IMPORTANCE Demonstrating the usefulness and complications of multiagent intravitreal chemotherapy is necessary for successful treatment in patients with recalcitrant vitreous seeding of retinoblastoma.OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy and complications of combined intravitreal chemotherapy (melphalan hydrochloride and topotecan hydrochloride) for viable vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective study was conducted in a hospital setting. Trans-pars plana intravitreal injection of melphalan hydrochloride (40 μg in 0.04 mL of diluent) combined with topotecan hydrochloride (8-20 μg in 0.04 mL of balanced salt solution) was performed in 9 eyes, followed by injection site cryotherapy.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Complete regression of vitreous seeds of retinoblastoma.RESULTS Nine eyes, initially classified as group D (n = 6) or E (n = 3) according to International Classification of Retinoblastoma categorization, received a standard 6 cycles of intravenous chemotherapy and/or intra-arterial chemotherapy and subsequently developed recurrent viable vitreous seeds. Intravitreal administration of melphalan combined with topotecan produced complete control of vitreous seeds in all 9 eyes following a mean of 1.9 injections (median, 2; range, 1-3 injections). In 3 cases (33%), tumor control was achieved with a single injection, whereas in 6 (67%) cases, 2 or 3 injections were necessary. Three patients (33%) subsequently underwent enucleation because of recurrent tumor and persistent anterior chamber lesions. During a mean 15.2 months of follow-up (median, 16; range, 7-25 months), there was no recurrence of new tumor or vitreous seeds in the remaining 6 eyes. Complications included temporary hypotonia of 2 weeks or less (2 [22%]), temporary epithelial defect (1 [11%]), and vitreous hemorrhage (1 [11%]). There was no case of episcleral or orbital retinoblastoma extension or remote retinoblastoma metastasis. There was no change in the a and b waves of bright-flash electroretinograms.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Administration of combined intravitreal melphalan and topotecan in eyes not subsequently enucleated appears to be safe and effective for resistant or recurrent vitreous seeds from retinoblastoma. In 3 of the cases (33%), tumor control was achieved with a single injection.
Direct attending supervision and careful case selection for the level of cataract surgery residency are of utmost importance in avoiding sight-threatening complications.
A single 1.25 mg dose of intracameral bevacizumab significantly improves the success of trabeculectomy; however, it increases the risk of early filtering bleb leakage.
A single 1.25 mg dose of intracameral bevacizumab improves the success of trabeculectomy comparable with MMC; however, it increases the risk of early filtering bleb leakage.
Our findings call for further interventions aiming at educating GPs to reduce potential errors. National drug policies and prescribing guidelines should be implemented to address the problem of inappropriate drug usage among the elderly.
Small-incision levator resection has previously been studied for correction of aponeurotic ptosis and proved to yield successful outcome. The findings of this study suggest that small-incision technique can be effectively used in correction of congenital ptosis, as well.
Although our patients were younger than myocardial infarction patients in developed countries, they had a higher rate of in-hospital mortality than those of the international statistics. This may be due, in part, to the lower rate of administration of primary reperfusion strategies in our center, namely primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolytic therapy, which have proved to be effective in reducing the mortality from myocardial infarction in the west. Wider application of primary percutaneous coronary intervention, in particular, is recommended.
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