EVEREST study report 4: Fluorescein angiography features predictive of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Importance

It is important to identify features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) that differentiate it from typical neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) on various imaging modalities, including fluorescein angiography (FA).

Background

PCV was thought to be indistinguishable from nAMD using FA alone. In real‐world practice, indocyanine‐green angiography may often be unavailable or contraindicated.

Design

Analysis of FA images from a prospective, multicentre study.

Participants

Study images of both PCV and nAMD patients from the EVEREST study.

Methods

FA features at baseline were independently graded by masked graders (fellowship‐trained ophthalmologists) using standardized diagnostic algorithms.

Main Outcome Measures

Predictive indicators (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) for PCV.

Results

Of the 95 patients screened, 61 had PCV. Of the 34 screening failures, 15 were diagnosed as nAMD. Hyperfluorescent nodules on FA were observed in 80% of patients with PCV vs 20% with nAMD (P < 0.001). Blocked fluorescence on FA, which corresponded to the presence of subretinal haemorrhage, occurred more frequently among patients with PCV vs nAMD (61.7% vs 13.3%, P = 0.001). Similarly, the leakage characteristic of occult choroidal neovascularization occurred more frequently among patients with PCV vs nAMD (95.0% vs 73.3%, P = 0.026). The positive predictive value for PCV was 94.1% for hyperfluorescent nodules, 94.9% for blocked fluorescence, 83.8% for occult choroidal neovascularization and 82.0% for pigment epithelial detachment.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study demonstrated that certain FA features can be predictive of PCV and may be considered as an indication for retina specialists to perform indocyanine green angiography as confirmatory test.

Adjuvant therapy for renal cell carcinoma: past, present, and future

At the present time, the standard of care for patients who have received nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is radiographic surveillance. With a number of novel targeted agents showing activity in the setting of metastatic RCC, there has been great interest in exploring the potential of the same agents in the adjuvant setting. Herein, we discuss the evolution of adjuvant trials in RCC, spanning from the immunotherapy era to the targeted therapy era. Pitfalls of current studies are addressed to provide a context for interpreting forthcoming results. Finally, we outline avenues to incorporate promising investigational agents, such as PD-1 (programmed death-1) inhibitors and MNNG transforming gene inhibitors, in future adjuvant trials.

Impact of failed mitral clipping on subsequent mitral valve operations

BACKGROUND

This study analyzed the effect of failed percutaneous mitral intervention with the MitraClip device (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) on subsequent mitral valve (MV) operations.

METHODS

Nineteen patients (74 ± 9 years) with treatment failure after implantation of 37 MitraClips (mean, 1.9 ± 0.8; range, 1 to 4) for functional or degenerative MV disease underwent operations a median of 12 days later (range, 0 to 546 days). All patients were studied before and after the operation by clinical investigation and echocardiographic analysis. Intraoperative findings and the effect on the operation were analyzed and are described in detail. Data before clipping and at the time of operation were compared, and the surgical outcome was recorded.

RESULTS

There was a significant increase in risk between that at the time of clipping and that at subsequent operations, noted as a rise of the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II from a median 12.74% to 26.87%, respectively (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Severe clip implantation-induced tissue damage was found in most patients. Surgical MV repair could be performed in 5 of 6 patients (83%) with a 1-clip implant and in only 3 of 13 patients (23%) when 2 or more clips had been inserted (p = 0.0188, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test). All patients required other associated procedures: closure of an artificial atrial septal defect that was caused by the clipping procedure (100%), tricuspid valve repair (37%), atrial fibrillation ablation operations (37%), coronary artery bypass grafting (16%), and aortic valve replacement (11%). Two early cardiac deaths (< 30 days) occurred. Survival at 1 year was 68%.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a remarkable impact of failed clipping procedures on MV operations. We observed a severely aggravated cardiac pathology in parallel with a reduced preoperative clinical state compared with the original condition. Moreover, the likelihood of an optimal surgical solution with valve reconstruction was reduced thereafter. However, operations in the critical situation of an unsuccessful mitral clipping procedure should be discussed immediately, because it still seems to be an option compared with conservative therapy.