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Purpose: To analyze the clinical characteristics of a serous retinopathy associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibition with binimetinib treatment for metastatic cutaneous melanoma (CM) and uveal melanoma (UM), and to determine possible pathogenetic mechanisms that may lead to this retinopathy., Design: Prospective observational, cohort-based, cross-sectional study., Participants: Thirty CM patients and 5 UM patients treated with the MEK inhibitor binimetinib (CM) or a combination of binimetinib and the protein kinase C inhibitor sotrastaurin (UM)., Methods: Extensive ophthalmic examination was performed, including Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study best-corrected visual acuity, applanation tonometry, slit-lamp examination, indirect ophthalmoscopy, digital color fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). In selected cases, additional examinations were performed, including visual field testing and electro-oculography (EOG). Blood samples were obtained from 3 CM patients and 3 UM patients to analyze the presence of autoantibodies against retinal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) proteins., Main Outcome Measures: Visual symptoms, visual acuity, fundus appearance, characteristics on OCT, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and EOG., Results: Six CM patients (20%) and 2 UM patients (40%) reported visual symptoms during the study. The median time to the onset of symptoms, which were all mild and transient, was 3.5 days (range, <1 hour to 3 weeks). On OCT, subretinal fluid (SRF) was detected in 77% of CM patients and 60% of UM patients. In the 26 patients with SRF, the fovea was affected in 85%. After the start of the medication, an EOG was performed in 19 eyes of 11 patients; 16 of these eyes (84%) developed SRF on OCT. Fifteen of these eyes (94%) showed an abnormal Arden ratio (<1.65). A broad pattern of anti-retinal antibodies was found in 3 CM patients and 2 UM patients tested, whereas anti-RPE antibodies were detected in all 6 tested patients., Conclusions: A time-dependent and reversible serous retinopathy can develop both in patients with metastatic CM and UM treated with binimetinib. A minority of patients develop visual symptoms, which are generally mild and transient. A cause of binimetinib-associated serous retinopathy may be toxicity of medication, but autoantibodies also may be involved., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 19 loci, previously associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), were systematically tested for association in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSC). In addition, we evaluated the effect of detailed phenotyping on these genetic associations., Design: Case-control study., Participants: We included 292 cCSC patients, 1147 AMD patients, and 1311 control individuals., Methods: We genotyped SNPs at 19 AMD-associated loci and 6 additional SNPs at the complement factor H (CFH) locus. Phenotyping of all patients was based on fundoscopy, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and indocyanine green angiography., Main Outcome Measures: We measured the allele frequencies of 25 AMD-associated SNPs and CFH haplotype frequencies in patients with cCSC and the effect of phenotypic subdivision of cCSC on genetic associations., Results: One SNP in ARMS2 (rs10490924) was significant after Bonferroni correction (Punadjusted=0.002; odds ratio [OR]=0.64). The SNPs at 3 other AMD loci (CFH, TNFRSF10A, ADAMTS9) showed a trend toward association with typical cCSC. Further analysis of the CFH locus identified 2 SNPs that significantly conferred increased risk for cCSC and 1 that was protective. The CFH-H3 haplotype was also found to be protective (P=0.01; OR=0.54). Using multimodal imaging, 197 patients were classified as having typical cCSC, 52 patients had unilateral abnormalities on FA that were otherwise typical of cCSC, and 43 patients had a clinical picture that could be compatible with cCSC, but with features that could also indicate other macular diseases. Significant differences of the minor allele frequencies of the tested SNPs were observed between these 3 phenotypic subgroups., Conclusions: Chronic CSC is associated with genetic variants in ARMS2 and CFH, indicating a genetic and pathophysiologic overlap between cCSC and AMD. Intriguingly, alleles in ARMS2 and CFH that confer risk of AMD may be protective for cCSC, and alleles in CFH that are protective for AMD confer risk for cCSC. Significant differences in allele frequencies were found among the phenotypic subgroups for several SNPs, illustrating the importance of correct