A prospective, observational, open-label, multicentre study to investigate the daily treatment practice of ranibizumab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: The HELIOS (Health Economics with Lucentis in Observational Settings) study was designed on request of the Dutch Health Authority for an observational study to assess the effectiveness and safety of ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) in daily practice.

Methods: The HELIOS study was a 2-year prospective, observational, open-label, multicentre study involving 14 sites. Patients with wet AMD were enrolled and observed for a period of 24 months.

Venous stasis retinopathy in symptomatic carotid artery occlusion: prevalence, cause, and outcome.

Background And Purpose: Chronic ocular ischemia is a rare form of ischemia of the eye in patients with carotid artery occlusion (CAO). The early and often asymptomatic stage of chronic ocular ischemia is referred to as venous stasis retinopathy (VSR). The aim of this study was to gain insight into the prevalence, cause, and outcome of VSR in patients with symptomatic CAO.

Syringomatous carcinoma of the eyelid and orbit: a clinical and histopathological challenge.

Aims: To present three patients with a syringomatous carcinoma (SC). SC is a rare cutaneous neoplasm, most frequently situated on the face and scalp and histologically characterised by an infiltrative pattern of basaloid or squamous cells, a desmoplastic stromal reaction, keratin filled cysts, and granular structures.

Methods: The clinical histories of the patients with a SC were investigated retrospectively.

Corneal endothelium and growth factors.

Human corneal endothelium is characterized by a low regenerative capacity, mainly because of a low mitotic activity, and therefore complete regeneration of the endothelial layer after injury is precluded. A decrease in endothelial cell density and an abnormal cell mosaic, which may occur after many conditions, can compromise the integrity of the endothelial monolayer, resulting in corneal decompensation with reduced vision and eventual need for penetrating keratoplasty. It would be beneficial to have growth factors that can help to maintain or restore the integrity of this delicate endothelial monolayer by maintaining or increasing the endothelial cell density or to stimulate the regeneration during wound healing.

Synergistic action of heparin and serum on basic fibroblast growth factor-modulated DNA synthesis and mitochondrial activity of cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a major mitogen and chemoattractant for many cell types. The synergistic role of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and heparin on the modulation of tissue-cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells by bFGF was studied. Cell modulation was assessed by DNA synthesis ([3H]thymidine incorporation), mitochondrial activity (MTT assay), mitochondrial volume (transmission electron microscope study), and cell shape in mitotically competent cells and cells mitotically inhibited by 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C, and irradiation.

Basic fibroblast growth factor stimulates corneal endothelial cell growth and endothelial wound healing of human corneas.

Purpose: To determine the dose response of human recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on mitogenic activity, and the supplementary role of serum in cultured bovine and human corneal endothelial cells (BCECs, HCECs). To investigate the effect of bFGF on endothelial wound healing of human corneas in vitro.

Methods: In cell culture, DNA synthesis was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation.

Effects of platelet-derived growth factor on endothelial wound healing of human corneas.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on endothelial wound healing of organ-cultured human corneas.

Methods: The endothelia of paired human donor corneas (age, 71 +/- 11 years; total 84 pairs) were mechanically wounded (area, 5.6 +/- 0.

Platelet-derived growth factor: receptor expression in corneas and effects on corneal cells.

Purpose: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a major mitogen and chemoattractant, is a dimeric molecule of disulfide-bonded A and/or B polypeptide chains (PDGF-AA/AB/BB). Two PDGF receptors (PDGFR) exist, alpha and beta, which dimerize after ligand exposure. The alpha-receptor binds both A- and B-chains, whereas the beta-receptor preferentially binds the B-chain.

Causes of high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty.

We retrospectively evaluated the factors which might have caused excessive corneal astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in 29 eyes, in which surgical correction of astigmatism was indicated. In 18 eyes high astigmatism (5 diopters or more) existed before suture removal probably due to graft elevation (3x), wound dehiscence (3x), wound configuration abnormalities such as ovality/overcut (8x), and a thin recipient cornea (2x). The cause was unknown in 2 eyes.

Effects of human epidermal growth factor on endothelial wound healing of human corneas.

Paired human donor corneas (age, 73 +/- 12 yr), preserved in organ culture medium, were used to evaluate the effect of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) on endothelial wound closure rate (WCR), on morphometric parameters (cell size, shape, and density), and on cell division in the wound area. The endothelium of the corneas was mechanically wounded (area, 4.9 +/- 0.

Long-term results of corneal wedge resections for the correction of high astigmatism.

We retrospectively evaluated 41 corneal wedge resections, performed for the correction of high astigmatism in 40 patients who were spectacle and contact lens intolerant. Keratometric astigmatism decreased from an average of 11.7 diopters (range 5 to 22.

Spontaneous repair of lower eyelid after tumour excision.

Twelve patients with a clinical diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma of the lower eyelid were treated with a margin-including full-thickness excision of the lower eyelid. Apart from cauterization of bleeding vessels this excision was the sole primary surgical procedure in these patients. The resulting defects of 1/3 to 3/4 of the horizontal extent of the lower eyelid and varying in height from 4 to 8 mm healed spontaneously within a few weeks.