[Histopathology of retrocorneal membranes after keratoplasty].

Background: This retrospective study examines the histopathological changes, especially the occurrence of retrocorneal membranes, in irreversible graft failure after penetrating keratoplasty.

Patients/materials And Methods: 371 corneas of 308 patients were examined. The examination was carried out using a light microscope.

Hepatitis C and ocular surface disease.

Purpose: To assess the frequency of changes in the ocular surface and the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in tear samples of patients with chronic HCV infection.

Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, clinical, interdisciplinary, single-center study.

Methods: Seventy-one patients with previously untreated chronic HCV infection and a control group consisting of 66 patients without systemic HCV infection were enrolled in the trial.

A suggestive association of fuchs heterochromic cyclitis with cytotoxic T cell antigen 4 gene polymorphism.

Background: Fuchs heterochromic cyclitis (FHC) is a chronic inflammatory eye disease, usually presenting as unilateral anterior uveitis. Up to date no disease susceptibility genes have been described for FHC.

Methods: The allele frequency of HLA DRB1 and DQB1, polymorphisms of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha promoter region (-376, -308, -238), the promoter (-318), first exon (+49) and (AT)n repeat polymorphism of the cytotoxic T cell antigen 4 (CTLA4) gene were analysed in 44 FHC patients and 139 healthy controls.

[Clinical aspects and treatment of immune reactions following penetrating normal-risk keratoplasty].

Purpose: Endothelial graft rejection is one of the most common causes of graft failure following penetrating keratoplasty (PK). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, time course and outcome of treatment of graft rejection after normal-risk PK and to identify possible risk factors for the recurrence of immune reactions and irreversible graft failure.

Patients And Methods: The study included 500 eyes from the prospective Erlanger Normal-risk Keratoplasty Study with a mean follow-up of 42 +/- 18 (median 40) months.

[An outline for the standard graphical documentation of pathological macular findings].

Background: Accurate documentation and follow-up of pathological findings of the macula require graphical methods for clinical evaluation.

Methods: Symbols describing and identifying different findings of the macula were evolved. A pattern for the standardised representation of the macular region -- with size and distribution of different areas -- was also developed.