Can children undergoing ophthalmologic examinations under anesthesia be safely anesthetized without using an IV line?

To document that with proper patient and procedure selection, children undergoing general inhalational anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, peri-ocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis) can be safely anesthetized without the use of an intravenous (IV) line. Children are rarely anesthetized without IV access placement. We performed a retrospective study to determine our incidence of IV access placement during examinations under anesthesia (EUA) and the incidence of adverse events that required intraoperative IV access placement. Data collected from our operating room (OR) information system includes but is not limited to diagnosis, anesthesiologist, surgeon, and location of IV catheter (if applicable), patient's date of birth, actual procedure, and anesthesia/procedure times. We reviewed the OR and anesthetic records of children (>1 month and <10 years) who underwent EUAs between January 1, 2003 and May 31, 2009. We determined the percentage of children who were anesthetized without IV access placement, as well as the incidence of any adverse events that required IV access placement, intraoperatively. We analyzed data from 3196 procedures performed during a 77-month period. Patients' ages ranged from 1 month to 9 years. Overall, 92% of procedures were performed without IV access placement. Procedure duration ranged from 1-39 minutes. Reasons for IV access placement included parental preference for antinausea medication and/or attending preference for IV access placement. No child who underwent anesthesia without an IV line had an intraoperative adverse event requiring insertion of an IV line. Our data suggest that for children undergoing general anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, intraocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis), anesthesia can be safely conducted without placement of an IV line

Long-Term Followup Comparing Two Treatment Dosing Strategies of 125

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of two different dosing strategies of radioactive iodine-125 (125I) in the management of small- and medium-sized posterior uveal melanoma. Patients and Methods. The medical records of consecutive patients with choroidal melanomas between 1.5 and 5.0 mm in apical height treated initially with 125I plaque radiotherapy were reviewed. Patients were treated with one of the following two treatment dosing strategies: (1) 85 Gy to the apical height of the tumor (group 1) or (2) 85 Gy to a prescription point of 5.0 mm (group 2). Results. Of 95 patients, 55 patients were treated to the apical height of the tumor, and 40 were treated to a prescription point of 5.0 mm. Comparative analysis of the incidence rates of specific complications between the two groups demonstrates that group 2 had a significantly higher incidence of radiation retinopathy, radiation optic neuropathy, and/or visually significant cataract formation than group 1 (). Conclusion. Treatment of choroidal melanomas less than 5 mm in apical height with 125I brachytherapy to the true apical height is equally effective when compared to treatment with 85 Gy to 5.0 mm. Treatment to the apical height of the tumor may result in lower incidence of radiation-related complications

Clinical Study Long-Term Followup Comparing Two Treatment Dosing Strategies of 125 I Plaque Radiotherapy in the Management of Small/Medium Posterior Uveal Melanoma

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of two different dosing strategies of radioactive iodine-125 ( 125 I) in the management of smalland medium-sized posterior uveal melanoma. Patients and Methods. The medical records of consecutive patients with choroidal melanomas between 1.5 and 5.0 mm in apical height treated initially with 125 I plaque radiotherapy were reviewed. Patients were treated with one of the following two treatment dosing strategies: (1) 85 Gy to the apical height of the tumor (group 1) or (2) 85 Gy to a prescription point of 5.0 mm (group 2). Results. Of 95 patients, 55 patients were treated to the apical height of the tumor, and 40 were treated to a prescription point of 5.0 mm. Comparative analysis of the incidence rates of specific complications between the two groups demonstrates that group 2 had a significantly higher incidence of radiation retinopathy, radiation optic neuropathy, and/or visually significant cataract formation than group 1 ( = 0.028). Conclusion. Treatment of choroidal melanomas less than 5 mm in apical height with 125 I brachytherapy to the true apical height is equally effective when compared to treatment with 85 Gy to 5.0 mm. Treatment to the apical height of the tumor may result in lower incidence of radiation-related complications

Paracentesis following intravitreal drug injections in maintaining physiologic ocular perfusion pressure

A retrospective analysis was performed of patients who received a paracentesis immediately following an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab or triamcinolone acetonide. These patients were previously diagnosed as having glaucoma, ocular hypertension, or had responded previously with sustained elevated intraocular pressure. Of 1661 procedures were performed. Totally 219 (13%) of the injections were on phakic patients. A median (SD) of 210 μL (40 μL) of aqueous was removed during each paracentesis. There were no reported incidences of any complications. We propose performing a paracentesis immediately following intravitreal injections for patients at risk for ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and retinal vein or artery occlusion

Case Series: Small Full-thickness Macular Hole Treated with Topical Dorzolamide and Bevacizumab Intravitreal Injections

