Guidelines for vismodegib in the management of periocular basal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The management of advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the periocular region remains a clinical challenge. Vismodegib (ErivedgeTM) has been approved in 2013 by Health Canada for adult patients with "histologically confirmed metastatic BCC or locally advanced BCC inappropriate for surgery or radiation." An expert consensus was sought to create a standardised approach in the use of this novel treatment. METHODS: Fourteen practicing oculoplastic surgeons across Canada were involved in formulating and reviewing guidelines until consensus was reached. A consultancy meeting was followed by further ratification of guidelines over email. Two voting surveys were performed of the group to objectively assess agreement over each statement within the guidelines. Ratification continued until at least two-thirds of the group agreed on every guideline statement. RESULTS: The guidelines summarize 21 statements in a major and minor criteria format. A multidisciplinary team review is suggested for each patient with the involvement of recommended specialists. The internal survey revealed 100% agreement over 9 statements, 91.7% agreement over 8 statements, 83.3% agreement over 4 statements, and 2 statements had 66.7% and 58.7% agreement each. All statements with less than 91.7% agreement were surveyed again, and they were kept, modified, or removed on the basis of a consensus of over 66.7%. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines serve to act as a framework for physicians considering vismodegib for the medical management of patients with advanced or metastatic periocular BCC. Future applications, including neoadjuvant uses of the drug, may become apparent through further research.

Cicatricial conjunctival inflammation with trichiasis as the presenting feature of Wegener granulomatosis.

Wegener granulomatosis has a variety of uncommon initial presentations. Although conjunctival involvement in this condition is rare, the diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis should be suspected when the conjunctival inflammation is recurrent and not typical of other conjunctival inflammatory conditions.

Enlarged extraocular muscles as the presenting feature of acromegaly.

: The authors report the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented with bilateral lower eyelid swelling and extraocular muscle enlargement as the initial manifestation of acromegaly. The acromegaly, however, was not diagnosed until 6 years after her symptoms began. Acromegaly should be entertained in the differential diagnosis of any patient who presents with bilateral, symmetrical extraocular muscle enlargement on computed tomographic scan, especially in the patient with normal thyroid hormone levels and no clinical findings associated with thyroid orbitopathy.

Asymptomatic lacrimal ductule dacryolithiasis with embedded cilia.

We describe a case of a 32-year-old man who presented with a visually apparent but otherwise asymptomatic mass in the right lateral fornix. Computerized tomography demonstrated the mass adjacent to the lacrimal gland. The mass was surgically removed, and histopathologic examination was consistent with a dacryolith of the lacrimal ductule. There were several cilia isolated from the dacryolith. This entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with a localized mass in the region of the lacrimal gland.