A New Medical Device Rigeneracons Allows to Obtain Viable Micro-Grafts From Mechanical Disaggregation of Human Tissues.

Autologous graft is considered the gold standard of graft materials; however, this approach is still limited due to both small amount of tissue that can be collected and to reduced cell viability of cells that can be obtained. The aim of this preliminary study was to demonstrate the efficacy of an innovative medical device called Rigeneracons® (CE certified Class I) to provide autologous micro-grafts immediately available to be used in the clinical practice. Moreover, Rigeneracons® is an instrument able to create micro-grafts enriched of progenitors cells which maintain their regenerative and differentiation potential. We reported preliminary data about viability cell of samples derived from different kind of human tissues, such as periosteum, cardiac atrial appendage biopsy, and lateral rectus muscle of eyeball and disaggregated by Rigeneracons®. In all cases we observed that micro-grafts obtained by Rigeneracons® displayed high cell viability. Furthermore, by cell characterization of periosteum samples, we also evidenced an high positivity to mesenchymal cell markers, suggesting an optimal regenerative potential.

Pattern electroretinogram optimized for glaucoma screening (PERGLA) and retinal nerve fiber thickness in suspected glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate pattern electroretinogram optimized for glaucoma screening (PERGLA) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) at spectral optical coherence tomography (OCT) in eyes with suspected glaucoma (GS) and in eyes with ocular hypertension (OHT). This is a cross-sectional, observational study. Twenty-four patients with GS (BCVA 20/20, normal visual field, intraocular pressure, IOP, less than 21 mmHg, and glaucomatous optic neuropathy, GON) and 14 patients with OHT (BCVA 20/20, intraocular pressure 25 mmHg, absence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy and normal visual field) were considered in this study. GON was intended as vertical cup-disk ratio of 0.5 or more; asymmetry of greater than 0.2, disk notching, disk splinter hemorrhages. PERGLA amplitude and phase were measured, while thickness of the RNFL was obtained with spectral OCT. A control group of 50 age-matched healthy patients was added. In the GS group, 16 eyes (66.7%) showed normal average RNFL analysis and normal PERGLA, 3 eyes (12.5%) showed abnormal average RNFL analysis and abnormal PERGLA, 5 eyes (20.8%) presented with normal average RNFL analysis and abnormal PERGLA. In the OHT group, 11 eyes (78.6%) showed an average normal RNFL and normal PERGLA, while 3 eyes (21.4%) presented with an average normal RNFL and abnormal PERGLA. PERGLA is a non-invasive, fast, and fully automatic version of the pattern ERG. In eyes with OHT and in eyes with GS, PERGLA abnormalities in presence of a normal RNFL could suggest an early functional damage of viable retinal ganglion cells.

Visual evoked potentials in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy complicated by ocular hypertension and suspect glaucoma or dysthyroid optic neuropathy.

The study compared visual evoked potentials of patients with uncomplicated Graves' ophthalmopathy, patients with ophthalmopathy and elevated intraocular pressure or suspect glaucoma, and patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical potential for the visual evoked potentials (VEP) in the differential diagnosis among the groups. The VEPs were obtained from 43 subjects with endocrine ophthalmopathy. Group I included patients with uncomplicated ophthalmopathy (30 eyes); group II included patients with ophthalmopathy, intraocular pressure > or = 23 mmHg with and without early visual field defects, and no evidence of apical crowding on coronal computed tomography scan (28 eyes); group III included patients with DON (28 eyes). Amplitude and latency of major component of pattern VEP were obtained at three visual angles (60', 30', 15'). Data from each group was compared with data from age-matched normal subjects. Disturbances of VEP were found mainly in patients of Group II and Group III. Control Group had normal VEP. About the differential diagnosis between Group II and Group III the most important parameter was the N75-P100 amplitude for 15' of pattern stimulation. Only for this visual angle, Group II and Group III had not overlapped N75-P100 amplitude. This study shows that VEP detect visual function abnormalities noninvasively in patients with complicated Graves' ophthalmopathy. Results also indicate the clinical potential for VEP in the differential diagnosis between patients suffering from ophthalmopathy complicated by ocular hypertension or suspect glaucoma and patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy.