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Sample records for branch retinal vein

  1. Dorzolamide increases retinal oxygen tension after branch retinal vein occlusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noergaard, Michael Hove; Bach-Holm, Daniella; Scherfig, Erik

    2008-01-01

    To study the effect of dorzolamide on the preretinal oxygen tension (RPO(2)) in retinal areas affected by experimental branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in pigs.......To study the effect of dorzolamide on the preretinal oxygen tension (RPO(2)) in retinal areas affected by experimental branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in pigs....

  2. Induced chorioretinal venous anastomosis in experimental retinal branch vein occlusion.

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    McAllister, I L; Yu, D Y; Vijayasekaran, S; Barry, C; Constable, I

    1992-01-01

    Iatrogenic retinal vein to choroidal vein anastomoses were created using laser photocoagulation in six of seven dog eyes in which a partial branch retinal vein occlusion had previously been created photochemically. A similar attempt to create an anastomosis was made in six control eyes in which no branch vein occlusion was present. In the eyes in which a branch retinal vein had been created, a venous chorioretinal anastomosis appeared to be present by 3 to 6 weeks. In three control eyes simil...

  3. Branch retinal vein occlusion associated with quetiapine fumarate

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    Siang Lim

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To report a case of branch retinal vein occlusion in a young adult with bipolar mood disorder treated with quetiapine fumarate. Case Presentation A 29 years old gentleman who was taking quetiapine fumarate for 3 years for bipolar mood disorder, presented with sudden vision loss. He was found to have a superior temporal branch retinal vein occlusion associated with hypercholesterolemia. Conclusion Atypical antipsychotic drugs have metabolic side effects which require regular monitoring and prompt treatment.

  4. Sheathotomy in complicated cases of branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Crafoord, S.; Karlsson, N.; Cour, M. la

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To report the clinical experience and results of using a microsurgical technique to decompress the arteriovenous connection in complicated branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) combined with haemorrhage, oedema an ischaemia. Methods: We carried out a retrospective, non-randomized, interve......Purpose: To report the clinical experience and results of using a microsurgical technique to decompress the arteriovenous connection in complicated branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) combined with haemorrhage, oedema an ischaemia. Methods: We carried out a retrospective, non...

  5. Dexamethasone Implant (Ozurdex in a Case with Unilateral Simultaneous Central Retinal Vein and Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion

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    Taylan Ozturk

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Simultaneous branch retinal artery and vein occlusion is a rare condition that may cause severe visual loss, and its treatment is often unrewarding. Herein, we report a case with simultaneous central retinal vein and branch retinal artery occlusion; it was successfully treated with a single dexamethasone intravitreal implant. The affected eye attained a visual acuity level of 20/25 from the visual acuity of hand motions at presentation with a residual, but relatively diminished, altitudinal scotoma during a follow-up period of 6 months.

  6. Effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on retinal function after experimental branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Ejstrup, Rasmus; Dornonville de la Cour, Morten; Kyhn, Maria Voss

    2012-01-01

    The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) following an induced branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in pigs.......The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) following an induced branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in pigs....

  7. Comorbidity in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Bertelsen, Mette; Linneberg, Allan; Rosenberg, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    To evaluate comorbidity before and after the diagnosis of branch retinal vein occlusion to determine whether it is a consequence of arterial thickening and therefore could serve as a diagnostic marker for other comorbidities and to evaluate the risk factors for the development of such occlusion....

  8. Investigation of retinal morphology alterations using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in a mouse model of retinal branch and central retinal vein occlusion.

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    Andreas Ebneter

    Full Text Available Retinal vein occlusion is a leading cause of visual impairment. Experimental models of this condition based on laser photocoagulation of retinal veins have been described and extensively exploited in mammals and larger rodents such as the rat. However, few reports exist on the use of this paradigm in the mouse. The objective of this study was to investigate a model of branch and central retinal vein occlusion in the mouse and characterize in vivo longitudinal retinal morphology alterations using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Retinal veins were experimentally occluded using laser photocoagulation after intravenous application of Rose Bengal, a photo-activator dye enhancing thrombus formation. Depending on the number of veins occluded, variable amounts of capillary dropout were seen on fluorescein angiography. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels were markedly elevated early and peaked at day one. Retinal thickness measurements with spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed significant swelling (p<0.001 compared to baseline, followed by gradual thinning plateauing two weeks after the experimental intervention (p<0.001. Histological findings at day seven correlated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging. The inner layers were predominantly affected by degeneration with the outer nuclear layer and the photoreceptor outer segments largely preserved. The application of this retinal vein occlusion model in the mouse carries several advantages over its use in other larger species, such as access to a vast range of genetically modified animals. Retinal changes after experimental retinal vein occlusion in this mouse model can be non-invasively quantified by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and may be used to monitor effects of potential therapeutic interventions.

  9. Central retinal vein occlusion with cilioretinal infarction from branch flow exclusion and choroidal arterial steal.

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    McLeod, David

    2009-01-01

    The first definitive study of retinal vein occlusion complicated by infarction within the territory of one or more cilioretinal arteries was published in 1976. Many individual cases and further case series have been reported in the interim, but the nature of the interrelationship is still under debate. A review was undertaken of the relevant clinical and fundus fluorescein angiographic characteristics of this combined retinal vascular disorder together with the pathophysiological mechanisms currently presented in the literature to explain their association. Scientific publications up to 2008 were evaluated by one of the authors of the original report. There are broad similarities between publications in their descriptions of the clinical features, but significant differences of detail and interpretation are also evident. Most of the mechanisms so far proposed to account for cilioretinal infarction after central or hemisphere retinal vein occlusion do not withstand critical scrutiny. Two related hypotheses are expounded that appear to satisfactorily elucidate this interrelationship -- branch flow exclusion and branch flow diversion (otherwise termed "choroidal arterial steal"). In eyes with a cilioretinal supply, the probability that cilioretinal infarction will complicate retinal vein occlusion increases with increasing severity of venous obstruction and the more distally the cilioretinal artery arises from the posterior ciliary arterial tree. A distal branch point also facilitates observation of dye front reciprocation within the artery. Indicators of the degree of venous obstruction that may be necessary to instigate cilioretinal infarction include very prolonged dye transit times in the central retinal circulation, exaggerated venous cyanosis and tortuosity, perivenous cotton-wool sentinels, and macular perivenular whitening.

  10. Fundus Autofluorescence and Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

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    Tetsuju Sekiryu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To describe the findings of fundus autofluorescence (FAF and optical coherence tomography (OCT in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO. Methods. In this institutional, retrospective, observational case series, FAF was evaluated in 65 eyes with BRVO in 64 consecutive patients and compared with visual acuity, OCT findings, and other clinical observations. Results. Five types of autofluorescence appeared during the course of BRVO: (1 petaloid-shaped hyperautofluorescence in the area of macular edema and (2 hyperautofluorescence coincident with yellow subretinal deposits. (3 Diffuse hyperautofluorescence appeared within the area of serous retinal detachment (SRD and OCT showed precipitates on the undersurface of the retina in 5/5 of these eyes (100%. (4 The area of vein occlusion showed diffuse hyperautofluorescence after resolution of the retinal bleeding. (5 Hard exudates exhibited hyper- or hypoautofluorescence. OCT indicated that most of the hard exudates with hyperautofluorescence were located on the retinal pigment epithelium. Conclusions. Hyperautofluorescence associated with subretinal fluid or hard exudate appeared in the subretinal space. This type of hyperautofluorescence may be attributed to blood cell or macrophages. FAF and OCT are noninvasive modalities that provide additional information regarding macular edema due to BRVO.

  11. Retinal vein occlusion: pathophysiology and treatment options

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    Karia, Niral

    2010-01-01

    Niral KariaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Southend Hospital, Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, United KingdomAbstract: This paper reviews the current thinking about retinal vein occlusion. It gives an overview of its pathophysiology and discusses the evidence behind the various established and emerging treatment paradigms.Keywords: central, hemispheric, branch, retinal vein occlusion, visual loss

  12. Risk Factors for Central and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Meta-Analysis of Published Clinical Data

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    Petr Kolar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Retinal vein occlusion (RVO is a major cause of vision loss. Of the two main types of RVO, branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO is 4 to 6 times more prevalent than central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO. A basic risk factor for RVO is advancing age. Further risk factors include systemic conditions like hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, vascular cerebral stroke, blood hyperviscosity, and thrombophilia. A strong risk factor for RVO is the metabolic syndrome (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Individuals with end-organ damage caused by diabetes mellitus and hypertension have greatly increased risk for RVO. Socioeconomic status seems to be a risk factor too. American blacks are more often diagnosed with RVO than non-Hispanic whites. Females are, according to some studies, at lower risk than men. The role of thrombophilic risk factors in RVO is still controversial. Congenital thrombophilic diseases like factor V Leiden mutation, hyperhomocysteinemia and anticardiolipin antibodies increase the risk of RVO. Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of RVO as do systemic inflammatory conditions like vasculitis and Behcet disease. Ophthalmic risk factors for RVO are ocular hypertension and glaucoma, higher ocular perfusion pressure, and changes in the retinal arteries.

  13. Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injections in the treatment of retinal vein occlusions.

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    Roth, Daniel B; Cukras, Catherine; Radhakrishnan, Ravi; Feuer, William J; Yarian, David L; Green, Stuart N; Wheatley, Harold M; Prenner, Jonathan

    2008-01-01

    To report the visual acuity response after intravitreal triamcinolone injection in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusions. Retrospective nonrandomized interventional series of 172 consecutive patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusions who were treated with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. Patients underwent Snellen visual acuity testing and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. All subtypes of retinal vein occlusions showed significant improvements in mean visual acuity 1 month after injection. This improvement in visual acuity was maintained over the 12-month period for all but the central retinal vein occlusion group. Seventy-one (41.3%) of the 172 patients received more than one intravitreal triamcinolone injection for unresolved or recurrent macular edema. This study demonstrates a benefit associated with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection for retinal vein occlusions that was maintained by patients with branch retinal vein occlusions and hemiretinal vein occlusions over a 12-month period. Visual acuity improvement was not maintained in patients with central retinal vein occlusions with this course of treatment.

  14. CAPILLARY NETWORK ANOMALIES IN BRANCH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY.

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    Rispoli, Marco; Savastano, Maria Cristina; Lumbroso, Bruno

    2015-11-01

    To analyze the foveal microvasculature features in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) using optical coherence tomography angiography based on split spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography technology. A total of 10 BRVO eyes (mean age 64.2 ± 8.02 range between 52 years and 76 years) were evaluated by optical coherence tomography angiography (XR-Avanti; Optovue). The macular angiography scan protocol covered a 3 mm × 3 mm area. The focus of angiography analysis were two retinal layers: superficial vascular network and deep vascular network. The following vascular morphological congestion parameters were assessed in the vein occlusion area in both the superficial and deep networks: foveal avascular zone enlargement, capillary non-perfusion occurrence, microvascular abnormalities appearance, and vascular congestion signs. Image analyses were performed by 2 masked observers and interobserver agreement of image analyses was 0.90 (κ = 0.225, P network of BRVO, a decrease in capillary density with foveal avascular zone enlargement, capillary non-perfusion occurrence, and microvascular abnormalities appearance was observed (P network showed the main vascular congestion at the boundary between healthy and nonperfused retina. Optical coherence tomography angiography in BRVO allows to detect foveal avascular zone enlargement, capillary nonperfusion, microvascular abnormalities, and vascular congestion signs both in the superficial and deep capillary network in all eyes. Optical coherence tomography angiography technology is a potential clinical tool for BRVO diagnosis and follow-up, providing stratigraphic vascular details that have not been previously observed by standard fluorescein angiography. The normal retinal vascular nets and areas of nonperfusion and congestion can be identified at various retinal levels. Optical coherence tomography angiography provides noninvasive images of the retinal capillaries and vascular networks.

