No abstract

Objective: Visual snow (VS) is a distressing, life-impacting condition with persistent visual phenomena. VS patients show cerebral hypermetabolism within the visual cortex, resulting in altered neuronal excitability. We hypothesized to see disease-dependent alterations in functional connectivity and gray matter volume (GMV) in regions associated with visual perception. Methods: Nineteen patients with VS and 16 sex-and age-matched controls were recruited. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was applied to examine resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). Volume changes were assessed by means of voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Finally, we assessed associations between MRI indices and clinical parameters. Results: Patients with VS showed hyperconnectivity between extrastriate visual and inferior temporal brain regions and also between prefrontal and parietal (angular cortex) brain regions (p < 0.05, corrected for age and migraine occurrence). In addition, patients showed increased GMV in the right lingual gyrus (p < 0.05 corrected). Symptom duration positively correlated with GMV in both lingual gyri (p < 0.01 corrected). Conclusion: This study found VS to be associated with both functional and structural changes in the early and higher visual cortex, as well as the temporal cortex. These brain regions are involved in visual processing, memory, spatial attention, and cognitive control. We conclude that VS is not just confined to the visual system and that both functional and structural changes arise in VS patients, be it as an epiphenomenon or a direct contributor to the pathomechanism of VS. These in vivo neuroimaging biomarkers may hold potential as objective outcome measures of this so far purely subjective condition.

Background. In advanced cutaneous melanoma, new systemic therapies include immunotherapy by checkpoint inhibition and targeted inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway; these are becoming increasingly well established. We describe the clinical presentation of uveitis in three patients with concomitant systemic melanoma treatment. History and Signs. Three patients with metastatic melanoma receiving systemic therapy (ipilimumab, vemurafenib) presented at our institution with a short history of ocular symptoms. Clinical findings included anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, disc swelling, inflammatory choroidal lesions and retinal vasculitis. Therapy and Outcome. All three patients responded well to local and/or systemic steroid treatment. In one case, the systemic anti-cancer drug was discontinued after the onset of uveitis. Conclusions. Ocular inflammation may occur in the setting of systemic melanoma therapy. Presentations of uveitis include Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndromes. Ocular inflammation can usually be controlled by topical and sometimes systemic corticosteroid therapy. However, treatment guidelines are not established and management of these patients demands close cooperation with the oncologist.