Spectrum of mutations and genotype-phenotype analysis in Noonan syndrome patients with RIT1 mutations.

RASopathies are autosomal dominant disorders caused by mutations in more than 10 known genes that regulate the RAS/MAPK pathway. Noonan syndrome (NS) is a RASopathy characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and congenital heart defects. We have recently identified mutations in RIT1 in patients with NS. To delineate the clinical manifestations in RIT1 mutation-positive patients, we further performed a RIT1 analysis in RASopathy patients and identified 7 RIT1 mutations, including two novel mutations, p.A77S and p.A77T, in 14 of 186 patients. Perinatal abnormalities, including nuchal translucency, fetal hydrops, pleural effusion, or chylothorax and congenital heart defects, are observed in all RIT1 mutation-positive patients. Luciferase assays in NIH 3T3 cells demonstrated that the newly identified RIT1 mutants, including p.A77S and p.A77T, and the previously identified p.F82V, p.T83P, p.Y89H, and p.M90I, enhanced Elk1 transactivation. Genotype-phenotype correlation analyses of previously reported NS patients harboring RIT1, PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1, and KRAS revealed that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (56 %) was more frequent in patients harboring a RIT1 mutation than in patients harboring PTPN11 (9 %) and SOS1 mutations (10 %). The rates of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were similar between patients harboring RIT1 mutations and patients harboring RAF1 mutations (75 %). Short stature (52 %) was less prevalent in patients harboring RIT1 mutations than in patients harboring PTPN11 (71 %) and RAF1 (83 %) mutations. These results delineate the clinical manifestations of RIT1 mutation-positive NS patients: high frequencies of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, atrial septal defects, and pulmonary stenosis; and lower frequencies of ptosis and short stature.

Intraocular pressure changes at different gaze positions after superior rectus muscle-lateral rectus muscle loop myopexy in highly myopic strabismus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) at different gaze positions before and after superior rectus muscle-lateral rectus muscle (SR-LR) loop myopexy in highly myopic strabismus (HMS). STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized clinical, prospective, interventional trial. METHODS: Fourteen patients with HMS (18 eyes) who underwent SR-LR loop myopexy were divided into 3 groups: < 100 prism diopters (PD) (mild esotropia [ET] group), > 100 PD (large ET group), and > 100 PD, and simultaneous recession of the medial rectus (MR) muscle was performed (large ET + MR group). Intraocular pressure was measured preoperatively and postoperatively at the primary, abduction, and adduction positions in each group. RESULTS: Intraocular pressure did not change after surgery in the mild ET group. Intraocular pressure significantly decreased in the abduction position (from 20.0 ± 2.1 to 16.0 ± 1.9 mmHg, P = 0.043) in the large ET group and in the abduction (from 22.2 ± 5.9 to 15.6 ± 4.3 mmHg, P = 0.048) and primary positions (from 15.8 ± 5.0 to 10.2 ± 2.8 mmHg, P = 0.043) in the large ET + MR group. The preoperative significant differences in IOP between the abduction and adduction positions in the large ET group (7.4 ± 3.4 mmHg) and the large ET + MR group (10.0 ± 5.5 mmHg) disappeared postoperatively (3.2 ± 2.8 mmHg and 3.6 ± 1.7 mmHg, respectively). The differences in IOP between abduction and adduction were similar in all the groups. CONCLUSION: SR-LR loop myopexy decreased IOP in patients with HMS in the abduction and primary positions.

