Improvement of visual acuity based on optical coherence tomography patterns following intravitreal bevacizumab treatment in patients with diabetic macular edema

AIM:To report the visual outcome based on various patterns of optical coherence tomography (OCT) morphology in diabetic macular edema (DME), following treatment with anti-VEGF intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection.METHODS:Sixty-seven consecutive subjects with centre involving DME underwent intravitreal injection of Bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) in this retrospective, comparative, non randomized study. The DME was classified into one of four categories:focal, diffuse, focal cystoid and neurosensory detachment based on OCT. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), macular appearance, and OCT findings were used to decide whether the subject should have a repeat injection of intravitreal bevacizumab. Outcome measures were a change in mean BCVA (Snellen converted to logMAR) and central macular thickness (CMT) in each group during the six month follow-up period.RESULTS:The mean BCVA improved to logMAR 0.23 at final follow-up from a baseline of 0.32 logMAR (P=0.040) in the focal group, logMAR 0.80 at final follow-up from a baseline of 0.82 logMAR (P=0.838) in the diffuse group, worsened to logMAR 0.53 at final follow-up from a baseline of 0.43 logMAR (P=0.276) in the focal cystoid group, and improved to logMAR 0.79 at final follow-up from a baseline of 0.93 logMAR (P=0.490) in the neurosensory detachment group. The mean CMT before treatment were 298.8±25.03 μm in the focal group, 310.8±40.6 μm in the diffuse group, 397.15±31.05 μm in the focal cystoid group and 401.03±75.1 μm in the neurosensory detachment group. A mean of 2.05 (range:1-5) injections in the focal group, 1.32 (range:1-2) in the diffuse group, 2.6 (range:1-6) in the focal cystoid group and 2.6 (range:1-6) in the neurosensory detachment group were performed during the six month follow-up period. Following intravitreal bevacizumab treatment, vision improved, remained unchanged or worsened in 11, 7 and 2 subjects in focal group; 11, 9 and 8 in diffuse group; 0, 2 and 4 in focal cystoid group and 5, 5 and 3 subjects respectively in neurosensory detachment group.CONCLUSION:OCT morpholgy patterns in DME may predict the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab treatment, and patients with focal DME are most likely to benefit from the improvent of visual acuity from this treatment.     

Propofol Infusion Syndrome During Refractory Status Epilepticus in a Young Adult: Successful ECMO Resuscitation

Background  

Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is a rare but serious complication of propofol administration consisting of metabolic disorder with acidosis, often leading to fatal cardiovascular collapse.     

Prophylactic preoperative balloon occlusion of hypogastric arteries in abnormal placentation; 5 years experience

Purpose

The purpose is to describe and evaluate the technique of prophylactic balloon occlusion of the anterior division of the internal iliac arteries (hypogastric arteries) in abnormal placentation.

Materials and methods

It is a retrospective study; the records of 44 patients with a diagnosis of placenta previa/accreta/percreta were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups. Thirty-two patients underwent prophylactic temporary balloon occlusion, followed by cesarean section. A review of cases was done over a period of 5 years. All cases after previous arrangement with the interventional radiologist and after admission, patient in the balloon occlusion group underwent the procedure of hypogastric artery balloon occlusion under fluoroscopy using minimal radiation exposure. Intra-operatively, the balloon was inflated as needed. Twelve patients underwent cesarean section without endovascular intervention. The following parameters were compared in the two groups: patient age, gravidity, parity, gestational age at delivery, pregnancy outcome, and days in the intensive care unit after delivery, total hospital days, volume of transfused blood products, operating room time, estimated blood loss, and postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Results

Patients in the balloon occlusion group had significantly less in estimated blood loss than the non balloon occlusion group. There was no statistical difference in mean volume of replaced blood products, operating room time or postoperative recovery time.

Conclusion

Our results support that in patients with placenta accreta/percreta, pre-operative prophylactic temporary balloon occlusion diminishes intra-operative blood loss. We conclude that balloon occlusion of the hypogastric arteries is safe and effective in an attempt to minimize blood loss in patients with abnormal placentation.     

Non‐conventional method of pontic site preservation with laser‐assisted bone regeneration

This report presents an alternative method to the removal of failing implant and using a bone graft to preserve ridge which needs several months to heal and it is a costly technique. The pontic site was preserved by covering the failing implant with connective tissue and laser‐assisted peri‐implant defect regeneration.     

