Phase space analysis of two-wavelength interferometry.

Multiple wavelength phase shifting interferometry is widely used to extend the unambiguous range (UR) beyond that of a single wavelength. Towards this end, many algorithms have been developed to calculate the optical path difference (OPD) from the phase measurements of multiple wavelengths. These algorithms fail when phase error exceeds a specific threshold. In this paper, we examine this failure condition. We introduce a "phase-space" view of multi-wavelength algorithms and demonstrate how this view may be used to understand an algorithm's robustness to phase measurement error. In particular, we show that the robustness of the synthetic wavelength algorithm deteriorates near the edges of its UR. We show that the robustness of de Groot's extended range algorithm [Appl. Opt.33, 5948 (1994)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.33.005948] depends on both wavelength and OPD in a non-trivial manner. Further, we demonstrate that the algorithm developed by Houairi and Cassaing (HC) [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A26, 2503 (2009)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.26.002503] results in uniform robustness across the entire UR. Finally, we explore the effect that wavelength error has on the robustness of the HC algorithm.

Explaining Predictive Model Performance: An Experimental Study of Data Preparation and Model Choice.

Although confirmatory modeling has dominated much of applied research in medical, business, and behavioral sciences, modeling large data sets with the goal of accurate prediction has become more widely accepted. The current practice for fitting predictive models is guided by heuristic-based modeling frameworks that lead researchers to make a series of often isolated decisions regarding data preparation and cleaning that may result in substandard predictive performance. In this article, we use an experimental design to evaluate the impact of six factors related to data preparation and model selection (techniques for numerical imputation, categorical imputation, encoding, subsampling for unbalanced data, feature selection, and machine learning algorithm) and their interactions on the predictive accuracy of models applied to a large, publicly available heart transplantation database. Our factorial experiment includes 10,800 models evaluated on 5 independent test partitions of the data. Results confirm that some decisions made early in the modeling process interact with later decisions to affect predictive performance; therefore, the current practice of making these decisions independently can negatively affect predictive outcomes. A key result of this case study is to highlight the need for improved rigor in applied predictive research. By using the scientific method to inform predictive modeling, we can work toward a framework for applied predictive modeling and a standard for reproducibility in predictive research.

Accurate Screening for Early-Stage Breast Cancer by Detection and Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells.

BACKGROUND: The early detection of breast cancer (BrC) is associated with improved survival. We describe a blood-based breast cancer detection test based on functional enrichment of breast-adenocarcinoma-associated circulating tumor cells (BrAD-CTCs) and their identification via multiplexed fluorescence immunocytochemistry (ICC) profiling for GCDFP15, GATA3, EpCAM, PanCK, and CD45 status. METHODS: The ability of the test to differentiate BrC cases (N = 548) from healthy women (N = 9632) was evaluated in a case-control clinical study. The ability of the test to differentiate BrC cases from those with benign breast conditions was evaluated in a prospective clinical study of women (N = 141) suspected of BrC. RESULTS: The test accurately detects BrAD-CTCs in breast cancers, irrespective of age, ethnicity, disease stage, grade, or hormone receptor status. Analytical validation established the high accuracy and reliability of the test under intended use conditions. The test detects and differentiates BrC cases from healthy women with 100% specificity and 92.07% overall sensitivity in a case-control study. In a prospective clinical study, the test shows 93.1% specificity and 94.64% overall sensitivity in differentiating breast cancer cases (N = 112) from benign breast conditions (N = 29). CONCLUSION: The findings reported in this manuscript support the clinical potential of this test for blood-based BrC detection.

Cost-comparison analysis of a multiplatform tumour profiling service to guide advanced cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Tumor profiling is increasingly used in advanced cancer patients to define treatment options, especially in refractory cases where no standard treatment is available. Caris Molecular Intelligence (CMI) is a multiplatform tumor profiling service that is comprehensive of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA and RNA, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridisation (FISH). The aim of this study is to compare costs of CMI-guided treatment with prior or planned treatment options in correlation with outcome results. METHODS: Retrospective data from five clinical trials were collected to define the treatment decision prior to the receipt of the CMI report (n = 137 patients). A systematic review of treatment data from 11 clinical studies of CMI (n = 385 patients) allowed a comparison of planned vs actual (n = 137) and prior vs actual (n = 229) treatment costs. RESULTS: Treatment plan was changed in 88% of CMI-profiled cases. The actual CMI guided treatment cost per cycle was £995 in 385 treated patients. Planned treatment costs were comparable to actual treatment costs (£979 vs £945; p = 0.7123) and prior treatment costs were not significantly different to profiling-guided treatments (£892 vs £850; p = 0.631). CONCLUSIONS: Caris Molecular Intelligence guided treatment cost per cycle was in the range of prior or planned treatment cost/cycle. Due to beneficial overall survival the additional cost of performing CMI's multiplatform testing to the treatment costs seems to be cost-effective.