Clinical presentations of acquired comitant esotropia in 5-35 years old Japanese and digital device usage: a multicenter registry data analysis study.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical presentations of acquired comitant esotropia and digital device use in children, adolescents, and young adults without neurological problems. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective observational study. METHODS: Patients with acquired comitant esotropia, without intracranial diseases aged 5-35 years at the time of visit, who were seen at pre-registered facilities within 1 year of onset were enrolled. The duration from the onset of symptoms and the time of digital device usage approximately 1 month before onset and their lifestyles were surveyed. Visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, and strabismus angles were measured. Data were analyzed in three age groups (Child: 5-12 years, Adolescent: 13-18 years, and Young adult: 19-35 years). RESULTS: Between November 2019 and December 2021, 218 patients were enrolled from 55 facilities, and 194 patients (including 62 children, 69 adolescents, and 63 young adults) were analyzed. The child group spent the least amount of time using digital devices (children: 159; adolescents: 210; young adults: 267 min/work day, p < 0.05; (mean time in the same order below) 229, 338, 314 min/holiday, p < 0.05) and had the largest strabismus angle (mean strabismus angle at near: 30, 22, 18 PD, p < 0.01; at far: 28, 26, 21 PD, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical features of acquired comitant esotropia and hand-held digital device usage differed between children aged ≤ 12 years and older patients. This report gives the current clinical characteristics of young patients with acquired esotropia and digital device usage.

Risk factors for hyperglycemia in extremely low birth weight infants during the first 14 days.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data regarding the risk factors for hyperglycemia in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs). The aim of this observational study was to investigate the incidence of hyperglycemia among ELBWIs during the first 14 days of life and identify independent risk factors for hyperglycemia development. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 55 ELBWIs (32 male infants) between January 2015 and March 2020. Hyperglycemia was diagnosed when the glucose level was ≥180 mg/dL. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the patients' medical records. The risk factors associated with the onset of hyperglycemia were identified by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with variables that had previously been identified as risk factors for hyperglycemia. RESULTS: Hyperglycemia developed in 23 patients (41.8%) within the first 14 days of life. Gestational age, chorioamnionitis, postnatal intravenous glucocorticoids, and probiotic type were included in the analysis. The results indicated that hyperglycemia was significantly associated with gestational age (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.87; P = 0.004). Further, Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve M-16V) use was related to hyperglycemia in ELBWIs (HR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.10-7.87; P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia was strongly associated with lower gestational age and B. breve M-16V use in our study population. Although probiotic supplementation may be beneficial for preterm infants to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, the dextrin used as an excipient in B. breve M-16V may lead to an undesirable carbohydrate load in ELBWIs.

Intraocular pressure at different gaze positions in patients with highly myopic strabismus.

PURPOSE: To evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) at different gaze positions in patients with highly myopic strabismus (HMS). STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized, prospective, observational study. METHODS: This study included 18 eyes of 14 patients with HMS and 51 eyes of 51 age-matched controls without strabismus; these were further divided into two groups based on refractive errors: > -6.00 diopter (D) (n = 22 eyes) and ≤ -6.00 D (n = 29 eyes). IOP was measured in primary and side gazes and compared within and among groups. The relationships between IOPs and axial length, angle of globe dislocation measured on magnetic resonance imaging, strabismus angle, and degree of abduction deficit were studied. RESULTS: The HMS group showed higher IOP in abduction (19.3 ± 4.9 mmHg) than in the primary (12.5 ± 4.3 mmHg) and adducting positions (13.0 ± 3.3 mmHg), (p < 0.001). The IOP in the adducting position in the HMS group (13.0 ± 3.3 mmHg) was lower than in the control groups both with (17.6 ± 3.5 mmHg) and without (16.9 ± 4.1 mmHg) high myopia, ; (p < 0.001 and = 0.003). The difference in IOP between abduction and adduction was significantly larger in the HMS group (6.4 ± 4.6 mmHg) compared to others (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with the strabismus angle and the angle of globe dislocation and negatively with abduction deficit. CONCLUSION: The IOP of patients with HMS changes dramatically on side gazes, therefore, care should be taken while measuring IOP.

Experience with enteral sulfonylurea monotherapy for extremely low birth weight infants with hyperglycemia.