Contamination of donor cornea: postpenetrating keratoplasty endophthalmitis

Nine cases (0.41%) of bacterial and fungal endophthalmitis developed out of a total of 2,210 consecutive penetrating keratoplasties performed between November 1983 and April 1989. Five of the nine cases (0.23%) had endophthalmitis related to donor tissue contamination. The donor tissue of these cases had a storage time of greater than 5 days. A retrospective analysis of 1,399 consecutive corneoscleral rim cultures showed a contamination rate of 29%. The most common organisms isolated were Propionibacterium 26%, diphtheroids 24%, Staphylococcus epidermidis 22%, and fungi 9%. There is a statistically significant increase (p less than 0.005) in the percentage of contaminated donor rims with a preservation time of more than five days. The risk of developing endophthalmitis is 12 times greater with a positive donor rim culture. Prolonged preservation of donor tissue can be a risk factor in developing endophthalmitis.     

An evaluation of Indigenous Tobacco Program smoking prevention workshops with First Nations youth in Ontario,Canada

SettingThe Indigenous Tobacco Program (ITP) operated by the Indigenous Cancer Care Unit at Cancer Care Ontario provides customized tobacco prevention workshops to First Nations youth across Ontario, in partnership with First Nations communities and partner organizations.InterventionFirst Nations youth in Canada are more likely than non-Indigenous youth to be smokers. The ITP aims to address the negative health impacts of commercial tobacco, using culturally relevant approaches, tools and resources while remaining respectful to the significance of sacred tobacco. This paper aims to determine whether a culturally tailored tobacco prevention workshop increases tobacco-related knowledge among First Nations youth in Ontario.OutcomesThe workshops exhibited promise in impacting First Nations youth knowledge on the harms of commercial tobacco, as after the workshop intervention, all indicators showed improved knowledge. Building strong and ongoing relationships with communities and partner organizations is vital to the success of the program.ImplicationsCulturally tailored workshops grounded in traditional knowledge and values provide an opportunity to increase the knowledge of the harms of commercial tobacco among First Nations youth in Ontario. With commercial tobacco use and exposure having tremendous health consequences, such interventions are essential.     

Direct stenting limits sirolimus-eluting stent edge neointimal thickening

OBJECTIVE: The use of sirolimus eluting stent (SES) has strongly limited the incidence of in-stent restenosis that still remains a problem at the stent edge. The aim of this study was to analyze the neointimal thickening after implantation of SES and to assess the influence of the stent implantation procedure on the neointimal thickening in the in-stent segment and at the edge of the stent in an ex-vivo model of stented human artery. METHODS: Both balloon expandable SES and the corresponding bare metal stent (BMS) were used in a model of human mammary artery culture. Stents were implanted either directly or after predilatation (10 atm, 60 seconds) and analysis of arterial segments were performed at 28 days poststenting. Cell proliferation and neointimal thickening were assessed by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and histomorphometry, both in the in-stent segment and at the edge of the stent. Neointimal thickening was expressed as the ratio ([neointimal area/neointimal area + media area]). RESULTS: The in-stent neointimal thickening was dramatically inhibited in the SES group compared with the BMS group whatever the stenting technique was (predilatation: 0.22 +/- 0.05 vs 0.30 +/- 0.10; P < .04; direct stenting 0.16 +/- 0.04 vs 0.30 +/- 0.13; P <.01). This effect of SES was associated with a smallest expression of the small G protein RhoA and an increase of p27kip expression. In the BMS group, predilatation and direct stenting gave similar in-stent neointimal thickening. In contrast, in the SES group, in-stent neointimal thickening was significantly reduced when direct stenting was performed (0.16 +/- 0.04 [direct stenting] vs 0.22 +/- 0.05 [predilatation], P < .03). At the stent edge, a similar neointimal thickening was observed with both type of stent when predilatation was performed on the entire segment of the artery. Direct stenting significantly reduced the neointimal thickness at the stent edge when SES where used (0.06 +/- 0.01 [direct stenting] vs 0.19 +/- 0.06 [predilatation]; P < .001) but not in the BMS group. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the efficiency of sirolimus released form SES to inhibit RhoA expression and to increase p27kip level in the arterial wall and show the benefit of direct stenting to limit the edge effect with SES.     

Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis of the mitral valve in a heart transplant recipient: a case report

Aspergillus endocarditis is a rare event after heart transplantation. We report a case of Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis after orthotopic heart transplantation. The patient was treated with a combination of voriconazole and caspofungin without valve replacement and survived for 168 days after the diagnosis. Previously reported cases are reviewed.