Perforating ocular injury by Taser.

This report describes the features, treatment and outcome of globe perforation by a Taser dart electrode in a 21-year-old man. The Taser electrode caused mechanical iris, lens and retinal injury and consequent retinal detachment as result of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The effect of electrical stimulation on ocular tissues is unknown. After the scleral and corneal wounds, traumatic cataract and retinal tear were repaired, the patient regained a visual acuity of 6/18. Nine months later a retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy was discovered. The Taser may cause globe perforation and posterior segment injury. Understanding the barbed configuration of the dart electrode is important when extricating this device. Visual recovery is possible despite electric discharge of the Taser and suggests that the mechanism of ocular injury is largely mechanical.

Corneal transduction to inhibit angiogenesis and graft failure.

PURPOSE: To test whether lentivirus-mediated expression of an endostatin::kringle-5 (E::K-5) fusion gene has an inhibitory effect on neovascularization and failure of corneal transplants. METHODS: A lentiviral vector containing a fusion transgene comprising the human endostatin gene and the kringle-5 domain of the human plasminogen gene (E::K-5) was used for transduction of corneal buttons ex vivo. The corneal buttons were transplanted after overnight incubation in media containing either lentivirus or PBS. Sixteen rabbits underwent allogenic penetrating keratoplasty in one eye. The area of neovascularization from the limbus to within the graft was documented after surgery. RT-PCR was performed to demonstrate the presence of transgene mRNA within the graft. Histopathology was used to analyze neovascularization, inflammation, and rejection morphology. RESULTS: Less neovascularization was observed in corneas treated with the lentivirus E::K-5 fusion vector. Early onset and profound neovascularization was observed in control eyes. E::K-5-treated animals did not have graft failure, whereas five of the six control animals had graft failure, as classified by opacification of the graft. All E::K-5 transduced corneas tested were positive by RT-PCR for the unique fusion gene sequence. Histopathology corroborated a significant increase of blood vessel presence and inflammatory reaction in control compared with treated eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Corneas transduced with a lentivirus containing an endostatin::kringle-5 fusion gene demonstrated an inhibition of neovascularization and graft failure. E::K-5 gene transduction through a lentiviral vector system may be a useful adjunct to prevent graft neovascularization and corneal graft rejection in high-risk corneal transplants with antecedent rejection or neovascularization.