Anterior segment swept-source optical coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy in iris and ciliary body lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Differentiation of iris and ciliary body lesions as benign or malignant and cystic or solid is important. The aim of this study was to compare anterior segment swept-source optical coherence tomography (AS SS-OCT) and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) findings in iris and ciliary body tumors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty-two eyes of 38 cases with iris and ciliary body tumors imaged with UBM and AS SS-OCT between September 2018 and September 2023 were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Of 42 eyes, 14 had melanoma, 14 iris pigment epithelial (IPE) cysts, 7 nevi, 3 Lisch nodules, 2 iris stromal cysts, 1 pars plana cysts, and 1 iris mammillations. An equivalent (100%) visualization of the anterior tumor margin was obtained with both techniques. Compared to AS SS-OCT, UBM was superior for posterior margin visualization in melanocytic tumors and IPE cysts. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated good agreement between UBM and AS SS-OCT for melanocytic tumors < 2.5 mm in base diameter and < 2 mm in thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Although, UBM is the gold standard for ciliary body and iridociliary tumors. AS SS-OCT should be considered as an excellent alternative to UBM, especially in minimally elevated iris lesions.

Factors affecting recurrence and metastasis in conjunctival melanoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical and demographic characteristics and factors affecting recurrence, metastasis, and survival in conjunctival melanoma (CM). METHODS: The clinical records of 45 patients who were treated for CM between October 1998 and June 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Age, gender, presence of underlying conjunctival nevus-primary acquired melanosis (PAM), tumor stage according to the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, tumor basal diameter, tumor thickness, lymph node (LN) involvement, metastasis, presence of tumor at the surgical margin, treatment method, need for adjuvant therapy, local tumor control, recurrence, and survival were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-one (46.7%) patients were female and 24 (53.3%) patients were male. The mean age at diagnosis was 53.2 ± 16.1 years. Median follow up time was 12 (1-300) months. Fifteen (33.3%) patients had conjunctival PAM; 2 (4.4%) patients had conjunctival nevus. The tumor stage was T1 in 24 (55.8%), T2 in 13 (30.2%), and T3 in 6 (14.0%) of the cases. The T stage in 2 cases could not be determined. For stage T1 and T2 CM, in addition to excisional biopsy (EB) and cryotherapy, alcohol epitheliectomy (AE) was performed in 17 cases (37.8%), superficial sclerectomy (SS) was performed in 7 (15.6%), and amnion membrane transplantation (AMT) due to a large conjunctival defect in 9 (20.0%). Six (14.0%) T3 cases underwent primary exenteration. Positive surgical margins were observed in 23 (51.1%) of the excised tumors at histopathologic examination. Adjuvant topical mitomycin-C (MMC) was used in 7 (30.4%) and strontium-90 episcleral brachytherapy in 4 (17.4%) of the 23 cases with tumor-positive borders. During the follow-up, recurrence was seen in 14 (31.1%) cases. According to Kaplan Meier analysis, the mean time to recurrence development was 90.5 ± 16.1 months and the 5-year recurrence free rate was 52.0%. Fourteen of the recurrent cases underwent EB + cryotherapy, 3 underwent AE + SS, and 3 underwent secondary exenteration. Metastasis and LN involvement occurred in 11 (24.4%) and 8 (17.8%) of the cases, respectively. Four (8.9%) cases expired during follow-up. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the mean time to metastasis was 106.2 ± 17.3 months and the 5-year metastasis free rate was 52.0%. While recurrence was more frequent in CM developing from PAM/nevus, metastasis was more frequent in men and those with LN involvement. CONCLUSION: Conjunctival melanoma was a malignant tumor with high recurrence and metastasis rates. Precursor nevus/PAM is a risk factor for recurrence, while male gender and regional LN involvement were risk factors for metastasis in this study.

Factors affecting eye conservation and metastasis in posterior uveal melanomas.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of patient and tumor features and different treatments on eye removal (enucleation or exenteration) and metastasis in posterior uveal melanoma (PUM). METHODS: Retrospective analysis. Patient age (≤60 vs >60 years), sex (female vs male), visual acuity (VA, ≤20/40 vs >20/40), largest tumor basal diameter (LTBD), tumor thickness, tumor stage according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition, ciliary body involvement, distance to optic disc (OD)/fovea (≤3 mm vs >3 mm), OD involvement, and histopathology were evaluated. Primary treatment options were transpupillary thermotherapy, plaque radiotherapy, Cyberknife radiosurgery, exoresection, and eye removal. Risk factors for primary eye removal were determined using logistic regression test and those for secondary eye removal and metastasis with Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 387 cases, 153 (39.5%) underwent primary eye removal. Multivariable risk factors for primary eye removal included AJCC tumor stage (p = 0.001, OR:4.586; p < 0.001, OR:34.545; p < 0.001, OR:103.468 for stages T2, T3, and T4 vs stage T1, respectively), and VA≤20/40 (p = 0.014, OR:2.597). Multivariable risk factors for secondary eye removal were VA≤20/40 (p = 0.019, RR:2.817) and AJCC stage T3 vs T1 (p = 0.021, RR:2.666). Eye preservation rates in patients undergoing eye-conserving treatments were 80.3%, 69.6%, and 51.5% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Metastasis-free survival rates were 81.0%, 73.0%, and 56.7% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Multivariable risk factors for metastasis included eye removal as primary treatment (p = 0.005, RR:2.828) and mixed type histopathology (p < 0.001, RR:4.804). DISCUSSION: Early diagnosis is crucial for both eye preservation and survival in PUM. Increasing AJCC tumor stage and lower VA were risk factors for eye removal in this study. Mixed type histopathology and primary eye removal were risk factors for metastasis.

Pseudoretinoblastoma: Distribution based on gender, age, and laterality.

PURPOSE: To investigate the distribution of pseudoretinoblastoma (PSRB) cases based on gender, age, and laterality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical records of 607 patients (851 eyes) who were referred for diagnosis of retinoblastoma or simulating conditions between October 1998 and May 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were stratified by age as follows: ≤1 year, >1-3 years, >3-5 years, and >5 years. RESULTS: Of 190/607 PSRB patients, 129 (67.9%) were males and 61 (32.1%) females (p = 0.001). The 3 most common diagnoses in males were Coats disease (20.2%), persistent fetal vasculature (PFV, 14.0%), and chorioretinal coloboma (6.2%). In females, the 3 most common diagnoses included PFV (21.3%), retinal dysplasia, congenital glaucoma, and combined hamartoma (each 6.6%). PFV was the most common diagnosis in ≤1 year old patient group (26.6%). Coats disease and PFV were the most common diagnoses in >1-3 years old patient group (each 16.7%). Coats disease was the most common diagnosis in >3-5 years old (30.8%) and >5 years old patient groups (13.1%). PSRBs were unilateral in 121/190 (63.7%) patients. Coats disease usually presented unilaterally (p < 0.001) while PFV, optic nerve head drusen, and retinopathy of prematurity as bilateral diseases (p = 0.019, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001 respectively). DISCUSSION: PSRB diagnoses show differences depending on gender, age, and laterality. In our study, the most common PSRB lesions were Coats disease in males and PFV in females. PFV was the most frequent diagnosis in ≤3 years and Coats disease in >3 years of age groups. Coats disease and PFV were the most common unilateral and bilateral PSRB diagnoses respectively.

