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This document provides information on the management and treatment of ocular siderosis, a condition caused by the presence of an intraocular foreign body (IOFB) in the eye. It emphasizes the importance of timely removal of the IOFB to prevent complications and discusses various surgical techniques for removal. The document also highlights the need for eye protection to prevent ocular injuries and recommends regular monitoring of patients with retained IOFBs. The visual prognosis depends on the extent of injury and characteristics of the foreign body. The document includes references to related medical articles and is copyrighted by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the case study of a 23-year-old woman with loss of vision in the right eye and vertigo. The patient's medical history is discussed who had right frontal headache and right retro-orbital pain. The patient was admitted and developed hearing loss and tinnitis of the right ear a day after admission. The patient was diagnosed with Susac's syndrome and received appropriate treatment leading to remission.

The subthreshold diode micropulse laser is a form of non-damaging thermal laser therapy which has shown efficacy in multiple retinal conditions. The purpose of this article is to review the use of subthreshold diode micropulse laser as an emerging treatment modality for the treatment of retinal disease. The proposed mechanisms of action, safety, efficacy, recommended laser treatment parameters, and clinical applications for which the use of subthreshold diode micropulse laser has been studied will be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract are two leading causes of visual impairment worldwide which often occur concurrently in the same patient. With more than 1.6 million cataract operations performed per year in the United States, many of which occur in the nearly 1.75 million individuals diagnosed with AMD, there is ample incentive to further explore the interaction between these two conditions. Notably, the role of cataract surgery on AMD development and progression is of particular interest. This review summarizes the major findings from literature focusing on the effect of cataract surgery on AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the etiology, pathology, and treatment of ocular siderosis. It mentions that ocular siderosis is composed of wide array of degenerative changes on the eye brought by intraocular iron toxicity. It adds that pathology for the said condition include rust-colored hue of the corneal stroma and a fine pigment on the corneal endothelium. Moreover, it mentions that treatment for the said eye condition include the protection from chronic iron exposure.

The article focuses on the developments in detection and treatment of ocular toxoplasmosis. It cites the popularity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting Toxoplasma gondii infection. Several imaging modalities used for the diagnosis and follow-up of ocular toxoplasmosis include fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography. It discusses treatment regimens used for active ocular toxoplasmosis including antibiotic therapy and immunosuppression.

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, bilateral granulomatous panuveitis following accidental or surgical trauma to one eye. The pathophysiology is not clearly understood, but is believed to be a T-cell mediated autoimmune response. Clinical presentation most often occurs within the first year after trauma; anteriorly it manifests as a chronic or acute uveitis with mutton-fat keratic precipitates, while posteriorly it is often accompanied by yellowish-white choroidal lesions or Dalen-Fuchs nodules. The mainstay of treatment consists of systemic anti-inflammatory agents such as oral corticosteroids, or other immunosuppressive agents. Newer treatments include intravitreal injections of steroids in combination with systemic therapy, periocular injections of steroids without systemic therapy, and injections of infliximab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 22-year-old woman with renal failure and blurred vision. The patient was taken to the hospital because of redness of the right eye and severe throbbing pain behind the eye. The drugs prescribed for oral administration included sulfadiazine, prednisone, and leucovorin, while drugs prescribed for topical administration included homatropine ophthalmic solution and prednisolone.

The article looks at studies on the risk of progression of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy after phacoemulsification surgery. Reference is made to literature showing five prospective case control studies in patients with diabetes who underwent monocular phacoemulsification procedure. The etiology of macular edema is presented along with the most widely accepted methods of reducing risk of vision loss.

