Spontaneous regression of choroidal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To report a case of an elderly man who presented with a choroidal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma that spontaneously regressed prior to any local or systemic treatment. Observations: An 82-year-old man without a history of metastatic cancer was referred to the ocular oncology service for evaluation of a newly noted amelanotic choroidal lesion. Examination and imaging findings were concerning for choroidal metastasis. Systemic workup revealed previously undiagnosed widely metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The lesion spontaneously regressed prior to the initiation of any treatment for his tumor. Conclusions and importance: This is a unique case of choroidal metastases from renal cell carcinoma that spontaneously regressed prior to medical or surgical treatment of the primary tumor.

Edge Creep: Increased Pigmentation at the Border of Choroidal Melanomas Treated with Plaque Brachytherapy.

Introduction: There is an increase in pigmentation that occurs in many tumors following plaque brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma. Correctly distinguishing between increased pigment at the tumor border versus true growth is imperative. We performed a retrospective review of patients treated with I-125 brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma at our institution to study this phenomenon. Methods: Records were reviewed for all patients undergoing plaque brachytherapy for uveal melanoma for a 5-year period (N = 195). Patients with iris and anterior tumors were excluded. Tumors treated more than 31 days after presentation were excluded. Fundus images for patients with increased pigmentation at any of the borders of the tumor at 6-month follow-up that extended beyond the initial pigmented margin were included (N = 20; 8 F, 12 M). Imaging at the last follow-up was reviewed, and it was confirmed that all tumors involuted appropriately with no evidence of local recurrence. The date of initial exam, time to treatment, and follow-up interval were recorded for each included patient. Results: Twenty patients (10%) exhibited increased pigment deposition at any of the borders of the tumor at 6-month follow-up that extended beyond the initial pigmented margin. Average tumor thickness was 3.2 mm (1.3-5.1); average largest tumor basal diameter was 11.6 mm (7-15.5). Average time from diagnosis to treatment was 25 days (17-31). Average length of follow-up was 35 months (16-68). No patient developed recurrence during the duration of follow-up, and 1 patient had developed metastasis. Conclusion: We describe the phenomenon of increased pigment deposition, "edge creep," at the borders of choroidal melanomas treated with plaque brachytherapy that gave the appearance of initial tumor growth but then subsequently remained stable over time. It is important that treating ocular oncologists be aware of this phenomenon to avoid unnecessary diagnosis of local recurrence.

Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic which is growing in prevalence, and diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of visual impairment among patients affected by this disease. Our objective is to review current and upcoming therapeutic approaches to DME. RECENT FINDINGS: Once considered the gold standard in treatment of DME, focal/grid laser is now reserved mostly for non-center-involving DME, while anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy has become the first-line treatment. However, suboptimal responders to anti-VEGF and the burden of frequent injections have stimulated the development of novel approaches. Corticosteroids can be effective in treating DME, but adverse effects such as intraocular pressure elevation and cataract formation must be considered. Emerging therapeutics and drug delivery systems in the pipeline offer exciting potential solutions to this vision-threatening disease. Multiple types of therapeutics targeting various pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of DME may help lessen the global burden of vision loss from diabetes.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Receipt of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Elderly Patients With a Principal Diagnosis of Depression in Inpatient Settings.

OBJECTIVE: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is underused despite being among the most effective treatments for older adults with severe, pharmacotherapy-resistant mood disorders. Furthermore, those in minority groups are even less likely to receive ECT. The objective of this study was to examine racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of ECT in older adults. METHODS: We used survey-weighted log-binomial regression to generate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that represented the associations between race/ethnicity and receipt of ECT during hospitalization at an ECT-available hospital. We used data from the 2002-2015 National Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer inpatient database in the United States. The analysis was restricted to hospitalizations of adults aged 65-95 with depression as a principal diagnostic code. The primary exposure was patient race/ethnicity, and the primary outcome was receipt of ECT during hospitalization, restricted to ECT-available hospitals. RESULTS: Among the 685,939 patients included in the analysis, 45% received care at an ECT-available hospital, and among those, 17% received ECT. Non-Hispanic (NH) blacks were nearly half as likely to receive ECT as NH whites (aPR: 0.56 [0.47-0.81]; t: -6.42; df: 1,327; p < 0.001). Hispanics were nearly half as likely to receive ECT as NH whites (aPR: 0.57 [0.44-0.72]; t: -4.59; df: 1,327; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This national cross-sectional study of racial/ethnic disparities in receipt of ECT among depressed elderly patients confirms prior literature and reveals the potential worsening of disparities for racial/ethnic minorities blacks.