Gamma knife radiosurgery for choroidal hemangioma

Management of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma at a tertiary care center

PURPOSE

To review long-term outcomes of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH).

METHODS

Hospital charts of all CCH cases diagnosed from 2008 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

All 172 patients were managed with either observation, transpupillary thermotherapy, argon laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, plaque brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. The most common 3 modes of management were clinical observation (30.2%), transpupillary thermotherapy (52.9%) and argon laser photocoagulation (8.7%). Median follow-up time was 10 months (range: 3, 160). Anatomical outcomes were stable in 87.1% of observation group and improved in 60.5% of thermotherapy group. Quantified optical coherence tomography angiography findings showed statistical differences in vascular and perfusion densities in fellow eyes of hemangioma patients.

CONCLUSION

Circumscribed choroidal hemangioma can be treated in various ways. Transpupillary thermotherapy is an anatomically effective treatment in selected cases. The diagnosis of CCH may have vascular implications in fellow eyes of the patients.

Could a low-dose definitive radiation therapy be the optimal treatment for choroidal hemangioma?

PURPOSE

To determine the efficacy of low-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)/volumetric intensity-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in the treatment of symptomatic choroidal hemangioma (CH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-three consecutive patients with CH were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients underwent IMRT/VMAT as a unique treatment. Resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF), improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and reduction in tumor thickness were compared before and after radiotherapy.

RESULTS

After definitive radiotherapy, 100 % of SRF and 76.7 % of exudative retinal detachment were resolved. 56.6 % of BCVA improvement in more than two lines was observed. The mean best-corrected visual acuity was 20/280 (range, 20/1200-20/40) at diagnosis and 20/100 (range, 20/1200-20/20) after treatment. The mean tumor thickness decreased significantly from 3.8 mm initially to 1.2 mm after treatment (p < 0.01). 66.0 % of patients were delivered with 21.6 Gy (range, 21.6-42 Gy), 84.9 % of fractional dose was 1.8 Gy (range, 1.8-2 Gy). No radiation-induced keratitis, retinopathy, or optic neuropathy were observed. Initial vision (p = 0.042), duration time of vision (p = 0.004), and tumor thickness (p = 0.049) were prognostic factors for vision recovery.

CONCLUSION

Low-dose IMRT/VMAT could effectively induce involution of the CH, with reduction of subretinal fluid and relief of damage to the neurosensory retina, which is an effective treatment mode for CH.

Orbital indications

GKNS for uveal melanoma has become a recognized valued treatment which avoids enucleation of the eye. In the early days, the eccentric location of these tumors made treatment difficult, but Gamma Knife Perfexion has solved that problem. It is known that larger tumors and tumors with an anterior location have a worse prognosis. GKNS has also been of rather unexpected benefit in optic nerve gliomas that require treatment. Choroidal hemangiomas may benefit from treatment as can secondary glaucoma. It has also been found to be beneficial in the treatment of thyrotoxic ophthalmopathy.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for orbital cavernous venous malformation: a single center's experience for 15 years

BACKGROUND

Stereotactic radiosurgery such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been shown to have a good treatment effect for orbital cavernous venous malformation (CVM). However, radiation-induced retinopathy or optic neuropathy is a vision-threatening complication of orbital irradiation. Predicting the post-treatment visual outcome is critical.

METHODS

Clinical and radiological outcomes were investigated in 30 patients who underwent GKRS for orbital CVM between July 2005 and February 2020. Measurement of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) was obtained in 14 patients.

RESULTS

The median clinical and radiological follow-up periods were 46.6 months (range, 15.9-105.8) and 27.5 months (range, 15.4-105.8), respectively. Twenty-eight patients underwent multisession (4 fractions) GKRS. The median cumulative marginal dose was 20 Gy (range, 16-24). Two patients underwent single-session GKRS. Marginal doses were 15 Gy and 10.5 Gy in each patient. The volume of CVM decreased in 29 (97%) patients. Visual acuity was improved in 6 (20%) patients and was stable in 22 (73%) patients. Visual field defect and exophthalmos were improved in all patients. Serial investigation of OCT showed no statistically significant difference in pRNFL thickness after GKRS. Patients with normal average pRNFL thickness showed better visual recovery than patients with thin average pRNFL thickness.

CONCLUSIONS

GKRS is an effective and safe treatment option for orbital CVM. The pRNFL thickness before GKRS can be a prognostic indicator for visual recovery in orbital CVM after GKRS.

Effectiveness and Safety of Intravitreal Injection of Conbercept as an Initial Treatment for Exudative Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of intravitreal injection of conbercept (IVC) as the initial treatment for exudative circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH).

