R. Belfort

Ocular toxoplasmosis: an update and review of the literature

Ocular toxoplasmosis is the most common cause of posterior uveitis worldwide. The infection can be acquired congenitally or postnatally and ocular lesions may present during or years after the acute infection occur. Current treatment controls ocular infection and inflammation, but does not prevent recurrences. We present a review and update on ocular toxoplasmosis and address misconceptions still found in the current medical literature.

Effects of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection with and without preservative

Aims: To evaluate the effects of intravitreal injection of preservative-free triamcinolone acetonide (PFTA) and TA containing preservative (KE). Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 646 intravitreal 4 mg/0.1 ml steroid injections in 471 eyes. A total of 577 intravitreal injections of PFTA and 69 injections of KE were administered in non-randomised eyes. No supernatant removal from KE was performed. Non-infectious endophthalmitis was defined as pseudohypopyon/hypopyon with or without an inflammatory reaction that regressed after steroid eye drop instillation. Ocular hypertension was defined as more than 23 mm Hg with Goldman applanation tonometry. Patients were followed and examined 1, 7 and 28 days, and 3, 4, 6 and 12 months after injection and annually thereafter. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact test and &KHgr;2 test. p Values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: Both groups did not differ in demographics (p>0.05). Follow-up ranged from 6 to 57 months (mean 13, SD 7.5). Ocular hypertension was present in 127 eyes (20%), but both groups did not differ significantly (p = 0.167). Four eyes (3.15%) required trabeculectomy. Non-infectious endophthalmitis developed in 12 eyes (1.9%) and varied significantly in both groups (p = 0.005). One eye developed bacterial endophthalmitis (0.15%). Conclusions: Non-infectious endophthalmitis was observed significantly more often after KE injections (7.3%) than after PFTA injections (1.2%) (p<0.05). An inflammatory reaction was more clinically relevant in the KE group than in the PFTA group.

Fundus autofluorescence of choroidal nevus and melanoma

Background: To describe autofluorescence patterns of choroidal melanocytic lesions using the Heidelberg Retinal Angiograph 2 system (HRA2). Methods: 20 patients with choroidal melanocytic lesions in the ocular fundus underwent ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, autofluorescence and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Pathologic examination was performed on one enucleated eye with a large choroidal melanoma. Results: 15 patients had choroidal nevi and 5 had malignant choroidal melanoma (1 small, 1 medium and 3 large tumours). Choroidal nevi did not show any characteristic autofluorescence pattern, although secondary retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) changes, such as drusen and pigment epithelium detachment, appeared faintly hyperautofluorescent in 2 patients. Only the small malignant choroidal melanomas had prominent orange pigmentation, although all melanomas had an intense confluent hyperautofluorescent signal over the lesions. Pathology of one large malignant melanoma revealed lipofuscin underlying RPE. Conclusion: Most nevi did not have characteristic hyperautofluorescent features, but choroidal melanomas seemed to have a pattern of confluent hyperautofluorescence. Therefore, autofluorescence may be a useful non-invasive tool to assess lipofuscin in pigmented choroidal lesions, which may contribute to the diagnosis of malignancy. This hypothesis, however, remains to be confirmed in large prospective studies.

Bilateral retinochoroiditis caused by an atypical strain of Toxoplasma gondii

Background: A 53-year-old man presented with an acute bilateral posterior uveitis with extensive necrotising retinochoroiditis but without chorioretinal scarring. A thorough workup did not reveal any underlying disease. The possibilities of atypical ocular toxoplasmosis as well as herpetic retinal necrosis were considered and specific therapy instituted, with little improvement. The patient died within 2 months as result of an undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry and multilocus polymerase chain reaction confirmed Toxoplasma gondii infection of the retina Results: Macroscopic examination of enucleated globe showed extensive retinal necrosis and vitreous detachment. Histological examination of retinal tissue identified numerous round-to-elliptical toxoplasmic cysts within the retina, with retinal necrosis and minimal choroidal inflammation. Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that the cysts were due to T gondii. DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections was subjected to multilocus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis at the following typing loci: SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, SAG4, B1, NTS2, GRA6 and GRA7. DNA sequencing of positive PCR products at the NTS2, SAG1 and GRA7 loci confirmed the presence of a non-archetypal strain of T gondii infecting the eye of the patient experiencing a severe, atypical ocular toxoplasmosis Conclusion: A highly divergent, non-archetypal strain of T gondii was responsible for causing a severe, atypical bilateral retinochoroiditis in a patient from Brazil.

p38α MAP Kinase Controls IL-17 Synthesis in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome and Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis

PURPOSE. Interleukin (IL)-17, which is responsible for the initial influx of leukocytes into the target tissue, was recently described as the main cytokine involved in autoimmune diseases. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is a significant cause of noninfectious blindness in the world. Herein the authors aimed at unraveling the involvement of IL-17 in VKH and in experimental autoimmune uveitis, focusing on the signaling pathways involved in IL-17 synthesis. METHODS. Mice were immunized with 161-180 peptide and pertussis toxin. Draining lymph node cells, harvested 21 days after immunization, were cultured in the presence or absence of p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor (SB203580) and assayed for cytokine production and quantification of CD4(+)IL-17(+) cells. Mice received intraocular injections of SB203580, and disease severity was evaluated by histologic examination of the enucleated eyes at day 21. CD4(+) lymphocytes from MSK-1/2-deficient mice, human CD4(+) cells silenced with MSK1 siRNA, or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from VKH patients were cultured in the presence or absence of p38alpha MAPK inhibitor and then assayed for IL-17, IFN-gamma, and IL-4 production. RESULTS. The inhibition of p38alpha MAPK fully blocked the synthesis of IL-17 by PBMCs from VKH patients and lymphocytes from EAU mice. The absence of the msk1/2 gene resulted in failure to produce IL-17 by murine and human lymphocytes. Interestingly, intraocular injections of SB203580 in EAU mice did not suppress development of the disease. CONCLUSIONS. These data show that p38alpha MAPK-MSK1/2 is involved in the control of IL-17 synthesis by CD4(+) T cells and that inhibition of p38alpha MAPK in vitro suppresses IL-17 synthesis but that inhibition of this kinase in vivo did not protect from EAU.

