Steroid-induced ptosis: case studies and histopathologic analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review patients who developed ptosis after subtenon's steroid injection and to study the mechanism of steroid-induced ptosis in an animal model. METHODS: Part 1. Twenty-two patients with uveitis who had received posterior subtenon's triamcinolone acetonide injections were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, type of uveitis, type and number of surgeries, pre and postoperative marginal reflex distance (MRD1), and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Part 2. Study of rabbit levator muscle and aponeurosis histopathology after subtenon's triamcinolone injection was performed. RESULTS: Part 1. The average age was 44.6 years (range: 14-85 years) with a mean follow-up of 14 months. The most common causes of uveitis included uveitis after cataract extraction (five), pars planitis (three), multifocal choroiditis (three), and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (three). The average time to documented onset of ptosis was 13.9 months (range: 0-49 months). In patients who received only one steroid injection, the average time to ptosis recorded was 2.7 months (range: 0-6 months). Seventeen patients underwent ptosis repair. Part 2. No ptosis was noted in the experimental and control groups. Histopathologic analysis of levator tissues revealed no significant difference in atrophy or degree of inflammation between experimental and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ptosis following subtenon's steroid injection ranged from mild to moderate and occurred a few months after steroid injection. Prior studies of muscles and periocular tissues exposed to corticosteroids demonstrated degenerative muscle changes; our studies revealed no histopathologic changes in the levator muscle or aponeurosis.

Predictive value of the initial quantified relative afferent pupillary defect in 19 consecutive patients with traumatic optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE: To study the predictive value of the initial quantified relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) in patients with indirect traumatic neuropathy as it relates to final visual outcome. METHODS: The RAPD was measured and quantified by neutral density filters in patients with unilateral indirect traumatic neuropathy. All patients were treated with megadose methylprednisolone by of the protocol established by the Second National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study. Patients were followed twice daily during treatment and then at 3-month intervals. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were enrolled over a 23-month period. Patients ranged in age from 12 to 78 years old; 18 of the 19 patients were male. No patient with an RAPD of 2.1 log units or greater had visual recovery to better than hand motion vision. The 7 patients with an initial RAPD of less than 2.1 log units showed improvement in their RAPD and were found to have vision of 20/30 or better during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In patients treated with megadose methylprednisolone with an initial RAPD of less than 2.1 log units, visual acuity improved to 20/30 or better; however, patients with an initial RAPD of 2.1 or greater showed little visual improvement. The initial quantified RAPD appears to have a predictive value related to final visual outcome.

Hypercholesterolemia in a health care worker receiving thyroxine after postexposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus infection.

We report a case of hypercholesterolemia that occurred 2 weeks after the start of highly active antiretroviral therapy following a needlestick exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in an HIV-negative health care worker who was receiving thyroid replacement therapy. The elevated thyrotropic hormone level and hypercholesterolemia resolved after the antiretroviral therapy was stopped.

Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus presenting as orbital cellulitis.

A 56-year-old man was seen with signs and symptoms consistent with orbital cellulitis. Computed tomographic scan showed a localized bony defect in the sphenoid wing, on which a biopsy was performed through a lateral orbitotomy. Pathologic examination of the surgical specimen revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma, and metastatic workup revealed an extensive lower esophageal malignant neoplasm. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:986-988

Giant cell angiofibroma of the eyelids: an unusual presentation of tuberous sclerosis.

The authors describe a patient with a history of mental retardation and seizures who presented with unusually large edematous, pedunculated eyelid lesions of unknown etiology. The histopathology revealed features consistent with giant cell angiofibroma, a variant of the angiofibromas commonly seen in tuberous sclerosis.

Clinical factors influencing periocular surgical defects after Mohs micrographic surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine if the surgical defect after excision of periocular skin cancers can be predicted preoperatively. METHODS: Review of medical records of patients who underwent excision of periocular skin cancers between 1990 and 1995. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-four patients (157 men, 107 women) with a total of 281 malignant tumors were treated. Basal cell carcinoma accounted for 92.2% of the tumors, whereas squamous cell carcinoma constituted 6.4% of lesions. The lower eyelid and medial canthus were the most frequent sites of involvement. Data analysis was conducted on tumor size, cell type, location, and the Mohs stages and sections that were required for cure. Morpheaform basal cell carcinomas required the most Mohs stages and sections and resulted in the largest excisional defects when compared with clinical tumor dimensions. The lateral canthus had the fewest tumors, but lesions in this area resulted in the largest excisional defects (mean, 9.5 cm2) when compared with lesions of the medial eyelid (p = 0.35). The average size of the defect after Mohs excision of basal cell carcinoma was 4.2 to 4.6 times the original clinical tumor size. For morpheaform basal cell carcinoma, however, the average excisional defect was 6.1 times larger. Conversely, the average defect after excision of squamous cell carcinoma was only 2.6 times as large as the original clinical tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: These data are useful in predicting the size of a defect after Mohs excision of periocular skin cancer, based on the original clinical tumor size.

