Comparison of Yatabe-Guilford personality test results in retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma patients.

PURPOSE: To determine the psychological state and personality traits of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or glaucoma so that a closer and better relationship can be developed with the patients. METHODS: The Yatabe-Guilford personality test was administered to 75 RP patients and 42 glaucoma patients. The latter group included 29 cases of primary open-angle glaucoma, 6 of primary angle-closure glaucoma, and 7 of normal-tension glaucoma. The patients were being treated at the Department of Ophthalmology, Chiba University Hospital. As controls, 47 age-matched volunteers were tested. RESULTS: A comparison of these three groups showed that the proportions of patients with cyclic tendency, rhathymia, and lack of cooperativeness traits were significantly higher in the RP group than in the glaucoma group. The lack of cooperativeness value was especially higher in the RP than in the glaucoma group and the control group (Fisher exact test, P <.05). On the other hand, the nervousness value was significantly higher in the glaucoma group than in the RP group and than in controls (Fisher exact test, P <.05). Factors of sex, age, type of disease, corrected visual acuity, and central visual fields did not influence the profiles of the RP and glaucoma groups. CONCLUSION: RP patients had relatively well-stabilized personalities and were optimistic, while glaucoma patients tended toward nervousness in comparison with RP patients and controls.

Histopathological study of a case with branch retinal vein occlusion.

A retinal specimen from a 68-year-old patient with glaucoma and branch retinal vein occlusion was examined by light and electron microscopy. The venous and arterial lumina were filled with erythrocytes, and many erythrocytes extravasated into the venous wall. We suggest that constant rubbing of endothelial cells of the occluded vein results in damage and erythrocyte extravasation was caused by diapedesis.

Light and electron microscopic studies on human retinal blood vessels of patients with sclerosis and hypertension.

PURPOSE: To correlate the ophthalmoscopic and histological findings on human retinal blood vessels of patients with sclerosis and hypertension, respectively. METHODS: Ophthalmoscopy, light microscopy, and transmission and scanning electron microscopy with histochemical staining were performed on eyes obtained from patients with a malignant orbital tumor, with absolute glaucoma, or with hypertensive retinopathy. RESULTS: The retinal arteries in aged patients with ophthalmoscopic sclerotic blood vessels had walls in which the smooth muscle cells had been replaced by collagen fibers, proteoglycan filaments, and ruthenium red-positive materials. The venous blood columns were hidden by numerous swollen nerve fibers and extending Müller cell processes. In a patient with accelerated hypertensive retinopathy, some of the muscle cells in the arteriolar walls were edematous. Focal and generalized narrowing of the retinal arteries appeared to be caused by a true functional constriction of the smooth muscle cells in the walls. CONCLUSIONS: The ophthalmoscopic signs, such as reflection of the retinal arterial blood column and crossing phenomena, were supported by sclerotic manifestations clearly visible upon histological examination. There were some organic changes in the retinal arteries in a patient with accelerated hypertensive retinopathy, but the ophthalmoscopic narrowings appeared to result from a functional constriction of the smooth muscle cells in these vessels.

Pattern visual evoked potentials in traumatic optic neuropathy.

To evaluate the characteristics of pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) in traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) compared with optic neuritis (ON), we retrospectively studied 47 patients with TON and 64 patients with unilateral ON. PVEPs elicited by the stimulation with 3 reversals/s were recorded in all patients. A PVEP could be recorded in 29.8% of the TON patients and 49.6% of the ON patients at their first visit. In the 14 patients with TON and recordable PVEPs, the mean amplitude ratio (affected/fellow eye) was 0.29 +/- 0.03 (SE) and the mean delay of the peak latency was 17.9 +/- 2.9 ms. In the 30 patients with ON and recordable PVEPs, the mean amplitude ratio was 0.48 +/- 0.04 (SE) and the mean delay of the peak latency was 23.5 +/- 2.5 ms. The amplitude ratio was significantly lower in patients with TON than in those with ON.