Felicia D. Allard

Current techniques in surgical correction of congenital ptosis

Ptosis refers to vertical narrowing of the palpebral fissure secondary to drooping of the upper eyelid to a lower than normal position. Ptosis is considered congenital if present at birth or if it is diagnosed within the first year of life. Correction of congenital ptosis is one of the most difficult challenges ophthalmologists face. Multiple surgical procedures are available including, frontalis sling, levator advancement, Whitnall sling, frontalis muscle flap, and Mullerectomy. Selection of one technique over another depends on the consideration of several factors including the surgeon experience, the degree of ptosis in the patient, as well as the degree of levator muscle function. Current recommendations for the correction of congential ptosis vary based on clinical presentation. Advantages and disadvantages of each of these procedures are presented with recommendations to avoid complications.

Lower Eyelid Involutional Entropion Repair with Lateral Tarsal Strip and Infraciliary Rotation Sutures: Surgical Technique and Outcomes

Abstract Purpose: To describe a novel technique for the surgical repair of involution entropion of the lower eyelid and to evaluate its effectiveness in a series of patients. Methods: This retrospective interventional case series includes patients who underwent entropion repair via lateral tarsal strip with infraciliary rotation sutures during a 5-year period by one surgeon. Demographic data was collected and incidence of recurrence was determined. Results: Forty-four eyelids of 36 patients with involutional entropion underwent surgical repair via lateral tarsal strip plus infraciliary rotation sutures. All patients had successful repair of entropion with no recurrences recorded on follow-up, which ranged from 1 to 67 months. Conclusions: Lateral tarsal strip combined with infraciliary rotation sutures is a successful method for the repair of involution entropion of the lower eyelid.

Lower eyelid involutional ectropion repair with lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment with full-thickness eyelid sutures.

Purpose: To report a novel surgical technique for lower eyelid involutional ectropion repair using a lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment procedure involving full-thickness eyelid sutures. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent repair of involutional ectropion via lateral tarsal strip and internal retractor reattachment with full-thickness eyelid sutures by 1 surgeon. Patients having concomitant or previous eyelid surgical procedures were excluded. Collected data included patient demographics, surgical outcomes, and length of follow up. Results: Forty-one lower eyelids of 31 patients with involutional ectropion underwent surgical repair. There were 17 men and 14 women in the age range of 69 to 92 years (mean age 82.2 ± 5.9 years). Surgical sites included 22 right and 19 left lower eyelids. Follow up ranged from 1 to 48 months with an average of 5.9 months. Surgical success with anatomical correction of involutional ectropion was achieved in 39 of 41 eyelids (95.1%). There were no perioperative or postoperative complications. Two of 41 (4.9%) eyelids had recurrence of ectropion 7 and 18 months after the procedure. Conclusions: This procedure combining lateral tarsal strip with internal retractor reattachment involving full-thickness eyelid sutures effectively addresses horizontal eyelid laxity and tarsal instability, providing an effective technique to correct involutional ectropion of the lower eyelid.

MR Enterography of the Ileoanal Pouch: Descriptive Radiologic Analysis With Endoscopic and Pathologic Correlation

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the MR enterography (MRE) appearance of inflammation of the ileoanal pouch after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery and to correlate it with pouch endoscopic and histopathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS All MRE studies performed between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2013, for patients who had previously undergone IPAA (n = 54) were retrieved. After review of medical records, the patients who underwent MRE, pouch endoscopy, and biopsy within 90 days (14 men, 14 women; mean age, 42.2 years; range, 24-67 years) were selected for inclusion in the study. Two blinded MRI radiologists in consensus retrospectively evaluated MRE studies for multiple MRI features. Two MRI scores were then calculated: an active and a composite inflammation score. A gastroenterologist retrospectively reviewed the pouch endoscopic images, and a pathologist reviewed the slides; both of these investigators were blinded. Both MRI scores were correlated with the pouch endoscopic and histopathologic findings. RESULTS The composite MRI score had strong positive correlation with the endoscopic score (r = 0.61; p = 0.0005) but weak positive correlation with the histopathologic score (r = 0.31; p = 0.10, not statistically significant). The active inflammation MRI score had moderate positive correlation with the endoscopic score (r = 0.57; p = 0.0017) and weak positive correlation with the histopathologic score (r = 0.20; p = 0.31, not statistically significant). An MRI score ≥ 4 indicated the best results, with sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 79%, positive predictive value of 80%, negative predictive value of 85%, and accuracy of 82% for pouch inflammation. A positive likelihood ratio of 4.00 and negative likelihood ratio of 0.18 were obtained. CONCLUSION In patients who have undergone IPAA surgery, the MRE findings strongly correlate with the pouch endoscopic findings with high sensitivity and positive predictive value for pouch inflammation. Therefore, MRE is a useful noninvasive test performed without ionizing radiation that can be used to evaluate patients with clinical symptoms and possibly alleviate the need for endoscopy in a select patient population.

The use of CP-EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma in a patient With Maffucci syndrome.