  15. Intravitreal Triamcinolone for Acute Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: a Randomized Clinical Trial

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    Alireza Ramezani

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intravitreal triamcinolone (IVT injection for recent branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO. Methods: In a randomized controlled clinical trial, 30 phakic eyes with recent (less than 10 weeks′ duration BRVO were assigned to two groups. The treatment group (16 eyes received 4 mg IVT and the control group (14 eyes received subconjunctival sham injections. Changes in visual acuity (VA were the main outcome measure. Results: VA and central macular thickness (CMT changes were not significantly different between the study groups at any time point. Within group analysis showed significant VA improvement from baseline in the IVT group up to three months (P 0.05. Significant reduction in CMT was noticed only in the treatment group (‑172 ± 202 μm, P = 0.029 and at 4 months. Ocular hypertension occurred in 4 (25% and 2 (14.3% eyes in the IVT and control groups, respectively. Conclusion: A single IVT injection had a non-significant beneficial effect on VA and CMT in acute BRVO as compared to the natural history of the condition. The 3-month deferred treatment protocol advocated by the Branch Vein Occlusion Study Group may be a safer option than IVT injection considering its potential side effects.

  16. Laser photocoagulation for retinal vein occlusion

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    K. A. Mirzabekova

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Retinal vein occlusion (RVO is one of the leading causes of permanent vision loss. In adults, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO occurs in 1.8% while branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO occurs in 0.2%. Treatment strategy and disease prognosis are determined by RVO type (ischemic/non-ischemic. Despite numerous studies and many current CRVO and BRVO treatment approaches, the management of these patients is still being debated. Intravitreal injections of steroids (triamcinolone acetate, dexamethasone and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF inhibitors (bevacizumab, ranibizumab were shown to be fairly effective. However, it is unclear whether anti-VEGF agents are reasonable in ischemic RVOs. Laser photocoagulation remains the only effective treatment of optic nerve head and/or retinal neovascularization. Laser photocoagulation is also indicated for the treatment of macular edema. Both threshold and sub-threshold photocoagulation may be performed. Photocoagulation performed with argon (514 nm, krypton (647 nm, or diode (810 nm laser for macular edema provides similar results (no significant differences. The treatment may be complex and include medication therapy and/or surgery. Medication therapy includes anti-aggregant agents and antioxidants, i.e., emoxypine which may be used in acute RVO as well as in post-thrombotic retinopathy. 

  17. Laser photocoagulation for retinal vein occlusion

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    K. A. Mirzabekova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Retinal vein occlusion (RVO is one of the leading causes of permanent vision loss. In adults, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO occurs in 1.8% while branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO occurs in 0.2%. Treatment strategy and disease prognosis are determined by RVO type (ischemic/non-ischemic. Despite numerous studies and many current CRVO and BRVO treatment approaches, the management of these patients is still being debated. Intravitreal injections of steroids (triamcinolone acetate, dexamethasone and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF inhibitors (bevacizumab, ranibizumab were shown to be fairly effective. However, it is unclear whether anti-VEGF agents are reasonable in ischemic RVOs. Laser photocoagulation remains the only effective treatment of optic nerve head and/or retinal neovascularization. Laser photocoagulation is also indicated for the treatment of macular edema. Both threshold and sub-threshold photocoagulation may be performed. Photocoagulation performed with argon (514 nm, krypton (647 nm, or diode (810 nm laser for macular edema provides similar results (no significant differences. The treatment may be complex and include medication therapy and/or surgery. Medication therapy includes anti-aggregant agents and antioxidants, i.e., emoxypine which may be used in acute RVO as well as in post-thrombotic retinopathy. 

  18. Updated cannulation technique for tissue plasminogen activator injection into peripapillary retinal vein for central retinal vein occlusion.

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    van Overdam, Koen A; Missotten, Tom; Spielberg, Leigh H

    2015-12-01

    To update the surgical technique in which a vitrectomy is performed and a retinal branch vein is cannulated and infused with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (RTPA) to treat central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in patients who present with very low visual acuity (VA). Twelve consecutive patients (12 eyes) with CRVO and low VA (logMAR >1.00) at presentation were treated using this method. Cannulation of a peripapillary retinal vein and stable injection of RTPA was successfully performed without surgery-related complications in all 12 eyes. At 12 months after surgery, 8 of the 12 patients (67%) experienced at least one line of improvement in best corrected visual acuity; 6 of the 12 (50%) improved ≥5 lines and 2 (17%) improved ≥8 lines. After additional grid laser and/or subconjunctival or intravitreal corticosteroids, the mean decrease in central foveal thickness was 260 μm, and the mean total macular volume decreased from 12.10 mm(3) to 9.24 mm(3) . Four patients received panretinal photocoagulation to treat either iris neovascularization (n = 2) or neovascularization of the retina and/or disc (n = 2). Administration of RTPA via a peripapillary vein using this updated technique provides an alternative or additional treatment option for patients with very low VA after CRVO. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Experimental Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion Induces Upstream Pericyte Loss and Vascular Destabilization.

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    Elisa Dominguez

    Full Text Available Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO leads to extensive vascular remodeling and is important cause of visual impairment. Although the vascular morphological changes following experimental vein occlusion have been described in a variety of models using angiography, the underlying cellular events are ill defined.We here show that laser-induced experimental BRVO in mice leads to a wave of TUNEL-positive endothelial cell (EC apoptosis in the upstream vascular network associated with a transient edema and hemorrhages. Subsequently, we observe an induction of EC proliferation within the dilated vein and capillaries, detected by EdU incorporation, and the edema resolves. However, the pericytes of the upstream capillaries are severely reduced, which was associated with continuing EC apoptosis and proliferation. The vascular remodeling was associated with increased expression of TGFβ, TSP-1, but also FGF2 expression. Exposure of the experimental animals to hypoxia, when pericyte (PC dropout had occurred, led to a dramatic increase in endothelial cell proliferation, confirming the vascular instability induced by the experimental BRVO.Experimental BRVO leads to acute endothelial cells apoptosis and increased permeability. Subsequently the upstream vascular network remains destabilized, characterized by pericyte dropout, un-physiologically high endothelial cells turnover and sensitivity to hypoxia. These early changes might pave the way for capillary loss and subsequent chronic ischemia and edema that characterize the late stage disease.

  20. Single intravitreal bevacizumab injection effects on contrast sensitivity in macular edema from branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Rony Carlos Preti

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of a single intravitreal bevacizumab injection on visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and optical coherence tomography-measured central macular thickness in eyes with macular edema from branch retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: Seventeen eyes of 17 patients with macular edema from unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion were treated with a single bevacizumab injection. Patients were submitted to a complete evaluation including best corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and optical coherence tomography measurements before treatment and one and three months after injection. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and optical coherence tomography measurements were compared to baseline values. RESULTS: Mean visual acuity measurement improved from 0.77 logMAR at baseline to 0.613 logMAR one month after injection (P=0.0001 but worsened to 0.75 logMAR after three months. Contrast sensitivity test demonstrated significant improvement at spatial frequencies of 3, 6, 12 and 18 cycles/degree one month after injection and at the spatial frequency of 12 cycles/degree three months after treatment. Mean ± standard deviation baseline central macular thickness (552 ± 150 µm reduced significantly one month (322 ± 127 µm, P=0.0001 and three months (439 ± 179 µm, P=0.01 after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Bevacizumab injection improves visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and reduces central macular thickness one month after treatment. Visual acuity returns to baseline levels at the 3-month follow-up, but some beneficial effect of the treatment is still present at that time, as evidenced by optical coherence tomography-measured central macular thickness and contrast sensitivity measurements.

  1. Establishing an experimental rat model of photodynamically-induced retinal vein occlusion using erythrosin B

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    Wei Chen

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM:To develop a reliable, reproducible rat model of retinal vein occlusion (RVO with a novel photosensitizer (erythrosin B and study the cellular responses in the retina.METHODS:Central and branch RVOs were created in adult male rats via photochemically-induced ischemia. Retinal changes were monitored via color fundus photography and fluorescein angiography at 1 and 3h, and 1, 4, 7, 14, and 21d after irradiation. Tissue slices were evaluated histopathologically. Retinal ganglion cell survival at different times after RVO induction was quantified by nuclear density count. Retinal thickness was also observed.RESULTS:For all rats in both the central and branch RVO groups, blood flow ceased immediately after laser irradiation and retinal edema was evident at one hour. The retinal detachment rate was 100% at 3h and developed into bullous retinal detachment within 24h. Retinal hemorrhages were not observed until 24h. Clearance of the occluded veins at 7d was observed by fluorescein angiography. Disease manifestation in the central RVO eyes was more severe than in the branch RVO group. A remarkable reduction in the ganglion cell count and retinal thickness was observed in the central RVO group by 21d, whereas moderate changes occurred in the branch RVO group.CONCLUSION: Rat RVO created by photochemically-induced ischemia using erythrosin B is a reproducible and reliable animal model for mimicking the key features of human RVO. However, considering the 100% rate of retinal detachment, this animal model is more suitable for studying RVO with chronic retinal detachment.

  2. The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on ocular blood flow in diabetic retinopathy and branch retinal vein occlusion as measured by laser speckle flowgraphy

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    Nitta F

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Fumihiko Nitta,1 Hiroshi Kunikata,1,2 Naoko Aizawa,1 Kazuko Omodaka,1 Yukihiro Shiga,1 Masayuki Yasuda,1 Toru Nakazawa1–31Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; 2Department of Retinal Disease Control, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; 3Department of Advanced Ophthalmic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, JapanBackground: This study evaluated the effect of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB on macular edema associated with diabetic retinopathy (DME or branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVOME using laser speckle flowgraphy.Methods: A comparative interventional study of 25 eyes from 22 patients with macular edema (DME group: 12 eyes; BRVOME group: 13 eyes who underwent IVB. Mean blur rate (MBR was measured in the retinal artery, retinal vein, optic nerve head (ONH, and choroid before and after IVB. Results: In the BRVOME group, there was no significant change in MBR in the retinal artery, retinal vein or ONH, but choroidal MBR decreased significantly (P=0.04. In the DME group, the MBR in the retinal artery, retinal vein, ONH, and choroid decreased significantly (P=0.02, P=0.04, P<0.001, and P=0.04, respectively. In the DME group, pre-IVB MBR in the ONH was significantly correlated with post-IVB foveal thickness (R= -0.71, P=0.002. There was no such correlation in the BRVOME group in the ONH.Conclusion: IVB had a suppressive effect on circulation in eyes with DME but not in those with BRVOME. This suggests that this noninvasive and objective biomarker may be a useful part of pre-IVB evaluations and decision-making in DME.Keywords: macular edema, mean blur rate, optic nerve head, biomarker, ocular circulation

