[Association between age-related macular degeneration and periodontal disease]. / Association entre la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge et les parodontites.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and periodontal disease, two frequent conditions in the elderly, with some risk factors in common. METHODS: Single center, pilot, case-control study performed in a center specialized in the diagnosis and management of AMD. Periodontal status was evaluated in 43 AMD patients and 19 controls. Fundus examination and a complete periodontal examination were performed in all subjects. RESULTS: AMD patients have a greater percentage of 3-4mm clinical attachment loss compared to controls (47% vs. 38%, [P=0.039]). However, no significant difference was found between the groups with regard to the prevalence of severe periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest an association between AMD and attachment loss characteristic of periodontal disease and support the need for larger prospective studies to elucidate the relationships between these 2 highly prevalent and potentially severe diseases.

[Treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration: Consensus of French experts for first-line treatment selection and the importance of long-term risk/benefit ratio]. / Consensus d'experts français sur les critères de choix d'un traitement de 1re intention dans la DMLA néovasculaire et importance du ratio bénéfice/risque à long terme.

Choosing a first-line treatment to optimize long-term outcomes is a major challenge for treating patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The development of several new molecules makes it critical to identify the relevant factors to consider so as to provide an optimal risk-benefit ratio when initiating a treatment in naïve patients with neovascular AMD. This paper proposes a consensus established with the Delphi method (which includes a gradation in a consensus based on an analysis of the convergence rate of answers) to provide criteria that guide the ophthalmologist's decision for treatment initiation and follow-up in neovascular AMD patients. Fourteen questions were submitted to 93 French retina experts. Thirteen (93%) of the questions reached a consensus (≥50% of answers consensual). The criteria recommended to take into account were both efficacy and onset of action of the molecules, their safety, and the ability to decrease injection frequency. The primary criterion of expected efficacy of a molecule is a combination of the gain in visual acuity and resorption of retinal fluid. With regard to safety, experts recommend tighter follow-up for molecules currently in development, and at every scheduled visit, patients should be screened to identify early any potential adverse effects such as intraocular inflammation, retinal vasculitis or vascular occlusion. Experts also emphasize the importance of the packaging of the biological, with a preference toward prefilled syringes. Injection frequency is a key factor, and the authors recommended aiming for a maximal injection interval of 12 to 16 weeks. The stability of that maximum interval is also an important factor to consider in treatment selection.

Immediate post partum macular subretinal bleeding in a highly myopic patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pathologic myopia is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of an immediate post partum macular subretinal bleeding observed in a highly myopic patient. A 30-years-old woman presented two days after childbirth for sudden loss of vision in her right eye. Multimodal imaging showed macular hemorrhage masking a subtle yellowish linear lesion corresponding to lacker crack. Due to the lack of evidence for choroidal neovascularization, a simple clinical and imaging monitoring was recommended. Six weeks later, we noted an improvement in her best-corrected visual acuity and a decreased in size of the macular hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case reporting a macular subretinal bleeding on macular lacquer cracks in a highly myopic patient in immediate post partum. Valsalva maneuver associated with vaginal delivery could explain the occurrence of the hemorrhage associated with lacquer crack. However, natural history of pathological myopia could not be excluded.

[Treat-and-extend anti-angiogenic protocol in clinical practice for patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration: Consensus of French experts]. / Consensus d'experts français sur la mise en œuvre pratique du régime Treat-and-Extend par anti-angiogéniques chez les patients atteints de DMLA exsudative.