The hereditary vitreoretinal disorders have variable vitreoretinal and other ocular and skeletal abnormalities. Some of these conditions represent a spectrum of clinical disease. This, along with the phenotypic variability, often leads to diagnostic difficulties. In this context, genetic testing is of valuable diagnostic value. Molecular genetic studies have helped distinguish conditions that were previously grouped together and proven others to represent spectrum of the same clinical entity. Accurate diagnosis is important in order to offer effective screening and genetic counseling and appropriate ophthalmological as well as systemic clinical surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses endophthalmitis occurring in the setting of an intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs). Various studies estimate the rate of endophthalmitis in eyes with IOFBs to be between 1.3 percent to 61 percent. The article continues to discuss organisms on culture specimens of patients with endophthalmitis and retained IOFBs, the management of patients with open globes and IOFBs and prognosis for vision in eyes with post-IOFB endophthalmitis.

The article provides an overview of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) syndrome, an infectious retinitis caused by members of the herpes virus family. Diagnostic criteria include one or more discrete foci of retinal necrosis in the periphery and rapid disease progression in the absence of therapy. The article discusses the epidemiology, etiology, histopathology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tools and treatment of ARN syndrome.

Summarizes the most useful diagnostic methods employed in the diagnosis of posterior segment inflammatory diseases. Information on color fundus photography, a useful method for ophthalmologists both to document the baseline status of the patient and to record the progression of a disease over time; Description of fluorescein angiography; Explanation on indocyanine green angiography.

Provides information on cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, which remains the most common opportunistic ocular infection in immuno-compromised patients. Epidemiology; Impact of the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the incidence of CMV retinitis; Pathogenesis; Histopathology; Manifestations.

Discusses the management of ocular toxoplasmosis. Estimated incidence of acute symptomatic toxoplasmic chorioretinitis for all people born in Great Britain; Forms of Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite; Transmission of T. gondii; Pathogenesis; Clinical manifestations of the disease.

Reviews the published literature regarding onchocerciasis, cysticercosis, toxocariasis and diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis. Summary of the current consensus regarding transmission of disease, risk factors for contracting disease, geographic distribution of disease, presenting signs and symptoms of infection and treatment of infection and infectious sequelae.

Metastatic tumors are generally considered to be the most common intraocular tumors. These tumors may metastasize from a variety of different primary sites with breast carcinoma being the most common primary malignancy in women and lung cancer being the most common primary malignancy in men. Treatment options for these patients include systemic therapy, conventional external beam radiation, plaque brachytherapy, proton beam irradiation, photodynamic therapy, transpupillary thermotherapy, and laser photocoagulation. Overall, treatment of patients with metastatic tumors to the choroid has proven to be effective in both improving the patient's visual acuity and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a case of progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) presenting as a cherry red spot. Methods: Case report. Results: A 53-year-old woman with recently diagnosed HIV and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) aseptic meningitis developed rapid sequential vision loss in both eyes over 2 months. Her exam showed a "cherry red spot" in both maculae with peripheral atrophy and pigmentary changes, consistent with PORN. Due to her late presentation and the rapid progression of her condition, she quickly developed end-stage vision loss in both eyes. Conclusions: PORN should be considered within the differential diagnosis of a "cherry red spot." Immunedeficient patients with a history of herpetic infection who present with visual loss warrant prompt ophthalmological evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare, life‐threatening immune‐related adverse effect (irAE) of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. C5‐complement inhibitors are effective treatments for acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR ab) positive generalized MG. We describe the use of eculizumab/ravulizumab in two patients with MG receiving concomitant pembrolizumab. Methods: This was a retrospective review of two medical records. Results: Patient 1: An 80‐year‐old male with recurrent, non‐muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder developed ICI‐induced AChR ab positive MG (ICI‐MG), myositis, and myocarditis 2 weeks after the first dose of pembrolizumab. Myositis responded to corticosteroids. MG responded to eculizumab, followed by ravulizumab. He died of metastatic cancer 8 months later. Patient 2: A 58‐year‐old male had refractory thymoma‐associated AChR ab‐positive MG, which responded to eculizumab. He developed metastatic Merkel cell cancer necessitating pembrolizumab. MG remained stable on eculizumab. He had no irAEs for 22 months, with positron emission tomographic resolution of cancer. He then developed mild, indolent retinal vasculitis, which responded to prednisone. Discontinuation of pembrolizumab for 5 months resulted in cancer recurrence; pembrolizumab was resumed with peri‐infusion pulse prednisone. MG remained stable and he continues eculizumab. Discussion: In the first patient, eculizumab, followed by ravulizumab, improved ICI‐MG. In the second patient, eculizumab treatment may have had a prophylactic effect on the development of ICI‐induced irAEs. The effect of complement inhibition on cancer outcomes of ICI therapy is unknown. A possible biologic basis for complement inhibitors in reducing irAEs of ICI, especially in the presence of underlying autoimmune disease, merits evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in therapy for rheumatic diseases, hydroxychloroquine remains almost universally recommended for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and is often used in the management of other rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the major dose-limiting toxicity of hydroxychloroquine is retinopathy that can lead to loss of vision. New highly sensitive screening methods can identify early stages of retinopathy, and studies that include these modalities have indicated a substantially higher prevalence of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy than was previously recognized, resulting in revisions to ophthalmology guidelines and the recommendation of a low dose of hydroxychloroquine for many patients. However, the efficacy of low-dose hydroxychloroquine for treating SLE and other rheumatic diseases is unknown. Further studies are required to establish the effectiveness and retinal safety of the latest hydroxychloroquine treatment recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on mechanisms of Toxoplasma clearance by human cells such as autophagy and cell death and human immune response. Topics discussed include cytokine interferon gamma (IFNγ) induces multiple toxoplasmacidal mechanisms, Toll-like receptors 11/12 (TLR11/12) found in mice that bind to the Toxoplasma protein profilin and trigger a signaling cascade leading to the production of interleukin 12 and humans also lack the multitude of murine immunity-related GTPases (IRGs).

