1,720,972 research outputs found
Conjunctival and corneal findings in bleb-associated endophthalmitis: an in vivo confocal microscopy study.
No full textPURPOSE:
To report the conjunctival and corneal findings in delayed onset glaucoma filtering bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE), by using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).
METHODS:
This was an observational case series. Four eyes of four glaucomatous patients who previously underwent mytomicin C augmented filtering surgery and affected with delayed onset BAE, underwent IVCM of conjunctival bleb and cornea at diagnosis, after 2 and 8 weeks of therapy. The inflammatory status of the conjunctival epithelium and sub-epithelium was microscopically investigated. Corneal epithelial cells, stromal and endothelial morphology were also evaluated. A group of eight patients with functioning conjunctival filtering bleb was used as control.
RESULTS:
At diagnosis, a diffuse inflammatory cell infiltration within the conjunctival epithelium presenting evident microcysts was found; conversely, there were no such alterations in the sub-epithelium. An evident stromal oedema, keratocytes activation and diffuse endothelial inflammatory precipitates were the major corneal hallmarks. After 2 weeks of therapy, besides a remarkable improvement of epithelial inflammation and an evident reduction in endothelial precipitates, dendritic cells appeared within conjunctival sub-epithelium and corneal epithelium showed aspects of cellular disruption. After 8 weeks, the conjunctival and corneal features consistently improved, except for the endothelium which still presented high-reflective residual precipitates.
CONCLUSIONS:
In vivo confocal microscopy proved valuable in the analysis of conjunctival bleb and cornea in patients affected with delayed onset BAE, permitting an evaluation of the course of the disease, the response to therapy and the modulation of dose regimen
Immunohistochemical study of corneal inflammation after femtosecond laser clear corneal incisions or manual surgery
No full textPURPOSE:
To use immunohistochemical staining to evaluate corneal inflammation and apoptosis induced after femtosecond laser incisions or manual incisions.
SETTING:
Ophthalmology Clinic, University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
DESIGN:
Experimental study.
METHODS:
Ninety human cadaver corneas were cut manually or with the femtosecond laser at different energies and analyzed by immunohistochemistry after 5 minutes or 4 hours. The corneas were divided into 5 groups: untreated (Group 1), cut manually (Group 2), and treated with the femtosecond laser with increasing energies (Groups 3 to 5; 3.0 μJ, 6.0 μJ, and 15.0 μJ, respectively).
RESULTS:
At 5 minutes, increased expression of interleukin (IL)-18 was observed in the femtosecond laser groups compared with the manual group (P < .01). Interferon gamma (IFNγ) positivity was significantly higher in Groups 4 and 5 than in Group 2 and between Groups 3 and 4 (P < .05). The terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl nick end-labeling (TUNEL) positivity increased with higher energy (Group 2 versus Group 4 and Group 2 versus Group 5; P < .05). After 4 hours, IFNγ positivity was higher in Group 5 than in Group 2 (P = .0021) and between Group 5 and Groups 3 and 4 (P < .05). No sign of IL-18 positivity was found after 4 hours in any sample. Group 5 showed significant higher TUNEL positivity than all other groups (P < .0001).
CONCLUSION:
The femtosecond laser technique at high energies induced a higher corneal inflammatory response and a higher corneal cell apoptosis than the manual technique.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE:
None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned
Spectral domain optical coherence tomography and in vivo confocal microscopy imaging of a case of Bietti's crystalline dystrophy
No full textBackground: The aim was to describe the morphology and localisation of crystals in a case of Bietti's crystalline corneo-retinal dystrophy (BCD) by means of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). Methods: Clinical examination, SD-OCT and IVCM evaluation of a 35-year-old woman with BCD. Results: Optical coherence tomography examination of the macular region revealed multiple crystals in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choriocapillaris, some crystals within the full thickness of the neurosensory retina and less numerous crystals in the choroid. Crystals were present peripherally in areas of retinal atrophy, predominantly in the choroid and to a lesser extent in the RPE-choriocapillaris and the neuroepithelium. In vivo confocal microscopy showed multiple crystals of varying morphology in the peripheral and paralimbal cornea, mainly located in the anterior stroma over 360°. Conclusions: SD-OCT provided greater precision in the localisation of crystals, found mainly in the choroid and RPE-choriocapillaris rather than the neuroepithelium. In vivo confocal microscopy revealed a higher number of crystals compared to those visible using conventional slitlamp biomicroscopy and showed a different crystal morphology. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2012 Optometrists Association Australia
Evaluation of corneal biomechanical properties modification after small incision lenticule extraction using Scheimpflug-based noncontact tonometer.
