Destructive ophthalmic procedures,a comparison between a developed and a developing country

Summary The causes for enucleation, evisceration, and exenteration were compared between Malawi and Israel. Differences in etiology, age, and sex were found due to the medical facilities, standard of living, and cultural background of each country.     

Low-dose Cyclosporin a in uveitis a long-term follow-up

Seventy patients suffering from bilateral endogenous chronic uveitis or ocular Behcet's disease have been treated with 5 mg/kg/day Cyclosporin A. All patients were followed at regular intervals for up to eight years. In this group of patients, we observed that CsA is an effective drug for the treatment of intraocular inflammation. Patients have needed continuous treatment with CsA for an average period of 31 months. Exacerbations of the inflammatory processes have been observed in 95% of the patients on initial attempts to lower the CsA dosage. These exacerbations were controlled either by local treatment or a combination of low-dose systemic corticosteroids. Elevation of the serum creatinine was initially observed in all patients when under the higher doses of CsA. However, only 15 patients (21.4%) had levels which were higher than the upper normal limit. Elevation of the bilirubin level of 50% or more above baseline was observed in 45 patients (64.3%) but only 11 patients (15.7%) showed levels which were above the upper normal limit. During this period of follow-up, cure was achieved in 25 patients and no exacerbations were observed up to five years after discontinuation of treatment.     

Ambliopía secundaria a quiste de iris

Clinical caseA 5 year-old child diagnosed with moderate anisometropic amblyopia secondary to primary cyst of iris pigment epithelium. He was evaluated with ultrasound biomicroscopy (BMU) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of anterior segment.DiscussionThe OCT, although with some limitations, is a useful tool to study the anterior segment. It is probably more recommendable than BMU in the childhood.     

From a forester''s boy to a university professor

Austrian ophthalmologist, Dr. Karl B. Hruby, is well known for his preset lens, which allows slit-lamp examination of the vitreous and fundus. He is also known as one of the first to use microsurgical methods for intraocular operations and scleral buckling for retinal detachments. In this memoir, Dr. Hruby shares the fascinating personal account of his experiences as a prisoner and physician during World War II, and as an outstanding teacher and clinician thereafter. The article is followed by the editorial comment of Dr. Fred Blodi, who invited Dr. Hruby to contribute this article.