The article discusses a study which addresses the controversies related to toxoplasmic retinitis treatment and how pyrimethamine and prednisone therapies have become the standard in comparing other therapies. Topics include adopting classic therapy for the treatment of toxoplasmic retinitis, the evaluation of visual acuity and degree of injection, and the randomized controlled trial for the standard of classic therapy.

The article explores the existing controversy and reviews the evidence of vitreoretinal surgery on whether scleral buckle, an ophthalmologic procedure, has a role in the repair of retinal detachment. Topics discussed include the anatomic success rate between scleral buckling (SB) and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), studies showed that SB surgery achieves functional and anatomic results compared with PPV, and the advantage of SB procedure (SBP) in the treatment of RRD.

The article presents a study conducted by Avni V. Patel and colleagues which reviews anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) for the treatment of retinal diseases. It discusses the use of pro re nata (prn) or the as-needed treatment process with ranibizumab drug intake. It also mentions the comparison of anti-VEGF therapy in multicenter clinical trials.

The article focuses on the use of lasers for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Topics discussed inlude demonstration on the use of conventional macular focal and grid laser photocoagulation at the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) diabetic center in 1985, treatment use for the treatment of diabetic macular edema which include corticosteroid, sustained-release corticosteroid, and intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents.

The article titled "Retraction Note: Verteporfin-induced formation of protein cross-linked oligomers and high molecular weight complexes is mediated by light and leads to cell toxicity" has been retracted by the Editors of Scientific Reports. The retraction was prompted by the discovery that several western blot images in the article appear similar to each other, indicating potential image duplication. The authors were unable to provide the original raw data for these figures, leading the Editors to lose confidence in the reported results and conclusions. The retraction has been agreed upon by the majority of the authors. [Extracted from the article]

