[Comparison of three antiallergic eyedrops in a specific conjunctival provocation test: mequitazine, levocabastine and dexamethasone]. / Comparaison de trois collyres anti-allergiques lors d'un test de provocation conjonctivale spécifique: méquitazine, lévocabastine et dexaméthasone.

PURPOSE: In order to assess the efficacy of an antihistaminic eye drop containing 0.05% mequitazine in the prevention of allergy induced by a conjunctival provocation test, a double-masked, randomized, intraindividual study compared this eye drop to 0.05% levocabastine and 0.1% dexamethasone eye drops in 24 subjects allergic to grass pollen. METHOD: During the first phase of treatment, randomized subjects received one drop of dexamethasone in one eye and one drop of either mequitazine or levocabastine in the fellow eye. During the second phase of treatment, they were given one drop of dexamethasone in the same eye as previously, and one drop of the treatment that had not been given during the first phase (levocabastine or mequitazine) in the fellow eye. Fifteen minutes after each instillation phase, a conjunctival provocation test was performed. Hyperemia, itching, tearing, chemosis and palpebral edema were the five signs or symptoms taken into account to assess the treatment efficacy. Their intensity was evaluated 3, 5 and 10 min after the conjunctival provocation test. The primary efficacy criterion was the global score obtained by measuring hyperemia and itching intensity. RESULTS: The score was reduced significantly more (p < 0.0001) for the eyes treated with mequitazine or levocabastine than for those treated with dexamethasone at all evaluation times. The difference was also significant for hyperemia (p < 0.001), itching (p < 0.001), and tearing (p < 0.05). The tolerability of the three eyedrops was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Mequitazine and levocabastine were safe and significantly more effective than dexamethasone in preventing the allergic response induced by a conjunctival provocation test when they were instilled 15 min before contact with the allergen.

Determination of dimethindene in human tears by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of dimethindene in human tears. The tear samples were diluted in a 0.01 M hydrochloric acid-n-propanol mixture to prevent the irreversible adsorption of dimethindene. The diluted samples were directly injected into the chromatographic system to avoid sample pretreatment. The validation data demonstrate that the method is specific, precise and accurate within the calibration range of 12 to 1000 ng/ml dimethindene free base.

[Cryptococcal chorioretinitis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: apropos of a case]. / Choriorétinite à cryptocoques et syndrome d'immunodéficience acquise: à propos d'un cas.

A patient with acquired immune deficiency and antecedents of pancreatitis presented with headaches, fever, dyspnea and bilateral decrease of vision. A diagnosis of disseminated cryptococcosis was made by lumbar puncture, alveolar washing and elevated cryptococcal antigen in blood, urine and stool. Bilateral chorioretinitis with ischaemic maculopathy was responsible of the low vision and attributed to cryptococcal infection after vitreous puncture and isolation of yeast from the vitreous. Systemic treatment with Amphotericin led to resolution of the chorioretinitis. A retinitis due to cytomegalovirus was associated short time before the patient died. Post-mortem anatomopathologic analysis revealed cryptococcus in high number in the choriocapillaris.