Degeneración nodular de Salzmann / Salzmann's nodular degeneration

La degeneración nodular de Von Salzmann constituye una entidad clínico-patológica en la que aparecen nódulos lisos y opacos, blanco grisáceos o algo azulados en las capas anteriores de la córnea. La afectación suele ser bilateral y los nódulos tienden a disponerse en anillo sobre la media periferia corneal. Pueden estar relacionados o no con un proceso inflamatorio previo y su tratamiento puede ser sintomático o quirúrgico si compromete el área pupilar y con ella la visión del paciente.Se presenta un paciente masculino, de 57 años de edad, coloración de la piel blanca, quien acudió a la consulta y refirió enrojecimiento de ambos ojos (predominio del ojo derecho), con picor, escozor y lagrimeo, de más de 6 meses de evolución. Asociado a esto notó una zona de color blanquecina en ambos ojos. En la exploración oftalmológica se observaron lesiones blanquecinas sobrelevadas de aspecto hialino, en el tercio inferior de la córnea en el ojo derecho y en el ojo izquierdo hacia la región nasal. Se concluye que el caso presenta una degeneración nodular de Salzmann(AU)

Von Salzmann nodular degeneration constitutes a clinical pathological condition in which flat and opaque, white-grayish or bluish nodules appear in the anterior layers of the cornea. The effect is usually bilateral and the nodules tend to spread in a ring form upon the corneal peripheral media. It can be related or not with previous inflammatory process and its treatment can be symptomatic or surgical if the papillary area and the patient's vision are compromised. Here is the case of a 57 years-old male Caucasian patient, who went to the doctor´s and complained of reddened eyes (mainly the right eye), itching and tearing for more than six months. In addition to this, he observed a whitish area in both eyes. The eye screening showed overelevated whitish lesions of hyaline aspect in the lower third of the right eye cornea and in the left eye towards the nasal region. It was concluded that this is a case of Von Salzmann nodular degeneration(AU)

Degeneración nodular de Salzmann / Salzmann's nodular degeneration

La degeneración nodular de Von Salzmann constituye una entidad clínico-patológica en la que aparecen nódulos lisos y opacos, blanco grisáceos o algo azulados en las capas anteriores de la córnea. La afectación suele ser bilateral y los nódulos tienden a disponerse en anillo sobre la media periferia corneal. Pueden estar relacionados o no con un proceso inflamatorio previo y su tratamiento puede ser sintomático o quirúrgico si compromete el área pupilar y con ella la visión del paciente.Se presenta un paciente masculino, de 57 años de edad, coloración de la piel blanca, quien acudió a la consulta y refirió enrojecimiento de ambos ojos (predominio del ojo derecho), con picor, escozor y lagrimeo, de más de 6 meses de evolución. Asociado a esto notó una zona de color blanquecina en ambos ojos. En la exploración oftalmológica se observaron lesiones blanquecinas sobrelevadas de aspecto hialino, en el tercio inferior de la córnea en el ojo derecho y en el ojo izquierdo hacia la región nasal. Se concluye que el caso presenta una degeneración nodular de Salzmann(AU)

Von Salzmann nodular degeneration constitutes a clinical pathological condition in which flat and opaque, white-grayish or bluish nodules appear in the anterior layers of the cornea. The effect is usually bilateral and the nodules tend to spread in a ring form upon the corneal peripheral media. It can be related or not with previous inflammatory process and its treatment can be symptomatic or surgical if the papillary area and the patient's vision are compromised. Here is the case of a 57 years-old male Caucasian patient, who went to the doctor´s and complained of reddened eyes (mainly the right eye), itching and tearing for more than six months. In addition to this, he observed a whitish area in both eyes. The eye screening showed overelevated whitish lesions of hyaline aspect in the lower third of the right eye cornea and in the left eye towards the nasal region. It was concluded that this is a case of Von Salzmann nodular degeneration(AU)

Diminished angiogenesis in the cornea of mice with heterologous deletion of Connexin 43 gene (Gja1)