We report a case of a 52-year-old white woman with Maffucci syndrome, a rare skeletal disorder characterized by multiple cartilage-forming tumors (enchondromas). She was referred for evaluation of an enlarging pulmonary nodule. Her positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan revealed a low-density, tubular lesion in the superior segment of the left lower lobe of the lung. She underwent a convex-probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) that confirmed metastatic chondrosarcoma. Although CP-EBUS-TBNA has become an established tool for diagnosing and staging of non-small cell lung cancer, analysis of samples from rare tumors such as sarcomas by cytology alone is often inadequate and histologic confirmation using more invasive procedures is often required. Interestingly in our case, the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma was established from the cytology specimen obtained with a 21-G needle without the need for further tissue sampling. Moreover, the location of the lesion was the superior segment of the left lower lobe, an area typically not accessible by CP-EBUS, due to the size of the airway. Considering together, the successful diagnosis of a rare tumor such as sarcomas by CP-EBUS-TBNA modality indicates the growing importance of this minimally invasive technology.

Dacryocystitis Secondary to Intranasal Cocaine Abuse: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract Purpose: To report a case of dacryocystitis secondary to intranasal cocaine abuse and to review the literature on the effects of cocaine on sinus, nasal and lacrimal structures. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 33-year-old male presented with unilateral epiphora and discharge, and clinical examination was consistent with dacryocystitis. He had a 2-year history of intranasal cocaine use. Computed tomography revealed extensive bilateral intranasal and sinus destruction, consistent with cocaine abuse. He was treated with antibiotics followed by dacryocystorhinostomy with silicone intubation. He had 2 recurrences of dacryocystitis and underwent one additional lacrimal surgery. Conclusions: Cocaine abuse and its accompanying intranasal and sinus destruction should be considered when determining the etiology of nasolacrimal obstruction and dacryocystitis. A medical and social history with specific questions about drug abuse may be useful. Computed tomography is helpful in delineating damage to the sinuses, nose and lacrimal system. Management with antibiotics and dacryocystorhinostomy surgery may result in resolution of symptoms.

Subtle presentation of active primary biliary cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B: a case report

Abstract We are describing an interesting case of two chronic liver diseases in a 48-year-old Chinese woman. While chronic hepatitis B is a common entity in Asia, the patient was later found to have active, asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis due to a persistently elevated alkaline phosphatase level after optimal hepatitis B virus DNA suppression on antiviral therapy. This report emphasizes the importance of keeping a high index of suspicion for another potential liver disease process even after a patient has been successfully treated for a primary liver condition. Clinical vigilance, especially in atypical clinical presentations, can result in early accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.

External dacryocystorhinostomy outcomes in patients with a history of dacryocystitis.

PURPOSE To investigate nonidiopathic causes of external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) failure. METHODS The medical records of all patients with acute or chronic dacryocystitis who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy performed by the senior author over a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed, with attention to microbiology, pathology, and associated medical and history. RESULTS A total of 52 lacrimal systems of 49 patients were included, with a minimum follow-up of 2 months (average, 15.5 months). Surgical success was achieved in 42 systems (87%). Of 7 failures, 6 had a condition potentially associated with an increased risk of failure, including MRSA infection, Gram-negative infection, rhinosinusitis, lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, and early loss of lacrimal stents. CONCLUSIONS External DCR is a successful procedure for the treatment of nasolacrimal obstruction associated with dacryocystitis. Various factors may affect surgical success, and awareness of these factors may enable better patient counseling and surgical planning.

Ciliated pancreatic foregut cyst: MRI, EUS, and cytologic features

Ciliated foregut cysts are extremely uncommon pancreatic cystic lesions, with-to the best of our knowledge-only five cases previously reported in the English literature. We report herein on a case of a ciliated foregut cyst of the pancreas connected with the duct of Wirsung. The magnetic resonance imaging, endoultrasonographic, and cytologic features are described and a brief review of literature is also presented.

ZIP4 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression by Repressing ZO-1 and claudin-1 through a ZEB1-Dependent Transcriptional Mechanism.

Purpose: ZIP4 is overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer and promotes tumor growth. However, little is known about the role of ZIP4 in advanced stages of this dismal neoplasm. Our goal is to study the underlying mechanism and define a novel signaling pathway controlled by ZIP4-modulating pancreatic tumor metastasis. Experimental Design: The expression of ZIP4, ZO-1, claudin-1, and ZEB1 in human pancreatic cancer tissues, genetically engineered mouse model, xenograft tumor model, and pancreatic cancer cell lines were examined, and the correlations between ZIP4 and those markers were also analyzed. Functional analysis of ZO-1, claudin-1, and ZEB1 was investigated in pancreatic cancer cell lines and orthotopic xenografts. Results: Genetic inactivation of ZIP4 inhibited migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer and increased the expression of ZO-1 and claudin-1. Conversely, overexpression of ZIP4 promoted migration and invasion and increased the expression of ZEB1 and downregulation of the aforementioned epithelial genes. ZIP4 downregulation of ZO-1 and claudin-1 requires the transcriptional repressor ZEB1. Further analysis demonstrated that ZIP4-mediated repression of ZO-1 and claudin-1 leads to upregulation of their targets FAK and Paxillin. Silencing of ZIP4 caused reduced phosphorylation of FAK and Paxillin, which was rescued by simultaneous blocking of ZO-1 or claudin-1. Clinically, we demonstrated that ZIP4 positively correlates with the levels of ZEB1 and inversely associates with the expression of ZO-1 and claudin-1. Conclusions: These findings suggest a novel pathway activated by ZIP4-controlling pancreatic cancer invasiveness and metastasis, which could serve as a new therapeutic target for this devastating disease. Clin Cancer Res; 24(13); 3186–96. ©2018 AACR.