Outcomes of Patients With Thyroid Eye Disease Partially Treated With Teprotumumab.

PURPOSE: In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, teprotumumab production was temporarily halted with resources diverted toward vaccine production. Many patients who initiated treatment with teprotumumab for thyroid eye disease were forced to deviate from the standard protocol. This study investigates the response of teprotumumab when patients receive fewer than the standard 8-dose regimen. METHODS: This observational cross-sectional cohort study included patients from 15 institutions with active or minimal to no clinical activity thyroid eye disease treated with the standard teprotumumab infusion protocol. Patients were included if they had completed at least 1 teprotumumab infusion and had not yet completed all 8 planned infusions. Data were collected before teprotumumab initiation, within 3 weeks of last dose before interruption, and at the visit before teprotumumab reinitiation. The primary outcome measure was reduction in proptosis more than 2 mm. Secondary outcome measures included change in clinical activity score (CAS), extraocular motility restriction, margin reflex distance-1 (MRD1), and reported adverse events. RESULTS: The study included 74 patients. Mean age was 57.8 years, and 77% were female. There were 62 active and 12 minimal to no clinical activity patients. Patients completed an average of 4.2 teprotumumab infusions before interruption. A significant mean reduction in proptosis (-2.9 mm in active and -2.8 mm in minimal to no clinical activity patients, P < 0.01) was noted and maintained during interruption. For active patients, a 3.4-point reduction in CAS ( P < 0.01) and reduction in ocular motility restriction ( P < 0.01) were maintained during interruption. CONCLUSIONS: Patients partially treated with teprotumumab achieve significant reduction in proptosis, CAS, and extraocular muscle restriction and maintain these improvements through the period of interruption.

Apparent prevalence and risk factors for bovine tuberculosis in the state of Paraná, Brazil: an assessment after 18 years since the beginning of the Brazilian program.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) impacts considerably animal production and one health worldwide. To describe the prevalence, risk factors, and spatial pattern of the disease in the state of Paraná, Brazil, a cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2018 to February 2019. The area was divided into seven regions. Within each region, farms were randomly selected, and a predetermined number of cows was selected and tested by a comparative cervical tuberculin test. 17,210 animals were tested across 1757 farms. Herd prevalence of bTB-infected herds in Paraná was 2.5% [1.87-3.00%]. It has varied from 0.8 to 3.98% among seven regions, with clustering being detected in the west, central, and northeast areas. Animal prevalence was 0.35% [0.21-0.59%] and has varied from 0.08 to 0.6% among the pre-set regions. No major shifts in the prevalence of bTB were detected since 2007. Large-sized herds, dairy production, and feeding with whey were detected to be correlated with the presence of bTB. Exclusively among dairy herds, veterinary assistance from cooperatives, possession of self-owned equipment to cool milk, and feeding with whey were correlated with the disease. Considering these results, it is recommended that the state of Paraná seek to implement a surveillance system for the detection of bTB-infected herds transforming them into free ones, if possible, incorporating elements of risk-based surveillance. Health education is also recommended to inform farmers about the risks of introducing animals without testing and of feeding raw whey to calves.

Impact of Social Media on Applicant Perspectives of Ophthalmology Residency Programs.

Purpose This article evaluates the relevance of social media to ophthalmology residency applicants in the setting of virtual interviews, the types of information sought by applicants, and the impact of rebranding of an institutional and departmental social media account. Design Cross-sectional survey. Participants Ophthalmology residency applicants from the 2020 to 2021 cycle. Methods A voluntary survey was emailed to 481 applicants to the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology residency during the 2020 to 2021 application cycle to gauge the impact of social media on their perspectives of residency programs, especially with regards to a new departmental social media account. Main Outcome Measures Applicants' use of social media platforms and specific components of departmental social media accounts found most useful. Results The 13-question survey was completed by 84/481 applicants (17.5% response rate). Social media was used by 93% of respondents. Of those respondents reporting social media use, the most common platforms utilized included Instagram (85%), Facebook (83%), Twitter (41%), and LinkedIn (29%). Sixty-nine percent of respondents specifically used Instagram to learn more about residency programs. With regards to the rebranded Instagram account at the University of Louisville, 58% of respondents reported being influenced, with all asserting that the account positively encouraged them to apply to the program. The most informative elements of the account related to current resident profiles, resident life, and living in Louisville. Conclusion A majority of responding ophthalmology residency applicants utilized social media to search for program information. A newly developed social media profile at a single institution positively influenced applicant impressions of the program, with the most importance assigned to information provided about current residents and typical resident life. These findings suggest key areas where programs should continue to dedicate online resources with targeted information to better recruit applicants.

