Association Between Oral Metformin Use and the Development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Metformin is a biguanide derivative that is commonly used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). It demonstrates antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogenic activity within the ocular tissue and thus may be implicated in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, epidemiological studies have shown conflicting results.

Equivalent legibility font size for traditional Chinese character compared to early treatment diabetic retinopathy study near visual acuity.

Purposes: To investigate the legibility of a standardized logarithmic print size of traditional Chinese (TC) characters and compare it with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) near chart.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1243 commonly used TC characters were chosen and divided into three groups according to its stroke complexity: Group A with 2-9 strokes, Group B with 10-17 strokes, and Group C with 18-25 strokes. For each group of characters, near charts were created using randomly chosen characters arranged in decreasing logarithmic size.

Anterior Migration of Triamcinolone Acetonide after Posterior Subtenon Injection for Macular Edema Predisposes to Intraocular Pressure Elevation.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of anterior migration of triamcinolone acetonide on intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) for macular edema.

Methods: One hundred and ten eyes from 89 patients who received PSTA for macular edema were prospectively enrolled. The extent of anterior migration of triamcinolone acetonide was recorded immediately after the injection.

Ocular hypertension and severe intraocular pressure elevation after posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide for various diseases.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the incidences of ocular hypertension and severe intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) for various diseases.

Methods: Totally 179 eyes that had received PSTA for diabetic macular edema (=108), pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (=20), branch retinal vein occlusion (=16), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, =14), choroidal neovascularization (=14) or noninfectious uveitis (=7) were retrospectively enrolled. The primary outcomes included ocular hypertension defined as an IOP>21 mm Hg, and severe IOP elevation defined as a rise of 10 mm Hg or more in IOP compared with baseline.

Correlation of pterygium severity with IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) and mast cells.

IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) is a multidomain scaffold protein that is involved in cytoskeleton dynamics and tumor metastasis. Although the role of IQGAP1 in various cancers had been reported, the function of IQGAP1 in pterygium has not been studied. In this study, surgically excised pterygium and control conjunctival tissue from cataract patients were analysed by immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and Western blot for IQGAP1 expression, mast cell counts, and microvascular count.

Neuroprotective Effects of Collagen-Glycosaminoglycan Matrix Implantation following Surgical Brain Injury.

Background: Neurological deficits following neurosurgical procedures are inevitable; however, there are still no effective clinical treatments. Earlier reports revealed that collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) matrix implantation promotes angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and functional recovery following surgical brain injury (SBI). The present study was conducted to further examine the potential neuroprotective effects of collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) matrix implantation following neurosurgery.

Short-term refractive and ocular parameter changes after topical atropine.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore short-term refractive and ocular parameter changes and their correlations after cycloplegia with atropine.

Meterials And Methods: This is a prospective clinical trial that enrolled 96 eyes of 96 participants (mean age, 8.5 ± 2.

The healing effect of the collagen-glycosaminoglycan copolymer on corneal thinning.

Background: To study the healing processes of partial thickness wounds in the adult rabbit cornea after grafting a porous collagen-glycosaminoglycan copolymer matrix (CG).

Methods: In this study, the regeneration of surgically-induced rabbit corneal defect implanted with CG was investigated. The corneal partial thickness wound was created by 7.

Enhancement of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 accompanied with neurogenesis following collagen glycosaminoglycan matrix implantation after surgical brain injury.

Surgical brain injury may result in irreversible neurological deficits. Our previous report showed that partial regeneration of a traumatic brain lesion is achieved by implantation of collagen glycosaminoglycan (CGM). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may play an important role in neurogenesis but there is currently a lack of studies displaying the relationship between the stimulation of MMPs and neurogenesis after collagen glycosaminoglycan implantation following surgical brain trauma.

Optic Disc Parameters of Myopic Children with Atropine Treatment.

Purpose: To characterize optic disc parameters, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), and the intraocular pressure (IOP) of myopic children under continual topical 0.25% atropine treatment.

Methods: From October 1, 2010 to September 31, 2011, 67 eyes of 35 myopic children were recruited.

Prognostic factors of short-term outcomes of intravitreal ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic factors for short-term visual and anatomical improvement of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) for diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: Fifty-one eyes from 35 patients that received three consecutive monthly IVR for DME with moderate visual loss were retrospectively recruited; all cases had their baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20/400 and 20/40. BCVA and central subfield thickness (CST) at baseline and month 3 were collected.

Subtenon Triamcinolone Acetonide Removal for Uncontrolled Ocular Hypertension After Posterior Subtenon Injection of Triamcinolone Acetonide.

Purpose: To report the control of intraocular pressure (IOP) after removal of subtenon triamcinolone acetonide (TA) plaques in patients with uncontrolled ocular hypertension after posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) and to evaluate the factors associated with rapid IOP normalization after subtenon TA removal.

Materials And Methods: Data from 8 eyes of 7 patients receiving excision of subtenon TA plaques for uncontrolled ocular hypertension after PSTA in 1 hospital from June 2010 to December 2012 were retrospectively collected. The percentage of IOP lowering on postoperative day 1 and the time to IOP normalization after subtenon TA removal were reported.

Collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix implantation promotes angiogenesis following surgical brain trauma.

