ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in the treatment of macular thickness and reduced visual acuity in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated 15 eyes of 15 consecutive patients diagnosed with branch retinal vein occlusion between May 2008 and June 2011 at our institution. Detailed ophthalmologic examination, optical coherence tomography, and/or fundus fluorescein angiography was performed at diagnosis and during follow-up. A 1.25 mg intravitreal bevacizumab injection was administered to all patients on average 2.73 (1-7) times. Visual acuity and macular thickness were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: Eleven patients were female (73.3%) and four were male (26.6%). The mean patient age was 62.6 years. The patients were followed for a mean of 11.4 (range 4-24) months. Mean best-corrected visual acuity was 0.92 ± 0.52 logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) before treatment and 0.66 ± 0.42 logMAR at the last examination. The increase in visual acuity was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.031). Mean macular thickness was 395.46 ± 106.55 µm before treatment and 302.26 ± 84.6 µm after the final treatment. The decrease in macular thickness was statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab injection was effective for treatment of retinal vein branch occlusion.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Postoperative hypocalcemia is a frequently encountered complication of thyroid surgery. Since hypocalcemic symptoms are closely associated with sex, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of sex steroids on muscle tissue under hypocalcemic conditions. METHODS: Six groups consisting of control male (M), control female (F), gonadectomized male (M-), gonadectomized female (F-), estradiol-applied gonadectomized male (MX), and testosterone-applied gonadectomized female (FX) rats were used. Contraction recordings were obtained from soleus muscle flaps. Maximal tension (PT), frequency required for 50% of PT (F50), contraction velocity at F50 (V50), and changes in contraction values (d[PT], d[F50], d[V50]) between normocalcemic and hypocalcemic conditions were calculated. RESULTS: d[PT], d[F50], and d[V50] were significantly higher in M- and MX groups compared with control M group. Whereas d[PT], d[F50], and d[V50] parameters of the F- group were significantly higher than control F group, d[F50] and d[PT] of the FX group showed no significant change and d[V50] for the FX group was significantly lower. A comparison of control groups showed that d[PT], d[F50], and d[V50] of the F group were significantly higher than those of the M group. CONCLUSION: Whereas absence of both testosterone and estradiol caused an increase in hypocalcemia-induced changes in contraction parameters of rat skeletal muscle, presence or application of testosterone clearly stabilized contraction parameters.