The use of medications directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling has revolutionized the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and many other retinal diseases in the last decade. However, the rapidly increasing use of these agents has led to a rise in treatment-associated complications. One of the most feared by patients and ophthalmologists is post-injection endophthalmitis, which can result in severe vision loss and, in rare cases, loss of the eye. The aim of this article is to review the incidence, clinical findings, risk factors, management, and visual outcomes in cases of endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other pathologic ocular conditions that overexpress the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been revolutionized in the last decade by the introduction of intravitreal agents that target the VEGF pathway. Since treatment trials are designed primarily to assess the prevention of vision loss caused by ocular conditions, they are inadequate for detecting rare, but potentially serious, systemic side effects. The aim of this article is to present what the ophthalmologist needs to know about systemic complications from anti-VEGF therapy and review the likelihood that these side effects occur in the context of small, but often-repeated, intravitreal doses of these potent biological medications. Preferred practice patterns need to be developed that weigh the ability of these medications to mitigate potentially blinding conditions, while at the same time minimizing the risk of adverse outcomes in specific patient populations that possess multiple and often interrelated medical comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare outcomes from patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN) treated in the acyclovir-only era with those treated in the era of newer antiviral therapies, identify variables affecting outcomes in ARN, and evaluate strategies for fellow eye prophylaxis. Design: Multicenter, nonrandomized, retrospective, interventional series. Participants: A cohort of 58 patients diagnosed with ARN by a retina specialist at 1 of 4 referral centers between 1981 and 2008. The cohort was divided into 2 subgroups: patients treated during the acyclovir-only era (n = 36) and patients treated during the current era of newer antiviral medications (n = 22). Intervention: Intravenous, oral, or intravitreal antiviral medications, including acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir, valganciclovir, ganciclovir, and foscarnet; prophylactic laser retinopexy; aspirin; oral steroids. Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity, retinal detachment, and fellow eye involvement. Results: A wide range and combination of antiviral agents are currently used for initial and long-term treatment of ARN. Outcomes from the newer antivirals era were similar to those achieved during the acyclovir-only era. In both groups, the incidence of 20/200 or worse visual acuity was 24% per person-year (P = 0.91). The prevalence of retinal detachment was approximately 50% in each group (P = 0.59). No variables, including prophylactic laser retinopexy, were associated with risk of retinal detachment. Two patients (3.4%) developed ARN in the initially unaffected eye. Conclusions: Current treatment trends vary widely, including single agents or combinations of oral, intravenous, and intravitreal agents. Differing strategies did not affect outcomes. The final visual acuity in ARN was generally poor. Retinal detachment was common and could neither be predicted nor prevented. Development of ARN in the unaffected fellow eye occurred rarely. Long-term oral antiviral treatment strategies varied with unclear relative efficacy. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses future laser approaches for treatment of choroidal melanoma, the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Transpupillary thermotherapy is discussed. Factors with respect to ocular anatomy that make photodynamic therapy (PDT) an attractive modality are given. Efforts to improve effects of PDT for choroidal melanoma are cited.

