Marc Schargus

Vitreous microRNA levels as diagnostic biomarkers for vitreoretinal lymphoma

To the editor: Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) is often associated with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and is a rare high-grade diffuse large-cell B-cell lymphoma occurring within the vitreous and/or retina.[1][1][⇓][2]-[3][3] Overlapping clinical signs observed in PVRL

Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery Without OVD: A Prospective Intraindividual Comparison

PURPOSE To compare femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery without the use of ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) with standard phacoemulsification using OVD. METHODS This was a prospective, randomized, single-center trial of 37 patients (74 eyes) diagnosed as having significant cataract in both eyes. Randomly, one eye underwent standard phacoemulsification with OVD (the OVD group); this group acted as controls. The other eye was treated with the femtosecond laser; the subsequent manual part of the procedure was performed without OVD (non-OVD group). Time of surgery, amount of fluid used during phacoemulsification, central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, endothelial cell count, and visual acuity were documented over the 6-month follow-up. RESULTS There were no major complications and no significant difference in overall surgery time (non-OVD: 375 ± 81 seconds; OVD: 362 ± 43 seconds; P = .713) and in the quantity of fluid passing through the eye (non-OVD: 187 ± 35 mL; OVD: 186 ± 27 mL; P = .952) between groups. Endothelial cell loss after 6 months was not significantly different between groups (non-OVD: -2.4%; OVD: -2.7%; P = .880). Central corneal thickness was not different at 1 week postoperatively between groups (non-OVD: 575 ± 45 µm; OVD: 573 ± 46 µm; P = .820). Three patients in the OVD group and one patient in the non-OVD group experienced intraocular pressure greater than 25 mm Hg at 1 day postoperatively. There were no significant differences in corrected distance visual acuity between groups (logMAR non-OVD: 0.024; OVD: 0.038; P = .461). CONCLUSIONS Femtosecond laser-assisted treatment allows the cataract surgeon to perform phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation without the use of OVD at no additional risk to the corneal endothelium. Furthermore, there was a tendency toward fewer increases in intraocular pressure in patients treated with the femtosecond laser.

Unusual masquerade of an ocular carcinoma metastasis

BACKGROUND Idiopathic and therapy resistant uveitis especially of unclear origin, is a diagnostic challenge for ophthalmologists. Metastases to the anterior chamber or vitreous body can occasionally mimic the clinical picture of uveitis, a variant on the usual lymphomatous masquerade syndrome. The underlying pathological pathways leading to the metastatic spread of tumor cells within the fluid compartments of the eye remain unclear. CASE REPORT We present an unusual case of vitreous metastases to the right eye of a patient in whom an underlying primary malignancy was unknown. After recurrent episodes of cortisone-refractive panuveitis with pseudohypopyon, a diagnostic vitreous biopsy was performed. Cytopathological examination of the vitreous sample revealed carcinoma cells with an immune profile suggestive of lung cancer metastasis. Subsequent staging investigations revealed a primary lung adenocarcinoma as well as cerebral, adrenal and osseous metastases. THERAPY Due to the extent of dissemination of this non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only palliative treatment including external beam irradiation and systemic chemotherapy was possible to reduce pain and to maintain vision as well as an attempt at systemic control of the disease.ZusammenfassungHintergrundEine therapieresistente Uveitis, gerade mit unklarer Genese, stellt eine diagnostische Herausforderung für den Augenarzt dar. Eine Karzinommetastasierung in die Vorderkammer oder den Glaskörper als Ursache darf in diesem Zusammenhang als absolute Rarität angesehen werden. Die Pathologie der Tumorstreuung, die zu einem solchen Masquerade-Syndrom führt, ist bis heute weitestgehend unbekannt.FallberichtIn dem hier vorgestellten, ungewöhnlichen Fall einer Glaskörpermetastase am rechten Auge kam es zur Diagnosestellung eines bislang nicht bekannten, aber weit fortgeschrittenen, metastasierten Bronchialkarzinoms. Nach wiederholt auftretendem Bild einer massiven Panuveitis mit eindrucksvollem Pseudohypopyon, trotz intensiver Kortisontherapie, stellte sich der Verdacht auf ein intraokulares Malignom. Die zytopathologische Untersuchung einer Glaskörperprobe sicherte die Diagnose einer vitrealen Bronchialkarzinommetastase. Anschließende Staginguntersuchungen fanden ein nichtkleinzelliges Adenokarzinom als Primarius in der Lunge. Des Weiteren bestanden multiple zerebrale, adrenale und ossäre Metastasen.BehandlungAufgrund des metastasierten nichtkleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinoms (NSCLC) war einzig eine palliative Bestrahlung der Metastasengebiete und systemische Chemotherapie zur Schmerzsymptomatikreduktion am Auge sowie der Versuch einer systemischen Erkrankungskontrolle möglich.AbstractBackgroundIdiopathic and therapy resistant uveitis especially of unclear origin, is a diagnostic challenge for ophthalmologists. Metastases to the anterior chamber or vitreous body can occasionally mimic the clinical picture of uveitis, a variant on the usual lymphomatous masquerade syndrome. The underlying pathological pathways leading to the metastatic spread of tumor cells within the fluid compartments of the eye remain unclear.Case reportWe present an unusual case of vitreous metastases to the right eye of a patient in whom an underlying primary malignancy was unknown. After recurrent episodes of cortisone-refractive panuveitis with pseudohypopyon, a diagnostic vitreous biopsy was performed. Cytopathological examination of the vitreous sample revealed carcinoma cells with an immune profile suggestive of lung cancer metastasis. Subsequent staging investigations revealed a primary lung adenocarcinoma as well as cerebral, adrenal and osseous metastases.TherapyDue to the extent of dissemination of this non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only palliative treatment including external beam irradiation and systemic chemotherapy was possible to reduce pain and to maintain vision as well as an attempt at systemic control of the disease.

