One year of intravitreal injections of steroids.

PURPOSE: Chronic macular oedema sometimes does not respond to classic treatment such as laserphotocoagulation, periocular and systemic steroids or carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. High dose intravitreal injection of steroids can be a valuable alternative in these patients. METHODS: Sixty-four eyes of 51 patients with chronic macular oedema, refractory to conventional treatments, received an intravitreal injection of 4 mg Kenacort (triamcinolone acetonide). At postoperative controls (1 day, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year), the visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central retinal thickness on OCT II were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In the diabetic group, but also in cases of chronic uveitis, retinal vein thrombosis, birdshot chorioretinopathy, Irvine Gass syndrome, cellophane maculopathy and age-related macular degeneration with classic subfoveolar neovascular membrane, dramatic decrease of the oedema was observed on funduscopy and OCT. A statistically significant reduction of mean central foveal thickness of 61% at 1 week and 49% at 3 months post-injection was demonstrated on OCT. Considerable gain in visual acuity was noted. The highest benefit in post-operative visual acuity was achieved after 3 months and averaged a gain of +3.55 Snellen lines (n=39). In 17% of eyes a rise in intraocular pressure was noted. Unfortunately we had one case of endophthalmitis in a poorly regulated diabetic woman. Six eyes were retreated because of recurrence of macular oedema. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of steroids can dramatically help in some cases of chronic macular oedema, not reacting to classic treatment. The injection should be performed under sterile conditions since endophthalmitis is a potential risk. The most frequent complication seems to be a rise in intraocular pressure in cortisone responders.

Treatment of hepatitis B virus-related polyarteritis nodosa: two case reports and a review of the literature.

A substantial number of cases of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) are related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Different treatment strategies are reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to review 15 years of literature (1988-2002) to determine the optimal treatment for HBV-related PAN at present, and to discuss the indications and mechanism of action of corticosteroids in HBV-related PAN, as many physicians are reluctant to use these in the presence of HBV infection. The first patient stopped his initial treatment, relapsed and died of cerebral infarction. The second case illustrates the favorable outcome with the standard treatment: corticosteroids, lamivudine and plasma exchanges. If adequate follow-up is possible, antiviral agents as well as corticosteroids are indicated in HBV-related PAN. Corticosteroids diminish inflammation and corticosteroid withdrawal induces an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) rebound in patients with a low baseline ALT level. Antiviral agents are essential, as they reduce the production of HBV antigens and help to achieve hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion. Plasma exchanges reduce the level of circulating immune complexes and are included in the treatment protocol of all recent studies. However, their effect has not been evaluated in controlled trials. We concluded that if adequate follow-up is possible, antiviral agents as well as corticosteroids are indicated in HBV-related PAN.

Metastatic uveal melanoma: diagnosis and treatment. A literature review.

In the past three decades many efforts were done to improve the visual prognosis of patients with uveal melanoma. However, mortality has remained unchanged. The systemic prognosis depends on the size and other characteristics of the lesion. It is not affected by the choice of local treatment. This suggests dissemination at an early stage. The failure to improve survival is caused by difficulties in early detection of metastases and the limited susceptibility of these metastases to systemic therapies.

Methicillin resistance of bacteria isolated from vitreous fluid from patients undergoing vitrectomy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the resistance patterns of bacteria in vitreous fluid from patients undergoing vitrectomy for diagnostic reasons, with bacteria of other nosocomial infections. METHODS: Vitreous fluid samples (n=144) were obtained from 133 patients undergoing vitrectomy for endophthalmitis, and 11 for uveitis as suspected endophthalmitis. They were Gram stained and cultured. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were run on all isolates. RESULTS: Gram stains were positive in 45/144 cases (31%), among which 38/45 (84%) were confirmed by a positive culture. Cultures were positive in 74/144 patients (51%) with mainly coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 44) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 13). In 133 patients endophthalmitis occurred after lens implantation (80 cases) and in 53 cases there was another origin (e.g. corneal transplantation, endogenous). In 26/80 post-lens implantation infections, culture remained negative; 32 infections occurred with coagulase-negative staphylococci, 10 with Staphylococcus aureus, 9 with streptococci and 3 with gram-negative bacteria. For endophthalmitis, ophthalmologists in our institution give an intraocular injection of vanccmycin and ceftazidim after vitrectomy. Among the 44 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci, 12 (27%) were resistant to methicillin. This is in contrast to other hospital-related coagulase-negative staphylococcus infections in general, and the resistance rate is 75% in our hospital. Only 2/13 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci from vitreous fluid are less resistant to methicillin than those isolated in other nosocomial infections.

