Buprenorphine-Naloxone in the Setting of Kratom Withdrawal, Opioid Use Disorder, and Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Management of cancer-associated pain warrants consideration of many factors, including characterization and etiology of the pain, socioeconomic factors, medication tolerance, and substance use history. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an herbal substance with stimulant and analgesic properties that is becoming a popular drug in the United States. In this report, we present a patient with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) who had been using high doses of kratom to alleviate progressive chest pain and dyspnea secondary to newly diagnosed stage IV lung adenocarcinoma. He underwent kratom withdrawal shortly after his index admission and was reluctant to continue full opioid agonists given his history of OUD and complex living situation. His kratom withdrawal and cancer-associated symptoms were successfully managed with buprenorphine-naloxone. Providers should obtain a careful history of novel substance use such as kratom. Furthermore, buprenorphine-naloxone is a safe and effective option to simultaneously manage kratom withdrawal and cancer-associated pain.

Pediatric Sympathetic Ophthalmia: 20 Years of Data From a Tertiary Eye Center in India.

PURPOSE: To examine the clinical profile of sympathetic ophthalmia among the pediatric age group. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients 18 years and younger with sympathetic ophthalmia seen in a tertiary eye care center between 1997 and 2017. RESULTS: Of 20 patients included in the study, 70% were male. The most common inciting event for sympathetic ophthalmia was trauma (85%), followed by vitreoretinal surgery (15%). All patients were treated with systemic steroids. Seventeen patients received additional corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents, and 4 patients (20%) required more than one immunosuppressive agent. Azathioprine was the most commonly used corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agent. The most common complications were cataract (50%) and ocular hypertension (30%). The mean presenting best corrected visual acuity in the sympathizing eye was 1.15 ± 0.99 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which improved to 0.54 ± 1.00 logMAR following treatment. Visual outcome was good (6/12 or better) in 70% of the sympathizing eyes, and 3 of the exciting eyes in the current study had good visual outcomes after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Prompt and effective management with corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapy in children with sympathetic ophthalmia allows favorable control of the disease and retention of good visual acuity. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2020;57(3):154-158.].