  3. Five-year outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Nishida A

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Akihiro Nishida,1,2 Hiroshi Kojima,1,2 Takanori Kameda,1,2 Michiko Mandai,1,3 Yasuo Kurimoto1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 3Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Purpose: Long-term outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV for macular edema (ME associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO have been previously reported, but the studies did not report the number of additional treatments after surgery. During 5 years of follow-up, we therefore investigated the efficacy and safety of PPV for BRVO and evaluated the incidence of additional treatments. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 25 eyes of 24 patients who underwent PPV for ME associated with BRVO and were followed up for at least 5 years. Best-corrected visual acuity was measured, and foveal thickness was assessed by optical coherence tomography. Additional treatments were also investigated. Results: The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR improved from 0.53±0.23 at baseline to 0.16±0.25 at 5 years (P<0.0001. The foveal thickness decreased from 535±222 µm at baseline to 205±143 µm at 5 years (P<0.0001. For the eyes with residual ME, the following additional treatments were performed within 5 years of follow-up: sub-Tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide in two eyes, intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in three eyes, grid laser photocoagulation in one eye, and direct photocoagulation of macroaneurysm in one eye. Additional surgeries were performed in two eyes: for one eye, phacoemulsification extraction of the ocular lens and intraocular lens implantation were performed because of cataract progression, and for the other eye, additional PPV was done for postoperative retinal detachment. Conclusion: PPV was effective for resolution of ME

  4. Method of Quantifying Size of Retinal Hemorrhages in Eyes with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion Using 14-Square Grid: Interrater and Intrarater Reliability

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    Yuko Takashima

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To describe a method of quantifying the size of the retinal hemorrhages in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO and to determine the interrater and intrarater reliabilities of these measurements. Methods. Thirty-five fundus photographs from 35 consecutive eyes with BRVO were studied. The fundus images were analyzed with Power-Point® software, and a grid of 14 squares was laid over the fundus image. Raters were asked to judge the percentage of each of the 14 squares that was covered by the hemorrhages, and the average of the 14 squares was taken to be the relative size of the retinal hemorrhage. Results. Interrater reliability between three raters was higher when a grid with 14 squares was used (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, 0.96 than that when a box with no grid was used (ICC, 0.78. Intrarater reliability, which was calculated by the retinal hemorrhage area measured on two different days, was also higher (ICC, 0.97 than that with no grid (ICC, 0.86. Interrater reliability for five fundus pictures with poor image quality was also good when a grid with 14 squares was used (ICC, 0.88. Conclusions. Although our method is subjective, excellent interrater and intrarater reliabilities indicate that this method can be adapted for clinical use.

  5. Focal retinal phlebitis.

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    Hoang, Quan V; Freund, K Bailey; Klancnik, James M; Sorenson, John A; Cunningham, Emmett T; Yannuzzi, Lawrence A

    2012-01-01

    To report three cases of solitary, focal retinal phlebitis. An observational case series. Three eyes in three patients were noted to have unilateral decreased vision, macular edema, and a focal retinal phlebitis, which was not at an arteriovenous crossing. All three patients developed a branch retinal vein occlusion at the site of inflammation. These patients had no other evidence of intraocular inflammation, including vitritis, retinitis, retinal vasculitis, or choroiditis, nor was there any systemic disorder associated with inflammation, infection, or coagulation identified. Focal retinal phlebitis appears to be an uncommon and unique entity that produces macular edema and ultimately branch retinal vein occlusion. In our patients, the focal phlebitis and venous occlusion did not occur at an arteriovenous crossing, which is the typical site for branch retinal venous occlusive disease. This suggests that our cases represent a distinct clinical entity, which starts with a focal abnormality in the wall of a retinal venule, resulting in surrounding exudation and, ultimately, ends with branch retinal vein occlusion.

  6. Intravitreal pegaptanib for refractory macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion

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    Udaondo P

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Patricia Udaondo1,2, Salvador Garcia-Delpech1,3, David Salom1,3, Maria Garcia-Pous1,3, Manuel Diaz-Llopis1,31Nuevo Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain; 2University Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia, Spain; 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, SpainPurpose: To assess the efficacy of intravitreal Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen® injection in the management of refractory macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.Methods: This is a prospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series. Five eyes of five patients with macular edema refractory to either bevacizumab or triamcinolone were treated with intravitreal injection of Pegaptanib sodium.Results: After three months follow-up, both visual acuity and macular edema, measured by optical coherence tomography and fluorescence angiography, dramatically improved.Conclusion: Pegaptanib sodium is a safe and efficacy treatment for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.Keywords: Macugen®, BRVO, BCVA, pegaptanib sodium

  7. Comparative efficacy and safety of approved treatments for macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Regnier, Stephane A; Larsen, Michael; Bezlyak, Vladimir

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of approved treatments for macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). DESIGN: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of approved treatments for macular oedema secondary to BRVO were identified from...... an updated systematic review. SETTING: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of RCTs of treatments for macular oedema secondary to BRVO. INTERVENTIONS: Ranibizumab 0.5 mg pro re nata, aflibercept 2 mg monthly (2q4), dexamethasone 0.7 mg implant, laser photocoagulation, ranibizumab+laser, or sham intervention...... pressure (IOP)/ocular hypertension (OH). RESULTS: 8 RCTs were identified for inclusion with 1743 adult patients. The probability of being the most efficacious treatment at month 6 or 12 based on letters gained was 54% for ranibizumab monotherapy, 30% for aflibercept, 16% for ranibizumab plus laser...

  8. Radiation Retinopathy Associated with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yan; Liu; FengWen

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To report a case of radiation retinopathy associated with central retinal vein occlusion.Methods: The clinical features and fundus fluorescein angiography of this case were analyzed.Results: The patient had been treated with radiotherapy for her nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and presented with sudden visual loss in the left eye. The funduscopic examination and fluorescein angiography showed the features of radiation retinopathy in both eyes, and central retinal vein occlusion in the left eye.Conclusions: Radiation retinopathy can be associated with central retinal vein occlusion in the same eye, and it seems that the endothelial cell loss caused by radiation retinopathy may lead to retinal vein occlusion.

  9. Role of Transthoracic Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Patients with Retinal Vein Occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afsoon Fazlinezhad

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Retinal vein occlusion  is a common vascular disorder disrupting vision. Two basic types of RVO are branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO.  Retinal vein occlusion is a multifactor process including systemic illness and local retinal factors.RVO may be associated with atherosclerotic risk factors. We analyzed the role of 2 dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE for detecting the cardiac disease in patients with retinal veins occlusion. Materials and Methods:In this cross-sectional study 70 recently diagnosed patients with RVO enrolled in the study. The clinical diagnosis of retinal vein occlusion and its type was confirmed by a vitreoretinal specialist. The Patients were then referred for performing complete TTE. Results: The prevalence of RVO increased with age, but did not vary by sex. The most frequent cardiovascular risk factor was hypertension. The findings of our study revealed that a variety of echocardiographic abnormalities may be presented in patients with RVO. Diastolic dysfunction was the most frequent echocardiographic finding and we found positive correlation between diastolic dysfunction with increasing age and the presence of hypertension. Other findings included mitral regurgitation (52.9%, mitral stenosis (2.9%, mitral annulus calcification (1.4%, mitral valve prolapse (8.6%, aortic insufficiency (22.9%, sclerotic aortic valve (27.1%, tricuspid regurgitation (45.7%, pulmonary insufficiency (8.6%, mild pulmonary hypertension (8.6%, and moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension (4.3% Mild LVH (11.4%, Moderate LVH (8.6%. Abnormality on IAS was defined in these patients, including paten foramen ovale, lipomatosis IAS, exaggerated motion of IAS, and aneurysm of IAS. Conclusion: In our study, the most common echocardiographic finding was diastolic dysfunction which was compatible with the patients' age and the fact that the most prevalent risk factor was hypertension. Other

  10. Retinal vascular oximetry during ranibizumab treatment of central retinal vein occlusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Traustason, Sindri; la Cour, Morten; Larsen, Michael

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of intravitreal injections of the vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor ranibizumab on retinal oxygenation in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: Retinal oxygen saturation in patients with CRVO was analysed using the Oxymap Retin...

  11. Effects of Vitrectomy on Recurrent Macular Edema due to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion after Intravitreal Injection of Bevacizumab

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatsuya Yunoki

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate the effects of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV on recurrent macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (IVB. Methods. This retrospective study included 22 eyes of 22 patients who underwent single or multiple IVB injections for macular edema due to BRVO and showed a recurrence of macular edema. All patients then underwent PPV and were followed up for more than 6 months after the surgery with examinations of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA and optical coherence tomography (OCT. OCT parameters were central macular thickness (CMT and average retinal thickness in a 1-mm-diameter circular region at the fovea (MRT. Results. Mean BCVA, CRT, and MRT were significantly improved from the baseline after PPV. Greater improvement of BCVA, CRT, and MRT was obtained after 1 month of IVB than after 6 months of PPV. No eyes showed worsening of macular edema after the surgery. Conclusion. PPV improved BCVA and recurrent macular edema due to BRVO, but PPV that was less effective than IVB had been in the same patients. PPV may be one of the treatment options for recurrent macular edema due to BRVO after IVB.

  12. Pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling for recurrent macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion after antivascular endothelial growth factor treatments

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    Shirakata Y

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Yukari Shirakata,1 Kouki Fukuda,1 Tomoyoshi Fujita,1 Yuki Nakano,1 Hiroyuki Nomoto,2 Hidetaka Yamaji,3 Fumio Shiraga,4 Akitaka Tsujikawa1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, 2Nomoto Eye Clinic, Himeji, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Shirai Eye Hospital, Mitoyo, 4Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan Purpose: To evaluate the anatomic and functional outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling for recurrent macular edema (ME due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO after intravitreal injections of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF agents. Methods: Twenty-four eyes of 24 patients with treatment-naive ME from BRVO were treated with intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents. Recurred ME was treated with pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling. Results: After the surgery, ME was significantly reduced at 1 month (P=0.031 and the reduction increased with time (P=0.007 at the final visit. With the reduction in ME, treated eyes showed a slow improvement in visual acuity (VA. At the final visit, improvement in VA was statistically significant compared with baseline (P=0.048. The initial presence of cystoid spaces, serous retinal detachment, or subretinal hemorrhage under the fovea, as well as retinal perfusion status, showed no association with VA improvement. However, the presence of epiretinal membrane showed a significant association with the visual recovery. Although eyes without epiretinal membrane showed visual improvement (-0.10±0.32 in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR], eyes with epiretinal membrane showed greater visual improvement (-0.38±0.12 in logMAR, P=0.012. Conclusion: For recurrent ME due to BRVO after anti-VEGF treatment, particularly when accompanied by epiretinal membrane, pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling might be a

  13. Retrospective analyses of optical coherence tomography in recurrent macular edema following intravitreal therapy in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Stephen M; Dodwell, David G; Krimmel, Darrel A; de Fiebre, Christopher M

    2015-09-04

    Optical coherence tomography has focused mainly on central subfield thickness to quantify macular edema in central and branch retinal vein occlusion. We examined macular fields other than the central subfield to determine if they are possibly independent indicators of recurrent macular edema. Single center, retrospective, consecutive case study of patients with recurrent macular edema secondary to either central or branch retinal vein occlusion. Thickness estimates of serial domain optical coherence tomography macular fields were obtained at the time of recurrent macular edema and analyzed retrospectively. Changes were expressed as a percentage of previous baseline levels. Change in thickness at each retreatment episode as well as average changes in thickness were calculated for each macular field for each eye. Data were analyzed via analysis of variance and Fisher's post hoc analyses. The macular field which most frequently had the largest percent increase at the time of recurrence was also assessed using averages for each subject as well as for each retreatment episode. Individual episodes of recurrent macular edema were also examined to ascertain the frequency in which there was minimal foveal edema (<15 μm increase), but non-foveal edema was considered severe enough to warrant retreatment. 429 episodes of recurrent macular edema in 80 eyes were examined. In addition to the central subfield, the average mean change in thickness of the most affected quadrant (central vein occlusion) or hemisphere (branch vein occlusion) of the extrafoveal 3 mm band had the largest mean changes and also most frequently had the largest increases at the time of recurrent macular edema. In approximately 20 % of both central and branch occlusions, recurrent macular edema was detected in non-central macular fields in the absence of significant edema in the central subfield. Analyses of non-central macular fields as well as the central subfield may be useful in the early detection

