Intraocular lens haptic fracturing with the neodymium:YAG laser In vitro study

PURPOSE: To determine the neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser energy threshold to fracture the haptic of various currently marketed intraocular lenses. SETTING: Dokuz Eylul University, Ophthalmology Department, Izmir, Turkey. METHODS: Four haptic materials-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), hydrophobic acrylic, hydrophilic acrylic, and polyvinylidene fluoride-were tested. The intraocular lenses (IOLs) were grouped according to haptic material. Each group comprised 9 IOLs. Beginning laser energy was 4 mJ. If no crack was noted, energy was increased by 0.5 mJ at every 20 shots and the procedure continued until a fracture was noted. If the fracture could not be developed despite reaching an energy level of 10 mJ, the procedure was terminated. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the differences within groups. RESULTS: Hydrophobic acrylic and polyvinylidene fluoride haptics required higher energy and more laser shots to create a fracture than hydrophilic acrylic and PMMA haptics. CONCLUSIONS: Neodymium:YAG laser haptic fracturing can be a viable option to cut the fibrosed haptic before explanting any IOL. It was demonstrated in vitro that it is easier to fracture hydrophilic acrylic and PMMA haptics than hydrophobic acrylic and polyvinylidene fluoride haptics.     

Staining of vitreous with triamcinolone acetonide in retained lens surgery with phacofragmentation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the beneficial effects of triamcinolone-assisted vitrectomy during management of retained nuclei with phacofragmentation. SETTING: Dokuz Eylul University, Medical Faculty, Ophthalmology Department, and Retina Eye Center, Izmir, Turkey. METHODS: Twelve eyes of 12 patients were operated on between January 2002 and September 2003. Eleven patients were referred because of nucleus drop during phacoemulsification surgery. Six of these patients had mature white cataracts, and in 5 cases total nucleus luxation into vitreous cavity had occurred. In 1 case, approximately half of the nucleus was luxated. Five of the referred patients had pseudoexfoliation (PEX), 3 of whom also had phacodonesis. All of these patients had luxated nucleus segments of more than half. One patient was referred with an intraocular lens (IOL) implanted in the sulcus region. One patient who was not referred also had PEX, iridodonesis, and phacodonesis; total drop of nucleus had occurred in this case. All patients were treated with pars plana vitrectomy with triamcinolone acetonide staining of the vitreous material and phacofragmentation of the dropped nucleus segments. In 2 cases, transscleral foldable IOL fixation surgery was combined simultaneously. One patient already had an IOL at the time of referral. Nine patients were left aphakic for secondary procedures. RESULTS: All patients except 1 with subretinal neovascular membrane achieved best corrected visual acuities of equal or better than 0.5. No intraoperative or postoperative retinal complications were observed after 9 to 15 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Staining of the vitreous material with triamcinolone acetonide during vitrectomy and phacofragmentation surgery for luxated nuclei helped in total removal of the vitreous body, thus preventing the aspiration of peripheral vitreous fibrils by the phaco tip, which might induce retinal detachment intraoperatively or postoperatively.     

Serum arylesterase and paraoxonase activity in patients with chronic hepatitis

AIM: To investigate the relationship between serum paraoxonase (PON1), AST, ALT, GGT, and arylesterase (AE) activity alterations and the degree of liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis. METHODS: We studied 34 chronic hepatitis patients and 32 control subjects, aged between 35 and 65 years, in the Department of Infection and Clinical Microbiology at the Firat University School of Medicine. Blood samples were collected from subjects between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. following a 12-h fast. Baseline and salt-stimulated PON1 activities were measured by the hydrolysis of paraoxon. Phenyl acetate was used as the substrate and formed phenol was measured spectrophotometrically at 270 nm after the addition of a 10-fold diluted serum sample in AE activity measurements. RESULTS: The results of this investigation revealed that the levels of AE activity decreased from 132±52 to 94± 36 (29%), baseline PON1 activity from 452±112 to 164 ±67 (64%), salt-stimulated PON1 activity from 746± 394 to 294±220 (61%), HDL from 58.4±5.1 to 47.2±5.6 (20%), triglyceride from 133±51.2 to 86±34.0 (35%), while a slight increase in the level of LDL (from 163± 54.1 to 177.3±56.0; 9%) and significant increases in the levels of AST (from 29±9.3 to 98±44), ALP (from 57.2±13.1 to 91±38.1), ALT (from 27.9±3.32 to 89± 19.1), GGT (from 24.3±2.10 to 94±48.2), total bilirubin (from 0.74±0.02 to 1.36±0.06; 84%) and direct bilirubin (from 0.18±0.01 to 0.42±0.04; 133%) were detected. However, the levels of albumin, total protein, cholesterol, and uric acid were almost the same in chronic hepatitis and the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Low PONl and AE activity may contribute to the increased liver dysfunction in chronic hepatitis patients by reducing the ability of HDL to retard LDL oxidation and might be clinically useful for monitoring the disease of chronic hepatitis.     

