Long-term Outcomes of Small Pigmented Choroidal Melanoma Treated with Primary Photodynamic Therapy

PURPOSE: To report the long-term outcomes of patients with small, pigmented posteriorly located choroidal melanoma undergoing primary treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin at the London Ocular Oncology Service. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional consecutive case series SUBJECTS: All patients undergoing primary treatment using PDT with verteporfin from April 2014 and December 2015 and followed until December 2019. METHODS: This is a long-term follow up study of the same cohort of patients previously reported by our group in 2017 and 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Local tumor control, visual outcomes and metastasis-free survival. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included with a mean (± SD) age and tumour thickness of 62 ± 14 years and 1.3 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Tumours were posteriorly located (mean distance to optic nerve and fovea = 2.0 ± 2.2 and 1.6 ± 1.5 mm, respectively) and the majority were fully pigmented (73%). Overall, patients were followed for a median [IQR, range] of 49.5 [15.3, 7.0 - 66.0] months from first PDT to last follow up. Over the course of this study, 14/26 (54%) have developed a local recurrence at a median of 20.0 months [20.5, 4.7 - 60.9 months]. The most common pattern of recurrence was an isolated increase in basal dimensions (9/14; 64%). Median [IQR] final LogMAR visual acuity of the whole cohort was 0.2 [0.5]. The only statistically significant difference in baseline and outcome characteristics between treatment failures and non-failures was distance to fovea (median [IQR]: 0.5 [1.3] versus 2.5 [2.8]; P = 0.002) and final LogMAR visual acuity (median [IQR]: 0.50 [0.80] versus 0.00 [0.14]; P-value = 0.002), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While treatment of small pigmented posterior choroidal melanoma with PDT effectively preserves visual acuity, five-year treatment-success calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis was only 38.4%. Recurrences after PDT tend to occur along the tumor edges, often with minimal increase in thickness. Given the substantial risk of treatment failure, primary PDT with vertepofrin is recommended in exceptional cases of choroidal melanoma, where other treatments with greater tumor control are not a feasible option

Primary photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for pigmented posterior pole cT1a choroidal melanoma: a 3-year retrospective analysis

AIMS: To investigate the outcomes of primary photodynamic therapy (PDT) for pigmented posterior pole cT1a choroidal melanoma. METHODS: Retrospective interventional consecutive case series of 26 patients (26 eyes) with pigmented posterior pole cT1a choroidal melanoma, who were treated with 3 sessions of PDT and followed-up thereafter. RESULTS: Included were 11 males and 15 females that presented at a median age of 66 years (mean: 64) with transformed naevi (n=11) or suspicious lesions (n=15) with ≥3 risk factors for growth, with lipofuscin in all. In all cases, diagnosis was clinically based (no tissue biopsy). Tumour control was achieved in 16 (62%) patients in a median follow-up time of 29 months (mean: 27). Ten patients failed treatment by form of radial expansion, diagnosed in a median time of 13 months (mean: 12) from last treatment. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, success rate after 1, 2 and 3 years was 85%, 59% and 51%, respectively. On statistical analysis, number of suspicious features was found to be the only risk factor predicting failure (P=0.046). One patient developed macula-sparing branch retinal artery occlusion after treatment. Following PDT, subretinal fluid resolved in all cases and visual acuity significantly improved in all treatment-success cases (P=0.043). There were no cases of metastatic spread. CONCLUSION: Primary PDT resulted in tumour regression of small, pigmented choroidal melanoma in 62% after a mean of 27 months. Treatment was more effective in tumours with three or less risk factors for growth, and resulted with fluid elimination and significant improvement in vision in treatment-success cases

Outcomes of intravitreal methotrexate to salvage eyes with relapsed primary intraocular lymphoma

PURPOSE: To report the outcomes of intravitreal methotrexate (MTX) injections to rescue eyes with relapsed primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL). METHODS: Retrospective case series of patients with ocular relapse of PIOL who had initially received systemic chemotherapy (all five cases) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to brain and orbits (two cases). Injections of MTX (400 µg/0.1 mL) were given one time per week for 1 month, every other week for 4 months, followed by a maintenance phase of one injection one time per month for 8 months (total of 20 injections in a year). RESULTS: From April 2008 to February 2016, there were nine eyes of five patients (three men; average age at first presentation 62 years) treated with our rescue protocol of intravitreal MTX injections. Ocular relapse occurred at a mean interval of 15 months (range 5-34 months) after the completion of initial systemic treatment. At mean follow-up of 31 months (range 5-104 months), tumour control was achieved in eight out of nine eyes (89%); one eye failed, with persistent retinal infiltrates despite increasing the frequency of injections, resulting in severe keratopathy. The only other complication occurred in one eye, developing cystoid macular oedema from MTX injections that resolved with topical anti-inflammatory medications and reduced frequency of MTX. There were no cases of reduced vision or ocular relapse, but two patients died (one of central nervous system lymphoma). CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal MTX was a safe and effective treatment modality for relapsed PIOL after systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, achieving local tumour control in 89%, and hence represents an optimal choice. However, given the rare nature of PIOL, larger collaborative studies with longer follow-up are needed to corroborate this

