[Surgical video course receives better evaluation than participation in the operating room as part of student teaching].

Background: Imparting knowledge in the operating room represents a particular challenge in student teaching.

Objective: Participation in the operating room was compared with teaching via a surgical video course as part of the block practical course in ophthalmology at the University of Lübeck.

Methods: All students took part in both observation in the operating room and in the video course.

On the Prognostic Implication of Delays in the Definitive Treatment of Uveal Melanoma.

Recent studies suggest that delays in the definitive treatment of uveal melanoma may increase the risk of metastatic disease. This topic has been the subject of considerable debate. In this study, we combine and contrast medical evidence from several recent publications seeking to clarify the association between treatment delays and prognosis.

[Circulating tumor cells in uveal melanoma : "The needle in the haystack"].

Background: A fundamental prerequisite for the development of clinically manifested metastases in uveal melanoma (UM) is the hematogenous dissemination of melanoma cells, which circulate in the systemic circulation, deposit in organs and can subsequently colonize the organs.

Material And Methods: This article presents a review of the literature on the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) from UM and their relevance for the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of the malignancy.

Results: Since the first description of CTC in UM patients 20 years ago, only 20 articles have been published on the detection of intact CTCs in UM.

[The concept of the liquid biopsy in the treatment of malignant eye tumours].

The liquid biopsy is a cutting-edge technique that involves analysing non-solid biological tissues, primarily blood but also ocular fluids, for the presence of cancer cells or fragments of tumour DNA. Unlike traditional biopsies, liquid biopsies are usually minimally invasive and can be performed more frequently, enabling continuous monitoring of disease progression and treatment efficacy. This article (and the associated series of articles) outlines the key developments in liquid biopsy, which include the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTC) and exosomal RNA and protein biomarkers.

Adjuvant denosumab for early breast cancer-Evidence and controversy.

The efficacy of adjuvant denosumab in combination with hormonotherapy in breast cancer patients was investigated in two randomized trials, ABCSG-18 and D-Care, but the results were mixed with respect to the impact of this drug on disease-free survival. However, the ABCSG-18 study has achieved its primary goal: prevention of clinical fractures. Therefore, the protective role of Denosumab on bone fragility induced by estrogen deprivation, already demonstrated in post-menopausal women, has been validated in the breast cancer setting.

[Efficacy and safety of the new generation of excimer laser trabeculotomy in a heterogeneous patient population-1-year follow-up].

Background: Microinvasive procedures have become established in glaucoma surgery and are preferred for patients with target pressure values that are not too low. Excimer laser trabeculotomy (ELT) represents such a minimally invasive approach and can easily be combined with cataract surgery.

Objective: Over 12 months the reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of antiglaucoma drugs and the incidence of adverse events were evaluated using the new Elios method (Elios Vision GmbH, Germering, Germany) for real-life data from a heterogeneous patient population undergoing ELT in combination with cataract surgery (phaco-ELT).

Evaluation of ocular and systemic endpoints after radiation of posterior uveal melanoma - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Due to the large number of radiotherapeutic options for treatment of posterior uveal melanoma (UM), advantages of each option regarding important clinical endpoints have yet to be determined. Therefore, objective of this systematic review was to analyze the numerous pro- and retrospective cohort studies focusing on the efficacy of different radiotherapeutic options for UM in adults, considering local tumor control, overall survival, visual acuity, eye preservation, metastasis, radiation side effects and dose rates.

Methods: The Review was performed based on the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder as a first manifestation of Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia type 2 due to a novel mutation of SETX gene.

Background: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2) is an autosomal recessive disorder presenting with cerebellar ataxia, sensory-motor axonal neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia, cerebellar atrophy and high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum level. AOA2 is due to coding mutations of the SETX gene, mapped to chromosome 9q34. Seldom noncoding mutations affecting RNA processing have been reported too.

Pathophysiology of COVID-19-Related Extrapyramidal Disorders.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with a variety of neurological manifestations (i.e., anosmia, ageusia, myalgia, headache) and neurological syndromes (i.

Body composition in early breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitors: Does dietary counseling matter?

Purpose: The impact of dietary counseling on body composition in early breast cancer patients (EBC) treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a diet counseling program on weight, BMI, total and regional body composition in patients treated with AIs.

Methods: This observational study involved 194 EBC patients, of which 97 attended a 6-month personalized counseling program, based on Mediterranean diet principles (cohort A) and 97 did not (cohort B).

Neurosteroid Levels in GBA Mutated and Non-Mutated Parkinson's Disease: A Possible Factor Influencing Clinical Phenotype?

Neurosteroids are pleiotropic molecules involved in various neurodegenerative diseases with neuroinflammation. We assessed neurosteroids' serum levels in a cohort of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients with heterozygous glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations (GBA-PD) compared with matched cohorts of consecutive non-mutated PD (NM-PD) patients and healthy subjects with (GBA-HC) and without (NM-HC) GBA mutations. A consecutive cohort of GBA-PD was paired for age, sex, disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr stage, and comorbidities with a cohort of consecutive NM-PD.

