Clinical outcomes and predictors of response to photodynamic therapy in symptomatic circumscribed choroidal hemangioma: A retrospective case series.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the treatment outcomes and predictors of response to photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with symptomatic circumscribed hemangioma (CCH). METHODS: This retrospective case series examined 20 patients with symptomatic CCH (10 submacular CCHs and10 juxtapapillary CCHs) who underwent standard PDT (wavelength: 662 nm; light dose: 50J/cm2; exposure time: 83 sec) with verteporfin (6mg/m2), either as monotherapy (n = 9) or in association with other treatments (n = 11), of which 7 received intravitreal injections (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). A post-PDT improvement of at least two lines in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was the primary outcome measure. Predictors of response were investigated with binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen (85%) patients received one PDT session, and three patients (15%) underwent PDT at least twice. Ten patients (50%) achieved the primary outcome of a post-PDT BCVA improvement of at least two lines. Macular atrophy and recalcitrant cystoid macular edema in 2 patients. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age (< 50 years) (P = 0.033), pre-PDT BCVA of ≧20/200 (P = 0.013), exudative retinal detachment resolved within one month after PDT (P = 0.007), and a thinner post-PDT tumor thickness (P = 0.015) were associated with the achievement of a post-PDT BCVA improvement. Additional treatments to PDT including IVI anti-VEGF did not appear to improve visual and anatomical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic CCHs respond generally well to PDT. Patients with younger age (< 50 years), pretreatment BCVA≥ 20/200, and thinner foveal edema are most likely to benefit from this approach.

Malignant Ciliary Body Medulloepithelioma With Brain and Parotid Metastasis.

A 12-year-old girl with malignant ciliary medulloepithelioma and parotid metastasis was treated with semi-exenteration of the orbit and external beam radiotherapy. She had brain metastasis 7 months later and was treated with salvage chemotherapy. The patient was disease free at 11 months of follow-up. In aggressive cases, exenteration combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy are necessary for disease control. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54:e18-e22].

Factors Associated With Surgical Outcomes in Congenital Ptosis: A 10-Year Study of 319 Cases.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the 10-year results of surgery for congenital ptosis and identify factors associated with excellent outcomes and recurrence. DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional case series. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 319 patients who underwent surgical correction at a tertiary medical center for congenital ptosis. The main outcome measures were postoperative surgical outcomes and recurrence rates. Excellent lid height was assessed as a marginal reflex distance (MRD) greater than 3 mm. Recurrence was defined as a lid height less than 50% of the initial postoperative lid height. RESULTS: The overall surgical success rate was 97.2%. On multivariate analysis, 3 factors were significantly associated with a greater probability of achieving excellent lid height: treatment using levator muscle resection (LMR) (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.76; P = .04), better preoperative MRD (adjusted OR, 2.21; P < .001), and absence of Marcus Gunn (jaw-winking) syndrome (adjusted OR, 0.12; P = .01). For recurrence, 7 significant risk factors were identified: children less than 1 year old (adjusted OR, 4.92; P = .02), poorer preoperative MRD (adjusted OR, 0.64; P = .04), poorer postoperative MRD (adjusted OR, 0.32; P < .001), treatment with frontalis suspension (FS) (adjusted OR, 5.86; P < .001), wound infection (adjusted OR, 9.45; P = .02), postoperative entropion (adjusted OR, 11.25; P = .003), and conjunctival prolapse (adjusted OR, 7.10; P = .03). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 1-, 5-, and 10-year recurrence-free rates were 97.3% ± 1.2%, 80.5% ± 4.4%, and 76.7% ± 5.6%, respectively, for the LMR group and 90.9% ± 3.1%, 42.9% ± 8.1%, and 20.8% ± 10.1%, respectively, for the FS group (P < .001, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of congenital ptosis had a high success rate. Identifying the risk factors and taking appropriate measures may result in better surgical outcomes and less recurrence. Our retrospective study showed that the likelihood of achieving excellent outcomes with lower recurrence rates was higher with LMR than with FS. However, a prospective randomized study is necessary to clarify their efficacy.

Multimodal retinal imaging in achromatopsia.

PURPOSE: To investigate comprehensive image findings in a patient with incomplete achromatopsia. METHODS: Observational case report. RESULTS: A 12-year-old girl was referred to our clinic with nystagmus, photophobia, poor best-corrected visual acuity, and impaired color vision since she was 5 years old. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 20/200 for both eyes. The fundus photography showed macula mottling, and fundus autofluorescence imaging showed a bull's eye-like maculopathy. The spectral domain optical coherence tomography revealed decreased outer nuclear layer thickness and inner and outer segment loss beneath the subfoveal area. The electroretinogram showed extinguished cone responses with relatively well-preserved rod responses. CONCLUSION: Fundus autofluorescence and spectral domain optical coherence tomography may serve as screening tools for achromatopsia candidates, but the electroretinogram study remains the most reliable test for diagnosis.

Infectious scleritis in Taiwan-a 10-year review in a tertiary-care hospital.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features of infectious scleritis with distinct inciting events and to analyze the factors associated with poor visual outcome. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the predisposing factors, clinical findings, isolated organisms, complications, and outcomes of patients with infectious scleritis examined between January 2003 and December 2012 at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. RESULTS: Forty-five (94%) of 48 patients with infectious scleritis had preceding inciting factors. Prior ocular surgery (40 eyes, 83%), especially pterygium excision (27 eyes, 57%), accounted for the majority of cases; prior accidental injury was found in 5 eyes (10%). The trauma group had a significantly shorter latency and duration of symptoms before diagnosis when compared with the surgery group. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22 eyes, 46%) was the most commonly identified pathogen, and fungus was detected in 7 eyes (15%). Fungal infections had a longer symptom duration and smaller scleral ulcers at presentations than bacterial infections did. All patients were administered antimicrobials, and early surgical debridement (median 3 days) was performed in 38 eyes (79%). Three eyes (6%) required eyeball removal, and 10 patients (21%) had a posttreatment vision >20/200. With univariate analysis, the identified factors that were significantly associated with poor visual outcomes were visual acuity at presentation worse than 20/200 (P = 0.01), a long duration of hospitalization (P = 0.02), and eyes complicated by scleral thinning (P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Infectious scleritis associated with distinct inciting factors or different offending organisms can display divergent characteristics. Intensive antimicrobial treatment and early surgical debridement can salvage eyes.