clinical classification., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB)., Design: Retrospective case series., Participants: Ten patients with ARB from 7 different families., Methods: All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, including dilated fundus examination, fundus photography, and fluorescein angiography (FA). In all probands, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), full-field electroretinography (ERG), electro-oculography (EOG), and Goldmann perimetry were performed. In selected patients, multifocal ERG was performed. Blood samples were obtained to analyze the BEST1 gene for biallelic mutations that confirmed the diagnosis of ARB., Main Outcome Measures: Age at onset; visual acuity; fundus appearance; characteristics on FA, FAF, OCT, full-field ERG, and EOG; BEST1 gene mutations; and genotype-phenotype correlation., Results: The age at onset varied widely, from 2 to 54 years. A spectrum of fundus abnormalities was observed, such as multifocal yellowish subretinal deposits, subretinal fibrous scars, and cystoid intraretinal fluid collections in the macula. All ARB patients were hyperopic, and some had shallow anterior chamber angles that predisposed them to angle-closure glaucoma. The EOG results were abnormal in all patients. The full-field ERG results were abnormal in 8 ARB patients, whereas 2 patients demonstrated normal cone and rod responses on full-field ERG. Nine ARB patients carried biallelic mutations in the BEST1 gene, and in 1 patient with a characteristic ARB phenotype, only 1 mutation could be identified. Seven different mutations were detected, including 4 novel mutations., Conclusions: Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy is a recognizable phenotype caused by autosomal recessively inherited mutations in the BEST1 gene. A differential diagnosis with other conditions can be made on the basis of marked autofluorescence changes in combination with an absent light rise on the EOG that outweighs the full-field ERG abnormalities, which point to the BEST1-related hereditary nature of the disease. A number of currently available therapeutic options should be considered in ARB, a disease that seems to be a suitable candidate for future gene therapy., (Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Intravitreal ranibizumab injections currently are the standard treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, a broad range of response rates have been observed, the reasons for which are poorly understood. This pharmacogenetic study evaluated the impact of high-risk alleles in CFH, ARMS2, VEGFA, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor KDR, and genes involved in angiogenesis (LRP5, FZD4) on the response to ranibizumab treatment and on the age of treatment onset. In contrast to previous studies, the data were stratified according to the number of high-risk alleles to enable the study of the combined effects of these genotypes on the treatment response., Design: Case series study., Participants: A cohort of 420 eyes of 397 neovascular AMD patients., Methods: The change in visual acuity (VA) between baseline and after 3 ranibizumab injections was calculated. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CFH, ARMS2, VEGFA, KDR, LPR5, and FZD4 genes was performed. Associations were assessed using linear mixed models., Main Outcome Measures: The VA change after 3 ranibizumab injections and the age of neovascular disease onset., Results: After ranibizumab treatment, AMD patients without risk alleles in the CFH and ARMS2 genes (4.8%) demonstrated a mean VA improvement of 10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, whereas no VA improvement was observed in AMD patients with 4 CFH and ARMS2 risk alleles (6.9%; P = 0.014). Patients with 4 high-risk alleles in CFH and ARMS2 were 5.2 years younger than patients with 1 or 2 risk alleles, respectively (63.5%; P<0.0001). The mean age at which the first ranibizumab treatment was carried out among AMD patients with all 6 risk alleles in CFH, ARMS2, and VEGFA was 65.9 years (2%) versus 75.3 years in patients with 0 or 1 high-risk allele (8.8%; P = 0.001). After ranibizumab treatment, patients with 6 high-risk alleles demonstrated a mean VA loss of 10 ETDRS letters (P<0.0001)., Conclusions: This study evaluated the largest pharmacogenetic AMD cohort reported to date. A cumulative effect of high-risk alleles in CFH, ARMS2, and VEGFA seems to be associated with a younger age of onset in combination with poor response rates to ranibizumab treatment., (Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the genetic defect and to describe the clinical characteristics in patients with retinitis punctata