Ophthalmic manifestations of fibrous dysplasia: a disease of children and adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adults constitute a significant proportion of patients presenting with ophthalmic complications of fibrous dysplasia. DESIGN: A retrospective case series. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty patients with biopsy-proven fibrous dysplasia participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographics, major signs and symptoms, occurrence of visual loss, pattern of bone involvement, and radiographic appearance of fibrous dysplasia were studied. RESULTS: In contrast to observations made in the past, the authors found that adults constitute a significant proportion of patients suffering from the ophthalmic complications of fibrous dysplasia. Of 20 patients, 9 were younger than 18 years of age (children) and 11 were 18 years of age or older (adults) at the time of presentation. Changes in facial contour and symmetry were the most common presenting signs and symptoms. Five patients, four of whom were adults, presented because of acute visual loss. Most patients had monostotic lesions that crossed suture lines to involve multiple craniofacial bones. On computed tomographic scan, most fibrous dysplasia lesions had a characteristic, pagetoid appearance, with alternating areas of radiolucency and radiodensity. CONCLUSIONS: Because fibrous dysplasia of the orbital bones can be a cause of significant dysfunction and disfigurement, as well as a treatable cause of blindness in both children and adults, the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia should not be ruled out based solely on the age of the patient. The characteristic radiologic appearance of this disease allows one to differentiate fibrous dysplasia from other tumors associated with bony expansion or density changes, specifically meningioma.

Management of displaced lateral orbital wall fractures associated with visual and ocular motility disturbances.

Impacted fractures of the lateral orbital wall are a type of orbital blow-in fracture that may be accompanied by decreased visual acuity and ocular motility limitations. Eleven patients who suffered this injury triad were retrospectively reviewed to determine the nature of the ophthalmologic injuries and the effect of fracture reduction on recovery of ophthalmologic functions. Two patients with decreased visual acuity owing to trauma to the globe recovered to subjective pretrauma levels following surgery. Nine patients were thought to have a traumatic optic neuropathy with varying degrees of visual loss. Patients with an injury to the intraorbital portion of the optic nerve and a presurgical visual acuity of 20/400 or better recovered to subjective pretrauma levels. Those with visual acuity of less than 20/400 or an injury to the intracanalicular portion of the nerve had responses ranging from no improvement to objective improvement with large field defects. Ocular motility improved in all patients, many in the immediate postsurgical period consistent with removal of a mechanical restriction. No patients had worsening of ophthalmologic deficits as a result of manipulation of fracture fragments. Our experience suggests that early surgical intervention facilitates recovery of vision and eye movement. The traumatic optic neuropathy that accompanies this fracture is distinct from the indirect type of optic nerve injury that may respond to steroids, and the ophthalmoplegia is distinct from the usual traumatic superior orbital fissure syndrome that resolves spontaneously. An understanding of the impacted lateral orbital wall fracture and its ophthalmologic implications is essential for any surgeon who desires to manage craniomaxillofacial injuries.

Periocular necrotizing fasciitis: a review of five cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to display a spectrum of clinical presentations of periocular necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A streptococci and to discuss recent trends and treatment of this disease. DESIGN AND INTERVENTION: A case series of five patients (four female and one male) was seen between July 1990 and January 1995 in four university centers. All had clinical evidence of periocular necrotizing fasciitis and grew group A streptococci on wound cultures or had serologic evidence of streptococcal infection. Details of patient presentation, treatment, and outcome are examined. RESULTS: The five patients showed a spectrum of clinical severity from a necrotizing infection confined to the eyelid to a potentially fatal, severe shock-like syndrome characterized by sepsis and multiorgan system failure. A history of trauma often was absent. Patients were treated successfully by a combination of appropriate antibiotics and surgical debridement. CONCLUSIONS: Group A streptococci can cause severe necrotizing infections of the eyelids. Early recognition and prompt treatment can be essential to these patients' survival.

Pseudomonas dacryoadenitis secondary to a lacrimal gland ductule stone.

Infectious dacryoadenitis is a rare condition. A case of Pseudomonas dacryoadenitis has not been reported previously. We treated a patient with Pseudomonas dacryoadenitis secondary to obstruction from a lacrimal gland ductule stone. Histologically, the calculus contained hairs.

Unusual skin depigmentation following eyelid cryosurgery.

A 71-year-old African-American man was treated with cryosurgery of the left lower lid for trichiasis. Dramatic depigmentation of the lid skin followed, including substantial pigment loss on the untreated upper lid. Pigmentation returned to nearly normal over a 9-year period. Depigmentation of the skin following cryosurgery is a well-known complication. The clinical course of the depigmentation, however, is not well demonstrated in the literature. This case documents, with clinical photographs, the spontaneous return to nearly normal pigmentation 9 years following the cryosurgery. In addition, the extensive depigmentation seen in this patient cannot be explained by cryoinjury alone. We speculate that the depigmentation was due, in part, to segmental vitiligo initiated at the site treated with cryosurgery.