  14. Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of glucocorticoids intravitreal implant therapy in macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion

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    Michalska-Małecka K

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Katarzyna Michalska-Małecka,1,2 Aneta Gaborek,2 Mariusz Nowak,3 Tomasz Halat,4 Mariola Pawłowska,2 Dorota Śpiewak2 1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, 2University Center of Ophthalmology and Oncology, Independent Public Clinical Hospital, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, 3Pathophysiology Division, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine with Division of Density, Zabrze, 4Education and Medical Simulation Center, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex on macular morphology and functions in eyes with macular edema (ME secondary to retinal vein occlusion. Efficacy outcomes of the treatment were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA and central retinal thickness (CRT. Safety outcomes were intraocular pressure and cornea endothelial cell density. The study was conducted by the prospective analysis on 36 patients (17 women and 19 men aged 28–77 years (the average age was 58±15 years treated with the injection of dexamethasone implant because of the persistent ME at the Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology Outpatient Clinic of the University Centre of Ophthalmology and Oncology in Katowice. The studied group included 16 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (16 eyes, and 20 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (20 eyes. We found a significant increase of BCVA after first, second, and third month of treatment. Six months after the treatment, BCVA decreased, although not significantly compared with the value obtained in the third month. Two months after the intravitreal implantation of dexamethasone delivery system, CRT was 338±163 µm and was significantly lower compared with pretreatment value. Between third and sixth month after the treatment, we found insignificant increase of

  15. Visual Acuity Is Correlated with the Area of the Foveal Avascular Zone in Diabetic Retinopathy and Retinal Vein Occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balaratnasingam, Chandrakumar; Inoue, Maiko; Ahn, Seungjun; McCann, Jesse; Dhrami-Gavazi, Elona; Yannuzzi, Lawrence A; Freund, K Bailey

    2016-11-01

    To determine if the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) is correlated with visual acuity (VA) in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Cross-sectional study. Ninety-five eyes of 66 subjects with DR (65 eyes), branch retinal vein occlusion (19 eyes), and central retinal vein occlusion (11 eyes). Structural optical coherence tomography (OCT; Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering) and OCT angiography (OCTA; Avanti, Optovue RTVue XR) data from a single visit were analyzed. FAZ area, point thickness of central fovea, central 1-mm subfield thickness, the occurrence of intraretinal cysts, ellipsoid zone disruption, and disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL) length were measured. VA was also recorded. Correlations between FAZ area and VA were explored using regression models. Main outcome measure was VA. Mean age was 62.9±13.2 years. There was no difference in demographic and OCT-derived anatomic measurements between branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion groups (all P ≥ 0.058); therefore, data from the 2 groups were pooled together to a single RVO group for further statistical comparisons. Univariate and multiple regression analysis showed that the area of the FAZ was significantly correlated with VA in DR and RVO (all P ≤ 0.003). The relationship between FAZ area and VA varied with age (P = 0.026) such that for a constant FAZ area, an increase in patient age was associated with poorer vision (rise in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity). Disruption of the ellipsoid zone was significantly correlated with VA in univariate and multiple regression analysis (both P < 0.001). Occurrence of intraretinal cysts, DRIL length, and lens status were significantly correlated with VA in the univariate regression analysis (P ≤ 0.018) but not the multiple regression analysis (P ≥ 0.210). Remaining variables evaluated in this study were not predictive of VA (all P ≥ 0.225). The area of the FAZ is

  16. Bilateral retinal vein occlusion and rubeosis irides: lessons to learn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Md Noh, Umi Kalthum; Ahem, Amin; Mustapha, Mushawiahti

    2013-01-01

    Uncontrolled hypertension is well- known to give rise to systemic complications involving multiple central organs. Artherosclerosis leads to damage of the retinal vessels wall, contributing to venous stasis, thrombosis and finally, occlusion. Retinal vein occlusions compromise vision through development of ischaemic maculopathy, macular oedema, and rubeotic glaucoma. Laser photocoagulation remains the definitive treatment for ischaemic vein occlusion with secondary neovascularization. Timely treatment with anti- vascular endothelial growth factor prevents development of rubeotic glaucoma. We hereby report an unusual case of bilateral retinal vein occlusion complicated by rubeosis irides, which was successfully managed to improve vision and prevent rubeotic glaucoma.

  17. [Underlying conditions associated with the occurrence of retinal vein occlusion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tilleul, J; Glacet-Bernard, A; Coscas, G; Soubrane, G; Souied, E H

    2011-05-01

    Conventional risk factors for retinal vein occlusion (RVO) are well established through large epidemiological studies, but triggering factors remain poorly known. A prospective observational study through a questionnaire was completed between January and October 2009 by patients with RVO and controls. Sixty-one patients, including 42 central retinal vein occlusions (CRVO) and 19 branch vein occlusions (BRVO) as well as 118 controls were included. Of the CRVO patients, 77% discovered visual loss upon awakening in contrast to only 33% of BRVO patients. The comparison between RVO and controls showed a higher proportion in the RVO group for (in order of the highest risk): migraine headache (CRVO, 21 %; BRVO, 47 %; controls, 13 %; p=0.008), hypertension (CRVO, 52%; BRVO, 63%; controls, 37%; p=0.012), glaucoma (CRVO, 33%; BRVO, 22%; controls, 16%; p=0.034), antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication (CRVO, 42%; BRVO, 33%; controls, 26%; p=0.074), hyperlipidemia, ocular trauma, sudden deafness, or vertigo. The prevalence was similar in both groups for body mass index, history of phlebitis or peptic ulcer, smoking habits, stress, fasting, dehydration, vasodilator intake, and altitude stay. In addition to the already known risk factors, this study underlines certain underlying conditions or circumstances related to the onset of RVO, such as migraine. In CRVO, three-quarters of the patients on average discovered visual loss upon awakening, which may indicate that nocturnal events may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the occlusion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Incidence and risk factors for retinal vein occlusion at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiebai, B; Ejimadu, C S; Komolafe, R D

    2014-01-01

    The objective of the following study is to determine the incidence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and identify the risk factors in RVO in patients presenting to a tertiary hospital in Rivers State. The medical records of consecutive patients with RVO who presented to the retina clinic of the eye Department of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital over a 5 year period were retrieved. Information extracted from the data included the demographic data of patients, presenting visual acuity, history of systemic and ocular disease, blood pressure and intraocular pressure. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.0. (IBM Corporation and its licensors 1989,2011). Out of the 364 patients seen at the retina clinic during this period, 27 (7.4%) had RVO. Seven patients had bilateral disease. The incidence of RVO in the retinal clinic was 7.4%. Systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and glaucoma were the main risk factors recorded in our patients. Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) 20 (74%) was more predominant than branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) 7 (26%). 21 eyes of patients with CRVO had visual acuities of risk factors and treating these could help reduce the incidence of RVO.

  19. The effectiveness and reliability of posterior sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide injection in branch retinal vein occlusion-related macular edema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kola, Mehmet; Hacioglu, Dilek; Turk, Adem; Erdol, Hidayet

    2016-09-01

    To investigate the effectiveness and reliability of posterior sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) application in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO)-related macular edema. Patients with confirmed BRVO-related macular edema were enrolled in the study. Patients were injected with a single, therapeutic dose of 40 mg PSTA. Detailed ophthalmic examination was performed at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), cataractogenic change (CC) and macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis results were evaluated. The results were compared statistically. Forty-one eyes of 41 patients with a mean age of 63.49 ± 10.99 (55-86) years, 15 (36.6%) females, were included in the study. BCVA in LogMAR values at 1 and 3 months were significantly better than at baseline, while no significant difference from baseline was observed in sixth month values (p application is an effective and safe option in BRVO-related macular edema.

  20. Choroidal thickness measurements with optical coherence tomography in branch retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muge Coban-Karatas

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate central macular thickness (CMT and mean choroidal thickness (MCT in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, before and after ranibizumab treatment using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT. METHODS: Forty-two patients with unilateral BRVO and macular edema were included in this study. There were 25 men and 17 women. Using SD-OCT, choroidal thickness was measured at 500 µm intervals up to 1500 µm temporal and nasal to the fovea. MCT was calculated based on the average of the 7 locations. All the eyes with BRVO were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 mg/0.05 mL. Comparisons between the BRVO and fellow eyes were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test. Pre-injection and post-injection measurements were analyzed using Wilcoxon test and repeated measure analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, there was a significant difference between the BRVO and fellow eyes in MCT [BRVO eyes 245 (165-330 µm, fellow eyes 229 (157-327 µm] and CMT [BRVO eyes 463 (266-899 µm, fellow eyes 235 (148-378 µm (P=0.041, 0.0001, respectively]. Following treatment, CMT [295 (141-558 µm] and MCT [229 (157-329 µm] decreased significantly compared to the baseline measurements (P=0.001, 0.006, respectively. Also BCVA (logMAR improved significantly (P=0.0001 in the BRVO eyes following treatment. After treatment CMT [BRVO eyes 295 (141-558 µm, fellow eyes 234 (157-351 µm] and MCT [BRVO eyes 229 (157-329 µm, fellow eyes 233 (162-286 µm] values did not reveal any significant difference in BRVO eyes and fellow eyes (P=0.051, 0.824, respectively. CONCLUSION: In eyes with BRVO, CMT and MCT values are greater than the fellow eyes, and decrease significantly following ranibizumab injection.

  1. Cell Therapy Applications for Retinal Vascular Diseases: Diabetic Retinopathy and Retinal Vein Occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Susanna S

    2016-04-01

    Retinal vascular conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion, remain leading causes of vision loss. No therapy exists to restore vision loss resulting from retinal ischemia and associated retinal degeneration. Tissue regeneration is possible with cell therapy. The goal would be to restore or replace the damaged retinal vasculature and the retinal neurons that are damaged and/or degenerating from the hypoxic insult. Currently, various adult cell therapies have been explored as potential treatment. They include mesenchymal stem cells, vascular precursor cells (i.e., CD34+ cells, hematopoietic cells or endothelial progenitor cells), and adipose stromal cells. Preclinical studies show that all these cells have a paracrine trophic effect on damaged ischemic tissue, leading to tissue preservation. Endothelial progenitor cells and adipose stromal cells integrate into the damaged retinal vascular wall in preclinical models of diabetic retinopathy and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Mesenchymal stem cells do not integrate as readily but appear to have a primary paracrine trophic effect. Early phase clinical trials have been initiated and ongoing using mesenchymal stem cells or autologous bone marrow CD34+ cells injected intravitreally as potential therapy for diabetic retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion. Adipose stromal cells or pluripotent stem cells differentiated into endothelial colony-forming cells have been explored in preclinical studies and show promise as possible therapies for retinal vascular disorders. The relative safety or efficacy of these various cell therapies for treating retinal vascular disorders have yet to be determined.

  2. pattern and risk factors for retinal vein occlusion in onitsha nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr. Sabastian Nwosu

    Objectives: To determine the pattern and risk factors for retinal vein occlusion at the Guinness Eye Center, Onitsha,. Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Case files of all patients with retinal vein occlusion between May 1997 and April 2004 were reviewed. Information on age, sex, visual acuity, ocular complications and ...