Recurrence and new tumor development after frontline intravenous chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: Risk factors and treatment results.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk factors leading to recurrence and new tumor (NT) development in patients with retinoblastoma after intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) and to review the treatment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 166 retinoblastoma cases (having 246 affected eyes) who underwent six-cycle IVC (vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin) as primary treatment between October 1999 and August 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean ages at presentation were 9.0 (median: 8.0) and 9.2 (median: 8.5) months in cases with recurrence and NTs respectively. Recurrence was detected in 40 (16.3%) eyes, NTs in 29 (11.8%), and both recurrence/NTs in 24 (9.8%). The mean time elapsed till recurrence and NT was 10.7 months. Multivariable analysis showed that the factors predictive of recurrence were largest tumor base diameter (LTBD) >12 mm (p = 0.039) and presence of subretinal seeds at diagnosis (p = 0.043). Multivariable risk factors for the development of NTs were bilateral familial retinoblastoma (p = 0.001) and presence of subretinal seeds at diagnosis (p = 0.010). Mean follow-up was 80.1 (median: 72.5) months. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the 1-, 3-, and 6-year recurrence and NT rates were 21.2%, 28.1%, and 28.7% and 14.9%, 22.6%, and 23.9% respectively. The most common treatment methods used for recurrent and/or NTs included cryotherapy, transpupillary thermotherapy, and intra-arterial chemotherapy. Enucleation was eventually required in 24/93 (25.8%) eyes. No patient developed metastasis. DISCUSSION: Development of recurrence and/or NT after IVC was noted in 38% of all retinoblastoma eyes. Bilateral familial disease, LTBD >12 mm, and presence of subretinal seeds at baseline were risk factors for recurrence and NTs in this study.

Demographic and clinical features of conjunctival tumours at a tertiary care centre.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study investigates the demographic and clinical features of conjunctival tumours. BACKGROUND: Conjunctival tumours include a large spectrum of conditions ranging from benign lesions to aggressive, life-threatening malignancies. Knowing the distribution of conjunctival tumours by age and gender is important for reducing cancer morbidity. METHODS: The clinical records of 375 patients (410 eyes) diagnosed with a conjunctival mass at a tertiary referral centre between February 1999 and November 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Two-hundred-seventeen (57.9%) patients were male and 158 (42.1%) were female. Of 410 conjunctival tumours, 159 (38.8%) were benign, 106 (25.9%) premalignant, and 145 (35.4%) malignant. Overall, the 3 most common diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 19.5%), conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN, 18.3%), and naevus (17.8%). The most common benign, premalignant, and malignant tumours were naevus (n = 73/159, 45.9%), CIN (n = 75/106, 70.8%), and SCC (n = 80/145, 55.2%) respectively. Naevus was the most common tumour in ≤20 years and > 20-40 years old patient groups (56.2% and 25.4% respectively). CIN was the most frequent tumour in patients aged > 40-60 years (25.7%). SCC was the most common tumour in > 60-80 years and > 80 years old patient groups (44.3% and 80.0% respectively). The median patient age was greater in patients with malignant tumours (64.5 years) compared to patients with premalignant (55.5 years, p = 0.011) and benign tumours (22.0 years, p < 0.001). Malignant tumours displayed larger base diameter, greater thickness, and intrinsic vessels compared to premalignant or benign lesions (p < 0.001 for each parameter). Malignant tumours also displayed more amelanotic vs melanotic appearance (p < 0.001) and limbal vs extralimbal bulbar location compared to benign lesions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Premalignant and malignant tumours comprised 61.2% of all conjunctival tumours and were usually detected in patients > 40 years of age in this study.

Circumscribed choroidal hemangioma: Comparative efficacy of transpupillary thermotherapy, indocyanine green-enhanced transpupillary thermotherapy, and photodynamic therapy and analysis of baseline clinical features effecting treatment outcomes.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT), indocyanine green-enhanced TTT (ICG-TTT), and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH) and to investigate the baseline clinical features effecting treatment outcomes METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical records of 60 eyes with CCH which underwent TTT (25), ICG-TTT (22), or PDT (13). Main study outcomes were 1) final visual acuity (VA) ≤20/200, 2) <2 Snellen lines VA increase, 3) persistent subretinal fluid (SRF), and 4) <20% decrease in tumor thickness. RESULTS: Multivariable factors associated with final VA ≤20/200 included longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.015), lower initial VA (p = 0.030), and presence of retinoschisis overlying the tumor (p = 0.047). Multivariable factors for <2 Snellen lines VA increase were longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.018) and previous failed treatment (p = 0.003). By multivariable analysis, the only significant factor for persistent SRF was the presence of retinoschisis (p = 0.001). Multivariable factors associated with a decrease in tumor thickness by <20% were smaller initial tumor thickness (p = 0.045) and presence of retinoschisis (p = 0.014). By Pearson Chi-Square/Fisher Exact Test, final VA ≤20/200 rates (48.0%, 13.6%, 30.8% respectively, p = 0.041) and VA improvement by <2 lines rates (64.0%, 27.3%, 38.5% respectively, p = 0.036) were significantly different between TTT, ICG-TTT, and PDT groups. However, by post hoc analysis, ICG-TTT yielded statistically better outcomes compared to TTT with respect to final visual acuity (VA) ≤20/200 (p = 0.012) and <2 Snellen lines VA increase (p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Longer symptom duration, previous failed treatment, lower initial VA, and presence of retinoschisis were risk factors for worse visual outcomes. Eyes with retinoschisis displayed more SRF persistence after treatment. Smaller initial tumor thickness and presence of retinoschisis were risk factors for <20% decrease in tumor thickness.