Bilateral enophthalmos associated with hydrocephalus and ventriculoperitoneal shunting.

BACKGROUND: Progressive bilateral enophthalmos in the absence of previous trauma is rare. METHODS: Three patients with progressive bilateral severe enophthalmos whose only significant medical history was that of congenital hydrocephalus were treated by ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. RESULTS: The patients demonstrated severe bilateral enophthalmos with poor eyelid apposition to the globes resulting in superficial keratopathy. Orbital computed tomographic scans confirmed the severe enophthalmos, with apparent reduced orbital fat volume. Orbital bony anatomy appeared normal. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral progressive enophthalmos may be associated with hydrocephalus and ventriculoperitoneal shunting. The causal mechanism remains speculative.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of combined insulin-like growth factor I and low dose growth hormone therapy for wasting associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Loss of body mass, or wasting, is a major cause of morbidity and a contributor to mortality in human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. Dietary supplements and appetite adjuvants have had limited effectiveness in treating this condition. GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have been shown to be anabolic in many catabolic conditions, and limited data suggest similar efficacy in HIV wasting. In addition, it appears that GH and IGF-I may have complementary anabolic effects with opposing glucoregulatory effects. We report results from a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial of combination recombinant human GH (rhGH; Nutropin; 0.34 mg, sc, twice daily) and rhIGF-I (5.0 mg, sc, twice daily) in individuals with HIV wasting and without active opportunistic infection, cancer, or gastrointestinal disease. A total of 142 subjects (140 males and 2 females) were randomized using a 2:1, double blind treatment scheme and assigned to receive either active treatment or placebo injections. Eighty subjects completed the 12-week protocol. Nutritional intake and demographic and clinical characteristics did not differ between the groups at any study time point. At 3 weeks, the treatment group had a significantly larger weight increase (P = 0.0003), but this difference was not observed at any later time point. Similarly, fat-free mass, calculated from skinfold measurements, increased transiently in the treatment group at 6 weeks (P = 0.002). No significant differences in isokinetic muscle strength or endurance testing or in quality of life were observed between the groups. Resting heart rate was significantly higher in the treatment group at each time point post-baseline. GH and IGF-binding protein-3 levels did not change; however, IGF-I levels were higher in the treatment group at 6 and 12 weeks. There were no significant between-group differences in any of the measured biochemical or immunological parameters. rhGH plus rhIGF-I treatment was associated with an increased incidence of peripheral edema and other side-effects, possibly related to fluid retention. We conclude that the combination of rhIGF-I and low dose rhGH used in this study had no significant anabolic effect in HIV wasting.

Surgical excision of periorbital capillary hemangiomas.

BACKGROUND: Periorbital capillary hemangiomas of childhood can produce ptosis, strabismus, and anisometropia, resulting in amblyopia. Traditional therapy with either systemic or local corticosteroids occasionally yields incomplete resolution of these lesions and may be associated with numerous adverse complications. The authors report their experience performing surgical resection of periorbital capillary hemangiomas. METHODS: Twelve children with periorbital capillary hemangiomas were treated surgically. Six of these children had previously failed to adequately respond to steroid injections and six were primarily treated with surgical resection. All lesions were believed to be localized and did not appear to be infiltrative on preoperative computed tomographic scans. RESULTS: All lesions were completely resected, except for two in which there was a small area of residual hemangioma surrounding the lacrimal drainage system that was left intact. Controlled intraoperative hemorrhage in two patients required intraoperative directed-donor blood transfusion. Perioperatively, in one patient a wound dehiscence developed, which required minor repair. This same patient elected to have surgical scar revision postoperatively. The patients have been followed up to 5 years. All did well with improved cosmesis, and they have good lid function. No recurrences have been noted. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of pediatric capillary hemangiomas should be considered a treatment option in those that fail to respond to corticosteroids and/or are isolated and noninfiltrative in nature.

Nutritional aspects of HIV infection.

Wasting may not be an inevitable consequence of HIV infection but may be a consequence of multiple nutritional insults that are additive without periods of replenishment in between. Protein energy malnutrition in AIDS patients may be consequential to underlying illness and concomitant to death as a result of that illness or may hasten a patient's demise, that is, starvation with fatal loss of body cell mass. Mortality is closely related to weight loss. Malnutrition may be a result of decreased intake, malabsorption, altered metabolism, or any combination of the three. Nutritional strategies to prevent PEM include appetite stimulation, early nutritional supplementation with oral supplements, and the diagnosis and treatment of malabsorption and underlying infections. More aggressive measures such as gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube placement and total parenteral feedings are still being evaluated. Nutritional supplementation to enhance the immune system or manipulate metabolism may be adjunctive to the above strategies. Early intervention and attention to nutritional status may have long-term benefits to patients with this disease.