Epidemiology and etiologic diagnosis of infectious keratitis in Uberlandia, Brazil.

Purpose: To study risk factors, microbiological characteristics, and clinical course of nonviral infectious keratitis diagnosed in a referral service of ophthalmology.

Methods: A total of 65 charts of patients with microbial keratitis were retrospectively reviewed at the Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Uberlandia, Brazil, from July 2001 through August 2004. All cases were submitted to microbiological tests and treated according to local protocol.

Infectious keratitis secondary to Histoplasma capsulatum: the first case reports in humans.

The authors report an unusual case of fungal keratitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum in a male immunocompetent patient. PCR confirmed the presence of the fungus DNA in the material studied. To our knowledge this is the first reported case in humans described all over the world.

[Acute post-traumatic optic nerve avulsion: case report].

Optic nerve avulsion is a rare, but devastating complication. In this condition, the optic nerve is forcibly disinserted from the retina, choroid, and vitreous, and the lamina cribrosa is retracted from the scleral rim. If the media are clear, the avulsion is easily diagnosed.

Comparing the fixed combination brimonidine-timolol versus fixed combination dorzolamide-timolol in patients with elevated intraocular pressure.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of fixed combination brimonidine-timolol (FCBT) versus fixed combination dorzolamide-timolol (FCDT) given twice daily in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OH).

Design: Prospective, multicentre, masked-observer, crossover comparison.

Participants: Sixteen patients with POAG and 14 with OH.