Best vitelliform macular dystrophy,central serous chorioretinopathy and other fundus diseases in clinic.A detailed understanding of the clinical features and genetic characteristics of ARB might be helpful in clinical diagnosis and treatment.Research with larger sample size are expected to further investigate the different stages of ARB and its developing process,the potential pathological mechanism,the relationship between genotype and phenotype,so as to improve the understanding of the disease.

Choroidal Neovascularization in a Patient with Best Disease

PURPOSE: To report a case of choroidal neovascularization in a Best disease patient treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injection and followed up with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). CASE SUMMARY: A 20-year-old female visited our clinic with decreased visual acuity of the left eye for 6 months. On optical coherence tomography (OCT), subretinal fluid and hyperreflective subretinal clumps were observed in the macula of the right eye. Subretinal hemorrhage and subretinal fluid were observed in the left eye. Choroidal neovascularization in the left eye was observed using OCTA, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography. A full-field electroretinogram was normal in both eyes, but an electrooculogram revealed that the Arden ratio was 1.564 in the right eye and 1.081 in the left eye. Intravitreal bevacizumab injection was performed in the left eye. At 6 months after the intravitreal injection, the best-corrected visual acuity of the left eye had recovered to 20/20. OCT revealed that subretinal fluid reduced and choroidal neovascularization was stable. After 12 months, visual acuity of the left eye was maintained at 20/20, but OCTA revealed that choroidal neovascularization had increased. CONCLUSIONS: Choroidal neovascularization associated with Best disease can improve by intravitreal bevacizumab injection, and the changes in choroidal neovascularization can be followed using OCTA.

Analysis of BEST-1 gene mutations with vitelliform macular dystrophy in one Chinese family / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To identify intragenic mutation loci of the BEST-1 gene with congenital vitelliform macular dystrophy by molecular genetic analysis at one family in Northeast China. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocyte of 2 patients and 5 healthy members in the family with vitelliform macular dystrophy and 100 normal controls. Ten exon sequences of BEST - 1 amplified by polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) were made direct DNA sequencing to define the gene mutation loci and compared with gene screening performed on 100 normal controls. RESULTS: After the direct DNA sequencing, no mutation loci was found in all the patients of this family with vitelliform macular dystrophy. CONCLUSION:There is no mutation in the exons of BEST-1 gene causing disease genes in this family.

Intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascular membrane associated with Best's vitelliform dystrophy.

Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy is a hereditary form of progressive macular dystrophy that can be complicated by choroidal neovascularization. Authors report successful treatment of choroidal neovascularization with intravitreal bevacizumab in one such eye in an ‘adult’ Indian male with visual improvement. A 23-year-old male presented with diminution of vision in the right eye for the past sixteen months. Visual acuity was 20/400 in the that eye. After three consecutive intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 ml), vision improved to 20/120. Seven months following the last injection of bevacizumab, fundus appeared stable and visual acuity was maintained. No drug-related ocular or systemic side effects were encountered. To the best of our knowledge (PubMed search), this is the first report of its kind in an adult Indian patient. Intravitreal bevacizumab appears to be a promising and cost-effective modality of treatment in such eyes with potential for improvement in vision. However, a long-term follow-up is warranted.

Best Disease With Old-age Onset Misdiagnosed as Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Case Report

PURPOSE: To report a case of Best's disease with old-age-onset with unusual clinical features. CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old woman with a six-month history of using oral steroids complained of decreased vision in both eyes. Fundus examination revealed a circular area of macular elevation measuring approximately 1.5 disc diameter size in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed serous retinal detachment, but pigment epithelial detachment was seen only on fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography. The patient received a diagnosis of chronic central chorioretinopathy with choroidal neovascularization. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections were prescribed as treatment, but were ineffective. For a definitive diagnosis, we performed an electro-oculogram (EOG) and the result was abnormal with an Arden ratio below 1.5 in both eyes. A final diagnosis of Best's disease was established. Spectral domain OCT findings at the last visit showed a clearly visible RPE split and a low reflective space between the split RPE layers, as well as a high reflectivity corresponding to the subretinal material. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of Best's disease with old-age onset with unusual clinical features and abnormal EOG findings. Spectral domain OCT was helpful in evaluating the disease. Treatment with PDT and IVB was not effective.

Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Best Disease

PURPOSE: To report the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of three cases in various stages of juvenile-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best disease). CASE SUMMARY: Medical records of six eyes from three patients diagnosed with Best disease were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the clinical features of the fundus, the electro-oculogram, and the optical coherence tomography (OCT) results. In the fundi of the three patients with Best disease, the characteristic stages of vitelliform, pseudohypopyon, and scrambled egg appearance were identified. Optical coherence tomography findings in the eyes of the patients with Best disease showed two types of outer retina-choroid complex (ORCC) changes, including splitting with intervening hyporeflective areas and elevation over hyporeflective area. CONCLUSIONS: The OCT findings showed variable patterns according to the progression of Best disease. In the pseudohypopyon stage, both neurosensory detachment and retinal pigment epithelial detachment appearance were identified. The exact location of the resulting lesions seems to depend on the relative impediment of fluid movement caused by the mutation of bestrophin.

Analysis of the gene mutation of vitelline macular dystrophy in a family with Best disease / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective To analyze the relationship between genotype and phenotype of vitelline macular dystrophia (VMD2) gene in a family with Best disease, and to provide the theoretical basis for gene diagnosis of Best disease. Methods Mutation in the coding regions and the promotor sequence of VMD2 gene from 10 members in a family with Best disease were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct DNA sequencing, and combined with a conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) approach, VMD2 gene screening was performed on 100 normal control individuals. Results In the 10 members, T→C nucleotide change at the 223 base of exon 3 was detected in 9, including 6 with Best disease who was confirmed by ophthalmoscopy and electrophysiological examination in whom 2 were affirmed as having homozygote of this mutation. Other 3 young family members with VMD2 gene mutation only had abnormal electro-oculogram manifestations. Above mutation was not detected in the normal control individuals. Conclusions The phenotype and genotype of VMD2 in the family with Best disease is highly correlated. Mutation in VMD2 gene is the nosogenesis in this family. Mutation screening of VMD2 gene can be used for genic diagnosis and genetic consultation of Best disease.