Angiogenesis is involved in several physiological and pathological processes, and the proliferation of endothelial cells is a central event in the generation of new blood vessels. Gap junctions (GJ) are membrane structures that communicate adjacent cells, contribute to tissue homeostasis, and are important to the control of cell proliferation. Connexins (Cxs) are the proteins that form gap junctions. Endothelial cells may express Cx43, Cx37 and Cx40. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the heterologous deletion of the Gja1 (Cx43 gene) on the development of newly formed blood vessels (NFBV) in the mouse cornea. Heterozygous (Cx43+/-) and wild-type (Cx43+/+) mice were submitted to the silver crystal corneal cauterization model. Two parameters were quantified by image analysis 2 or 6 days after cauterization: NFBV density and length. At days 2 and 6 after corneal cauterization, Cx43+/- mice showed smaller density of NFBV as compared to Cx43+/+ mice. Therefore, deletion of one Gja1 allele (connexin-43 gene) may lead to impaired cell-cell communication in endothelial cells, diminishing angiogenesis after cauterization of the mouse cornea(AU)

Diminished angiogenesis in the cornea of mice with heterologous deletion of Connexin 43 gene (Gja1)

Angiogenesis is involved in several physiological and pathological processes, and the proliferation of endothelial cells is a central event in the generation of new blood vessels. Gap junctions (GJ) are membrane structures that communicate adjacent cells, contribute to tissue homeostasis, and are important to the control of cell proliferation. Connexins (Cxs) are the proteins that form gap junctions. Endothelial cells may express Cx43, Cx37 and Cx40. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the heterologous deletion of the Gja1 (Cx43 gene) on the development of newly formed blood vessels (NFBV) in the mouse cornea. Heterozygous (Cx43+/-) and wild-type (Cx43+/+) mice were submitted to the silver crystal corneal cauterization model. Two parameters were quantified by image analysis 2 or 6 days after cauterization: NFBV density and length. At days 2 and 6 after corneal cauterization, Cx43+/- mice showed smaller density of NFBV as compared to Cx43+/+ mice. Therefore, deletion of one Gja1 allele (connexin-43 gene) may lead to impaired cell-cell communication in endothelial cells, diminishing angiogenesis after cauterization of the mouse cornea

Advances in corneal stem-cell transplantation in rabbits with severe ocular alkali burns.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of autologous corneal epithelial sheet implantation in restoring transparency of rabbit corneas severely injured by alkaline and the effect of photocoagulation in arresting corneal neovessel ingrowth. SETTING: Ophthalmology Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS: Limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD) was induced in 14 rabbits by alkali burns. A limbal cell biopsy was done in the contralateral eye, and the cells were cultured on a fibroblast feeder layer grown on autologous clotted platelet-poor plasma or commercial fibrin for 21 days. Anterior keratectomy was followed by suturing corneal cell sheets over the stroma. If regrowth of vessels occurred, argon laser photocoagulation was applied to them. Rabbits were killed at 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days and the corneas processed for histopathology and inmunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A small (2.5 mm(2)) limbal biopsy achieved stem-cell replication in vitro. Corneal clarity and epithelial defects evolved with a trend toward improvement. There was a significant reduction in corneal neovascularization. Histology showed a multilayered stratified epithelium including several epithelial-like cells with clear cytoplasm in the deepest part. There were no signs of intraepithelial mucin cells on the implanted corneas. Immunohistochemical results showed expression of cytokeratins 3 and 12 in the central corneal epithelium and an absence of cytokeratin 19. CONCLUSIONS: Autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation improved the corneal surface in eyes with LSCD. Photocoagulation of neovessel ingrowth was effective over the 1-year follow-up. Results may facilitate the application of this technique in patients.

Argon e YAG laser no tratamento de neovascularizaçäo de córnea / Argon and YAG laser in the treatment of corneal neovascularization

Neovascularizaçäo de córnea (NC) é considerado um dos maiores fatores de risco para rejeiçäo em transplantes de córnea. Várias formas de tratamento para NC tem sido sugeridas incluindo esteróides, irradiaçäo, tiotepa, ciclorioterapia e outros. Tratamento para NC usando Argon e YAG laser, tem melhorado o prognóstico de transplante de córnea e parece ser seguro e eficaz. Näo há, porém, na literatura pesquisada, estudo comparando as duas formas de tratamento. Em estudo randomizado, comparamos as duas formas de tratamento para NC usando Argon e YAG laser para avaliar sua segurança e eficácia, em pacientes com NC refratária ao tratamento convencional. Em nosso estudo, Argon laser mostrou ser terapia alternativa e/ou complentar útil no tratamento ..