Adverse skeletal related events in patients with bone-metastatic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma.

Metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are frequently associated with skeletal complications. Primary objective: to describe the frequency of adverse skeletal related events (SREs) in PPGL patients with bone metastases (BMs). Secondary objectives: to 1) identify predictive and prognostic factors for SREs and 2) obtain information on the effectiveness of bone resorption inhibitors in reducing SRE risk and improving outcomes in term of survival and SREs time onset.

Radiation-Induced DNA Damage in Uveal Melanoma Is Influenced by Dose Delivery and Chromosome 3 Status.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent of DNA breaks in primary uveal melanoma (UM) with regard to radiotherapy dose delivery (single-dose versus fractionated) and monosomy 3 status.

Methods: A total of 54 patients with UM were included. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) was performed in 23 patients, with 8 undergoing single-dose SRT (sdSRT) treatment and 15 receiving fractionated SRT (fSRT).

Germline NGS targeted analysis in adult patients with sporadic adrenocortical carcinoma.

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer that arises sporadically or due to hereditary syndromes. Data on germline variants (GVs) in sporadic ACC are limited. Our aim was to characterize GVs of genes potentially related to adrenal diseases in 150 adult patients with sporadic ACC.

Quercetin Impairs the Growth of Uveal Melanoma Cells by Interfering with Glucose Uptake and Metabolism.

Monosomy 3 in uveal melanoma (UM) increases the risk of lethal metastases, mainly in the liver, which serves as the major site for the storage of excessive glucose and the metabolization of the dietary flavonoid quercetin. Although primary UMs with monosomy 3 exhibit a higher potential for basal glucose uptake, it remains unknown as to whether glycolytic capacity is altered in such tumors. Herein, we initially analyzed the expression of = 151 genes involved in glycolysis and its interconnected branch, the "pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)", in the UM cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas Study and validated the differentially expressed genes in two independent cohorts.

[Clinical approach for solid intraocular metastases].

Background: Intraocular metastases arising from solid tumors are found in approximately 2% of patients with metastatic tumor diseases and are therefore more frequent than originally assumed. They often affect the uvea and are associated with a poor prognosis. Due to the difficult diagnosis and an inconsistent treatment regimen, ophthalmologists have a special responsibility here.

Detection sensitivity of fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy for laser-induced selective damage of retinal pigment epithelium.

Purpose: To investigate the sensitivity of fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) to detect retinal laser spots by comparative analysis with other imaging modalities.

Methods: A diode laser with a wavelength of 514 nm was applied with pulse durations of 5.2, 12, 20, and 50 µs.

Oncological treatment administration at end of life: a retrospective study.

This work evaluated the proportion of patients who continue therapy until their last month of life or initiate a new therapy in the last 3 months of life (end of life [EOL]). Data for 486 patients were retrospectively collected. In EOL, 205 (42.

Artificial Intelligence in Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) Data Analysis-Toward Retinal Metabolic Diagnostics.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of implementing an artificial intelligence (AI) approach for the analysis of fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) data even with small data. FLIO data, including the fluorescence intensity and mean fluorescence lifetime (τm) of two spectral channels, as well as OCT-A data from 26 non-smokers and 28 smokers without systemic and ocular diseases were used. The analysis was performed with support vector machines (SVMs), a well-known AI method for small datasets, and compared with the results of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and autoencoder networks.

In vivo evaluation of a nanotechnology-based microshunt for filtering glaucoma surgery.

To carry out the preclinical and histological evaluation of a novel nanotechnology-based microshunt for drainage glaucoma surgery. Twelve New Zealand White rabbits were implanted with a novel microshunt and followed up for 6 weeks. The new material composite consists of the silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and tetrapodal Zinc Oxide (ZnO-T) nano-/microparticles.

Impact of Nintedanib and Anti-Angiogenic Agents on Uveal Melanoma Cell Behavior.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct impact of the combined angiokinase inhibitor nintedanib as well as the anti-angiogenic agents ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept on the primary uveal melanoma (UM) cell line Mel270 and liver metastasis UM cell line OMM2.5.

Methods: The metabolic activity, viability, and oxidative stress levels were analyzed by the Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT), LIVE/DEAD, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays.

Clinical Landscape of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in Germany: Retina.net CSC Registry Report Number 1.

Introduction: The German Registry of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) collects data on CSC patients in a nationwide multicenter approach to analyze epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentations, as well as diagnosis and treatment patterns.

Methods: In this multicenter cohort study, patients with CSC were enrolled in nine tertiary referral centers in Germany between January 2022 and June 2023. After consenting to the study, demographic data, risk factors, reported symptoms, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), funduscopic findings, disease severity, and diagnostic and treatment decisions were recorded and analyzed.