Anti-tumour activity of a first-in-class agent NUC-1031 in patients with advanced cancer: results of a phase I study.

BACKGROUND: Gemcitabine is used to treat a wide range of tumours, but its efficacy is limited by cancer cell resistance mechanisms. NUC-1031, a phosphoramidate modification of gemcitabine, is the first anti-cancer ProTide to enter the clinic and is designed to overcome these key resistance mechanisms. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with advanced solid tumours who had relapsed after treatment with standard therapy were recruited to a dose escalation study to determine the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) and assess the safety of NUC-1031. Pharmacokinetics and anti-tumour activity was also assessed. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients received treatment, 50% of whom had prior exposure to gemcitabine. NUC-1031 was well tolerated with the most common Grade 3/4 adverse events of neutropaenia, lymphopaenia and fatigue occurring in 13 patients each (19%). In 49 response-evaluable patients, 5 (10%) achieved a partial response and 33 (67%) had stable disease, resulting in a 78% disease control rate. Cmax levels of the active intracellular metabolite, dFdCTP, were 217-times greater than those reported for equimolar doses of gemcitabine, with minimal toxic metabolite accumulation. The RP2D was determined as 825 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. CONCLUSIONS: NUC-1031 was well tolerated and demonstrated clinically significant anti-tumour activity, even in patients with prior gemcitabine exposure and in cancers not traditionally perceived as gemcitabine-responsive.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists During Chemotherapy for Preservation of Ovarian Function and Fertility in Premenopausal Patients With Early Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient-Level Data.

Purpose The role of temporary ovarian suppression with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) during chemotherapy as a strategy to preserve ovarian function and fertility in premenopausal women remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis using individual patient-level data was conducted to better assess the efficacy and safety of this strategy in patients with early breast cancer. Methods The trials in which premenopausal women with early breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy alone or with concurrent GnRHa were eligible for inclusion. Primary end points were premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) rate and post-treatment pregnancy rate. Disease-free survival and overall survival were secondary end points. Because each study represents a cluster, statistical analyses were performed using a random effects model. Results A total of 873 patients from five trials were included. POI rate was 14.1% in the GnRHa group and 30.9% in the control group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.57; P < .001). A total of 37 (10.3%) patients had at least one post-treatment pregnancy in the GnRHa group and 20 (5.5%) in the control group (incidence rate ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.06 to 3.15; P = .030). No significant differences in disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.42; P = .999) and overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.42 to 1.06; P = .083) were observed between groups. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of temporary ovarian suppression with GnRHa during chemotherapy as an available option to reduce the likelihood of chemotherapy-induced POI and potentially improve future fertility in premenopausal patients with early breast cancer.

Inference for Under-Dispersed Data: Assessing the Performance of an Airborne Spacing Algorithm.

Poisson regression is a commonly used tool for analyzing rate data; however, the assumption that the mean and variance of a process are equal rarely holds true in practice. When this assumption is violated, a quasi-Poisson distribution can be used to account for the existing over- or under-dispersion. This paper presents an analysis of a study conducted by NASA to assess the performance of a new airborne spacing algorithm. A deterministic computer simulation was conducted to examine the algorithm in various conditions designed to simulate real-life scenarios, and two measures of algorithm performance were modeled using both continuous and categorical factors. Due to the presence of under-dispersion, tests for significance of main effects and two-factor interactions required bias adjustment. This paper presents a comparison of tests of effects for the Poisson and quasi-Poisson models, details of fitting these models using common statistical software packages, and calculation of dispersion tests.

