1/8. Histological findings of a surgically excised myopic choroidal neovascular membrane after photodynamic therapy. A case report.BACKGROUND: The authors describe a myopic choroidal neovascular membrane excised 4 months after photodynamic therapy (PDT). methods: A 68-year-old woman with classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to pathologic myopia underwent PDT with verteporfin in the left eye. Four months after treatment a full-thickness macular hole was diagnosed in the same eye and the patient underwent vitrectomy with submacular membranectomy. The subfoveal membrane was studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: light microscopy showed a thin fibrovascular membrane covered by residual retinal pigment epithelium. The membrane contained homogeneous matrix with small collagen bundles, fibroblasts and small blood vessels. The distribution of blood vessels was nonuniform: extravasated red blood cells, macrophages and other inflammatory elements were not present in the fibrous matrix. endothelial cells were highlighted by CD34 immunostaining and did not show any significant alteration. There was no evidence of inflammatory cells or thrombosis inside vascular lumina. CONCLUSIONS: Histologic examination of the neovascular membrane showed features similar to those of surgically excised myopic CNV without PDT treatment. Our findings suggest that PDT-induced occlusion is temporary. Fluorescein leakage from CNV after a single PDT treatment can be considered as an sign of blood vessel regrowth or recanalization indicating that multiple treatments are necessary.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/8. Persistence of fetal vasculature in a patient with Knobloch syndrome: potential role for endostatin in fetal vascular remodeling of the eye.OBJECTIVE: To report a child with Knobloch syndrome (KS) with features of persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) and to discuss the possible role of endostatin in vascular remodeling of the fetal eye. DESIGN: Case report with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis of serum endostatin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ocular examination, fluorescein angiography, echography, ELISA analysis of serum endostatin, and typing for pathogenic mutations in COL18A1. RESULTS: Slit-lamp examination in the left eye disclosed numerous findings of PFV, including an extensive persistent pupillary membrane, scarcity of iris crypts, and pigmented epicapsular stellate remnants on the anterior lens surface. Dilated fundus examination revealed a total posterior vitreous detachment, despite the young age of the patient, with numerous white intragel opacities that were compatible with remnants of the vasa hyaloidea propria. The fundus had a tesselated appearance with angiographically visible large choroidal vessels. There was a retinochoroidal staphyloma inferotemporal to the optic disc. There were no retinal vessels visible temporally, and there was no macular differentiation or foveal pit. Competitive ELISA analysis disclosed no detectable serum endostatin. None of the 8 reported pathogenic mutations in the COL18A1 gene was found in the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent fetal vasculature may be a clinical and important manifestation in some patients with KS and can be explained by a deficiency in endostatin. Endostatin deficiency may result in reduced or delayed regression of fetal blood vessels in the eye (including the intravitreal compartment), thereby resulting in incomplete development of the normal vasculature in the retina. Our typing results for the reported COL18A1 mutations confirm the genetic heterogeneity of KS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/8. Clinical studies on the occurrence and the pathogenesis of optociliary veins.We reviewed retrospectively 20 cases of optociliary vein over the past 5 years. Fifteen of the 20 cases (75%) were over 40 years of age. There was no sex differences (9 males and 11 females). Causative ocular diseases were: central retinal vein occlusion (14 cases, 70%); optic disc drusen (2 cases, 10%); and optic nerve sheath meningioma, high myopia, glaucoma, congenital anomaly (1 case each, total 20%). The number of patients with an optociliary vein was high in central retinal vein occlusion (14/190 cases, 7.4%). We concluded that occurrence of optociliary vein is not restricted to cases with optic nerve sheath meningioma and this shunt vessel may occur under other conditions in which central retinal venous return is seriously disturbed. The most common cause of optociliary vein is central retinal vein occlusion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/8. choroidal neovascularization in degenerative myopia: role of laser photocoagulation.Laser photocoagulation of extrafoveal choroidal new vessels was performed in 19 eyes with degenerative myopia. Sixteen eyes required only one treatment. Three eyes required more than one because of incomplete closure of the new vessels after the first treatment. Choroidal new vessel formation did not recur during the post-treatment follow-up period (average 29.2 months), and a dry, atrophic photocoagulation scar was achieved in all eyes. visual acuity improved in only two eyes (11%), stabilized in four eyes (21%), and deteriorated in 13 eyes (68%). All except two eyes showed spontaneous progressive enlargement of the atrophic photocoagulation scar, which worsened visual acuity in 13 eyes (68%).- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/8. Snowflake degeneration: an independent entity or a variant of retinitis pigmentosa?We examined eight members of three generations of a family with a history of hereditary retinal degenerative disease. Four affected members have multiple whitish retinal dots resembling snowflakes. Other positive ocular findings in the four members with retinal flakes include myopia, cataract, fibrillary vitreous degeneration with occasional strands, attenuated retinal arterioles, sheathed retinal vessels, occlusion of small retinal vessels, white with and without pressure, annular macular pigment defects, and occasional spicules of pigment. Goldmann perimetry showed irregular annular scotomas in three patients. Electroretinographic response was extinguished in one and subnormal in three. Electro-oculography showed the light rise-to-dark trough ratio to be decreased in the affected patients. Based on results of vitreoretinal biomicroscopy, Goldmann perimetry, and visual electrodiagnostic testing, we suspect that snowflake degeneration may be just a variant of retinitis pigmentosa.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.66666666666667keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/8. Ocular manifestations of congenital muscular dystrophy (Fukuyama type).Ocular manifestations in two cases of congenital muscular dystrophy of Fukuyama type were reported. This disease is characterized by early onset of hypotonia, generalized muscle weakness and atrophy, mental retardation, and elevated serum creatine-phosphokinase activity. The symptoms include entropion of lower lids, pathological myopia with astigmatism, optic nerve pallor, and irregular grayish subretinal mottling. Case 1 showed additional features of posterior staphyloma, dragged papillomacular vessels, peripheral grayish-white discoloration of the retina, and rete mirabile as well as abnormal vascular anastomosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/8. Fetal alcohol syndrome.Significant alcohol ingestion during pregnancy can cause a spectrum of malformation of various degrees of severity in offspring. The full expression of "fetal alcohol syndrome" includes reduced growth, facial anomalies, and mental retardation. Affected infants are usually of near-term gestation, but small in weight and length. They continue to exhibit decreased growth postnatally. Mental retardation appears to be related to the degree of dysmorphic severity of appearance. It is primarily caused by central nervous system pathology rather than social environment. The most prevalent ophthalmologic finding in our series of a short horizontal palpebral fissure appears to be due primarily to a marked increased in intercanthal distances between the medial canthi (primary telecanthus) and to less extent mild displacement of the lateral canthi. Ptosis, often asymmetric, was noted in a number of patients. Comitant convergent strabismus was present in about 50% of our cases; a few had amblyopia. An important observation was the frequent and often high degree of myopia in these children. Low-incidence anomalies include corneal opacities (Peters anomaly in one), cataract, tortuosity of retinal vessels, and long eyelashes. Our findings plus many observations in the literature establish that children with fetal alcohol syndrome are at considerable risk for a variety of eye problems.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/8. Posterior routes of choroidal blood outflow in high myopia.PURPOSE: A few reports in the ophthalmic literature have described choroidal blood outflow through posterior routes. Most of the patients reported were highly myopic; therefore, a correlation between such posterior routes and high myopia has been suspected. The authors examined highly myopic eyes using indocyanine green (ICG) videoangiography and investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of posterior routes in them. methods: The authors examined 255 highly myopic eyes (146 patients) using ICG videoangiography. All had refractive errors greater than--8.25 diopters (D). They also examined a control group consisting of 42 eyes (26 patients) that had refractive errors within /- 3D. RESULTS: Of 255 highly myopic eyes, 61 (23.9%) had choroidal blood outflow through posterior routes. These routes were classified by type of vein according to its penetration site. One drained into the margin of the optic nerve head, and the other penetrated the sclera near the macula. However, only 1 of the 42 eyes (2.4%) in the control group showed choroidal outflow by a posterior route. The prevalence of posterior routes was significantly higher in the highly myopic eyes than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Posterior routes of choroidal blood outflow were observed in nearly 25% of highly myopic eyes. These vessels appear to be one of the major routes of posterior choroidal outflow in highly myopic eyes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |