[A case of left posterior inferior temporal infarction with right homonymous upper quadrantanopsia and alexia with agraphia for Kanji].

BACKGROUND: Alexia with agraphia usually represents damage in angular gyrus. We report an unusual case of alexia with agraphia caused by a posterior inferior temporal lesion. CASE REPORT: A 82-year-old, right-handed man was admitted because of reading disorder. Visual acuity was 0.7 OD and 0.7 OS. Goldmann perimetry revealed right homonymous upper quadrantanopsia. Standard Language Test of Aphasia revealed mild anomia and severe alexia with agraphia for kanji. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated left temporal and posterior infarction in the posterior cerebral artery region. Single photon emission computed tomography revealed decreased blood flow in the left inferior temporal, parahippocampal, fusiform, lingual and inferior occipital gyri. There were no significant lesions nor any decreased of blood flow in the angular gyrus. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that reading and writing of ideograms such as Kanji is related not only to the angular gyrus but also to the posterior inferior temporal lobe and medial posterior lobe of the visual cortex.

Application of energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis on the diagnosis of atypical calcific band keratopathy.

We describe pathological, ultrastructural, and spectrographic analyses of surgically resected cornea from a man with atypical corneal opacification, and discuss the corneal pathogenesis, and the utility of energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXA). The histopathologic features of a case presenting with longstanding bilateral corneal clouding are reported, which was difficult to be diagnosed clinically as calcific band keratopathy. The patient underwent keratoplasty on his right eye. Paraffin sections of the host corneal button were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). An adjacent section was studied by means of EDXA. Plastic sections were observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). H&E staining revealed flattened corneal epithelial cells and disappearing Bowman's membrane accompanied by numerous basophilic granular deposits within the underlying corneal stroma. EDXA demonstrated the elevated peaks of calcium and phosphorus within the area of granular deposits. TEM revealed electron dense material consistent with extracellular calcospherites. Given the patient's past medical and family history, and the serologic test results, the clinical presentation and histological findings were most consistent with calcific band keratopathy associated with preexisting minimal syphilitic keratitis. Extensive histologic studies including EDXA on resected corneal tissue can be helpful for the differential diagnosis and may elucidate the pathogenesis of corneal diseases.

Case of a large, movable bacterial concretion with biofilm formation on the ocular surface.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case with a large movable bacterial concretion formed on the ocular surface without biomaterials. METHODS: Interventional case report. A 74-year-old woman with left eye pain and injection was referred to us. She had a past history of scleral patch graft for necrotizing scleritis after pterygium removal and mitomycin C instillation on her left eye 7 years before. On present examination, a 2.5- to 3.0-mm yellowish-white calcification-like mass was present on the nasal sclera and cornea, and it moved slightly with blinking. The anterior chamber was shallow, and cornea was suspected to be perforated under this object. RESULTS: This yellowish-white mass was surgically removed. Pathologic examination demonstrated that the specimen was not a calcification but a biofilm formation by many gram-positive bacilli with neutrophils. Corynebacterium was highly suspected as the causative agent of this unusual mass because of the earlier culture of the discharge before referral. CONCLUSION: The current case demonstrates that bacterial biofilms can be formed on the ocular surface without the involvement of biomaterials.