Visual Outcomes after Proton Therapy for Recurrent Uveal Melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: Proton beam reirradiation (PBI) remains an effective and globe-preserving alternative to enucleation in the treatment of local recurrence in uveal melanoma. The study aimed to assess visual outcomes and prognostic factors in visual acuity (VA) after proton beam salvage therapy. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SUBJECTS: A retrospective study evaluated patients with recurrent uveal melanoma treated with PBI from 1984 through 2019 at a single academic tertiary center. METHODS: Patient and tumor characteristics were collected from the medical record, as well as best visual acuity (BVA) and ocular outcomes after treatment of recurrent uveal melanoma with PBI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome of the study was the BVA of patients after PBI for recurrent uveal melanoma. Additional outcome measures included enucleation rate of patients after salvage PBI and analysis of tumor and patient characteristics in the prognostication of VA. RESULTS: The study comprised 67 patients who received PBI for recurrent uveal melanoma. The median age at recurrence was 67.6 years (range, 31.6-91.0 years), and median follow-up from the time of recurrence to last examination was 4.4 years (range, 0.23-17.1 years). The median final BVA was hand motions (range, 20/20 to no light perception) and 6 (9.1%) patients maintained a Snellen VA 20/40 or better. The 5-year probability of VA retention of 20/200 or better was 19%. In a multivariable Cox model, VA at tumor recurrence of worse than 20/40 was found to be significantly associated with a VA of 20/200 or worse after retreatment with PBI. Twelve (18%) patients underwent enucleation after retreatment with PBI. CONCLUSIONS: Proton beam irradiation for the treatment of recurrent uveal melanoma allows for ocular preservation and functional vision in select patients. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Childhood vision impairment and blindness in West Africa: public health measures and implications for systemic health.

Childhood blindness is an issue of global health impact, affecting approximately 2 million children worldwide. Vision 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals previously identified childhood blindness as a key issue in the twentieth century, and while public health measures are underway, the precise etiologies and management require ongoing investigation and care, particularly within resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed the literature on childhood blindness in West Africa to identify the anatomic classification and etiologies, particularly those causes of childhood blindness with systemic health implications. Treatable causes included cataract, refractive error, and corneal disease. Systemic etiologies identified included measles, rubella, vitamin A deficiency, and Ebola virus disease. While prior public health measures including vitamin A supplementation and vaccination programs have been deployed in most countries with reported data, multiple studies reported preventable or reversible etiologies of blindness and vision impairment. Ongoing research is necessary to standardize reporting for anatomies and/or etiologies of childhood blindness to determine the necessity of further development and implementation of public health measures that would ameliorate childhood blindness and vision impairment.

Ophthalmic implications of biological threat agents according to the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives framework.

As technology continues to evolve, the possibility for a wide range of dangers to people, organizations, and countries escalate globally. The United States federal government classifies types of threats with the capability of inflicting mass casualties and societal disruption as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Energetics/Explosives (CBRNE). Such incidents encompass accidental and intentional events ranging from weapons of mass destruction and bioterrorism to fires or spills involving hazardous or radiologic material. All of these have the capacity to inflict death or severe physical, neurological, and/or sensorial disabilities if injuries are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Ophthalmic injury can provide important insight into understanding and treating patients impacted by CBRNE agents; however, improper ophthalmic management can result in suboptimal patient outcomes. This review specifically addresses the biological agents the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deems to have the greatest capacity for bioterrorism. CBRNE biological agents, encompassing pathogens and organic toxins, are further subdivided into categories A, B, and C according to their national security threat level. In our compendium of these biological agents, we address their respective CDC category, systemic and ophthalmic manifestations, route of transmission and personal protective equipment considerations as well as pertinent vaccination and treatment guidelines.