Red fluorescence in older and brunescent human lenses.

Brunescent lenses and normal human lenses more than 70 years old exhibit red fluorescence due to a fluorophor with emission maximum at 672 nm under excitation by the 647.1 nm line of krypton ion laser. The properties and mode of occurrence of this fluorophor suggest that its formation is highly pertinent to senile nuclear pathology.

Aortic subannular ventricular aneurysms.

Subannular aneurysms of the left ventricle are rare aneurysms originating adjacent to the aortic or mitral valve. Mitral subannular aneurysms are more common and have been well described. Two cases of aortic subannular aneurysm are reported, and an additional 20 cases were found in the literature. These aneurysms are usually found in young adults who may be seen with congestive heart failure, cardiac murmurs, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or even rupture. The aneurysms are often associated with aortic valve anomalies or subaortic stenosis. Diagnosis can be made by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, and surgical repair is indicated.

Laser raman spectroscopy of the lens in situ, measured in an anesthetized rabbit.

We have obtained the first Raman spectrum from the lens of a live animal. A laser beam (514.5 nm; 15 mW) was directed into the eye of an anesthetized rabbit at 60 degrees from the visual axis and Raman emission was collected at 90 degrees from the incident beam. The power density at the retina was estimated at 0.5 W/cm2. The entire scattering column in the lens can be imaged on the entrance slit of a spectrometer with so little distortion that Raman "optical dissection" analysis (Askren, Yu and Kuck (1979) Exp. Eye Res. 29, 647) can be performed on the in situ lens. The advantages of multichannel detectors over photomultiplier tubes with respect to in situ measurements are discussed.