Higher-order aberrations in children.

Purpose: To quantify and characterize higher order aberrations in children and to investigate the influence of refractive error and cycloplegia.

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Methods: setting: Clinical practice.

Cystoid macular oedema in paediatric aphakia and pseudophakia.

Aim: To assess the incidence of cystoid macular oedema (CMO), following lensectomy, anterior vitrectomy (limbal and pars plicata), and primary posterior capsulorhexis following surgery for congenital and developmental cataract.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out involving 30 eyes (20 children) with cataract. Lensectomy, primary posterior capsulorhexis, and anterior vitrectomy were performed on all eyes.

Alteration in platelet function in patients with early breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to examine our hypothesis that platelets of patients with breast cancer were functionally altered compared to healthy controls. The results have shown that the platelets from women with early breast cancer released significantly more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) when stimulated with thrombin, tissue factor, clotting, or over a period of time. Similarly, release of thrombospondin (TSP) with thrombin and tissue factor was higher, but failed to reach a significant level.

Ahmed valve drainage implant surgery in the management of paediatric aphakic glaucoma.

Background: Paediatric aphakic glaucoma presents months or years after cataract surgery in children and is a major long term complication. The results of surgical treatment are poor and many children require multiple and repeat procedures with poor visual outcomes.

Methods: 13 children (19 eyes) had Ahmed valve implantation surgery, nine of the children had previous procedures such as cycloablation or trabeculectomy.

The role of the hippocampus in the retrieval of a spatial location.

Based on computational models of the hippocampus, it has been suggested that a possible mechanism for memory retrieval is pattern completion, wherein an autoassociative network recalls previous patterns of activity given noisy or degraded cues. However, there are few behavioral data examining pattern completion per se in the hippocampus. Here, we present a study in which rats were tested on a spatial location retrieval paradigm, each trial of which consisted of a sample and choice phase.

Is there a role for balloon valvuloplasty in patients with stenotic aortic bioprosthetic valves?

The management of patients with stenotic aortic bioprostheses is usually surgical. However, a proportion of such patients are unfit for such procedures. The technique of aortic balloon valvuloplasty as an alternative treatment strategy for such patients is explored.

Medial temporal lobe activation during encoding and retrieval of novel face-name pairs.

The human medial temporal lobe (MTL) is known to be involved in declarative memory, yet the exact contributions of the various MTL structures are not well understood. In particular, the data as to whether the hippocampal region is preferentially involved in the encoding and/or retrieval of associative memory have not allowed for a consensus concerning its specific role. To investigate the role of the hippocampal region and the nearby MTL cortical areas in encoding and retrieval of associative versus non-associative memories, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during learning and later recognition testing of novel face-name pairs.

Is routine histological reporting of doughnuts justified after anterior resection for colorectal cancer?

Objective: 'Doughnuts' of colonic tissue which remain on a circular stapler after firing are routinely examined histologically. However, Royal College of Pathologists' guidelines state that this is not necessary. The aim of this study was to examine current practice among pathologists in one region in the UK and to determine the incidence of clinically significant pathology within colonic doughnuts.

Acute normovolemic hemodilution and intraoperative cell salvage in aortic surgery.

Objective: The objective of this study was to report current transfusion requirements and outcomes in patients undergoing elective aortic surgery with autologous transfusion.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of transfusion practice in infrarenal aortic surgery in a tertiary vascular unit with a longstanding interest in autologous transfusion. One hundred and ten consecutive patients underwent infrarenal aortic surgery with a combination of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and intraoperative cell salvage (ICS).

Nitric oxide in unilateral ureteral obstruction: effect on regional renal blood flow.

Background: Ureteral obstruction (UO) is characterized by reduced blood flow and loss of tissue mass in the involved kidney(s). Vasoactive mediators interact to produce an initial hyperemia, followed by a sustained decrease in renal blood flow in the obstructed kidney. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to play a central role in the acute hyperemic response to UO.