Refractive change in thyroid eye disease (a neglected clinical sign).

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The literature on refractive change in thyroid eye disease (TED) is limited. This study documents the refractive change in patients with TED undergoing orbital decompression. The authors propose possible mechanisms for their acquired refractive error. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational case study of five patients with progressive TED. Their detailed eye examinations including refractive state preoperatively and postoperatively are presented. RESULTS: An acquired hypermetropic shift with active TED before orbital decompression of up to 3.75 D spherical equivalent refraction (SER) is reported in one patient. Post-orbital decompression, an induced myopic shift of between 1.00-2.50 D SER for all patients is observed, noted to range from 1 day following surgery to up to 9 months, dependent on the availability of data. Axial length increased in two cases corresponding to postoperative myopic shift. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of one patient demonstrate flattening of the posterior pole as a cause of the acquired preoperative hypermetropia. CONCLUSIONS: TED has a significant effect on the refractive state of patients. The proposed mechanism of acquired hypermetropia relates to increased volume of orbital contents with flattening of the posterior globe. This is reversed with successful orbital decompression. Documentation of refractive error in all cases of progressive TED is recommended. Progressive acquired hypermetropia may be suggestive of TED activity.

The tumor biology of melanoma nodal metastases.

Approximately 20 per cent of melanomas greater than 0.76 mm in thickness will metastasize to the regional lymph nodes if treated with wide local excision alone (WLE). Elective lymph node dissection (ELND) is associated with significant morbidity, which includes lymphedema, wound complications, and paresthesias of the extremity. An alternative operative approach uses selective lymphadenectomy with the identification of the sentinel node, defined as the first node in the lymphatic basin that drains the primary cutaneous site. This study consisted of 132 patients with melanomas greater than 0.76 mm. One hundred nine patients (83%) had histologic negative sentinel nodes, and 23 patients (17%) had one or more sentinel nodes positive for disease. In patients with metastatic disease, 30/35 (86%) sentinel nodes were positive, and 25/357 (7%) nonsentinel nodes were positive (P < 0.001). In 18 patients (78%) of the 23 patients with metastatic disease, the sentinel node was the only node positive, strongly suggesting that there is an orderly progression of metastases. Two patients developed metastatic nodal disease after removal of a negative sentinel node (false negative rate = 1.5). The mean follow-up was 1 year. Sentinel node histology reflects the histology of the remainder of the nodes in the lymphatic basin and "skip" metastases, defined as a negative sentinel node but positive nodes higher in the regional chain positive for metastases or an axillary recurrence after a negative sentinel node biopsy, are rare for malignant melanoma. Harvesting the sentinel node in patients with intermediate or greater thickness melanoma will, therefore, identify a subset of patients with metastatic disease who have the most to benefit from a complete node dissection. This surgical approach allows for complete pathological staging and therapeutic management of patients while significantly reducing expense and overall morbidity.