Orbital recurrence of B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a child.

Orbital mass is an exceedingly rare presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This report describes a 12-year-old boy with recurrent orbital pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and reviews the literature on the incidence, presentation, prognosis, and management of orbital tumors in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Early diagnosis and treatment of orbital acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a multidisciplinary approach is essential to minimize or prevent deterioration of vision and optimize clinical outcomes.

Successful treatment of postoperative fungal endophthalmitis using intravitreal and intracameral voriconazole.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe 3 cases of postoperative fungal endophthalmitis successfully treated with anterior chamber washout, pars plana vitrectomy, and intracameral and intravitreal voriconazole injection. RESULTS: Three (3) patients from a single retina center in India developed culture-proven fungal endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in 1 eye. All patients underwent anterior chamber washout, pars plana vitrectomy, and intracameral and intravitreal voriconazole injections intraoperatively. All cases demonstrated substantial improvement in vision and intraocular inflammation after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of anterior chamber washout, pars plana vitrectomy, and intracameral and intravitreal voriconazole injection is a viable therapeutic option in cases of fungal endophthalmitis.

Barriers to Follow-Up and Strategies to Improve Adherence to Appointments for Care of Chronic Eye Diseases.

PURPOSE: To understand factors associated with poor attendance of follow-up appointments for care of glaucoma (GL), AMD, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a tertiary referral center, and to identify strategies to improve adherence. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 240 adults attending follow-up appointments for GL, AMD, or DR. Cases (N = 102) were patients with poor follow-up who missed and failed to reschedule an appointment within 1 month of the recommended follow-up date during the preceding year. Controls (N = 138) were patients who completed the assigned follow-up. Data regarding the factors impacting adherence to appointments were collected via an orally administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with poor follow-up. RESULTS: In a multivariate logistic regression model, independent factors significantly associated with poor follow-up included incorrectly answering more than 50% of questions about eye disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.24, P = 0.001), legal blindness (adjusted OR 2.64, P = 0.013), the presence of glaucomatous versus retinal disease (adjusted OR 2.06, P = 0.013), and difficulty for the study subject and/or escort taking time away from work for the appointments (adjusted OR 1.80, P = 0.049). Subjects identified the following strategies to improve follow-up: contact with others having the same eye condition (41.3%), greater education regarding eye disease (40.8%), and improved transportation services to the clinic (44.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Low disease knowledge scores, legal blindness, and difficulty getting time away from work for appointments adversely impacted follow-up independent of eye disease diagnosis. Improvements in patient education, transportation services, and clinic efficiency may increase adherence to recommended appointment intervals.

Sarcoidosis-associated Unilateral Retinal Arteritis.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of sarcoidosis manifesting as a unilateral posterior uveitis and retinal arteritis. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: Clinical examination, fluorescein angiography, radiological imaging, and laboratory testing revealed evidence of a primary arteritis associated with sarcoidosis. RESULTS: A 39-year-old white male presented with unilateral decreased vision, disc edema, exudative maculopathy, and retinal arteritis. Lab work and imaging were consistent with sarcoidosis. The patient responded to a 2-month course of oral prednisone and a sub-Tenon's triamcinolone injection. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcoidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of uveitis associated with a primary retinal arteritis.

Prospective study demonstrating the efficacy of combined preoperative three-day application of antibiotics and povidone-iodine irrigation.

In 50 patients undergoing anterior segment intraocular surgery we determined that a three-day course of topical ofloxacin followed by preoperative povidone-iodine irrigation caused a marked decrease in the number of conjunctival bacterial flora and resulted in no contamination of the anterior chamber aqueous fluid at the beginning and conclusion of surgery.

Short-term safety and efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech Inc.) for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on consented patients with neovascular ARMD receiving intravitreal bevacizumab therapy. All patients received intravitreal bevacizumab at baseline with additional monthly injections given at the discretion of the treating physician. At each visit, a routine Snellen visual acuity assessment was performed followed by an ophthalmic examination and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. RESULTS: Fifty-three eyes of 50 patients received an intravitreal bevacizumab injection between May and August 2005. Including the month 3 visit, the average number of injections was 2.3 out of a maximum of 4 injections. No serious drug-related ocular or systemic adverse events were identified. Improvements in visual acuity and central retinal thickness measurements were evident by week 1 and continued through month 3. At month 3, the mean visual acuity improved from 20/160 to 20/125 (P < 0.001) and the mean central retinal thickness decreased by 99.6 microm (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Off-label intravitreal bevacizumab therapy for neovascular ARMD was well tolerated over 3 months with improvements in visual acuity and OCT central retinal thickness measurements. While the long-term safety and efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab remain unknown, these short-term results suggest that intravitreal bevacizumab may be the most cost effective therapy for the treatment of neovascular ARMD.