Postoperative refractive error following cataract surgery after the first attack of acute primary angle closure.

To investigate differences between preoperative target refraction and postoperative spherical equivalent refraction in eyes with the first attack of acute angle closure glaucoma before and after surgery. We retrospectively examined eyes of 36 patients who suffered the first attack of acute primary angle closure after undergoing cataract extraction and intraocular lens implant. We measured keratometric values (K1, K2) due to medical therapy for high ocular tension and the mean time interval until surgery.

Cataract surgery for tilted lens in peters' anomaly type 2.

Background: Cases of cataract surgery without penetrating keratoplasty in patients with Peters' anomaly are very rare. We report a case of Peters' anomaly type 2 with tilted lens due to synechia between the lens and iris that was treated with cataract surgery without penetrating keratoplasty.

Case Presentation: A 16-year-old girl had Peters' anomaly in both eyes.

Reduction in choroidal thickness of macular area in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy patients after intravitreal ranibizumab therapy.

Background: To evaluate changes in retinal and choroidal thickness changes after three intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) injections for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) using enhanced depth-imaging-optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

Methods: In this retrospective, observational case series, EDI-OCT was used to measure changes in choroidal thickness at nine points in a lattice shape in the macula before and after introductory-stage IVR.

Results: Choroidal thickness was decreased at all nine points in the lattice shape, but was significantly decreased only at the fovea.

Preoperative factors associated with improvement in visual acuity after globe rupture treatment.

Objective: Globe rupture is a serious condition. Despite advancements in vitrectomy, the postoperative prognosis for visual acuity remains poor in many cases. We conducted multiple regression analysis to identify preoperative factors associated with postoperative visual acuity.

Genetic characterization and susceptibility for sarcoidosis in Japanese patients: risk factors of BTNL2 gene polymorphisms and HLA class II alleles.

Purpose: Sarcoidosis is a heterogeneous and multisystem granulomatous disorder. The etiology still is uncertain, but the disease currently is thought to be triggered by various genetic as well as environmental factors. Recently, an association between sarcoidosis and the butyrophilin-like 2 (BTNL2) gene located in close proximity to the HLA-DRB1 gene was reported.

Common variants in the COL4A4 gene confer susceptibility to lattice degeneration of the retina.

Lattice degeneration of the retina is a vitreoretinal disorder characterized by a visible fundus lesion predisposing the patient to retinal tears and detachment. The etiology of this degeneration is still uncertain, but it is likely that both genetic and environmental factors play important roles in its development. To identify genetic susceptibility regions for lattice degeneration of the retina, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a dense panel of 23,465 microsatellite markers covering the entire human genome.

Infliximab monotherapy versus infliximab and colchicine combination therapy in patients with Behçet's disease.

Purpose: To compare infliximab monotherapy with infliximab and colchicine combination therapy in Behçet's disease.

Methods: Clinical records of 14 Behçet's disease patients who were administered infliximab with or without colchicine were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who were given other immunosuppresants after initiation of infliximab therapy were excluded.

Investigation of association between TLR9 gene polymorphisms and VKH in Japanese patients.

Purpose: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting melanocytes in the skin, eyes, inner ear, and meninges. The Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen have been hypothesized as possible triggering factors for the disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the induction of defense mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune responses to microbial pathogens.

Association analysis of Toll-like receptor 7 gene polymorphisms and Behçet's disease in Japanese patients.

Action of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is deeply associated with defense mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune responses to microbial pathogens. There have been reports of genetic polymorphisms within the TLR7 gene being closely related to a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases. Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoinflammatory disease, and the pathogenesis has yet to be fully discovered.

Association of toll-like receptor 2 gene polymorphisms with normal tension glaucoma.

Purpose: Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a transmembrane receptor that mediates immune responses to exogenous and endogenous ligands, and interacts with heat-shock proteins, which are reportedly involved in normal tension glaucoma (NTG). We investigated whether TLR2 polymorphisms are associated with NTG.

Methods: 200 Japanese patients with NTG and 128 healthy Japanese controls were recruited.

Investigation of the association between Toll-like receptor 2 gene polymorphisms and Behçet's disease in Japanese patients.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent ocular symptoms, oral and genital ulcers, and skin lesions. The etiology of BD is still uncertain, but genetic and environmental factors likely both play an important role in BD development. In the present study, we investigated whether polymorphisms of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), previously reported to recognize BD candidate antigens, are associated with BD.

[Simulation of airbag impact on eyes after trabeculectomy by finite element analysis method].

Purpose: A finite element computer model of the human eye after trabeculectomy was used in an experiment of simulated airbag ocular injury.

Methods: A half-layer-incised scleral flap was created on the limbus and the strength of its adhesion to the outer sclera was set at 30%, 50% and 100%. The simulations were performed at a workstation using the finite element analysis program PAM CRASH (Nihon ESI, Tokyo, Japan), and the airbag was set to hit the surface of the post-trabeculectomy eye at various velocities in two directions, straight to the corneal center or straight to the scleral flap.

Multicoated contact lens for bimanual vitreous surgery without endoillumination.

We developed a new multicoated contact lens for use with the bimanual vitrectomy technique. The new lens is made of quartz, and its multicoated surface has properties that decrease light reflection and increase light absorption. The lens is placed on the cornea, and the coaxial light from the operating microscope alone enables surgeons to obtain a clear image of the retinal surface.

Measured visual acuity of fellow eyes as a prognostic factor in macular hole surgery.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the vision of the fellow eye on the visual acuity of eyes after successful macular hole surgery.

Design: Prospective consecutive series.

Methods: A consecutive series of eyes with successful macular hole closure were studied and assigned to one of two groups according to the visual acuity of the fellow eye; a group with visual acuity less than 20/200 and a group with visual acuity of 20/200 or better.