Ocular prostheses in the last century: a retrospective analysis of 8018 patients.

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with ocular prosthesis to assess the causes of eye loss in the different genders and age groups, and their incidence over the years. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the rates of ocular prosthesis application and related causes in the period from 1927 to 2011 in a referral center in Rome, Italy, and compared them over time. We also compared the results within the population in terms of age and gender. RESULTS: Of 8018 ocular prosthesis wearers, 63% were males and 37% were females, with a mean age of 29 years. The most frequent cause of ocular prosthesis application was a traumatic event (54%), with work-related eye injuries being the most frequent single cause of ocular trauma reported. Other frequent causes were end-stage ocular diseases, tumors, and malformations, without significant differences in gender. Tumors and malformations showed a slight increasing trend over time, while end-stage ocular diseases and work-related injuries remained unchanged, and other traumatic events decreased. CONCLUSION: The constantly high frequency of ocular prosthesis application for work-related injuries and end-stage ocular diseases suggests that preventive measures for these events have not been addressed accordingly, and might represent a neglected public-health issue.

Clinical trials in allergic conjunctivits: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Ocular allergy represents one of the most common conditions encountered by allergists and ophthalmologists. However, there is wide variability of study designs in clinical trials of allergic conjunctivitis, which results in conflicting evidence on their optimal management. We conducted a systematic review of clinical trials to critically evaluate their quality and to highlight biases to be avoided in future clinical research in ocular allergy. METHODS: Clinical trials in allergic conjunctivitis performed since 1965 were retrieved, and data on patients, interventions, comparison of interventions, and outcomes were extracted. Four authors independently assessed articles for inclusion in the systematic review and assessed trials' quality using the Jadad scale. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-two trials were included in the study. Only a minority of trials fulfilled all the criteria of proper clinical trial design. In most of the studies, there was a very limited use of objective (quantifiable) parameters for both patients' selection and evaluation of drug efficacy and safety. Several outcomes of primary importance, such as disease relapses and recurrence rate, were omitted in clinical trials of allergic conjunctivitis. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence coming out of clinical trials in ocular allergy is limited, and this affects the strength of recommendations to health care providers and policy makers for optimal management. Standardized diagnostic criteria for patient selection and quantifiable primary outcomes are recommended to improve the design of future clinical trials in allergic conjunctivitis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials on topical treatments for vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of currently available topical drugs for vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) through a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (RCTs). METHODS: Twenty-seven RCTs (n = 2184 eyes) that had evaluated the efficacy of topical drugs for the treatment of VKC were selected according to the set criteria; 10 of these trials were suitable for statistical analysis and were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Articles published up to December 2005 were identified from the following DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Lilacs, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and references from relevant articles. Articles in any language published with an English abstract, were screened, and those selected for inclusion were written in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish. The quality of the trials was assessed by the Delphi list. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA software. RESULTS: A significant improvement in all signs and symptoms, except photophobia, was observed after topical treatment for active VKC, independent of the type of treatment. Comparison of the efficacy of different drugs was not possible due to a lack of standardised criteria among studies. CONCLUSION: The currently available topical drugs are effective in treating acute phases of VKC. However, there is a lack of evidence to support the recommendation of one specific type of medication for treating this disorder. There is a need for standard criteria to assess diagnosis and therapy based on severity. There is also a need for RCTs assessing long-term effects of single drugs to control the disease and to prevent complications.

[Determination of organic phosphate plasticizers and solvents in the environmental air of the shoe industry]. / Determinazione dei plastificanti fosforganici e dei solventi nell'aria ambientale dell'industria calzaturiera.

We have carried out a laboratory research with the purpose of evaluating the absorbing capacities of various commercial active coals, equipping therefore a room where we have maintained a constant concentration of solvents in the air. We have determined through a gaschromatographic method the conditions of dimension of the test tube, the quantity in weight of coal and the speed of the flow to secure at least 4 1 of sampling. Using test tubes of 10 mm of inner diameter, 70 mm long containing 0.8 g of active coal, 20-35 mesh, with diameter from 0.33 to 1 mm2, subjected to an aspiration of 0.35 l/m, we have diluted the solvents with CS2 and determined their quantity through gaschromatographic analysis. We have completed a research of trycresyl phosphate and other plasticizers upon 54 different types of cement used in 30 shoe factories in the comprehensory of Lastra a Signa. On the cement samples and glues it has been done the mineralization with sulphonitric mixture. It has been observed that the presence of the phosphorus in the samples of the cement is not always due to the presence of phosphorganic plasticizers. We have then carried out a distillation from the cements with n-hexane and a thin layer chromatographic analysis using as comparison commercial trycresyl phosphate. The various cements examined did not contain plasticizers.