Successful Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder with Rituximab in a Patient Undergoing Immunosuppressive Therapy for Aplastic Anemia.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV-LPD) is a currently emerging serious complication in immunosuppressed patients, especially in allogeneic transplant recipients. Several fatal cases of EBV-LPD have been reported in aplastic anemia (AA) patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) plus cyclosporine A (CsA), but no appropriate prophylactic or therapeutic strategy has been established. Herein, we describe a 29-year-old man whose EBV-LPD was successfully treated with rituximab. He received IST with ATG plus CsA for hepatitis-associated AA. EBV-DNA in plasma, which was not detectable before IST, gradually increased after IST initiation. A high fever and systemic lymphadenopathy developed 31 days after IST initiation. An EBV-DNA titer of 5.7 × 105 copies/µl was detected, and a diagnosis of EBV-LPD was made. Although discontinuation of IST was not effective, a single dose of rituximab on day 33 resolved the clinical symptoms and completely eliminated EBV-DNA. Even after restarting CsA administration, no elevation of EBV-DNA was observed, and his complete blood cell count had fully recovered 1 year after IST. This case suggests that this treatment strategy for EBV-LPD with EBV-DNA monitoring and rituximab administration, which has been recommended in allogeneic transplant recipients, may also be useful in the context of AA patients receiving IST.

New system for fiberoptic-free bimanual vitreous surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a new system for fiberoptic-free bimanual vitrectomy and to present the outcome of 37 eyes with preretinal membranes due to diabetic retinopathy or proliferative vitreoretinopathy that underwent surgery using this system. METHODS: The system consists of a 40-diopter aspheric field lens suspended from the operating microscope and a prismatic inverting device. The aspheric lens is placed above the cornea, and the illumination from the operating microscope creates an inverted image of the fundus, which is made erect by an inverter system. No fiberoptics are required, and both hands are free to use 2 microinstruments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The practical utility of this system and its surgical results and complications. RESULTS: The system was used successfully in all cases. Membrane dissection and hemostasis were performed without incident. An improvement in visual acuity of 2 or more lines was found in 30 of 37 eyes. Five eyes did not reveal change of 2 or more lines, and 2 eyes had a decrease in visual acuity of more than 2 lines. There was no evidence of phototoxicity. CONCLUSION: This system is very useful for bimanual vitrectomy.

Kinetics of indocyanine green dye after intraocular surgeries using indocyanine green staining.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the elimination kinetics of indocyanine green (ICG) after intraocular operations using ICG staining. METHODS: Intraocular fluorescence of ICG was determined using the ICG angiographic mode of a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (in vivo) and fluorescence microscopy (in vitro) after circular curvilinear capsulorhexis with ICG staining during cataract surgery and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling with ICG staining during macular hole surgery. SUBJECTS: We studied 9 eyes of 7 patients with white cataracts and 14 eyes of 14 patients with idiopathic macular holes. RESULTS: Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy revealed fluorescence in the anterior segment of patients with cataracts on the first postoperative day, and fluorescence remained for a mean +/- SD of 6.0 +/- 2.2 days postoperatively. Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy also revealed fluorescence in the posterior pole of patients with macular holes, and it remained for a mean +/- SD of 2.7 +/- 1.4 months postoperatively. Fluorescence microscopy showed fluorescence of the entire tissues, suggesting that ICG had stained not only the surface of the membranes but had also entered them. In both operations, visual outcomes were not significantly different from the results obtained without ICG. CONCLUSIONS: Because entire tissues were stained, the differences in ICG kinetics might also be caused by factors other than differences in stainability, such as the environment surrounding the tissues or molecular structural differences between the lens capsule and the ILM. Although we found complete disappearance of fluorescence and good functional recovery, the longer resident time of the dye after macular hole surgery may suggest a potential risk to intraocular tissues.

Removal of lens material dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery using an optical fiber-free intravitreal surgery system.

We describe a technique for removing lens fragments dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery using an optical fiber-free intravitreal surgery system (OFFISS) that was developed for bimanual vitrectomy. The dropped nucleus was removed by 2-port corneal vitrectomy using the OFFISS in 3 patients during complicated cataract surgery. No complications occurred, and good visual recovery was achieved. The OFFISS provided a good view of the fundus without fiber optics and allowed the use of 2 ports for vitrectomy through the corneal wound. This technique is suitable for cataract surgeons who have not been trained in 3-port pars plana vitrectomy.

Transparent irrigation cannula for bimanual lens cortex removal.