  3. Acute Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Secondary to Reactive Thrombocytosis after Splenectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nursen Oncel Acir

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The diagnosis and treatment of central retinal vein occlusion was reported in a young patient. Central retinal vein occlusion was probably related to secondary to reactive thrombocytosis after splenectomy. The patient was treated with steroids for papilledema and administered coumadin and aspirin. The symptoms resolved, and the findings returned to normal within three weeks. Current paper emphasizes that, besides other well-known thrombotic events, reactive thrombocytosis after splenectomy may cause central retinal vein occlusion, which may be the principal symptom of this risky complication. Thus, it can be concluded that followup for thrombocytosis and antithrombotic treatment, when necessary, are essential for these cases.

  4. Results of the treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab injection in branch retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osman Sayýn

    2017-06-01

    Material and Method: The files of patients who had macular edema caused by branch retinal vein occlusion and who were applied intravitreal bevacizumab injection were studied retrospectively. Visual acuity (logMAR in follow-ups of the patients before and after the injection and the macular thickness values of the quadrant of the occlusion were recorded and the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on these parameters were analyzed. Results: 24 eyes of 24 patients, 17 of which are male and 7 of which are female, were included in the study. The mean age of the patients were 59.1±7.7. The mean visual acuity prior to the injection was determined to be 0.7±0.5 logMAR, and the mean macular thickness value 489.7±129.6 μm. The mean injection number applied was 1.5±0.7. The mean follow-up time after the injection was 3.5±2.7 months. The mean macular thickness was determined to be 393.1±5.7 μm and mean visual acuity was 0.5±0.1 logMAR in the 1st month. In the last follow-ups of the patients, the mean visual acuity was 0.26±0.28 logMAR and the mean macular thickness value was 317.4±71.5 μm. The increase in visual acuity and decrease in macular thickness between first and last control after the injection was found statistically significant. (p<0.001. Conclusion: The intravitreal bevacizumab injection used in macular edema secondary to BRVO increases visual acuity and decreases macular thickness. [J Contemp Med 2017; 7(2.000: 143-148

  5. Short-term effects of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (OZURDEX® on choroidal thickness in patients with naive branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Hasan Basri Arifoglu

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT in patients with naïve branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO before and after intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex® injection. Methods: Thirty-nine patients with unilateral BRVO and 35 healthy subjects were included in this prospective study. Choroidal thickness was evaluated by EDI-OCT at baseline and 1 month after dexamethasone implant. Results: The mean SFCT measured in 39 patients with BRVO was 299.41 ± 55.86 µm, significantly greater than that in contralateral eyes (283.76 ± 57.44 µm; p=0.009 and control eyes (276.14 ± 39.06 µm; p=0.044. The mean SFCT after the treatment was 279.64 ± 50.96 µm, significantly thinner than that before intravitreal dexamethasone therapy (p=0.004. Conclusions: SFCT in treatment-naive BRVO eyes was significantly greater than that in contralateral eyes and healthy eyes and decreased significantly after intravitreal dexamethasone implantation.

  6. The influence of branch order on optimal leaf vein geometries: Murray's law and area preserving branching.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles A Price

    Full Text Available Models that predict the form of hierarchical branching networks typically invoke optimization based on biomechanical similitude, the minimization of impedance to fluid flow, or construction costs. Unfortunately, due to the small size and high number of vein segments found in real biological networks, complete descriptions of networks needed to evaluate such models are rare. To help address this we report results from the analysis of the branching geometry of 349 leaf vein networks comprising over 1.5 million individual vein segments. In addition to measuring the diameters of individual veins before and after vein bifurcations, we also assign vein orders using the Horton-Strahler ordering algorithm adopted from the study of river networks. Our results demonstrate that across all leaves, both radius tapering and the ratio of daughter to parent branch areas for leaf veins are in strong agreement with the expectation from Murray's law. However, as veins become larger, area ratios shift systematically toward values expected under area-preserving branching. Our work supports the idea that leaf vein networks differentiate roles of leaf support and hydraulic supply between hierarchical orders.

  7. Branch retinal artery occlusion in Susac's syndrome

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    Ricardo Evangelista Marrocos de Aragão

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Susac's syndrome is a rare disease attribuited to a microangiopathy involving the arterioles of the cochlea, retina and brain. Encefalopathy, hearing loss, and visual deficits are the hallmarks of the disease. Visual loss is due to multiple, recurrent branch arterial retinal occlusions. We report a case of a 20-year-old women with Susac syndrome presented with peripheral vestibular syndrome, hearing loss, ataxia, vertigo, and vision loss due occlusion of the retinal branch artery.

  8. Central Retinal Vein Occlusion AssociatedWith Sildenafil (Viagra

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    H C Obiudu

    2010-01-01

    Conclusion - Central retinal vein occlusion is a possible adverse effect of sildenafil use. Physicians should be vigilant while prescribing thismedication and avoid its use in patients with elevated intraocular pressure

  9. Combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion in Churg-Strauss syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hamann, Steffen; Johansen, Sven; Hamann, Steffen Ellitsgaard

    2006-01-01

    PURPOSE: To describe a rare case of Churg-Strauss syndrome presenting with severe visual loss due to a combined central retinal vein and artery occlusion. METHODS: A 42-year old man with a medical history of asthma and blood hypereosinophilia developed a sudden loss of vision in his right eye. We...... and dilated and tortuous veins. The diagnosis was confirmed by a fluorescein angiogram showing absence of retinal filling and normal choroidal filling. Churg-Strauss syndrome was diagnosed based on the necessary presence of four of six criteria for the disease proposed by the American College of Rheumatology...... the vascular occlusion and experienced no visual improvement. CONCLUSION: Combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion can occur in Churg-Strauss syndrome. We suggest that regional vasculitis may be the pathological mechanism underlying the vascular occlusions observed in our case. The condition carries...

  10. Cytomegalovirus retinitis after central retinal vein occlusion in a patient on systemic immunosuppression: does venooclusive disease predispose to cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients already at risk?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Welling JD

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available John D Welling, Ahmad B Tarabishy, John ChristoforidisDepartment of Ophthalmology, Havener Eye Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USAAbstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV retinitis remains the most common opportunistic ocular infection in immunocompromised patients. Patients with immunocompromising diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, inherited immunodeficiency states, malignancies, and those on systemic immunosuppressive therapy, are known to be at risk. Recently, it has been suggested that patients undergoing intravitreal injection of immunosuppressive agents may also be predisposed. One previous case report speculated that there may be an additional risk for CMV retinitis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with venoocclusive disease. This case study presents a case of CMV retinitis following central retinal vein occlusion in a patient on systemic immunosuppressants.Keywords: cytomegalovirus retinitis, central retinal vein occlusion, immunosuppression, solid organ transplant, venous stasis, risk factor

  11. [Experimental branch vein occlusion: the effect of carbogen breathing on preretinal PO2].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pournaras, J-A C; Poitry, S; Munoz, J-L; Pournaras, C J

    2003-10-01

    To evaluate the variations in preretinal PO2 in normal and in ischemic postexperimental branch vein occlusion (BRVO) retinal areas during normoxia, hyperoxia (100% O2) and carbogen (95% O2, 5% CO2) breathing. Preretinal PO2 measurements were obtained in intervascular retinal areas far from the retinal vessels of 13 anesthetized miniature pigs with oxygen-sensitive microelectrodes (10 microm tip diameter) introduced through the vitreous cavity by a micromanipulator. The microelectrode tip was placed at 50 microm from the vitreoretinal interface in the preretinal vitreous. PO2 was measured continuously for 10 minutes in systemic normoxia, hyperoxia (100% O2 breathing) and carbogen (95% O2, 5% CO2) breathing. A BRVO was induced with an argon green laser, and oxygen measurements were repeated in normoxia, hyperoxia and carbogen breathing. In hyperoxia, preretinal PO2 remained almost constant in both normal retinas (DeltaPO2=1.33 mmHg +/- 3.39; n=13) and ischemic retinas (DeltaPO2=3.73 mmHg +/- 2.84; n=8), although systemic PaO2 significantly increased. Carbogen breathing induced a significant increase in systemic PaO2 and PaCO2. Furthermore, it significantly increased preretinal PO2: DeltaPO2=23.05 mmHg +/- 17.06 (n=12) in normal retinas, and DeltaPO2=22.54 mmHg +/- 5.96 (n=6) in ischemic retinal areas. Systemic hyperoxia does not increase preretinal PO2 significantly in normal and ischemic post-BRVO retinal areas of miniature pigs, as hyperoxia induces a decrease in the retinal blood flow. Carbogen breathing significantly increases preretinal PO2 in normal and in ischemic post-BRVO retinal areas. This effect is probably due to the vasodilatation of the retinal arterioles induced by the intravascular PaCO2 increase.

  12. Safety and Efficacy of Ranibizumab in Macular Edema following Retinal Vein Occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Gallego-Pinazo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Macular edema is the leading cause of visual impairment in patients with retinal vein occlusion. Limited improvements may be obtained with laser photocoagulation or intravitreal triamcinolone. However, according to the data provided by randomized clinical trials, intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA constitute a new effective and safe option for the management of these vision-threatening diseases. The aim of the present review is to summarize the clinical evidence of ranibizumab for macular edema due to retinal vein occlusions.

  13. Feasibility study on retinal vascular bypass surgery in isolated arterially perfused caprine eye model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y; Wu, W; Zhang, X; Fan, W; Shen, L

    2011-01-01

    Purpose To investigate the feasibility of bypassing occluded segments of retinal venous main vessels in isolated, arterially perfused caprine eyes via the closed-sky vitrectomy approach using keratoprosthesis. Methods Isolated caprine eyes were used in this study. For each eye, the retinal vessel was perfused by Krebs solution via ophthalmic artery, and pars plana vitrectomy was performed using temporary keratoprosthesis. All retinal micro-vascular maneuvers were performed in a closed-sky eyeball. The main retinal vein was blocked by endodiathermy at the site of the vessel's first branching. Two openings, several millimeters apart, were created by vascular punctures in both the main vein and its branch vein wall straddling the induced occluded segment. Catheterization was achieved using a flexible polyimide tube, with each end inserted into the vessel wall opening. A sealed connection between the vessel and the tube was obtained by endodiathermy. Bypass of the occluded retinal vein segment was thus achieved, and the patency of this vascular bypass was confirmed by intravascular staining. Results Puncturing, catheterization, and endodiathermy were viable by closed-sky approach using keratoprosthesis. Bypassing of the occluded retinal main vein segment was accomplished with the combination of these maneuvers. Good results were obtained in 23 of 38 (60%) caprine eyes. Conclusions This study demonstrated that bypassing the occluded segment of retinal main vein can be successfully performed in a closed-sky eyeball model of isolated, arterially perfused caprine eye. This early work indicated that the more advanced retinal vascular bypass surgery in in vivo eye may be feasible in the future. PMID:21921946

  14. Macular Hole Progression after Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Hemicentral Retinal Vein Occlusion

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    Manish Nagpal

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion is commonly being treated with off-label intravitreal bevacizumab with good outcomes. A significant reduction in macular edema and improvement in visual acuity is seen following such a treatment with no serious adverse effects. In the reported case, a full-thickness macular hole was noticed one month after intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema secondary to hemicentral retinal vein occlusion. On a detailed review of the pre- and postoptical coherence tomography scans, it was realized that there was a preexisting stage 2-3 macular hole which was masked by the hemorrhages and edema at the fovea and the macular hole had progressed following the injection.

  15. Admittance Control for Robot Assisted Retinal Vein Micro-Cannulation under Human-Robot Collaborative Mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, He; Gonenc, Berk; Iordachita, Iulian

    2017-10-01

    Retinal vein occlusion is one of the most common retinovascular diseases. Retinal vein cannulation is a potentially effective treatment method for this condition that currently lies, however, at the limits of human capabilities. In this work, the aim is to use robotic systems and advanced instrumentation to alleviate these challenges, and assist the procedure via a human-robot collaborative mode based on our earlier work on the Steady-Hand Eye Robot and force-sensing instruments. An admittance control method is employed to stabilize the cannula relative to the vein and maintain it inside the lumen during the injection process. A pre-stress strategy is used to prevent the tip of microneedle from getting out of vein in in prolonged infusions, and the performance is verified through simulations.

