DIAGNOSTICS OF OPTIC DISC DRUSEN IN CHILDREN WITH SWEPT SOURCE OCT IMAGING.

AIM: The aim of this retrospective study is to compare two methods of optic disc drusen imaging in pediatric patients - new swept source OCT technology with the B-scan ultrasonography, which has been assumed to be a gold standard in diagnosing optic disc drusen, and to compare pRNFL thickness in children with optic disc drusen and control group. METHODS: 14 eyes of 8 pediatric patients in whom optic disc drusen were confirmed by either B-scan ultrasonography, or swept-source OCT, were included in the study. We compared the sensitivity of these two imaging methods. Then we compared an average pRNFL thickness and pRNFL thickness in all four quadrants of our study group with the control group. Two statistical methods were used in data analysis - Mann-Whitney a Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The difference between SS-OCT and B-scan ultrasonography was not statistically significant in diagnosing optic disc drusen. Average pRNFL thickness was 135.29 ± SD 31.2 μm in eyes with optic disc drusen, which is 24.15 % higher than in control group (p = 0.00214; p = 0.00207). pRNFL thickness of temporal (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0001), superior (p = 0.03486; p = 0.03361) and inferior (p = 0.00652; p = 0.00627) quadrant was statistically significantly higher in comparison with healthy controls, whereas the difference of pRNFL thickness in nasal quadrant was not statistically significant between the study and control group (p = 0.09692; p = 0.0947). CONCLUSION: Swept source OCT is a promising new "gold standard" in optic disc drusen diagnostics in pediatric patients. An increase in pRNFL thickness values does not always confirm papilloedema as optic disc drusen may be the cause. Direct visualisation of optic disc drusen by swept source OCT can aid in differentiation from true papilloedema.

[Deep perforating trabeculectomy--results after up to six years follow-up]. / Hluboká perforujíci trabekulektomie--az sestileté výsledky.

AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to establish intraocular pressure (IOP) values in patients after deep perforating trabeculectomy (TE) in time periods after the surgery (one month, 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 6 years). Furthermore, the pharmacotherapy after TE and complications after TE, especially consecutive cataract surgeries, were followed-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Altogether 110 patients were included into the study, which underwent TE in the years 2003 - 2008 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Kyjov Hospital, Czech republic. The TE procedure was performed in the standard manner with the base of the conjunctival flap located at the limbus. The non-parametric Wilcoxon pair test was used for the statistical evaluation. RESULTS: In all time periods after the surgeries, statistically significant decrease of the IOP comparing to the preoperative values occurred (test significance p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). The pharmacotherapy after the TE was reduced significantly: after 6 years, there were 27% of patients without any therapy, 39% of patients used the neuroprotective monotherapy only, 32% used combined therapy with two medications, and two patients only were treated by combined therapy with three medications. In two patients in which the target IOP was not reached, another TE was performed and the target IOP was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: TE is safe and effective method in the glaucoma therapy. After 6 years, two thirds of patients are without any therapy, or with neuroprotective monotherapy respectively.

[The intravitreal application of the tissue plasminogen activator in the treatment of submacular hemorrhage--a case report]. / Intravitreální aplikace tkánového aktivátoru plazminogenu v lécbe submakulární hemoragie--kazuistika.

The authors present the possibility to influence therapeutically the submacular hemorrhage caused by age-related macular degeneration in the presence of choroidal neovascular membrane by means of recombinant plasminogen tissue activator (rt-PA) and expansive gas intravitreal injection followed by pneumatic relocation of the hemorrhage out of the foveolar region. The therapy is presented in a case report. The submacular hemorrhage without treatment causes serious decrease of visual functions. The human recombinant plasminogen tissue activator that is a glycoprotein, activating the transformation of plasminogen directly to plasmin has a trombolytic effect. Rt-PA is activated by binding to fibrin with high affinity. This minimally invasive procedure gives the possibility to treat this prognostic unfavorable finding, so after the lysis and pneumorelocation of the hemorrhage from the macular region we can treat the choroidal neovascular membrane.

