Outcome of Retinoblastoma After Implementation of National Retinoblastoma Treatment Guidelines in South Africa.

Purpose: Retinoblastoma, a curable childhood cancer, has been identified as a tracer cancer in the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. To document the outcomes of children with retinoblastoma in South Africa, treated as per the first prospective standard national treatment guidelines for childhood cancer in South Africa.

Patients And Methods: All children diagnosed with retinoblastoma between 2012 and 2016 in five South African pediatric oncology units were treated with a standard treatment on the basis of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology-Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries guidelines for high-income settings.

Travel burden and clinical presentation of retinoblastoma: analysis of 1024 patients from 43 African countries and 518 patients from 40 European countries.

Background: The travel distance from home to a treatment centre, which may impact the stage at diagnosis, has not been investigated for retinoblastoma, the most common childhood eye cancer. We aimed to investigate the travel burden and its impact on clinical presentation in a large sample of patients with retinoblastoma from Africa and Europe.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis including 518 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 40 European countries and 1024 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 43 African countries.

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale.

Patterns of Uveitis at Two University-Based Referral Centres in Cape Town, South Africa.

: To analyze the pattern of uveitis at two tertiary hospitals in South Africa which has a high prevalence of HIV, TB and syphilis. : Data of 198 patients were obtained retrospectively between August 2014 and August 2016, including patient demographics, clinical examination, special investigations and final diagnosis. : Infectious uveitis was the most common aetiological category (47%), followed by idiopathic (34.

Anterior chamber paracentesis to improve diagnosis and treatment of infectious uveitis in South Africa.

Infectious uveitis is a significant cause of blindness in South Africa, especially among HIV-infected individuals. The visual outcome of uveitis depends on early clinical and laboratory diagnosis to guide therapeutic intervention. Analyses of aqueous humor, obtained by anterior chamber paracentesis, directs the differential diagnosis in infectious uveitis.

The treatment of carcinoma in situ and squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva with fractionated strontium-90 radiation in a population with a high prevalence of HIV.

Background: This study explores the safety and efficacy of strontium 90 (Sr-90) brachytherapy as the sole adjuvant therapy for carcinoma in situ (CIS) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the conjunctiva in a high HIV prevalent area.

Methods: This is a retrospective case review of patients treated with 60 Gray Sr-90 brachytherapy in four divided doses after resection with a 2 mm margin and histological confirmation. Cryotherapy or alcohol debridement was not performed at the time of excision due to limited resources.

Prevalence of chronic ocular complications in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify and grade the severity of chronic ocular complications in patients who suffered from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) treated in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods: A total of 54 patients with SJS or TEN for 6 months or longer were examined. The ocular complications were classified into corneal, eyelid and conjunctival complications.

The value of routine polymerase chain reaction analysis of intraocular fluid specimens in the diagnosis of infectious posterior uveitis.

Objective: To assess the value of routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on intraocular fluid from patients presenting with a first episode of suspected active infectious posterior uveitis in a population with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Design: Retrospective, interventional case series. Participants.

Identification of ocular surface squamous neoplasia by in vivo staining with methylene blue.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of methylene blue used as a non-invasive in vivo stain to detect ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN).

Methods: A test validation study was performed according to Standards for the reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) guidelines on 75 consecutive patients who presented with ocular surface lesions suspicious of OSSN. Methylene blue 1% was instilled in vivo following local anaesthetic.

Brachytherapy and endoresection for choroidal melanoma: a cohort study.

Aim: To report and compare the outcomes of brachytherapy and endoresection in the conservative treatment of medium sized choroidal melanoma.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study. Medium tumours were defined as 2.

Prevalence, causes and socio-economic determinants of vision loss in Cape Town, South Africa.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment in Cape Town, South Africa and to explore socio-economic and demographic predictors of vision loss in this setting.

Methods: A cross sectional population-based survey was conducted in Cape Town. Eighty-two clusters were selected using probability proportionate to size sampling.

South Africa's cataract surgery rates: why are we not meeting our targets?

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in South Africa, responsible for about 50% of the prevalence of blindness and identified as a national health priority. The cataract surgery rate (CSR) should be at least 2 000 per million population per year for elimination of cataract blindness. The national CSR target was planned to increase from 1 000 in 2005 to 2 000 in 2010, but since CSRs have failed to reach targets each year, the national target for 2010 was reduced from 2 000 to 1 500.

Iodine-125 orbital brachytherapy with a prosthetic implant in situ.

Purpose: Brachytherapy is one method of irradiating the orbit after enucleation of an eye with a malignant tumor that has a potential to recur. It consists of 6 trains of I-125 seeds placed around the periphery of the orbit, a shorter central train, and a metal disc, loaded with seeds, placed beneath the eyelids. The presence of a prosthetic orbital implant requires omission of the central train and adjustment of the activity of the seeds in the anterior orbit around the prosthesis.

Mitomycin C in the treatment of a Schneiderian (inverted) papilloma of the lacrimal sac.

Schneiderian papillomas are benign tumours, with an aggressive nature. A case with a recurrent Schneiderian papilloma of the nasolacrimal sac, who underwent an external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with irrigation of the nasolacrimal system with 0.02% mitomycin C (MMC), is presented at 18 months follow-up.

Conservation of eyes with choroidal melanoma by a multimodality approach to treatment: an audit of 1632 patients.

Objective: To report on conservation of eyes with choroidal melanoma with a multimodality approach to treatment.

Design: Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.

Participants: All 1632 patients with choroidal melanoma treated at a single center between 1993 and 2002.

Postenucleation orbits in retinoblastoma: treatment with 125I brachytherapy.

Purpose: Children with retinoblastoma that extends into or through the choroid, sclera, or optic nerve are at risk of developing orbital disease, as well as metastases. Previously, these enucleated orbits were treated with external beam radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy. 125I brachytherapy for tumors in and around the eye was pioneered by Sealy in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1974.