  16. Comparative analysis of the development of collateral vessels in macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion following grid laser or ranibizumab treatment

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    Kokolaki AE

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Afroditi Eleni Kokolaki, Ilias Georgalas, Chryssanthi Koutsandrea, Athanasios Kotsolis, Maria Niskopoulou, Ioannis LadasDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece Purpose: To evaluate the differences in the development of collateral vessels in patients with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO after treatment with either grid laser or ranibizumab (RNB.Methods: Comparative study including patients with macular edema due to acute BRVO and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA between 20/40 and 20/200. The sample was divided into two groups according to the treatment applied: laser group, including eyes treated with Argon laser when retinal hemorrhages were sufficiently absorbed to perform the treatment, and RNB group,  including patients treated initially with one monthly intravitreal injection for a period of 3 months of RNB and more injections according to need thereafter.. Before treatment patients in both groups, received a complete ophthalmic examination, including BCVA, fundus examination, optical coherence tomography, fundus color photography, and fundus fluorescein angiography (FA. This same protocol of examination was repeated in every visit after treatment, except FA that was only repeated every 3 months. The detection of the collateral vessels was done by two experienced examiners based on the analysis of the early phase of the FA. If there was a discrepancy in their judgment, the criterion of a third examiner evaluating the FA was considered.Results: Mean baseline BCVA was 0.86±0.26 and 0.82±0.25 (logMAR [logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution] in the RNB and laser groups, respectively (P=0.83. At the end of the follow-up, mean BCVA was 0.38±0.18 and 0.64±0.33 (logMAR in the RNB and laser groups, respectively. The difference in the final BCVA between both groups was statistically significant (P=0.002. Collaterals developed in both groups; 66.67% of patients (14 out of 21

  17. Malnutrition and bilateral central retinal vein occlusion in a young woman: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taubert Mark

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Can vitamin B12 and folate deficiency cause central retinal vein occlusion? We conducted a literature search to find out whether nutritional deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate can lead to impaired vision. Case presentation The patient in the article presented in an eye-casualty department in the North East of England with gradual painless visual loss over six weeks. She was found to have bilateral central retinal vein occlusion with significant anaemia and vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Conclusion Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can lead to elevated levels of homocysteine. We found a large amount of published data relating central retinal vein occlusion to elevated homocysteine levels, but there was a lack of conclusive evidence for this association Patients should be asked about their dietary history where a thrombotic event is suspected or confirmed.

  18. Admittance Control for Robot Assisted Retinal Vein Micro-Cannulation under Human-Robot Collaborative Mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonenc, Berk; Iordachita, Iulian

    2017-01-01

    Retinal vein occlusion is one of the most common retinovascular diseases. Retinal vein cannulation is a potentially effective treatment method for this condition that currently lies, however, at the limits of human capabilities. In this work, the aim is to use robotic systems and advanced instrumentation to alleviate these challenges, and assist the procedure via a human-robot collaborative mode based on our earlier work on the Steady-Hand Eye Robot and force-sensing instruments. An admittance control method is employed to stabilize the cannula relative to the vein and maintain it inside the lumen during the injection process. A pre-stress strategy is used to prevent the tip of microneedle from getting out of vein in in prolonged infusions, and the performance is verified through simulations. PMID:29607442

  19. Interferon-induced central retinal vein thrombosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazir, L.; Husain, A.; Haroon, W.; Shaikh, M.I.; Mirza, S.A.; Khan, Z.

    2012-01-01

    A middle-aged lady presented with sudden onset of unilateral central retinal vein thrombosis after completing 6 months course of interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C infection. She had no risk factors and all her thrombophilia workup was normal, however, she was found to be dyslipidemic which may have contributed to atherosclerosis and predispose to thrombosis. Despite anticoagulation, her visual acuity deteriorated. This case illustrates the possibility of unpredictable visual complication of interferon. Frequent eye examination should be undertaken in patients having underlying risk factors like diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia undergoing interferon therapy. (author)

  20. Interferon-induced central retinal vein thrombosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nazir, L; Husain, A; Haroon, W; Shaikh, M I; Mirza, S A; Khan, Z

    2012-11-15

    A middle-aged lady presented with sudden onset of unilateral central retinal vein thrombosis after completing 6 months course of interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C infection. She had no risk factors and all her thrombophilia workup was normal, however, she was found to be dyslipidemic which may have contributed to atherosclerosis and predispose to thrombosis. Despite anticoagulation, her visual acuity deteriorated. This case illustrates the possibility of unpredictable visual complication of interferon. Frequent eye examination should be undertaken in patients having underlying risk factors like diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia undergoing interferon therapy. (author)

  1. Therapeutic effect of dexamethasone implant in retinal vein occlusions resistant to anti-VEGF therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wallsh J

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Josh Wallsh, Behnam Sharareh, Ron GallemoreRetina Macula Institute, Torrance, CA, USAPurpose: To test the efficacy of the intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX implant in patients with retinal vein occlusions (RVOs who have failed multiple anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF treatments.Methods: A randomized exploratory study of ten patients with branch RVO or central RVO who received at least two previous anti-VEGF treatments and had persistent or unresponsive cystoid macular edema. Treatment with the DEX implant was either every 4 months or pro re nata (PRN depending on their group assignment for 1 year. Multifocal electroretinography and microperimetry were the primary end points, with high-resolution optical coherence tomography and best-corrected visual acuity as the secondary end points.Results: All patients in both the every 4 month and PRN cohorts who completed the study received the three maximal injections of DEX; therefore, the data from both cohorts were combined and reported as a case series. On average, the multifocal electroretinography amplitude increased significantly from 5.11±0.66 to 24.19±5.30 nV/deg2 at 12 months (P<0.005, mean macular sensitivity increased from 7.67±2.10 to 8.01±1.98 dB at 4 months (P=0.32, best-corrected visual acuity increased significantly from 51.0±5.1 to 55.4±5.1 early treatment of diabetic retinopathy study letters at 2 months (P<0.05, and central retinal thickness decreased from 427.6±39.5 to 367.1±37.8 µm at 4 months (P<0.05. Intraocular pressure increased significantly in one patient, with that patient requiring an additional glaucoma medication for management. Additionally, cataract progression increased significantly (P<0.05 in this patient population and partially limited analysis of other end points.Conclusion: DEX should be considered as a treatment option in patients with RVOs who have failed anti-VEGF therapy, as the results of this study demonstrated an improvement in

  2. Portal vein branching order helps in the recognition of anomalous right-sided round ligament: common features and variations in portal vein anatomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Rikiya; Yamaoka, Toshihide; Nishitai, Ryuta; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Taura, Kojiro; Arizono, Shigeki; Furuta, Akihiro; Ohno, Tsuyoshi; Ono, Ayako; Togashi, Kaori

    2017-07-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the common features and variations of portal vein anatomy in right-sided round ligament (RSRL), which can help propose a method to detect and diagnose this anomaly. In this retrospective study of 14 patients with RSRL, the branching order of the portal tree was analyzed, with special focus on the relationship between the dorsal branch of the right anterior segmental portal vein (P A-D ) and the lateral segmental portal vein (P LL ), to determine the common features. The configuration of the portal vein from the main portal trunk to the right umbilical portion (RUP), the inclination of the RUP, and the number and thickness of the ramifications branching from the right anterior segmental portal vein (P A ) were evaluated for variations. In all subjects, the diverging point of the P A-D was constantly distal to that of the P LL . The portal vein configuration was I- and Z-shaped in nine and five subjects, respectively. The RUP was tilted to the right in all subjects. In Z-shaped subjects, the portal trunk between the branching point of the right posterior segmental portal vein and that of the P LL was tilted to the left in one subject and was almost parallel to the vertical plane in four subjects. Multiple ramifications were radially distributed from the P A in eight subjects, whereas one predominant P A-D branched from the P A in six subjects. Based on the diverging points of the P A-D and P LL , we proposed a three-step method for the detection and diagnosis of RSRL.

  3. Automated detection and classification of major retinal vessels for determination of diameter ratio of arteries and veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muramatsu, Chisako; Hatanaka, Yuji; Iwase, Tatsuhiko; Hara, Takeshi; Fujita, Hiroshi

    2010-03-01

    Abnormalities of retinal vasculatures can indicate health conditions in the body, such as the high blood pressure and diabetes. Providing automatically determined width ratio of arteries and veins (A/V ratio) on retinal fundus images may help physicians in the diagnosis of hypertensive retinopathy, which may cause blindness. The purpose of this study was to detect major retinal vessels and classify them into arteries and veins for the determination of A/V ratio. Images used in this study were obtained from DRIVE database, which consists of 20 cases each for training and testing vessel detection algorithms. Starting with the reference standard of vasculature segmentation provided in the database, major arteries and veins each in the upper and lower temporal regions were manually selected for establishing the gold standard. We applied the black top-hat transformation and double-ring filter to detect retinal blood vessels. From the extracted vessels, large vessels extending from the optic disc to temporal regions were selected as target vessels for calculation of A/V ratio. Image features were extracted from the vessel segments from quarter-disc to one disc diameter from the edge of optic discs. The target segments in the training cases were classified into arteries and veins by using the linear discriminant analysis, and the selected parameters were applied to those in the test cases. Out of 40 pairs, 30 pairs (75%) of arteries and veins in the 20 test cases were correctly classified. The result can be used for the automated calculation of A/V ratio.

  4. Efficacy observation on multiple wave length laser for diabetic retinopathy and central retinal vein occlusion

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    Tao Tian

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available AIM:To observe the efficacy of the multiple wave length laser in treating diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS:Totally 95 cases(100 eyeswith diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein occlusion were treated by multiple wave length laser. Krypton yellow laser was used for macular edema in focal photocoagulation and diffuse photocoagulation. For peripheral retina, krypton green or krypton red laser were used. Visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 12 to 48wk. In this study, change in visual acuity and macular edema were observed in both groups, and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS:The effective rate was 61.2% in diffuse macular edema group and 86.3% in focal macular edema group. The general effective rate of later was higher than the former, while the treatment effect had significant statistical difference(PCONCLUSION: Multiple wave length laser is an effective and safe way to treat diabetic macular edema of diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein occlusion,which is worth widely applying in clinical practice.

  5. Dynamic association between intraocular pressure and spontaneous pulsations of retinal veins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golzan, S Mojtaba; Graham, Stuart L; Leaney, John; Avolio, Alberto

    2011-01-01

    The amplitude of spontaneous retinal venous pulsations (SRVP) is known to be affected by intraocular pressure (IOP), retinal venous pressure, and intracranial pressure (ICP). This study characterized SRVPs adjacent to the disc and quantified changes in the amplitude of these pulsations during IOP manipulation in normal subjects. The study included 12 subjects (40 ± 15, 4 females, 8 males). Baseline IOP (range 10-25 mmHg) was measured and SRVP recorded using the dynamic retinal vessel analyzer (DVA). IOP was lowered using aproclonidine 0.5% and measured every 15 min, followed by dynamic recording of SRVP. Two subjects were also tested with timolol 0.5%, and three were treated with a placebo drop. Mean amplitude of SRVP was determined within each sample at the same site. Blood pressure and heart rate were tracked continuously. Amplitude of SRVP decreased in all subjects with reduction of IOP with aproclonidine and timolol. Mean SRVP amplitude was 8.5 ± 6 μm at baseline and reduced to 2.5 ± 1.8 μm after 45 min (p blood pressure, and heart rate did not change significantly from the baseline. Analysis of waveforms showed a slight phase shift only (150 ± 78.5 ms, p = 0.93) between disc veins and adjacent retinal vein. SRVPs in the peripapillary retina have similar waveform characteristics to those at the disc. SRVP amplitudes are reduced by manipulation of IOP downwards with pharmacological intervention. The relationship was consistent in all individuals tested for two classes of drugs and was independent of BP or heart rate changes.