METHODS

Forty-two eyes of 42 patients received 3 monthly IVC (0.5 mg/0.05 mL) as the initial treatment. Three months later, the patients were assessed for further treatment including observation, reinjection of conbercept, laser photocoagulation (if the lesion was 3,000 μm away from the macular fovea), or photodynamic therapy (PDT; if the lesion was under the macular fovea). Anatomical and functional responses including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), and tumor size were analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients (54.76%) were sensitive to the monotherapy of IVC. Fourteen patients (33.33%) were insensitive to IVC and underwent rescue laser photocoagulation, and 5 patients (11.90%) underwent rescue PDT due to insensitivity to IVC treatment at 3 months. For subgroup analysis, although no statistical difference was found for BCVA at any follow-up time point compared to baseline, an increasing tendency of BCVA was found in the IVC group (p> 0.05). The mean CFT decreased significantly from 427.13 ± 214.74 μm at baseline to 259.83 ± 61.68 μm at 6 months in the IVC group (p< 0.05). No influence on tumor size was found in the IVC group.

CONCLUSION

IVC as the initial treatment might be an option for exudative CCH.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Choroidal Hemangioma: A Single-Institute Series

OBJECTIVE

Choroidal hemangioma (CH) is a benign vascular tumor that induces subretinal fluid collection or exudative retinal detachment and consequent visual symptoms. Current standard treatments for CH include cryotherapy, diathermy, photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, transpupillary thermotherapy, and radiation therapy. Stereotactic radiosurgery has recently been applied to the treatment of CH because of its characteristic stiff dose-fall-off and accuracy. We have adopted gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) to treat CH and have retrospectively assessed tumor volume reductions and improvements to visual acuity achieved thereby.

METHODS

Fourteen patients with CHs were treated with GKRS from November 2006 to December 2017. Eight patients had circumscribed CH, and 6 exhibited diffuse CHs and were diagnosed with Sturge-Weber syndrome. The mean age of patients was 27.1 years (range: 8-68 years) and the mean duration of clinical or radiological follow-up was 40.2 months (range: 5-105 months). The mean volume of the tumors at the time of GKRS was 533.5 mm³ (range: 124-1150 mm³), and the mean prescribed marginal dose was 11.6 Gy (range: 10-16 Gy) with 50% isodose lines.

RESULTS

The tumor volume decreased by the last follow-up in all patients. The visual acuity improved in 9 patients (64%) and decreased in 1 (7%). Six patients (43%) required trans-pars plana vitrectomy before or after GKRS. There were no symptomatic complications from radiation injury during the follow-up periods.

CONCLUSIONS

GKRS could be an acceptable alternative treatment for symptomatic CH when standard therapy is not feasible.

Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma: Visual Outcome in the Pre-Photodynamic Therapy Era versus Photodynamic Therapy Era in 458 Cases

PURPOSE

To analyze visual outcomes after treatment of choroidal hemangioma in the pre-photodynamic therapy (PDT) era versus PDT era.

DESIGN

Retrospective, comparative case series.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 458 patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma.

METHODS

Comparison of hemangioma managed in the pre-PDT (1967-2001) era versus PDT (2002-2018) era.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Visual acuity outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 458 tumors were treated over this 51-year period. A comparison (pre-PDT [n = 220 cases] vs. PDT [n = 238 cases]) revealed PDT era patients were of older mean age (48.9 vs. 53.8 years, P = 0.002) and were more likely to have systemic hypertension (17.7% vs. 33.8%, P < 0.001), tumor location in the macula (57.4% vs. 67.5%, P = 0.01), subretinal fluid on OCT (33.3% vs. 70.7%, P = 0.01), and greater extent of overlying lipofuscin (P = 0.001). Findings of tumor basal diameter and thickness and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography were no different in the 2 eras. Treatment (pre-PDT vs. PDT) included argon laser photocoagulation (42.1% vs. 0.4%), PDT (0% vs. 43.8%), transpupillary thermotherapy (0% vs. 0.4%), plaque radiotherapy (7.0% vs. 5.2%), external beam radiotherapy (1.4% vs. 1.3%), enucleation (0.9% vs. 0.4%), and observation (48.6% vs. 47.6%). After treatment, patients in the PDT era demonstrated better mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (1.28 vs. 0.51, P < 0.001) (Snellen equivalent 20/400 vs. 20/63, P < 0.001). Final visual acuity was ≥20/40 for those with entering vision of ≥20/40 (59.6% vs. 74.7%, P = 0.001) and for those with entering vision of 20/50-20/200 (25.4% vs. 47.3%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Management of choroidal hemangioma in the PDT era has allowed for significantly better visual outcome compared with the pre-PDT era, with mean final visual acuity of 20/400 (pre-PDT era) versus 20/63 (PDT era).

Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma

Circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas are benign vascular hamartomas without systemic associations. Generally, they are orange-red elevated masses, which are found posterior to the equator. Lesions are usually solitary and unilateral. Overlying subretinal fluid, serous retinal detachment and cystoid macular edema are common findings. Intravenous fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography and enhanced depth imaging are helpful ancillary tests for diagnosis of circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas. Asymptomatic circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas do not require treatment. For symptomatic lesions with exudative retinal detachment or cystoid macular edema, photodynamic therapy has emerged as the treatment of choice with high rates of tumor regression, subretinal fluid resorption and minimal complications. Lens-sparing external beam radiotherapy, plaque brachytherapy, proton beam therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, transpupillary thermotherapy, laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF injections are other treatment modalities.