Surgical brain injury (SBI) is unavoidable during many neurosurgical procedures intrinsically linked to postoperative neurological deficits. We have previously demonstrated that implantation of collagen glycosaminoglycan (CG) following surgical brain injury could significantly promote functional recovery and neurogenesis. In this study we further hypothesized that this scaffold may provide a microenvironment by promoting angiogenesis to favor neurogenesis and subsequent functional recovery.

Randomized, double-blind, controlled study to evaluate the effect of vidian nerve cauterization on lacrimation.

Background: After vidian neurectomy, low reported rates of dry eye syndrome (DES) seemed incompatible with the high success rate of nerve severance in previous studies. This study aimed at understanding of the pathophysiology of lacrimation and evaluating the effect of thermal injury through the distal stump on the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) after vidian neurectomy.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was performed to evaluate the DES.

Botulinum toxin type a injection for lateral canthal rhytids : effect on tear film stability and tear production.

Importance: Botulinum toxin injection for lateral canthal rhytids has been reported to result in dry eye, but its effect on tear film stability and tear production has not been studied thoroughly.

Objective: To investigate the effect of botulinum toxin type A on tear film stability and tear production after treatment of lateral canthal rhytids.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We performed a clinical intervention study at a regional hospital in Taiwan of 58 women 30 to 60 years of age with lateral canthal rhytids from January 1 through December 31, 2011.

Is being female a risk factor for shallow anterior chamber? The associations between anterior chamber depth and age, sex, and body height.

Aim Of Study: To analyze the association between anterior chamber depth (ACD) and age, sex, and body height (BH).

Materials And Methods: One thousand four hundred eighty eyes of 1480 adults 40 years of age and older receiving preoperative evaluation for cataract surgery were recruited consecutively from June 1, 2006, to December 31, 2010. ACD was measured with the Zeiss IOLMaster.

Transcleral posterior chamber paracentesis for angle closure glaucoma secondary to posterior chamber gas entrapment after intravitreal c3f8 injection in a phakic eye.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe a new technique for treating a case of angle closure glaucoma secondary to posterior chamber (PC) gas entrapment after intravitreal C3F8 injection.

Methods: Retrospective case report.

Results: A 26-year-old woman received intravitreal injection of 0.

The application of tissue engineering in reversing mitomycin C-induced ischemic conjunctiva.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the angiogenic potential of collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) matrices in mitomycin C-induced ischemic conjunctival defect, in New Zealand white rabbits. After creating a conjunctival defect at the center of ischemic conjunctiva, a CG matrix was implanted into subconjunctival space to evaluate the conjunctival reepithelialization and angiogenesis during the wound healing process. In the grafted group, the vessel count of the healed conjunctiva was substantially elevated by two fold within the initial 4 weeks and the increased vascular content originated mostly from the fornix site.

Functional improvement and neurogenesis after collagen-GAG matrix implantation into surgical brain trauma.

Surgical or traumatic brain injury often leads to loss of cerebral parenchyma but there is as yet no clinically effective strategy for neural regeneration. Collagen glycosaminoglycan (collagen-GAG, CG) scaffolds have previously been used in many tissues in vivo but have never been utilized in the brain. Using an animal model, we investigated the effects of the implantation of CG scaffold matrix following surgical brain trauma.

Central retinal vein occlusion as the initial manifestation of LHON / MELAS overlap syndrome with mitochondrial DNA G13513A mutation--case report and literature review.

Background: The aim of this paper is to describe the clinical features and molecular findings of a unique case of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)/mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) overlap syndrome presenting as nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Methods: An 11-year-old Chinese girl presented with sudden onset of bilateral blurred vision. The clinical history, imaging studies, and molecular analysis results were reviewed.

Efficacy and safety of biodegradable collagen-glycosaminoglycan polymer as a material for scleral buckling.

Purpose: To test the efficacy and safety of a biodegradable collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) polymer as the material for scleral buckling in rabbit eyes.

Methods: Segmental scleral buckling was performed by using a silicone sponge in one eye and a biodegradable CG polymer in the other eye of 20 rabbits. Wound and conjunctival reactions were evaluated by external photographs 1 day and then every week after surgery.

Tissue bioengineering for surgical bleb defects: an animal study.

Background: To assess the effectiveness of OloGen (also named iGen), a porous, bioengineered, biodegradable, collagen-glycoaminoglycan matrix implant, in preventing poor bleb formation and early failure after trabeculectomy in eyes with a surgical wound defect.

Methods: The right eyes of 30 female New Zealand albino rabbits underwent trabeculectomy with OloGen implanted subconjunctivally on top of the scleral flap, while six right eyes received trabeculectomy without the implant to serve as a control group. A 1-2 mm diameter circular conjunctival defect was created in all eyes.

Control of filtering bleb structure through tissue bioengineering: An animal model.

Purpose: To devise a means of providing controlled resistance between the anterior chamber and the subconjunctival space after trabeculectomy by implantation of a biodegradable, porous collagen matrix.

Methods: Matrices were implanted in the right eyes of 17 rabbits after trabeculectomy, while left eyes served as surgical controls. The scleral flap was sutured loosely, and the implant provided pressure on the scleral flap to reduce overfiltration.

Idiopathic subconjunctival abscess.

Subconjunctival abscess is a relatively rare cause of ocular infection. It is usually associated with predisposing factors such as previous trauma or surgery. We report a case of subconjunctival abscess in a 61-year-old woman with no known risk factors.