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs after either surgical or accidental trauma to one eye. The ocular inflammation in the fellow eye becomes apparent usually within 3 months after injury. Clinical presentation is an insidious or acute anterior uveitis with mutton-fat keratic precipitates. The posterior segment manifests moderate to severe vitritis, usually accompanied by multiple yellowish-white choroidal lesions. Evidence suggests that sympathetic ophthalmia represents an autoimmune inflammatory response against choroidal melanocytes mediated by T cells. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings and a history of previous ocular trauma or surgery. Other causes of granulomatous uveitis, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, and syphilis should be considered. Treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia consists of systemic anti-inflammatory agents with high dose oral corticosteroid as the drug of choice. However, if the inflammation cannot be controlled, cyclosporine is then used. Other immunosuppressive agents, such as chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide or azathioprine, may be necessary for the control of inflammation. The role of enucleation after the diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia remains controversial. Visual prognosis is reasonably good with prompt wound repair and appropriate immunomodulatory therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder principally affecting pigmented tissues in the ocular, auditory, integumentary and central nervous systems. Patients are typically 20 to 50 years old and have no history of either surgical or accidental ocular trauma. Pigmented races are more commonly affected. Depending on revised diagnostic criteria, the disease is classified as complete, incomplete or probable based on the presence of extraocular findings (neurological, auditory and integumentary). The clinical course of VKH is divided into four phases: prodromal (mimics a viral infection), uveitic (bilateral diffuse uveitis with papillitis and exudative retinal detachment), convalescent (tissue depigmentation), and chronic recurrent (recurrent uveitis and ocular complications). The pathogenesis of VKH is thought to be related to an aberrant T cell-mediated immune response directed against self-antigens found on melanocytes. VKH has been linked to human leukocyte antigen DR4 (HLA-DR4) and HLA-Dw53, with strongest associated risk for HLA-DRB1*0405 haplotype. The diagnosis of VKH is clinical, and differential includes sympathetic ophthalmia, sarcoidosis, primary intraocular B-cell lymphoma, posterior scleritis, and uveal effusion syndrome. Treatment is typically initiated with high-dose oral corticosteroids, but other immunomondulatory agents (most oftentimes cyclosporine) may be needed for non-responsive patients or when corticosteroid side-effects are not tolerated. Visual prognosis is generally good with prompt diagnosis and aggressive immunomodulatory treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted, chronic, systemic infection caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. If left untreated, the disease progresses through tour stages, with the potential to cause significant morbidity to any major organ of the body. Frequent syphilitic ocular manifestations, which can occur at any stage of the disease, include interstitial keratitis, anterior, intermediate, and posterior uveitis, chorioretinitis, retinitis, retinal vasculitis and cranial nerve and optic neuropathies. Diagnosis is centered around a high level of clinical suspicion and includes treponemal specific and non-treponemal serologic tests. All patients with newly diagnosed syphilis should be tested for coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus, as the risk factors are similar for both diseases. Additionally, all patients with ocular syphilis should be tested for neurosyphilis. The preferred treatment for all stages of syphilis remains parenteral penicillin G. With proper diagnosis and prompt antibiotic treatment, the majority of cases of syphilis can result in a cure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report use of intravenous foscarnet or cidofovir for the treatment of refractory acute retinal necrosis (ARN).Methods: Retrospective chart review.Results: Four immunocompetent men aged 45-90 years presented with ARN from 2008-2014. One patient with two prior episodes of herpes simplex virus (HSV) ARN developed ARN after 6 years of antiviral prophylaxis. His condition worsened on acyclovir followed by intravenous foscarnet but responded to intravenous cidofovir (final VA in involved eye 20/20). Another patient with HSV ARN had received prolonged acyclovir prophylaxis for HSV keratitis; ARN improved after switching from acyclovir to intravenous foscarnet (final VA 20/125). Two patients with varicella zoster virus (VZV) ARN initially responded to acyclovir but developed fellow eye involvement 2-8 weeks later that worsened on acyclovir but responded to intravenous foscarnet (fellow eye final VA 20/20, 20/40).Conclusions: Cases of HSV or VZV ARN that worsen despite intravenous acyclovir treatment may respond to intravenous foscarnet or cidofovir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii infection is an important cause of infectious ocular disease. The physiopathology of retinochoroidal lesions associated with this infection is not completely understood. The present study was undertaken to investigate cytokine production by T cells from individuals with active toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (TR) comparing with controls. Eighteen patients with active TR and 15 healthy controls (6 controls IgG + to Toxoplasma and 9 negative controls) were included in the study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were incubated in the presence or absence of T. gondii antigen (STAg), and stained against CD4, CD8, TNF, IL-10 and IFN-γ. Baseline expression of cytokines was higher in TR/IgG + patients in comparison with controls. Cytokine expression was not increased by STAg in vitro stimulation in controls. After stimulation, TR/IgG + patients’ lymphocytes increased cytokine as compared to cultures from both controls. While T cells were the main source of IL-10, but also IFN-γ and TNF, other lymphocyte populations were relevant source of inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, it was observed a negative correlation between ocular lesion size and IL-10 expression by CD4 + lymphocytes. This study showed that T cells are the main lymphocyte populations expressing IL-10 in patients with TR. Moreover, expression of IL-10 plays a protective role in active TR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most isolates of Toxoplasma from Europe and North America fall into one of three genetically distinct clonal lineages, the type I, II and III lineages. However, in South America these strains are rarely isolated and instead a great variety of other strains are found. T. gondii strains differ widely in a number of phenotypes in mice, such as virulence, persistence, oral infectivity, migratory capacity, induction of cytokine expression and modulation of host gene expression. The outcome of toxoplasmosis in patients is also variable and we hypothesize that, besides host and environmental factors, the genotype of the parasite strain plays a major role. The molecular basis for these differences in pathogenesis, especially in strains other than the clonal lineages, remains largely unexplored. Macrophages play an essential role in the early immune response against T. gondii and are also the cell type preferentially infected in vivo. To determine if non-canonical Toxoplasma strains have unique interactions with the host cell, we infected murine macrophages with 29 different Toxoplasma strains, representing global diversity, and used RNA-sequencing to determine host and parasite transcriptomes. We identified large differences between strains in the expression level of known parasite effectors and large chromosomal structural variation in some strains. We also identified novel strain-specifically regulated host pathways, including the regulation of the type I interferon response by some atypical strains. IFNβ production by infected cells was associated with parasite killing, independent of interferon gamma activation, and dependent on endosomal Toll-like receptors in macrophages and the cytoplasmic receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I) in fibroblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Purpose: Experimental data have demonstrated a relevant role for IL-6 in the modulation of acute ocular toxoplasmosis. Therefore, we aim to investigate the possible association between the IL-6 gene polymorphism at position -174 and toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (TR) in humans. Methods: Ninety-seven patients with diagnosed TR were recruited from the Uveitis Section, Federal University of Minas Gerais. For comparison, 83 healthy blood donors with positive serology for toxoplasmosis and without retinal signs of previous TR were included in the study. Genomic DNA was obtained from oral swabs of individuals and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers flanking the locus −174 of IL-6 (−174G/C). PCR products were submitted to restriction endonuclease digestion and analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to distinguish allele G and C of the IL-6 gene, allowing the detection of the polymorphism and determination of genotypes. Results: There was a significant difference in the genotype (χ2 = 12.9, p = 0.001) and allele (χ2 = 6.62, p = 0.01) distribution between TR patients and control subjects. In a subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference in genotypes and allele frequencies regarding TR recurrence. Conclusions: This study suggests that the genotypes related with a lower production of IL-6 may be associated with the occurrence of TR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the medical treatment for cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis including oral, intravenous, and intravitreal therapeutic agents. It notes that intravitreal ganciclovir targets the retina without the effect of systemic bone marrow suppression. A study found that cidofovir injections were effective as induction therapy but manifest side effects like hypotony and iritis. There is said to be a lower risk of developing extraocular manifesations of CMV with intravenous ganciclovir.

