Intravitreal Ranibizumab as Palliative Therapy for Iris Metastasis Complicated With Refractory Secondary Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To report a case where iris metastasis was the presenting sign of hitherto undiagnosed non-small cell lung carcinoma. The diagnostic approach and patient management are discussed. METHODS: A 51-year-old man presented with pain due to an iris mass and neovascular glaucoma. RESULTS: Systemic evaluation subsequently led to the diagnosis of non-small cell lung carcinoma and the iris mass was considered metastatic. The patient refused any systemic therapy and accepted only intervention for ocular pain relief. Ranibizumab was administered intravitreally and resulted in subsidence of iris mass and new vessels and pain relief, which enhanced the patient's quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first known report where intravitreal injection of ranibizumab was used as palliative treatment for refractory neovascular glaucoma due to iris metastasis.

Atypical Cogan's syndrome presenting as bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis.

We report a case of atypical Cogan's syndrome presenting as bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis in a woman with ovarian cancer. A 62-year-old woman with ovarian cancer developed bilateral interstitial keratitis and panuveitis accompanied by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and chondritis. Auricular cartilage biopsy ruled out relapsing polychondritis and the diagnosis of atypical Cogan's syndrome was set clinically.

Angiographically silent cystoid macular oedema secondary to paclitaxel therapy.

Bilateral macular oedema is an uncommon side-effect of paclitaxel administration in oncological patients. We report the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with decreased visual acuity due to bilateral macular oedema after paclitaxel administration for lung cancer. Optical coherence tomography scans of both eyes revealed cystoid macular oedema. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated the unusual finding of the absence of localised retinal capillary leakage. Ketorolac eye drops and acetazolamide tablets were prescribed and one month later the cystoid macular oedema resolved with subsequent improvement in visual acuity. This case illustrates the unusual presentation of cystoid macular oedema induced by paclitaxel.

Diplopia due to systemic lupus erythematosus in a child: a rare clinical presenting sign of the disease.

We present the case of a 14-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital with the complaint of horizontal diplopia for 48 hours. Initially, she was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. During hospitalization she developed fever, macular facial rash, and chest pain, and because of abnormal laboratory findings the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus was established. She received immunomodulatory therapy, a combination of corticosteroids, and intravenous infusions of the monoclonal antibody rituximab, which augmented her clinical improvement. Intracranial hypertension secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare manifestation, especially as a presenting symptom. In addition, the fact that the patient developed an aggressive form of systemic lupus erythematosus during the initial period of hospitalization for idiopathic intracranial hypertension is also uncommon. Moreover, to our knowledge, we are not aware of any published case reports of intracranial hypertension secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus that was treated with rituximab.

Decreased contrast sensitivity in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate contrast sensitivity in children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus without evidence of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Sixty patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (age range: 8 to 18 years) were studied. Their contrast sensitivity scores were obtained using the CSV-1000 device (Vector Vision, Dayton, OH) for four spatial frequencies and were compared with v scores of 45 age-matched and gender-matched "healthy" patients. Contrast sensitivity values were also correlated to patient's age, duration of disease, and metabolic control of diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus had a significant contrast sensitivity score reduction at all spatial frequencies tested. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels were inversely related to the contrast sensitivity thresholds. No significant correlation was found between the contrast sensitivity scores and the patient's age or duration of disease. CONCLUSION: Contrast sensitivity defects are detected in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. These defects may represent an early dysfunction of the retina, visual pathway, or both in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who do not show any signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Periorbital and orbital cellulitis: a 10-year review of hospitalized children.

PURPOSE: Periorbital cellulitis is often difficult to distinguish from orbital cellulitis, which is a potentially lethal infection involving the contents of the orbit. A delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment may result in serious complications. We studied the predisposing factors, microbiologic data, clinical features, complications, and treatment of periorbital and orbital cellulitis in childhood. METHODS: Eighty-three medical records of patients (mean age 3.7 ± 3.1 years) admitted to the Department of Pediatrics with a diagnosis of periorbital or orbital cellulitis during the 10-year period January 1997 to December 2007 were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: In this series, periorbital cellulitis occurred more frequently (83%) than orbital cellulitis (17%). Of the children with periorbital cellulitis, 85% were younger than 5 years of age, while 62% of the children with orbital cellulitis were older than 5 years of age. The most common predisposing factors in periorbital cellulitis were upper respiratory infection (68%) and trauma to the eyelids (20%), while sinusitis was more frequently associated with orbital cellulitis (79%). Blood and skin cultures were usually negative. The most common isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Forty-five of the 83 children were treated with intravenous ceftriaxone + clindamycin (mean duration 8.6 ± 5.5 days). Intravenous antibiotics alone was an effective management in most of the patients, but a small proportion (6%) required surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Upper respiratory infection and sinusitis are the most important predisposing factors for periocular infection. Streptococcus species are the predominant causative agents. Both diseases can usually be successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics, but some patients may require surgery to control extensive infection.

Unusual case of acanthamoeba keratitis in a contact lens wearer.

PURPOSE: To present an atypical case of acanthamoeba keratitis in a soft contact lens wearer. METHODS: A case report of a 28-year-old female soft contact lens wearer with a 6-day history of redness and blurred vision in her right eye. Examination showed stromal keratitis that did not respond to therapy for herpes simplex virus. Four weeks later, the patient had increased stromal infiltration, an endothelial plaque, and a hypopyon. She did not complain of pain apart from mild discomfort. Corneal smears and anterior chamber tap were negative for bacteria, fungi, acanthamoeba, and herpes simplex virus, and the patient was prescribed fortified antibiotics. One week later, a large epithelial defect with a surrounding ring infiltrate was apparent. Corneal biopsy showed acanthamoeba. RESULTS: The acanthamoeba keratitis resolved with successful treatment. One year later, the patient had a residual visual deficit secondary to stromal scarring and her best-corrected visual acuity was 20/29. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the importance of considering acanthamoeba species in the differential diagnosis of keratitis, even without the classic symptom of severe pain. A high degree of suspicion with rapid and appropriate treatment may result in improved recovery of vision.