Chieh-Chih Tsai

Preseptal and Orbital Cellulitis: A 10-Year Review of Hospitalized Patients

Background: Preseptal and orbital cellulitis range in severity from minor to potentially severe complications. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical features of patients with preseptal or orbital cellulitis in one medical center in Taiwan, and to assess the effectiveness of treatments and the complications. Methods: Patients admitted between 1996 and 2005 to Taipei Veterans General Hospital under the diagnosis of preseptal or orbital cellulitis were retrospectively reviewed. The demographics, administrative history, past history, clinical presentations, treatments, and complications were analyzed. Results: In total, 94 patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for preseptal or orbital cellulitis were identified (67 had pre‐septal cellulitis, 27 had orbital cellulitis). While paranasal sinus disease was the most common predisposing cause in orbital cases, skin lesions in children and dacryocystitis in adults were the most common in preseptal cases. Microbiologic investigations showed variable results, but the most common pathogen isolated was Staphylococcus aureus. Cultures from eye swabs and local abscesses gave the highest positive yield. Blood cultures were taken in some patients, but the positive rate was extremely low. Treatments included intravenous antibiotics alone, or intravenous antibiotics combined with surgical drainage. Only one case had permanent ocular motility impairment after removal of the orbital foreign body. Conclusion: Despite the past history of potential morbidity and even mortality from orbital cellulitis, early diagnosis and prompt treatment with proper antibiotics and/or surgical intervention can achieve a good prognosis.

Clinical characteristics and factors associated the outcome of lacrimal canaliculitis.

Purpose:  To analyze the clinical and microbiological characteristics and factors associated with the outcome of lacrimal canaliculitis.

Adjunctive Orbital Radiotherapy for Ocular Adnexal IgG4-related Disease: Preliminary Experience in Patients Refractory or Intolerant to Corticosteroid Therapy

Abstract Purpose: To present the clinical outcomes of combined orbital radiotherapy and systemic corticosteroid for patients with refractory ocular adnexal IgG4-related disease. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 3 patients with histopathologically confirmed ocular adnexal IgG4-related disease who had been refractory or intolerant to corticosteroid therapy and treated with adjunctive orbital radiotherapy (2000 cGy; 10 fractions). Clinical improvement was assessed by monitoring the patients ability to taper corticosteroid to discontinuation and by follow-up radiologic examination. Results: All 3 patients had a favorable response to adjunctive radiotherapy with improvement of the clinical symptoms and radiologic abnormalities. Systemic corticosteroid was tapered and discontinued in all patients successfully. There were no adverse effects of treatment or recurrence after a mean follow-up of 19 months. Conclusion: Adjunctive radiotherapy can help to achieve stable disease and cessation of systemic corticosteroid in patients with refractory ocular adnexal IgG4-related disease.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the inferior orbit without evidence of lacrimal gland involvement.

A 60-year-old woman sought treatment for right orbital fullness and intermittent headache. CT revealed an inferior orbital mass along the inferior rectus muscle. Incisional biopsy revealed an adenoid cystic carcinoma. Orbital exenteration followed by concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy was performed. The lacrimal gland was uninvolved by tumor microscopically. Although rare, adenoid cystic carcinoma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of an orbital tumor, because the unusual location of an orbital adenoid cystic carcinoma may make its early detection difficult.

Clinical features, microbiological profiles and treatment outcome of lacrimal plug-related canaliculitis compared with those of primary canaliculitis

Aims To compare the clinical features and treatment outcome between lacrimal plug-related canaliculitis and primary canaliculitis. Methods Patients with plug-related canaliculitis and primary canaliculitis between 2007 and 2014 in a medical centre were collected. Charts were reviewed for clinical features, microbiological profiles, time lapse between plug insertion and symptom onset, type of plug and outcomes. Results Of 76 eligible cases collected, 13 were plug-related canaliculitis and 63 were primary canaliculitis. The most common presenting symptom was discharge in both groups (85% and 79%, respectively). The average time interval from plug insertion to symptoms onset was 5.5 years. Most canaliculitis developed in women, especially for plug-related canaliculitis, when compared with primary canaliculitis (100% vs 65.1%; p=0.015). The most common isolated microorganism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa in plug-related canaliculitis (46%) and Streptococcus in primary canaliculitis (28%), respectively. Isolation of Pseudomonas was significantly higher in plug-related canaliculitis than in primary canaliculitis (46% vs 12%; p=0.029). Most plug-related canaliculitis resolved after removal of plugs by canaliculotomy (12 cases, 93%). Most identified plug was SmartPlug (seven cases), followed by EaglePlug (two cases) and Herrick Lacrimal Plug (two cases). There was no recurrence in patients with plug-related canaliculitis, however, recurrence developed in seven patients (11%) with primary canaliculitis. Conclusions In comparison with primary canaliculitis, plug-related canaliculitis appear to be more prevalent in women and show a different microbiological profile. Retrieval of infected plug by canaliculotomy and adequate antibiotics can achieve a good outcome. Long-term follow-up is required because canaliculitis may develop several years after plug insertion.

