A comparison of higher order aberrations in eyes implanted with AcrySof IQ SN60WF and AcrySof SN60AT intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of AcrySof SN60WF aspheric intraocular lens (IOL) in decreasing spherical aberration and total higher order aberrations (HOAs) after cataract surgery compared to the spherical SN60AT lens. METHODS: Wavefront analysis was conducted on 28 eyes of 28 patients that underwent un-complicated phacoemulsification with implantation of either SN60WF (15 eyes) or SN60AT lenses (13 eyes). Eyes with a history of uveitis, retinal diseases, and previous surgery were excluded. RESULTS: SN60WF eyes had less mean absolute spherical aberration than SN60AT eyes both at 4 mm (0.04+/-0.03 vs 0.11+/-0.03 RMS, p<0.0001) and 6 mm pupils (0.09+/-0.04 vs 0.43+/-0.12 RMS, p<0.0001). Mean total HOAs was lower in the SN60WF group at 6 mm pupils (0.44+/-0.14 vs 0.56+/-0.13 RMS, p=0.0274), while no difference was seen at 4 mm pupils (0.20+/-0.10 vs 0.25+/-0.08 RMS, p=0.160). There were no clinically significant differences between the SN60WF and SN60AT IOLs both at 4 and 6 mm pupils in terms of coma (0.16+/-0.07 vs 0.18+/-0.09 RMS, p=0.514 and 0.25+/-0.12 vs 0.23+/-0.12 RMS, p=0.664) and trefoil (0.14+/-0.09 vs 0.10+/-0.05 RMS, p=0.167 and 0.28+/-0.12 vs 0.23+/-0.07 RMS, p=0.199). There were no differences be-tween groups in mean age, axial length, postoperative spherical equivalent, IOL power, or corneal curvature. CONCLUSIONS: An aspheric posterior optic IOL design with thinner center effectively reduces the positive ocular spherical aberration observed in the pseudophakic and elderly eyes, especially at larger pupillary diameters (6 mm), with no notable increase in coma. However, reduction in total ocular HOAs was only significant at 6 mm pupils.

Anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy after coronary artery bypass graft: the role of anaemia in diabetics.

PURPOSE: To ascertain factors associated with anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in a Lebanese population. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of consecutive CABG performed over a 5-year period (1995-1999) in one medical centre. A comparison of clinical characteristics was carried out between AION cases and subjects free from AION. The variables analysed included history of diabetes as well as preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative values of haematocrit, blood sugar, oxygen saturation, and arterial blood pressure. RESULTS: A total of 1,594 persons were included. Three subjects experienced acute visual loss from AION following CABG, all had diabetes mellitus, and two suffered from severe postoperative anaemia. Among diabetics (n=484), the risk of AION was significantly higher in subjects with postoperative haematocrit falling below 22 (28.6%) than the rest (0.21%) (P=0.001). Blood transfusion was given in two subjects with prompt visual recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Severe anaemia in patients undergoing CABG appears to be a risk factor for AION, especially in diabetics, and needs prompt correction to prevent or reverse the ischaemic ocular events.

A unilateral twin extrauterine pregnancy occurring in a solitary fallopian tube: therapeutic choices.

A unilateral twin tubal pregnancy occurring in a solitary fallopian tube is presented. The gynecological history was notable for a previous extrauterine pregnancy in the contralateral fallopian tube and reconstructive surgery to the ipsilateral one. Radical total salpingectomy was performed. The rationale for this management is discussed and different therapeutic alternatives presented.

The conventional doses of human chorionic gonadotropins may not always be sufficient to induce ovulation in all women: a reappraisal.

BACKGROUND: Failure of ovulation has occasionally been reported following the administration of conventionally recommended doses of exogenous human chorionic gonadotropins. CASE: A 25-year-old nulliparous woman with polycystic ovary syndrome underwent ovulation induction for primary infertility. Following successful ovarian stimulation, she failed to ovulate during two consecutive cycles in response to human chorionic gonadotropin doses of 5,000 and 10,000 IU. When challenged with a higher than conventional dose (15,000 IU) on the third cycle, she ovulated and conceived. CONCLUSION: Conventional doses of exogenous human chorionic gonadotropins occasionally fail to complete the ovulatory process in some women. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome appear to be particularly susceptible. Routine documentation of ovulation and individualization of the dose of exogenous human chorionic gonadotropins could therefore prove to be useful in some of these women in order to achieve the best treatment outcome.

The SCID mouse: an experimental model for endometriosis.

The purpose of this study was to validate the suitability of the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse as an experimental model for endometriosis, by defining the morphological and histological features of induced endometrial implants, and characterizing specific biochemical properties of these implants. Human secretory endometrial tissues were injected into the peritoneal cavity of SCID/SCID CB17 mature female mice. Successful peritoneal implantation was observed in 55 of 57 (96.5%) SCID mice and consisted of circumscribed elevated nodules. Haematoxylin-eosin staining of implanting lesions demonstrated the presence of endometrial glandular tissue in a mixed background of stromal and inflammatory cells. When progesterone was administered to mice, epithelial glands underwent well-defined secretory changes. Immunohistochemical analysis using polyclonal human pan-cytokeratin antibodies demonstrated selective positive staining in the glandular epithelium of the human implants with none in the surrounding stroma. In-situ hybridization analysis using complement component 3 cDNA radiolabelled riboprobes yielded significantly more intense signals in glands compared to stroma. As human endometrial implants in SCID mice were shown to retain specific histological, functional and biochemical properties, we conclude that the SCID mouse is an attractive animal model for the study of endometriosis.