Refining the role of pegfilgrastim (a long-acting G-CSF) for prevention of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia: consensus guidance recommendations.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) causes treatment delays and interruptions and can have fatal consequences. Current guidelines provide recommendations on granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) for prevention of FN, but guidance is unclear regarding use of short- vs long-acting G-CSF (e.g., filgrastim vs pegfilgrastim/lipegfilgrastim, respectively). An international panel of experts convened to develop guidance on appropriate use of pegfilgrastim for prevention of chemotherapy-induced FN. METHODS: Guidance recommendations were developed following a literature review, survey, evaluation of current practice, and an expert meeting. Consensus was established using an anonymous Delphi-based approach. RESULTS: Guidance recommendations for prevention of treatment-associated FN were as follows: for treatment with curative intent, maintenance of dose intensity using G-CSF to prevent dose delays/reduction should be standard of care; for treatment-associated FN risk ≥ 20%, short-acting G-CSF/pegfilgrastim should be given from cycle 1 onwards; and for treatment-associated FN risk < 20%, short-acting G-CSF/pegfilgrastim should be given if factors suggest overall risk (including treatment-related and patient-related risk factors) is ≥ 20%. It was agreed that pegfilgrastim and 11 days' filgrastim have similar efficacy and safety and that pegfilgrastim is preferred to < 11 days' filgrastim (and may be preferred to ≥ 11 days' filgrastim based on adherence and convenience); pegfilgrastim is not appropriate in weekly chemotherapy; in split-dose chemotherapy, pegfilgrastim is recommended 24 h after last chemotherapy dose; and during palliative chemotherapy, patient adherence and convenience may favor pegfilgrastim. CONCLUSION: In this era of targeted therapies, additional trials with G-CSF are still required. These recommendations should be used with existing guidelines to optimize pegfilgrastim use in clinical practice.

Bridging the age gap in breast cancer: evaluation of decision support interventions for older women with operable breast cancer: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: While breast cancer outcomes are improving steadily in younger women due to advances in screening and improved therapies, there has been little change in outcomes among the older age group. It is inevitable that comorbidities/frailty rates are higher, which may increase the risks of some breast cancer treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy, many older women are healthy and may benefit from their use. Adjusting treatment regimens appropriately for age/comorbidity/frailty is variable and largely non-evidence based, specifically with regard to rates of surgery for operable oestrogen receptor-positive disease and rates of chemotherapy for high-risk disease. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This multicentre, parallel group, pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) (2015-18) reported here is nested within a larger ongoing 'Age Gap Cohort Study' (2012-18RP-PG-1209-10071), aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention of decision support interventions to assist in the treatment decision making for early breast cancer in older women. The interventions include two patient decision aids (primary endocrine therapy vs surgery/antioestrogen therapy and chemotherapy vs no chemotherapy) and a clinical treatment outcomes algorithm for clinicians. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: National and local ethics committee approval was obtained for all UK participating sites. Results from the trial will be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. IRAS REFERENCE: 115550. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials (EudraCT) number 2015-004220-61;Pre-results. Sponsor's Protocol Code Number Sheffield Teaching Hospitals STH17086. ISRCTN 32447*.

Addition of gemcitabine to paclitaxel, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide adjuvant chemotherapy for women with early-stage breast cancer (tAnGo): final 10-year follow-up of an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: The tAnGo trial was designed to investigate the potential role of gemcitabine when added to anthracycline and taxane-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. When this study was developed, gemcitabine had shown significant activity in metastatic breast cancer, and there was evidence of a favourable interaction with paclitaxel. METHODS: tAnGo was an international, open-label, randomised, phase 3 superiority trial that enrolled women aged 18 years or older with newly diagnosed, early-stage breast cancer who had a definite indication for chemotherapy, any nodal status, any hormone receptor status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and adequate bone marrow, hepatic, and renal function. Women were recruited from 127 clinical centres and hospitals in the UK and Ireland, and randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two treatment regimens: epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel (four cycles of 90 mg/m2 intravenously administered epirubicin and 600 mg/m2 intravenously administered cyclophosphamide on day 1 every 3 weeks, followed by four cycles of 175 mg/m2 paclitaxel as a 3 h infusion on day 1 every 3 weeks) or epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (the same chemotherapy regimen as the other group, with the addition of 1250 mg/m2 gemcitabine to the paclitaxel cycles, administered intravenously as a 0·5 h infusion on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks). Patients were randomly assigned by a central computerised deterministic minimisation procedure, with stratification by country, age, radiotherapy intent, nodal status, and oestrogen receptor and HER-2 status. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival and the trial aimed to detect 5% differences in 5-year disease-free survival between the treatment groups. Recruitment completed in 2004 and this is the final, intention-to-treat analysis. This trial is registered with EudraCT (2004-002927-41), ISRCTN (51146252), and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00039546). FINDINGS: Between Aug 22, 2001, and Nov 26, 2004, 3152 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, and gemcitabine (gemcitabine group; n=1576) or to epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel (control group; n=1576). 11 patients (six in the gemcitabine group and five in the control group) were ineligible because of pre-existing metastases and were therefore excluded from the analysis. At this protocol-specified final analysis (median follow-up 10 years [IQR 10-10]), 1087 disease-free survival events and 914 deaths had occurred. Disease-free survival did not differ significantly between the treatment groups at 10 years (65% [63-68] in the gemcitabine group vs 65% [62-67] in the control group), and median disease-free survival was not reached (adjusted hazard ratio 0·97 [95% CI 0·86-1·10], p=0·64). Toxicity, dose intensity, and a detailed safety substudy showed both regimens to be safe, deliverable, and tolerable. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities were reported at expected levels in both groups. The most common were neutropenia (527 [34%] of 1565 patients in the gemcitabine group vs 412 [26%] of 1567 in the control group), myalgia and arthralgia (207 [13%] vs 186 [12%]), fatigue (207 [13%] vs 152 [10%]), infection (202 [13%] vs 141 [9%]), vomiting (143 [9%] vs 108 [7%]), and nausea (132 [8%] vs 102 [7%]). INTERPRETATION: The addition of gemcitabine to anthracycline and taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy at this dose and schedule confers no therapeutic advantage in terms of disease-free survival in early breast cancer, although it can cause increased toxicity. Therefore, gemcitabine has not been added to standard adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer for any subgroup. FUNDING: Cancer Research UK core funding for Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer.