SIGNIFICANCE This article reports two cases reported of combined treatment with topical dorzolamide and intravitreal bevacizumab injections, successfully treating small full-thickness macular hole without the need for traditional macular hole surgery. PURPOSE This study aimed to report the potential effectiveness of combination treatment with topical dorzolamide and bevacizumab intravitreal injection therapy for small macular holes. CASE REPORTS Case 1 was a 68-year-old woman presented with distorted and decreased vision in her right eye for 9 months. Fundus examination showed a full-thickness macular hole, which was confirmed with spectral domain optical coherence tomography measuring 96 mu m. Treatment with topical dorzolamide and intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25 mg/0.05 mL injections was initiated. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed gradual improvement of the full-thickness macular hole with complete hole closure and visual improvement in just 1 month. Case 2 was a 73-year-old woman who presented with distorted and decreased vision in her right eye for 8 months. Fundus examination showed a full-thickness macular hole in the right eye, confirmed with spectral domain optical coherence tomography, measuring 76 mu m. Treatment with topical dorzolamide and intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25 mg/0.05 mL injections was initiated. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed gradual improvement of the full-thickness macular hole with complete closure at 2 months and improvement in visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS The combination of topical dorzolamide and bevacizumab intravitreal injection is a reasonable consideration for small macular holes with vascular components before considering surgery. Both cases had early macular closure in less than 3 months

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide: a “real world” analysis of visual acuity, pressure and outcomes

Letter to the edito

Uveal melanoma gene expression status post radiotherapy

Gene expression profiling has been shown to yield two distinct molecular genetic signatures for uveal melanoma. These class designations tend to predict tumor aggressiveness and the likelihood of metastasis. Tumors with a class 1 genetic signature are generally much less aggressive than tumors with a class 2 genetic signature. Gene expression analysis for previously treated uveal melanoma has not yet been reported. The authors report three cases where genetic analysis was successfully obtained from uveal melanoma that was previously treated years earlier with radiotherapy. The patients in all three cases received globe-conserving radiotherapy for treatment of choroidal melanoma before gene expression profiling was readily available. The patients in cases 1 and 2 received 125I plaque brachytherapy while the patient in case 3 received proton irradiation therapy. When secondary surgery was necessary to stabilize these eyes from the effects of radiation retinopathy, fine-needle aspiration biopsy was also performed for gene expression profiling. Genomic analysis revealed a class 1 molecular signature for the patient in case 1 and a class 2 molecular signature for the patients in cases 2 and 3. Gene expression profiling for uveal melanoma may be obtained from patients who were previously treated with radiotherapy; however, the implication of these results will benefit from ongoing clinical evaluation

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Evaluation of Choroidal Melanoma and Nevus Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Incision Sites

The authors present three cases in which spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was used to identify fine-needle aspiration biopsy incision sites. These biopsies were performed to obtain tissue for gene expression profiling of choroidal tumors. A transvitreal route into the apex of the tumors was utilized for the biopsies while the patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy, membrane peel, laser ablation, phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report documenting fine-needle aspiration biopsy incision wound architecture of the posterior segment with optical coherence tomography

Giant retinal tear after intra-arterial chemotherapy for advanced unilateral retinoblastoma

Abstract Background Retinoblastoma is considered the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood, comprising 4% of all pediatric cancers. Management of retinoblastoma has evolved over the past two decades and intra-ophthalmic artery chemotherapy has emerged as a new modality of globe-conserving treatment with excellent results. This treatment achieves effective tumor reduction by delivering localized chemotherapy, decreases enucleation rate, and minimizes systemic and local side effects. Case presentation We report the case of an 8-year-old girl with a late presentation of an advanced unilateral retinoblastoma associated to diffuse exudative retinal detachment in the right eye, classified as group E by the International Classification of Retinoblastoma. The initial therapeutic proposal for the patient was five sessions of intra-ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (IAC) associated to large spot diode laser therapy. After undergoing four sessions of IAC, the fundus exam revealed a giant retinal tear associated to a total retinal detachment in the affected eye. The IAC treatment was concluded and enucleation was considered the best treatment option at that moment, since IAC was unable to control the tumor’s activity and the patient’s eye presented with a complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). However, family left for a second opinion and never returned. Conclusions The usage of IAC for retinoblastoma management may lead to important local complications. Despite rare, RRD secondary to IAC may occur. We postulate that the giant tear observed in this case was caused by the rapid tumor necrosis using this route of treatment

Clinical Findings and Genetic Expression Profiling of Three Pigmented Lesions of the Optic Nerve

Background. Optic disk melanocytoma is a primary tumor of the optic disk that represents a clinical diagnostic challenge due to its similarities with melanoma. Purpose. The authors present three cases in which genetic expression profiling was used to identify tumor prognosis of optic disk melanocytoma. Case Series. In two cases fine-needle aspiration biopsy was performed to obtain tissue through a transvitreal route into the apex of the tumor while the patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy, laser ablation, phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. In the other case the tissue was obtained after definite enucleation. Conclusion. Genetic expression profiling is a useful diagnostic tool for classification and can provide vital information to the ocular oncologist regarding prognosis