Visual acuity and behavior of monocularly deprived monkeys after retinal lesions.

One eyelid of each of three Macaca nemestrina monkeys was sutured shut at 3 weeks of age. One animal had the central 10 degrees of the open eye retina lesioned at 3 weeks of age (EL1), a second at 9 months of age (LL1), and the third had no lesion (MD1). After a reverse suture at 9 months of age, the deprived eye was tested for grating acuity, visual behavior, and visual field. EL1 tested positively on all behavioral tasks by 1 month and showed good visual ability to negotiate a playroom but never performed better than 20/1,250 on grating acuity. MD1 showed little visual behavior in the playroom but tested at 20/400 acuity. LL1 rapidly recovered all aspects of visual behavior and tested at 20/80 visual acuity. Perimetry shows that LL1 and EL1 respond mainly in the central portion of the deprived eye visual field but not to the periphery or the monocular segment. We conclude that removal of the open eye retina after the critical period allows much visual recovery by the deprived eye but that removal of the open eye retina within the critical period does not prevent many of the effects of monocular deprivation.

Herpesvirus hominis encephalitis and retinitis.

A previously healthy 44-year-old man died three weeks after the simultaneous onset of encephalitis and retinitis. Fundus changes were bilateral and included papillitis, rapidly progressive central retinal vein obstruction, and massive exudative retinal detachment. A 16-fold rise in herpesvirus hominis antibodies occured between the 10th and 20th days of illness. At autopsy, the brain showed changes characteristic of herpetic encephalitis, and cultures of the brain yielded Herpesvirus hominis type I. Intranuclear inclusion bodies typical of those produced by Herpesvirus were found by light microscopy in brain, optic nerves, retina, and choroid. Herpesvirus particles were found by electron microscopy in brain, optic nerve, and retina.

Inadvertent injection of corticosteroid into the choroidal vasculature.

A 21-year-old woman with pars planitis was treated with a subtenon's depot corticosteroid injection that was complicated by the appearance of the corticosteroid suspension within the choroidal vasculature. White, flocculent material was observed in the anterior chamber and 24 hours later this settled on the iris surface. Similar material was located in the major choroidal vessels. Two months after the incident, the choroid was normal appearing but the pars planitis was unchanged.

Hamartoma of the retinal pigment epithelium.

A 9-year-old boy had a unilateral ocular lesion characterized by a broadly elevated mass at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. The mass showed hyperpigmented borders, overlying retinal constracture, retinal vessel tortuosity, and vitreous condensations. Electrophysiologic testing revealed an abnormal electrooculogram.

Brass intraocular foreign body: early intervention and combined surgical approach.

The rapid development of suppurative reaction in response to a copper-containing intraocular foreign body disposes the eye to a poor prognosis. An intraocular brass foreign body case involving cornea, iris, lens, vitreous and retina was satisfactorily managed by early foreign body removal and corneal transplantation followed by scleral buckling for retinal detachment. Early intervention is advocated as alternative management with expectation of improvement in the prognosis for recovery of useful visual function.