A Histologic Study of Filtering Wounds After Fistulizing Surgery

When a glaucoma filtering operation fails, the causes may be categorized as intraocular, scleral, or extraocular. Some authors have implicated that extraocular causes of failure are due to closure of the external opening by connective tissue. This histologic investigation was undertaken to examine the surgical wounds of 8 experimental subjects including 4 albino and 4 pigmented rabbits. Under general anesthesia by pentothal sodium, a single punch sclerectomy was performed on each right eye. A trabeculectomy was performed on the left eye. Seven and ten days following surgery, globes were removed and immediately fixed in Karnovsky's fixation solution. Following fixation, globes were bisected through surgical wounds, and one-half was studied using standard light microscopy. The other one-half specimens were blocked and processed for transmission electron microscopy. The results of the evaluations were as follows: 1. Full thickness sclerectomy wounds healed by ingrowth of fibroblasts from subconjunctival and episcleral tissue, but trabeculectomy wounds showed no communication with extrascleral tissue. 2. Quantitatively, proliferation of fibroblasts were more exuberant in the sclerectomied eyes compared to trabeculectomies. 3. There was no evidence of significant difference between albino and pigmented rabbits. 4. The granulation tissue composed mainly of fibroblasts resembles smooth muscle cell(myofibroblasts) and extracellular collagen constituents. Ultrastructurally, these cells showed massive bundles of intracytoplasmic microfilaments with scattered dense bodies, wrinkled and folded nuclei indicative cellular contraction, and abundant cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum informative activity of cellular proliferation. From those results, author conclude that smooth muscle antagonists may inhibit the proliferation of myofibroblasts after glaucoma filtering operations.

A Case of Surgical Repair of Ruptured Filtering Bleb After Filtering Operations

Recently we have experienced a case of the ruptured filtering bleb after Posterior lip sclerectomy, which occured in the right eye of a 36-year old Korean male. Sudden blurred vision and tearing in the right eye after severe rubbing, were his chief complaints prior to his visit to hospital. Visual acuity waS 0.2 (0.9X + 0.75D. sph.) in the right eye and the right eyeball was soft with a flat of anterior chamber. A leaking of aqueous onto the surface of the right eye was observed, when Fluorescein(Seidel Test) was used. First, we applied a pressure bandage for about 36 hours, but the leaking of filtering bleb was continued. So, Surgical repair was performed with postoperative care. 5 months later after surgical repair by conjunctiva alone, or combined with its attached undissected Tenon's fascia, filtering bleb was reconstituted and well-functioning.

Statistic Observation About Effect of Cycloplegic Refraction in Primary School Children

We studied the difference between manifest refraction and cycloplegic refraction in 80 myopic eyes between the ages of 5 and 13 years. The followings are its results. 1) The difference between manifest refraction and cycloplegic refraction is less than -0.50D. 2) In case of manifest refraction of less than -2.0D, especially in those under -1.0D we noticed that the effect of cycloplegic refraction was significant. 3) The effect of cycloplegic refraction is inversely proportional to age. 4) In cycloplegic refraction, we can't expect effects except the accurate eye examination.

Survey of Causes of Blindness on Blind Students in Korea

This is a study on the causes of the blindness for 217 blind students in Korea. Blindness in defined as the visual acuity for distance of 0.1 (20/200) or less in the better eye with best correction. The causes of blindness in descending order of frequency are as follows: unknown eye diseases (32.3%). congenital diseases (31.3%). infectious diseases (8.8%), meningitis (6.5%), injury and intoxication(6%), refractive errors(6%), febrile diseases(6%), and malnutrition (1.4%), etc. Rate of blindness by site and type of affection is shown as: atrophia bulbi (33.6%). optic nerve diseases(23.1%). cataract(18.996), corneal diseases(11.4%), glaucoma(10.696). anophthalmos(7.4%). amblyopia(6.5%), retinal diseases (2.8%), uveitis (1.0%), high myopia(0.5%), and other diseases (6.4%), etc. Comparisons with other statistics on causes of blindness in the inland and the foreign countries are attempted. Evaluation of results and problems establishing a more detailed and nationwide survey in future are briefly discussed in comment.

A Case of Persistent Pupillary Membrane

Persistent remnants of the pupillary membrane are common but a thick dense persistent pupillary membrane covering all or most of pupil is not often encountered. The authors have recently experienced a case of extensive persistent pupillary membrane in a 4 year-old Korean boy. A well-formed membrane run out from the lesser circle may strectch across the pupil it to a greater exent. This may be provided with five to six irregular apertures. Optical iridotomy was performed in left eye with improvement of vision from L.P to 20/30.