Therapy for ocular toxoplasmosis.

We conducted a prospective multicenter study of the efficacy of current therapeutic strategies for ocular toxoplasmosis in 149 patients. Treatment consisted of the following three triple-drug combinations: group 1, pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, and corticosteroids; group 2, clindamycin, sulfadiazine, and corticosteroids; and group 3, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and corticosteroids. Patients with peripheral retinal lesions were not treated systemically.

Intraocular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Usually eye symptoms precede the infiltration of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the central nervous system or in other organs. Early treatment of the tumor by irradiation, to which it is highly sensitive, can preserve the vision and prolong the life of the patient. Such therapy however is often delayed when the diagnosis cannot be confirmed cytologically.

Laboratory tests in uveitis. New developments in the analysis of local antibody production.

Analysis of local intraocular antibody production is a valuable tool with which to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis in uveitis. We have analysed paired serum and aqueous samples for the presence of specific antibodies against toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus. Of the patients retrospectively diagnosed as having toxoplasma chorioretinitis 75% had a positive antibody coefficient indicating specific antibody production in the eye.

Therapy of ocular toxoplasmosis.

We performed a prospective multicentre study to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic strategies currently used for ocular toxoplasmosis in a large number of patients (n = 106). Treatment was given for at least four weeks and consisted of three triple drug combinations: group 1, pyrimethamine, sulphadiazine and corticosteroids (n = 29); group 2. clindamycin, sulphadiazine and corticosteroids (n = 37); and group 3.

Aqueous humor analysis as a diagnostic tool in toxoplasma uveitis.

Analysis of local toxoplasma antibody production to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis of toxoplasma chorioretinitis is a valuable diagnostic tool. Determination of toxoplasma antibodies in the blood of the patient is of limited use. When blood toxoplasma tests are negative this indicates that toxoplasma as a causative organisms in the pathogenesis of uveitis is unlikely.

Rapid deterioration of diabetic retinopathy during treatment with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

The effect of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) on diabetic retinopathy was studied in 19 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). All had diabetes before age 30. Three patients had no retinal abnormalities at the start of the study, 12 had minimal or mild background retinopathy, and 4 had a preproliferative retinopathy.

Stereoscopic fluorescein angiography of the fundus.

The fundus of the eye is a three-dimensional organ. The usual two-dimensional representation of the angiogram provides us with incomplete information. It is true that it is usually possible by indirect means to deduce at which level the pathological process is taking place, but a simple technique enables one to register and project the angiogram stereoscopically.