Non-diabetic and non-oculotraumatic vitreous haemorrhage treated by pars plana vitrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Until the advent of pars plana vitrectomy, no efficient treatment for non-resorbing vitreous haemorrhage was at hand. Especially if the cause of the vitreous haemorrhage was not known, such as in most cases of non-diabetic and non-oculotraumatic vitreous haemorrhage, a lot of time often was lost by waiting for the resorption, because of the lack of any effective treatment modality. METHODS: All the cases (126) of non-diabetic and non-oculotraumatic vitreous haemorrhage treated with a pars plana vitrectomy for non-resorbing vitreous bleeding during a 15-year period were studied. Both the aetiology of the haemorrhage as well as the functional results have been tabulated. Except for the cases with a retinal detachment or a suspected retinal tear that were operated on immediately, 6 months were waited upon for spontaneous clearing. RESULTS: One third of these haemorrhages was due to vascular lesions (32.5%), one third to "rhegmatogenous" disordes [retinal tears with (25.5%) or without (8%) retinal detachment and one third to a group of various diseases (13.5%)]. In this last group Terson syndrome (5.5%), age-related macular degeneration (13.5%) and presumed posterior vitreous detachment (12%) were most numerous. Functional results mainly depend upon the underlying cause of the vitreous haemorrhage. Visual acuity ranged from 20/40-20/20 in 100% of cases of Terson syndrome and posterior vitreous detachment, 80% of retinal tears, 27% of vascular disorders and 25% of retinal detachments. Vision below 20/400 was obtained in 76% of age-related macular degenerations, 51% of vascular lesions, 50% of retinal detachments and 10% of retinal tears. CONCLUSION: Non-oculotraumatic and non-diabetic vitreous haemorrhages can be caused by a wide variety of diseases. If there is no tendency to spontaneous clearing a pars plana vitrectomy can be helpful by restoring visual function and by allowing treatment of the underlying disease in some cases. Most indications for vitrectomy are not urgent and one can wait for spontaneous clearing of the vitreous for about 6 months but with respect to retinal tears with or without retinal detachment no time should be lost. In these cases the vitrectomy should be done at once.

Drug-induced spongiform leucoencephalopathy, a case report with review of the literature.

A nineteen year-old girl developed rhabdomyolysis and central pyrexia after the ingestion of multiple drugs: amphetamines, benzodiazepines, methadone, ethanol, and cocaine. On admission, the patient was deeply comatose and during the hospitalisation asymmetrical spastic quadriparesis was noted. Brain biopsy was diagnostic of spongiform leucoencephalopathy. A review of the literature concerning drug-induced spongiform encephalopathy revealed a large amount of heroin-induced cases. The role of cocaine, however, is less well described. After prolonged hospitalisation, our patient improved clinically and radiologically and could be transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Ocular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a clinical study of nine cases.

BACKGROUND: Primary oculocerebral large cell malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, formerly called ocular reticulum cell sarcoma, runs a uniformly fatal course. Once the central nervous system (CNS) is involved, survival without treatment is very limited. Although treatment does not substantially improve the long term survival, it provides short term improvement in these patients. METHODS: The charts of all patients with ocular involvement of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma followed during the period 1984-93 were reviewed. The diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was made by different diagnostic approaches: CNS biopsy, anterior chamber tap, vitrectomy, haematology, and necropsy. RESULTS: Eight patients had oculocerebral large cell and one had small cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Five patients with pure ocular localisation had initially received steroid treatment for intermediate uveitis. First diagnosis was made on CNS biopsy in three, anterior chamber tap in one, vitreous aspirate in three, haematology in one, and necropsy in one case. CONCLUSION: Ocular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a difficult diagnosis. Vitrectomy allows cytological diagnosis in most but not all cases. When no treatment is given, patients survive for only a few weeks once the CNS is involved. Although the disease is eventually fatal, treatment by means of radiotherapy, steroid administration, and vitrectomy can allow these patients to lead a normal professional and social life during the years between recurrences.

