[Incidence of cataract and risk factors in Northeastern Poland]. / Wystepowanie zacmy i czynniki jej ryzyka w pólnocno-wschodnim regionie Polski.

PURPOSE: Retrospective analysis of the incidence and risk factors of senile and pre-senile cataract in patients from North-East Region of Poland, operated on cataract in the years 1986-1995. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the analysed decade, 6038 patients were operated on cataract in the Ophthalmology Department of the Clinical Hospital and Ophthalmology Department of the District Hospital in Bialystok. There were 2603 males and 3435 females, mean age amounted to 69 +/- 11 years. 44% of the patients came from rural communities (560.000 inhabitants in the region), whereas 56% of the patients were of urban province (796.000 inhabitants). Statistical analysis was performed on such variables like age, gender, place of residence, cataract history and presence of concomitant diseases: arterial hypertension, diabetes, lung and joints disorders, intestinal diseases. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Residence in rural communities increases the risk of cataract, although the condition in this environment tends to develop in older age. Gender distribution of the patients does not differ from male/female ratio in the population of the region, so both genders are exposed to similar risk of cataract. Females contract cataract in older age, on average about 3 years later than males. Age is the most important risk factor of cataract; 52% of the patients are older than 70, 43% are in the age of 51-70 years. Mean value of duration of cataract history before operation decreased during the analysed 10 years from 3.8 years in 1986 to 2.2 years in 1995. In 14% of patients cataract coexisted with arterial hypertension, in 8% with diabetes, and in 15% with other diseases. During the analysed 10 years period the number of patients with cataract increased in the same degree in all examined communities. The mean age of patients operated on cataract decreased in this period by 2 years in spite of increasing number of patients older than 75 years. This result can be explained by the fact that the disease tends now to develop earlier and by concomitant decreasing of the time between onset of the disease and decision for operation.

[Cryotherapy of vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic retinopathy]. / Krioterapia wylewów krwi do ciala szklistego w retinopatii cukrzycowej.

The authors present the results of treatment in 51 patients with vitreous haemorrhage in the course of diabetic retinopathy by application of a transconjunctival scleral cryoapplication. In the result of clinical observations it was concluded that this method was successful in the majority of the patients.

[Photocoagulation in diabetes mellitus--our results]. / Fotokoagulacja w cukrzycy--wyniki wlasne.

Fifty six diabetic patients aged 25-74 were under ophthalmological control in the period 1984-87. The mean time of duration of diabetes amounted 14 years. In 29 persons diabetes was insulinodependent and in the remaining insulino-independent. In 11 eyes the fundus exhibited diabetic changes with characteristics of angiopathy, in 43 eyes--of exudative retinopathy and in 58 eyes of proliferative retinopathy. Photocoagulation with a xenon-arc lamp of the diabetic changes was performed in all the patients. In dependence of the extent of the changes one used either a focused or a panretinal photocoagulation. In the majority of cases one could stop the progress of the diabetic changes on the fundus and preserve a fair visual acuity.

[Intrascleral sclerectomy with implantation of a polyethylene tube in hemorrhagic glaucoma. Preliminary report]. / Sclerectomia intrascleralis z wszczepieniem rurki polietylenowej w jaskrze krwotocznej. Doniesienie wstepne.

Four patients with haemorrhagic glaucoma and 1 with secondary glaucoma were operated by the method of intrascleral sclerectomy with implantation of a polyethylene tube. After surgery all the patients showed a normalization of the intraocular pressure but in 2 persons it was transitory and after some months the IOP raised above 30 mm Hg. These patients however did not complain of pain and this was already a sort-of success in such severe cases.