Congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and familial adenomatous polyposis

A rare case of hyperpigmented torpedo maculopathy

PURPOSE

To describe a rare presentation of torpedo maculopathy (TM).

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 25-year-old male was examined in the retina clinic for a macular scar in the left eye. His visual acuity was 20/20, N6 in both eyes and no past history of ocular trauma or any medical or ocular history. The anterior segment was quiet and intraocular pressure was normal.

RESULTS

The patient's left eye on 78D slit lamp biomicroscopy revealed a flat, diffusely hyperpigmented fusiform torpedo-like lesion with sharp margins and surrounding hypopigmentation located predominantly temporal to the fovea, with its tip pointing towards it and just crossing the vertical foveal midline. Dilated fundus examination with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy revealed no peripheral chorioretinal lesions or vitritis in both eyes. OCT scan through the lesion revealed gross damage to the outer retinal layers, as well as thickening of the retinal pigment epithelium and underlying shadowing, as well as a hyporeflective subretinal cleft involving the lesion. OCT also revealed outer retinal layer damage with an intact retinal pigment epithelium through the lesion's hypopigmented margins. Fundus autofluorescence image revealed a globally hypoautofluorescent lesion in the left eye, with surrounding patchy hyperautofluoroscent areas. Based on the patient history, clinical and imaging findings, other differential diagnoses such as atypical congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), choroidal nevus, RPE hamartoma, trauma and inflammatory conditions were ruled out. The diagnosis of TM was confirmed based on the typical lesion shape and location.

CONCLUSION

A torpedo lesion with diffuse hyperpigmentation is an unusually rare presentation.

Torpedo-like lesions in the ocular fundi of Gardner syndrome: hiding in plain view

Background: The coexistence of fundus torpedoes and Gardner syndrome was initially reported in 1989 and 1992 by Gass and Roseman. Gardner syndrome is a dominantly inherited disease characterized by a multitude of potentially lethal gastrointestinal polyps. Over the ensuing quarter century, several publications demonstrated uncommon, but easily recognized, fundus lesions called Torpedo Maculopathy in apparently normal individuals. These fundus abnormalities were thought to be single and isolated without systemic associations. During the same period of time, a variety of nonspecific fundus abnormalities were described in Gardner syndrome, which, in retrospect, included highly specific lesions that closely resembled macular torpedoes and sometimes were indistinguishable from them.Patient and methods: We now report a confirmed case of Gardner syndrome with numerous fundus torpedoes, and carefully analyze the voluminous literature of both Gardner syndrome and Torpedo Maculopathy.Results: We demonstrate shared features of the fundus lesions in both diseases, and hypothesize that they may have genetic as well as ophthalmoscopic similarities in common.Conclusions: We therefore recommend that individuals with classic isolated torpedoes undergo evaluations for mutations in the Gardner gene (Adenomatous polyposis coli) and for the presence of gastrointestinal polyps and other systemic features of Gardner syndrome. We also suggest that apparently normal individuals, who are genetically related to patients with known classic torpedoes, undergo inspection of their fundi for the possible presence of characteristic lesions.

Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE

Transplantation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells offers the potential for benefit in macular degeneration. Previous trials have reported improved visual acuity (VA), but lacked detailed analysis of retinal structure and function in the treated area.

DESIGN

Phase 1/2 open-label dose-escalation trial to evaluate safety and potential efficacy (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01469832).

PARTICIPANTS

Twelve participants with advanced Stargardt disease (STGD1), the most common cause of macular degeneration in children and young adults.

METHODS

Subretinal transplantation of up to 200 000 hESC-derived RPE cells with systemic immunosuppressive therapy for 13 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary end points were the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cell administration. We also investigated evidence of the survival of transplanted cells and measured retinal structure and function using microperimetry and spectral-domain OCT.

