[Can an intrascleral implant and/or the combined cataract surgery improve the long-term outcome of viscocanalostomy in glaucoma?].

Background: Beside the established methods in glaucoma surgery, several procedures have been developed in the recent past including viscocanalostomy as a non-penetrating surgery. The efficiency of a combination of this procedure with an intrascleral implant and/or with cataract surgery was examined in this retrospective study over a period to 60 months postoperatively.

Patients And Methods: 67 eyes from 49 patients with glaucoma were operated in two different operational groups.

Safety profile of a taurine containing irrigation solution (AcriProTect) in pars plana vitrectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical safety of a taurine containing irrigation solution (AcriProTect) before its routine application in pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Methods: Twenty-five patients who underwent PPV were included in this prospective interventional clinical study. Standard irrigation solution containing the addendum 3 mmol/L taurine was used during PPV.

Effects of the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein and taurine on retinal function in isolated superfused retina.

Background: Genistein has the potential to act as an intraocular antiangiogenic agent. Its therapeutical use, however, is limited by toxic side effects on the retina. This study was designed to evaluate the simultaneous use of taurine as a neuroprotective drug.

[Mydriasis not reacting to light during an uneventful esophagectomy--drug-related side effect of Akrinor?].

We present a 72 year old patient who underwent an esophagectomy uneventfully. At the end of the procedure the anaesthetist diagnosed a mydriasis not reacting to light. The mydriasis lasted for 3 hours.

Macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy for exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Macular rotation surgery comprises surgical extraction of choroidal neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and translocation of the foveal neural retina over adjacent retinal pigment epithelium.

Objective: To determine whether macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy can stabilize and/or improve visual acuity in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AMD.

Design: This study consisted of a standardized surgical procedure on a series of 90 consecutive patients and follow-up examinations at fixed intervals for 12 months.

Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygenation in macular edema of vascular origin.

Macular edema (ME) is a primary reason for permanent decreases of visual acuity (VA) in diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions. The standard treatment (photocoagulation, rheological treatment) provide only a limited success. We have therefore studied the additional use of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO2) in patients with persistent ME.

Effects of protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein on retinal function in superfused vertebrate retina.

The aim of this study was to evaluate safe concentrations of genistein for a potential intraocular application using the isolated retina technique on bovine retina preparations. Bovine retinas were isolated and perfused with an oxygen pre-equilibrated standard solution. The electroretinogram (ERG) was recorded as a transretinal potential using silver/silver-chloride electrodes.

Clinicopathological correlation of retinal pigment epithelial tears in exudative age related macular degeneration: pretear, tear, and scarred tear.

Aims: To analyse the histopathology of vascularised pigment epithelial detachments and tears of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in age related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: The light microscopic architecture of 10 surgically removed subretinal specimens-three vascularised pigment epithelial detachments, four recent tears, and three scarred tears as a manifestation of AMD-were studied and correlated with the angiographic findings.

Results: Recent tears: a large fibrovascular membrane was found to be originally situated in Bruch's membrane.

[Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in retinal artery occlusion].

Unlabelled: Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is an ophthalmological emergency that causes a major decrease of visual parameters in most of the cases. Purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) on visual acuity (VA).

Patients And Methods: Patients with acute central or branch artery occlusion (CRAO/BRAO) consecutively admitted to our hospital were offered adjunctive HBO.

[Antiproliferative Wirkung von Genistein auf kultivierte retinale Pigmentepithelzellen vom Schwein].

Unlabelled: The isoflavonoid genistein is known as a potent inhibitor of proliferation in endothelial cells and in some tumor cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Cell growth arrest is mediated by inhbitor of the tyrosine-kinase receptor, a target for many growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth-factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, which may play a role in the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). In this study we report on the antiproliferative effect of genistein on retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE), which is the major cell type involved in PVR.

[Repeat laser coagulation of subretinal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration].

Introduction: Retinal laser coagulation (LC) of extrafoveal subretinal neovascularization (SRN) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the only sure therapy. Diagnostics, therapy and follow-up are presented in a case report.

Case Report: A 55-year-old woman had suffered from progressive reduction of visual acuity (with metamorphopsia) in both eyes (LE > RE) for 3 years.