Post-operative epiphora following the transcutaneous medial canthal incision.

PURPOSE: The safety profile of the transcutaneous medial canthal incision for access to the medial orbit is assessed with a focus on the risk of post-operative iatrogenic epiphora. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing medial orbitotomy via the transcutaneous medial canthal incision was performed. Patients with a minimum of 3 months of follow-up were included and post-operative complications were assessed and characterized. RESULTS: One-hundred-fifty patients were included in the study. A total of 4 complications were identified, including one each of the following: nasolacrimal duct obstruction, hypertrophic scar, suture granuloma and soft tissue infection. Only the nasolacrimal duct obstruction required surgical intervention. DISCUSSION: Access to the medial orbit has been achieved through a variety of approaches, each with their own benefits and risk profile. The transcaruncular approach has increased in usage as a means to avoid a visible cutaneous scar and decrease the risk of iatrogenic epiphora, however, there are specific patients who may have relative contraindications to this approach. The current study demonstrates the low risk profile of the transcutaneous medial canthal incision, specifically the minimal risk of iatrogenic damage to the nasolacrimal outflow system. This approach is another useful tool which orbit surgeons should be familiar with to offer as an option to patients requiring medial orbitotomy.

Early Experience With Nonporous Polyethylene Barrier Sheet in Orbital Fracture Repair.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the nonporous polyethylene barrier sheet as an alternative for nylon foil (SupraFOIL) implants in repair of orbital fractures. METHODS: This is a prospective, case series using the Stryker 0.4-mm-thick nonporous polyethylene barrier sheet in all patients over the age of 18 years presenting with orbital fractures from December 2014 to June 2015. Patient's age, location of fracture, etiology of injury, presence of preoperative restriction and diplopia, and postoperative diplopia and/or enophthalmos was recorded. Institutional review board approval was received, and consent was obtained from all participants. Patients were followed for at least 6 months when possible. Scanning electron microscopy was used to compare the thickness, surface characteristics, and porosity of the nonporous polyethylene barrier and nylon foil implants. Beam deflection testing was also performed to compare the biomechanical properties of each implant. RESULTS: Forty-six patients who underwent repair of orbital fractures with the nonporous polyethylene barrier sheet were included in this series. Average age was 43.3 years (range: 18-84 years). Twenty-six of 46 patients (56.5%) were males, and 20 (43.4%) were females. The most common causes of injuries were assault (38.3%), falls (25.5%), motor vehicle accident (14.9%), and sports related (10.5%). Twenty of 46 patients (43.4%) had isolated orbital floor, and 2 patients (4.3%) had isolated medial wall fractures. Fifteen patients (32.6%) had combined floor and medial wall fractures involving the inferomedial orbital strut, and 9 (19.6%) had floor fractures associated with zygomaticomaxillary complex or lateral wall fractures. Twenty-eight patients (60.9%) had preoperative diplopia. Timing of surgery was between 3 and 55 days, with the median of 11.5 days. Five of 46 patients (10.8%) had residual diplopia at their 1-week postoperative visit, 4 of those patients' diplopia had resolved at 2 months postoperatively. One patient had residual diplopia at 6-month follow up. Electron microscopy showed that the 0.4-mm nonporous polyethylene barrier implant was thinner (0.33 mm) than expected and thinner than 0.4-mm SupraFOIL (0.38 mm). Scanning electron microscopy exhibited that the surface of the nonporous polyethylene barrier was smooth and nonporous. Beam deflection testing showed that for small forces (<100 mN), the 2 materials behaved nearly identically, but at higher forces, the nonporous polyethylene implant exhibited less stiffness. CONCLUSIONS: The use of nonporous polyethylene barrier sheet implant for orbital fracture repair is a safe and effective alternative to nonporous nylon foil implants. There were no complications and one case of residual diplopia (2.1%) in this case series.

Long-term outcomes following first short-term clinically important deterioration in COPD.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by varying trajectories of decline. Information regarding the prognostic value of preventing short-term clinically important deterioration (CID) in lung function, health status, or first moderate/severe exacerbation as a composite endpoint of worsening is needed. We evaluated post hoc the link between early CID and long-term adverse outcomes. METHODS: CID was defined as ≥100 mL decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), ≥4-unit increase in St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score from baseline, and/or a moderate/severe exacerbation during enrollment in two 3-year studies. Presence of CID was assessed at 6 months for the principal analysis (TORCH) and 12 months for the confirmatory analysis (ECLIPSE). Association between presence (+) or absence (-) of CID and long-term deterioration in FEV1, SGRQ, future risk of exacerbations, and all-cause mortality was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 2870 (54%; TORCH) and 1442 (73%; ECLIPSE) patients were CID+. At 36 months, in TORCH, CID+ patients (vs CID-) had sustained clinically significant worsening of FEV1 (- 117 mL; 95% confidence interval [CI]: - 134, - 100 mL; P < 0.001) and SGRQ score (+ 6.42 units; 95% CI: 5.40, 7.45; P < 0.001), and had higher risk of exacerbations (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61 [95% CI: 1.50, 1.72]; P < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.41 [95% CI: 1.15, 1.72]; P < 0.001). Similar risks post-CID were observed in ECLIPSE. CONCLUSIONS: A CID within 6-12 months of follow-up was consistently associated with increased long-term risk of exacerbations and all-cause mortality, and predicted sustained meaningful loss in FEV1 and health status amongst survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00268216 ; NCT00292552 .

U-BIOPRED: evaluation of the value of a public-private partnership to industry.

Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) was initiated in the first year of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). It was an ambitious plan to tackle the understanding of asthma through an integration of clinical and multi-'omics approaches that necessitated the bringing together of industry, academic, and patient representatives because it was too large to be managed by any one of the partners in isolation. It was a novel experience for all concerned. In this review, we describe the main features of the U-BIOPRED experience from the industry perspective. We list some of the key advantages and learnings from the perspective of the authors, and also improvements that we feel could be made in future projects.

Sphenoid Dysplasia: A Rare Presentation of Infantile Myofibroma.

The authors report a case of isolated congenital orbital myofibroma causing sphenoid dysplasia and presenting as global restriction of extraocular motility and ptosis in a neonate. Sphenoid wing dysplasia is most commonly associated neurofibromatosis 1 but this patient had no evidence of neurofibromatosis on clinical examination and genetic testing. Congenital orbital myofibroma can have secondary effects on bone and likely the lesion was present early in development leading to aplasia of the sphenoid bone. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of sphenoid wing aplasia secondary to congenital orbital myofibroma independent of neurofibromatosis 1.

Corrigendum to "Ophthalmic considerations in patients with pfeiffer syndrome." [Am. J. Ophthalmol. Case Reports (2) 2016 1-3].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2016.04.001.].

Combined medial canthopexy and lateral tarsal strip for floppy eyelid syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe the eyelid condition known as "floppy eyelid syndrome" and to present the results of our experience treating patients with floppy eyelid syndrome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 16 patients from 2009 to 2013 who underwent combined medial canthopexy and lateral tarsal strip by two surgeons (HBL and WRN) for the treatment of floppy eyelid syndrome (FES). Age, gender, presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), papillary conjunctivitis, punctate keratopathy and lash ptosis were recorded pre-operatively. Outcomes assessed included improvement in upper eyelid laxity, operative complications, post-operative symptomatic relief and delayed recurrence of FES. RESULTS: A total of 18 procedures (on 36 eyelids) were performed on 16 patients over the 4-year period. All patients (18/18) had relief of symptoms and good functional results, defined as improvement in lid laxity and resolution of symptoms. Average follow up was 124days. 8 of 16 patients (50%) had a pre-existing diagnosis of OSA. The remaining 8 patients were referred for sleep study and 2 were subsequently diagnosed with OSA. Two patients experienced some degree of FES recurrence without return of symptoms. There was one complication reported in which a partial dehiscence of the lateral canthal tendon occurred which did not require operative revision. CONCLUSIONS: Combined medial canthopexy and lateral tarsal strip are a safe and effective technique for the treatment of floppy eyelid syndrome. There is a strong association of FES and OSA and it is important to have any patient diagnosed with FES evaluated for OSA.

Nodular Fasciitis of the Orbit.

A 13-month-old boy was presented with new onset proptosis of the right eye. CT scan and MRI showed an enhancing mass in the right superior orbit with local bone remodeling and erosion. A craniotomy was performed for biopsy and sub-total resection. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the lesion to be nodular fasciitis. Nodular fasciitis lesions are classically found in the anterior ocular adnexa, especially in pediatric patients. This is the first reported case of nodular fasciitis arising in the posterior orbit of a child younger than 16.

