[Penetrating keratoplasty in high-risk children: prevention of graft rejection].

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of prolonged courses of systemically administered subtherapeutic Metipred and cyclosporine in prevention of graft rejection in high-risk children.

Material And Methods: The study included 27 children at high risk of graft rejection due to re-keratoplasty (n = 8), limbo-keratoplasty for corneal staphyloma (n = 4), or transplantation into vascularized corneal bed (n = 15). All patients were divided into two groups--the study group (n =11) and the control group (n = 16).

[Congenital glaucoma and thymomegaly: clinical and immunological characteristics].

A comprehensive examination of children with thymomegaly and congenital glaucoma revealed systemic and local humoral immunological disorders mainly as immunodeficiency, a family history of the disease, susceptibility to infections and allergic diseases, the presence of malformations, severe glaucoma, and a complicated postoperative period, which are suggestive of the defective state of the immune system, which should be kept in mind while making a surgical treatment and using an immunomodulator therapy, by exercising a great caution. Such children require observations by a pediatrician, an oculist, and an immunologist and consultations given by other specialists.

[Possibilities for prevention and treatment of blindness and impaired vision in children caused by congenital eye diseases].

Blindness, disability, and impaired vision present important medicosocial problems. According to the WHO, there are 1.5 million blind children in the world.

[Combined laser instrumental extraction of congenital cataracts in children].

The authors have developed a new method for removal of congenital cataract in children, by taking into account its clinical forms, namely, combined laser instrumental extraction including YAG-laser anterior capsular rhexis, followed by removal of lens debris by the aspiration-irrigation technique. A differential technology of YAG-laser anterior capsular rhexis has been developed, by taking into account of age-specific features of the lens and eyes in children. The optimum energy modes and techniques have been defined for different clinical forms of congenital forms of congenital cataracts.