Misleading Presentation of Unilateral Phthiriasis Palpebrarum in a 2-Year-Old Boy.

A 2-year-old boy with recently treated head lice presented with worsening right eyelid pruritus, irritation, and bleeding that was presumed to be a reinfection of head lice. Clinical examination revealed ectoparasites along the superior eyelid margin that were later identified as Phthirus pubis, or pubic lice. Treatment and management strategies are discussed. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2023;60(5):e55-e58.].

Deep Learning for Localized Detection of Optic Disc Hemorrhages.

PURPOSE: To develop an automated deep learning system for detecting the presence and location of disc hemorrhages in optic disc photographs. DESIGN: Development and testing of a deep learning algorithm. METHODS: Optic disc photos (597 images with at least 1 disc hemorrhage and 1075 images without any disc hemorrhage from 1562 eyes) from 5 institutions were classified by expert graders based on the presence or absence of disc hemorrhage. The images were split into training (n = 1340), validation (n = 167), and test (n = 165) datasets. Two state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms based on either object-level detection or image-level classification were trained on the dataset. These models were compared to one another and against 2 independent glaucoma specialists. We evaluated model performance by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). AUCs were compared with the Hanley-McNeil method. RESULTS: The object detection model achieved an AUC of 0.936 (95% CI = 0.857-0.964) across all held-out images (n = 165 photographs), which was significantly superior to the image classification model (AUC = 0.845, 95% CI = 0.740-0.912; P = .006). At an operating point selected for high specificity, the model achieved a specificity of 94.3% and a sensitivity of 70.0%, which was statistically indistinguishable from an expert clinician (P = .7). At an operating point selected for high sensitivity, the model achieves a sensitivity of 96.7% and a specificity of 73.3%. CONCLUSIONS: An autonomous object detection model is superior to an image classification model for detecting disc hemorrhages, and performed comparably to 2 clinicians.

Widefield Fundus Fluorescein Angiography Features of Uveitis Associated with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the wide-field fundus fluorescein angiography (WFA) characteristics of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA-uveitis). METHODS: Retrospective review of records. WFA with Spectralis (Heidelberg) of JIA-uveitis patients were analyzed using the scoring system by Angiography Scoring for Uveitis Nomenclature. RESULTS: Thirty-seven eyes of 20 patients were studied. A total score of at least 1 was noted in 27 eyes (72.97%). WFA features included optic disc hyperfluorescence (51.35%), macular leakage (27.03%), retinal vascular staining/leakage at posterior pole (27.03%) and peripheral retina (64.86%), capillary leakage at the posterior pole (37.84%), and peripheral retina (59.46%). A decision to change the management plan was made in 8 of 9 patients with bilateral quiet anterior chambers after WFA results. CONCLUSION: More than 70% of JIA-uveitis eyes showed some WFA-evidence of posterior segment inflammation, which changed the course of therapy for a major proportion of patients with no clinically active anterior chamber inflammation.

Treatment of Noninfectious Retinal Vasculitis Using Subcutaneous Repository Corticotropin Injection.

PURPOSE: To show whether subcutaneous repository corticotropin injection (RCI, Acthar® Gel, a repository corticotropin injection, can be an effective potential therapeutic agent for noninfectious retinal vasculitis. METHODS: Patients with active retinal vasculitis were followed with serial ultra-wide-field fluorescein angiograms and treated with 80 units of subcutaneous repository corticotropin injection twice weekly. RESULTS: Primary outcome of ≥ 50% improvement in response level (RL) for retinal vasculitis and percent improvement in retinal vasculitis severity scoring (RVSS) by more than one quartile ( ≥ 25%) at week 12 was met in 15 and 16 of the 30 total eyes, respectively, including 1 eye with severe retinal vasculitis in each group. Complete resolution of retinal vasculitis was seen in seven eyes with a mean time of 17.1 weeks. Intraocular pressure elevation requiring therapy and cataract progression were noted in two and three eyes, respectively. One patient stopped medication due to side effects (injection site reaction). CONCLUSION: Repository corticotropin injection was well-tolerated overall. Repository corticotropin injection may be an effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of noninfectious retinal vasculitis.

ACUTE MYOCARDITIS WITH CARDIOGENIC SHOCK AND MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE, FOLLOWED BY BILATERAL PANUVEITIS MASQUERADING AS ENDOGENOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS, DUE TO TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT.

PURPOSE: To report a case of systemic and ocular toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient, who developed myocarditis with resulting cardiogenic shock and multiple organ failure, followed by bilateral panuveitis masquerading as endogenous endophthalmitis. METHODS: Single case report with images. RESULTS: A 59-year-old man with a history of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and associated scleromyxedema but otherwise immunocompetent was admitted to the intensive care unit for cardiogenic shock and multiple organ failure due to presumed viral myocarditis. After hospital discharge, ophthalmic examination revealed what seemed to be endogenous fungal endophthalmitis in both eyes. The ocular inflammation failed to improve on local and systemic antifungal therapies. After repeated testing and vitrectomy, the causative organism responsible for his intraocular inflammation remained elusive. The patient was then found to have significantly elevated serum titers of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM, followed by an appearance of a focal retinochoroidal lesion more typical of ocular toxoplasmosis. Systemic anti-Toxoplasma therapy led to resolution of intraocular inflammation, and the patient had since fully recovered from the myocarditis and its multiple comorbidities. Of note, myocardial biopsy and polymerase chain reaction testing of aqueous and vitreous fluids were all negative for Toxoplasma. CONCLUSION: Even in an immunocompetent patient, Toxoplasma can result in myocarditis with significant morbidities and even death, and its ocular manifestation may be quite different from the classic focal retinochoroiditis. In addition, polymerase chain reaction analysis of ocular fluids can be unreliable in an immunocompetent host, and thus treatment decision should be guided by clinical history and examination findings.

Uveitis in Patients Treated with CTLA-4 and PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade Inhibition.

Purpose: To investigate the link between treatment with CTLA-4 and PD-1 checkpoint blockade inhibitors and the development of noninfectious uveitis.Methods: A survey was distributed to uveitis specialists to identify patients who developed uveitis while receiving either PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab; PD-L1 inhibitors atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab; or the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab.Results: Fifteen patients from seven institutions were identified. The most common cancer diagnosis (13/15) was malignant melanoma. Fourteen patients had a new uveitis diagnosis following checkpoint blockade administration (six anterior uveitis, six panuveitis, one posterior uveitis, one anterior/intermediate combined); one patient developed optic neuritis. Uveitis was diagnosed within 6 months after drug initiation for 11/12 patients (median 63 days). Corticosteroid treatment was effective for most patients, although two patients had permanent loss of vision.Conclusions: Patients on checkpoint inhibitor therapy should be educated to seek care if they develop ocular symptoms, and prompt referral to specialists should be incorporated into oncology protocols.

Paracentesis following intravitreal drug injections in maintaining physiologic ocular perfusion pressure.

A retrospective analysis was performed of patients who received a paracentesis immediately following an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab or triamcinolone acetonide. These patients were previously diagnosed as having glaucoma, ocular hypertension, or had responded previously with sustained elevated intraocular pressure. Of 1661 procedures were performed. Totally 219 (13%) of the injections were on phakic patients. A median (SD) of 210 µL (40 µL) of aqueous was removed during each paracentesis. There were no reported incidences of any complications. We propose performing a paracentesis immediately following intravitreal injections for patients at risk for ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and retinal vein or artery occlusion.