To investigate the pre-, intra-, and postoperative results of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in patients after radiation therapy for uveal melanoma, highlighting its potential benefits and risks.
Key Findings:
Visual acuity improved significantly at 3 months post-DMEK (p = 0.049) but showed no significant change at 12 and 24 months, indicating a need for long-term monitoring.
Endothelial cell density decreased over time, with no significant changes at 3 and 12 months, suggesting potential long-term effects of DMEK.
Complications included the need for additional glaucoma surgeries in patients with pre-existing conditions, highlighting the importance of preoperative assessment.
Interpretation:
DMEK surgery can lead to improved visual acuity in uveal melanoma patients post-radiation, although complications and factors limiting visual outcomes were noted, necessitating careful postoperative monitoring.
Limitations:
Small sample size of only 9 patients, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
Retrospective design may introduce bias, affecting the reliability of the results.
Missing data on central corneal thickness limited statistical analysis, which could impact the interpretation of outcomes.
Conclusion:
DMEK appears to be a viable option for treating corneal endothelial disorders in uveal melanoma patients post-radiation, but careful consideration of pre-existing complications and the need for further research is necessary.
FOXC1 duplications were the second most common monogenic finding among genetically solved juvenile open-angle glaucoma cases in one registry, supporting the use of copy-number variant analysis in early-onset glaucoma testing.
Thomas Aller, OD, provides in-depth overviews of each myopia management option—pharmacologic therapy, soft contact lenses, orthokeratology, spectacle lenses, and environmental and behavioral interventions—so clinicians can not only provide the right option to each patient, but also address the larger economic and societal burdens of myopia.