Limited data are available on the effects of enteral sulfonylurea (SU) monotherapy in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs) with hyperglycemia. Therefore, we report our experience with enteral SU monotherapy for hyperglycemic ELBWIs. We retrospectively evaluated 11 hyperglycemic ELBWIs (seven male infants, median gestational age = 24.9 wk) who received SU between January 2016 and December 2019. Blood glucose (BG) levels were monitored before and after SU initiation and evaluated for the occurrence of adverse effects. We administered SU at a median of 15 d (interquartile range [IQR]: 12-20 d) after birth, with the median maximum dose of 0.2 mg/kg/d (IQR: 0.125-0.3 mg/kg/d). Hyperglycemia improved in all patients, and the target BG levels were achieved without severe side effects at a median of 6 d (IQR: 4-8.5 d) after initiation of treatment. The incidence of hypoglycemia during SU treatment was observed in 18 events per 1000 patient hours; however, the patients were asymptomatic. Based on these results, enteral SU monotherapy may be considered as an option for hyperglycemic ELBWIs.

Effectiveness of the Spot Vision Screener in screening 3-year-old children with potential amblyopia in Japan.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of conventional screening and of the Spot™ Vision Screener (SVS)-based screening in detecting potential cases of amblyopia during the Visual examination in Three-Year-Old Health Screening Program (VTYOS), that need to be referred for comprehensive examination. STUDY DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study METHODS: This study introduced the SVS-based test to the VTYOS (which includes primary, secondary, and comprehensive examinations) of Sagae, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Children aged 3 years 6 months scheduled to undergo the secondary examination were subjected to both the SVS-based (evaluation of refractive error and eye alignment) and conventional screening test (questionnaire and visual acuity evaluation). Success rates, proportion of children who needed a comprehensive examination, rates of actual comprehensive examinations, and positive predictive value were determined and compared between conventional screening and SVS-based screening. RESULTS: There were 294 participants; the rate of success of SVS-based screening (99.7%) was higher than conventional screening (89.5%, p < 0.01). The proportion of participants found to need a comprehensive examination according to SVS-based findings (7.5%) was lower than that according to conventional screening-based findings (23.5%, p < 0.01). The positive predictive value of the SVS-based screening test (75.0%) was higher than that of the conventional screening test (31.6%, p < 0.01). SVS-based screening detected 2 cases of amblyopia in 225 cases that passed conventional screening. CONCLUSION: The VTYOS should ideally add SVS-based screening to conventional screening.

Metastatic Orbital Tumor From Breast Ductal Carcinoma With Neuroendocrine Differentiation Initially Presenting as Ocular Symptoms: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Orbital metastases from cancers of various organs can arise via the hematogenous route, and many originate from breast, prostate, and lung cancers. Such metastatic orbital tumors may be diagnosed before the primary tumor. We have encountered a case of breast ductal carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation that metastasized to the orbit and responded to chemotherapy, with improvement in visual function. Case Presentation: A woman in her fifties visited our ophthalmology department with a chief complaint of foreign body sensation and exophthalmos in her right eye. An elastic soft mass was palpated from the lateral orbit to the temporal region. A systemic examination revealed breast cancer and a metastatic orbital tumor. Excisional biopsy of the breast revealed a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, and immunohistochemical examination was negative for cytokeratin 7, making the case unusual. Chemotherapy was remarkably effective, and the tumor size decreased, resulting in improvement of visual function. Her general condition and quality of life are still good at present. We searched the PubMed English language literature focusing on metastatic orbital tumors from breast cancer in which ocular symptoms had been the initial presenting sign. No previous reports have documented neuroendocrine differentiation or cytokeratin 7 expression in isolated orbital metastases from breast cancer. Although it is not possible to be certain from this case alone, we speculated that some such cases might involve cytokeratin 7-negative invasive breast cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation. Conclusion: We have described our experience of a very rare case of cytokeratin 7 negative breast ductal carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation that metastasized to the orbit and formed a solitary giant tumor initially manifesting as ocular symptoms.