External beam radiotherapy for subretinal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration: is this treatment efficient?

Purpose: Control of the natural course of subretinal neovascularization (SRNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is difficult. Only a subset of patients is suitable for laser coagulation. This prospective study aimed to determine the efficacy and individual benefit of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Long-term fluctuations of the normalised rim/disc area ratio quotient in normal eyes.

Background: The assessment of the cup of the optic disc in follow-up of glaucomatous optic nerve heads depends on the variability of the cup area over time. We examined the variability of topographic measurements depending on scan focus settings and evaluated the long-term fluctuations of the normalised rim/disc area ratio quotient of normal subjects for 1 year.

Methods: Part 1.

External beam radiation in patients suffering from exudative age-related macular degeneration. A matched-pairs study and 1-year clinical follow-up.

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to ascertain whether external beam irradiation is effective in patients with subretinal neovascularization (SRN) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: All patients had subfoveal SRN due to AMD as verified by fluoresceinangiography. Two hundred and eighty-seven patient-eyes were treated by external beam irradiation (total dose of 16 Gy in 2-Gy fractions, 5 times a week) from January 1996.

The nonradioisotopic representation of differentially expressed mRNA by a combination of RNA fingerprinting and differential display.

In many applications, an understanding of differentially expressed genes in different tissues or owing to an applied stimulus is important. However, the wide use of two rather similar polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques for the identification of differentially expressed mRNAs (RNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR [RAP-PCR] and differential display [DDRT-PCR]) has shown that reproducibility is still a problem. By combining features of both RAP-PCR and DDRT-PCR, a technique has recently been developed that avoids some of the disadvantages, but the use of radioisotopes for band detection still limits its application.

[Vitrectomy in treatment of eyes with complicated uveitis].

Background: Vitrectomy serves as an important treatment modality in uveitis, removing inflamed vitreous body and eliminating secondary complications. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the value of vitrectomy in the treatment of complications in uveitis.

Patients And Method: We included 50 eyes of 50 patients suffering from chronic uveitis, which underwent vitrectomy surgery during the period of 1990 to 1993.

Plasminogen in proliferative vitreoretinal disorders.

Objective: Intravitreal fibrin formation is a frequent observation after vitrectomy performed for a variety of vitreoretinal disorders including proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and endophthalmitis. Plasminogen activators (PA) have been used for the management of this postoperative complication. This approach requires the presence of plasminogen, the substrate for PA mediated fibrinolysis, in the vitreal cavity.

Orbital emphysema as a complication of bungee jumping.

Bungee jumping is a dangerous sport with increasing popularity in the western world. We report the case of a 28-yr-old man who sustained an orbital emphysema as a result of bungee jumping. He jumped head first from a 160-ft high bridge over a river.

[Dose-response relationship of trans-scleral contact cyclophotocoagulation].

Purpose: In recent years, transscleral contact-cyclophotocoagulation has increasingly been used for the treatment of therapy-refractive glaucomas. The dose-effect correlation varies according to different authors. In this retrospective study, we tried to determine whether there is a dose-effect correlation of transscleral contact-cyclophotocoagulation.

[Effects of fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography on subsequent dark adaptation and the electroretinogram].

Background: In clinical practice the electroretinogram (ERG) usually should not be recorded immediately after conventional fluorescein angiography (FLA), because of the bleaching effects of strong light exposure on the course of dark adaptation and on the ERG. Currently it is not known, if indocyaningreen (ICG) angiography using the Heidelberg Retina Angiograph (HRA) has similar effects on the outer retina and if therefore the ERG should also not be recorded after ICG angiography.

Methods: Eight patients with different retinal diseases were examined.

Indocyanine green videoangiography of angioid streaks.

Purpose: The fluorescein angiographic features of angioid streaks are variable, and angioid streaks and their main complication, choroidal neovascularization, can sometimes be difficult to visualize in the presence of diffuse pigment migration, diffuse atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, or hemorrhage. The objective of the present investigation was to define the indocyanine green angiographic features of angioid streaks and to compare them with findings on fluorescein angiography.

Methods: For this prospective study, we recruited 22 consecutive patients, 21 of whom had angioid streaks and one who had typical peau d'orange appearance of the fundus.