Bilateral blindness after uneventful brolucizumab injection for macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND: We report a very severe case of bilateral panuveitis and ischemic vasculitis with possible perineural inflammation, which followed bilateral intravitreal brolucizumab administration in a patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). CASE PRESENTATION: On December 11, 2020, a 81-year-old woman presented with severe bilateral loss of vision. Eight days earlier, she had received uneventful bilateral injection of brolucizumab, a novel anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) single-chain variable region (scFv) recombinant protein drug, for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Slit-lamp examination revealed signs of a bilateral panocular vasculitis with ischemia. Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy of her left eye revealed marked vascular sheathing. T1 fat-saturated post-contrast images of the orbit revealed a higher-than-normal signal of the choroid, with localized choroidal detachment. Additionally, pathologic enhancement was visible around the optic nerve in the orbit, which was interpreted as vasculitis. Due to the severe bilateral panuveitis with vasculitis, an additional vitreous tap was obtained, which revealed elevated levels of interleukin six and interleukin ten. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first documented case showing both panuveitis and ischemic vasculitis with possible perineural inflammation. We do not recommend performing bilateral brolucizumab injections until more data is available regarding the mechanism of brolucizumab-induced vasculitis. From a clinical point of view, we find it difficult to justify the use of brolucizumab when there are other well-known agents, such as ranibizumab and aflibercept, which have better safety profiles and comparable efficacy.

Long-term results after proximal thoracic aortic redo surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate early and mid-term results in patients undergoing proximal thoracic aortic redo surgery. METHODS: We analyzed 60 patients (median age 60 years, median logistic EuroSCORE 40) who underwent proximal thoracic aortic redo surgery between January 2005 and April 2012. Outcome and risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: In hospital mortality was 13%, perioperative neurologic injury was 7%. Fifty percent of patients underwent redo surgery in an urgent or emergency setting. In 65%, partial or total arch replacement with or without conventional or frozen elephant trunk extension was performed. The preoperative logistic EuroSCORE I confirmed to be a reliable predictor of adverse outcome- (ROC 0.786, 95%CI 0.64-0.93) as did the new EuroSCORE II model: ROC 0.882 95%CI 0.78-0.98. Extensive individual logistic EuroSCORE I levels more than 67 showed an OR of 7.01, 95%CI 1.43-34.27. A EuroSCORE II larger than 28 showed an OR of 4.44 (95%CI 1.4-14.06). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a critical preoperative state (OR 7.96, 95%CI 1.51-38.79) but not advanced age (OR 2.46, 95%CI 0.48-12.66) as the strongest independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. Median follow-up was 23 months (1-52 months). One year and five year actuarial survival rates were 83% and 69% respectively. Freedom from reoperation during follow-up was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a substantial early attrition rate in patients presenting with a critical preoperative state, proximal thoracic aortic redo surgery provides excellent early and mid-term results. Higher EuroSCORE I and II levels and a critical preoperative state but not advanced age are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. As a consequence, age alone should no longer be regarded as a contraindication for surgical treatment in this particular group of patients.