Ultrasound biomicroscopic findings in aniridia.

Purpose: To describe the ultrasound biomicroscopic features of eyes with aniridia.

Design: Observational case series.

Methods: Nineteen eyes of 10 patients with aniridia (six males and four females) ranging in age from 3 months to 53 years (21.

Specular microscopic study of X-ray-irradiated rabbit cornea.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of ionizing radiation on the corneal epithelium and endothelium of rabbit eyes.

Methods: Five healthy mature albino rabbits were unilaterally irradiated with 20 Gy of X-rays (250 kV, 12 mA). Slit-lamp biomicroscopic observation and specular microscopic examination of the corneal epithelium and endothelium were carried out before and 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 36 weeks after irradiation.

High-frequency ultrasonographic imaging in suprachoroidal hemorrhage after filtering surgery.

A 64-year-old woman with glaucoma had suprachoroidal hemorrhage approximately 6 hours after trabeculectomy. High-frequency ultrasonography revealed high reflectivity in the inner space of a kissing choroidal detachment, which facilitated the differential diagnosis of suprachoroidal hemorrhage resulting from serous choroidal detachment. The ciliary process and iris were anteriorly displaced due to the ciliary detachment and forward pressure of the anterior vitreous.

Detection of CMV DNA in the aqueous humor of AIDS patients with CMV retinitis by AMPLICOR CMV test.

The present study was performed to detect the cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in the aqueous humor from the eyes of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with CMV retinitis. Detection of CMV DNA in the aqueous humor in the eyes with active CMV retinitis was compared with detection of CMV DNA in inactive retinitis. CMV DNA in the aqueous humor was evaluated before and after treatment with intravitreal injection of ganciclovir.

Detection of CMV in plasma and aqueous humor specimens from AIDS patients with CMV retinitis using the amplicor CMV test.

A DNA hybridization test (the Amplicor CMV test) for CMV DNA was used to detect CMV DNA in paired plasma and aqueous humor specimens from 37 AIDS patients with ophthalmoscopically diagnosed CMV retinitis. CMV was detected in 25/37 (67.6%) plasma specimens and in 32/37 (86.

Thallium-201 SPECT of orbital tumors.

Thallium-201 ((201)Tl) SPECT is utilized as a diagnostic imaging tool for a variety of tumors, such as lung cancer, brain tumors, etc., but there is hardly any literature on this type of imaging in orbital lesions. We examined 22 patients with orbital lesions and unilateral exophthalmos to evaluate the usefulness of (201)Tl-SPECT in the diagnosis of orbital tumors.

Mirror image myopic anisometropia in two pairs of monozygotic twins.

Two sets of monozygotic twins with mirror image myopic anisometropia are reported. The first set were two boys aged 1 year 8 months. There was a right eye myopic anisometropia in one twin, and a left eye myopic anisometropia in the other.

Factors associated with increased aqueous flare in psoriasis.

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in aqueous flare in psoriasis patients and to identify the factors that influence the level of aqueous flare.

Methods: We examined the 68 eyes of 34 psoriasis patients and the 68 eyes of 34 healthy subjects with a laser flare-cell meter. Complete dermatologic and ophthalmic examinations were performed on the psoriasis patients.

Ultrastructural fragility and type IV collagen abnormality of the anterior lens capsules in a patient with Alport syndrome.

Purpose: To investigate ultrastructural and immunohistological abnormalities of the lens capsules in a patient with Alport syndrome.

Methods: Two anterior lens capsules were obtained at phacoemulsification from a 43-year-old female patient with bilateral lenticonus who was affected by Alport syndrome. The right capsule was examined by transmission electron microscopy and the left capsule was stained with two monoclonal antibodies against the triple-helical domains of type IV collagen alpha2 and alpha5 chains.

Refractive changes in diabetic patients during intensive glycaemic control.

Aims: To evaluate the clinical course and the characteristics of transient refractive error occurring during intensive glycaemic control of severe hyperglycaemia.

Methods: 28 eyes of patients with persistent diabetes were included in this prospective study. During the observation period, patients underwent general ophthalmological examination and A-mode scan ultrasonography was performed at each examination-at days 1, 3, and 7, and then once every week or every other week until recovery of hyperopia.

Corneal endothelial changes and aqueous flare intensity in pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

Purpose: To determine the changes of corneal endothelium in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and the relations between their changes and aqueous flare intensity.

