[Surgical treatment of blepharospasm: results of a study of 138 patients using an improved disability scale].

We applied a new blepharospasm clinical disability scale to the evaluation of blepharospasm surgery in a group of 138 patients. This scale analyzes six parameters of daily life, namely reading, watching television, household tasks, walking, employment, and driving. The patients had either essential blepharospasm or pretarsal dystonia.

Assessment of blepharospasm surgery using an improved disability scale: study of 138 patients.

Purpose: To assess a new scale for grading functional disability in a series of patients operated on for blepharospasm resistant to treatment by botulinum toxin (BT) injections.

Methods: The bicentric study included 138 patients: 80 (58%) with essential blepharospasm; 46 (33%) with apraxia of eyelid opening; and 12 (9%) with intermediate forms. They had undergone orbicularis myectomy (92 cases, 67%), frontalis suspension (31 cases, 22%), or both (15 cases, 11%).

Urgent need for normalization of corneal graft quality controls in French eye banks.

Background: Assessment of corneal tissue quality before graft is mainly based upon the determination of endothelial cell density (ECD) by eye banks. These cells are responsible for corneal transparency, and ECD correlates with graft survival. In France and often elsewhere in Europe, ECD is measured using a "naked-eye" procedure under a light microscope.

Prospective, randomized clinical and endothelial evaluation of 2 storage times for cornea donor tissue in organ culture at 31 degrees C.

Objective: To compare the endothelial and clinical outcome of penetrating keratoplasty with corneas stored in organ culture for up to 12 days (5-12 days; group 1) or more than 21 days (21-24 days; group 2).

Methods: We conducted a controlled double-masked trial. Storage durations were randomly assigned to the paired corneas, and endothelial cell density (ECD) was measured at the start and end of organ culture.

Obtaining cornea donation consent by telephone.

Background: Cornea donation process comes up against difficulties in obtaining families' consent. A face-to-face interview is often not possible for logistical reasons. We carried out a prospective study of the effectiveness of telephone contact in obtaining donation consent.