  6. Summarising the retinal vascular calibres in healthy, diabetic and diabetic retinopathy eyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leontidis, Georgios; Al-Diri, Bashir; Hunter, Andrew

    2016-05-01

    Retinal vessel calibre has been found to be an important biomarker of several retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (DR). Quantifying the retinal vessel calibres is an important step for estimating the central retinal artery and vein equivalents. In this study, an alternative method to the already established branching coefficient (BC) is proposed for summarising the vessel calibres in retinal junctions. This new method combines the mean diameter ratio with an alternative to Murray׳s cube law exponent, derived by the fractal dimension,experimentally, and the branch exponent of cerebral vessels, as has been suggested in previous studies with blood flow modelling. For the above calculations, retinal images from healthy, diabetic and DR subjects were used. In addition, the above method was compared with the BC and was also applied to the evaluation of arteriovenous ratio as a biomarker of progression from diabetes to DR in four consecutive years, i.e. three/two/one years before the onset of DR and the first year of DR. Moreover, the retinal arteries and veins around the optic nerve head were also evaluated. The new approach quantifies the vessels more accurately. The decrease in terms of the mean absolute percentage error was between 0.24% and 0.49%, extending at the same time the quantification beyond healthy subjects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Correlation between the optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram in retinal vein occlusion macular edema

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    Ya Xu

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the correlation between retinal thickness and photopic flash electroretinogram(ERGparameters(Cone a-wave, Cone b-wave, and 30Hz flickerin patients with central retinal vein occlusion(CRVOand macular edema. METHODS: A total of 25 patients(25 CRVO eyes and 25 unaffected fellow eyeswith CRVO underwent the examination of optical coherence tomography(OCTand photopic falsh ERG. The amplitude and implicit time of the ERG parameters were extracted from the ERG traces. Retinal thicknesses were measured by OCT in nine macular subfields. Then the correlations between ERG parameters and macular morphological parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: The Cone b-wave and 30Hz flicker implicit time were correlated with macular retinal thickness in seven out of nine subfields, excluding the temporal subfields. CONCLUSION: The retinal thickness of the macular edema may be associated with inner retinal function in CRVO patients.

  8. Towards Robot-Assisted Retinal Vein Cannulation: A Motorized Force-Sensing Microneedle Integrated with a Handheld Micromanipulator †.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonenc, Berk; Chae, Jeremy; Gehlbach, Peter; Taylor, Russell H; Iordachita, Iulian

    2017-09-23

    Retinal vein cannulation is a technically demanding surgical procedure where therapeutic agents are injected into the retinal veins to treat occlusions. The clinical feasibility of this approach has been largely limited by the technical challenges associated with performing the procedure. Among the challenges to successful vein cannulation are identifying the moment of venous puncture, achieving cannulation of the micro-vessel, and maintaining cannulation throughout drug delivery. Recent advances in medical robotics and sensing of tool-tissue interaction forces have the potential to address each of these challenges as well as to prevent tissue trauma, minimize complications, diminish surgeon effort, and ultimately promote successful retinal vein cannulation. In this paper, we develop an assistive system combining a handheld micromanipulator, called "Micron", with a force-sensing microneedle. Using this system, we examine two distinct methods of precisely detecting the instant of venous puncture. This is based on measured tool-tissue interaction forces and also the tracked position of the needle tip. In addition to the existing tremor canceling function of Micron, a new control method is implemented to actively compensate unintended movements of the operator, and to keep the cannulation device securely inside the vein following cannulation. To demonstrate the capabilities and performance of our uniquely upgraded system, we present a multi-user artificial phantom study with subjects from three different surgical skill levels. Results show that our puncture detection algorithm, when combined with the active positive holding feature enables sustained cannulation which is most evident in smaller veins. Notable is that the active holding function significantly attenuates tool motion in the vein, thereby reduces the trauma during cannulation.

  9. Towards Robot-Assisted Retinal Vein Cannulation: A Motorized Force-Sensing Microneedle Integrated with a Handheld Micromanipulator †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonenc, Berk; Chae, Jeremy; Gehlbach, Peter; Taylor, Russell H.; Iordachita, Iulian

    2017-01-01

    Retinal vein cannulation is a technically demanding surgical procedure where therapeutic agents are injected into the retinal veins to treat occlusions. The clinical feasibility of this approach has been largely limited by the technical challenges associated with performing the procedure. Among the challenges to successful vein cannulation are identifying the moment of venous puncture, achieving cannulation of the micro-vessel, and maintaining cannulation throughout drug delivery. Recent advances in medical robotics and sensing of tool-tissue interaction forces have the potential to address each of these challenges as well as to prevent tissue trauma, minimize complications, diminish surgeon effort, and ultimately promote successful retinal vein cannulation. In this paper, we develop an assistive system combining a handheld micromanipulator, called “Micron”, with a force-sensing microneedle. Using this system, we examine two distinct methods of precisely detecting the instant of venous puncture. This is based on measured tool-tissue interaction forces and also the tracked position of the needle tip. In addition to the existing tremor canceling function of Micron, a new control method is implemented to actively compensate unintended movements of the operator, and to keep the cannulation device securely inside the vein following cannulation. To demonstrate the capabilities and performance of our uniquely upgraded system, we present a multi-user artificial phantom study with subjects from three different surgical skill levels. Results show that our puncture detection algorithm, when combined with the active positive holding feature enables sustained cannulation which is most evident in smaller veins. Notable is that the active holding function significantly attenuates tool motion in the vein, thereby reduces the trauma during cannulation. PMID:28946634

  10. Anti vascular endothelial growth factor (bevacizumab) in central retinal vein occlusion: an interventional case series

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jan, S.; Khan, M.N.; Karim, S.; Khan, M.T.; Hussain, Z.; Khan, S.; Nazim, M.

    2010-01-01

    Vascular endothelial growth factor plays major role in ocular angio genesis and retinal edema production and is a step forward in the management of ocular neovascularization and retinal edematous pathologies. To determine the efficacy and safety of intra-vitreal Avastin (Bevacizumab) in cases having central retinal vein occlusion. All patients with central retinal occlusion occurring in the past 3 months and seen between the study period were included in the study. Diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion was made clinically by slit lamp biomicroscopy with 78D examination Patients who had received any treatment for and eyes which already had developed Anterior Segment Neovascularization, Neovascularization elsewhere or Neovascularization on disc at presentation were excluded. Dose of 0.05 ml (1.25mg) of Avastin (Bevacizumab) was used as intra vitreal injection every month for 3 months in cases that presented within a month of occlusion and less injections were given in dose presenting later. Follow-up was done at 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th day after the onset of disease. Visual outcome was defined as Snellen's or LogMar Best Corrected Visual Acuity at final follow up, of 120th day, compared to the visual acuity at presentation. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 17. Total of 17 eyes of 17 patients were included in this study. Eleven (64.7%) patients were males while 6(35.3%) were females. Total of 40 intra-vitreal injections of Avastin were given to patients with a mean of 2.35 injections per eye. Good visual outcome was achieved in 10(58.8%) eyes, while 7(41.2%) had stable visual outcome. Mean initial Best Corrected Visual Acuity (LogMar) in all 17 eyes was 1.79(SD+0.87) which significantly improved to a mean of 1.18 (SD+0.77) at final follow up. Mean improvement in Best Corrected Visual Acuity (LogMar) after paired sample test in all patients at final follow up on day 120 was 0.61(SD+0.84). Retinal hemorrhages and macular edema decreased clinically on

  11. Pulmonary vein dimensions and variation of branching pattern in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using magnetic resonance angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takase, Bonpei; Nagata, Masayoshi; Matsui, Takemi

    2004-01-01

    Pulmonary veins are the most frequent origin of focal and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Although radiofrequency ablation has been attempted for the treatment of focal and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the anatomy of the pulmonary vein is still not fully understood. To investigate the dimensions and anatomical variation of the pulmonary vein in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, we performed breath-hold gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography using a 1.5 T cardiac MR imager (GE CV/i) in 32 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (61±8 years old), 11 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (64±9 years old), and 26 patients with normal sinus rhythm (55±15 years old). Three-dimensional images of the pulmonary veins were thus obtained, and the diameters of the most proximal portion of the left or right superior pulmonary vein and left or right inferior pulmonary vein were measured. Pulmonary vein branching variations were determined by a visual qualitative analysis by two separate readers' agreements, who were blinded to any clinical information. We focused on the existence of a complex-branching pattern draining into the orifice of four pulmonary veins. Patients with either paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or chronic atrial fibrillation showed larger superior pulmonary veins than those with normal sinus rhythm (mean±SD; in the left superior pulmonary vein, 20±3 mm 23±3 mm vs 16±3 mm, P<0.05; in right superior pulmonary vein, 19±4 mm, 19±2 mm vs 16±2 mm, P<0.05). Complex-branching pattern was frequently observed in inferior pulmonary veins in patients with either paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or chronic atrial fibrillation; 25/32 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 11/11 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, compared to 7/26 patients with normal sinus rhythm. Complex-branching patterns were not observed in superior pulmonary veins in any patients in this cohort. In patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

  12. En-face optical coherence tomography angiography of neovascularization elsewhere in hemicentral retinal vein occlusion

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    Sogawa K

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Kenji Sogawa, Taiji Nagaoka, Akihiro Ishibazawa, Atsushi Takahashi, Tomofumi Tani, Akitoshi Yoshida Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan Purpose: To evaluate how the growth of neovascularization elsewhere (NVE was delineated in an eye with hemicentral retinal vein occlusion (CRVO using optical coherence tomography (OCT angiography. Patients and methods: We examined a 64-year-old man diagnosed with hemi-CRVO. The area around the occluded vein was scanned using a spectral-domain OCT device (RTVue XR Avanti. Blood flow was detected using the split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography (SSADA algorithm. Color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA, and OCT angiography examinations were performed at the first visit and at 3 and 6 months postpresentation. Results: At the first visit, FA revealed delayed retinal venous filling and extensive areas of capillary nonperfusion. The patient underwent a trial of intravitreal ranibizumab injection (0.5 mg/0.05 mL for the treatment of macular edema. At 3 months postpresentation, there was no NVE around the occluded vein in the en-face SSADA image, but at 6 months, NVE appeared on the occluded veins. The en-face SSADA image showed the NVE structure in the fibrovascular membrane on the occluded vein more clearly than FA images. Conclusion: OCT angiography clearly visualized the sprouting of NVE in an eye with hemi-CRVO. New findings of the vascular structure of NVE in hemi-CRVO were revealed using the en-face SSADA algorithm. Keywords: OCT angiography, hemi-CRVO, NVE

  13. Case Report of Optic Disc Drusen with Simultaneous Peripapillary Subretinal Hemorrhage and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

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    David Zhiwei Law

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A 52-year-old Chinese gentleman presented with right eye floaters and photopsia over one week. His visual acuities were 20/20 bilaterally. Posterior segment examination showed a right eye swollen optic disc and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO associated with an area of subretinal hemorrhage adjacent to the optic disc. Fundus fluorescein (FA and indocyanine green angiographies (ICGA of the right eye did not demonstrate choroidal neovascularization (CNV, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV, or retinal ischemia. Ultrasound B-scan revealed optic disc drusen (ODD. In view of good vision and absence of CNV, he was managed conservatively with spontaneous resolution after two months. Commonly, ODD may directly compress and mechanically rupture subretinal vessels at the optic disc, resulting in peripapillary subretinal hemorrhage, as was likely the case in our patient. Mechanical impairment of peripapillary circulation also results in retinal ischemia and may trigger the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV and/or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV, leading to subretinal haemorrhage. Compromise in central venous outflow with increased retinal central venous pressure from the direct mechanical effects of enlarging ODD results in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO. Patients with subretinal hemorrhage and CRVO from ODD should be monitored closely for the development of potentially sight-threatening complications.