The article focuses on antiviral chemoprophylaxis for ocular viral infections in hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) and bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients. It discusses commonly encountered ocular viral infections including cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus, and adenovirus. Emphasis is placed on evidence for the effectiveness of new antiviral chemoprophylactic agents. Also considered is the impact of these regimens on disease epidemiology and resistance patterns.

Verteporfin (VP) was first used in Photodynamic therapy, where a non-thermal laser light (689 nm) in the presence of oxygen activates the drug to produce highly reactive oxygen radicals, resulting in local cell and tissue damage. However, it has also been shown that Verteporfin can have non-photoactivated effects such as interference with the YAP-TEAD complex of the HIPPO pathway, resulting in growth inhibition of several neoplasias. More recently, it was proposed that, another non-light mediated effect of VP is the formation of cross-linked oligomers and high molecular weight protein complexes (HMWC) that are hypothesized to interfere with autophagy and cell growth. Here, in a series of experiments, using human uveal melanoma cells (MEL 270), human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) and breast cancer cells (MCF7) we showed that Verteporfin-induced HMWC require the presence of light. Furthermore, we showed that the mechanism of this cross-linking, which involves both singlet oxygen and radical generation, can occur very efficiently even after lysis of the cells, if the lysate is not protected from ambient light. This work offers a better understanding regarding VP's mechanisms of action and suggests caution when one studies the non-light mediated actions of this drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]