Methods: 26 eyes with PEX syndrome, 17 clinically unaffected fellow eyes and 27 normal age-matched eyes were studied. The corneal endothelium of the eyes was examined using a specular microscope, and the aqueous flare intensity of the eyes was measured using a laser flare cell meter.

[Vascular endothelial growth factor levels in the aqueous and serum in diabetic retinopathy with or without neovascular glaucoma].

We determined the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF) in the aqueous and serum in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (n = 12) and neovascular glaucoma (n = 11). The aqueous levels of PEGF/VPF were significantly higher in both groups than in 10 diabetics without such complications. The levels were very high in patients with neovascular glaucoma, suggesting that VEGF/VPF is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic neovascular glaucoma.

[Quantitative evaluation of aqueous flare in psoriasis using a laser flare-cell meter].

We evaluated aqueous humor protein concentration in psoriasis using a laser flare-cell meter, which can quantify aqueous flare precisely and objectively. Psoriatic severity was evaluated on the basis of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score. Aqueous flare was measured in 40 eyes of 20 psoriasis patients (sixteen psoriasis vulgaris, three guttate psoriasis, and one psoriatic arthritis) and 28 eyes of 14 normal controls.

[A specular microscopic study on irradiated rabbit corneas--report I. Early injury of the cornea].

To evaluate the effects of ionizing radiation on the cornea, one eye of healthy mature albino rabbits (n = 5) was irradiated with 20 Gy of X-rays (250 kV, 12 mA). Corneal observation was done with a slit-lamp biomicroscope and a specular microscope before irradiation, and follow-up observations were done at one week and 4 weeks after irradiation. Specular microscopic photographs were analyzed with a digitizer.

Survey of risk factors for expulsive choroidal hemorrhage: case reports. Substantiation of the risk factors and their incidence.

To evaluate the interaction of risk factors for expulsive hemorrhage, we evaluated 3 cases of expulsive hemorrhage and 2 of acute intraoperative choroidal effusion that occurred at the University of Tsukuba Hospital over a 16-year-period and investigated the common findings in these 5 cases. We also selected randomly 500 cataractous cases operated at the University of Tsukuba Hospital and investigated the probabilities of risk factors for expulsive hemorrhage in these control cases. The 5 affected patients exhibited more than four risk factors of expulsive hemorrhage.

[The effect of subconjunctival injection of endothelin-1 on intraocular pressure in the rabbit].

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictive peptide produced in part by vascular endothelial cells. In order to investigate its effects on the episcleral vascular system and intraocular pressure (IOP), we injected ET-1 (3, 10, 30, 100, 300, 1,000 pmol) into the subconjunctival space of rabbits and measured IOP with a manometer. Injection of a dose higher than 10 pmol caused a transient increase of IOP.

Increase in choroidal blood flow in rabbits with endothelin-1 induced transient complete obstruction of retinal vessels.

Background: In a previous paper, we reported that retinal blood flow (RBF) ceased immediately after injection of 1 nmol endothelin-1 (ET-1) and no recovery of RBF was detected for at least 50 min. In this study, we confirmed the same duration of RBF cessation and measured choroidal blood flow (CBF) for 180 min.

Methods: We measured CBF in a rabbit model of transient complete obstruction of retinal vessels induced by intravitreal injection of a high dose of ET-1, using the hydrogen clearance method.

Frequency of glutathione-S-transferase 1 gene deletion and its possible correlation with cataract formation.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the possible association between an increased frequency of glutathione-S-transferase (GST)1 gene deletion and the presence of cataracts in elderly patients. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood samples obtained from 138 elderly patients who had undergone cataract surgery, and from 62 random blood donors. All subjects lived in the same geographic area (Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan).

Optimum form of posterior chamber intraocular lenses to minimize aberrational astigmatism.

To optically determine the optimum form for a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL), we calculated the aberrational astigmatism induced by tilt and decentration of the PCIOL using an exact raytracing. First, the position and the radii of curvatures of the IOL were determined to make an emmetropic eye model using a paraxial raytracing. Next, the chief rays originating from the fovea centralis were traced backward through the tilted and/or decentrated PC IOL, the center of the pupil and the cornea, using trigonometric raytracing.

[Acanthamoeba isolation from contact lens solution of contact lens wearers without keratitis].

Acanthamoeba keratitis seems to be associated with wearing contact lenses. As controls, we surveyed contact lens wearers without keratitis. Contact lens solutions of 93 persons were examined in order to identify risk factors for contamination by Acanthamoeba.