A 10-Year Review of the Management of Ocular Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid: A Private Practice Experience.

PURPOSE: Ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OcMMP) is a rare and potentially blinding condition for which consensus treatment guidelines do not exist. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of various immunomodulatory agents in the treatment of OcMMP in a private practice setting. METHODS: We conducted a 10-year retrospective chart review of patients managed with OcMMP (n = 22). The median age at diagnosis was 73 (range: 35-91) years, and 59% (13/22) of patients were female. Visual acuity, Foster stage, and adverse effects (AEs) were documented. Treatment outcomes for each treatment episode were qualified at 3 months as complete response (CR), response (R), or failure (F). After 3 months, CR was then further subqualified as sustained CR, reactivation after initial CR, or AE after initial CR. The Fisher exact test P values were calculated for each outcome in comparison with mycophenolate. RESULTS: Twenty patients were treated with an immunomodulatory agent for a total of 55 treatment episodes. In comparison to dapsone, mycophenolate was more likely to achieve sustained CR (50% vs. 0%, P = 0.022) and R (100% vs. 50%, P = 0.007), and less likely to fail (0% vs. 50%, P = 0.007). Dapsone was also more likely to be discontinued because of AEs than mycophenolate (40% vs. 6%, P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Mycophenolate is a superior first-line agent to dapsone in the treatment of OcMMP. Although not statistically significant, mycophenolate trends toward superiority over methotrexate as well. Mycophenolate is very effective when used in combination with rituximab. Azathioprine remains a reasonable second-line agent.

Retrobulbar hemorrhage decompression with paracanthal "one-snip" method: Time to retire lateral canthotomy?

Orbital compartment syndrome is a rare but serious condition most commonly as a result of traumatic retrobulbar hemorrhage and must be treated quickly to avoid ischemic damage to the optic nerve and retina. While the previously accepted standard of care for management of this condition has been lateral canthotomy with inferior cantholysis, this procedure can be challenging for physicians to perform given the rarity of the condition and that patients are frequently in significant pain often with significant periocular edema. In this case, orbital compartment syndrome was effectively treated with a paracanthal "one-snip" incision quickly and efficiently in the ED. This procedure offers a more manageable alternative treatment which has been found to produce a satisfactory intraocular pressure reduction in both cadaver models and now a patient with confirmed retrobulbar hemorrhage and resultant orbital compartment syndrome.