Cerebral sinus thrombosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease： A case report

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The pathophysiology of IBD is probably the result of the complex interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental influences. There is a well-known risk of thrombosis in patients with IBD. We present the case of a 53-year-old man with ulcerative colitis, who spontaneously developed intracranial sinus thrombosis that was treated with low molecular weight heparin. Literature was searched to assess the frequency and characteristics of cerebral sinus thrombosis in IBD and the role of certain etiopathological factors in such thrombotic patients.     

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia ablated from left atrial septum: clinical and electrophysiological characteristics and long-term follow-up results as compared to conventional right-sided ablation

Radiofrequency catheter ablation or modification of the slow pathway is almost always performed on the right atrial side of the interatrial septum, however, this is not possible in rare cases. We evaluated the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics and long-term follow-up results of patients whose AVNRT could only be ablated from the left posterior atrial septum after repeated unsuccessful attempts on the right atrial side and to observe if they differ from those undergoing ablation with the conventional right-sided approach. Of 587 cases with symptomatic typical AVNRT, 9 patients (1.5%) in whom RF energy delivered to the right atrial septum with the integrated approach failed to ablate or modify the slow pathway were enrolled in the study group (group 1) while the others served as controls (group 2). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding clinical characteristics, dual AV nodal physiology, sinus cycle lengths, AH and HV intervals, procedural complication rates, or recurrence rates in the mean follow-up duration of 34 +/- 11 months. Only tachycardia cycle length (TCL) was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2, which was mainly due to the difference in AH intervals (P < 0.001 for both). Slow pathway ablation was performed at the posteroseptal aspect of the mitral annulus in 6 and the midseptal aspect in 2 cases. In 1 case, attempts at ablation on the left atrial septum also failed. When the conventional right-sided approach fails to ablate or modify the slow pathway conduction, left-sided ablation can safely and effectively be employed, with success rates and long-term follow-up results comparable to the conventional right-sided approach.     

Routine appendectomy in epithelial ovarian carcinoma: is it necessary?

OBJECTIVE: To detect risk factors for the appendiceal metastasis and to define the role of routine appendectomy in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 285 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma who had undergone primary cytoreductive surgery including appendectomy were retrospectively evaluated. Appendiceal involvement was divided into 2 groups: gross and microscopic. Clinicopathologic variables were evaluated for possible significance in terms of appendiceal metastasis. A second analysis was performed using the same variables to detect a possible relation with microscopic metastasis. In a subgroup analysis, we also analyzed the role of routine appendectomy in patients with clinically early stage disease. RESULTS: One-hundred six patients were found to have appendiceal metastasis (37%). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed stage of disease as the unique factor determining the appendiceal metastasis (P < .001). Five patients with apparently stage I-II disease were upstaged due to isolated appendiceal metastasis (4.9%). In the second analysis excluding the patients with gross involvement, ascites was an independent predictor of microscopic involvement (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Routine appendectomy is indicated in all epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients as part of the initial surgical staging procedure because of a considerable rate of upstaging in early stage disease and optimal cytoreduction in advanced stages. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3.     

Secretory carcinoma of the breast. Case report and review of the literature

We report an elderly case of an indolent breast tumor in a 66-year-old woman. The patient presented with a locally advanced mass in the right breast that was present for 13 years, accompanied by bleeding and ulceration since the last 5 years. She had a modified radical mastectomy with axillary dissection. She was found to have secretory carcinoma with a tumor size of 8 x 4 x 4 cm in diameter. Two out of the 22 removed lymph nodes were involved. The secretory material stained positive with lactalbumin, as well as showed positivity with PAS. The patient received six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy followed by chest wall irradiation. She is disease free with a follow-up period of 24 months. Preoperative chemotherapy should be primarily replaced by curative surgery in such indolent cancers, despite locally advanced disease.     

Clinic modelling randomised trials (CMRT’s) in animals as a new intermediate between biological experiments and randomised clinical trials: Application to antihistamine prophylaxis in anaesthesia and surgery

Inflammation Research -