Neurosciences News

NEW YORK — The identification of two distinct forms of molecules in uveal melanoma may lead to significant advances in the treatment of the disease, said one researcher speaking here.

Etanercept, a drug used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, may be beneficial in the treatment of Graves’ ophthalmopathy, a study suggests.

Patients with ocular tumors tend to have poor visual acuity, and patients with decalcified subfoveal choroidal osteoma have a particularly poor visual prognosis, according to results of a long-term study.

Two common drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis may cause patients to develop optic neuritis, according to a case study. Discontinuation of the pharmaceuticals should help resolve the neuritis, the study authors said.

Implanting retinal pigment epithelial cells into the brain may be a beneficial treatment for Parkinson’s disease, a pilot trial in humans suggests.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A calculation module for planning radiation treatments for eye cancers has been granted Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance, according to the device’s maker. The new proton therapy eye dose calculation module will be part of the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system, Varian said in a press release.

CHICAGO — While there is still no ideal treatment for optic nerve sheath meningioma, recent advances in radiation therapy have provided promising outcomes that bode well for management of these tumors in the future, according to Neil R. Miller, MD.

CHICAGO — When confronted with unexplained visual loss in patients with a normal fundus, neuro-ophthalmologists should first seek to identify the anatomic location of the pathology and then, if no pathology is found, seek to prove that the visual loss is nonorganic, according to a presenter here.

CHICAGO — General ophthalmologists and neuro-ophthalmologists alike must be aware that a history of cancer is an important factor in diagnosing vision loss in their patients, said Nicholas J. Volpe, MD. In patients with such a history, complications of cancer must be considered in the differential diagnosis to ensure proper management, he said.

Retinopathy signs predict stroke or stroke-related death independent of traditional risk factors for stroke, an Australian population-based study found.