Fuchs' Adenoma of the Choroid Simulating a Choroidal Hemangioma

We report the case of a 54-year-old female who was referred to us with an amelanotic mass on the posterior pole of the left eye involving the macula. Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed a hyperfluorescent choroidal mass. Indocyanine green chorioangiography revealed a hypofluorescent choroidal lesion with hyperfluorescent margins. B-scan ultrasonography showed a choroidal mass with moderate reflectivity. Choroidal biopsy was performed, which revealed the diagnosis of Fuchs' adenoma

A view from the clinic – Perspectives from Dutch patients and professionals on high myopia care

Purpose: To understand and compare perspectives of patients and professionals on current ophthalmologic care for high myopia, and to identify challenges and future opportunities. Methods: Self-reported data were collected through two online questionnaires. Patient perspective was obtained from highly myopic members of a patient organisation based in the Netherlands using a 17-item questionnaire consisting of open and multiple-choice questions regarding personal experience with myopia care. The ophthalmologist perspective was obtained from practising Dutch ophthalmologists with a 12-item questionnaire of multiple-choice questions on work-related demographics, myopia care in daily practice and need for improvement. The response rate for patients was 27% (n = 136/500) and for ophthalmologists, 24% (n = 169/716). Results: Patients were highly concerned about personal progressive loss of vision (69%) and feared their psychological well-being (82%) in case this would happen. The quality of performance of care provided by ophthalmologists was rated as excellent or satisfactory by 64% of the patients. These ratings for multidisciplinary care and insurance reimbursement were as low as 28% and 18% respectively. The mean concern among ophthalmologists about the rise in high myopia was 6.9 (SEM 0.1) on a 10-point scale. Sixty-nine per cent of the ophthalmologists reported that asymptomatic myopic patients should not be examined regularly at outpatient clinics. Ophthalmologists urged the development of clinical guidelines (74%), but did report (95%) that they informed patients about risk factors and complications. This contrasted with the view of patients, of whom 42% were discontent with information provided by ophthalmologists. Conclusions: These questionnaires demonstrated that the current clinical care delivered to highly myopic patients is in need of improvement. The expected higher demand for myopia care in the near future requires preferred practice patterns, professionals specifically trained to manage myopic pathology, accurate and comprehensive information exchange and collaboration of in- and out-of-hospital professionals across the full eye care chain.</p

Long‐term longitudinal changes in axial length in the Caucasian myopic and hyperopic population with a phakic intraocular lens

Purpose: To determine the long-term longitudinal axial length changes in myopic and hyperopic adults with an iris-fixated phakic intraocular lens (pIOL). Methods: The medical records of patients aged ≥18 years with myopia or hyperopia who were treated with pIOL implantation between 1996 and 2011 for refractive correction with a minimum follow-up of 5 years after pIOL implantation were analyzed. The main outcome measure was change in ocular axial length over time. Results: 149 eyes of 149 myopic patients and 27 hyperopic eyes of 27 patients were included in this study. Mean patient age was 37.1 ± 10.4 years (35% male) in the myopic group and 39.4 ± 9.4 years (4% male) in the hyperopic group. The eyes of the myopic patients showed a significant mean increase in axial length of 0.45 ± 0.61 mm after a mean follow-up time of 144 ± 38 months (p &lt; 0.001). In 26 eyes (17%), the axial length had increased by ≥1 mm. The mean annual axial length increase was 0.04 ± 0.06 mm. Axial elongation was associated with a higher degree of myopia (p &lt; 0.001) and younger age (p = 0.02). The eyes of the hyperopic patients showed no change in axial length over time. Conclusions: Myopic eyes corrected with an iris-fixated pIOL show continuous increase in axial length at an adult age. Although this study is limited to subjects with a pIOL, this is the first time myopization in Caucasian adults has been reported in a large long-term longitudinal study.</p

In uveal melanoma, angiopoietin-2 but not angiopoietin-1 is increased in high-risk tumors, providing a potential druggable target

Uveal melanoma (UM) metastasize haematogeneously, and tumor blood vessel density is an important prognostic factor. We hypothesized that proangiogenic factors such as angiopoietin-1 (ANG-1) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), two targetable cytokines, might play a role in tumor development and metastatic behavior. mRNA levels of

In uveal melanoma, angiopoietin-2 but not angiopoietin-1 is increased in high-risk tumors, providing a potential druggable target

Uveal melanoma (UM) metastasize haematogeneously, and tumor blood vessel density is an important prognostic factor. We hypothesized that proangiogenic factors such as angiopoietin-1 (ANG-1) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), two targetable cytokines, might play a role in tumor development and metastatic behavior. mRNA levels of ANG-1 and ANG-2 were determined in 64 tumors using an Illumina HT-12 v4 mRNA chip and compared to clinical, pathologic, and genetic tumor parameters. Tissue expression was also determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Samples of aqueous humor were collected from 83 UM-containing enucleated eyes and protein levels that were determined in a multiplex proximity extension assay. High tissue gene expression of ANG-2, but not of ANG-1, was associated with high tumor thickness, high largest basal diameter, involvement of the ciliary body, and with UM-related death (ANG-2 mRNA p &lt; 0.001; ANG-2 aqueous protein p &lt; 0.001). The presence of the ANG-2 protein in aqueous humor correlated with its mRNA expression in the tumor (r = 0.309, p = 0.03). IHC showed that ANG-2 was expressed in macrophages as well as tumor cells. The presence of ANG-2 in the tumor and in aqueous humor, especially in high-risk tumors, make ANG-2 a potential targetable cytokine in uveal melanoma.</p

Lag3 and its ligands show increased expression in high-risk uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare ocular malignancy which originates in the uveal tract, and often gives rise to metastases. Potential targets for immune checkpoint inhibition a

MR imaging characteristics of uveal melanoma with histopathological validation

Purpose: To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of uveal melanoma (UM), to compare them with fundoscopy and ultrasound (US), and to validate them with histopathology. Methods: MR images from 42 UM were compared with US and fundoscopy, and on 14 enucleated cases with histopathology. Results: A significant relationship between the signal intensity on T1 and pigmentation on histopathology was found (p=0.024). T1 hyperintense UM were always moderately or strongly pigmented on histopathology, while T1-hypointense UM were either pigmented or non-pigmented. Mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the UM was 1.16 ± 0.26 × 10−3 mm2/s. Two-thirds of the UM had a wash-out and the remaining a plateau perfusion time-intensity curve (TIC). MRI was limited in evaluating the basal diameter of flat tumors. US tends to show larger tumor prominence (0.5mm larger, p=0.008) and largest basal diameter (1.4mm larger, p<0.001). MRI was good in diagnosing ciliary body involvement, extrascleral extension, and optic nerve invasion, but limited on identifying scleral invasion. An increase of tumor prominence was associated with lower ADC values (p=0.030) and favored a wash-out TIC (p=0.028). An increase of tumor ADC correlated with a plateau TIC (p=0.011). Conclusions: The anatomical and functional MRI characteristics of UM were comprehensively assessed. Knowing the MRI characteristics of UM is important in order to confirm the diagnosis and to differentiate UM from other intra-ocular lesions and because it has implications for treatment planning. MRI is a good technique to evaluate UM, being only limited in case of flat tumors or on identifying scleral invasion