[Inferior branch retinal artery occlusion in a young adult revealing rheumatismal valvular disease]. / Oblitération de la branche inférieure de l'artère centrale de la rétine chez un adulte jeune révélatrice d'une valvulopathie rhumatismale.

INTRODUCTION: Inferior branch retinal artery occlusion is uncommon in young adults. Through a case report and data from the literature, we describe the clinical, fluorescein angiography, and progressive details of this disease. CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old man suddenly presented superior scotoma in the left eye. He underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, which showed visual acuity limited to 5/10 P4 and ischemia of the inferior retina at the fundus exam. Fluorescein angiography of the left eye revealed delayed filling of the inferior branch retinal artery. The ophthalmologic exam of the right eye was normal. RESULTS: The search for an etiologic explanation revealed double rheumatismal mitral and aortic valvular disease, which was referred to and treated in appropriate department. The condition has progressed slowly but favorably over 2 months, with visual acuity reaching 6/10 P3. DISCUSSION: Branch retinal artery occlusion commonly occurs in older adults. When it happens to the young adult, it may be dangerous and often reveals cardiac embolic disease, particularly rheumatismal valvular disease. CONCLUSION: Branch retinal artery occlusion in the young adult remains a rare and dangerous disease where the prognosis depends on the degree of artery repermeabilization and on the etiology of the thromboembolic disease.

[Episcleral single injection anesthesia in the caruncle for cataract surgery: report of 350 cases]. / L'anesthésie épisclérale en injection unique à la caroncule dans la chirurgie de la cataracte: expérience de 350 cas.

Episcleral single injection anesthesia in the caruncle ovoïds the rare but potentially dangerous complications and incidents of classic local anesthesia. Excellent motor and sensory block is obtained with a single injection in the anatomic marks are well defined. We have practiced this technique since February 1999 for cataract surgery in 350 cases. The different surgical techniques used were manual extracapsular extraction in 52% of cases, phacosection through tunnel incision in 38%, and phacoemulsification in 10%. Our preliminary results show good acceptance of the episcleral anesthesia for both patients and surgeons. Because it is effective and safe, this anaesthtic technique may be an alternative to classic anesthetic techniques in all cases where topical anesthesia is not indicated.

[Dermoid cysts: epidemiological, clinical and pathological studies]. / Kystes dermoïdes: études épidémiologique, clinique et anatomopathologique.

We retrospectively analyzed 31 cases of dermoid cysts surgically treated between January 1992 and October 2000. Mean patient age was 18.9 years. The preseptal localization predominated, with 29 cases. Two cases of intraorbital localization required orbitotomy. The surgical result was excellent.

Effects of the substitution of P2O5 by B2O3 on the structure and dielectric properties in (90-x) P2O5-xB2O3-10Fe2O3 glasses.

90%[xB2O3 (1-x) P2O5] 10%Fe2O3, glass systems where (x=0 mol%, 5 mol%, 10 mol%, 15 mol%, 20 mol%) was prepared via a melt quenching technique. The structure of glass is investigated at room temperature by, Raman and EPR spectroscopy. Raman studies have been performed on these glasses to examine the distribution of different borate and phosphate structural groups. We have noted an increase from 3 to 4 in the coordination number of the boron atoms from 3 to 4, i.e., the conversion of the BO3 triangular structural units into BO4 tetrahedra. The samples have been investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The results obtained from the gef=4.28 EPR line are typical of the occurrence of iron (III) occupying substitutional sites. Moreover, the dielectric sizes such as ε'(ω), ε″(ω), imaginary parts of the electrical modulus, M(*)(ω) and the loss tanδ, their variation with frequency at room temperature show a decrease in relaxation intensity with an increase in the concentration of (B2O3). On the present work, we have found a weak extinction index with our new glass.