Laureato in Medicina e Chirurgia nel 1985, Specializzazione in Oftalmologia nel 1989, Fellowship in "Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery" nel 1993. Vive e lavora a Milano come libero professionista e consulente dell'IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano presso il Polo Chirurgico Capitanio.
Abstract: We present the first case of a congenital form of silent brain syndrome (SBS) in a young patient affected by Hallermann-Streiff syndrome (HSS) and the surgical management of the associated eyelid anomalies.
Abstract: Two main patterns of orbital fractures are encountered: zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures and isolated orbital fractures. ZMC fractures, also known as tripod fractures, are frequently caused by a direct trauma to the zygomatic bone (e.g., with a fist, or a baseball bat) and are characterized by multiple fractures involving the inferior orbital rim, the zygomatic arch, the frontozygomatic suture and the zygomaticomaxillary suture; the orbital floor is frequently involved during ZMC fractures. The management of a tripod fracture is complex, requires a multidisciplinary approach and it is not the goal of this perspective. Isolated orbital fractures, also known as blow-out fractures, are internal fractures of the orbital floor and/or medial wall, with displacement of orbital soft tissues (fat and/or muscle) in the adjacent sinuses. This paper will focus on the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of orbital blow-out fractures.
Abstract: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas constitute one half of malignancies arising in the orbit and the ocular adnexae. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type lymphoma is the most common histological category in this anatomic region. The incidence of ocular adnexal lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-type (OAML) is increasing and recent studies offered new relevant insights in molecular, pathogenetic and therapeutic issues on these neoplasms. A pathogenetic model of antigen-driven lymphoproliferation similar to that reported for Helicobacter pylori-related gastric MALT lymphomas has been hypothesized for OAML. This notion is supported by the association between OAML and Chlamydophila psittaci infection, an association that is of likely pathogenetic relevance and may influence both the biological behavior and the therapeutic management of these neoplasms. However, this association displays evident geographical variability indicating that other etiopathogenic agents could be involved. These recent acquisitions coupled with the occurrence of chromosomal translocations and other genetic alterations, as well as additional risk factors like autoimmune disorders have contributed to render OAML an exciting challenge for a broad group of physicians and scientists. OAML is an indolent and rarely lethal malignancy that, in selected patients, can be managed with observation alone. Lymphomatous lesions are frequently responsible for symptoms affecting patient's quality of life, requiring, therefore, immediate treatment. Several therapeutic strategies are available, often associated with relevant side-effects. However, the therapeutic choice in OAML is not supported by consolidated evidence due to the lack of prospective trials. In this review, we analyze the most relevant biological, molecular, pathological and clinical features of OAML and propose some therapeutic guidelines for patients affected by this malignancy.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The prevalence and the clinical impact of gastric Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, as well as its possible correlation with Chlamydia psittaci (Cps) infection and the lymphoma regression rate produced by Hp eradicating antibiotic therapy were investigated in patients with MALT-type lymphoma of the ocular adnexa (OAL). METHODS: During staging, the presence of gastric Hp infection was assessed by gastroscopy and multiple biopsies in 31 OAL patients. Immediately after, Hp-positive patients were treated with eradicating antibiotic therapy, alone or associated with other therapies. RESULTS: Gastric Hp infection was detected in 10 (32%) patients; this feature did not correlate with patients' characteristics and disease. Four Hp-positive patients were treated with Hp-eradicating antibiotics therapy as exclusive strategy (assessable for response), none of them showed lymphoma regression. Conversely, 6 Hp-positive patients were treated with antibiotic therapy concurrently with other therapies, achieving lymphoma regression in all cases.Three Hp-positive patients with Cps-positive lymphoma were treated with doxycycline at relapse, resulting in two CR and one PR, which lasted 24+, 20+, and 18+ months, respectively. One of these patients achieved a CR after doxycycline despite the chronic persistence of Hp infection, whereas Cps-eradication was confirmed in the analysis of PBMC samples. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric Hp infection, even if common among OAL patients, does not influence clinical presentation. Hp-eradicating antibiotic therapy is not active against OAL. Cps-eradicating antibiotic therapy with doxycycline induces lymphoma remission irrespectively of the persistence of Hp infection.