albescens (RPA) and fundus albipunctatus (FAP)., Design: Case series/observational study., Participants: We included 13 patients affected by RPA or FAP., Methods: Thirteen patients were collected from 8 families with a retinal dystrophy characterized by tiny, yellow-white dots on funduscopy, typical for FAP or RPA. All patients underwent full ophthalmologic examinations, including visual field assessment. Fundus photography, and electroretinography were performed in 12 patients, and optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence were performed in 4 patients. DNA samples of all patients were screened for mutations in RLBP1 and for mutations in RDH5 in patients who did not carry mutations in RLBP1. DNA samples of 2 sibling pairs of nonconsanguineous families who carried mutations neither in RLBP1 nor in RDH5 were analyzed by genome-wide homozygosity mapping. Sequence analysis was performed of LRAT, a candidate gene in a shared homozygous region., Main Outcome Measures: We assessed DNA sequence variants, best-corrected visual acuity, fundus appearance, visual field measurements, electroretinogram responses, optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence., Results: A homozygous frameshift mutation was identified in LRAT in 4 patients with RPA. Mutations in RLBP1 were identified in 7 patients with RPA and in 1 patient with FAP and cone dystrophy. One patient had compound heterozygous mutations in RDH5 and suffered from FAP with mild maculopathy., Conclusions: A genetic defect was identified in LRAT as a novel cause of RPA. LRAT is therefore the fourth gene involved in the visual cycle that may cause a white-dot retinopathy. We also revealed that mutations in RLBP1 may lead to FAP with cone dystrophy., (Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the mutations in the CLRN1 gene in patients from 2 consanguineous Pakistani families diagnosed with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP)., Design: Case-series study., Participants: Affected and unaffected individuals of 2 consanguineous Pakistani families and 90 unaffected controls from the same population. Informed consent was obtained from participants and the protocol was approved by a local institutional review board., Methods: Patients of 2 consanguineous families were genotyped with single-nucleotide polymorphism microarrays for genome-wide linkage analysis. The search for potential candidate genes within the 8-Mb overlapping homozygous region in these families revealed the presence of CLRN1, a gene previously known to cause Usher's syndrome type III (USH3), which was analyzed by direct sequence analysis. The clinical diagnosis was based on the presence of night blindness, fundoscopic findings, and electroretinography (ERG) results. Additionally, pure tone audiometry was performed to rule out Usher's syndrome., Main Outcome Measures: Fundoscopy, single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray, DNA sequence analysis, ERG, and audiometry., Results: Sequencing of CLRN1 revealed novel missense mutations (p.Pro31Leu and p.Leu154Trp) segregating in 2 families. Analysis of fundus photographs indicated attenuation of the retinal vessels, and bone spicule pigmentation in the periphery of the retina. The ERG responses were indicative of a rod-cone pattern of the disease. Audiometric assessment revealed no hearing impairment, thereby excluding Usher's syndrome. Subcellular localization studies demonstrated the retention of the mutant proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the wild-type protein was mainly present at the cell membrane., Conclusions: The RP-associated mutations p.Pro31Leu and p.Leu154Trp may represent hypomorphic mutations, because the substituted amino acids located in the transmembrane domains remain polar, whereas more severe changes have been detected in patients with USH3. These data indicate that mutations in CLRN1 are associated not only with USH3, but also with nonsyndromic arRP., (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To study morphologic changes in the macula by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with a crystalline macular dystrophy due to the autosomal recessive neurocutaneous Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS)., Design: Retrospective observational case series., Participants: Twenty-seven eyes of 14 patients, mean age 14.6 (range, 3-24) years, with biochemically and genetically proven SLS underwent clinical and OCT investigation between September 2004 and September 2006., Methods: All patients underwent full ophthalmologic examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy and binocular ophthalmoscopy. Optical coherence tomography of all eyes