[Disturbances of the plasma coagulation defects in retinal venous occlusions]. / Poruchy hemokoagulacní kaskády u retinálních venózních okluzí.

Occlusions of retinal veins (central and branch) represent multifactorialy-conditioned disease involving presumably older patients, in whom the changes of retinal vessels caused by hypertension and atherosclerosis present the most important pathophysiological factors for development of this disease. In last years, the intensive scientific research is focused to the explanation of the role of the defects of the coagulations cascade. Especially in younger patients, the most often mentioned defect of the coagulations cascade is called as APC-resistance. Up to 95% of all patients with APC-resistance are carriers of so called Leiden mutation. The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of the ACP-resistance in 92 patients with central or branch occlusion of the retinal vein verified by means of angiography treated at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic, EU, during the period 1999-2005. The control group consisted of 40 patients without any vascular, eye-related disease. In the group of patients with occlusion of the retinal vein, the prevalence of the APC-resistance was 10.9% and in the control group 5%. In the group of patients 55 years old and younger the prevalence of the ACP-resistance was 14.3%, in patients older than 55 years it was 5.6%. According to the relatively small groups of patients, the established difference did not reach the level of statistical evidence. Results of our study confirmed the conclusions of previously published papers that the prevalence of the APC-resistance is not significantly higher in patients with retinal vein occlusion according to the prevalence in controls.

[Lutein and antioxidants in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration]. / Lutein und Antioxidantien zur Prävention der AMD.

Demographic developments in Europe and North America are causing an increase of age-related diseases. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of severe central visual acuity loss in elderly people and seems to be an economic problem, too. There is evidence that oxidative damage is an important factor for exacerbation of AMD. Macular pigment with its antioxidative effect may serve as"natural sunglasses" filtering the blue light acting as a possible source of photooxidative damage to the neurosensory retina. The macular pigment consists mostly of lutein and zeaxanthin. These micronutrients from the group of carotenoids, as is the case for vitamins (vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene), cannot be synthesized in mammals and that is the reason why the role of micronutrition or its supplementation and its correlation to AMD progression has been discussed for years. The results of currently published studies are often contradictory. At present there are no results from randomized controlled studies confirming that supplementation of lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce the risk for AMD. Several epidemiological studies investigating the impact of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids on the incidence of AMD provided conflicting results.Up to now, AREDS is the largest randomized controlled study investigating the effect of supplementation of antioxidants, zinc, and copper on the progression of AMD. AREDS showed a significant effect of this supplementation in some particular groups of patients with AMD. The supplementation of lutein and omega-3 fatty acids is not toxic but a positive effect has not been proven by randomized studies.

[Functional examination of retinal vessels in patients with central retinal vein occlusion]. / Funkcní vysetrení retinálních cév u pacientu s okluzí centrální sítnicové zíly.

Retina vessel analyzer (RVA) provides the functional examination of retinal vessels based on the analysis of the extent (size) of their dilation and constriction. The RVA measures continuously on-line the diameter of retinal arteries and veins after different kind of stimulation. Beyond dynamic vessel analysis, another possibility of the RVA's utilization is a static vessel assessment, measuring the arterial and venous diameter ratio (A/V ratio), which provides the information about the rate of arterial vasoconstriction. The aim of the presented study was to investigate static and dynamic retinal vessel changes in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (Group 1). The second investigated group consists of patients with arterial hypertension; as a control group, healthy persons without any vascular disease were examined. Altogether 40 eyes were examined. Statistically significant differences of A/V ratio were observed in the static vessel analysis in all three investigated groups. The dynamic analysis showed statistically significant differences in arterial dilatation and constriction between all investigated groups as well. The presented results confirm that the degree of retinal vessels endothelial dysfunction is one of the determinating ethiopathological factors of central retinal vein occlusion.

[Orbital apex syndrome of the aspergillus etiology--a case report]. / Syndrom orbitálního hrotu aspergilové etiologie--kazuistika.

