Fluorine labelling of therapeutic human tolerogenic dendritic cells for F-magnetic resonance imaging.

Tolerogenic dendritic cell (tolDC) therapies aim to restore self-tolerance in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. Phase 1 clinical trials with tolDC have shown the feasibility and safety of this approach, but have also highlighted a lack of understanding of their distribution . Fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (F-MRI) promises an attractive cell tracking method because it allows for detection of F-labelled cells in a non-invasive and longitudinal manner.

From Mixing methods to the logic(s) of inquiry: taking a fresh look at developing mixed design studies.

This invited paper offers an innovative framework for mixed methods research design. We propose the adoption of the Model of Disciplined Inquiry, a five-component model that focuses on the research question(s) rather than the type(s) of data collected. This pluralist model firmly anchors the research design and paradigm assumptions in the research question(s).

Continuing discrepancy between patient perception of asthma control and real-world symptoms: a quantitative online survey of 1,083 adults with asthma from the UK.

Background: Previous studies have identified a discrepancy between patient perception of asthma control and real-world symptoms; despite several hypotheses, the reasons remain unclear.

Aims: To explore patients' experiences of asthma symptoms and disease management and their educational needs in the UK; to assess recent progress in asthma control and management.

Methods: A quantitative questionnaire-based online survey of UK patients aged >18 years with self-reported asthma.

'I can die today, I can die tomorrow': lay perceptions of sickle cell disease in Kumasi, Ghana at a point of transition.

Objective: To describe the lay meanings of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Design: Depth interviews with 31 fathers of people with SCD; a focus group with health professionals associated with the newborn sickle cell screening programme, and a focus group with mothers of children with SCD.

Results: Whilst there are discourses that associate sickle cell with early or recurrent death, with supernatural undermining of family well-being, and with economic challenges in purchasing medical care, other discourses that value children and other family practices that resist stigma are also in evidence.

Glaucoma after cataract extraction and posterior chamber lens implantation in children.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of postoperative glaucoma in children who have cataract extraction and posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Setting: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Methods: The incidence of glaucoma of all etiologies was evaluated in 45 eyes of 37 selected consecutive patients aged 1 to 18 years who had cataract extraction and posterior chamber IOL implantation from 1991 to 1994.

Cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in children.

Purpose: To evaluate visual outcome and complications after extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in children.

Methods: Extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation was performed on 20 eyes of 19 patients with traumatic cataract, ten eyes with unilateral congenital or developmental cataract, and 15 eyes (eight patients) with bilateral developmental cataract. Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy was performed in the early postoperative period as indicated.

Idiopathic tractional corectopia.

Four infants were referred for congenital unilateral corectopia. In each case, the abnormal position of the pupil was caused by a fibrous structure that tethered the iris pupillary margin to the peripheral cornea. No patients showed characteristics of intrauterine infection, Rieger anomaly, ectopia lentis et pupillae, or iris coloboma.

Treatment of secondary posterior capsular membranes with the Nd:YAG laser in a pediatric population.

Thirty-two eyes of 28 pediatric patients were treated with the H. S. Meridian Microruptor III Nd:YAG laser for secondary posterior capsular membranes after cataract extraction either with or without posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.

Health services: the real jobs machine.

In terms of employment, the best performer over the last decade was health services; the industry added nearly 3 million jobs, accounting for 1 of every 6 new jobs in the economy since 1980.

Risk factors for complications following pediatric epikeratoplasty.

We studied the prevalence and types of complications that occurred in children treated with epikeratoplasty to identify risk factors. A review of the clinical records of 88 consecutive patients (106 eyes; 114 procedures) revealed that no complications occurred in 58 grafts (54%). Refractive complications (refractive error greater than 3.

Visual results after early surgical treatment of unilateral congenital cataracts.

