Visual acuity and nystagmus following strabismus surgery in patients with oculocutaneous albinism.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of strabismus surgery on nystagmus and visual acuity in patients with oculocutaneous albinism. METHODS: We conducted a non-concurrent retrospective study of 13 Puerto Rican patients with all types of oculocutaneous albinism who underwent strabismus surgery. Patients underwent genetic linkage analysis to reach a final oculocutaneous albinism classification prior to surgery. Strabismus surgery was modified by under-correction of 0.5 mm in each muscle from the standard Marshall Parks' measurements in all patients. RESULTS: Six of the 13 patients with oculocutaneous reported an improved best corrected visual acuity after surgery. Two of the 13 patients with oculocutaneous had no nystagmus following strabismus surgery. All patients were orthotropic following surgery. CONCLUSION: Strabismus surgical undercorrection may be of benefit in patients with oculocutaneous albinism.

Herpetic keratitis in a patient who used two different prostaglandin analogue ophthalmic solutions: a case report.

PURPOSE: To report a patient with glaucoma who developed recurrent herpetic keratitis while using two different prostaglandin analogue ophthalmic solutions. RESULTS: A 72 year-old male patient with primary open angle glaucoma and a history of herpetic keratitis in the left eye experienced recurrent herpetic keratitis in the left eye after treatment with latanoprost ophthalmic solution. Herpetic flares were controlled after discontinuation of latanoprost. Adding travoprost ophthalmic solution 0.004% to his glaucoma therapy was also associated with a recurrence of herpetic keratitis. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first case in which travoprost has been associated to recurrent herpetic keratitis. Further, this is the first report in which a patient has a recurrence of herpetic keratitis associated to two different prostaglandin analogues. These findings suggest that patients with recurrent herpetic keratitis associated to a prostaglandin analogue might be predisposed to a flare-up with other prostaglandin analogues.

Efficacy and safety of intraoperative mitomycin C as adjunct therapy for pterygium surgery.

PURPOSES: The primary objective of this study was to determine if intraoperative application of mitomycin C (MMC) is safe as an adjunct for pterygium surgery. The secondary objectives of the study were to determine if MMC reduces pterygium recurrence rate and to evaluate the effect of MMC on intraocular pressure. METHODS: We conducted a nonconcurrent prospective study of 68 patients with primary or recurrent pterygium. Patients underwent a comprehensive eye examination preoperatively and postoperatively to evaluate for possible complications associated with the use of MMC. The recurrence rate of pterygia was also included in the data. RESULTS: We examined a total of 68 patients (68 eyes). The follow-up time ranged from 12 to 98 months (mean = 27.7 +/- 28.8 months). Only 2 postoperative complications were reported: a scleral dellen and a conjunctival cyst. Eight patients (12.0%) with primary pterygium had a recurrence of pterygia after surgery. However, no recurrences occurred in patients with previous recurrent pterygia. CONCLUSIONS: Findings in our study suggest that MMC is efficacious in preventing recurrences and a safe adjunct therapy during pterygium surgery. Findings in our study suggest that intraoperative MMC application leads to few complications while providing a significant reduction in the recurrence rate.

Central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure in Puerto Rican glaucoma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the variations in central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure measurements according to race, gender, and age. METHODS: A non-concurrent prospective study of 372 (744 eyes) glaucoma patients was conducted. Central corneal thickness was measured with ultrasound pachymeter and intraocular pressure with Goldmann tonometer. The relationship between CCT, race, gender, and age was evaluated using both descriptive and statistical analysis. RESULTS: The population age was 64 +/- 19.52 years. The mean central corneal thickness was 546 +/- 43.84 microm. The mean corrected intraocular pressure was 17 +/- 5.26 mm Hg. Central corneal thickness of male patients (549 +/- 43.43 pm) was thicker than that of female patients (546 +/- 41.83 microm). The mean corrected intraocular pressure in male patients (16 +/- 5.41 mm Hg) was less than that of female patients (17 +/- 5.18 mm Hg). The mean central corneal thickness in patients 0 to 9 years-of-age was 548 +/- 36.08 microm; 10 to 19 years-of-age was 606 +/- 82.30 microm; 20 to 29 years-of-age was 564 +/- 29.23 microm; 30 to 39 years-of-age was 579 +/- 15.32 microm; 40 to 49 years-of-age was 546 +/- 48.29 microm; 50 to 59 years-of-age was 550 +/- 38.12 mirom; 60 to 69 years-of-age was 545 +/- 40.22 microm; 70 to 79 years-of-age was 541 +/- 34.71 microm; 80 to 89 years-of-age was 541 +/- 34.05 microm; older than 90 years-of-age was 527 +/- 46.90 microm. CONCLUSIONS: Central corneal thickness of glaucoma patients in Puerto Rico was similar to that of Hispanics in the continental United States. However, the intraocular pressure and corrected intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients in Puerto Rico were statistically higher than that of Hispanics with glaucoma in the continental United States. In our study population, central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were not affected by gender or age.

Aplicación de un método estadístico en la Optimización de un reactivo para química clínica / Application of a statistical methods in the optimization of a reagent for clinical chemistry

Con el objetivo de determinar la mejor combinación de las concentraciones de los componentes del reactivo alcalino del juego para la determinación de urea en suero, se aplicó el método de Box y Wilson, que constituye un tratamiento estadístico muy utilizado en la búsqueda de las condiciones óptimas en un plan experimental. Los factores analizados fueron las concentraciones de hidróxido de sodio e hipoclorito de sodio, y el criterio de combinación óptima de los componentes viene dado por un máximo de la variable respuesta, que es en este caso la absorbancia. Se evaluaron los resultados experimentales mediante este método y se determinó el punto extremal del modelo matemático propuesto; así se obtuvo la combinación de concentraciones de 112 y 4,6 mmol/L para hidróxido de sodio respectivamente, que constituye la mejor variante del reactivo alcalino en el estudio realizado

Aplicación de un método estadístico en la Optimización de un reactivo para química clínica / Application of a statistical methods in the optimization of a reagent for clinical chemistry

Con el objetivo de determinar la mejor combinación de las concentraciones de los componentes del reactivo alcalino del juego para la determinación de urea en suero, se aplicó el método de Box y Wilson, que constituye un tratamiento estadístico muy utilizado en la búsqueda de las condiciones óptimas en un plan experimental. Los factores analizados fueron las concentraciones de hidróxido de sodio e hipoclorito de sodio, y el criterio de combinación óptima de los componentes viene dado por un máximo de la variable respuesta, que es en este caso la absorbancia. Se evaluaron los resultados experimentales mediante este método y se determinó el punto extremal del modelo matemático propuesto; así se obtuvo la combinación de concentraciones de 112 y 4,6 mmol/L para hidróxido de sodio respectivamente, que constituye la mejor variante del reactivo alcalino en el estudio realizado(AU)