Population status of chimpanzees in the Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem, Tanzania.

More than 75 percent of Tanzania's chimpanzees live at low densities on land outside national parks. Chimpanzees are one of the key conservation targets in the region and long-term monitoring of these populations is essential for assessing the overall status of ecosystem health and the success of implemented conservation strategies. We aimed to assess change in chimpanzee density within the Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem (MUE) by comparing results of re-walking the same line transects in 2007 and 2014. We further used published remote sensing data derived from Landsat satellites to assess forest cover change within a 5 km buffer of these transects over that same period. We detected no statistically significant decline in chimpanzee density across the surveyed areas of MUE between 2007 and 2014, although the overall mean density of chimpanzees declined from 0.09 individuals/km(2) in 2007 to 0.05 individuals/km(2) in 2014. Whether this change is biologically meaningful cannot be determined due to small sample sizes and large, entirely overlapping error margins. It is therefore possible that the MUE chimpanzee population has been stable over this period and indeed in some areas (Issa Valley, Mkanga, Kamkulu) even showed an increase in chimpanzee density. Variation in chimpanzee habitat preference for ranging or nesting could explain variation in density at some of the survey sites between 2007 and 2014. We also found a relationship between increasing habitat loss and lower mean chimpanzee density. Future surveys will need to ensure a larger sample size, broader geographic effort, and random survey design, to more precisely determine trends in MUE chimpanzee density and population size over time. Am. J. Primatol. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

ZOOM or Non-ZOOM? Assessing spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging protocols for multi-centre studies

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate two spinal cord (SC) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocols, implemented at multiple sites (using scanners from two different manufacturers), one available on any clinical scanner, and one using more advanced options currently available in the research setting, and to use an automated processing method for unbiased quantification. DTI parameters are sensitive to changes in the diseased SC. However, imaging the cord can be technically challenging due to various factors including its small size, patient-related and physiological motion, and field inhomogeneities. Rapid acquisition sequences such as Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) are desirable but may suffer from image distortions. We present a multi-centre comparison of two acquisition protocols implemented on scanners from two different vendors (Siemens and Philips), one using a reduced field-of-view (rFOV) EPI sequence, and one only using options available on standard clinical scanners such as outer volume suppression (OVS). Automatic analysis was performed with the Spinal Cord Toolbox for unbiased and reproducible quantification of DTI metrics in the white matter. Images acquired using the rFOV sequence appear less distorted than those acquired using OVS alone. SC DTI parameter values obtained using both sequences at all sites were consistent with previous measurements made at 3T. For the same scanner manufacturer, DTI parameter inter-site SDs were smaller for the rFOV sequence compared to the OVS sequence. The higher inter-site reproducibility (for the same manufacturer and acquisition details, i.e. ZOOM data acquired at the two Philips sites) of rFOV compared to the OVS sequence supports the idea that making research options such as rFOV more widely available would improve accuracy of measurements obtained in multi-centre clinical trials. Future multi-centre studies should also aim to match the rFOV technique and signal-to-noise ratios in all sequences from different manufacturers/sites in order to avoid any bias in measured DTI parameters and ensure similar sensitivity to pathological changes

Water Ice, Silicate, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission Featuresin the Infrared Space Observatory Spectrum of the Carbon-richPlanetary Nebula CPD –56°8032*

Combined Infrared Space Observatory Short-Wavelength Spectrometer and Long-Wavelength Spectrometer spectroscopy is presented of the late WC-type planetary nebula nucleus CPD -56°8032 and its carbon-rich nebula. The extremely broad coverage (2.4-197 μm) enables us to recognize the clear and simultaneous presence of emission features from both oxygen- and carbon-rich circumstellar materials. Removing a smooth continuum highlights bright emission bands characteristic of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the 3-14 μm region, bands from crystalline silicates longward of 18 μm, and the 43 and 62 μm bands of crystalline water ice. We discuss the probable evolutionary state and history of this unusual object in terms of (a) a recent transition from an O-rich to a C-rich outflow following a helium shell flash or (b) a carbon-rich nebular outflow encountering an O-rich comet cloud

Distinguishing choroidal nevi from melanomas using the MOLES algorithm: Evaluation in an ocular nevus clinic

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the MOLES scoring system in differentiating choroidal melanomas from nevi according to Mushroom shape, Orange pigment, Large tumor size, Enlarging tumor, and Subretinal fluid (SRF). METHODS: Color photographs, fundus-autofluorescence images, and optical coherence tomography of 222 melanocytic choroidal tumors were reviewed. Each MOLES feature was retrospectively scored between 0 and 2 and tumors categorized as "common nevus,""low-risk nevus,""high-risk nevus,"and "probable melanoma"according to the total score. MOLES scores were compared with the experts' diagnosis of melanoma. RESULTS: The MOLES scoring system indicated melanoma in all 81 tumors diagnosed as such by ocular oncologists (100% sensitivity) and nevus in 135 of 141 tumors given this diagnosis by these experts (95.7% specificity). Of the 6 tumors with discordant diagnoses, 4 had basal diameters exceeding 6 mm, all with SRF and/or orange pigment, and 2 small tumors showed either significant SRF with traces of orange pigment, or vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: The MOLES system for diagnosing melanocytic choroidal tumors compares well with expert diagnosis but needs to be evaluated when deployed by ophthalmologists and community optometrists in a wide variety of working environments

Adjuvant External Beam Radiotherapy Following Enucleation of Eyes With Extraocular Extension From Uveal Melanoma

PURPOSE: To report local disease control and all-cause mortality in patients with extraocular extension (EOE) of uveal melanoma undergoing enucleation followed by observation or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). METHODS: Charts of patients enucleated between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2019, with histopathological evidence of EOE of uveal melanoma were reviewed. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 51 patients with a mean age of 67 ± 15 years, 22 (43%) of whom underwent adjuvant postenucleation EBRT. Risk factors for metastasis included presence of epithelioid cells (29/45; 88%), closed loops (20/43; 47%), monosomy 3 (16/25; 64%), and gain of 8q (20/22; 91%). Patients undergoing EBRT had more extensive EOE (median: 5.1 mm vs. 2.6 mm, p = 0.008) and surgical excision was less likely to be histologically complete (2/20; 10% vs. 14/25; 56%, p = 0.002). Local side effects following EBRT were seen in 64% (14/22). At latest follow up, 59% of patients (30/51) were alive, with a median follow up of 1.8 years (interquartile range: 2.9; range: 0.1-6.5]. By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 56% and 12%, respectively. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between those receiving adjuvant EBRT and those who were observed (log rank, p = 0.273). No cases of orbital recurrence were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital EBRT causes significant morbidity. Cases with relatively small EOE undergoing enucleation can be safely observed, without adjuvant EBRT. Multicenter studies are required to better assess the role of EBRT when EOE is more extensive

COVID-19-Related Experiences and Perspectives of Peruvian College Students: A Descriptive Study

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected higher education and higher education students around the world, but few studies of college students’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted in Latin America. This study describes the COVID-19-related experiences and perspectives of Peruvian college students. We surveyed 3,427 full-time college students (average age: 23 years) attending a multi-campus Peruvian university in fall 2020. Participants were recruited through the digital platform of the learning management system at their university, email, and social media. We asked participants how they were managing risks related to COVID-19; the continuity of social, educational, and work activities; and the psychological and economic impacts of the pandemic on their lives. Since March 2020, 73.0% of participants reported COVID-19-related symptoms, but only 33.9% were tested for COVID-19. During the national quarantine imposed by the Peruvian government (March 15–June 30, 2020), 64.3% of participants remained in their house. Furthermore, while 44.0% of participants were working in February 2020 (95% CI: [41.7%, 46.4%]), only 23.6% (95% CI: [21.7%, 25.7%]) were working immediately after the pandemic began (i.e., at the end of April 2020). Participants were more stressed about the health and educational implications of COVID-19 for Peruvian society and their families than about themselves. The public health, economic, and educational implications of COVID-19 on college students are continuing to unfold. This study informed Peruvian higher education institutions’ continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the progressive return to postpandemic activities, as well as other future pandemics and other crises