Pars plana lensectomy in cases of cataract with juvenile chronic uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Classical cataract extraction in young patients with secondary cataract following juvenile chronic uveitis often is complicated by serious problems such as severe postoperative uveitis, hypotonia oculi and phthisis bulbi. Lensectomy with partial anterior vitrectomy might be a less inflammatory way of handling these cases. METHODS: Over a 15-year period we have treated 10 eyes of 9 young patients (age from 8 to 30 years) with secondary cataract after chronic uveitis by pars plana lensectomy with partial anterior vitrectomy. A classical two-port technique was used with incisions at 4 mm from the limbus. The follow-up period varied from 3 to 12 years with an average of 8 years. There were five patients with chronic iridocyclitis, two with Fuch's heterochromic irridocyclitis, one with sympathetic ophthalmia and one with idiopathic panuveitis. RESULTS: Seven eyes were corrected with contact lenses. During the entire follow-up period six had 20/20 visual acuity and one, 20/40. None of these patients reported tolerance problems with the contact lens. One patient has 20/20 visual acuity with spectacles. One patient who initially had 20/20 visual acuity with a contact lens developed retinal detachment 2 years after surgery, during pregnancy, and now has 20/40 vision after retinal surgery. She prefers not to wear the contact lens any longer because of diplopia. The visual acuity of one patient was no better than hand movement and his aphakia was never corrected. Complications included one vitreous haemorrhage necessitating a second vitrectomy, one retinal detachment during pregnancy and one retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. One patient with sympathetic ophthalmia has 20/20 vision after 9 years' follow-up but still needs systemic steroids and cyclosporine. CONCLUSION: Pars plana lensectomy, with anterior vitrectomy appears to be a relative safe way to treat secondary cataract in patients during the first 30 years of life.

Diagnostic vitrectomy and chronic uveitis.

BACKGROUND: From the introduction of vitrectomy, infectious endophthalmitis was one of the indications for this surgical technique. Vitrectomy was later found to be a valuable method in both diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of chronic uveitis. METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes of 25 patients were operated on with purely diagnostic intent. These were patients not responding, or no longer responding, to their cortisone treatment and for whom no etiology had been found previously. RESULTS: Vitrectomy itself yielded the diagnosis in nine eyes of eight patients. Three had unexpected infectious pathology (one bacterial, one mycotic, one viral), while five had tumoral pathology four with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and one with a metastasis of a malignant melanoma of the skin. In four other patients, typical fundus lesions were seen during the surgery, providing a clue to the etiology: three cases of retinal necrosis and one case of a pseudotumoral mass suggestive of Toxocara canis. Serologic tests confirmed three cases of herpes simplex infection and one of Toxocara canis. Apart from the fact that a diagnosis could be made in half of the patients, the diagnostic vitrectomy also had a favorable effect upon vision in half the cases. CONCLUSION: In cases of chronic uveitis where no etiology has been found, vitrectomy is able to provide a diagnosis in about one-third of eyes directly. During surgery a typical appearance of the fundus may reveal a supplementary diagnosis, resulting in an overall diagnosis in about half of the cases. Moreover, half of the patients will have improved vision after surgery.

Penetration of gentamicin and ofloxacin in human vitreous after systemic administration.

BACKGROUND: Data on the penetration of antibiotics into the aqueous humor in man and animals, as well as on the intravitreal penetration in animals, are numerous. Data on their intravitreal penetration in humans, however, are sparce. The intravitreal penetration of gentamicin was studied in different ocular pathologies to see whether these alter the vitreal pharmacodynamics. The intravitreal penetration of ofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, was determined to see whether levels sufficient to treat infectious endophthalmitis could be reached. METHODS: The intravitreal penetration of gentamicin and ofloxacin was studied in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for various ocular pathologies. Those with recent hemorrhages and those already receiving general antibiotic treatment were excluded. RESULTS: Gentamicin was found to penetrate the vitreous very poorly. No difference could be found between the various pathologies: trauma, diabetes, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, longstanding vitreous hemorrhage and macular pucker gave the same poor penetration. The ofloxacin levels were higher but did not reach the MIC90 levels of most organisms involved in bacterial endophthalmitis. CONCLUSION: The hemato-ocular barrier is more difficult to cross than originally thought. Different ocular pathologies do not alter the ocular barrier substantially. Ofloxacin alone does not seem to be sufficient for the treatment of established bacterial endophthalmitis.