Foreign Body Granuloma Following Orbital Reconstruction with Porous Polyethylene.

Porous polyethylene is commonly used in the orbit for fracture repair and anophthalmic reconstruction; it reportedly has a good safety profile and integrates well into host tissue. Foreign body reaction to porous polyethylene has been reported in facial tissue, but to our knowledge, not in the orbit. The authors report 2 cases of foreign body inflammatory giant cell reaction in patients who underwent orbital fracture repairs with porous polyethylene implants.

Ophthalmic considerations in patients with Pfeiffer syndrome.

PURPOSE: We report here a newborn male infant with striking features consistent with severe Pfeiffer syndrome type II, including cloverleaf skull deformity with pansynostosis, extreme proptosis, upper extremity contractures, broad big toes and thumbs with varus deviation and genetic mutation in the FGFR2 gene. The authors review the ophthalmic complications in Pfeiffer syndrome and discuss the unique surgical strategies used for obtaining adequate corneal coverage in these unique patients. OBSERVATIONS: Ophthalmic considerations in Type 2 Pfeiffer Syndrome include vision loss secondary to increased intracranial pressure, and extreme proptosis as a result of orbitostenosis and midfacial retrusion. Our patient has undergone multiple ophthalmic/oculoplastic, neurosurgical, and midfacial surgeries as a result of corneal deterioration due to extreme exorbitism. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: It is important for ophthalmologists to be aware of the ophthalmic complications associated with patients with craniosynostosis syndromes. Our case identifies the importance of close communication between ophthalmology and plastic reconstructive surgery to help formulate the most successful plan in treating corneal decompensation and proptosis in Pfeiffer Syndrome patients.

Recession and Extirpation of the Lower Eyelid Retractors for Paralytic Lagophthalmos.

PURPOSE: To describe a technique to correct lower eyelid malposition and lagophthalmos due to facial nerve palsy. METHODS: Chart review was performed and identified 13 patients with facial nerve palsy, who presented with paralytic eyelid malposition and were treated with recession and extirpation of the lower eyelid retractors between September 2012 and March 2014 by 1 surgeon (HBL). RESULTS: A total of 12 eyelids in 11 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean preoperative MRD2 was 10 mm (range, 9.0-12.0 mm) and the mean postoperative MRD2 was 7 mm (range, 5.0-9.0 mm). The MRD2 improved an average of 3.0 mm in each patient (range, 2.0-4.0 mm). Patients had an average of 6.9 mm (range, 4.0-10.0 mm) of lagophthalmos preoperatively, which improved to 2.1 mm (range, 0.0-4 mm). The amount of lagophthalmos improved an average of 4.8 mm in the patients. There were no complications encountered in the patients. All patients had a subjective improvement in ocular comfort. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' surgical technique is effective in addressing lower eyelid malposition and ocular surface disease in paralytic lagophthalmos.

The Prevalence of Air Regurgitation and Its Consequences After Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy and Dacryocystorhinostomy in Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Patients.

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of air regurgitation into the periocular region in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) patients with a history of conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with a Lester Jones tube and a dacryocystorhinostomy with silicone intubation, as well as problems caused by this regurgitation and methods to cope. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients who either underwent a conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy or dacryocystorhinostomy was performed. Patients were contacted via phone interview. Demographic information, history of sleep apnea, use of CPAP, and presence of air regurgitation and associated complications were recorded. Institutional review board/ethics committee approval was obtained. RESULTS: Two patients who underwent a conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Lester Jones tube and were on CPAP were identified. Both complained of air regurgitation, sensation of Lester Jones tube moving due to regurgitation, and periodic eye pain. Twenty-two patients who underwent a dacryocystorhinostomy with silicone stent and used CPAP were identified. Of these, 16 (72.7%) complained of air regurgitation. Difficulty sleeping (56.2%), dry eye symptoms upon waking (68.8%), eye pain upon waking (31.3%), and blurry vision upon waking (12.5%) were the commonest complaints due to air regurgitation. A total of 7 (43.7%) patients had to discontinue their CPAP at some point due to symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study brings to light the prevalence of air regurgitation in dacryocystorhinostomy procedures, and its associated symptoms. Given that this procedure is much more common than conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy, surgeons should consider asking patients before performing surgery whether they use CPAP. Patients should be consented regarding the risk of air regurgitation and associated dry eye, foreign body sensation, and eye pain.