Optimizing treatment regimens for anti-angiogenic drugs is now a major issue in the management of patients with exudative AMD. The evolution of these approaches has led retinologists to favor so-called proactive administration regimens, such as Treat-and-Extend (T&E), which make it possible to anticipate recurrence and to plan intravitreal injections of anti-angiogenic drugs in advance. Nevertheless, a real need to standardize the application of this regimen has been identified. This article proposes a consensus based on the Delphi methodology, which might provide a guide for ophthalmologists to manage patients with exudative AMD using the T&E protocol. While some aspects remain debated to date, this article provides elements to guide the implementation of T&E. The experts recommend that a loading dose of 3 monthly injections should be administered before starting T&E. They also recommend adjusting the reinjection intervals by±2 weeks in a standardized fashion. The intervals are then decreased in the presence of anatomical and/or functional deterioration, maintained when the interval of recurrence is identified, and increased when anatomical and/or functional improvement is observed. A maximum interval between 3 and 4 months is recommended by the experts, with maintenance of the maximum interval for 1 year before considering a possible exit from the T&E protocol. In the event of a significant decrease in visual acuity related to the disease along with significant anatomical degradation, it is recommended to restart monthly injections. In the case of bilateral disease, when synchronized timing of injections for both eyes is desired, the experts recommend using the shorter of the two intervals.

[23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy: a retrospective study of 164 consecutive cases]. / Vitrectomie transconjonctivale 23-gauge: étude rétrospective de 164 cas consécutifs.

PURPOSE: To describe our initial experience and to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for a variety of vitreoretinal conditions. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective chart review of 164 consecutive 23-gauge vitrectomy cases done by five vitreoretinal surgeons at the CHNO des XV-XX from May 2006 through December 2007. The main outcome measures included visual acuity and intraoperative and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 145 days. Mean overall acuity improved from 20/410 (0.5/10) at baseline to 20/101 (2/10) (p<0.0001) and the improvement in visual acuity was statistically significant for patients with macular hole, epiretinal membranes, retinal detachment, nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage, and silicone oil removal. There was a single case of intraoperative retinal tear. There were no postoperative complications of endophthalmitis or choroidal effusion and three cases of hypotony, which resolved spontaneously. Thirty-six of 80 phakic eyes had worsening of cataract, 29 of which occurred in the 1st postoperative month. Twenty patients had cataract surgery during the follow-up. Postoperative retinal detachment occurred in two cases after surgery for nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage. Retinal re-detachment after surgery for retinal detachment occurred in nine of 66 cases (14%). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-three-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy is an effective surgical technique for a variety of vitreoretinal surgical indications. The safety and efficacy profile compared favorably with the published literature on 20-gauge surgery.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a comparison between French and North-American white patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare French and American white patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), and to determine prognostic factors associated with visual loss. METHODS: Medical records of all consecutive white patients with definite IIH seen between 2001 and 2006 in three French tertiary care medical centers and one American tertiary medical center were reviewed. Demographics, associated clinical features, and visual function at presentation and follow-up were collected. French white patients were compared to American white patients. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four patients (66 French, 68 American) were included. American patients were 8.7 times more likely than French patients to have visual acuity 20/60 or worse or visual field constriction (95% CI: 2.1-36.1, p=0.0001). American patients were treated more aggressively than French patients. French patients were older (31 vs. 28 years, p=0.02) and more likely to have anemia (20 vs. 2%, p<0.001). American patients had a longer duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis (12 vs. 4 weeks, p=0.01) and longer follow-up than French patients (26 vs. 11 months, p=0.001). Multivariable analysis found that nationality was an independent risk factor for visual loss. French and American patients did not differ regarding gender proportion, frequency of obesity, sleep apnea, endocrine diseases, or systemic hypertension. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) opening pressures were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: American patients with IIH had worse visual outcomes than French patients despite more aggressive treatment. These differences are not explained by differences in previously known risk factors.

Characteristics of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease in a French cohort: ethnicity, systemic manifestations, and HLA genotype data.

PURPOSE: To assess in patients followed in a French referral center the clinical spectrum of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease and the HLA-DRB1*04 genotype. METHODS: Patients previously diagnosed as having VKH disease were re-evaluated in a cross-sectional study using the VKH Committee's revised criteria. High-resolution HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed. RESULTS: Eleven white patients satisfied ophthalmologic diagnostic criteria. All originated from Mediterranean countries. Nine and 3 patients had neurologic and/or cutaneous abnormalities, respectively. Among DRB1*04-positive patients, the HLA-DRB1*0405 subtype was 71%. CONCLUSION: These VKH patients predominantly had an incomplete form. The HLA-DRB1*0405 subtype allele was enriched in a group of Mediterranean stock.

