Transvitreal endoresection of refractory retinal capillary hemangioblastoma after feeder vessel ligation

Surgical and visual outcomes after vitreoretinal surgery for complex retinal capillary hemangioblastoma

Purpose

We evaluated the anatomical and functional outcomes after vitreoretinal surgery for complex retinal capillary hemangioblastoma (RCH).

Methods

This was a retrospective case series of 15 patients (16 eyes) with tractional or combined retinal detachment (RD) managed with pars plana vitrectomy and tumor endoresection (ER) with/without feeder vessel ligation.

Results

The mean age at the time of surgery was 30 years (range, 14-46 years). The most common tumor locations were inferotemporal (six eyes) and temporal (six eyes) quadrants. Indications for surgery included exudative RD with fibrovascular proliferation (eight eyes), combined RD (five eyes), vitreous hemorrhage (four eyes), and rhegmatogenous RD (two eyes). Tumor destruction was performed with laser and/or cryotherapy in nine eyes (57%) and ER in seven eyes (43%). Feeder vessel was ligated and cauterized in 10 (63%) and six eyes (37%), respectively. Anatomical success after initial surgery was 50% (eight eyes), which improved to 88% (14 eyes) after they underwent a repeat procedure for recurrent RD (eight eyes). At the last visit, visual acuity improved in seven eyes (44%), was stable in four eyes (25%), and worsened in five eyes (31%) with a mean follow-up of 29 months (6-79 months). Comparison between the ER group and the laser/cryotherapy group revealed no significant difference in final retinal reattachment rate (89% vs. 86%, P > 0.05), with better visual outcomes in laser/cryotherapy group (57% vs. 78%, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pars plana vitrectomy with/without tumor endoresection can be a safe and effective treatment option for complex RCHs, achieving good tumor control and anatomical success with limited functional success.

Surgical Approach in Intraocular Tumors

Surgery in intraocular tumors is done for excision/biopsy and the management of complications secondary to the treatment of these tumors. Excision/biopsy of intraocular tumors can be done via fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), transretinal biopsy (TRB), partial lamellar sclerouvectomy (PLSU), and endoresection. FNAB, TRB, and PLSU can be used in tumors that cannot be diagnosed by clinical examination and other ancillary testing methods. PLSU is employed in tumors involving the iridociliary region and choroid anterior to the equator. Excisional PLSU is performed for iridociliary and ciliary body tumors with less than 3 clock hours of iris and ciliary body involvement and choroidal tumors with a base diameter less than 15 mm. However, for biopsy, PLSU can be employed with any size tumor. Endoresection is a procedure whereby the intraocular tumor is excised using vitrectomy techniques. The rationale for performing endoresection is based on the fact that irradiated uveal melanomas may cause complications such as exudation, neovascular glaucoma, and intraocular pigment and tumor dissemination (toxic tumor syndrome), and removing the dead tumor tissue may contribute to better visual outcome. Endoresection is recommended 1-2 weeks after external radiotherapy. Pars plana vitrectomy is also used in the management of complications including vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and epiretinal membrane that can occur after treatment of posterior segment tumors using radiotherapy and transpupillary thermotherapy. It is important to make sure the intraocular tumor has been eradicated before embarking on such treatment.

Endoresection utilizing pars plana vitrectomy for benign and malignant intraocular tumors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Endoresection of intraocular tumors is a complicated procedure utilizing pars plana vitrectomy techniques. Though it has potential downsides and complications, there is potential for this technique in the treatment of malignant and benign intraocular tumors.

RECENT FINDINGS

Endoresection has been utilized in some form for the last three decades, but recent advances in vitreoretinal surgery have improved the technique. Endoresection is used most commonly to treat posterior uveal melanoma, but success in treating benign tumors, such as astrocytoma or retinal capillary hemangioblastoma has emboldened surgeons to expand its indications. It appears that removal of a malignant tumor, such as uveal melanoma may spare the eye some damaging effects of radiation retinopathy and radiation optic neuropathy. These benefits may occur even when the tumor is treated concurrently with plaque brachytherapy, proton beam irradiation, or stereotactic radiotherapy. The benefits of the technique are tempered, however, by the inherent difficulties associated with performing the surgery. These include potentially severe intraoperative bleeding, recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, air embolism, and recurrence of the tumor at the edge of the resection. Nonetheless, endoresection has recently been used for retinoblastoma in refractory cases in order to spare the globe.

SUMMARY

Endoresection is an advanced vitreoretinal surgical technique that has potential advantages in the treatment of malignant and benign intraocular tumors.

Two-staged en bloc excision of a retinal haemangioma

A 31-year-old man presented to us with diminution of vision in the right eye which he noticed since 10 days, with a visual acuity of hand motions only. On examination, festooned pupil and a complicated cataract were noted with no view of the retina. Ultrasonography of the right eye showed retinal detachment in all quadrants with suspected areas of traction and membranes in the vitreous. Left eye examination revealed a normal anterior and posterior segment. Intraoperatively, he underwent a pars plana lensectomy following which an inferior large retinal haemangioma was noted with dilated and tortuous feeder artery and draining vein. The haemangioma was managed by a two-staged procedure including ligature of the feeder artery in the first surgery and the en bloc excision of the angioma at the time of the second procedure after significant shrinkage in size of the tumour.

Early surgical treatment of retinal hemangioblastomas

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical course after early surgical treatment with excision of retinal hemangioblastomas (RHs) before development of major complications.

METHODS

Interventional case series of four eyes (four patients) with a peripheral RH that had not yet been treated by laser or cryotherapy prior to surgery. All eyes underwent 23-gauge vitrectomy with lesion excision. One patient underwent ligation of the feeder vessel prior to lesion excision. Best-corrected visual acuity and clinical course were assessed during a follow-up period of at least 4 years.

RESULTS

Four patients (mean age 27.3 years; range 19-32) were included, of whom two had von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Visual acuity improved in three patients (mean 4.8 lines; range 3-10) and remained stable at 0.0 logMAR in one patient. There were no intraoperative complications. Postoperative complications included transient mild vitreous haemorrhage (n = 2), and local epiretinal membrane formation at the excision location (n = 1). At 4 years postoperatively, there were no long-term complications. There was one case of a new lesion, which was effectively treated with laser.

CONCLUSION

Vitrectomy with RH excision seems to be an effective approach for larger RHs and could be considered an early treatment option in selected cases. Postoperative complications were limited in scope of this case series. Important points to consider during vitrectomy are effective closure of feeder and draining vessels as well as complete removal of posterior hyaloid and epiretinal membranes in order to avoid postoperative vitreous haemorrhage and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.