Orbital metastasis: Clinical presentation and survival in a series of 11 cases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Orbital metastases are an uncommon condition. They may be the clinical presentation of a previously unknown malignancy. Depending on the series, the rate of orbital metastasis as a first manifestation of a malignant tumour is 20%-42%. The clinical presentation and survival is presented in a series of 11 cases of orbital metastasis corresponding to 10 patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive retrospective study of a series of 10 adult patients diagnosed with orbital metastasis from solid tumours during a 9-year period. Metastasis involving the orbit was included, and lymphomas and contiguity invasions from adjacent structures were excluded. A note was made on whether the clinical picture was the first sign of tumour onset. Signs and symptoms at clinical debut were registered, as were primary tumour location, distance seeding, orbital structures involved, and survival time since the diagnosis was established.

RESULTS

One-half (50%) of the patients were women. Mean age at diagnosis was 60.9 years (range 42-82). In nine cases (90%), the metastasis was unilateral, while in the remaining one the involvement was bilateral. The most frequent primary tumour location was the breast (36% of the cases); followed by the bladder (27%), lung (18%), and ovary and cavum (9%). Seventy percent of the patients had a previously diagnosed neoplasm; in 3 cases the metastasis was the first malignancy manifestation. Most frequent symptoms were diplopia (60%), visual impairment (40%), and pain (30%). The most common signs were resistance to ocular retropulsion (60%), presence of a mass on orbital palpation, and ocular dystopia (50%), and bulbar hyperaemia and proptosis (40%). The most employed management modality was clinical observation (5 patients). In 3 patients radiotherapy was administered, combining chemotherapy plus hormonal therapy in one case, and orbital exenteration in another one. In 2 cases, chemotherapy was administered as an isolated regime. Median survival time was 4.8 months since the diagnosis. There was a statistically significant difference between the survival time in the observation group (median 2.5 months) and in the active treatment group (median 29.2 months), p=.034.

CONCLUSIONS

In the series presented, 27% of the cases established the clinical debut of the malignant neoplasm. The ophthalmologist plays an essential role when this condition is suspected, diagnosing it, and proposing its management together with the Oncology Service.

Contralateral orbicularis oculi muscle transposition in facial paralysis: functional, aesthetic and electromyographic outcomes. A case report and literature update

Purpose: Many surgical approaches have been described for achieving satisfactory functionality in patients with facial paralysis, to ensure the protection of the cornea and the highest degree of physiological blinking. Out of all those available, dynamic techniques are indicated when motion recovery and synchrony are the goals pursued. Orbicularis oculi transposition (OOT) allows a genuine restoration of blinking by means of contralateral reinnervation, with minimal insult for the donor site.Methods: We present the case of a 64-year-old man with unilateral facial paralysis. A physical examination revealed a lagophthalmos of more than 5 mm. A neurophysiological study showed a mild-to-moderate axonal injury of the left facial nerve. Contralateral OOT was indicated as the first therapy option since it can restore involuntary blinking. The orbicularis muscle flap was not divided into branches, as described previously by other authors; the whole flap was transposed to the paralysed upper eyelid to achieve the highest level of potential reinnervation.Results: Lagophthalmos was fully corrected after the surgery. The patient reported subjective improvement of symptoms, less frequent instillation of artificial tear drops and, especially, synchronous blinking with significant improvement in involuntarity. These improvements were maintained after 1 year of follow-up. Postoperative electromyographic studies confirmed the improvement in neural function.Conclusions: OOT can be a safe and effective option for the treatment of patients with peripheral facial paralysis, as it achieves a good restoration of blinking function with minimal morbidity in the healthy donor eye.

Anti-IL-6 Receptor Tocilizumab in Refractory Graves' Orbitopathy: National Multicenter Observational Study of 48 Patients

Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease (GD). Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in GO refractory to conventional therapy. This was an open-label multicenter study of glucocorticoid-resistant GO treated with TCZ. The main outcomes were the best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA), Clinical Activity Score (CAS) and intraocular pressure (IOP). These outcome variables were assessed at baseline, 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after TCZ therapy onset. The severity of GO was assessed according to the European Group on Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO). We studied 48 (38 women and 10 men) patients (95 eyes); mean age ± standard deviation 51 ± 11.8 years. Before TCZ and besides oral glucocorticoids, they had received IV methylprednisolone (n = 43), or selenium (n = 11). GO disease was moderate (n =29) or severe (n = 19) and dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) (n = 7). TCZ was used in monotherapy (n = 45) or combined (n = 3) at a dose of 8 mg/kg IV every four weeks (n = 43) or 162 mg/s.c. every week (n = 5). TCZ yielded a significant improvement in all of the main outcomes at the 1st month that was maintained at one year. Comparing the baseline with data at 1 year all of the variables improved; BCVA (0.78 ± 0.25 vs. 0.9 ± 0.16; p = 0.0001), CAS (4.64 ± 1.5 vs. 1.05 ± 1.27; p = 0.0001) and intraocular pressure (IOP) (19.05 ± 4.1 vs. 16.73 ± 3.4 mmHg; p = 0.007). After a mean follow-up of 16.1 ± 2.1 months, low disease activity (CAS ≤ 3), was achieved in 88 eyes (92.6%) and TCZ was withdrawn in 29 cases due to low disease activity (n = 25) or inefficacy (n = 4). No serious adverse events were observed. In conclusion, TCZ is a useful and safe therapeutic option in refractory GO treatment.

