Publications by authors named "Mark W. Johnson"

Purpose: To summarize and categorize postulated mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-mediated retinal and choroidal inflammation and discuss resulting implications for evaluation and management of these adverse reactions.

Design: Targeted literature review with interpretation and perspective Methods: We performed a review of selected literature describing immune-mediated retinal and choroidal adverse reactions associated with ICI therapy, synthesizing and categorizing the likely underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Based on these mechanistic categories, we provide perspective on a rational approach to the evaluation of patients with ICI-associated inflammatory disorders of the retina and choroid.

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Article Synopsis
  • Premature infants in the NICU often undergo painful procedures like PIVC insertion for necessary IV therapy, which can induce significant stress.
  • This article discusses a case study focusing on one infant’s toxic stress responses during PIVC insertion, highlighting issues from extreme prematurity and complications like respiratory failure and potential necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • The infant exhibited severe physiological dysregulation during the procedure, suggesting a need for better education and practice changes to manage pain and stress in these vulnerable patients.
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Purpose: To describe a new retinal phenotype characterized by bilateral, multifocal, subretinal vitelliform lesions along the vascular arcades that we refer to as multifocal vitelliform paravascular retinopathy (MVPR).

Design: Observational case series.

Methods: Multimodal retinal imaging including color fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence and cross sectional and en-face optical coherence tomography was performed to evaluate and characterize the lesions of MVPR.

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Purpose: Complications associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF therapies are reported inconsistently in the literature, thus limiting an accurate evaluation and comparison of safety between studies. This study aimed to develop a standardized classification system for anti-VEGF ocular complications using the Delphi consensus process.

Design: Systematic review and Delphi consensus process.

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Purpose: To discuss the clinical trial results leading to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of anti-complement therapies for geographic atrophy (GA), perspectives on functional data from the GA clinical trials, and how lessons from the FDA approval may guide future directions for basic and clinical research in AMD.

Design: Selected literature review with analysis and perspective METHODS: We performed a targeted review of publicly available data from the clinical trials of pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad for the treatment of GA, as well as scientific literature on the natural history of GA and the genetics and basic science of complement in AMD.

Results: The approval of pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad was based on an anatomic endpoint of a reduction in the rate of GA expansion over time.

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One of the foundational principles of recent developments in evolutionary biology has been the acknowledgement of homeostasis as an organising principle of cellular development from unicellular origins. Fundamentally, this concerns the balance between the inside of a biological entity and its environment. Given that the organ of balance is the ear, and that the evolutionary provenance of the vestibular system can be traced back to fish, music provides a rich foundation for evolutionary biological inquiry.

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Purpose: To summarize the scientific evidence that compassion can measurably improve patient outcomes, health care quality and safety, and the well-being of health care providers, and to consider specific strategies for cultivating compassion and better communicating it to patients.

Design: Perspective.

Methods: We selectively reviewed the literature on compassion in health care, including obstacles to its expression and the demonstrated effects of provider compassion on patient outcomes, health care quality and cost, and provider well-being.

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Background And Objective: This study aimed to determine whether cases of surgical retinal detachment (RD) repair at a tertiary care center from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2020 increased proportionately to macular surgery cases as a control and to national trends.

Patients And Methods: Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify cases of primary RD repair (67107, 67108), complex RD repair (67113), pneumatic retinopexy (67110), and vitrectomy with membrane peeling (67041, 67042) at an academic center and in the Part B National Summary Data Files. Numbers of cases and mean case times at the academic center were determined.

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Purpose: To report a case of epiretinal crystalline deposits observed on fundus examination and optical coherence tomography 2 years after transzonular intravitreal injection of triamcinolone-moxifloxacin (TriMoxi) during "dropless" cataract surgery.

Methods: Observational case report with literature review of toxic effects of intravitreal triamcinolone and differential diagnosis of retinal crystalline deposits.

Results: A 37-year-old asymptomatic pseudophakic man presented with refractile crystalline retinal deposits that had prompted an extensive systemic embolic workup.

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Myopic Traction Maculopathy in Low Myopia.

Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina

August 2023

We describe a case of myopic traction maculopathy (MTM) in a patient with low myopia that resolved with surgical intervention. Our patient demonstrated no other features of myopic degeneration and none of the typical tractional elements that cause MTM, such as vitreomacular traction due to partial posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) with vitreomacular adhesion, epiretinal membrane, or a remnant cortical vitreous layer following PVD. Possible pathogenic mechanisms in our patient include reduced compliance of the aging internal limiting membrane and/or traction from elasticity within the thin cortical vitreous layer that forms the posterior wall of the premacular liquefied pocket.

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Background: Inter- and intra-individual variability in tacrolimus dose requirements mandates empirical clinician-titrated dosing that frequently results in deviation from a narrow target range. Improved methods to individually dose tacrolimus are needed. Our objective was to determine whether a quantitative, dynamically-customized, phenotypic-outcome-guided dosing method termed Phenotypic Personalized Medicine (PPM) would improve target drug trough maintenance.

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Purpose: To review eyes with peripapillary and macular retinoschisis without a visible optic pit or advanced glaucomatous optic atrophy, or No Optic Pit Retinoschisis (NOPIR).

Design: Retrospective multicenter case series.

Subjects: The study included 11 eyes of 11 patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The Ts65Dn mouse serves as a key animal model for studying DS, showcasing many similar characteristics; however, few developmental traits have been well quantified in these mice.
  • * A study using high-speed video analysis revealed that Ts65Dn mice exhibited delays in gait development compared to control mice, with issues such as wider stances and greater variability in gait measures indicating problems with postural balance and motor control.
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Although infectious endophthalmitis after intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections is rare, it is the most feared and potentially devastating complication of this procedure. There is no high-level evidence to provide definitive guidance on the management of endophthalmitis occurring after intravitreal injection (IVI). This clinical practice update reviews the published literature regarding post-IVI endophthalmitis and highlights areas in which further research is needed to better guide its management.

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Purpose: To report a case of severe bilateral multifocal placoid chorioretinitis in a patient receiving ipilimumab and nivolumab therapy for metastatic melanoma.

Methods: Retrospective, observational case report.

Results: A 31-year-old woman on ipilimumab and nivolumab for metastatic melanoma developed severe multifocal placoid chorioretinitis in both eyes.

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Background: The CLOSE study group proposes an updated surgical classification for large macular holes based on a systematic review of new treatments. Recently, many new techniques have been introduced to treat large full-thickness macular holes (FTMH); although the indications are not clear. An updated surgical classification is needed to help surgical decision-making.

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Purpose: To describe the prevalence, clinical and imaging characteristics, and surgical utility of large internal limiting membrane (ILM) tears in eyes with epiretinal membrane (ERM).

Design: Retrospective interventional case series.

Methods: This was a single-institution study including 71 eyes of 70 consecutive patients that underwent ERM peeling by a single vitreoretinal surgeon between 2016 and 2019.

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