Transretinal biopsy via 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for retinal and choroidal tumors: cytopathological results, surgical complications, and patient outcomes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cytopathological results, surgical complications, and patient outcomes after transretinal biopsy (TRB) for diagnosis of retinal/choroidal tumors METHODS: Records of 40 cases who underwent TRB via 23-gauge (23 G) pars plana vitrectomy between March 2011 and March 2020 were reviewed. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. RESULTS: Twenty-six (65.0%) cases were women and 14 (35.0%) were men. The mean age at diagnosis was 57.2 (range: 18-83) years. The mean tumor base diameter was 12.0×9.8 mm and the mean tumor thickness was 4.9 mm. According to cytopathological examination, 29 (72.5%) cases had choroidal melanoma, 2 (5.0%) had non-small cell lung cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had adenoma of retinal pigment epithelium, 1 (2.5%) had small cell lung cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had invasive breast cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had retinal astrocytic hamartoma, and 1 (2.5%) had pseudoneoplastic gliosis. Cytopathological examination of 4 (10.0%) cases revealed findings consistent with macular and extramacular degeneration. Postoperative complications were mild vitreous hemorrhage in 16 (40.0%) cases, gradually worsening cataract in 4 (11.8%), retinal detachment in 1 (2.5%), hyphema in 1 (2.5%), glaucoma in 1 (2.5%), and macular hole in 1 (2.5%). During the mean 11.1 (range: 1-55) months follow-up, 1 (3.4%) patient with choroidal melanoma developed liver metastasis. All patients were alive at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: TRB using 23 G pars plana vitrectomy can be used to make the cytopathologic diagnosis of retinal/choroidal tumors whenever the clinical diagnosis is not certain or in cases with known diagnosis to obtain information on cell type/cytogenetics. In our series, the most common diagnosis after cytopathologic examination was choroidal melanoma.

Secondary intra-arterial chemotherapy and/or intravitreal chemotherapy as salvage treatment for retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of secondary intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) and/or intravitreal chemotherapy (IVC) as a salvage treatment for retinoblastoma (RB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 31 (20 male, 11 female) cases (with 38 eyes) who underwent secondary IAC and/or IVC between February 2010 and June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Thirteen (41.9%) cases had unilateral and 18 (58.1%) had bilateral RB. According to the International Classification of RB, 6 (15.8%) eyes had group B, 9 (23.7%) eyes had group C, 16 (42.1%) eyes had group D, and 7 (18.4%) eyes had group E RB at diagnosis. All patients underwent six-cycle intravenous chemotherapy as primary treatment and 8 eyes received external radiotherapy before IAC/IVC. Secondary IAC was performed in 21 (55.3%) eyes, IVC in 10 (26.3%) eyes, and IAC + IVC in 7 (18.4%) eyes. External radiotherapy was applied in 2 (5.3%) eyes after IAC/IVC, one of which was later enucleated. In total, 17 (44.7%) eyes undergoing secondary IAC/IVC treatments were enucleated. Metastasis and death were not observed in any case during the mean follow-up period of 59.3 (median 61, range: 10-98) months. DISCUSSION: Although 60.5% of the eyes undergoing IAC/IVC consisted of groups D and E RB, globe salvage and survival rates were 55.3% and 100.0%, respectively. External radiotherapy was required in 5.3% of the eyes after IAC/IVC. In conclusion, IAC and IVC are safe and effective treatment methods in eyes with RB unresponsive to other eye-preserving treatments and those demonstrating recurrence.

Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography findings in choroidal and retinal tumors.

OBJECTIVES: To report the swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) findings in choroidal and retinal tumors. METHODS: A retrospective noncomparative interventional case series of 60 eyes having various choroidal and retinal tumors imaged with SS-OCTA (Topcon DR1 Triton Plus, Tokyo, Japan) between September 2018 and February 2020 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were tumor thickness <4 mm, tumor base diameter <10 mm, and tumor location at the posterior pole. RESULTS: Choroidal nevi usually demonstrated well-defined borders, hyperreflective internal structure, and no outer retinal involvement on SS-OCTA. Choroidal melanoma, in contrast to nevi, usually had ill-defined borders (p = 0.018), mixed hyperreflective-hyporeflective or hyperreflective internal structure (p = 0.014), and demonstrated outer retinal involvement (p < 0.001). Circumscribed choroidal hemangioma usually presented with well-defined borders, a hyperreflective internal tumor structure with multiple dilated interconnected tumor vessels intermixed with signal void areas representing connective tissue. Optic disc melanocytomas showed a hyporeflective plexus related to blocking of signal by the pigment and an intact radial peripapillary capillary network. There was flow on the surface and slightly deeper within the lesion on B-scan angiography overlay. Retinal astrocytic hamartomas had well-defined borders and a hyperreflective vascular plexus in the superficial and deep retina. Outer retina and choriocapillaris showed hyporeflective change due to shadowing/masking from calcium or high blood flow in the lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Each of the different retinal and choroidal tumors studied in this series presented with different SS-OCTA features to aid in the differential diagnosis of these conditions. Good quality images are obtained in patients with good fixation and tumors <3 mm in thickness located at the posterior pole.

A 20-year audit of retinoblastoma treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term treatment outcomes in intraocular retinoblastoma (RB) including the associated factors for eventual treatment with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and enucleation as well as to analyse the risk factors for metastasis and death in extraocular RB. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 390 eyes from 256 (89.8%) intraocular RB and 29 (10.2%) extraocular RB cases diagnosed and treated between October 1998 and May 2018 at one of the largest tertiary care centers in Turkey. RESULTS: Of 351 intraocular RB eyes, 53.3% had group D/E disease at presentation. 75 (21.4%) of 351 eyes underwent primary enucleation. Of the remaining 276 eyes undergoing eye-conserving treatments, 201 (72.8%) were salvaged. Most of these eyes were treated using intravenous chemotherapy and/or focal treatments [transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) and cryotherapy] initially. EBRT was eventually required in 48 (17.4%) eyes and secondary enucleation in 75 (27.2%) eyes. At mean follow-ups of 76.7 and 39.7 months for intraocular and extraocular RB cohorts, respectively, 180 (46.2%) eyes underwent primary/secondary enucleation and exenteration. Overall, 13 cases developed metastasis and 9 died. Two patients with trilateral RB also expired. Multivariable risk factors for enucleation were the presence of vitreous seeds (p < 0.001), absence of EBRT administration (p = 0.033), 5-9 TTT applications compared with no TTT (p = 0.031), and each 1 mm increase in tumour base diameter (p < 0.001). Univariate factors predictive of metastasis were the presence of extraocular RB detected by imaging methods (p < 0.001) and extrascleral/optic nerve cut end involvement at histopathological examination (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our series, 72.8% of the intraocular RB eyes undergoing eye-conserving treatments were saved. The globe salvage rate for all intraocular and extraocular RB eyes was 53.8% and the overall survival rate was 96.1%.

Factors affecting recurrence after surgical treatment in cases with ocular surface squamous neoplasia.

