In vitro susceptibilities to topical antibiotics of bacteria isolated from the surface of clinically symptomatic eyes.

Background: The permanent change of resistance patterns of bacteria causing ocular infections makes repeat susceptibility testings against the most recent clinical isolates mandatory. The aim of the present study was to assess the in vitro susceptibility of ocular bacterial isolates of clinically symptomatic eyes admitted to the outpatient clinic of the eye department of a large central hospital to commonly used topical antibiotics.

Methods: Ocular isolates (n = 454) were tested for their susceptibility to ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, meomycin, bacitracin, erythromycin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol.

Penetration of cefpirome into the anterior chamber of the human eye after intravenous application.

The penetration of intravenously administered cefpirome into the anterior chamber of the non-inflamed human eye was investigated in this study. A total of 42 patients, all hospitalized for cataract extraction, received a dosage of 1 g or 2 g of cefpirome by iv infusion 1, 2 or 6 h preoperatively. An aqueous humour sample was collected immediately after paracentesis and a blood specimen was simultaneously obtained from each patient.

Corneal wound healing after superficial foreign body injury: vitamin A and dexpanthenol versus a calf blood extract. A randomized double-blind study.

A prospective randomized double-blind clinical study was performed to investigate corneal wound healing after treatment either with an eye gel containing calf blood extract or an eye ointment containing vitamin A and dexpanthenol. A total of 54 outpatients were included in this study, all treated for corneal foreign body injury. The size of the corneal lesions was measured by planimetry on days 0, 1, and on the following days until complete epithelial healing occurred.

Bacterial growth in human vitreous humor.

The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of human vitreous to support bacterial growth and to show differences in the growth kinetics of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Vitreous gel of 70 keratoplasty donor eyes was sampled under sterile conditions, screened microscopically for cellular components and tested for sterility and levels of antibiotic drugs by bio-assay. The samples were inoculated with clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus viridans and Streptococcus pyogenes.

[Computer eyeglasses--aspects of a confusing topic].

With the coming into force of the new Austrian Employee Protection Act the issue of the so called "computer glasses" will also gain added importance in our country. Such glasses have been defined as vision aids to be exclusively used for the work on computer monitors and include single-vision glasses solely intended for reading computer screen, glasses with bifocal lenses for reading computer screen and hard-copy documents as well as those with varifocal lenses featuring a thickened central section. There is still a considerable controversy among those concerned as to who will bear the costs for such glasses--most likely it will be the employer.

[Contamination of intraocular fluid in pars plana vitrectomy].

Unlabelled: Endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy is rare, with an incidence of 0.05-0.14%.

Ocular side effects associated with 13-cis-retinoic acid therapy for acne vulgaris: clinical features, alterations of tearfilm and conjunctival flora.

Isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) is commonly used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. We included 55 patients in this prospective study, and inspected them before, while and after therapy with isotretinoin regarding ocular side effects. Careful slit-lamp inspection, measurement of break-up-time and Schirmer-test and microbiological investigations of the conjunctival flora were performed.

[Multicenter double-blind study with 0.25% timolol in Gelrite (TG) once daily vs. 0.25% timolol solution (TS) twice daily. German Study Group].

In a 12-week double-masked trial we compared the ocular hypotensive effect of 0.25% timolol in Gelrite administered once daily (TG) to that of 0.25% timolol solution administered twice daily (TS).

[Isotretinoin administration in treatment of acne vulgaris. A prospective study of the kind and extent of ocular complications].

Isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) is commonly used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. In the skin this substance causes an atrophy of sebaceous gland acini and a decrease in sebum production. Systemic treatment also alters meibomian gland function and structure.

Different techniques of extracapsular cataract extraction: bacterial contamination during surgery. Prospective study on 230 consecutive patients.

This study was performed to investigate the correlation between the contamination of the anterior chamber and the technique of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). Three different methods were used: uncomplicated planned ECCE, phacoemulsification involving suturing method, and sutureless technique. All patients had posterior chamber intraocular lenses implanted.

Bacterial contamination during extracapsular cataract extraction. Prospective study on 200 consecutive patients.

Postoperative endophthalmitis remains one of the most devastating complications of eye surgery. In recent years infections with so called 'nonpathogenic' organisms like Propionibacterium acnes or coagulase-negative staphylococci have gained in importance. 200 patients were included in this study, from whom preoperative smears of the conjunctiva and intraoperative aspirates of the anterior chamber (at the start and at the end of the operation) had been taken.

Canaliculitis: difficulties in diagnosis, differential diagnosis and comparison between conservative and surgical treatment.

The most important clinical features of canaliculitis include a red, swollen eyelid in the area of the affected canaliculus, a unilateral conjunctivitis, a mucopurulent discharge and in some cases dacryoliths visible in the lacrimal punctum. Conservative therapy was found to be little effective: only 10% of the patients could be cured, 40% showed a recurrence after conservative treatment. 20 patients (50%) were treated by canaliculotomy: 16 of these were cured by this surgical treatment, 4 patients complained of epiphora, although diagnostic syringing showed free lacrimal pathways.

