Reversible changes of visual acuity and pattern-electroretinograms after blue-green argon laser photocoagulation of diabetic patients.

Visual acuity, color vision, pattern-visual-evoked-potentials (P-VEPs) and pattern-electroretinograms (P-ERGs) were measured in 13 diabetic subjects before, and 24 hours and 5 weeks after blue-green argon laser treatment. As control, the same examinations were performed in 7 normal subjects and 7 diabetic patients before and after slit lamp examination with the Goldman three mirror contact lens. Visual acuity and P-ERG amplitudes were significantly reduced one day after the laser treatment, while 5 weeks after the laser coagulation, visual acuity and P-ERG amplitudes recovered to pretreatment values.

[Non-freeze epikeratoplasty in recurrent pterygium].

We present five patients with recurrent pterygium. Prior to our surgical procedure the patients had had several surgical interventions as well as radiotherapy. Up to four-fifths of their corneal surface was covered by a multilayered pterygium including symblepharon scarring in the lower and upper lid, completely immobilizing the globe.

[Temporary silicone oil implantation following vitrectomy in proliferative diabetic retinopathy].

Report on 23 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy who underwent silicone oil implantation due to recurrent intravitreal hemorrhages following pars plana vitrectomy. Postoperatively, it was possible to perform panretinal laser photocoagulation without difficulty or haste. After an average period of 4 months, silicone oil was removed from 10 eyes.

[Angiotensin-converting enzyme in patients with temporal arteritis].

It is well documented in the literature that patients with active sarcoidosis exhibit elevated serum ACE activity. Since both temporal arteritis and sarcoidosis represent granulomatous inflammatory conditions, this study was undertaken to determine serum ACE activity in patients with temporal arteritis as well as in a control group. The serum ACE levels in patients with temporal arteritis were significantly lower than in the controls.

[AIDS and the eye].

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a recently described irreversible dysfunction of cell-mediated immunity in homosexuals, intravenous, drug abusers, and hemophiliacs, with subsequent development of potentially lethal opportunistic infections and/or unusual neoplasms, such as Kaposi's sarcoma. A prospective evaluation of ophthalmic findings in 14 patients with AIDS revealed that 8 patients had ophthalmoscopically and biomicroscopically significant ocular abnormalities, including peripapillary cotton-wool spots of changing frequency and diameter, retinal hemorrhages, progressive cytomegaly virus (CMV) retinitis, acute destructive retinal necrosis, periphlebitis, CMV conjunctivitis and keratitis, and in one patient a conjunctival Kaposi's sarcoma. All patients with AIDS and abnormal ocular findings carry a poor prognosis.

[Use of the neodymium YAG laser following posterior chamber lens implantation].

The authors report on the neodymium-YAG laser used after extracapsular cataract extraction with the implantation of a posterior chamber lens in 1726 patients. The most common indication was capsular fibrosis necessitating posterior capsulotomy. The alternative to the YAG laser would be a bulbus-opening procedure via pars plana using a Sato knife.

[Immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A following penetrating keratoplasty].

Report on 11 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty and were treated with Cyclosporin A for an average of 6 months because of excessive superficial and deep vascularization of the recipient cornea. In none of the patients was a permanent Cyclosporin A-induced side-effect observed. After an average follow-up period of 11 months 9 grafts remained completely clear; however, an allograft-reaction occurred in 2 cases in spite of the immunosuppressive therapy.

[Use of neodym-YAG-lasers in ophthalmology].

Structures within the eye bulb diminishing visual acuity can be cut by means of neodymium-YAG-laser without surgical opening of the globe. The First Eye Department has had the first instrument of this kind in Vienna at its disposal since the summer of 1984. Up to now it has been used for posterior capsulotomy, iridotomy, opening pupillary membranes and for cutting vitreous membranes in 84 operations altogether.

Fosfomycin levels in human aqueous humor after intravenous administration.

Following intravenous infusion of an 8 g single dose of the antibiotic agent fosfomycin, its penetration into human primary aqueous humor was investigated. 1-2 h after the start of infusion, peak values of 35 to 60 micrograms/ml were reached. These concentrations in the aqueous humor would inhibit a high percentage of gram-positive and gram-negative strains commonly causing bacterial endophthalmitis.

[Electron microscopic and immunohistologic studies of patients with Horton's temporal arteritis].

Temporal arteritis is a systmic disease with a predilecation for the cranio-temporal vascular area. Histologically it is a panarteritis. Diagnosis is based on the presence of lymphocytes, histiocytes and foci of epitheloid cells in the media of the temporal artery.

[Circulating immune complexes in uveitis].

The serum of 63 patients suffering from various clinical types of endogenous uveitis with unknown etiology was investigated for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC). None of the patients was suffering from a systemic disease usually associated with CIC. Significantly elevated CIC levels were detected in 2 women with chronic cyclitis.

[Healon as an internal tamponade in retinal detachment surgery].

In 14 selected cases of retinal detachment the vitreous cavity was filled with Healon (0.8-4.0 ml) during subretinal drainage.

[Erythroprosopalgia or cluster headache].

Erythroprosopalgia is characterized by severe unilaterally and periodically occurring attacks of headache. During these fits of pain there is an increase in blood flow in the homolateral eye, conjunctival injection and epiphora. Males aged between twenty and forty are most frequently affected.

[Intraocular penetration of netilmicin].

The penetration of netilmicin, a semisynthetic aminoglycosid into the primary human aqueous humor was determined. The antibacterial spectrum of netilmicin is adequate to gentamicin. The efficacy also covers gentamicin resistant strains.

[Immunofluorescence studies of the human trabecular meshwork].

Accumulation of extracellular material in the trabecular meshwork is responsible for increased resistance to outflow in the human eye. By means of the indirect immunofluorescence technique the authors detected extracellular collagen type IV, fibronectin and laminin in the trabecular meshwork and the wall of Schlemm's canal of glaucoma patients and controls. Collagen type IV is the so-called "basement membrane collagen" present in the lens capsule, Bowman's and Descemet's membranes.

Amikacin levels in human aqueous humor.

Amikacin is one of the newer aminoglycoside antibiotics. The penetration of amikacin into the human primary aqueous humor after intramuscular application was investigated. Comparing our results with reports concerning the blood aqueous permeability of gentamicin and tobramycin we could not find any significantly better penetration of amikacin into the human aqueous humor after i.

Secondary corneal amyloidosis: clinical and pathohistological examinations.

A patient suffering from an excentric vascularized tumorlike corneal change is reported who submitted to a penetrating optic keratoplasty. The diagnosis of a secondary corneal amyloidosis was established by histological examination. The clinical course and pathological findings by means of light- and electron microscopy are described and discussed.

[Postoperative intraocular pressure following iris-clip lens implantation].

Within the past three years intraocular Binkhorst lenses have been implanted in 152 consecutive cases. In 36% of the intracapsularly operated cases (123 eyes) and 45% of the extracapsularly (29 eyes), intraocular pressure increased to 40 mm Hg for three to four days postoperatively. Pseudophakic-pupillary block glaucoma was not observed in any of the cases.

[Immunopathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma].

By means of direct immunofluorescence technique the trabecular meshwork of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, obtained at the time of filtering surgery, and the trabecular meshwork of controls were investigated for the presence of immunoglobulins and the complement component C3. In neither group were such deposits found; this indicates a lack of immunogenic mechanisms in primary open-angle glaucoma.