Ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting syndrome causing blindness in a child.

Ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting syndrome, the result of a mutation in the gene encoding tumor protein p63, causes ocular surface disease. It is typically progressive, with vision loss in adulthood. We present a case of severe corneal disease, glaucoma, and blindness related to ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting syndrome in a 3-year-old female patient.

Adjustable suture strabismus surgery in infants and children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the success rate of adjustable suture techniques in horizontal eye muscle surgery in children aged 10 years and younger. METHODS: A retrospective review of children who had horizontal eye muscle surgery at or before the age of 10 years. Patients were divided into 1 of 2 groups according to whether a nonadjustable or an adjustable technique was used. The preoperative measurements, type of strabismus, and postoperative results were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 98 cases in the nonadjustable group and 298 cases in the adjustable group were identified. Early success rate, defined as alignment within 8(Delta) of straight at the end of 3 months, was notably greater in the adjustable group (79%) than in the nonadjustable group (64.5%). The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). In the adjustable group, adjustment was performed in 64% of the cases, either because of an undercorrection or overcorrection. The adjustment procedure was performed under topical proparacaine in 20% of cases and under intravenous propofol in 80%. No complications were reported during the adjustment procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The use of adjustable sutures can provide an improved success rate over nonadjustable sutures in eye muscle surgery in children aged 10 years or younger.

Effect of Vitamin D on falls: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Falls among elderly individuals occur frequently, increase with age, and lead to substantial morbidity and mortality. The role of vitamin D in preventing falls among elderly people has not been well established. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing an older person from falling. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register from January 1960 to February 2004, EMBASE from January 1991 to February 2004, clinical experts, bibliographies, and abstracts. Search terms included trial terms: randomized-controlled trial or controlled-clinical trial or random-allocation or double-blind method, or single-blind method or uncontrolled-trials with vitamin D terms: cholecalciferol or hydroxycholecalciferols or calcifediol or dihydroxycholecalciferols or calcitriol or vitamin D/aa[analogs & derivates] or ergocalciferol or vitamin D/bl[blood]; and with accidental falls or falls, and humans. STUDY SELECTION: We included only double-blind randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D in elderly populations (mean age, 60 years) that examined falls resulting from low trauma for which the method of fall ascertainment and definition of falls were defined explicitly. Studies including patients in unstable health states were excluded. Five of 38 identified studies were included in the primary analysis and 5 other studies were included in a sensitivity analysis. DATA EXTRACTION: Independent extraction by 3 authors using predefined data fields including study quality indicators. DATA SYNTHESIS: Based on 5 RCTs involving 1237 participants, vitamin D reduced the corrected odds ratio (OR) of falling by 22% (corrected OR, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.92) compared with patients receiving calcium or placebo. From the pooled risk difference, the number needed to treat (NNT) was 15 (95% CI, 8-53), or equivalently 15 patients would need to be treated with vitamin D to prevent 1 person from falling. The inclusion of 5 additional studies, involving 10 001 participants, in a sensitivity analysis resulted in a smaller but still significant effect size (corrected RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96). Subgroup analyses suggested that the effect size was independent of calcium supplementation, type of vitamin D, duration of therapy, and sex, but reduced sample sizes made the results statistically nonsignificant for calcium supplementation, cholecalciferol, and among men. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D supplementation appears to reduce the risk of falls among ambulatory or institutionalized older individuals with stable health by more than 20%. Further studies examining the effect of alternative types of vitamin D and their doses, the role of calcium supplementation, and effects in men should be considered.