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Levator aponeurosis advancement is an effective technique that is routinely used to correct aponeurogenic ptosis. The standard technique involve a skin incision of the upper eyelid crease for the entire length of the eyelid, with or without associated blepharoplasty. We believe that, in a selected group of patients, a less invasive approach with an upper lid skin incision of only 0.8 cm is equally effective for the final result and offers several advantages compared to the traditional technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 48 patients affected by involutional ptosis with good levator function that underwent unilateral or bilateral levator advancement ptosis repair through a mini-invasive approach. Final outcome measures included postoperative eyelid height, contour, symmetry, periocular edema, surgical time and visibility of the incision site. RESULTS: The mini-invasive approach for the correction of involutional ptosis resulted in our hands as effective and reliable as the traditional technique, required a shorter surgical time, offered an improved early post-operative course with minimal bruising and swelling and produced no visible scar. CONCLUSIONS: This mini-invasive ptosis correction technique replaced in our practice the traditional approach for the treatment of a selected subset of patients affected by aponeurogenic ptosis.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: An association between ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma (OAL) and Chlamydia psittaci (Cp) infection has been proposed, and recent reports suggest that doxycycline treatment causes tumor regression in patients with Cp-related OAL. The effectiveness of doxycycline treatment in Cp-negative OAL has not been tested. METHODS: In a prospective trial, 27 OAL patients (15 newly diagnosed and 12 having experienced relapse) were given a 3-week course of doxycycline therapy. Objective lymphoma response was assessed by computerized tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging at 1, 3, and 6 months after the conclusion of therapy and every 6 months during follow-up. Cp infection in patients was determined by touchdown enzyme time-release polymerase chain reaction (TETR-PCR). Statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Eleven patients were Cp DNA-positive and 16 were Cp DNA negative. Doxycycline was well tolerated. At a median follow-up of 14 months, lymphoma regression was complete in six patients, and a partial response (> or = 50% reduction of all measurable lesions) was observed in seven patients (overall response rate [complete and partial responses] = 48%). Lymphoma regression was observed in both Cp DNA-positive patients (seven of 11 experienced regression) and Cp DNA-negative patients (six of 16 experienced regression) (64% versus 38%; P = .25, Fisher's exact test). The three patients with regional lymphadenopathies and three of the five patients with bilateral disease achieved objective response. In relapsed patients, response was observed both in previously irradiated and nonirradiated patients. The 2-year failure-free survival rate among the doxycycline-treated patients was 66% (95% confidence interval = 54 to 78), and 20 of the 27 patients were progression free. CONCLUSIONS: Doxycycline is a fast, safe, and active therapy for Cp DNA-positive OAL that was effective even in patients with multiple failures involving previously irradiated areas or regional lymphadenopathies. The responses observed in PCR-negative OAL may suggest a need for development of more sensitive methods for Cp detection and investigation of the potential role of other doxycycline-sensitive bacteria.
Abstract: PURPOSE: To describe a minimally invasive technique for conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with the Jones tube. This technique creates a direct communication between the conjunctiva and the middle meatus with the use of a 14-gauge angiocatheter. The glass tube is inserted under endoscopic or direct visualization. METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent the minimally invasive technique for conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy for complete bicanalicular lacrimal obstruction was performed. The surgical time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, length of the tubes, long-term patency, tube displacement, and need for secondary revision were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-five consecutive patients were included in the study. All surgical procedures were successfully performed without significant complications, in an operating time that averaged 16 minutes. In one early case, a patient had persistent postoperative bleeding that required cauterization of the middle turbinate. In 3 patients, late migration of the Jones tube into the nasal cavity required secondary intervention with successful Jones tube repositioning. Minor office tube cleaning was performed without removal of the tube. The patency of the Jones tube was regularly tested with demonstration of aspiration of 2% fluorescein solution from the tear meniscus in the tear lake opening of the tube at the slit lamp, the passage of the same solution in the nose with endoscopic view, and finally, with irrigation of saline solution in the tube. CONCLUSIONS: The minimally invasive technique for conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with the Jones tube can be successfully performed with a simple "poke-through" technique from the conjunctiva to the nose with direct or endoscopic control. This technique has proved to be time-effective and well tolerated by patients.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A pathogenic link between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and MALT-type lymphomas has been suggested. However, studies assessing the role of HCV infection separately in different forms of MALT lymphomas are not available. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The prevalence and clinical implications of HCV seropositivity were analyzed in 55 patients with ocular adnexa lymphoma (OAL) of MALT-type. RESULTS: HCV seropositivity was detected in seven (13%) patients. At presentation, HCV infection was significantly associated with concomitant extra-orbital disease, lymph node dissemination and involvement of additional extranodal organs. HCV seropositivity was associated also with a higher relapse rate and worse progression-free survival. In fact, 16 patients experienced relapse after first-line treatment: five (71%) were HCV-seropositive and 11 (23%) were HCV-seronegative, with a median TTP of 31 and 50+ months (P = 0.01), and a 5-year progression-free survival of 43 +/- 18% and 77 +/- 7% (P = 0.005), respectively. HCV-seropositive patients experienced frequent relapses despite further lines of therapy; relapses were systemic in all cases but one; multiple subcutaneous nodules were common at relapse. CONCLUSIONS: HCV seropositivity is present in 13% of OAL of MALT-type. Concomitant HCV infection is associated with more disseminated disease and aggressive behavior in OAL, with a consequent potential negative impact in patients managed with radiotherapy alone.
