Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study (SCOTS)： improvement in serpiginous choroidopathy following autologous bone marrow derived stem cell treatment

We report results in a 77-year-old male patient with visual loss from long-standing serpiginous choroidop- athy treated with bone marrow derived stem cells （BMSC） within the Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study （SCOTS）. SCOTS is an Institutional Review Board approved clinical trial and the largest ophthal- mology stem cell study registered at the National Institutes of Health to date （ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier： NCT01920867）. Eight months after treatment by a combination of retrobulbar, subtenon, intravitreal and intravenous injection of BMSC, the patient＇s best corrected Snellen acuity improved from 20/80- to 20/60.1 in the right eye and from 20/50- to 20/20 3 in the left eye. The Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study （ETDRS） visual acuity continued to improve over the succeeding 8 months and the optical coherence tomography macular volume increased. The increases in visual acuity and macular volume are encouraging and suggest that the use of BMSC as provided in SCOTS may be a viable approach to treating serpiginous choroidopathy.

Optical Coherence Tomography Features of Tuberculous Serpiginous-like Choroiditis and Serpiginous Choroiditis

Objective To investigate optical coherence tomography（OCT） characteristics of tuberculous serpiginous-like choroiditis（Tb-SLC） and serpiginous choroiditis（SC） and to perform OCT to differentiate between these conditions.Methods This retrospective,case-control study examined consecutively enrolled patients with active Tb-SLC or SC.Patients underwent comprehensive ocular examinations and imaging（OCT,color fundus photography,autofluorescence imaging,fluorescein angiography,and indocyanine green angiography）.Findings were examined and compared between eyes with SC and Tb-SLC.Results Nine patients with active Tb-SLC（14 eyes） and 8 with active SC（12 eyes） were included.The following OCT findings were observed significantly more often in the Tb-SLC group than in the SC group： vitreal hyper-reflective spots [5 Tb-SLC eyes（36%）,no SC eyes：P = 0.02],intraretinal edema [11 Tb-SLC eyes（79%）,3 SC eyes（25%）：P = 0.01],sub-retinal pigment epithelium（RPE） drusenoid deposits [11 Tb-SLC eyes（79%）,2 SC eyes（17%）：P 〈 0.01],and choroidal granulomas [8 Tb-SLC eyes（57%）,2 SC eyes（17%）：P = 0.03].A hyporeflective,wedge-shaped band was observed more often in the SC group [5 Tb-SLC eyes（36%）,9 SC eyes（75%）：P = 0.045] than in the Tb-SLC group.The incidence of other OCT signs did not differ between the groups and included outer nuclear layer hyper-reflection,outer retinal tabulation,and choriocapillaris point-like hyper-reflection.Conclusion Vitreal hyper-reflective spots,intraretinal fluid,sub-RPE drusenoid deposits,and choroidal granulomas on OCT images may indicate Tb-SLC.Additionally,a hyporeflective,wedge-shaped band may indicate SC.Therefore,OCT is likely helpful in differentiating between Tb-SLC and SC.

A case report of cutaneous larva migrans in a Mexican population of high marginalization

The creeping verminous dermatitis or cutaneous larva migrans is a parasitosis caused by percutaneous penetration and migration of larval nematode parasites characterized by producing one or more serpiginous erythematous,indurated,raised and pruritic lesion.The most common cause of cutaneous larva migrans is the Ancytostoma braziliensc located in warm climate zones.In the present study,authors reported a case of cutaneous larva migrans with a characteristic clinical picture:erythematous-papnlar and vesicular lesion and serpiginous path,with progressive,and pruritic growth and it shown that a living area with immigration,tropical weather conditions and poverty may lead to this common infection.