Altered Brain Glucose Consumption in Cogan's Syndrome.

. Prospective, controlled cohort study to investigate possible alterations in brain glucose metabolism (CMRglc) in patients with Cogan's syndrome (CS). .

Perioperative prophylaxis to prevent recurrence following cataract surgery in uveitic patients: a two-centre, prospective, randomized trial.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative risk of inflammatory relapse in two groups of uveitic patients who underwent cataract surgery: one group had perioperative topical steroids alone and the other used topical and oral steroids.

Methods: Prospective, randomized, unmasked, duocentric clinical trial conducted at the University of Parma (Italy), and the Jules Gonin Eye Hospital of Lausanne (Switzerland). Patients with a history of non-infectious uveitis requiring cataract surgery in 2009-2013 were assigned to two groups of perioperative prophylaxis: (A) intensive topical steroids alone; (B) the same topical regimen combined with oral steroids.

Anterior Segment Findings in Vitamin A Deficiency: A Case Series.

Vitamin A deficiency is a rare but vision threatening disorder in the developed world, which can lead to blindness for severe keratomalacia with cornea scarring and perforation or night blindness due to impaired dark adaptation. Conversely, the disease is quite common in developing countries, as a consequence of chronic malnutrition. The correct diagnosis and therapy with prompt vitamin A supplementation avoid blindness.

Cogan's syndrome: anti-Hsp70 antibodies are a serological marker in the typical form.

Background: Cogan's syndrome (CS) is a rare autoimmune vasculitis characterized by ocular inflammation and sensorineural hearing loss. CS is divided into a "typical" form with non-syphilitic interstitial keratitis and audiovestibular symptoms, and an "atypical" form with ocular involvement affecting structures other than the cornea. Anti-Hsp70 antibodies were found at variable levels in patients presenting with various forms of autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL).

Neuro-Behçet's disease in childhood: a focus on the neuro-ophthalmological features.

Neuro-Behçet's disease (NBD) involves the central nervous system; peripheral nervous system involvement is not often reported. NBD is quite common in adult patients and occurs rarely during childhood and adolescence. Young patients may share symptoms and signs of NBD with other neuro-ophthalmological disorders (e.

Human RNA integrity after postmortem retinal tissue recovery.

Purpose: To assess the parameters for postmortem retinal tissue recovery and processing that affect the quality of RNA extracted from the retina/retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) complex.

Methods: RNA was extracted from retina/RPE samples. The RNA quality was determined based on qualitative/quantitative measurements made with a Bioanalyzer (Agilent) and on the expression of a long retinal gene (RPE65).

Factitious pseudo-membranous conjunctivitis in an adolescent boy.

Background/aims: Ocular factitious lesions involving the conjunctiva alone represent a challenging diagnosis for the ophthalmologist; corneal integrity, in fact, allows maintenance of good visual acuity and precludes the pain subsequent to trigeminal stimulation. Conjunctival biopsy is crucial to make a diagnosis and to focus on possible peculiarities in the patient's behavior. A psychiatrist has to confirm the diagnosis.

Partial third nerve palsy after Measles Mumps Rubella vaccination.

Background: Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccination is known to cause some serious adverse events, such as fever, rash, gland inflammation and neurologic disorders. These include third and sixth cranial nerve palsies.

Results: The case reported describes a partial recurrent oculomotor palsy associated with systemic symptoms following MMR vaccination in a healthy young child.

Rituximab ameliorated severe hearing loss in Cogan's syndrome: a case report.

Background: Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody inducing depletion of B lymphocytes and presently approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis. Here is the first report of the use of this drug in a case of Cogan's syndrome (CS).

Case Presentation: a 25-year-old Italian woman was referred with conjunctival hyperaemia, interstitial keratitis, moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss accompanied by tinnitus, dizziness, nausea and vertigo, poorly responsive to oral and topical steroidal therapy.

Cogan syndrome: confocal microscopy assessment of corneal damage.

Purpose: To perform in vivo assessment of corneal alterations in patients with Cogan syndrome (CS) and to correlate these findings with prior histopathologic descriptions.

Methods: Four consecutive patients (8 eyes) presenting with typical CS underwent confocal microscopy examination. At the moment of evaluation, ocular inflammation was quiescent in all the patients.

Timing of uveitis onset in oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the main predictor of severe course uveitis.

Purpose: Aim of the present study was to validate a statistical model to predict a severe course of anterior uveitis (AU) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed uveitis have been followed for at least 1 year with a standardized protocol. For each patient, demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics, including time interval between arthritis and uveitis onset, α(2)-globulins level at arthritis onset, number of uveitis relapses/year, ocular complications and therapy and visual acuity, have reported.

Staphylococcus aureus and autoimmune uveitis reactivation in childhood: a possible correlation?

The role of infectious agents in autoimmune diseases has been the subject of several studies and is still under investigation. Here a paediatric case series of autoimmune uveitis is reported. An exacerbation of the ocular inflammation occurred in concomitance with nasal colonisation by Staphylococcus aureus.