Vision Loss after Intravitreal Injection of Autologous "Stem Cells" for AMD.

Adipose tissue-derived "stem cells" have been increasingly used by "stem-cell clinics" in the United States and elsewhere to treat a variety of disorders. We evaluated three patients in whom severe bilateral visual loss developed after they received intravitreal injections of autologous adipose tissue-derived "stem cells" at one such clinic in the United States. In these three patients, the last documented visual acuity on the Snellen eye chart before the injection ranged from 20/30 to 20/200. The patients' severe visual loss after the injection was associated with ocular hypertension, hemorrhagic retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhage, combined traction and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, or lens dislocation. After 1 year, the patients' visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to no light perception.

Healthcare Providers versus Patients' Understanding of Health Beliefs and Values.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined how well healthcare providers perceive and understand their patients' health beliefs and values compared to patients' actual beliefs, and to determine if communication relationships maybe improved as a result of healthcare providers' understanding of their patients' illness from their perspective. METHODS: A total of 61 participants (7 healthcare providers and 54 patients) were enrolled in the study. Healthcare providers and patients individually completed survey instruments and each participated in a structured focus group. RESULTS: Healthcare provider and patient differences revealed that patients perceived greater meaning of their illness (p = 0.038), and a greater preference for partnership (p = 0.026) compared to providers. The three qualitative themes most important for understanding patients' health beliefs and values as perceived by healthcare providers were education, trust, and culture. Educating patients was perceived as having the greatest impact and also the easiest method to implement to foster providers' understanding, with at least one patient focus group in agreement of same. Likewise, three themes were derived from patients' perspectives as relatively more important in understanding providers' beliefs and values; bidirectional communication, comprehensive treatment, and discipline. Overwhelmingly, bidirectional communication was perceived as a critical factor as having the greatest impact and may also be easiest to implement according to these patients. CONCLUSION: When patients and healthcare providers listen and communicate with each other, they are likely to develop a shared understanding that may improve future decision making and quality of care patients receive.

Endophthalmitis After Intravitreal Injections in Patients With Self-reported Iodine Allergy.

PURPOSE: To present cases of endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections where povidone-iodine (PI) was not used as part of the surgical preparation. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: All cases of presumed injection-related endophthalmitis presenting to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary between June 2008 and November 2014 and Dean McGee Eye Institute between January 2010 and January 2015 were identified. Patients who did not receive PI preparation owing to documented self-reported allergy to iodine, iodine-containing contrast material, or shellfish were identified and their injection histories and clinical courses reviewed. RESULTS: The combined rate of postinjection endophthalmitis at these 2 centers was 0.019%. Among 42 patients with postinjection endophthalmitis, 5 (11.9%) did not receive PI prophylaxis. The mean number of intravitreal injections without PI before the development of endophthalmitis was 10.6 with a 9.4% rate of endophthalmitis (5 cases per 53 injections). All patients underwent tap-and-inject procedures with vancomycin 1 mg and ceftazidime 2 mg. Two patients did not receive PI at the time of tap and inject; 1 of these patients required subsequent pars plana vitrectomy for worsening clinical course. Cultures were positive in 4 of 5 cases; all positive cultures grew coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. All patients who received subsequent intravitreal injections received PI prophylaxis without allergic reactions, thus demonstrating a lack of true PI allergy. CONCLUSIONS: Avoiding PI owing to self-reported iodine "allergy" risks substantial ocular morbidity. Allergy testing can be pursued per patient request or in rare cases of suspected true PI allergy; however, in cases where delayed treatment would adversely affect visual outcome, the clinician should feel confident that minimal allergic risk exists.

Goserelin, as an ovarian protector during (neo)adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy, prevents long term altered bone turnover.

BACKGROUND: The Ovarian Protection Trial In Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients "OPTION" trial (NCT00427245) was a prospective, multicenter, randomised, open label study evaluating the frequency of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) at 12 months in women randomised to 6-8 cycles of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) +/- goserelin (G). Here we report the results of a secondary endpoint analysis of the effects of CT+/-G on markers of bone turnover. METHODS: Serum for bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and urine for N-terminal telopeptide (NTX) were collected at baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. Changes in median levels of bone turnover markers were evaluated for the overall population, according to age stratification at randomisation (≤40 vs >40 years) and with exploratory analysis according to POI rates at 12 months. RESULTS: In the overall population, there was a significant increase in NTX at 6 months compared to baseline in patients treated with CT+G (40.81 vs 57.82 p=0.0074) with normalisation of levels thereafter. BALP was significantly increased compared to baseline at 6 months and 12 months in those receiving CT+G, but normalised thereafter. BALP remained significantly higher compared to baseline at 12, 24 and 36 months in patients receiving CT, resulting in a significant difference between treatment groups at 36 months (CT+G 5.845 vs CT 8.5 p=0.0006). These changes were predominantly seen in women >40 years. Women with POI at 12 months showed altered bone formation compared to baseline levels for a longer duration than women who maintained menses. CONCLUSION: Addition of G to CT increases bone turnover during treatment with normalisation after cessation of treatment suggesting G may offer sufficient ovarian protection against CT induced POI to negate longstanding altered bone turnover associated with POI.

Connecting the dots: using 'big data' to build an efficient, integrated service line.

As seen in the case of musculoskeletal care, the broad steps hospitals and health systems should take to optimize service lines include: Understanding their market's demand for services. Guiding patients through integrated, patient-centric care. Taking patient engagement to the next level.

Clinical Course of Vitreomacular Traction Managed Initially by Observation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical course and outcomes of patients with vitreomacular traction (VMT) managed initially by observation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This noncomparative case series included patients with a diagnosis of VMT based on clinical symptoms and findings on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) between 2005 and 2014. VMT was documented using a standardized grading system based on the degree of distortion of the foveal contour. Data were collected at five retina clinics using standardized collection forms. Visual acuity, changes in SD-OCT findings, and timing of the release of VMT as seen on SD-OCT were recorded. RESULTS: The study included 230 eyes of 185 patients. Mean age was 72.5 years, and mean follow-up was 32 months. At baseline, VMT grading was grade 1 in 92 eyes (40%), grade 2 in 118 eyes (51.3%), and grade 3 in 20 eyes (8.7%). By last follow-up, spontaneous release of VMT occurred in 73 eyes (31.7%). Spontaneous release of VMT occurred at a mean of 18 months (median: 10.9 months) after initial visit. Mean logMAR best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.28 (20/55) (range: 20/20 to 20/400) at baseline and 0.25 (20/51) (range: 20/20 to 20/400) at last follow-up. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 10 eyes (4.1%) for macular hole (six eyes) and increased VMT (four eyes); BCVA was at least 20/40 in eight of the 10 eyes at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Patients with VMT generally had a favorable clinical course when managed initially by observation. Spontaneous release of VMT occurred in approximately one-third of patients. At last follow-up, pars plana vitrectomy was performed in fewer than 5% of patients.

Clinical course of vitreomacular adhesion managed by initial observation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical course of patients with idiopathic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA). METHODS: A noncomparative case series of patients who had clinical symptoms and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography findings consistent with VMA. The VMA was graded based on the optical coherence tomography findings at initial and follow-up examinations. Grade 1 was incomplete cortical vitreous separation with attachment at the fovea, Grade 2 was the Grade 1 findings and any intraretinal cysts or clefts, and Grade 3 was the Grade 2 findings and the presence of subretinal fluid. RESULTS: One hundred and six eyes of 81 patients were identified as having VMA by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography at 3 retina clinics. The mean age was 73 years and the mean time of follow-up was 23 months. Forty-three eyes (41%) had Grade 1 VMA, 56 eyes (52%) had Grade 2 VMA, and 7 eyes (7%) had Grade 3 VMA. By the last follow-up, spontaneous release of VMA occurred in 34 eyes (32%), and pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 5 eyes (4.7%). Mean best-corrected visual acuity was 0.269 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution or 20/37 at baseline (range, 20/20-20/200) and logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution 0.251 or 20/35 at the last examination (range, 20/20-20/400). CONCLUSION: In this selected patient cohort with mild symptoms, the clinical course of patients with VMA managed by initial observation was generally favorable.