Vision-related functioning outcomes of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in noninfectious intermediate or posterior uveitis.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of a single treatment with dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DEX implant) on patient-reported visual functioning in patients with noninfectious intermediate or posterior uveitis. METHODS Patient eyes with noninfectious intermediate or posterior uveitis were randomized to a single treatment with DEX implant 0.70 mg (n=77), DEX implant 0.35 mg (n=76), or a sham procedure (n=76) and followed for 26 weeks. Vision-related functioning was measured using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) assessed at baseline and at weeks 8, 16, and 26 or early exit. Analysis of covariance and mixed model analysis of covariance were used to compare vision-related functioning between the DEX implant 0.70 and 0.35 mg groups and the sham group. RESULTS By 8 weeks, the DEX implant 0.70 mg group demonstrated significant improvements in NEI VFQ-25 subscales near vision (P=0.031), distance vision (P=0.023), peripheral vision (P=0.045), vision-specific social functioning (P=0.019), and the NEI VFQ-25 composite score (P=0.007) compared with sham. After 26 weeks, the DEX implant 0.70 mg group reported significant improvements in NEI VFQ-25 subscales distance vision (P=0.003), vision-specific role difficulties (P=0.038), vision-specific dependency (P=0.017), vision-specific social functioning (P=0.009), vision-specific mental health (P=0.036), and the composite score (P=0.001) compared with sham. CONCLUSIONS In patients with noninfectious intermediate or posterior uveitis receiving a single treatment of DEX implant 0.70 mg, significant and clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported visual functioning were observed as early as week 8 and were maintained over 26 weeks. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00333814.).

Restoration of retinal morphology and residual scarring after photocoagulation

Purpose:  To study healing of retinal laser lesions in patients undergoing PRP using SD‐OCT.

Paracoccidioidomycosis with palpebral and conjunctival involvement

A case of paracoccidioidomycosis with ocular involvement is studied. Brazilian literature is reviewed. The scarcity of human ocular mycosis is commented on. The most frequent clinic aspects of ocular lesions in natural mycosis are described.ResumoUm caso de paracoccidioidomicose pulmonar e linfática seguido de comprometimento conjuntivo-palpebral é estudado, em São Paulo.A literatura nacional é revista. As lesões oculares, mais frequentemente verificadas, na paracoccidioidomicose natural são descritas, minuciosamente. O pequeno número de casos humanos com comprometimento ocular é discutido.A severidade e a frequencia das lesões oculares em animais inoculados intracardiacamente, com cultivos de P. brasiliensis sugerem disseminação hematogênica ocular da paracoccidioidomicose humana.

Aspectos psicossociais do paciente com ceratocone

INTRODUCTION: Keratoconus is a progressive and non-inflammatory ectasia of the cornea, mostly bilateral causing low vision because of the irregular astigmatism. The influence of the disease on quality of life is dependent on limiting factors and personality type. PURPOSE: To verify quality of life and personality type of the person with keratoconus. METHODS: Sixty-eight individuals with keratoconus and 52 without the ocular disease were studied. The following data were collected: personal demographic data, keratoconus measurements and specific questions, complete ophthalmologic examination, measurement of quality of life and personality type using standardized instruments. RESULTS: Both groups were demographically similar and comparable. SF-36 and MIPS differed between keratoconus and control patients. SF-36 scores showed that the keratoconus group had lower scores regarding the physical component (353.0 ± 58.2 x 379.1 ± 52.9) (p=0.005) as well as the mental component (326.3 ± 89.9 x 364.2 ± 66.4) (p=0.004), mainly functional capacity (86.3 ± 9.7 x 92.6 ± 9.7) (p<0.0001) and general health (76.8 ± 16.9 x 83.5 ± 16.5) (p=0.014). MIPS scores showed that patients with keratoconus were significantly more pain avoiding (p=0.007) presented more, imaginative intuition (p=0.004), asocial withdrawal (p=0.014) and anxious hesitation (p=0.010) than the control group. CONCLUSION: The results showed psychosocial impairment in the keratoconus group. Keratoconus influenced the quality of life expressed by the SF-36. MIPS showed keratoconus patients to be more pain avoiding, with more imaginative intuition, asocial withdrawal and anxious hesitation than the control group.

Microbiota fúngica conjuntival: estudo comparativo entre pacientes com AIDS, pacientes infectados pelo HIV e pacientes HIV-negativos antes da era do HAART

Samples from the ocular conjunctiva of 23 patients with AIDS, 24 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 48 immunocompetent individuals were taken during the months of February, April, July and October. During the year an increase in fungi of the conjunctiva of the AIDS patients, followed by patients infected with HIV and a smaller percentage in healtly people was observed. The most frequently isolated fungus was Penicillium sp followed by Aspergillus sp, Candida sp and Rhodotorula sp.