was performed using the macular thickness map protocol of Stratus OCT., Main Outcome Measures: Macular morphology in clinical examination and OCT., Results: Beside clinically visible perimacular crystalline deposits in all eyes of all study participants, macular morphology and reflectivity were significantly changed on OCT compared with healthy eyes. We found focal hyperreflectivities in all study eyes within the perifoveal ganglion cell layer and the inner plexiform layer, corresponding to the clinical localization of retinal crystals. More interestingly, a cystoid foveal degeneration on OCT was present in the majority of patients with SLS (18/27 eyes, or 67% of all eyes studied), varying from multiple microcystoid spaces to cystoid foveal atrophy. In general, patients who were severely affected on OCT showed intense changes on previously performed cerebral magnetic resonance spectroscopy., Conclusions: Patients with SLS show a childhood-onset crystalline macular dystrophy with cystoid foveal atrophy on OCT in most cases. The intraretinal deposition of lipid metabolites may lead to Müller cell degeneration with subsequent formation of cystoid spaces or atrophic changes within the fovea. Because this macular dystrophy is present in all examined patients with SLS, familiarity with this maculopathy seems important for the diagnosis of this rare systemic disease.

Purpose: To determine the value of anterior segment indocyanine green (ICG) angiography combined with anterior segment fluorescein angiography in scleral inflammation., Design: Comparative observational case series., Participants: The study included 18 patients with various forms of scleral and episcleral disease and a single normal subject., Methods: Anterior segment angiography using both ICG and fluorescein was performed to identify any vascular abnormalities and pathologic changes in the anterior segment., Main Outcome Measure: The pathologic criteria for anterior segment fluorescein angiography described by Watson and Bovey (1995) were used to compare and contrast the results of the angiograms., Results: Fluorescein angiography and ICG angiography provide different and complementary information. Both dyes have different leakage patterns caused by their difference in optical and chemical properties. Areas of slow flow are more readily determined with fluorescein angiography. ICG angiography determines damage to and patency of individual vessels., Conclusion: Fluorescein angiography and ICG angiography detect areas of damage not clinically visible and can be useful in the differential diagnosis, the selection of appropriate medication, and monitoring and regulation of treatment in scleritis. To obtain the most information both investigations should be performed sequentially.

Purpose: Fundus reflection densitometry was used as an objective means for monitoring the recovery of foveal cone photopigments in nine patients who underwent anatomically successful surgery of a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with macular involvement., Methods: Postoperative assessment of foveal densitometry, visual acuity, color matching, and the Amsler grid were performed at repeated intervals for up to 14 months., Results: Gradual recovery of foveal cone photopigments was found in all patients 1 to 14 months after surgery, with considerable interindividual variation. Maximal recovery to values equalling those in the fellow eye was found in only one patient with a macular detachment duration of 5 days. All other patients had final photopigment densities below those of the fellow eye. The length of the preoperative detachment period was inversely related to the recovery of photopigment. The recovery of photopigment seems to increase further in the second year after surgery. Visual acuity increased rapidly in all patients during the first 6 months after surgery, to levels ranging between 20/67 and 20/25; thereafter, visual acuity did not change. A return to normal color matching after an episode of pseudoprotanomaly was found in four of nine patients, whereas pseudoprotanomaly remained in five patients. Complete resolution of metamorphopsia after surgery was seen only in the patient who had the shortest detachment duration. Metamorphopsia was consistent with decreased foveal cone photopigment densities., Conclusion: Foveal densitometry shows a slow recovery of the cone photopigments after reattachment, probably because of regrowth and realignment of the cone photoreceptor outer segments and metabolic recovery of the retinal pigment epithelium-cone photoreceptor complex. Recovery of photopigment, color matching, and metamorphosia follow a slower time course than recovery of visual acuity.