Abstract: PURPOSE: Some infectious agents contributing to lymphomagenesis have been considered targets for new therapeutic strategies. Chlamydia psittaci DNA has been detected in 80% of ocular adnexal lymphomas. The present pilot study was carried out to assess whether C psittaci-eradicating antibiotic therapy is associated with tumor regression in ocular adnexal lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine patients with C psittaci-positive marginal-zone B-cell lymphoma of the ocular adnexa at diagnosis or relapse were treated with doxycycline 100 mg, bid orally, for 3 weeks. The presence of C psittaci DNA in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was also assessed before and after treatment in seven patients. Objective lymphoma regression was assessed 1, 3, and 6 months after therapy conclusion and every 6 months during follow-up. RESULTS: All patients completed antibiotic therapy with excellent tolerability. At 1 month from doxycycline assumption, chlamydial DNA was no longer detectable in PBMCs of all four positive patients. Objective response was complete in two patients, partial response (> 50%) was observed in two patients, and minimal response (< 50%) was observed in three patients. Duration of response in the seven responders was 12+, 29+, 31+, 8+, 7+, 2+, and 1+ months, respectively. CONCLUSION: C psittaci-eradicating antibiotic therapy with doxycycline is followed by objective response in patients with ocular adnexal lymphoma, even after multiple relapses of the disease. A confirmatory, large, phase II trial is warranted to confirm whether this fast, cheap, and well-tolerated therapy could replace other more aggressive strategies as first-line treatment against ocular adnexal lymphomas.
Abstract: A 57-year-old white man presented with extensive bilateral, symmetric, confluent papules involving the upper and lower eyelids, causing visual impairment and cosmetic deformity. Surgical debulking of the papules was initially performed, but the lesion rapidly recurred and enlarged. Histopathologic examination revealed cutaneous amyloidosis. Six months later, extensive excision of the upper eyelid lesions was required to restore normal visual function.
Abstract: We report the clinical features and surgical treatment of a 15-year-old girl with unilateral microblepharon. The anomaly was characterized by a vertical shortage of upper and lower eyelid skin, causing nocturnal lagophthalmos, corneal exposure, and cosmetic deformity. Treatment consisted in hard-palate grafting and lateral tarsal strip suspension of the lower eyelid of the affected side. The outcome was considered satisfactory by the surgeon and by the patient. No further surgery was required.
Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the appearance of the skin incision in external dacryocystorhinostomy 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery. METHODS: A prospective, interventional, noncomparative case series of consecutive cases of external dacryocystorhinostomy was performed by 3 surgeons. At 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery, patients were asked to grade their incision, and standardized photographs were evaluated by 3 blinded observers. RESULTS: Thirty-four consecutive patients were admitted and followed for 6 months. Six weeks after surgery, 9 of 34 patients could not see their incision site (26%), 13 of 34 graded it as minimally visible (38%), 9 of 34 (26%) graded it as moderately visible, and 3 of 34 patients (9%) graded it as very visible (grade 3). Two of 34 patients (6%) were not satisfied with the appearance of the incision. Six months after surgery, 15 of 34 patients (44%) could not see their incision site (grade 0), 16 of 34 (47%) graded it as minimally visible, 3 of 34 patients (9%) graded it as moderately visible, and no patient graded it as very visible. All patients were satisfied with the appearance of their incision. Photographic evaluation of patients 6 weeks after surgery by the 3 observers showed an average score of 1.12, 1.18, and 1.24. There was not a statistically significant difference between the observers (p = 0.95). At 6 months after surgery, the average scores were 0.56, 0.74, and 0.79. There was not a statistically significant difference between the observers (p = 0.43). The change in appearance of the incision at 6 weeks and at 6 months was statistically significant (p < 0.044), as evaluated by patients and observers (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The skin incision in external dacryocystorhinostomy is satisfactory to most patients. Its appearance is improved with time; 86% of the incisions were graded invisible or minimally visible by observers and 91% by patients after 6 months.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Ocular adnexal lymphomas may be antigen-driven disorders; however, the source of the putative antigen or antigens is still unknown. Hence, we assessed whether Chlamydiae infection is associated with the development of ocular adnexal lymphomas. METHODS: The presence of Chlamydia psittaci, trachomatis, and pneumoniae DNA was investigated by polymerase chain reaction in 40 ocular adnexal lymphoma samples, 20 nonneoplastic orbital biopsies, 26 reactive lymphadenopathy samples, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 21 lymphoma patients and 38 healthy individuals. Seven patients with chlamydia-positive PBMCs were treated with the antibiotic doxycycline, and objective response was assessed in four patients with measurable lymphoma lesions. Differences in Chlamydiae DNA detection between the case patients and the control subjects were analyzed using the Fisher exact test. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Thirty-two of the 40 (80%) ocular adnexal lymphoma samples carried C. psittaci DNA, whereas all lymphoma samples were negative for C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae. In contrast, none of the 20 nonneoplastic orbital biopsies (0% versus 80%; P<.001) and only three of 26 (12%) reactive lymphadenopathy samples (12% versus 80%; P<.001) carried the C. psittaci DNA. Nine of 21 (43%) patients with chlamydia-positive lymphomas carried C. psittaci DNA in their PBMCs, whereas none (0%) of the healthy PBMC donors carried C. psittaci DNA in their PBMCs (43% versus 0%; P<.001). One month after doxycycline treatment, chlamydial DNA was no longer detectable in the PBMCs of all seven treated patients, and objective response was observed in two of the four evaluable patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with ocular adnexal lymphoma had a high prevalence of C. psittaci infection in both tumor tissue and PBMCs. Persistent C. psittaci infection may contribute to the development of these lymphomas, as was also supported by the clinical responses observed in this study with C. psittaci-eradicating antibiotic therapy.
Abstract: PURPOSE: The real incidence of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the orbit is unknown, but it seems that since it was first described in 1994, orbital SFT has been increasingly recognized. We believe that the orbital SFT is a relatively common tumor and that it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any orbital tumor. DESIGN: Interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Four new cases of orbital SFT. METHODS: Four patients affected by solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit are described. One patient experienced a recurrent SFT shortly after initial surgical excision performed elsewhere. Thirty-eight cases have been reported in the literature in 7 years. RESULTS: The number of orbital SFTs reported has been increasing, reaching an average of more than five tumors reported per year. Since the first orbital SFT was described in 1994, 37 cases have been reported in the literature. We add four new cases in our series, including a recurrent tumor. A total of 42 cases have now been described, eight with recurrences. Malignant transformation occurred in one case. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that before 1994, the diagnosis orbital SFT was confused with other benign orbital tumors, such as fibrous histiocytoma and hemangiopericytoma because of a lack of use of immunohistochemical techniques. This entity should now be considered relatively common and should be included in the differential diagnosis of orbital tumors in any age group. Local recurrences of SFT are possible and usually follow an incomplete initial excision. Recurrent tumors in the orbit have shown the tendency to infiltrate the surrounding tissues and the bone, rendering complete secondary excision more difficult. Recurrent orbital SFT also has the potential for malignant transformation. The treatment of choice of orbital SFT is complete surgical excision and careful follow-up. Considering the more aggressive course followed by recurrent tumor, correct diagnosis and management is essential.
