Epiretinal Membrane Formation after Treatment of Retinal Breaks: Cryoretinopexy versus Laser Retinopexy.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to study the prevalence of macular epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation for retinal tears treated with laser retinopexy and cryoretinopexy. The study sought to identify whether there is a difference in ERM formation prevalence between these 2 treatments.

Design: Retrospective, single-center, chart review study.

Management of Degenerative Retinoschisis-Associated Retinal Detachment.

Purpose: To review a population of degenerative retinoschisis (RS) patients, with attention to those with schisis cavity breaks and with retinal detachment complicating retinoschisis (RDRS), to identify management considerations and incidence for this rare clinical entity.

Design: Retrospective chart review of patients with RS and schisis cavity breaks over a 15-year period in a tertiary, multiple-physician vitreoretinal practice.

Subjects: A total of 587 cases of RS were confirmed on chart review, with 59 meeting inclusion criteria.

Bull's eye maculopathy in an HIV-positive patient receiving ritonavir.

Retinal toxicity involving the macula as a complication of the antiretroviral protease inhibitor ritonavir has been described in a few cases. We report retinal pigment epitheliopathy involving the macula with a bull's eye pattern in a 36-year-old man with well-controlled HIV receiving ritonavir with gradually progressive bilateral vision loss.

Efficacy of adalimumab for pediatric Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome.

Pediatric Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKH) is rare, with limited cases of corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppression use reported. A 15-year-old Hispanic girl was referred for bilateral intraocular inflammation. Her initial best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/30 in the right eye and 20/200 in the left eye, with granulomatous keratic precipitates, anterior chamber and vitreous cell, optic disc edema, and nummular depigmented chorioretinal lesions on examination consistent with VKH after an unrevealing work-up.

Diagnostic vitrectomy for infectious uveitis.

The identification of an infectious or noninfectious uveitis syndrome is important to determine the range of therapeutic and prognostic implications of that disease entity. Diagnostic dilemmas arise with atypical history, atypical clinical presentations, inconclusive diagnostic workup, and persistent or worsened inflammation despite appropriate immunosuppression. More invasive intraocular testing is indicated in these situations particularly in infectious uveitis where a delay in treatment may result in worsening of the patient’s disease and a poor visual outcome.

Profound nephrotic syndrome in a patient with ovarian teratoma.

The nephrotic syndrome (NS) has been associated with a variety of malignancies in a number of reports in the literature, but has been reported in only nine cases associated with ovarian neoplasms. Membranous nephropathy is the most common glomerular pathology causing the NS in patients with solid tumors. There has been only one report of an ovarian neoplasm associated with minimal change disease (MCD).

Bortezomib in kidney transplantation.

Although current therapies for pretransplant desensitization and treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) have had some success, they do not specifically deplete plasma cells that produce antihuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma (a plasma cell neoplasm), induces plasma cell apoptosis. In this paper we review the current body of literature regarding the use of this biological agent in the field of transplantation.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in a kidney transplant: a rare complication of sirolimus.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) has been associated with the immunosuppressant sirolimus in transplant patients. PAP is a progressive lung disease characterized by the accumulation of surfactant-like material in the lungs leading to decreased pulmonary function with shortness of breath and cough as common symptoms. We report a rare case of sirolimus-associated PAP in a kidney transplant recipient with a history of end-stage renal disease secondary to haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and review of the literature.

Bortezomib in kidney transplant desensitization: a case report.

Although current therapies for pretransplant desensitization and antibody mediated rejection (AMR) have had some success, they do not specifically deplete plasma cells that produce antibodies to HLA. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, has been shown to induce plasma cell apoptosis and has been used in the treatment of AMR; however, there are no reported experiences in using this agent in pretransplant desensitization. We report using bortezomib in conjunction with Rituximab to desensitize a kidney transplant recipient on the waiting list.