Comparison of the Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Benign and Malignant Eyelid Tumors: An Analysis of 4521 Eyelid Tumors in a Tertiary Medical Center

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features and outcome of benign and malignant eyelid tumors from 1995 to 2015 in a tertiary medical center. Among 4,521 histologically confirmed eyelid tumors, 4,294 (95.0%) were benign tumors and 227 (5.0%) were malignant tumors. The mean age at diagnosis was significantly higher in patients with malignant lid tumors than those with benign lid tumors (72.5 and 55.4 years, resp., p < 0.001). The most common benign eyelid tumors were intradermal nevus (21.1%), followed by seborrheic keratosis (12.6%) and xanthelasma (11.2%). The most common malignant eyelid tumors were basal cell carcinomas (57.8%), followed by sebaceous gland carcinomas (21.1%) and squamous cell carcinomas (10.1%). There was a relative male predominance (63.4% and 49.2%, resp., p < 0.001) and higher recurrence rate (11.9% and 4.4%, resp., p < 0.001) in malignant lid tumors as compared with those of benign lid tumors. Twenty-two patients (9.7%) received orbital exenteration/enucleation. Eight patients (3.5%) with malignant lid tumors died of disease. Patients with eyelid melanoma were associated with a high mortality rate (25.0%). It is important to differentiate between benign and malignant eyelid tumors, because they may cause cosmetic disfigurement and severe morbidity, especially in those with malignant eyelid tumors.

Needle decompression in a patient with vision-threatening orbital emphysema

Orbital emphysema is a condition resulting from trapping of air in loose subcutaneous or orbital tissues from the paranasal sinuses. This condition commonly seen in patients with a history of periorbital trauma or surgery, especially following sneezing or nose blowing. It usually has a benign and self-limited course. However, the entrapped orbital air can cause a substantial increase in pressure with restricted ocular motility or vascular compromise and become severe enough to cause visual impairment. We herein present the case of a patient who developed severe orbital emphysema after blunt trauma followed by sneezing and was successfully treated with needle decompression of intraorbital air. Emergency needle decompression resulted in an improvement in vision and intraocular pressure.

Lacrimal Gland Pleomorphic Adenoma Masquerading as Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy is the most common cause of proptosis in adult female, especially those with positive thyroid antibody. Sometimes, other diagnoses should be considered. A 45-year-old female presented with progressive right proptosis and mild diplopia for 2 years. One year earlier, she had been diagnosed with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy because of abnormal thyroid autoantibody. Computed tomography scan showed a 2.4- × 1.9- × 1.6-mm heterogeneous soft-tissue density lying above the left eye. Excisional biopsy of this mass revealed the histopathologic diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma. This case highlights the need for including other diagnoses such as pleomorphic adenoma in the differential diagnosis of patients with proptosis, diplopia and abnormal thyroid antibody.

Mortality from uveal melanoma treated by enucleation --a 16-year survey in Taiwan.

doi: 10.1111/aos.12168 Editor, U veal melanoma has a predilection for subjects with light complexion. Its crude annual incidence was 0.6 per million in Taiwan in 2006 (Department of Health, Republic of China 2009). This is one-tenth of the 5.5–6.0 per million rate cited for white non-Hispanic populations but twice the 0.2–0.3 per million rate cited for Asian populations in general (Kivelä 2009). There were 34 patients diagnosed as uveal melanoma in the study hospital between 1990 and 2005. Among them, 26 patients (76%) were treated by enucleation and were enrolled in the present study. Their mean age at diagnosis was 50 years (SD 3.1), a decade less than is reported for Caucasians (Eskelin & Kivela 2002). Africans and Asian Indians are also reported to be younger at diagnosis than Caucasians (Biswas et al. 2002). The median follow-up time was 39.5 months (range, 2–176). No one was lost to follow-up. The median of tumour largest diameter and height was 12.0 mm (range, 5–26) and 7.7 mm (range, 4– 24). Three patients (12%) were diagnosed as having ciliary body melanoma. Twelve of the 26 patients (46%) developed metastasis at a median of 18.5 and 16.6 months (range, 0–168 for both) after diagnosis and enucleation, respectively. Three

Conjunctival papilloma: Clinical features, outcome, and factors related to recurrence

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical features, treatment, and outcome of patients with conjunctival papilloma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients (22 eyes) with biopsy-proven conjunctival papilloma between January 2005 and January 2015 in a tertiary medical center were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical profiles, treatment, outcome, and factors related to recurrence were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 16 males (73%) and 6 females (27%), with a mean age of 47 years. The most common location of conjunctival papilloma was the caruncle (43%), followed by palpebral conjunctiva (29%), bulbar conjunctiva (14%), and fornix (14%). Recurrence developed in five patients (22.7%). The risk of postoperative recurrence was significantly related to the presence of bulbar conjunctival papilloma with corneal involvement (P = 0.043) and surgical excision alone (P = 0.039). One case with multiple recurrences developed nonkeratinizing carcinoma. Two young females developed conjunctival papilloma even after receiving human papillomavirus vaccinations. CONCLUSION: The recurrence of conjunctival papilloma is not uncommon, especially for those patients underwent surgical excision alone. Surgical excision with adjunctive therapy and long-term follow-up is rational for the treatment of conjunctival papilloma.