AIM: To evaluate the risk factors leading to recurrence in patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). METHODS: The records of 112 patients with OSSN who underwent treatment and follow-up between February 1999 and August 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Totally 67 patients (59.8%) were male and 45 patients (40.2%) were female. The mean age at presentation was 63.7y (range 22-87y). Partial lamellar scleroconjunctivectomy (PLSC) was performed in 105 (93.7%) cases and enucleation was performed in 7 (6.3%) cases due to bulbus invasion as the first step treatment. Treatments used in addition to PLSC included cryotherapy in 78 eyes (74.3%), alcohol epitheliectomy in 57 eyes (54.3%) for presence of corneal involvement, and amniotic membrane transplantation in 17 eyes (16.2%) for ocular surface reconstruction. Topical mitomycin C was used in 10 patients (9.5%) and strontium-90 (Str-90) treatment in 4 (3.8%) patients because surgical margins were tumor positive at the histopathological examination. Postoperative histopathologic diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma (52 cases), carcinoma in situ (44 cases), moderate conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (11 cases), and mild conjunctiva intraepithelial neoplasia (5 cases). At a mean follow-up of 20.1mo, tumor recurrence was observed in 21 (18.8%) cases. The rate of recurrence was found to be lower in cases that underwent supplemental cryotherapy compared to those that did not (P<0.001). There was no metastasis in any case. CONCLUSION: In our series, the recurrence rate is 18.8% and overall globe salvage rate is 90.2% for OSSN at relatively short-term follow-up.

A retrospective analysis of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura and re-evaluation of renal pathologies using Oxford classification.

BACKGROUND: Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis in childhood. The long-term prognosis is variable and depends on renal involvement. The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of our HSP patients, to identify the risk factors for the development of Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and to assess the efficacy of the Oxford Classification system for predicting renal outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of HSP patients who admitted to our center between 2001 and 2016, and were < 18 years on admission. RESULTS: A total of 1120 children with HSP were analyzed. Their mean age was 7.4 ± 3.4 years. At onset, purpura was present in all cases, arthritis/arthralgia in 42.4%, abdominal involvement in 39% and renal involvement in 37%. Risk factors for the development of nephritis were age ≥ 8 years, atypical distribution of purpura, ESR > 20 mm/h and abdominal pain. Renal biopsy was performed on 75 patients before immunosuppressive treatment. The mesangial score was strongly associated with proteinuria. Segmental glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis, and crescent formation of ≥ 50% were associated with reduced eGFR at the time of biopsy. A Kaplan-Meier plot showed that segmental glomerulosclerosis and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis significantly predict poor renal outcome. CONCLUSION: The long-term morbidity of HSP is predominantly attributed to renal involvement. Patients with HSP, who have a high risk to develop nephritis, could be followed for longer periods of time. The Oxford classification is useful in predicting long-term outcomes of HSPN.

Backwash ileitis in ulcerative colitis: Are there MR enterographic features that distinguish it from Crohn disease?

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the MR enterography (MRE) findings that distinguish backwash ileitis (BWI) from terminal ileitis due to Crohn's disease (CD) and to determine the usability of barium studies manifestations (ileocecal valve (ICV) gaping, terminal ileum dilatation) in MRE for the diagnosis of BWI in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients by pointing at the diagnostic performance of these imaging findings. SUBJECTS-METHODS: The study population consisted of patients who were diagnosed as ulcerative colitis (UC), and underwent 1.5 T MRI between August 2011 and November 2017 to rule out small bowel involvement. The matched controls were comprised of Crohn's patients examined at the same period. Ileocolonoscopic/ histopathologic findings were accepted as reference standard. Mural/extramural changes in bowel segments, ileocecal valve (ICV) gaping, terminal ileum dilatation, restricted diffusion and anatomical extent of involvement were evaluated. In UC patients, the association between ICV gaping and terminal ileum dilatation and BWI was assessed by χ2 test. The diagnostic accuracy of these two findings in BWI was determined. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included in the study (30 UC; 30 CD; mean age, 43 years in both groups). Ileocecal valve gaping and terminal ileum dilatation were significantly more frequent among BWI patients (p < 0.001) in UC. Patients with BWI showed a higher rate of pancolitis (88.9%). Median terminal ileum wall thickness was found to be significantly greater in patients with CD (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with definite diagnosis of UC, ileocecal valve gaping and terminal ileum dilatation suggest the development of BWI. However, these findings cannot be use to differentiate cause of terminal ileitis in patients with unconfirmed diagnosis and do not give reliable information about the causative factor of ileitis.