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Biomedical subjects

Alice Song

Publications and source records attributed to Alice Song.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Medial and lateral orbital wall surgery for balanced decompression in thyroid eye disease.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Diplopia remains a major potential complication of orbital decompression performed for thyroid eye disease. We sought to examine the effect of medial and lateral wall surgery with sparing of the orbital floor on the incidence of postoperative diplopia. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of 63 consecutive medial and lateral orbital wall surgeries (40 patients) performed between December 1996 and May 2002 for orbital decompression of thyroid eye disease. RESULTS: The average patient age was 50.9 years of age (age range, 14-83 y). The studied group was predominantly female (sex ratio, 36:4). Indications were compressive optic neuropathy (34), exposure keratopathy (25), and aesthetic concerns (4). The mean time since surgery was 31.5 months (range, 3-69 mo). The medial wall was approached by a transcaruncular (59) or endoscopic (4) technique. Two patients had fat removal. The average improvement in exophthalmos was 4.1 mm (range, 0-10 mm). The average palpebral fissure improvement was 2.0 mm (range, 0-7 mm). Two patients had cerebrospinal fluid leaks during excavation of the sphenoid bone. These were diagnosed and repaired primarily without complication. New-onset diplopia occurred in four patients. Two of these patients required strabismus surgery. CONCLUSION: A 10% new-onset diplopia rate compares favorably with other surgical series. Medial and lateral wall surgery only, sparing the floor, may reduce diplopia after surgery for orbital decompression in thyroid eye disease.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of recurrent eosinophilic granuloma with systemic therapy.

PURPOSE: To describe the systemic treatment of recurrent eosinophilic granuloma. METHODS: Case report and review of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. RESULTS: A 9-year-old boy had painful, right upper eyelid swelling. A computed tomography scan showed a right superolateral orbital mass with evidence of bony erosion. Frozen section evaluation was consistent with eosinophilic granuloma. Biopsy and curettage were performed. Systemic work-up was negative for extraorbital disease. Recurrence of the orbital mass 6 weeks after surgery was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Four weeks after treatment with prednisone and vinblastine, MRI showed a marked decrease in the size of the orbital lesion. Additional treatment with 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate was initiated, and MRI 6 months later showed complete resolution of the lesion. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of recurrent eosinophilic granuloma is challenging. The goal is to effectively cure the lesion with minimal short-term and long-term side effects. Systemic steroids, vinca alkaloids, antimetabolites, and antifols are preferred because they have less toxicity and mutagenicity. Combination chemotherapy used in conjunction with treatment by a pediatric hematologist/oncologist appears to be an effective method of treating recurrent disease.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Atypical anterior optic neuropathy caused by toxoplasmosis.

PURPOSE: To report atypical anterior optic neuropathy due to toxoplasmosis. METHODS: Interventional case report. A 33-year-old male presented with sudden painless loss of vision and floaters in the right eye. Examination demonstrated a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/200, optic nerve head edema, retinal hemorrhages, and vitreous opacities. RESULTS: Nine days later, a granuloma at the optic nerve head was apparent, and the patient was treated with pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, folinic acid, and prednisone. Six weeks after initiating therapy, best-corrected visual acuity had improved to 20/25. CONCLUSION: Optic nerve involvement in toxoplasmosis is uncommon and, when it occurs, usually presents with a white inflammatory mass on the optic disk. The current case demonstrates the importance of including toxoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis of unilateral anterior optic neuropathy, even if a focal inflammatory mass is not apparent.

Adult↗

Delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis: clinical features and visual acuity outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical factors, causative organisms, treatments, and visual acuity and intraocular pressure outcomes associated with delayed-onset, bleb-associated endophthalmitis. DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: All patients treated for bleb-associated endophthalmitis at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1996, and July 1, 2001. All patients had prior glaucoma filtering surgery. Patients with inadvertent functioning blebs after cataract extraction were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual acuity outcomes and intraocular pressure control after endophthalmitis. RESULTS: An antifibrotic agent was used in 40 (82%) of the 49 eyes identified, including mitomycin-C in 33 (67%) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in 7 (14%). The mean interval between the initial filtering surgery and endophthalmitis diagnosis was 5.0 years (range, 0.7-12.2 years). The mean follow-up time after treatment for endophthalmitis was 6.9 months (range, 1-60 months). As recorded in the medical record, potential risk factors and clinical features among the study population included history of bleb leak in 13 (27%) eyes, bleb manipulations in 15 (31%) (needling in 3 [6%], compression sutures in 2 [4%], laser suture lysis in 6 [12%], bleb revision in 5 [10%], and autologous blood injection in 2 [4%]), bleb defects in 6 (12%), inferior bleb location 6 (12%), and nasolacrimal duct obstruction in 1 (2%). The most common causative organisms were Streptococcus species in 15 eyes (31%) and Staphylococcus species in 11 eyes (22%). Final visual acuities in the vitrectomy group (n = 22) versus the initial tap group (n = 26) were as follows: > or = 20/40 (5% versus 15%), 20/50 to 20/400 (32% versus 54%), and < 5/200 (64% versus 31%). Eleven (22%) patients eventually underwent enucleation or evisceration secondary to pain and/or poor vision (light perception to no light perception). In 4 (11%) of the 38 eyes not enucleated, intraocular pressures were poorly controlled at last follow-up (>21 mmHg) after treatment of endophthalmitis. CONCLUSIONS: Streptococcus species and Staphylococcus species were the most common causative organisms in the current series of patients with delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis. Despite successful treatment of the infection, visual outcomes are generally poor.

Adult↗

Bilateral traumatic globe subluxation.

A 41-year-old woman was involved in a motor vehicle accident. On examination, the patient was intubated but responsive. Visual acuity was no light perception OU. Bilateral anterior globe subluxation was noted. The globes were intact. CT scans of the head and orbits revealed extensive facial fractures. The globes were gently reduced in the orbits. After surgery, the patient had not regained vision but was grateful that her eyes were intact and was coping with her vision loss. Prompt positioning of the eyes in the orbits and their subsequent preservation reduced the psychological stress associated with the patient's loss of vision.

Accidents, Traffic↗