Cataract surgery in patients with chronic severe graft-versus-host disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of cataract extraction with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation in patients with severe chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). SETTING: University of South Florida Eye Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA. DESIGN: Retrospective case study. METHODS: A chart review was performed to identify patients with clinically severe, biopsy-proven chronic ocular GVHD who had cataract extraction. Outcome parameters included preoperative and postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), type of cataract, postoperative complications, type of underlying malignancy, and time from bone marrow transplant to cataract extraction. RESULTS: This study comprised 10 eyes of 6 patients with severe GVHD. Posterior subcapsular cataract accounted for all cataracts that were surgically removed in this patient cohort. The mean preoperative CDVA was 20/84, which improved to 20/30 at the 1-month postoperative visit and remained stable at 20/28 at the final visit noted in the charts (both P < .05). Two patients developed postoperative corneal melting. All but 1 patient had improved visual acuity after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: With meticulous preoperative biometric measurements and calculations and aggressive assessment and treatment of dry-eye syndrome, patients with severe ocular GVHD who had cataract extraction had excellent postsurgical refractive outcomes. Postoperative corneal melting was a complication seen with greater frequency than anticipated in this patient cohort. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Impact of Etanercept Therapy on Disease Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Moderate Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Population from a National British Observational Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a population with moderate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before biologic initiation and assess change in disease status, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and adverse events in etanercept (ETN)-treated patients. METHODS: Data on adult patients with moderate RA (3.2 < Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints [DAS28] ≤ 5.1) were retrospectively analyzed from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register comparing a nonbiologic-treated group (nBG) using at least one traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug to a biologic group (BG) treated with ETN. The HRQOL was assessed by using the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index score. To mitigate confounding, we controlled for drivers of progression. Appropriate univariate, multivariate, and regression analyses were used. RESULTS: A total of 1754 patients with RA were assessed (211 BG and 1543 nBG). Compared with the nBG, the BG tended toward higher disease activity, such as significantly higher tender joints and DAS28. The BG compared with the nBG had 1) a greater reduction in DAS28 and Health Assessment Questionnaire scores; 2) disease remission occurring more often (odds ratio = 2.7; P = 0.006); and 3) progression occurring in fewer patients (odds ratio = 0.3; P = 0.002). BG patients had a higher incidence of "other serious infection" and "other central nervous system-related events," with no significant differences in associated hospitalization rates or deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with moderate RA from a clinical practice registry, ETN-treated patients had significantly higher disease activity at the time of biologic initiation but significantly reduced disease activity and better HRQOL after 6 months compared with nBG patients, although the possibility of unmeasured confounding remains. The ETN group reported significantly higher incidences of "other serious infections" and "other central nervous system-related events" without higher hospitalization rates.