[Alternative Methods of Local Therapy for Complicated Periocular Infections - Two Case Reports]. / Alternative Methoden der Lokaltherapie bei komplizierten periokulären Infektionen ­ 2 Fallberichte.

Background Wounds of the eyelid can usually be cured with common surgical measures and the use of local antibiotics. Here we present two cases to demonstrate that biological debridement and negative pressure vacuum therapy (NPWT), two second line therapies, are effective and possibly superior alternatives to conventional, antibiotic-based approaches. Methodology and Result A persistent infectious wound of the upper eyelid after surgical debridement of necrotising fasciitis and an upper eyelid abscess with multiple purulent entry points, which was refractory to a five-week antibiotic regimen, were treated with biological debridement and NPWT. The combination of these two therapies leads to an optimal outcome. Conclusion Our cases demonstrate that, in ophthalmology, uncommon methods such as biological debridement and NPWT are quite practicable and are valuable therapeutic options.

[Three cases--one diagnosis: ocular manifestations of sarcoidosis]. / Drei Fälle--eine Diagnose: okuläre Manifestationsformen der Sarkoidose.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis can manifest itself in a variety of affection patterns in the eye. Early diagnosis and treatment are of crucial importance. Therefore the following three cases present occular symptoms associated with sarcoidosis. METHODS: Three case reports are described. RESULTS: We report three cases with panuveitis but different anamneses. A 14-year-old boy suffered initially from a medically refractory sinusitis, followed by panuveitis with a distinct pattern of chorioretinal involvement. Furthermore, there was a facial palsy, swelling of the parotid glands, fever, and a deterioration of his general condition. The histological examination of a turbinectomy revealed a granulomatous inflammation with non-caseating granulomas. The second patient, a 66-year-old female, presented with the suspected diagnosis of paraneoplastic syndrome and positive anamnesis for sigma carcinoma. One of her main symptoms was significant uveitis with a pronounced inflammation in the anterior chamber. The suspicious lesions in thoracic CT yielded to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The third patient, a 51-year-old male, seemed to be generally healthy. He described a loss of visual acuity, which was explained by vitritis and a pronounced macular oedema. As part of the search for underlying diseases the chest radiography showed abnormal structures. DISCUSSION: In all patients the diagnosis was sarcoidosis. Moreover, in the first case Heerfordt syndrome, a special form of sarcoidosis, was diagnosed. In all three patients a significant improvement of visual acuity occurred under systemic prednisolone therapy. These cases demonstrate the broad spectrum of manifestations of sarcoidosis in ophthalmology. Moreover, the early diagnosis and implementation of therapy were decisive for the prognosis.

[In vitro trials with single and co-cultures of osteoblasts and endothelial cells : evaluation of new biomaterials for bone reconstruction and regeneration]. / Bewertung von neuartigen Biomaterialien zum Zweck der Knochenrekonstruktion und -regeneration : In-vitro-Versuche mit Mono- und Kokulturen von Osteoblasten und Endothelzellen.

Many different types of bone substitute biomaterials are being developed for different applications in the body. The current dogma is that if osteoblasts and endothelial cells grow and exhibit normal cell functions on these materials in vitro as single cultures or in co-cultures, then the biomaterials are suitable for implantation for bone reconstruction and regeneration. Generally, only in vivo animal studies will prove whether this is the case. However, in vitro studies offer a good pre-screening and selection basis to evaluate the biocompatibility of novel biomaterials prior to animal studies. Multicell type co-culture systems hold a great promise for the future.

Protein delivery from materials formed by self-selective conjugate addition reactions.

A new chemical cross-linking scheme was utilized for the formation of degradable poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels suitable for the delivery of protein drugs. An aqueous solution containing a PEG-multiacrylate and solid particles of albumin was mixed with an aqueous solution containing a PEG-dithiol, rapidly producing a cross-linked hydrogel through a Michael-type addition reaction. For some formulations, it was observed that about 65% of the incorporated protein was released with zero-order kinetics over a period of about 4 days. By changing the functionality of the cross-linker, the release of protein could even be delayed for about 4 days, followed by zero-order release. The mechanism for release appeared to be a combination of slow dissolution of protein in the presence of PEG and hindered diffusion of protein through the gel. The cross-linking of the gels was studied rheometrically, and the hydrolytic degradation of the gels was characterized by measuring the swelling of the gels. Biochemical analysis of the released proteins demonstrated that the polymers reacted with each other, but not with proteins. Utilizing the Flory-Rehner and Peppas-Merrill equations, a framework for modeling the protein release from the gels is described.

Cholesterol-induced variations in the volume and enthalpy fluctuations of lipid bilayers.

The sound velocity and density of suspensions of large unilamellar liposomes from dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine with admixed cholesterol have been measured as a function of temperature around the chain melting temperature of the phospholipid. The cholesterol-to-phospholipid molar ratio xc has been varied over a wide range (0