[Complications of transpupillary thermotherapy in exudative age-related macular degeneration]

To evaluate the visual outcomes and complications of low power transpupillary thermotherapy [TTT] in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration [AMD]. The study included 20 eyes of 17 patients. Diagnosis of exudative AMD was established on the basis of fundus examination and fluorescein angiography [FA]. TTT was performed using a diode laser at 810 nm wavelength, spot size of 2.5 to 4 mm and duration of 60 seconds for each spot with power settings between 300-600 mw [20% reduction]. Follow-up visits were scheduled 1 and 6 weeks and 1, 3 and 6 months after the procedure and yearly thereafter. Patients were followed for at least 6 months. Cases with persistent leakage from CNV in late frames of FA were referred for another treatment option. Patients included 10 men [12 eyes] and 7 women [8 eyes] with mean age of 70.71 +/- 9.8 [range 50-84] years. Baseline best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA] ranged from 20/50 to 20/1300. Post-TTT regression of leakage [clinically and angiographically], and improvement or stabilization of visual acuity, was not statistically significant [P=0.14]. Post-TTT complications included subretinal prepapillary hemorrhages in 2 eyes, vitreous hemorrhage in 2 eyes and macular infarction in one eye. At final follow-up, fibrosis of the CNV was detected in 7 [35%] eyes and flat chorioretinal atrophy with hypopigmentation was seen in 11 [55%] eyes. There was no significant difference between cases with flat atrophy and those with fibrous scars in terms of BCVA [P=0.91]. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with better visual acuity [>/=20/60] had poorer visual outcomes after TTT [P=0.03]. Overall, in spite of the low threshold, visual acuity remained unchanged or decreased. Although TTT can occlude choroidal neovascularization, it could not prevent retinal complications and occurrence or progression of chorioretinal atrophy or subretinal fibrosis

[Ocular findings associated with meningomyelocele in two brothers with gaucher's disease]

To describe the variability of ocular and systemic findings in two brothers with Gaucher's disease. Ophthalmic, general clinical evaluation and enzymatic studies were performed in two brothers, 14 and 7 years old with Gaucher's disease. Mental retardation, occipital meningomyelocele and Gaucher cells in bone marrow in addition to high myopia and various fundus abnormalities consisting of granular white lesions in the fundus periphery were noted. In the older brother, splenomegaly and anemia, macular coloboma -like anomaly in the right eye and night blindness were additional findings. There are various ocular findings including fundus changes and high myopia in Gaucher's disease

[Plasma homocysteine levels in cataract patients with and without pseudoexfoliation syndrome]

To compare total plasma homocysteine [tHcy] levels in cataract patients with and without pseudoexfoliation syndrome [PXS]. In this case-control study 29 [15 female and 14 male] cataract patients with PXS and 29 [16 female and 13 male] cataract patients without PXS were enrolled. Fasting tHcy level was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and compared between the two groups. Mean age was 68.9 +/- 13.9 years in the PXS group and 63.1 +/- 12.6 in patients without PXS [P=0.69]. Mean plasma tHcy level was 21.08 +/- 11.72 micromol/l in patients with PXS Vs 13.20 +/- 4.23 micromol/l in patient without PXS [P=0.001]. Hyperhomocysteinemia was seen in 17 cases [56.6%] of PXS vs 4 cases [13.8%] of non-PXS subjects [P=0.001]. This study supports the association of hyperhomocysteinemia with pseudoexfoliation syndrome