Phase II Clinical Trial of Trametinib and Low-Dose Dabrafenib in Advanced, Previously Treated Wild-Type Melanoma (TraMel-WT).

Purpose: Patients with / wild-type melanoma who progress after immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have a poor prognosis. MEK inhibition has shown activity in this patient population but is associated with treatment-limiting skin toxicity. Combining a BRAF inhibitor with a MEK inhibitor is associated with less skin toxicity.

Assessment of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Alterations and Chorioretinal Vascular Network Analyses in Patients under Treatment with BRAF/MEK Inhibitor for Different Malignancies: A Pilot Study.

In the last two decades, an increasing number of so-called molecular-targeted therapies have become available for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies. These drugs have included inhibitors of proteins in the MAPK pathway, such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors, which are characterized by a distinct toxicity profile. The eye is particularly susceptible to adverse effects due to MEK inhibitors, and the term MEKAR (MEK-inhibitor-associated retinopathy) indicates the presence of subretinal fluid, mimicking central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

A lead-in safety study followed by a phase 2 clinical trial of dabrafenib, trametinib and hydroxychloroquine in advanced BRAFV600 mutant melanoma patients previously treated with BRAF-/MEK-inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Patients with advanced BRAFV600 mutant melanoma who progressed on prior treatment with BRAF-/MEK-inhibitors and programmed cell death 1 or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 immune checkpoint inhibitors can benefit from retreatment with the combination of a BRAF- and a MEK-inhibitor ('rechallenge'). Hydroxychloroquine can prevent autophagy-driven resistance and improve the efficacy of BRAF-/MEK-inhibitors in preclinical melanoma models. This clinical trial investigated the use of combined BRAF-/MEK-inhibition with dabrafenib and trametinib plus hydroxychloroquine in patients with advanced BRAFV600 mutant melanoma who previously progressed on prior treatment with BRAF-/MEK-inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Choroidal and Choriocapillaris Morphology in Pan-FGFR Inhibitor-Associated Retinopathy: A Case Report.

Emerging anticancer agents such as the pan-FGFR Inhibitor have achieved remarkable improvements in the survival of patients with metastatic malignancies. Nevertheless they are still associated with specific ophthalmic toxicities. Understanding their pathophysiology can lead us to better clinical practice of life-threatening and vision-threatening circumstances.

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy sequential to SARS-CoV-2 virus pneumonia: preventable by endothelial protection?

We present a case of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) with no ocular or systemic risk factors in a patient who recovered from a recent SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy among individuals over 50 years of age. It results from a transient hypoperfusion of the optic nerve head circulation, especially in patients with low vascular compliance due to ocular or systemic risk factors.

A Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Trametinib and Low-Dose Dabrafenib in Patients with Advanced Pretreated Mutant Melanoma (TraMel-WT).

Background: MEK-inhibitor monotherapy has activity in advanced mutant melanoma but is associated with dose-limiting cutaneous toxicity. The combination of a BRAF- with a MEK-inhibitor at their full dose (as in mutant melanoma) has low cutaneous toxicity. It is unknown whether a low dose of BRAF-inhibitor can mitigate the skin toxicity associated with full-dose MEK-inhibitor treatment in patients with advanced mutant melanoma.

Choriocapillaris Assessment In Patients Under Mek-Inhibitor Therapy For Cutaneous Melanoma: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

Purpose: The present study investigates by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) the retinal capillary plexus and choriocapillaris flow voids and their possible correlation with MEKAR.

Methods: 34 eyes of 17 patients (61.5 years [30.

A randomized trial of intravitreal bevacizumab vs. ranibizumab for myopic CNV.

Aims: The aim was to compare the efficacy of intravitreal therapy with bevacizumab and ranibizumab for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in pathologic myopia (PM).

Methods: This was a prospective multicenter randomized nonblinded trial.

Results: In seven centers, 78 eyes were randomized 1:1 to treatment with bevacizumab (group B, 40 eyes) or ranibizumab (group R, 38 eyes) given with an "on demand" regimen (PRN).

Is ranibizumab effective in stopping the loss of vision for choroidal neovascularisation in pathologic myopia? A long-term follow-up study.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of ranibizumab in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) caused by pathologic myopia (PM).

Design: Prospective, multicentre, interventional case series.

Methods: 40 eyes of 39 consecutive patients with PM and CNV were treated with 'on demand' intravitreal injection of ranibizumab 0.

25-gauge macular surgery: results and complications.

Purpose: To report the safety and surgical outcome of 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for macular conditions.

Methods: In a single-center, retrospective, noncomparative case series, 160 eyes of 150 patients underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy for different macular conditions: 108 eyes for idiopathic macular pucker, 24 for idiopathic macular hole, and 28 for tractional diabetic macular edema. Main outcome measures were surgical time, preoperative and 1-day intraocular pressure (IOP), preoperative and 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month visual acuity, intraoperative and postoperative complications, anatomical results, and cataract progression.

Time course of changes in retinal thickness and visual acuity after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for diffuse diabetic macular edema with and without previous macular laser treatment.

Purpose: To describe the changes in retinal thickness (RT) and visual acuity over time in patients with clinically significant diffuse diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) and to compare patients with and without previous laser treatment.

Methods: A total of 23 eyes with clinically significant DME received a 4-mg IVTA injection. Twelve eyes were refractory to macular laser treatment (group 1), and 11 eyes received IVTA as primary therapy (group 2).

Optical coherence tomography evaluation of macular edema after radial optic neurotomy in patients affected by central retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: To evaluate the characteristics of macular edema (ME) before and after radial optic neurotomy (RON) detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT), in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Design: Interventional case series.

Methods: Five eyes of 5 patients affected by CRVO underwent RON.