[Structure-function correlation in early diagnosis of glaucoma progression]. / Corelatii structura-functie în diagnosticul precoce al progresiei glaucomatoase.

PURPOSE: The study investigates the correlations between structure and function in early detection of glaucoma progression. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A prospective study was carried on 204 patients diagnosed with POAG and a follow-up period of 4 years. All the patients underwent complex ophthalmological examination, C/D ratio, Disk Damage Likelyhood Scale (DDLS), automated perimetry and Heidelberg retina tomography RESULTS: The relations between structure and function were investigated for all patients, but also according to clinical stage of glaucomatous damage. Structural progression was more frequently associated with perimetric progression for patients with moderate advanced glaucoma. For patients with preperimetric glaucoma and early glaucoma, the progression was present more often for structural test (19,04% and 29,3%), while perimetric progression was less frequent objectivated and weak correlated with structural progression (16,66%). For the 15 cases diagosed with both structural and functional progression, the locations of the structural lesion and functional defect were better correlated in cases involving the poles of the optic disc. CONCLUSIONS: Structure-function relation depends on clinical stage of glaucoma and the location of the glaucomatous defects. In early stages, structural investigations can detect progression before perimetry, while in advanced stages, the functional tests are more useful for early detection of progression.

[Assessment of a patient with optic neuropathy]. / Evaluarea pacientului cu neuropatie optica.

Optic neuropathy (ON) is defined as the reduction of vision due to inflammatory lesion of the optic nerve. The patient with ON has to be evaluated clinically but also with complex techniques (magnetic resonance imaging, visual evoked potentials, cerebrospinal fluid examination) because ON could be the presenting symptom in multiple sclerosis patients. Corticosteroids should be administrated intravenous and the patient should be followed by the neurologist in order to signal the appearance of new neurological signs.

[Optic neuropathy in multiple sclerosis]. / Neuropatia optica in scleroza multipla.

The inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuropathy could be an onset marker of multiple sclerosis. The authors review the place of optic neuropathy (neuritis) in the inflammatory demyelinating disease continuum, especially as the onset symptom of multiple sclerosis. We present the clinical symptoms, the aetiology of optic neuritis and the adjacent methods used to investigate optic neuritis. In the article are presented the actual criteria used to establish the multiple sclerosis diagnosis and the revised criteria for optic neuromyelitis, with emphasis on the differential diagnosis between these diseases.

[Effects of optical radiation in ocular structures]. / Efectele radiatiei optice asupra structurilor oculare.

The eye and the skin are organs that are particularly vulnerable to external aggression, such as electromagnetic radiation- meaning ultraviolet radiation, visible radiation (especially blue light) and infrared radiation. The three mechanisms involved are: the photo-thermic mechanism, the photochemical mechanism and the photomechanical mechanism. The effects of such exposures can be either temporary or permanent, if inadequate protection occurs. Today, there are enough data so that special protection measures can be taken concerning the potential damage of optical radiation. Among those, we mention artificial implants or sun glasses containing UV filters or surgical gestures that can be taken to protect the eye against the surgical light. Ultimately, the effects of optical radiation upon the eye are related to being well informed about the risks of uncontrolled exposure and the protection measures against it.

[In vivo study of effects of some alkyl-phenyl-pyridinium compounds after their exposure to optical UV beams]. / Studiu in vivo al efectelor unor compusi alchilfenilpiridinici expusi la radiatia optica.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of some alkyl-phenyl-pyridinium compounds (which are in fact cytostatics) on the pseudotumoral tissues after their exposure to optical UV- vis beams.

5-fluorouracil as a phosensitiser.

5-FU exhibits a high fluorescence after irradiation with UV-vis light. An enhancement of the cytostatic activity of 5-FU under UV-vis irradiation was observed on an in vivo experimental model.

[Yttrium- Aluminium Garnet Crystal (I)]. / Cristalul de granat de yttriu si aluminiu (I).

The Yttrium- Aluminum Garnet Crystal is synthetically obtained and represents the active medium of the Nd: YAG, Ho: YAG, Er: YAG lasers. These solid state lasers showed very good results in Ophthalmology, due to their emission in different regimes (continuous wave or giant short pulses), at different wavelengths (near IR and starting from it in UV or visible spectre), the ability to focus the radiation through simple optic systems or the transmission to narrow, hard accessible spaces using flexible optic fibers. The high efficiency of these lasers reported in ophthalmology is obtained by the photo-disruptive or thermic mechanism of the laser beams. This paper introduces the properties of the laser radiation, the structure and the way the YAG laser works and the applications of these lasers in Ophthalmology (such as posterior capsulotomy, iridotomy or trabeculoplasty) as well.

Methotrexate as a photosensitiser.

The absorption, excitation and emission spectra of methotrexate (MTX) solutions in natural saline water and sodium hydroxide at 10(-4)-10(-5) MpH=8.4 were measured, while they were exposed to coherent and uncoherent visible and near ultraviolet (UV) light. Xe and Hg lamp and also a nitrogen pulsed laser radiation were used. The absorption spectra exhibited spectral bands between 225 nm and 450 nm. The 200 nm - 500 nm excitation spectra were measured with emission centred on 470 nm; fluorescence excitation was observed at 340 nm and 370 nm; emission fluorescence was detected between 400 nm and 600 nm, showing a maximum at 470 nm. Spectra modifications, non-linearly depending on exposure time (varying from 3 min to 180 min), indicated the photodissociation of MTX to the fluorescent compound 2,4 diamino-formylpteridine. In a preliminary in vivo experiment, rapid destruction of neovascularisation was observed in the MTX-impregnated conjunctive of the rabbit eye exposed to uncoherent UV and visible light.