A Vascularized Iris Mass in Ocular Syphilis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Purpose: To describe features of a syphilitic vascularized iris mass on multimodal imaging and its resolution after penicillin treatment.

Methods: Observational case report and literature review of syphilitic iris masses.

Results: A 43-year-old woman presented with a unilateral vascularized tan iris mass in the setting of bilateral panuveitis that occurred along with bilateral papillitis, cystoid macular edema and retinal vasculitis.

Characterization of autoimmune eye disease in association with Down's syndrome.

Background: Autoimmunity and deficiency of the transcription factor autoimmune regulator protein (AIRE) are known associations with Down syndrome (DS). Lack of AIRE abrogates thymic tolerance. The autoimmune eye disease associated with DS has not been characterized.

Multimodal Imaging Study of Patients With Vitamin A Deficiency Retinopathy.

Objectives: To describe multimodal imaging findings of vitamin A deficiency retinopathy.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients with serum retinol < 0.3 mg/L.

Characterization of autoimmune eye disease in association with Down's Syndrome.

Background Autoimmunity and deficiency of the transcription factor autoimmune regulator protein (AIRE) are known associations with Down Syndrome (DS). Lack of AIRE abrogates thymic tolerance. The autoimmune eye disease associated with DS has not been characterized.

Degenerative Peripheral Retinoschisis: Observations From Ultra-Widefield Fundus Imaging.

Background And Objective: To describe the ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging characteristics of patients with degenerative peripheral retinoschisis (DPR) using Optomap technology.

Patients And Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series, eligible patients underwent detailed retinal examination including indirect ophthalmoscopy. UWF fundus imaging, including color fundus photography, autofluorescence, and angiography, was performed using standardized protocols and findings were recorded and reviewed and analyzed.

Ocular Sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is one of the leading causes of inflammatory eye disease. Ocular sarcoidosis can involve any part of the eye and its adnexal tissues and may cause uveitis, episcleritis/scleritis, eyelid abnormalities, conjunctival granuloma, optic neuropathy, lacrimal gland enlargement, and orbital inflammation. Glaucoma and cataract can be complications from inflammation itself or adverse effects from therapy.

Rituximab therapy for refractory scleritis: results of a phase I/II dose-ranging, randomized, clinical trial.

Objective: To determine whether rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against the B-lymphocyte antigen CD20, is effective in the treatment of refractory noninfectious scleritis.

Design: Prospective, dose-ranging, randomized, double-masked phase I/II clinical trial.

Participants: Twelve patients with noninfectious scleritis refractory to systemic corticosteroid and ≥1 other systemic immunosuppressive agent were enrolled from January 2007 to March 2010.

Rituximab therapy for refractory orbital inflammation: results of a phase 1/2, dose-ranging, randomized clinical trial.

Importance: Orbital inflammation is a potentially blinding and disfiguring disease process that is often treated with systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppression; better treatments are needed.

Objective: To determine whether rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against the B-lymphocyte antigen CD20, is effective in the treatment of refractory orbital inflammation.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A dose-ranging, randomized, double-masked phase 1/2 clinical trial was conducted at a tertiary referral ophthalmology clinic.

Update on the use of systemic biologic agents in the treatment of noninfectious uveitis.

Uveitis is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Noninfectious uveitis may be associated with other systemic conditions, such as human leukocyte antigen B27-related spondyloarthropathies, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Behçet's disease, and sarcoidosis. Conventional therapy with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents (such as methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclosporine) may not be sufficient to control ocular inflammation or prevent non-ophthalmic complications in refractory patients.

Adalimumab therapy for refractory uveitis: results of a multicentre, open-label, prospective trial.

Objective: Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of systemic and ocular inflammatory diseases. We conducted a prospective, multicentre, open-label Phase II clinical trial to assess the effectiveness and safety of adalimumab, a fully human anti-TNF monoclonal antibody, in treating refractory uveitis.

Methods: Subjects with non-infectious uveitis refractory to corticosteroids and at least one other immunosuppressive medication were enrolled.

Triamcinolone-induced cataract in eyes with diabetic macular oedema: 3-year prospective data from a randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: To describe the 3-year risk of cataract after intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA) injections for diabetic macular oedema and the outcomes of cataract surgery.

Methods: Prospective data from a randomized clinical trial were analysed. At baseline, 27 phakic eyes with diabetic macular oedema were randomized to receive IVTA and 25 to receive sham injection.

Posterior uveal cleft and hypotony complicating insertion of a fluocinolone acetonide implant.

Purpose: To describe posterior uveal cleft and chronic hypotony occurring in association with a fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert) that was successfully treated by vitrectomy, removal of the implant, and cryotherapy.

Methods: A 57-year-old female patient with idiopathic uveitis, well-controlled with cyclosporine, developed chronic hypotony with maculopathy after insertion of a fluocinolone acetonide implant. Visual acuity in the affected eye was counting fingers, and intraocular pressure was 0 mmHg.

Application of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Tools to Identify Putative Transcription Factor-Gene Regulatory Network of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Sarcoidosis.

Transcription factors and corresponding cis-regulatory elements are considered key components in gene regulation. We combined biostatistics and bioinformatics tools to streamline identification of putative transcription factor-gene regulatory networks unique for two immune-mediated diseases, ankylosing spondylitis and sarcoidosis. After identifying differentially expressed genes from microarrays, we employed tightCluster to find tight clusters of potentially co-regulated genes.

Differential macular morphology in patients with RPE65-, CEP290-, GUCY2D-, and AIPL1-related Leber congenital amaurosis.

Purpose: To evaluate genotypic and macular morphologic correlations in patients with RPE65-, CEP290-, GUCY2D-, or AIPL1-related Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Methods: SD-OCT macular scans were performed in 21 patients, including 10 with RPE65, 7 with CEP290, 3 with GUCY2D, and 1 with AIPL1 mutations. An image processing software was used to manually draw segmentation lines by three observers.

Azathioprine for ocular inflammatory diseases.

Purpose: To evaluate treatment outcomes of azathioprine for noninfectious ocular inflammatory diseases.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Medical records of 145 patients starting azathioprine as a sole noncorticosteroid immunosuppressant at 4 tertiary uveitis services were reviewed.

Hypothesis: sarcoidosis is a STAT1-mediated disease.

Immunologic pathways involved in sarcoidosis pathogenesis are largely unknown. We hypothesized that patients with sarcoidosis have characteristic mRNA profiles. Microarray analysis of gene expression was done on peripheral blood (12 patients, 12 controls), lung (6 patients, 6 controls) and lymph node (8 patients, 5 controls).

Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thinning in patients with autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy.

Purpose: To evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in patients with autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy (CRD).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Eleven patients (22 eyes) with CRD were studied, including 4 patients with identified ABCA4 gene mutations.

Blood culture and conventional media for vitreous culture in infectious endophthalmitis.

Objective: To study culture of vitreous fluid specimens in patients with infectious endophthalmitis, using blood culture bottles compared with conventional culture media.

Material And Method: Patients with infectious endophthalmitis, occurred within 6 weeks after ocular trauma or intraocular surgery, were prospectively studied. Vitreous fluid specimens were cultured in both blood culture bottles and conventional culture media.