The authors reviewed the records of 25 consecutive patients who had been operated on for unilateral congenital cataracts at 1 year of age or younger and who had been followed for a period of 5 years or longer. Excluded were patients who demonstrated retinal and optic nerve anomalies. Five eyes achieved 20/40 or better Snellen visual acuity, 5 eyes achieved 20/50 to 20/100 visual acuity, and 15 eyes had 20/200 or less visual acuity.

Management of posterior lenticonus.

Posterior lenticonus is associated with progressive lens opacification. We report a series of 40 consecutive patients (41 eyes) with posterior lenticonus who were treated by three pediatric ophthalmologists between 1974 and 1988. Prior to cataract surgery, appropriate patients were treated with atropine dilatation, spectacle correction including bifocals for refractive errors, and amblyopia occlusion therapy.

Bilateral phakic hypermetropic epikeratoplasty for accommodative esotropia.

Optical correction of high hypermetropia with glasses is the primary treatment for accommodative esotropia. These glasses are often poorly accepted by adolescents and young adults for they are cosmetically undesirable, heavy, and esotropia occurs with their removal. We report an 11 1/2-year-old, physically mature female with high hypermetropia and accommodative esotropia corrected to orthophoria with glasses who was unable to be weaned from her glasses.

The nationwide study of epikeratophakia for aphakia in older children.

A nationwide study of epikeratophakia for aphakia in older children was conducted from March 1984 to March 1986. Sixty-three patients, 8 to 18 years of age, underwent this procedure in 65 eyes. Twenty-eight patients had congenital cataracts and 35 had traumatic cataracts.

Epibulbar osseous choristoma and ectopic lacrimal gland underlying a dermolipoma.

A 6-month-old girl underwent surgical excision of an epibulbar mass which had the clinical appearance of a dermolipoma. Intraoperatively, a separate underlying mass was uncovered which was firmly adherent to the sclera. Histopathologic examination confirmed the superficial lesion to be a typical dermolipoma, and the underlying lesion to be an epibulbar osseous choristoma with associated adherent ectopic lacrimal gland tissue.

Modern intraocular lens implants in children with new age limitations.

Seventy-three children received modern designs of posterior and flexible anterior chamber intraocular lenses. Twenty-eight (38%) had anterior chamber and 45 (62%) had posterior chamber lenses implanted. Postoperative implant complications occurred in 38 (54%) eyes; the most frequent was secondary membrane formation.

The nationwide study of epikeratophakia for myopia.

In the nationwide study of epikeratophakia, 116 ophthalmic surgeons performed 352 procedures for the correction of myopia; 256 of the eyes had 30 or more days of follow-up after suture removal. Of 204 eyes, 153 (75%) were within 30% of emmetropia after surgery. Of 208 eyes, 202 (97%) had postoperative best corrected visual acuity within two Snellen lines or better of their preoperative visual acuity.

The nationwide study of epikeratophakia for aphakia in children.

In the nationwide study of epikeratophakia, 97 surgeons performed a total of 335 procedures in 314 eyes for the correction of aphakia in children under the age of 8 years 1 month. Fifteen children underwent bilateral surgery. Thirty-six tissue lenses were removed and 21 of these eyes underwent a second epikeratophakia procedure.

The nationwide study of epikeratophakia for aphakia in adults.

In the nationwide study of epikeratophakia, 154 ophthalmic surgeons who had attended a training course performed 519 procedures for the correction of aphakia in adults: 310 of the eyes had 30 or more days of follow-up after suture removal. Of 229 eyes, 172 (75%) were within 3 diopters of emmetropia after surgery. Of 259 eyes, 245 (95%) demonstrated improved uncorrected visual acuity; 138 (53%) improved by four or more Snellen lines.

Epikeratophakia for control of pediatric bullous keratopathy.

A child who had had a congenital cataract phacoemulsified at age four months became contact lens intolerant, and at age two years had an implantation of a Worst metal-looped iris-clip intraocular lens. He developed painful pseudophakic bullous keratopathy three years later. Since the child remained with dense deprivation amblyopia and contact lens intolerance, when the IOL was removed an epikeratophakia graft was applied.