ABSTRACT
AIMS: To highlight the long-lasting benefit of 2-0 Prolene brow suspension for congenital ptosis. METHODS: Retrospective case review of 38 paediatric cases at two centres in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Six cases continue to have a successful functional and cosmetic result ranging from 6 to 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: Brow suspension with 2-0 Prolene can be long-lasting in some patients.
Subject(s)
Blepharoptosis/surgery , Eyelids/surgery , Polypropylenes , Blepharoptosis/congenital , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Retrospective Studies , Suture Techniques , Treatment Outcome , United KingdomABSTRACT
The majority of ocular melanomas occur in the uveal tract. Chemotherapy is generally ineffective and large tumours requiring enucleation have a greater than 50% mortality at 5 years. Monosomy for chromosome 3 is common in uveal melanoma and it is known that there is loss of responsiveness to transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) in melanoma cell lines. Since the gene for TGFbeta receptor II (TGFbetaR2) is located on chromosome 3p22, this study investigates the possibility that the TGFbeta pathway, and TGFbetaR2 in particular, might be involved in the pathogenesis of this rare eye tumour. To this end, the expression of molecules in the pathway has been examined by immunocytochemistry (TGFbeta, TGFbetaR2, SMAD2, SMAD3, SMAD4, and p27), backed up by a cell culture assay of TGFbeta-mediated growth suppression, RT-PCR for SMAD4, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on 3p22. There was LOH at 3p22 in 6/19 tumours and loss of TGFbetaR2 expression in 10/27 tumours. Immunohistochemistry for SMADs 2, 3, and 4 showed potential loss of signal transduction in 14/27 tumours. The results indicate abnormality of the TGFbeta pathway in 61% of tumours for which unequivocal results were obtained and suggest that abrogation of control of melanocyte growth by the TGFbeta pathway may be important in the formation of uveal melanoma.