RESULTS

Focal areas of subretinal hyperpigmentation developed in all participants in a dose-dependent manner in the recipient retina and persisted after withdrawal of systemic immunosuppression. We found no evidence of uncontrolled proliferation or inflammatory responses. Borderline improvements in best-corrected VA in 4 participants either were unsustained or were matched by a similar improvement in the untreated contralateral eye. Microperimetry demonstrated no evidence of benefit at 12 months in the 12 participants. In one instance at the highest dose, localized retinal thinning and reduced sensitivity in the area of hyperpigmentation suggested the potential for harm. Participant-reported quality of life using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire indicated no significant change.

CONCLUSIONS

Subretinal hyperpigmentation is consistent with the survival of viable transplanted hESC-derived RPE cells, but may reflect released pigment in their absence. The findings demonstrate the value of detailed analysis of spatial correlation of retinal structure and function in determining with appropriate sensitivity the impact of cell transplantation and suggest that intervention in early stage of disease should be approached with caution. Given the slow rate of progressive degeneration at this advanced stage of disease, any protection against further deterioration may be evident only after a more extended period of observation.

An overview on the toxic morphological changes in the retinal pigment epithelium after systemic compound administration

Many medications that are administered systemically for nonocular conditions may evoke ocular toxicological complications. Therefore, the eye is routinely investigated histopathologically in preclinical in vivo toxicity studies. The retinal pigment epithelium is a likely target for systemically administered compounds, since the underlying choroid is highly vascularized. The specialized pigment epithelium has numerous functions that all maintain the integrity and function of photoreceptors. Consequently, toxic effects on the pigment epithelium will eventually affect the neural retina. The potential of pigment epithelial cells to respond to toxic injury is limited, but a standardized terminology to describe its morphological changes does not exist in the scientific literature. Detailed morphologic analysis, however, might allow early detection of retinotoxicity and may provide evidence on the underlying pathomechanism. We here review toxic effects on the pigment epithelium focusing in particular on the morphology of toxic cell injury. Morphological changes comprise hypertrophy, intracytoplasmic accumulation of cellular components, loss of cell polarity, degeneration, metaplasia, and formation of subretinal membranes. Some of these changes are reversible whereas others are permanent, leading to impaired function of the pigment epithelium and eventually to photoreceptor loss and retinal atrophy.

Retinoblastoma with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, polyposis coli, and multiple hamartomas

It has long been recognized that compared with their age- and sex-matched controls, survivors of hereditary retinoblastoma have a considerably higher risk of the development of second malignancies (10% at 20 years and 15% at 30 years of follow-up), including osteosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, melanoma, fibrosarcoma, and other rare spindle cell sarcomas. Patients with the nongenetic variety of retinoblastoma do not particularly seem to have an increased incidence of other malignancies than the general population. However, it should be noted that a child with unilateral disease carries a 15% chance of having germline mutation. The cumulative mortality rate from second malignancies was 1.5% at 40 years after unilateral retinoblastoma diagnosis and 26% for bilateral cases in a large survey of 1458 patients. A child with unilateral retinoblastoma, café au lait spots, hairy nevus, and grouped pigmentation of retina in the fellow eye is described who furthermore developed acute leukemia and polyposis coli.

Orbital osteoma in Gardner's syndrome

PURPOSE

To report the association of an orbital osteoma with Gardner's syndrome (familial polyposis coli leading to carcinoma, multiple osteomas and skin and soft tissue tumours).

METHOD

A review of patient records.

RESULTS

A 29-year-old male with known Gardner's syndrome presented with long-standing right proptosis due to an osteoma of the medial wall and roof of the orbit. He had previously had prophylactic colectomy and one other osteoma of the skull excised.

CONCLUSION

Although orbital osteoma in the setting of Gardner's syndrome is rare, it should be recognized as an association because of the importance of the intestinal polyposis, which leads to carcinoma if untreated.

Doyne Lecture. Influences on the development of corneal transplantation

The current status of corneal transplantation is determined by historical events and current research findings. Many of the important historical events occurred in and around Oxford: the beginning of visual science, corneal transplantation and transplantation in immunology. Contemporary research yields data from a number of different sources: clinical trials, registries, surveys, animal experiments and in vitro studies. This information has been used by clinicians to bring about a steady improvement in the outcome of corneal transplantation.