Therapeutic pars plana vitrectomy for chronic uveitis: a retrospective study of the long-term results.

BACKGROUND: Pars plana vitrectomy has both diagnostic and therapeutic potential in chronic uveitis. In this paper the therapeutic value of vitrectomy is investigated. METHODS: This is a retrospective study on 25 eyes that underwent pars plana vitrectomy with therapeutic intent. Surgery was considered in patients with severe vitreous clouding or macular pucker and in those who responded poorly or not at all to conventional treatment for uveitis. The mean period of follow up was 4.5 years, varying from 2 to 12 years. RESULTS: Improved vision was observed in 56% of the eyes (14/25). Twenty-four percent of the eyes (6/25) had stable vision. Macular edema disappeared in 40% (10/25) of cases and persisted in 60% (15/25). Two of the nine eyes with persistent macular oedema progressed to a macular hole. Four of the six eyes with macular pucker suffered recurrence, one ended in phythisis, while the pucker was cured in only one patient. Twelve percent of the eyes (3/25) subsequently experienced a recrudescence of uveitis, making systemic treatment necessary. One patient presented, after vitrectomy, a traction retinal detachment with proliferating vitreoretinopathy. No complications or recurrences were seen in 44% of the eyes (11/25). CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy has a definite place in the treatment of chronic uveitis, both on the functional level, with improvement or stabilisation of visual acuity and on the therapeutic level, with possible reduction or cessation of systemic treatment.

Clinicopathologic correlation in a case of metastatic uveal tumor.

A clinicopathologic correlation is reported of an ocular metastasis from an unknown primary tumor. The tumor appeared initially confined to the choroid. The diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma was obtained by choroidal biopsy. The metastasis was uncontrollable with teleradiotherapy. Six months later the anterior segment also appeared infiltrated and the eye was enucleated.

Lung abscess due to nontyphoid Salmonella in an immunocompromised host. Case report with review of the literature.

Lung abscess due to nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS) with or without other intestinal or extra-intestinal involvement is very rare. A literature review (Medline search) revealed only 20 cases including ours with this extra-intestinal manifestation of Salmonella infection. The case of a 49-year-old, HIV-positive man from Zaire is reported. Diagnosis was established by direct transthoracal CT-guided puncture of the abscess, a hitherto not reported procedure in this setting. Treatment with oral ciprofloxacin resulted in clinical and radiographic improvement. Underlying immunodeficiency seems to play an important role, but the real pathophysiological mechanisms remain unsolved. It is particularly seen in HIV-positive patients with impaired cellular immunity since Salmonella is an intracellular pathogen whose eradication involves natural killer cells and antibody-induced cellular cytotoxicity. A possible explanation is that NT-Salmonella bacteraemia is much more frequent in AIDS-patients as compared to the general population. Salmonella bacteraemia can then spread to other tissues and organs such as the lungs, but why only the lungs are involved in some cases remains unclear. The characteristics of Salmonella lung abscess is discussed and the literature reviewed.

Choroidal biopsy in the diagnosis of a suspect intraocular lesions.

A thirty-eight year-old man, treated medically since 1985 for a chronic pancreatitis, showed a choroidal infiltrate in the superior mid periphery of the left fundus. A thorough systemic examination could not reveal an underlying cause. The differential diagnosis of the lesion included metastasis, intraocular lymphoma and sarcoidosis. Two months later the lesion had increased both on fundoscopy and echography and was accompanied by a serous macular detachment. A choroidal biopsy showed a moderately well differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma. The primary site could not be determined. The mucinous character is rather suggestive for a gastrointestinal origin. Gastro intestinal choroidal metastases, and more specifically the pancreatic ones, are however rare.

Treatment of postoperative endophthalmitis.

