Annual prevalence of geographic atrophy and wet age-related macular degeneration among Medicare Advantage enrollees in a US health plan.

Background: Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that can lead to visual impairment. Published studies estimate approximately 1 million people in the United States have GA in at least 1 eye. There is a lack of real-world evidence from the US payer perspective on the prevalence of AMD and GA among Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MAPD) plan enrollees.

Geographic atrophy and factors associated with disease progression among Medicare Advantage enrollees.

Background: Geographic atrophy (GA) is a form of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that can cause irreversible vision impairment and is responsible for approximately 20% of legal blindness in the United States. There is limited real-world evidence assessing health outcomes and health care resource use (HCRU) among individuals with GA.

Objective: To examine the progression from GA without subfoveal involvement (SFI) to GA with SFI, progression to irreversible blindness, and HCRU among older individuals with GA enrolled in Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans.

Difficult to treat Pseudomonas: successful salvage therapy with cefepime-zidebactam.

Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPa) infection is extremely challenging to manage. Cefepime-zidebactam is a novel combination that can be considered for salvage therapy when no other antimicrobials are susceptible. A 15-y-old boy presented with 56% thermal burns, followed by skin and soft tissue infection, secondary bacteraemia, complicated parapneumonic effusion and endophthalmitis due to CRPa, which was not susceptible to any of the routinely available antibiotics.

Outer Retinal Tubulation in Geographic Atrophy.

Background And Objective: Outer retinal tubulation (ORT) is observed on optical coherence tomography images from patients with geographic atrophy (GA), but its clinical implications are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ORT and its association with GA lesion growth rates.

Materials And Methods: This post hoc longitudinal analysis assessed 62 eyes randomized to sham treatment in the phase 2 FILLY trial.

Clinical Performance of the Consensus Immunoscore in Colon Cancer in the Asian Population from the Multicenter International SITC Study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of Immunoscore in patients with stage I−III colon cancer (CC) in the Asian population. These patients were originally included in an international study led by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) on 2681 patients with AJCC/UICC-TNM stages I−III CC. METHODS: CD3+ and cytotoxic CD8+ T-lymphocyte densities were quantified in the tumor and invasive margin by digital pathology.

Overminus Lens Therapy for Children 3 to 10 Years of Age With Intermittent Exotropia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: This is the first large-scale randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness and safety of overminus spectacle therapy for treatment of intermittent exotropia (IXT).

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of overminus spectacles to improve distance IXT control.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This randomized clinical trial conducted at 56 clinical sites between January 2017 and January 2019 associated with the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group enrolled 386 children aged 3 to 10 years with IXT, a mean distance control score of 2 or worse, and a refractive error between 1.

Cerebro-renal interaction and stroke.

Stroke is an event causing a disturbance in cerebral function leading to death and disability worldwide. Both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with an increased risk of stroke and cerebrovascular events. The underlying mechanistic approach between impaired renal function and stroke is limitedly explored and has attracted researchers to learn more for developing therapeutic intervention.

Neuroimmune crosstalk and evolving pharmacotherapies in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegeneration is characterized by gradual onset and limited availability of specific biomarkers. Apart from various aetiologies such as infection, trauma, genetic mutation, the interaction between the immune system and CNS is widely associated with neuronal damage in neurodegenerative diseases. The immune system plays a distinct role in disease progression and cellular homeostasis.

Multicenter International Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Study of the Consensus Immunoscore for the Prediction of Survival and Response to Chemotherapy in Stage III Colon Cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of Immunoscore in patients with stage III colon cancer (CC) and to analyze its association with the effect of chemotherapy on time to recurrence (TTR).

Methods: An international study led by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer evaluated the predefined consensus Immunoscore in 763 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control TNM stage III CC from cohort 1 (Canada/United States) and cohort 2 (Europe/Asia). CD3+ and cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocyte densities were quantified in the tumor and invasive margin by digital pathology.

Migraine and Ischemic Stroke: Deciphering the Bidirectional Pathway.

Migraine and stroke are common, disabling neurological conditions with several theories being proposed to explain this bidirectional relationship. Migraine is considered as a benign neurological disorder, but research has revealed a connection between migraine and stroke, predominantly those having migraine with aura (MA). Among migraineurs, females with MA are more susceptible to ischemic stroke and may have a migrainous infarction.

The Role of Inflammasomes in Atherosclerosis and Stroke Pathogenesis.

Inflammation is a devastating outcome of cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), namely stroke and atherosclerosis. Numerous studies over the decade have shown that inflammasomes play a role in mediating inflammatory reactions post cellular injury occurring after a stroke or a rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque. In view of this, targeting these inflammatory pathways using different pharmacological therapies may improve outcomes in patients with CVD.

International validation of the consensus Immunoscore for the classification of colon cancer: a prognostic and accuracy study.

Background: The estimation of risk of recurrence for patients with colon carcinoma must be improved. A robust immune score quantification is needed to introduce immune parameters into cancer classification. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value of total tumour-infiltrating T-cell counts and cytotoxic tumour-infiltrating T-cells counts with the consensus Immunoscore assay in patients with stage I-III colon cancer.

A Randomized Trial of a Binocular iPad Game Versus Part-Time Patching in Children Aged 13 to 16 Years With Amblyopia.

Purpose: To compare visual acuity (VA) improvement in teenagers with amblyopia treated with a binocular iPad game vs part-time patching.

Methods: One hundred participants aged 13 to <17 years (mean 14.3 years) with amblyopia (20/40 to 20/200, mean ∼20/63) resulting from strabismus, anisometropia, or both were enrolled into a randomized clinical trial.

Is The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey Specific for Convergence Insufficiency? A Prospective, Randomized Study.

Background And Purpose: The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) is a questionnaire used as an outcome measure in treatment of convergence insufficiency. The current prospective randomized trial evaluates the diagnostic specificity of the CISS.

Patients And Methods: Surveys were completed by 118 adolescent patients who presented for routine eye examinations.