Proceedings of the Congress "Eye and Zoonosis", October 10-11, 2008, Parma, Italy.

Papers of this special issue are based on the presentations given in the Congress “Eye and Zoonosis” - October 10-11 2008, Parma (Italy). This issue aims to provide researchers with timely update on a number of important topics on Zoonosis in Ophthalmology.

Prospective, multicenter demographic and epidemiological study on vernal keratoconjunctivitis: a glimpse of ocular surface in Italian population.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency and epidemiological features of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) in Italy.

Methods: a specific electronic clinical chart for vernal keratoconjunctivitis was created to standardize: 1) medical history; 2) diagnostic criteria; 3) signs and symptoms; and 4) treatments. This study involved 6 Italian referral centers for ocular surface diseases: between March 2005 and March 2006, all referred patients were included, clinical data collected and statistically examined.

Acute retinal necrosis in primary herpes simplex virus type I infection.

Here we report the case of an immunocompetent 8-year-old child who developed acute retinal necrosis concomitant with a primary herpes simplex virus type I infection. Ocular inflammation changed along with the development of a specific antibody titer in the serum. This evidence suggests that the immune response of the host can significantly modulate the clinical aspect of the ocular infection.

Discontinuous drug combination therapy in autoimmune ocular disorders.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a steroid-sparing immunosuppressive treatment (IST) protocol in the control of severe or steroid-resistant autoimmune ocular inflammatory diseases.

Methods: We carried out a prospective, non-randomized clinical study. Patients presenting with ocular inflammations that failed to respond adequately to steroids alone after monotherapy for a mean period of 9 +/- 2 months (internal control) were offered the option to switch to a combined IST.

Cyclosporin A in the ocular fluids of uveitis patients following long-term systemic administration.

Background/aims: To determine the levels of cyclosporin A (CsA) in tears and the anterior segment of the eye following long-term oral intake for autoimmune diseases.

Methods: Subjects taking oral CsA to treat relapsing autoimmune ocular inflammation were included in this study. All of the patients had been quiescent for at least 6 months.

Anti-68 kDa antibodies in autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss: are these autoantibodies really a diagnostic tool?

Objectives: Autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) is a relatively rare disorder which can lead to total deafness. At present, no specific laboratory test with adequate sensitivity and specificity is available to confirm the clinical suspicion of ASNHL. The aim of this study was to identify if evaluation of anti-hsp70 antibodies is an accurate diagnostic tool in patients affected by ASNHL.

Sensitivity and specificity of a visual acuity screening protocol performed with the Lea Symbols 15-line folding distance chart in preschool children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a visual acuity (VA) test using the Lea Symbols 15-line folding distance chart and its diagnostic validity in detecting VA deficiency in preschool children.

Methods: A group of 149 children aged 38-54 months underwent VA examination performed with the Lea 15-line folding optotype at a distance of 3 metres, according to a test protocol described in the Methods section. After the VA test, a complete ophthalmological examination, including cycloplegic retinoscopy, a cover test and examination of the anterior and posterior segments, was performed on each child in order to detect any VA-threatening ocular abnormality.

Use of systemic cyclosporin A in a case of severe Toxocara uveitis.

The report describes the case of an adult patient presenting a severe, serologically proven, Toxocara endophthalmitis, unresponsive to the common surgical and medical approach (vitrectomy, anti-parasitic treatment followed by high-dose corticosteroids). The association of oral cyclosporin A to a lower dose of prednisone was successful in achieving a long-term control of the ocular inflammation without systemic side effects.

Syphilitic interstitial keratitis: treatment with immunosuppressive drug combination therapy.

Objective: The following is a case presentation of congenital syphilitic keratitis in a boy 6 years of age who was successfully treated with an immunosuppressive drug combination therapy.

Methods: Congenital syphilitic keratitis was diagnosed by clinical findings and laboratory tests. The child was unresponsive to traditional treatment; thus, systemic immunosuppressive therapy, which consisted of oral cyclosporine 4 mg/kg/d, 6 days per week, and oral low-dose steroids (fluocortolone 0.

Cogan syndrome in children: early diagnosis and treatment is critical to prognosis.

Purpose: To present two cases of pediatric Cogan Syndrome and to highlight the differences between the adult and pediatric forms of the disease, as well as the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

Design: Interventional case report.

Methods: Institutional setting.

Effect of a drug combination treatment on ocular perfusion in recurrent idiopathic intermediate uveitis.

Purpose: To test the effect of a drug combination therapy on ocular perfusion in human eyes affected by idiopathic intermediate uveitis.

Methods: Seven patients (12 eyes) showing active signs of intermediate uveitis, with at least two more similar episodes reported within the previous 12 months, were enrolled in a prospective case series. Two fellow healthy eyes of two of the enrolled patients were studied as internal controls.

Cochlear implantation and Cogan syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes and issues pertaining to cochlear implantation in a group of subjects affected by Cogan syndrome.

Study Design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, University of Parma.