Orbital metastasis: Clinical presentation and survival in a series of 11 cases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Orbital metastases are an uncommon condition. They may be the clinical presentation of a previously unknown malignancy. Depending on the series, the rate of orbital metastasis as a first manifestation of a malignant tumour is 20-42%. The clinical presentation and survival are presented in a series of 11 cases of orbital metastasis corresponding to 10 patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive retrospective study of a series of 10 adult patients diagnosed with orbital metastasis from solid tumours during a 9-year period. Metastases involving the orbit were included, and lymphomas and contiguity invasions from adjacent structures were excluded. A note was made on whether the clinical picture was the first sign of tumour onset. Signs and symptoms at clinical debut were registered, as were primary tumour location, distance seeding, orbital structures involved, and survival time since the diagnosis was established.

RESULTS

One-half (50%) of the patients were women. Mean age at diagnosis was 60.9years (range 42-82). In nine cases (90%), the metastasis was unilateral, while in the remaining one the involvement was bilateral. The most frequent primary tumour location was the breast (36% of the cases), followed by the bladder (27%), lung (18%), and ovary and cavum (9%). Seventy percent of the patients had a previously diagnosed neoplasm; in 3 cases the metastasis was the first malignancy manifestation. Most frequent symptoms were diplopia (60%), visual impairment (40%), and pain (30%). The most common signs were resistance to ocular retropulsion (60%), presence of a mass on orbital palpation and ocular dystopia (50%), and bulbar hyperaemia and proptosis (40%). The most employed management modality was clinical observation (5 patients). In 3 patients radiotherapy was administered, combining chemotherapy plus hormonal therapy in one case, and orbital exenteration in another one. In 2 cases, chemotherapy was administered as an isolated regime. Median survival time was 4.8months since the diagnosis. There was a statistically significant difference between the survival time in the observation group (median 2.5months) and in the active treatment group (median 29.2months), P=.034.

CONCLUSIONS

In the series presented, 27% of the cases established the clinical debut of the malignant neoplasm. The ophthalmologist plays an essential role when this condition is suspected, diagnosing it, and proposing its management together with the Oncology Service.

Optic neuropathy following orbital irradiation for Graves' ophthalmopathy: a case report and literature review

Radiation optic neuropathy (RON) is a devastating complication of radiotherapy to the anterior visual pathway resulting in acute, profound and sometimes irreversible visual loss. Cumulative doses of radiation that exceed 50 Gy or radiation fractions of greater than 2 Gy are usually required for RON to develop. Several factors, such as diabetes and pre-existing compression of the optic nerve, are associated with a higher risk for developing RON at lower doses of radiation. We report a case of presumed subacute RON following orbital irradiation for Graves' ophthalmopathy, successfully treated with megadoses of intravenous corticosteroids.

[Treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction with Song's stent. Long term efficacy]

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term efficacy (5 years) of Song's stent in the treatment of naso-lachrymal duct obstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined Song's stents installed in 64 eyes from 62 patients with naso-lachrymal duct obstruction (NLD). Of the 64, 48 were women and 14 men of mean age 60 SD 13.17 years. Obstructions of right side 62.5% and left side 37.5%, and location in dacriocystography: sac-NLD junction 82.8%, distant NLD 10.9%, medium NLD 3.1% and both proximal and complete NLD 1.6%.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

chronic epiphora 96.8%, acute dacriocystitis 67.2%, purulent discharge 25% and mucocele 17.2%. Mean follow-up period was 25.23 months.

RESULTS

13 stents were removed and 2 changed during the follow-up. 67.2% were patent at the end of the study; epiphora reduced to 32.8%, number of acute dacryocystitis, purulent discharge and mucocele to 1.6%. Subjective improvement was found in 73.5%. Surgical complications included epistaxis (15.6%) and pain (14.1%), and post-operative complications included reobstruction in 22 cases within a mean time of 8.6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Song's stent is a quick and useful option in treatment of epiphora. Despite not being efficient in all cases, it leads to improvement of symptoms and avoidance of surgery in the majority of cases. However, it requires periodical washes to maintain its patency.