BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is strongly linked to stroke across all haplotypes in the pediatric population. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound is known to identify the highest risk group in African-Americans who need to receive and stay on blood transfusions, but it is unclear if the same flow velocity cut-offs can be applied to the Iranian population. We aimed to evaluate baseline TCD findings in Iranian children with SCD and no prior strokes. METHODS: Children with genetically confirmed SCD (Arabian haplotype, homozygote) and without SCD (controls) were prospectively recruited from pediatric outpatient clinic over a period of 9 months. We performed TCD in both groups to determine flow velocities in the middle cerebral (MCA) and terminal internal carotid arteries (TICA). RESULTS: Of 74 screened children, 60 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria (62% female; mean age 10+/-4 years). Baseline characteristics did not differ between the cases and controls, except hemoglobin (Hb) which was significantly lower in the SCD group (P<0.001). The right MCA TAMM (Time Averaged Maximum Mean) was significantly higher than in controls (125+5.52 cm/s vs. 92.5+1.63 cm/s, P<0.001). Left MCA did not show differences. The TICA TAMM was also different between cases and controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among Iranian children with asymptomatic SCD and without receiving recent transfusion TCD velocities are higher as compared to healthy controls but appear much lower than those observed in STOP (Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia) studies. We hypothesize that some children at high risk may be present with velocities lower than 170-200 cm/s thresholds. A prospective validation of ethnicity-specific prognostic criteria is warranted.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anemia, Sickle Cell* ; Blood Transfusion ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Child* ; Female ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between the average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve head rim area (RA) measured with a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) with the visual field index (VFI) using the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer in glaucoma patients.
METHODS: Eighty-five consecutive patients diagnosed with glaucoma underwent spectral-domain OCT of the optic disc and Humphrey perimetry. A glaucoma specialist confirmed the presence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy based on findings in the optic nerve head photographs, OCT measurements of the RNFL and optic disc, and standard automated perimetry. The correlation of the average RNFL thickness and rim area with the VFI was determined using the Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 121 glaucomatous eyes of 85 patients were included in the study. There were 47 males and 38 females, ages ranging from 12 to 94 years. The average RNFL thickness, RA, and VFI were 67.9 ± 12.3 ?m, 0.65 ± 0.3 mm2, and 56 ± 32%, respectively. The average RNFL thickness (r = 0.35) showed a stronger positive correlation with VFI than RA (r = 0.15), but the difference was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION: The average RNFL thickness and rim area of the spectral-domain OCT demonstrated a positive correlation with the VFI of the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer. The OCT parameters, exemplified by average RNFL and RA, were not good indicators for VFI.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Optic Disk ; Visual Field Tests ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Glaucoma ; Retina ; Tetrahymenina ; Nerve Fibers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current guidelines do not provide firm directions on atrial fibrillation (AF) screening after ischemic stroke (IS). We sought to investigate the association of implantable cardiac monitoring (ICM) duration with the yield of AF detection in IS patients. METHODS: We included studies reporting AF detection rates by ICM in IS patients with negative initial AF screening. We excluded studies reporting prolonged cardiac monitoring with devices other than ICM, not providing AF detection rates or monitoring duration, and reporting overlapping data for the same population. The random-effects model was used for all pooled estimates and meta-regression analyses. RESULTS: We included 28 studies (4,531 patients, mean age 65 years). In meta-regression analyses, the proportion of AF detection by ICM was independently associated with monitoring duration (coefficient=0.015; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.005 to 0.024) and mean patient age (coefficient=0.009; 95% CI, 0.003 to 0.015). No associations were detected with other patient characteristics, including IS subtype (cryptogenic vs. embolic stroke of undetermined source) or time from IS onset to CM implantation. In subgroup analyses, significant differences (P<0.001) in the AF detection rates were found for ICM duration (<6 months: 5% [95% CI, 3% to 6%]; ≥6 and ≤12 months: 21% [95% CI, 16% to 25%]; >12 and ≤24 months: 26% [95% CI, 22% to 31%]; >24 months: 34% [95% CI, 29% to 39%]). CONCLUSIONS: Extended duration of ICM monitoring and increased patient age are factors that substantially increase AF detection in IS patients with initial negative AF screening.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Stroke

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effects of bevacizumab, mitoinycin-C (MMC), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the viability of cultured human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (cHTF) in vitro.

Methods: Human Tenon's fibroblasts (HTF) were harvested and cultured in a Roswell-Park-Memorial 1-Institute (RPMI) media. MMC, 5-FU, bevaciz. umab, and TA were administered to the cHTF at 3-fold decreasing concentrations starting from 20 ug, 5 mg, 25 mg, and 4 mg respectively. A negative control/untreated group containing RPMI media only was included in the study. Fibroblast cell viability was assessed using resazurin fluorim etric assay. Half¬maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was computed for agents which showed significant decrease in cHTF viability compared to the untreated group.

Results: There was no significant difference in cH IF viability between the untreated control group compared to 5-FU (p=0.97), bevacizumab (p=0.10), and TA (p=0.06) groups. Mitomycin-C showed a significant decrease in cHTF viability (p<0.001) which was dose dependent. The IC50 of MMC was computed at 12.16 ug using the prism software.

Conclusion: Mitomycin-C demonstrated dose-dependent decrease in viability of cultured human Tenon's fibroblasts. 5-FU, bevacizumab, and triamcinolone did not show this effect.

Key Words: Mitomycin-C, 5-fluorouracil, Bevaciz. umab, Tria. mcinolone acetonide, Fibroblast, Trabeculectomy

Human ; Male ; Female ; .humans ; Mitomycin ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; Trabeculectomy ; Resazurin ; Bevacizumab ; Fluorouracil ; Cell Survival ; Control Groups ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Tenon Capsule ; Xanthenes ; Oxazines ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Fibroblasts ; Software

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the demographics, clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes of retinoblastoma patients seen at medical institutions in the Philippines between two time periods: 2010 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, analytical, cohort study using review of medical charts and databases of retinoblastoma patients seen in 11 medical institutions from 2010 to 2020.

RESULTS

There were 636 patients (821 eyes) included in this study: 330 patients were seen in 2010 to 2015 while 306 in 2016 to 2020. More cases per annum were seen in the latter timeline. The number of patients with unilateral disease was not significantly different between the two time periods (p=0.51). Age at onset of symptom, age at initial consultation, and delay in consult were also not significantly different between the two time periods (p > 0.05). Patients had significantly different distributions of intraocular grades (p < 0.0001) and systemic staging (p < 0.0001) between the two time periods. Enucleation was the most common surgical treatment performed in both timelines. There was significant difference in the status of patients based on the need for systemic chemotherapy (p < 0.01). There was significant difference in outcome between the two time periods, including the proportions of living and deceased patients.

CONCLUSION

This study compared the most comprehensive data on retinoblastoma patients in the country. There was no improvement in early health seeking behavior based on similar age at initial consult and delay in consult. Enucleation remained the most common treatment mode as opposed to chemotherapy due to similar percentage of patients with unilateral disease, an indication for enucleation rather than chemotherapy.

Human ; Retinoblastoma ; Philippines ; Epidemiology ; Treatment ; Therapeutics