IL2RA and IL7RA genes confer susceptibility for multiple sclerosis in two independent European populations.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory neurologic disorder diagnosed in young adults and, due to its chronic course, is responsible for a substantial economic burden. MS is considered to be a multifactorial disease in which both genetic and environmental factors intervene. The well-established human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association does not completely explain the genetic impact on disease susceptibility. However, identification and validation of non-HLA-genes conferring susceptibility to MS has proven to be difficult probably because of the small individual contribution of each of these genes. Recently, associations with two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL2RA gene (rs12722489, rs2104286) and one SNP in the IL7RA gene (rs6897932) have been reported by several groups. These three SNPs were genotyped in a French and a German population of MS patients using the hME assay by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight technology (Sequenom, San Diego, CA, USA). We show that these SNPs do contribute to the risk of MS in these two unrelated European MS patient populations with odds ratios varying from 1.1 to 1.5. The discovery and validation of new genetic risk factors in independent populations may help toward the understanding of MS pathogenesis by providing valuable information on biological pathways to be investigated.

Age at onset determines the occurrence of the progressive phase of multiple sclerosis.

We investigated the influence of age at disease onset on timing of the progressive phase in 957 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Age at onset powerfully predicts the probability of developing a primary progressive form of the disease. Moreover, age at onset strongly determines the time to conversion to secondary progression for patients presenting with a relapsing form. This suggests that age at onset strongly influences the neurodegenerative component of MS.

Intramedullary abscess resulting from disseminated cryptococcosis despite immune restoration in a patient with AIDS.

We report on a case of cryptococcal intramedullary abscess, which occurred three years after a disseminated cryptococcosis and two years after a lymph node cryptococcal recurrence in a HIV-infected patient who exhibited a long-standing immune restoration. At the time of diagnosis, CD4(+) lymphocyte-count was 640x10(6)/l and HIV viral load was undetectable. Spinal involvement is rare during cryptococcosis of the central nervous system. As far as we are aware, there is only one case of proven intramedullary cryptococcal abscess reported in the literature and this case is then the second one. The significant and sustained increase in CD4 count following effective antiretroviral therapy was probably associated with only a partial immune restitution that did not allow to avoid the occurrence of the cryptococcal medullar abscess. Finally, this case raises the question of when to stop secondary prophylaxis of cryptococcal disease after increase in CD4 cell count under antiretroviral therapy.

[Propriospinal myoclonus in a HIV seropositive patient]. / Myoclonies propriospinales chez un patient séropositif pour le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine.

We report axial myoclonic jerks causing flexion of the trunk, neck, left shoulder, hips and knees in a 28-years-old HIV positive patient. The clinical and electromyographic features of the jerks were consistent with a spinal origin and corresponded to the new concept of propriospinal myoclonus. No structural lesion was identified in this patient. Neurological examination was otherwise normal. HIV specific antibodies were detected in CSF, suggesting central nervous system infection. Spinal myoclonus should be considered an unusual and early manifestation of central nervous system HIV infection.

Xenogenic transplantation into newborn rodent brain: neovascularization of the graft by the host.

Neoangiogenesis of transplants implanted into the brains of newborn rodent hosts was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for 2 weeks after the operation. The use of species-specific antibodies directed against mouse endothelial cells demonstrated the respective participation of the host and the donor in the formation of new vessels in the graft after crossed rabbit into mouse and mouse into rat transplantation experiments. We show that blood vessels made by host endothelial cells begin to penetrate the transplant 24 h after grafting, and cross it completely by 72 h. Simultaneously, host astrocytes invade the transplant.