The Top 100 Papers of 25 Years of Macular Imaging Using Optical Coherence Tomography

ABSTRACT We analyzed and quantified the 100 most frequently cited papers in macular imaging using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The databases of the Institute for Scientific Information databases utilized for identification of articles in macular imaging using OCT over the last 25 years since the introduction of OCT in ophthalmology. All articles containing “optical coherence tomography” and “retina” without “glaucoma”. The publication dates of the 100 most-cited articles ranged from 1991 to 2015, with the greatest number of articles published in the 2000s, while the total number of citations per article was greatest for articles published in the 1990s. Most studies were conducted in the U.S. and represented Level-IV clinical outcome studies indicating that also small case series or cohort studies could gain attention. The top 5 senior authors contributed to 39 of the 100 selected publications and accrued a total of 66.0% of all citations of those articles.

Sunflower shadow in the central field of vision

Editor, R etinal haemorrhages in different sizes and shapes can occur at all positions and layers of the retina resulting from bleedings from retinal or choroidal vessels. Main reasons for haemorrhages are diabetic retinal changes, choroidal neovascularization due to macular degeneration, arterial hypertension and different types of occlusive and proliferational vessel diseases of the retina. We hereby report a rare case of a mainly intraretinal haemorrhage within the Henle fibre layer. A 58-year-old man presented to the outpatient departmentwitha sudden loss of central vision with the description of a central black shadowmimic a sunflower. Visual acuity (VA) in the emmetropic eye was reduced to 20/400, at the last presentation 4 years ago, macular drusen were described. Fundus examination revealed a sunflower-shaped intraretinal macular haemorrhage with a small central breakthrough haemorrhage. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) examination showed hyperreflective material between outer plexiform and outer nuclear layer confirming the haemorrhage position within the Henle fibre layer (Fig. 1A,B, C). Macular haemorrhage in a case of wet age-related macular degeneration was diagnosed. Starting immediate intravitreal anti-Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment, final VA after 6 months was 20/100 with the development of a centralmacular scaring (Fig. 1D). Henle’s fibre layer (HFL) is formed by the bundles of unmyelinated cone and rod photoreceptor axons in the macula. These axons terminate in the pedicles and spherules that synapse in the retinal outer plexiform layer (Yuodelis & Hendrickson 1986). As a result of the foveal pit development these fibres are intermingled with M€ uller cell processes and are obliquely oriented. The axons of the HFL contain long, cylindrical structures called microtubules. The length of these axons was measured histological to an average of 558 lm, suggesting that axons from the centre of the fovea might be longer in vivo (Drasdo et al. 2007).

