Malignant phyllodes tumor with metastases to lung, adrenal and brain: A rare case report.

BACKGROUND: Phyllodes tumors are spectrum of tumors ranging from benign to malignant. Malignant spectrum pose a management challenge for clinicians due to high risks of recurrence and metastasis. Malignant phyllodes tumor with brain, lung and adrenal metastases at the same time is rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37 years-old unmarried female presented with an ulcerated huge lump in left breast with severe bleeding. Trucut biopsy showed necrosis with spindle cell proliferation with atypia for which she underwent modified radical mastectomy with final diagnosis of malignant phyllodes tumor. Three months after surgery, patient presented with headache, which on further evaluation showed masses in lung, right adrenal and brain. CONCLUSION: We presented a rare case of malignant phyllodes tumor with clinical, imaging and histological findings with metastases to multiple sites early in course and poor outcome of the patient despite margin negative resection.

Pharmacologic prophylaxis and risk factors for intraoperative floppy-iris syndrome in phacoemulsification performed by resident physicians.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of intraoperative floppy-iris syndrome (IFIS) in patients taking tamsulosin who had surgery by resident physicians, the effect of prophylactic intracameral lidocaine-epinephrine on the incidence, and the relationship between preoperative dilated pupil diameter and the incidence. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA. METHODS: Charts of consecutive patients who had cataract extraction by resident physicians between January 2005 and July 2008 were reviewed. Operative notes for patients taking tamsulosin at the time of surgery were reviewed. Preoperative dilated pupil diameter; use of prophylactic intracameral lidocaine-epinephrine; and presence of billowing iris, iris prolapse, and pupil constriction were recorded. Intraoperative floppy-iris syndrome was defined as the occurrence of any of the 3 phenomena constituting the syndrome. RESULTS: Review of 1163 charts identified 59 patients (81 eyes) taking tamsulosin at the time of surgery. The overall incidence of IFIS was 29.6%. Of those who received prophylactic intracameral lidocaine-epinephrine, the incidence of IFIS was 38.5%. The incidence of IFIS was 44.8% in eyes with preoperative dilated pupil diameter smaller than 6.5 mm and 21.7% in eyes with a preoperative dilated pupil diameter larger than 6.5 mm. A preoperative dilated pupil diameter smaller than 6.5 mm was significantly associated with IFIS (P = .032). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IFIS was lower than previously reported. Use of prophylactic intracameral lidocaine-epinephrine did not reduce the incidence of IFIS. A preoperative dilated pupil diameter smaller than 6.5 mm was significantly associated with an increased incidence of IFIS.

Virtual reality simulation in acquiring and differentiating basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills.

OBJECTIVE: A virtual reality (VR) surgical simulator (EyeSi ophthalmosurgical simulator: VRMagic, Mannheim, Germany) was evaluated as a part-task training platform for differentiating and developing basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills. METHODS: Surgical novice performance (residents, interns, and nonmicrosurgical ophthalmic staff) was compared with surgical expert performance (practicing ophthalmic microsurgeons) on a basic navigational microdexterity module provided with the EyeSi simulator. RESULTS: Expert surgeons showed a greater initial facility with all microsurgical tasks. With repeated practice, novice surgeons showed sequential improvement in all performance scores, approaching but not equaling expert performance. CONCLUSION: VR simulator performance can be used as a gated, quantifiable performance goal to expert-level benchmarks. The EyeSi is a valid part-task training platform that may help develop novice surgeon dexterity to expert surgeon levels.

Managing the broken capsule.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Posterior capsular rupture is a common complication of cataract extraction surgery. Prompt management of anterior and posterior capsular tears may prevent associated complications or need for subsequent procedural intervention. RECENT FINDINGS: When tears develop in the anterior capsule, novel techniques allow predictable rescue of a capsulorhexis, preventing radial extension to the posterior capsule. Several case series now describe techniques and outcomes of posterior assisted levitation techniques for a dislocated nucleus. Triamcinolone staining of the vitreous improves visualization and removal of vitreous in the anterior segment following capsular rupture. Recently published studies further describe the increased risks of endophthalmitis and retinal detachment following capsular tears. SUMMARY: Several techniques may prove beneficial in the intraoperative management of an anterior capsular tear, a dislocated nucleus, or vitreous loss.

Bilateral isolated lateral geniculate body lesions in a patient with pancreatitis and microangiopathy.

An 18-year-old woman developed pancreatitis and a thrombotic microangiopathy but no electrolyte abnormalities. She required intubation hours after admission and was not able to communicate for 8 days. Upon recovering consciousness, she reported severely impaired vision in both eyes, but ophthalmologic evaluation and neuroimaging were not obtained until several days later. Ophthalmologic examination documented retinal infarcts and profound binocular vision loss with hourglass bilateral homonymous hemianopic visual field loss. MRI showed signal abnormalities restricted to the area of the lateral geniculate bodies (LGBs) with characteristics most suggestive of hemorrhagic infarction. Very few cases of isolated bilateral LBG lesions have been reported. Damage has been attributed to myelinolysis from osmotic demyelination or to infarction from microvascular occlusion. This case conforms more to microvascular infarction. The vulnerability of the LGB to selective microvascular infarction may be based on a combination of its unique architecture and high metabolic demand.

Low cost eye surgery simulator with skill assessment component.

Ophthalmic surgeons require years of training and continuous practice to successfully manipulate the delicate tissues of the human eye. Development of the fine motor skills is a crucial component of this training. Virtual eye surgery simulators have come on the market in recent years leveraging the advantages of virtual procedures. However adoption is limited by the high initial investment and availability of models. Our approach consists of a low cost hybrid approach that employs a standard porcine model for cataract training and a platform that is instrumented to record interaction forces and video. In a preliminary study we have recorded procedure data for a small number of experts which shows good signal-to-noise ratio suitable for development of objective skill assessment models.

Intraocular pressure in a Somali population living in the United States.

PURPOSE: Intraocular pressure is a risk factor for the development of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. With few exceptions, higher mean intraocular pressure and greater prevalences of glaucoma have been reported for individuals of African origin. This study was performed to compare the mean intraocular pressure of a group of ethnic East Africans living in the United States with that of Caucasians living in the same community. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective comparison of Somali patients 30 years of age or greater with age- and gender-matched Caucasian control subjects. All patients were seen in the same clinic in Seattle, Washington, between July 1996 and March 1998. Patients were excluded for conditions or medications affecting intraocular pressure and for a diagnosis of glaucoma. Mean intraocular pressure of the two populations was compared using an independent sample two-tailed t test. RESULTS: Following exclusions and defined age limits, 57 Somali patients and 57 Caucasian control subjects were included in the final analysis. Mean age of Somalis was 48.5 +/- 12.2 years versus 48.1 +/- 11.3 years for control subjects (P = 0.84). The mean intraocular pressure of Somalis was 13.76 +/- 3.63 mm Hg versus 13.94 +/- 2.78 mm Hg for control subjects (P = 0.77). CONCLUSION: Some populations of African origin may not have higher mean intraocular pressures compared with non-African populations. Consideration of ethnic and racial origins more specific than "African" should be given when evaluating intraocular pressure in individual patients.