Complications of Uveitis: The Northern California Epidemiology of Uveitis Study.

Purpose: To describe the uveitis complications in a large, community-based cohort.

Methods: Retrospective, community-based, cross-sectional cohort study analyzing complications and associations with complications.

Results: A total of 844 cases of uveitis were found; 342 were new-onset, and 462 were prior-onset.

The epidemiology of herpes simplex virus eye disease in Northern California.

Purpose: To calculate the incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) eye disease in a large, well-defined population in Northern California, USA, and to determine the recurrence rate following an initial episode of disease in this cohort.

Methods: A retrospective, observational, cohort study using population-based data and medical record review. The patient database of a large, regional health maintenance organization (Northern California Kaiser Permanente) was searched, and the study population consisted of 1,042,351 people over a 1-year study period from 1 July 1998 through 30 June 1999.

Perivascular exudates in frosted branch angiitis.

Three cases of young, minimally symptomatic patients found to have vitritis and extensive perivenous vitreous exudates resembling frosted branch angiitis are presented. Optical coherence tomography showed that these exudates appear to be extravascated from the vasculature. The material persisted over 1 year on immunosuppressive therapy, suggesting that its resolution should not be a treatment end point.

Prefoveal vitreous condensation in chronic inflammation.

Uveitis can produce a host of signs throughout the eye. Cylinders, snowballs, condensations, and snowbanks in the vitreous have been described. The authors report two cases of chronic ocular inflammation with a novel sign of a prefoveal white vitreous condensation.

Incidence and prevalence of episcleritis and scleritis in Northern California.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and prevalence of episcleritis and scleritis in a large well-defined population in Northern California.

Methods: Secondary analysis was performed on data from the Northern California Epidemiology of Uveitis Study. The patient database of a large regional health maintenance organization was searched for all patients who potentially experienced ocular inflammatory disease during the 12-month study period.

Morphologic assessment for glaucoma in the Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) trial.

Purpose: To compare Reading Center (RC) cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) assessment from stereoscopic photographs with clinician estimation in a uveitis clinical trial.

Methods: Clinical estimation of CDR was performed by ophthalmologists via dilated biomicroscopy. Photographic evaluation was performed at an independent RC by masked, certified evaluators.

Topical metal chelation therapy ameliorates oxidation-induced toxicity in diabetic cataract.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in cataractogenesis, the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Since transition metals generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, metal chelation therapy has been proposed for treatment of cataracts. However, the effectiveness of most chelators is limited by low tissue penetrability.

Epidemiology of ulcerative keratitis in Northern California.

Objective: To determine the incidence and associated risk factors for ulcerative keratitis in northern California.

Methods: In this large-population, retrospective, cohort study, all medical records with diagnosis coding for corneal ulcers during a consecutive 12-month period were reviewed. Incidence rates were calculated using a dynamic population model.

Severe Hypotony Associated With Parry-Romberg Syndrome.

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare inflammatory disorder characterized by progressive hemifacial atrophy and ocular involvement. Two patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome who had mild heterochromic uveitis but developed profound ocular hypotony were evaluated. A 17-year-old girl and a 32-year-old woman with Parry-Romberg syndrome developed chronic uveitis with gradual worsening of intraocular pressure to 0 mm Hg.

ProBDNF inhibits infiltration of ED1+ macrophages after spinal cord injury.

The central nervous system (CNS) does not regenerate partly due to the slow clearance of debris from the degenerated myelin sheath by Wallerian degeneration. The mechanism underlying the inefficiency in myelin clearance is not clear. Here we showed that endogenous proBDNF may inhibit the infiltration of ED1+ inflammatory cells after spinal cord injury.

The effect of biomicroscope illumination system on grading anterior chamber inflammation.

Purpose: To determine how a biomicroscope illumination system affects the grading of anterior chamber (AC) inflammation.

Design: Laboratory investigation.

Methods: An artificial AC was designed to replicate optically a human AC and was filled with 5-mum polystyrene beads suspended in ethanol.

Assessment of methylsulfonylmethane as a permeability enhancer for regional EDTA chelation therapy.

Pharmacologic chelators do not effectively penetrate cell membranes and blood-brain barrier. This study assesses methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as a permeability enhancer and an excipient to facilitate EDTA transport across biologic membranes, and to make possible localized, regional chelation. Topical application of MSM with C(14)EDTA onto the rat cornea led to uptake of the C(14)EDTA in all tested ocular tissues.

Atopic disease and herpes simplex eye disease: a population-based case-control study.

Purpose: To determine whether atopy is associated with herpes simplex virus (HSV) ocular disease.

Design: Retrospective, population-based, case-control study.

Setting: Large, regional health maintenance organization (Northern California Kaiser Permanente).

Incidence and prevalence of uveitis in Northern California; the Northern California Epidemiology of Uveitis Study.

Purpose: To determine the incidence and prevalence of uveitis in a large, well-defined population in Northern California.

Design: Cross-sectional study using retrospective database and medical record review.

Participants: A group of 2070 people within 6 Northern California medical center communities (N = 731 898) who had a potential diagnosis of uveitis.

A novel technique for harvesting keratolimbal allografts from corneoscleral buttons.

Purpose: To describe a method for obtaining partial-thickness keratolimbal allografts from corneoscleral buttons to be used in corneal limbal stem cell transplantation.

Design: Description of device design and technique for use.

Methods: Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive, placed on the posterior side of a trephinated corneoscleral rim, is used to secure the allograft to a disposable acrylic sphere that is attached to a cylindrical base.