Total retinal detachment and contractile movement of the disc in eyes with morning glory syndrome.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to report clinical characteristics, intraoperative findings, and surgical outcomes of 2 eyes of 2 patients with retinal detachment (RD) associated with morning glory syndrome (MGS) and contractile movement of the disc. OBSERVATIONS: Case 1 was a 3-year-old Japanese boy who presented with congenital microphthalmos in the left eye. The presence of total RD with MGS and contractile movement of the disc was confirmed by ophthalmoscopic examination. During vitrectomy, migration of perfluorocarbon liquid into the subretinal space was observed, suggesting a communication between the vitreous cavity and the subretinal space. Here, the retina was reattached briefly after the surgery; however, it detached again 2 months after surgery. Case 2 was a 3-month-old Japanese girl who was referred to our hospital for evaluation of RD and MGS in her left eye. Partial RD, MGS, and contractile movement of the disc were confirmed by ophthalmoscopic examination. The RD remained unchanged up to 18 months from the first visit, but atresia of the pupil was found 21 months after the first visit. Severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy and contractile movement of the disc were found after lensectomy. It was impossible to completely remove the membrane despite meticulous effort of peeling it off. At the 15-month follow-up, the retinal configuration improved but remained detached. CONCLUSION AND IMPORTANCE: Total RD with contractile movement of the disc associated with MGS is a rare condition that seems difficult to treat.

Biallelic mutations of EGFR in a compound heterozygous state cause ectodermal dysplasia with severe skin defects and gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a receptor that recognizes epidermal growth factor, is a very important regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation. To date, three cases of severe ectodermal dysplasia were reported to be caused by an inherited germline homozygous loss-of-function missense mutation of EGFR. This is the first report of a patient with biallelic compound heterozygous mutations in EGFR.

Intraocular pressure decreases after muscle union surgery for highly myopic strabismus.

PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship between changes in the intraocular pressure (IOP) and dislocation angle in highly myopic strabismus patients who had undergone muscle union surgery. METHODS: Medical data were examined of eight eyes of seven consecutive patients with highly myopic strabismus, who had some limitation in abduction, received muscle union surgery and undergone pre- and postoperative IOP evaluation with a noncontact tonometer, and were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, 15 eyes of 15 patients with comitant horizontal strabismus who underwent unilateral recess-resect procedure as well as pre- and postoperative IOP evaluation were also included. The correlation between IOP changes after strabismus surgery and the dislocation angle of the globe was analyzed. RESULTS: The IOP was significantly reduced in the highly myopic strabismus group (-5.6 mmHg) but not in the fellow eye or in comitant horizontal strabismus patients. The decrease in IOP after surgery was significantly correlated with the preoperative dislocation angle of the globe (r = -0.725, p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: IOP is often higher in highly myopic strabismus patients than perceived, and it may indicate abnormal anatomy of the orbit rather than glaucoma. In that case, muscle union surgery can improve eye position and normalizes the IOP.

"Pleats fold" technique of amniotic membrane transplantation for management of corneal perforations.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and surgical success rates of amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation performed for corneal perforation closure using a novel technique. METHODS: This study included 6 eyes from 6 patients with corneal perforation who had received AM transplantation between May 2011 and April 2012. The AM was collected from human placenta shortly after cesarean section. In surgery, the AM was folded into pleats and used to plug the wound using 10-0 nylon suture. The wound was then covered with an AM seal. After reepithelialization and AM scarring, sutures were removed. RESULTS: All 6 patients had successful wound closure with 1 surgery. One patient underwent optical keratoplasty later, and 1 patient required combined preserved sclera transplantation. The absolute value of astigmatism decreased to <3.50 diopters (D) 3 months after surgery and to <3.00 D 6 months after surgery in patients with peripheral AM transplants. The visual acuity gradually improved over the first 3 months after surgery, and visual acuity gains were maintained at the 6-month postoperative mark. CONCLUSIONS: The AM transplantation procedure may be an effective option for treating corneal perforations when the wound is circular or irregular, except for incised wounds. Our "Pleats Fold" AM transplantation technique can achieve definite closure and effectively repair wounds of various sizes. Postoperative astigmatic values were acceptable. Therefore, we recommend this procedure for repairing lesions <3 mm in diameter that do not involve the central cornea and that are infection free.