A transparent irrigation cannula was developed to facilitate bimanual removal of subincisional lens cortex after phacoemulsification. The cannula allows visualization of the proximal cortex and provides ample inflow to maintain an inflated anterior chamber even at a high aspiration pressure.

Evaluation of motor performances of hemiplegic patients using a virtual cycling wheelchair: an exploratory trial.

Cycling is known to be an effective rehabilitation exercise for hemiplegic patients who face difficulty during walking because of stroke or other brain disorders. A cycling wheelchair (CWC) is a useful tool to provide exercise for these patients and improve their quality of life. In previous studies, our group developed a system that allows patients to safely practice driving a CWC in a virtual environment. However, it has been difficult to check their motor performances and determine the effects of the exercise on a daily basis. This study is an exploratory trial for developing a method to evaluate the motor performances of users based on their CWC pedaling patterns. An experiment with some hemiplegic patients and healthy subjects was conducted and their pedaling patterns were analyzed. Results showed a significant difference between the hemiplegic patients and healthy subjects in an index that reflects pedaling balance between the feet. This result indicates a possible method of evaluating the motor performances of users based on their pedaling patterns.

Development of a virtual reality system to evaluate skills needed to drive a cycling wheel-chair.

A cycling wheel chair (CWC) is a useful tool to provide physical exercise for patients who face difficulty walking, caused by stroke or other brain disorders. A system has been developed for rehabilitation, which allows patients to practice driving a CWC in a virtual environment. In this study, hardware improvements were developed and methods for evaluating driving skills were investigated to improve the practical application of this system. The hardware was changed to enable users to drive the CWC they were using in their daily lives. In addition, four types of test scenarios that focused on basic and important actions necessary to drive a CWC, such as pedaling and steering, were developed. An experiment with healthy young and elderly persons was conducted to evaluate the validity of the system. Results showed that pedaling and steering skills were improved in both the young and elderly subjects but the improvement patterns differed between them. These results indicate that repeated practice with the proposed system enhances the safety of driving a CWC, particularly for elderly users.

The preparation of PLLA/calcium phosphate hybrid composite and its evaluation of biocompatibility.

In tissue engineering, biodegradable polymer materials with both high biocompatibility and high strength are very important as scaffolds for long term use. Therefore, in this research, we tried to prepare the three types of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)/calcium phosphate (CP) hybrid composite for a scaffold biomaterial. The effects of addition of different CP on both biocompatibility and mechanical properties were evaluated. CP powders and voids were three-dimensionally and uniformly distributed in the solid samples and porous composite samples. These compositions of CP and PLLA greatly improved the cellular adhesiveness, which increased as the volume fraction of CP in the composite increased. For the porous samples, cells migrated into the pores. This study demonstrated that a composite of PLLA and CP is an effective new scaffold material that results in better osteoconductivity, bone regeneration, and mineralization and has moderately high strength.

Multifocal electroretinogram and optical coherent tomography: prediction of visual outcome after epiretinal membrane removal.

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate the value of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in predicting post-operative visual acuity (post-VA) after removal of an idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). METHODS: Fifty-one eyes of 51 patients with an idiopathic macular ERM were examined by OCT and mfERG before three-port pars plana vitrectomy with removal of the ERM. The parameters of the OCT images and mfERGs, pre-operative visual acuity (pre-VA) and the duration of symptoms (DS) were compared with the post-VA. RESULTS: The pre-VA (r = 0.570, p < 0.001) and the duration of the symptoms (r = 0.389, p < 0.035; n = 35) were significantly correlated with the post-VA. The central retinal thickness (CRT) was significantly correlated with the pre-VA (r = 0.379, p < 0.01) and the post-VA (r = 0.318, p < 0.03). The amplitudes of macular electroretinogram (amERGs) were not significantly correlated with the pre-VA or post-VA. The CRT to amERG ratio (CRT/amERG) was correlated with the post-VA (r = 0.429, p < 0.002) but not with the pre-VA (p > 0.1). Comparative analyses among groups of cases based on CRT/amERG showed significant differences in the post-VA but not in the pre-VA and the duration of symptoms. CONCLUSION: As with the large CRT/amERG, the pre-operative morphologically thickened and electroretinographically reduced retinas have a greater likelihood of being affected by the irreversible photoreceptor damages that could have been masked or modified by other factors before the removal of the ERM. Because the CRT/amERG values are obtained objectively, they should be valuable in predicting the post-operative visual function along with the pre-VA and the duration of symptoms.