Abstract: The charts of 10 patients affected by myogenic ptosis who underwent surgical correction by means of a frontalis suspension sling using a silicone rod were reviewed. The patients included in the study were affected by ptosis secondary to myasthenia gravis (MG), chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) or mitochondrial myopathy (MM). In every patient the ptosis was severe (MRD( 1) < 2 mm), with the eyelid partially or totally occluding the visual axis; levator function was poor (<5 mm), Bell's phenomenon was poor or absent and the orbicularis function was reduced. Final eyelid height, patient satisfaction and the presence of complications were our main outcome measures. Analysis of the results showed that the ptosis was corrected in every patient with a clear visual axis. One patient with absent Bell's and poor levator function had exposure keratopathy resistant to medical treatment and required surgical revision. We believe that the frontalis suspension sling is safe, effective and is the procedure of choice for patients affected by poor-function acquired ptosis. A silicone rod, because of its elasticity, is the material of choice in this selected category of patients.
Abstract: PURPOSE: The authors studied the etiology of acquired ptosis in the young to middle-aged adult population with specific attention to the role of rigid contact lens use. METHODS: The study consisted of all patients between the ages of 15 and 50 years with acquired ptosis who presented between April 1986 and May 1994. Potential factors responsible for acquired ptosis were investigated in all patients with specific attention directed to history and duration of contact lens wear. RESULTS: In the consecutive series of 91 young to middle-aged adults with acquired ptosis, we found contact lens wear to be the only identifiable cause in 47% of patients. This was the most common cause for acquired ptosis in this age group. Trauma was a distant second cause, accounting for 19% of patients. Of the contact lens-induced ptosis, 58% were unilateral and 42% were bilateral. Of the 25 patients who wore contact lenses and had unilateral ptosis on examination, manual elevation of the ptotic lid showed an unsuspected contralateral ptosis to be manifest in seven patients due to Hering's law. Ptosis was overwhelmingly associated with rigid contact lens wear, and levator aponeurosis disinsertion was found in the large majority at the time of surgical repair. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that contact lens-induced ptosis is a much more common cause of acquired ptosis in young and middle-aged adults than has been suspected previously. The ptosis is primarily due to levator aponeurotic disinsertion, presumably due to recurrent traction on the aponeurosis during rigid contact lens removal.
Abstract: A total of 145 patients with orbital dermoid cysts examined at the Orbital Clinic, Institute of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II" over a period of 16 years were reviewed. The orbital cysts were classified as exophytic and endophytic, according to their site of attachment in relation to the orbital rims. This classification can explain the different natural history of these lesions. The exophytic cysts growing externally are discovered in childhood, whereas the endophytic ones are discovered later in life when they produce bone damage, with or without invasion of the adjacent structures.
Abstract: Thirty cases of orbital lymphangioma were reviewed. Clinical, imaging, and microscopic findings were integrated to develop a pathophysiologic construct and management guidelines. The basic lesion might be considered an abortive vascular system which arborizes among normal structures. Intrinsic hemorrhage expands portions of the small-caliber network into large blood cysts, prompting clinical recognition. While major hemorrhage led to early surgery in 12 cases, long pretreatment intervals could be analyzed in 17 others. Twelve patients had second hemorrhages of varied magnitude, from 2 weeks to 15 years after initial recognition; five patients did not in an average of 6.8 years. Some blood cysts contracted spontaneously. Among 23 operated cases, 12 patients had major new bleeds from 4 days to 12 years after initial surgery; 11 patients did not in an average of 4.2 years. Poor final visual acuity was associated with multiple surgeries. The authors advocate conservatism in surgical case selection and in operative dissection.
Abstract: The CO<sub>2</sub>, laser has some physical properties and interaction with biological tissues which make it useful in different surgical specialties. How to use the CO<sub>2</sub>, laser in ophthalmic plastic and orbital surgery is described. During the first year of its use, 115 lesions were treated in 86 patients. The advantages and problems of the use of the laser are discussed.
Abstract: Thirty-nine cases of orbital exenteration performed at the Orbital Unit of the University of Naples during a 10-year period are reviewed. The incidence of dural exposure and CSF leaks is evaluated and related to the different pathologies. The appropriate treatments of these complications are discussed.