Acquired dacryocystitis: microbiology and conservative therapy.

The dacryocystitis in adults is mainly caused by postsaccal stenosis of the lacrimal ducts. The banking up of the lacrimal fluid leads to an accumulation of germs and following infection. This report describes the clinical and microbiological findings in a large consecutive series of patients that presented at the outpatient clinic of the 2nd Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Vienna with the signs of acute, chronic recurrent or chronic infections of the lacrimal system between 1983 and the end of 1990.

[Retinal lymphoma--simulating uveitis].

A rare form of malignant large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or reticulum cell sarcoma is confined to the eye and central nervous system (CNS). We report the case of a 62-year-old man, who presented with recalcitrant progressive uveitis in his right eye. Although lymphoma was suspected, the patient refused to undergo vitrectomy.

[Taenia crassiceps in the anterior chamber of the human eye. A case report].

An otherwise healthy 15-year-old girl developed an iridocyclitis in her right eye. A contractable living parasite measuring two millimeter could be detected in the anterior chamber, the other parts of the eye remained uninvolved. The patient had close contact with the young dog of the family.

Diagnosis and therapy of bacterial endophthalmitis, and serum levels of inflammation markers.

A review of 27 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis diagnosed and treated at the Specialized Outpatient Department for Infectious Eye Diseases at the 2nd Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Vienna over a period of eight years (January 1983-April 1991) is presented. In 70% of the cases the patients had undergone surgical intervention. Conjunctival samples were routinely taken for microbiological investigations (aerobic as well as anaerobic cultures).

Treatment of traumatic tattoos with various sterile brushes.

Background: Various types of brushes are efficient for the removal of foreign material accidentally projected into the skin by explosive or abrasive trauma.

Objective: To evaluate how different times between injury and treatment influenced esthetic results, we retrospectively evaluated 14 patients subjected to the brushing technique.

Methods: Two groups were identified.

Ulcerative blepharitis in atopic patients--is Candida species the causative agent?

A total of 50 patients suffering both from atopic skin disease and different clinical forms of blepharitis have been included in this study. Microbiological investigations (for bacteria and fungi) of the lid margins were performed in all cases. In 21 (42%) of the patients an ulcerative blepharitis which heavily involved the follicles of the lashes was diagnosed.

[Corneal ulcer. Current analysis from specialized ambulatory care of a clinic].

A review of 115 cases of ulcerative keratitis that were diagnosed and treated at the specialized ambulatory care center for infectious eye diseases at the 2. Department of Ophthalmology over a period of eight years (January 1983-April 1991) is presented. In the analysis of the etiology nearly half (47.

Pediatric and perinatal reference intervals for immunoglobulin light chains kappa and lambda.

In routine analysis for immunoglobulin light chains in pediatric diagnostics, the age-related reference intervals for serum kappa (kappa) and lambda (lambda) light chains were evaluated in 1543 healthy subjects (newborns to age 16 years, including 168 premature infants). Light-chain analysis was performed by rate nephelometry. IgG, IgA, and IgM were measured simultaneously, and heavy- and light-chain differences were calculated for control purposes.

Penetration of norfloxacin into the aqueous humor of the human eye.

Forty six patients received a topical application of a 0.3% norfloxacin (Zoroxin; MSD, Austria) solution into the lower fornix at different time intervals and frequencies before undergoing planned extracapsular cataract extraction. Aqueous humor was sampled at the beginning of surgery and assayed for the level of the antibiotic with high performance liquid chromatography.

Do HLA antigens play a role in intermediate uveitis?

A total of 52 nonrelated Caucasian patients (21 male, 31 female, age at onset of the disease: 7-74 years, average: 31.6 years) suffering from intermediate uveitis were tissue typed for 56 different HLA-A, -B, -C and -DR-antigens. No significant association between any specific HLA-antigen and the disease, both when comparing the total patient group with a large, healthy control population, or any of the different subgroups (male vs.

[Treatment of Ocular Chlamydial Infection: Comparison of Tetracyclines and Norfloxacin].

The unilateral follicular conjunctivitis with corneal marginal infiltrates represents a clinical picture typical for two different types of bacteria: chlamydiae may cause a keratoconjunctivitis always combined with urethritis or colpitis; on the other hand staphylococci may be the reason for the same clinical features, whereas the marginal corneal infiltrates are caused in these cases by immunological reactions to the bacterial toxins. After harvesting material for bacterial investigations or direct immunofluorescence test for the detection of chlamydial antigen, 2-3 days are necessary until the results of the examinations are ready. From January 1991 until the end of 1991 a total of 60 patients with the diagnosis of chlamydial infection underwent ophthalmological investigations at our outpatient clinic.