Full text linkAbstract
PURPOSE:
To quantify the effect of small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) on the corneal biomechanics using Scheimpflug noncontact tonometer (Corvis ST).
METHODS:
Twenty eyes of twenty patients, evaluated as eligible for surgery, with high myopia and/or moderate myopic astigmatism, underwent small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). All patients underwent Corvis ST preoperatively and postoperatively after 1 week, and 1 and 3 months to observe alterations of corneal biomechanical properties. The main outcome measures were Deformation Amplitude, 1st-AT, and 2nd-AT. The relationship between the amount of stroma removed and the percentage variation of the measured parameters from baseline was evaluated with generalized linear model from each time point. For completeness also intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), and their variations after surgery were evaluated.
RESULTS:
The ratio between the amount of removed refractive error and, respectively, changes of Deformation Amplitude, 1st-AT, and 2nd-AT were significantly modified at the 1st week after surgery (P = 0.005; P = 0.001; P = 0.024). At 1 and 3 months these values did not show statistically significant alterations. Intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness showed statistically significant changes during follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS:
No significant modifications in biomechanical properties were observed after SMILE so this procedure could induce only minimal transient alterations of corneal biomechanics
All laser cataract surgery compared to femtosecond laser phacoemulsification surgery: corneal trauma
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate corneal tissue trauma after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and phacoemulsification (femtophaco surgery) compared to FLACS and nanolaser emulsification (all laser surgery). This is a prospective nonrandomized clinical study conducted at the Ophthalmology Clinic, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, involving forty-two eyes of 42 patients candidates to cataract surgery. Patients were enrolled in two groups: femtophaco surgery (group 1 with 21 eyes) and all laser surgery (group 2 with 21 eyes). Main outcome measures included uncorrected visual acuity and distance corrected visual acuity, corneal endothelial cell count, and corneal thickness at the tunnel site and at the center of the cornea. Best correct visual acuity was not significantly different between the two groups. Postoperatively, a significant decrement of endothelial cell count at the center of the cornea was observed in group 1 compared with preoperative values at 90 days (p < 0.001) while t remained stable in group 2. The central corneal thickness showed a statistically significant increase for both groups that reached a maximum thickness at 7 days and then returned to presurgery levels after 90 days for group 1 and after 60 days for group 2. The tunnel corneal thickness showed a statistically significant increase for both groups that reached a maximum thickness at 7 days, which did not return to presurgery level for group 1 but did return to presurgery levels after 60 days for group 2. All laser surgery induced lower central endothelial cell loss and lower increase of corneal thickness compared to femtophaco surgery
Comparative study of Acrysof ReSTOR multifocal intraocular lenses +4.00 D and +3.00 D: Visual performance and wavefront error
Full text linkBackground: The aim was to evaluate visual performance and wavefront error after implantation of three models of Acrysof ReSTOR multifocal intraocular lenses (MIOLs). Methods: This prospective comparative six-month study comprised 60 eyes having phacoemulsification and implantation of three diffractive AcrySof ReSTOR MIOLs: SN60D3 +4.00 D spherical MIOL (group 1), SN6AD3 +4.00 D aspheric MIOL (group 2) and SN6AD1 +3.00 D aspheric MIOL (group 3). Results: The distance visual acuity was at least 0.1 logMAR in 88.8 per cent of group 1, 88.8 per cent of group 2 and 87.5 per cent of group 3. The distance-corrected near vision was 0.02 ± 0.04 logMAR in group 1, 0.02 ± 0.05 logMAR in group 2 and 0.01 ± 0.03 logMAR in group 3 (p = 0.822). The distance-corrected intermediate vision was 0.26 ± 0.07, 0.22 ± 0.09 and 0.04 ± 0.05, respectively (p < 0.001). The root-mean-square (RMS) of ocular spherical aberration was significantly lower in groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1 (p = 0.048). Conclusion: All diffractive MIOLs provided good vision for far and near. ReSTOR MIOL +3.00 also restored intermediate vision. Aspheric MIOLs +4.00 and +3.00 induced significantly lower spherical aberration compared to spherical MIOL +4.00. © 2012 Optometrists Association Australia
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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