Choroidal Thickness Correlates with Clinical and Imaging Metrics of Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is marked clinically by motor symptoms and pathologically by Lewy bodies and dopamine neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Higher iron accumulation, assessed by susceptibility MRI, also is observed as PD progresses. Recently, evidence has suggested that PD affects the retina. OBJECTIVE: To better understand retinal alterations in PD and their association to clinical and SNc iron-related imaging metrics. METHODS: Ten PD and 12 control participants (2 eyes each) from an ongoing PD imaging biomarker study underwent enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography evaluation. Choroidal (vascular) thickness and nerve layers were measured in 4 subregions [superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal] and at 3 foveal distances (1, 1.5, and 3 mm). These metrics were compared between PD and control groups. For significantly different metrics, their associations with clinical [levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD), motor and visuospatial function] and SNc susceptibility MRI metrics [R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM)] were explored. RESULTS: Compared to control participants, PD participants had a thicker choroid (p = 0.005), but no changes in nerve layers. Higher mean choroidal thickness was associated with lower LEDD (p < 0.01) and better visuospatial function (p < 0.05). Subregion analyses revealed higher choroidal thickness correlated with lower LEDD and better motor and visuospatial measures. Higher mean choroidal thickness also was associated with lower nigral iron MRI (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A small cohort of PD research participants displayed higher choroidal thickness that was related to better clinical performance and less nigral pathology. These intriguing findings warrant further investigation.

Environmental and social benefits of the targeted intraoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer: data from UK TARGIT-A trial centres and two UK NHS hospitals offering TARGIT IORT.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the journeys and CO2 emissions if women with breast cancer are treated with risk-adapted single-dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT) rather than several weeks' course of external beam whole breast radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. SETTING: (1) TARGIT-A randomised clinical trial (ISRCTN34086741) which compared TARGIT with traditional EBRT and found similar breast cancer control, particularly when TARGIT was given simultaneously with lumpectomy, (2) 2 additional UK centres offering TARGIT. PARTICIPANTS: 485 UK patients (249 TARGIT, 236 EBRT) in the prepathology stratum of TARGIT-A trial (where randomisation occurred before lumpectomy and TARGIT was delivered simultaneously with lumpectomy) for whom geographical data were available and 22 patients treated with TARGIT after completion of the TARGIT-A trial in 2 additional UK breast centres. OUTCOME MEASURES: The shortest total journey distance, time and CO2 emissions from home to hospital to receive all the fractions of radiotherapy. METHODS: Distances, time and CO2 emissions were calculated using Google Maps and assuming a fuel efficiency of 40 mpg. The groups were compared using the Student t test with unequal variance and the non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test. RESULTS: TARGIT patients travelled significantly fewer miles: TARGIT 21 681, mean 87.1 (SE 19.1) versus EBRT 92 591, mean 392.3 (SE 30.2); had lower CO2 emissions 24.7 kg (SE 5.4) vs 111 kg (SE 8.6) and spent less time travelling: 3 h (SE 0.53) vs 14 h (SE 0.76), all p<0.0001. Patients treated with TARGIT in 2 hospitals in semirural locations were spared much longer journeys (753 miles, 30 h, 215 kg CO2 per patient). CONCLUSIONS: The use of TARGIT intraoperative radiotherapy for eligible patients with breast cancer significantly reduces their journeys for treatment and has environmental benefits. If widely available, 5 million miles (8 000 000 km) of travel, 170 000 woman-hours and 1200 tonnes of CO2 (a forest of 100 hectares) will be saved annually in the UK. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN34086741; Post-results.