Lacquer cracks in pathological myopia: a clinical review.

Lacquer cracks, described as breaks in the Bruch's membrane, are unique lesions in the spectrum of fundus changes associated with pathological myopia. Lacquer cracks are generally believed to be relatively innocuous lesions by themselves; however, progression to other features of myopic macular degeneration, such as patchy chorioretinal atrophy and choroidal neovascularization, may result in irreversible visual impairment. With the rising prevalence of pathological myopia to epidemic proportions, particularly in the Asian countries, ophthalmologists expect to encounter lacquer cracks more frequently in clinical practice.

Delayed-Onset Hypnopompic Visual Hallucinations 20 Years After Initiation of Propranolol Therapy for Systemic Hypertension: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Visual hallucinations occur in a variety of clinical settings and may be extremely troubling to individuals experiencing them. We report a case of delayed-onset visual hallucinations 20 years after initiation of medical therapy to highlight the importance of considering iatrogenic causes when managing such patients. CASE REPORT An 88-year-old woman presented with recurring hypnopompic formed visual hallucinations for the past 20 years.

Innovative solutions for endovascular aneurysm sealing-delayed Nellix type 1a endoleak.

A delayed Nellix (Endologix, Irvine, Calif) type 1a endoleak from endovascular aneurysm sealing (EVAS) is particularly challenging to treat owing to the restrictions and scarcity of the technical options available. We have described two viable endovascular solutions, with and without the availability of the Nellix endograft inventory. A Nellix-in-Nellix apparatus with multivisceral chimney, covered stent extensions and internal reinforcements can be used if Nellix endografts are available (patient 1).

Effect of intravenous sedation on patients' visual experience and vital signs during cataract surgery under topical anesthesia: A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Effect of intravenous sedation on patients' visual experience and vital signs during cataract surgery under topical anesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.

Design: Prospective, double masked, randomized controlled trial.

Methods: 150 eyes of 150 patients undergoing phacoemulsification and IOL implantation under topical anesthesia were randomized to receive either intravenous midazolam (0.

Global Ophthalmology Practice Patterns during COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown.

Aim: To assess the impact of practice patterns amongst global ophthalmologists during severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS Cov2) causing Corona virus disease (COVID-19) and understand the various modifications made to address emergency surgeries and practice needs.

Methods: An online survey was sent to practicing ophthalmologists around the world through email, Whatsapp™ ListServ17.0™ (for pediatric ophthalmologists), WeChat™ (China) and ophthalmology associations (Indonesia, Philippines, Ireland).

A functional network of gastric-cancer-associated splicing events controlled by dysregulated splicing factors.

Comprehensive understanding of aberrant splicing in gastric cancer is lacking. We RNA-sequenced 19 gastric tumor-normal pairs and identified 118 high-confidence tumor-associated (TA) alternative splicing events (ASEs) based on high-coverage sequencing and stringent filtering, and also identified 8 differentially expressed splicing factors (SFs). The TA ASEs occurred in genes primarily involved in cytoskeletal organization.

Does the Predominant Pain Location Influence Functional Outcomes, Satisfaction and Return to Work After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Cervical Radiculopathy?

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively-collected registry data.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine how different combinations of preoperative neck pain (NP) and arm pain (AP) influence functional outcomes, patient satisfaction, and return-to-work in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for degenerative cervical radiculopathy (DCR).

Summary Of Background Data: Surgeons often base decisions on the traditional belief that the predominance of radicular upper extremity symptoms is a stronger indication for cervical spine surgery than axial pain.

Outcome satisfaction in long-term survivors of oncologic limb salvage procedures.

Objective: We present data from our recently completed study that suggests that joint salvage is the key parameter in keeping the limb salvage ethos relevant.

Methods: We reviewed all patients operated on nationally over 30 years (1978 to 2008). We identified 265 survivors of which 162 were available for evaluation at the time of survey.

PD1 blockade with pembrolizumab is highly effective in relapsed or refractory NK/T-cell lymphoma failing l-asparaginase.

Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas failing L-asparaginse regimens have no known salvage and are almost invariably fatal. Seven male patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma (median age, 49 years; range, 31-68 years) for whom a median of 2 (range, 1-5) regimens (including l-asparaginase regimens and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation [HSCT] in 2 cases) failed were treated with the anti-programmed death 1 (PD1) antibody pembrolizumab. All patients responded, according to various clinical, radiologic (positron emission tomography), morphologic, and molecular (circulating Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] DNA) criteria.

Repigmentation in vitiligo: position paper of the Vitiligo Global Issues Consensus Conference.

The Vitiligo Global Issues Consensus Conference (VGICC), through an international e-Delphi consensus, concluded that 'repigmentation' and 'maintenance of gained repigmentation' are essential core outcome measures in future vitiligo trials. This VGICC position paper addresses these core topics in two sections and includes an atlas depicting vitiligo repigmentation patterns and color match. The first section delineates mechanisms and characteristics of vitiligo repigmentation, and the second section summarizes the outcomes of international meeting discussions and two e-surveys on vitiligo repigmentation, which had been carried out over 3 yr.

Twelve-month and sixty-month outcomes of noncultured cellular grafting for vitiligo.

Background: Noncultured cellular grafting is a known surgical technique for vitiligo.

Objective: This study evaluated our center's 12-month repigmentation outcome and its maintenance up to 60 months, factors influencing repigmentation and safety data.

Methods: Clinicoepidemiologic and repigmentation data were reviewed for patients with vitiligo who had undergone noncultured cellular grafting from March 2006 to December 2012 at the National Skin Center, Singapore.

Role of pneumococcal vaccination in prevention of pneumococcal disease among adults in Singapore.

The burden of disease associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in adults can be considerable but is largely preventable through routine vaccination. Although substantial progress has been made with the recent licensure of the new vaccines for prevention of pneumonia in adults, vaccine uptake rates need to be improved significantly to tackle adult pneumococcal disease effectively. Increased education regarding pneumococcal disease and improved vaccine availability may contribute to a reduction in pneumococcal disease through increased vaccination rates.

An alarmingly high prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in Asian type 2 diabetic patients: the MicroAlbuminuria Prevalence (MAP) Study.

Aim/hypothesis: Microalbuminuria represents the earliest clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy and is a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Its early detection allows the implementation of individualised and aggressive intervention programmes to reduce cardiovascular risk factors. There is limited information on the prevalence of microalbuminuria among hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients in Asia.

Erdheim-Chester disease: a bilateral orbital mass as an indication of systemic disease.

A case of bilateral orbital mass and xanthelasma of the eyelids is presented. Histology confirmed it to be a form of histiocytosis, possibly an Erdheim-Chester disease. This was further confirmed by the presence of a retroperitoneal mass and hydronephrosis, which resolved with treatment.

Practice management: observations, issues, and empirical evidence.

Background: The primary objective of this study is to provide objective, empirical, evidence-based practice management information. This is a hitherto under-researched area of considerable interest for both the practitioner and educator.

Methods: A questionnaire eliciting a mix of structured and free text responses was administered to a random sample of 480 practitioners who are members of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Laser iridotomies in Asian eyes.

Argon laser iridotomy and Nd:YAG (Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnet) iridotomy are the two established techniques of laser iridotomies. However, in the thicker and more heavily pigmented Asian irides, they are associated with higher complication and failure rates. A third iridotomy technique that is recently described is the sequential argon-YAG laser iridotomy.