The authors present a case report of a patient, in whom after a head injury the monolateral blindness occurred. Because of autoimmune thrombocytopeny the patient was treated with long-term corticosteroids. The clinical findings corresponded with the orbital apex syndrome. According to the results of the CT and MRI examinations, the sphenoidotomy was indicated, and the histological findings verified fragments of paranasal sinuses' aspergiloma. During the next course of the disease, despite antimycotic therapy, the progression of the aspergiloma in to the anterior cranial fossa occurred. Invasive sino-orbital aspergilosis, after the penetration of the infectious agent across the wall of the sinus, may cause the orbital apex syndrome with paralysis of all three cranial nerves innervating the extraocular muscles, sensoric defect in the area of the ophthalmic nerve and the involvement of the optic nerve.

[Ocular sparganosis in the Czech Republic--a case report]. / Ocní sparganóza v Ceské republice: Kazuistika.

The authors report a case of 14-year-old boy presented to the Ophthalmologic Department of University Hospital in Olomouc with the diagnosis af acute anterior uveitis. A living parasite has been detected in the anterior chamber in a slit lamp examination. The vitreous and retina remained uninvolved. The acute iridocyclitis associated with parasitic infection is a very rare cause of anterior uveitis in Central Europe. The patient underwent surgical removal of the parasite via paracentesis. The inflammation resolved under the treatment with atropine and dexamethasone drops within a few days. Histopathological examination revealed the parasite as a young larval stage of tapeworm from family Pseudophyllidea (sparganum). Based on the analysis of development cycles of different types of tapeworms and according the literature data on tapeworms found in the Czech Republic genus Spirometra seemed to be the most plausible cause of the patient's disease. As the most probable source of viable parasites authors suspect swallowed water containing tiny infected crustaceans in the dam near the town Olomouc in Moravia.

[Long-term functional effect of pars plana vitrectomy in complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy]. / Dlouhodobý funkcní efekt pars plana vitrektomie u komplikací proliferativní diabetické retinopatie.

In the years 1997-2004, we operated on and at least one year followed-up due to complication of prolipherative diabetic retinopathy 47 eyes (40 patients), of the mean age 61 years. If we compare the initial visual acuity (VA) to the vision at the last examination in the late postoperative period, or at least one year after the surgery, we may state, that in 28 eyes (60%) the vision improved, in 11 eyes (23%) VA remained stable and in 8 eyes (17%) the vision decreased. In the late postoperative period, the visual acuity 1/60 (3/200 or 0.17) and better had 33 eyes (70%), VA 6/60 (20/200 or 0.1) and better 17 eyes (36%) and VA 6/12 (20/40 or 0.5) and better 2 eyes (4%). Comparing the VA at the time of the early postoperative period and the VA at the last examination in the late postoperative period, we observed, that mostly, in 34 eyes (72%) the VA did not changed during the months after the surgery, and, in one eye (2%), the VA even improved. It was confirmed to be realistic the favorite result of pars plana vitrectomy found in the early postoperative period may be preserved for the next month and years of patient's life.

An oral test of pancreatic chymotrypsin activity using N-acetyl-L-tyrosyl-p-amino-benzoic acid in rats.

After a single dose of up to 50 mg/kg body weight (optimal amount for the test) of p-aminobenzoic acid or the corresponding amount of synthetic chymotrypsin substrate N-acetyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid, the urinary excretion of p-aminobenzoic acid in rats increases approximately linearly during 24 h. Higher doses do not cause any further significant increase in the amount of urine excreted p-aminobenzoic acid. Compared with a 24 h collecting period, 82% of p-aminobenzoic acid and 77% of p-aminobenzoic acid from N-acetyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid were excreted in the urine during the first 6 h after oral application of these substances. Therefore it is sufficient for practical purposes to determine p-aminobenzoic acid in 6 h urine samples. Stimulation of pancreatic secretion by application of 2.5 U of pancreozymin and 2.5 U of secretin failed to bring about significant increase in the cleaved p-aminobenzoic acid in the urine.