Ophthalmologic manifestations of carotid occlusive disease.

Amaurosis fugax is perhaps the best known ocular symptom of carotid vascular disease. An understanding of the symptoms and an ability to recognise the characteristic changes of hypotensive retinopathy and the ocular ischaemic syndrome should be familiar to ophthalmologists. In patients with known cerebrovascular disease a careful ophthalmologic examination should be performed to evaluate for the presence of ocular involvement related to emboli and hypoperfusion. Once identified a variety of non-invasive and invasive techniques may be employed to determine the degree of stenosis and an individual treatment plan initiated. Early recognition and treatment of patients with carotid occlusive disease may prevent more serious complications.

A new technique for explantation and in vitro cultivation of chicken embryos.

A technique is described for explanting and cultivating chicken embryos in plastic drinking cups which have been modified with plastic wrap to reproduce the geometry and dimensions of the egg shell. Successful explantation rates of 97% are possible with a double-window technique, and survivability in cups exceeds that achievable in other in vitro systems (i.e., petri dishes). Long-term survival to the 21st day of incubation is seen routinely. This system with cups is less expensive than that with petri dishes, and simpler than that with plastic wrap/tripods. Thus, this new method of in vitro cultivation of chicken embryos improves upon explantation rate, survivability and system design, and has a wide range of applications in developmental biology, angiogenesis, cancer, and pharmacology research.