Evaluation of Predictive Factors for Successful Intravitreal Dexamethasone in Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema

Purpose To determine the efficacy, safety, and predictive outcome factors for intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEX) in pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME). Methods Retrospective, interventional, controlled study. Patients included had to have clinically significant PCME and have been treated with the DEX between 2012 and 2015. Charts and one-year data were selected consecutively, and efficacy and safety were abstracted. Visual acuity (VA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) were analysed. Results Nineteen patient data sets were analysed. After treatment with DEX, mean VA increased significantly by 0.2 logMAR (p = 0.034), while the mean CFT was reduced significantly by 162.79 μm (p < 0.001). Five patients receiving a combination of DEX/bevacizumab have not experienced a higher mean VA gain or CFT reduction compared to fourteen patients receiving DEX alone. Decision rules, when to combine DEX with bevacizumab, have not been defined before the study. Only posttreatment VA gains in the nonhypertensive subgroup (n = 11) were significantly better (p = 0.026). Analysis of data from diabetes patients (n = 4) versus nondiabetics yielded no significant differences in efficacy. There have been no adverse events within follow-up time. Conclusion The use of DEX in PCME showed significant improvements in VA and CFT. The VA seems to show greater improvements in patients without hypertension.

Untypische Masquerade einer okulären Karzinommetastase@@@Unusual masquerade of an ocular carcinoma metastasis

BACKGROUND Idiopathic and therapy resistant uveitis especially of unclear origin, is a diagnostic challenge for ophthalmologists. Metastases to the anterior chamber or vitreous body can occasionally mimic the clinical picture of uveitis, a variant on the usual lymphomatous masquerade syndrome. The underlying pathological pathways leading to the metastatic spread of tumor cells within the fluid compartments of the eye remain unclear. CASE REPORT We present an unusual case of vitreous metastases to the right eye of a patient in whom an underlying primary malignancy was unknown. After recurrent episodes of cortisone-refractive panuveitis with pseudohypopyon, a diagnostic vitreous biopsy was performed. Cytopathological examination of the vitreous sample revealed carcinoma cells with an immune profile suggestive of lung cancer metastasis. Subsequent staging investigations revealed a primary lung adenocarcinoma as well as cerebral, adrenal and osseous metastases. THERAPY Due to the extent of dissemination of this non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only palliative treatment including external beam irradiation and systemic chemotherapy was possible to reduce pain and to maintain vision as well as an attempt at systemic control of the disease.ZusammenfassungHintergrundEine therapieresistente Uveitis, gerade mit unklarer Genese, stellt eine diagnostische Herausforderung für den Augenarzt dar. Eine Karzinommetastasierung in die Vorderkammer oder den Glaskörper als Ursache darf in diesem Zusammenhang als absolute Rarität angesehen werden. Die Pathologie der Tumorstreuung, die zu einem solchen Masquerade-Syndrom führt, ist bis heute weitestgehend unbekannt.FallberichtIn dem hier vorgestellten, ungewöhnlichen Fall einer Glaskörpermetastase am rechten Auge kam es zur Diagnosestellung eines bislang nicht bekannten, aber weit fortgeschrittenen, metastasierten Bronchialkarzinoms. Nach wiederholt auftretendem Bild einer massiven Panuveitis mit eindrucksvollem Pseudohypopyon, trotz intensiver Kortisontherapie, stellte sich der Verdacht auf ein intraokulares Malignom. Die zytopathologische Untersuchung einer Glaskörperprobe sicherte die Diagnose einer vitrealen Bronchialkarzinommetastase. Anschließende Staginguntersuchungen fanden ein nichtkleinzelliges Adenokarzinom als Primarius in der Lunge. Des Weiteren bestanden multiple zerebrale, adrenale und ossäre Metastasen.BehandlungAufgrund des metastasierten nichtkleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinoms (NSCLC) war einzig eine palliative Bestrahlung der Metastasengebiete und systemische Chemotherapie zur Schmerzsymptomatikreduktion am Auge sowie der Versuch einer systemischen Erkrankungskontrolle möglich.AbstractBackgroundIdiopathic and therapy resistant uveitis especially of unclear origin, is a diagnostic challenge for ophthalmologists. Metastases to the anterior chamber or vitreous body can occasionally mimic the clinical picture of uveitis, a variant on the usual lymphomatous masquerade syndrome. The underlying pathological pathways leading to the metastatic spread of tumor cells within the fluid compartments of the eye remain unclear.Case reportWe present an unusual case of vitreous metastases to the right eye of a patient in whom an underlying primary malignancy was unknown. After recurrent episodes of cortisone-refractive panuveitis with pseudohypopyon, a diagnostic vitreous biopsy was performed. Cytopathological examination of the vitreous sample revealed carcinoma cells with an immune profile suggestive of lung cancer metastasis. Subsequent staging investigations revealed a primary lung adenocarcinoma as well as cerebral, adrenal and osseous metastases.TherapyDue to the extent of dissemination of this non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only palliative treatment including external beam irradiation and systemic chemotherapy was possible to reduce pain and to maintain vision as well as an attempt at systemic control of the disease.