Despite many advances in microsurgery, asepsis, antibiotics and intraocular lenses, postoperative endophthalmitis continues to be responsible for the loss of many eyes. In a series of 153 cases of endophthalmitis with a positive culture, 115 occurred after ophthalmic surgery. Eyes appear to be more vulnerable to this complication after extracapsular lens extraction in particular. The analysis of the patients operated for cataract in our own department shows that the incidence of endophthalmitis is 3 times higher in the extracapsular group with lens implantation than in the group of intracapsular lens extraction without lens implantation. Quick diagnosis and prompt action are essential to successful treatment. The treatment consists of vitrectomy and has the following three purposes: (1) provision of a good specimen for direct bacteriological examination and culture; (2) removal of toxins and cells, and (3) creation of space for the injection of an antibiotic. The authors found highly divergent prognoses and bacteriological patterns for endophthalmitis following vitrectomy, bleb surgery and cataract. Similar bacteriological agents do not give rise to the same prognosis after different operations. The post-lens implantation group (88 cases) permitted a distinction to be made between intracapsular and extracapsular surgery. A statistically significantly higher percentage of infection by low-virulence organisms (e.g. Staphylococcus epidermidis) was seen after extracapsular surgery: 60% compared to 30%. The analysis shows that this difference in bacteriological spectrum is the sole explanation for the better functional results following extracapsular surgery.

Post-traumatic endophthalmitis.

In a group of 615 cases of perforating trauma, 25 cases (4%) of proven endophthalmitis were seen. The percentage of Bacillus infections was unusually high compared to other types of endophthalmitis (3.8% for the whole group, 31% for the group with intraocular foreign bodies). Bacillus cases have a very poor outcome and in fact the overall functional results in the post-traumatic endophthalmitis group were poorer than in other categories.

Filum terminale ependymoma revealed by acute cauda equina compression syndrome following intratumoral and spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient on oral anticoagulants.

A 65 year-old woman with a filum terminale ependymoma is reported, presenting with acute cauda equina compression syndrome due to intratumoural and subsequent spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) following therapy with oral anticoagulants. Few cases of spinal ependymoma have been reported with an acute cauda equina compression syndrome as the initial and only symptom, and the unique feature of our patient's anticoagulant status has only been described once in this setting. Although intratumoural hemorrhage is very well known since the myxopapillary variant is unique to the cauda equina and consists of loose connective tissue and numerous small blood vessels that are prone to bleeding, spinal SAH is seldom seen and the different hypotheses about the pathophysiological mechanisms that might promote bleeding still remain unresolved and will be discussed in this paper, as well as the special clinical features of spinal SAH and some diagnostic and therapeutic implications. A review of the literature (Medline search 1983-1993) revealed only 13 cases, including ours, of spinal SAH due to cauda equina ependymoma, and the results of this review together with our findings are described in this paper.

A massive, near-fatal cocaine intoxication in a body-stuffer. Case report and review of the literature.

The last decade an increase has been seen in drug smuggling. Body-packing and body-stuffing are the terms used for intracorporeal concealment of illicit drugs (mainly cocaine and heroine, but sometimes also amphetamines and cannabinoids). These body-packets are especially prone to rupture. In order to avoid systemic cocaine toxicity, which can involve nearly every organ and therefore nearly every subspecialty of medicine urgent diagnosis is necessary. Obtaining a detailed history remains crucial. Further clues to diagnosis are given by the urinary drug concentrations and the benzoylecgonine/cocaine ratio in urine. Plain abdominal films, CT and contrast studies of the bowel can be helpful in identifying the package but are of limited value. In addition to activated charcoal, polyethylene glycol-electrolyte lavage solution, enteral feeding and laxatives (not paraffin) can be used to eliminate the body-package by enhancing bowel transit. Alkalinisation of gastric fluids enhances hydrolysis to cocaine's major inactive metabolite benzoylecgonine. If the package fails to progress through the gut or if mechanical obstruction occurs surgical removal is indicated. In no way endoscopic removal of the package should be attempted. Systemic symptoms should be treated by blocking the sympathetic overreactivity; this can be done with diazepam (Valium), labetalol (Trandate) or esmolol. Flumazenil (Anexate), lidocaine (Xylocaine) and pure beta-blockers like propranolol (Inderal) are to be avoided.

Endophthalmitis after lens extraction.

This article describes most features of endophthalmitis after lens extraction: symptomatology, differential diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention. Literature findings are compared to the author's proper extensive experience with endophthalmitis. Cultures have been positive in 153 cases. A hundred and fifteen of them were seen after previous ocular surgery. Amongst these cases 104 were seen after cataract surgery.