[Evaluation of the dependence between the lens thickness and intraocular pressure after cataract extraction in patient with glaucoma]. / Ocena zaleznosci miedzy gruboscia soczewki a cisnieniem wewnatrzgalkowym po operacji zacmy u chorych z jaskra.

PURPOSE: The main purpose of the study is the evaluation of the dependence between lens thickness in eyes with cataract and glaucoma and the intraocular pressure after cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 138 eyes with cataract and glaucoma were examined. Patients were divided into three groups according to the type of glaucoma: I open angle glaucoma II closed angle glaucoma III glaucoma with pseudoexfoliation syndrome All patients received preoperatively drugs reducing intraocular hypertension. The intraocular pressure was measured on operation day and on the first and fifth day after. The subsequent measurements were carried out one month, 3 months and nine months postoperatively. Lens thickness measurement was conducted with ultrasonography one day before operation. RESULTS: The dependence between lens thickness and intraocular pressure normalization (p < 0.005) has been found on the basis of statistical research with t-Student test in the closed angle glaucoma group with the greatest preoperative lens thickness. CONCLUSIONS: The statistically proven dependence between preoperative lens thickness and postoperative intraocular pressure reduction in patients with the closed angle glaucoma, has been found on the basis of conducted research.

[Study of mucin layer of tear film in patients with pterygium]. / Badanie warstwy sluzowej filmu lzowego u chorych ze skrzydlikiem.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the tears film, particularly mucin layer in patients with pterygium. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 31 patients with pterygium--14 women and 17 men. Pterygium in one eye was found in 19 patients, in both eyes in 12. The control group consisted of 43 persons--21 women and 22 men. In our study were evaluated: marginal tears film, tears film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer's test and mucus fern patterns. RESULTS: The results showed no statistically significant difference in Schirmer's test in both groups. Marginal tears film was incorrect in 65.12% of the eyes with pterygium and in 34.89% eyes of the control group. Tears film break-up time was reduced statistically significant, in patients with pterygium. Abnormal mucus fern patterns (type III and IV) was observed in 38.95% of the eyes with pterygium and in 13.94% of the eyes in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbances of the tear film stability were found in the eyes with pterygium. The results of BUT and mucus fern patterns showed, that abnormalities of mucin layer to be responsible for these changes. Perhaps these observations will contribute to prevention of pterygium.

Oral citicoline treatment improves visual pathway function in glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: Increased latency and reduced amplitude of visual evoked potentials (VEP), frequently encountered in ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma, suggest slowed neural conduction in the visual pathways. An improvement in VEP latency and amplitude has been reported following repeated intramuscular injections of citicoline, a neuroprotective drug. Our aim was to find whether citicoline given orally would produce a similar effect. MATERIAL/METHODS: VEP latency and amplitude were measured in 21 glaucomatous eyes prior to and after two bi-weekly courses of citicoline taken orally in a dose of 1 gram/day. The treatment courses were separated by a two-week break; post-treatment VEP measurement was performed two weeks after the end of the second treatment. RESULTS: 62% of the eyes showed a response to the treatment, with VEP latency reduced from 123.5 (3.9 SEM) ms to 111.9 (1.9 SEM) ms (P=0.0008), and VEP amplitude increased from 6.56 (1.39 SEM) to 7.88 (1.16 SEM) (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Citicoline given orally improves visual evoked potentials in some glaucoma patients.

Citicoline treatment increases retinal dopamine content in rabbits.

Citicoline (exogenous cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine) was reported to enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain. A few clinical studies showed beneficial effects of this drug on the function of the visual pathway in patients with glaucoma or amblyopia. The present study was aimed at determining whether citicoline could influence retinal catecholamine levels in adult male Albino rabbits. The animals received the drug (50 mg/kg i.p., twice daily) or vehicle for 7 days, and retinal catecholamine concentrations were determined by HPLC. Compared to vehicle-treated controls, citicoline-treated animals displayed a significantly higher retinal dopamine concentration and a tendency toward an increase in adrenaline concentration, while the noradrenaline concentration remained unchanged. It is, therefore, conceivable that citicoline reinforces dopaminergic transmission in the retina.

The level of alpha-antitrypsin and ceruloplasmin in the subretinal fluid of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to determine alpha-antitrypsin (AAT) and ceruloplasmin (CER) level in the subretinal fluid of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Investigation was performed in 41 patients (22 women, 19 men) operated on for RRD at the age from 24 to 81. The group of patients was divided with regard to the extent and duration of RRD. In 24 patients detachment involved 1 or 2 quadrants and in 17 patients--3 or 4 quadrants. In 16 subjects RRD lasted shorter than 2 weeks, in 6 patients--about one month and in 19 patients--from 1 to 3 months. The subretinal fluid was collected during operation. The levels of the examined substances were determined with the radial diffusion method on Nor-Partigen plates by Behring. The results were as follows: mean AAT concentration in the subretinal fluid of all the patients operated on for RRD was 0.739 +/- 0.475 g/l and CER was 0.186 +/- 0.122 g/l. Mean AAT concentrations did not differ statistically significantly between the group with bigger and smaller retinal detachments while CER level was higher in the group with a bigger RRD. Mean AAT and the CER concentration was statistically significantly higher in the group with RRD lasting from 1 to 3 months compared with the group with RRD lasting shorter than one month. CONCLUSIONS: the fact of finding acute phase proteins in subretinal fluid suggests that they may play a part in the pathogenesis of RRD by affecting the intensity of local inflammatory reaction.

The level of total sialic acid, alfa-antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin in the serum of patients with choroidal melanoma.

Melanoma of the choroid is a fatal disease because of its metastases. The quest is ongoing for more reliable serum markers for detecting and staging ocular melanoma. Total serum sialic acid and acute phase proteins are valuable adjuncts in the management of malignancies, including melanoma. The aim of the paper was to asses the level of total sialic acid (TSA), total sialic acid to total protein (TP) ratio (TSA/TP) and the level of alfa-antitrypsin (AAT) and ceruloplasmin (CER) in patients with choroidal melanoma. The concentrations of TSA, TP, AAT and CER were evaluated in 61 patients with choroidal melanoma and 84 healthy controls. 36 patients had larger tumors and 25 patients had smaller melanomas. 36 patients were treated with brachytherapy. The mean concentration of TSA in all intraocular melanoma patients was 84.86 +/- 19.37 mg/dl and was significantly higher than in control group 53.63 +/- 8.47 mg/dl (p < 0.001). TSA level was significantly higher in patients with large tumors than in those with smaller choroidal melanomas. There were not differences between groups of patients treated with brachy-therapy and those not treated. TSA/TP in melanoma patients was 11.88 +/- 2.97 and it was higher than in control group 7.32 +/- 1.21 (p < 0.001). AAT level was 236.56 +/- 141.53 mg/dl in the group of melanoma patients and in the control group was 226.42 +/- 46.74 mg/dl but the differences were not statistically significant. The concentration of CER in the study group was 28.25 +/- 11.01 mg/dl and in the control group it was 29.56 + 6.33 mg/dl but the differences were not statistically significant. The assessment of TSA in blood serum may be useful in evaluation of patients with choroidal melanoma.