  14. A patient with acute macular neuroretinopathy and central retinal vein occlusion

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    Hirooka K

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Kiriko Hirooka,1 Wataru Saito,1,2 Kousuke Noda,1,2 Susumu Ishida1,21Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan; 2Department of Ocular Circulation and Metabolism, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, JapanPurpose: The precise mechanism causing acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN is still unknown. A recent report suggested that choroidal circulation impairment correlates with its pathogenesis. We report a rare case with simultaneous onset of AMN and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, which is a retinal circulation disorder.Methods: Case report.Results: A 44-year-old woman complained of central visual loss of the left eye for the previous 2 weeks. The patient’s visual acuity was 0.5 in the left eye (OS. Fundoscopic examination revealed a wedge-shaped, dark reddish-brown lesion at the macula, and CRVO-like retinal hemorrhages OS. Fluorescein angiography revealed retinal vasculitis and hypofluorescence corresponding to the macular lesion. The patient’s scanning laser ophthalmoscopy infrared imaging result led to a diagnosis of AMN. Two weeks after corticosteroid pulse therapy, her visual acuity improved to 1.2 OS, with improvement of macular findings and Humphrey perimetry. When the dose of oral corticosteroid was decreased, the AMN lesion worsened, with recurrence of retinal hemorrhages. Visual functions improved again after an increased dose of corticosteroid.Conclusion: These results suggest that circulatory disorders almost simultaneously occurred in choroidal and retinal vessels, resulting in the onset of both AMN and CRVO.Keywords: choroidal circulation, optical coherence tomography, retinal circulation, systemic corticosteroid therapy

  15. Middle Cerebral Artery, Ophthalmic Artery, and Multibranch Retinal Vessel Occlusion After Cosmetic Autologous Fat Transfer to Forehead.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roshandel, Danial; Soheilian, Masoud; Pakravan, Mohammad; Aghayan, Sara; Peyman, Gholam A

    2015-05-01

    A 65-year-old woman with left hemiparesis and sudden loss of visual acuity in her right eye presented a few hours after cosmetic injection of autologous fat to her forehead. Right eye visual acuity was no light perception. Funduscopy revealed widespread retinal whitening and multibranch retinal vessel occlusion. Fluorescein angiography showed markedly delayed choroidal and retinal filling together with occlusion of multiple branches of retinal arteries and veins. On magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, multiple lesions compatible with recent infarction were detected. The authors diagnosed multibranch retinal artery and vein occlusion in the right ophthalmic and middle cerebral arteries due to fat emboli. This case emphasizes the need to reevaluate the safety of such aesthetic procedures, particularly in the facial zone to prevent devastating complications. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  16. Retinal oximetry during treatment of retinal vein occlusion by ranibizumab in patients with high blood pressure and dyslipidemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keilani, C; Halalchi, A; Wakpi Djeugue, D; Regis, A; Abada, S

    2016-12-01

    In the present study, we examined retinal vascular oxygen saturation in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), high blood pressure (HBP) and dyslipidemia, before and during intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection (ranibizumab). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of six patients with visual acuity (VA) reduced by macular edema (ME) secondary to RVO with HBP and dyslipidemia, who underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF injection between October 2014 and February 2015 in the department of ophthalmology of François-Quesnay Hospital at Mantes-la-Jolie (France). The main inclusion criterion was the presence of RVO with ME and decreased VA. The primary endpoint was improvement of retinal venous oxygen saturation in patients with RVO before and 3 months after intravitreal ranibizumab injection. Secondary outcomes were improvement of retinal arterial oxygen saturation, improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scale, regression of ME measured by the central macular thickness (CMT) in nm and studying the correlation between blood pressure (BP) and retinal venous oxygen saturation before and after ranibizumab. Six eyes of six patients were included. Before treatment, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) of the retinal venous saturation (%) was 38.1±14.2. Three months after the injections, the mean (SD) of the retinal venous saturation (%) increased statistically significantly 49.2±11 (P=0.03). In this study, retinal venous oxygen saturation in patients with RVO, HBP and dyslipidemia was partially normalized during intravitreal ranibizumab treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Grid laser with modified pro re nata injection of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: MARVEL report no 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Raja; Panchal, Bhavik; Stewart, Michael W; Das, Taraprasad; Chhablani, Jay; Jalali, Subhadra; Hasnat Ali, Mohd

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to prospectively study the efficacy of grid laser combined with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab in eyes with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion. Treatment-naïve eyes were enrolled to receive injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab. During the first 6 months, patients were evaluated monthly and injected if the best-corrected visual acuity changed by five or more letters or fluid was noted on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT); during the next 6 months, patients were evaluated bimonthly and injected only if the best-corrected visual acuity decreased by five or more letters with the associated fluid. Grid laser photocoagulation was performed if there was fluid on OCT and was repeated if patients were eligible after a minimum interval of 3 months. The mean numbers of ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections were, respectively, 3.2±1.5 and 3.0±1.4 in the first 6 months and 0.3±0.6 and 0.3±0.6 in the last 6 months. Moreover, 55/75 (73.33%) participants did not receive any injections in the last 6 months. The mean reductions in central retinal thickness at 12 months were 165.67 μm (P<0.001; 95% confidence interval -221.50 to -135.0) in the ranibizumab group and 184.78 μm (P<0.001; 95% confidence interval -246.49 to -140.0) in the bevacizumab group (P=0.079). More patients in the bevacizumab group compared to those in the ranibizumab group required rescue laser at 12 months (20 vs eleven; P=0.06). Bimonthly evaluations after month 6 with very few pro re nata injections were effective in maintaining visual gains achieved during the first 6 months. Grid laser photocoagulation is effective in maintaining the vision even in the presence of fluid on OCT, although it's required more often in patients treated with bevacizumab.

  18. Grid laser with modified pro re nata injection of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: MARVEL report no 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Raja; Panchal, Bhavik; Stewart, Michael W; Das, Taraprasad; Chhablani, Jay; Jalali, Subhadra; Hasnat Ali, Mohd

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to prospectively study the efficacy of grid laser combined with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab in eyes with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion. Patients and methods Treatment-naïve eyes were enrolled to receive injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab. During the first 6 months, patients were evaluated monthly and injected if the best-corrected visual acuity changed by five or more letters or fluid was noted on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT); during the next 6 months, patients were evaluated bimonthly and injected only if the best-corrected visual acuity decreased by five or more letters with the associated fluid. Grid laser photocoagulation was performed if there was fluid on OCT and was repeated if patients were eligible after a minimum interval of 3 months. Results The mean numbers of ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections were, respectively, 3.2±1.5 and 3.0±1.4 in the first 6 months and 0.3±0.6 and 0.3±0.6 in the last 6 months. Moreover, 55/75 (73.33%) participants did not receive any injections in the last 6 months. The mean reductions in central retinal thickness at 12 months were 165.67 μm (P<0.001; 95% confidence interval −221.50 to −135.0) in the ranibizumab group and 184.78 μm (P<0.001; 95% confidence interval −246.49 to −140.0) in the bevacizumab group (P=0.079). More patients in the bevacizumab group compared to those in the ranibizumab group required rescue laser at 12 months (20 vs eleven; P=0.06). Conclusion Bimonthly evaluations after month 6 with very few pro re nata injections were effective in maintaining visual gains achieved during the first 6 months. Grid laser photocoagulation is effective in maintaining the vision even in the presence of fluid on OCT, although it’s required more often in patients treated with bevacizumab. PMID:27330272

  19. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MACULAR EDEMA AND CIRCULATORY STATUS IN EYES WITH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION: An Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iida, Yuto; Muraoka, Yuki; Uji, Akihito; Ooto, Sotaro; Murakami, Tomoaki; Suzuma, Kiyoshi; Tsujikawa, Akitaka; Arichika, Shigeta; Takahashi, Ayako; Miwa, Yuko; Yoshimura, Nagahisa

    2017-10-01

    To investigate associations between parafoveal microcirculatory status and foveal pathomorphology in eyes with macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Ten consecutive patients (10 eyes) with acute retinal vein occlusion were enrolled, 9 eyes of which received intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) injections. Foveal morphologic changes were examined via optical coherence tomography (OCT), and parafoveal circulatory status was assessed via adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO). The mean parafoveal aggregated erythrocyte velocity (AEV) measured by adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in eyes with retinal vein occlusion was 0.99 ± 0.43 mm/second at baseline, which was significantly lower than that of age-matched healthy subjects (1.41 ± 0.28 mm/second, P = 0.042). The longitudinal adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy examinations of each patient showed that parafoveal AEV was strongly inversely correlated with optical coherence tomography-measured central foveal thickness (CFT) over the entire observation period. Using parafoveal AEV and central foveal thickness measurements obtained at the first and second examinations, we investigated associations between differences in parafoveal AEV and central foveal thickness, which were significantly and highly correlated (r = -0.84, P = 0.002). Using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in eyes with retinal vein occlusion macular edema, we could quantitatively evaluate the parafoveal AEV. A reduction or an increase in parafoveal AEV may be a clinical marker for the resolution or development/progression of macular edema respectively.

  20. Effect of Conbercept injection and macular grid pattern photocoagulation in treating macular edema after non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion

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    Jiang Zhu

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the effects and safety of intravitreal injection of Conbercept combined with macular grid pattern photocoagulation for macular edema secondary to non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO. METHODS: A total of 38 patients(38 eyes with macular edema following non-ischemic BRVO were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were given best corrected visual acuity(BCVA, intraocular pressure, slit lamp with preset lens, optic coherent tomography(OCTand fluorescence fundus angiography(FFAexamination. The BCVA and central macular thickness(CMTwere observed before and 1wk, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12mo after treatment. The change in pre-treatment and post-treatment were compared, and the related complications were recorded. RESULTS:BCVA before treatment and 1wk, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12mo after treatment were 0.89±0.62, 0.64±0.59, 0.55±0.62, 0.46±0.43, 0.53±0.67, 0.43±0.38, 0.42±0.29, 0.40±0.30, the difference was statistically significant between that before and after treatment(PP>0.05. CMT were 683.25±236.47, 298.65±116.12, 276.89±107.28, 281.55±99.62, 251.41±119.47, 240.58±88.62, 231.74±75.36, 209.51±84.68μm, the difference was statistically significant between that before and after treatment(PP>0.05. There were 11 eyes received one injection, 18 eyes with two injections, 2 eyes with 3, 3 eyes with 4, and 4 eyes more than 4, the average injection was 2.01±1.42. The CMT decreased after every injection. The intraocular hypertension and other complications were not seen after treatment. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of conbercept combined with macular grid pattern photocoagulation for macular edema to non-ischemic BRVO can reduce the macular edema and improve BCVA, which is effective and safety.

  1. [Central retinal vein occlusion as the first symptom of ovarian cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asensio-Sánchez, V M; Hernaez-Ortega, M C; Castresana-Jauregui, I

    2013-12-01

    A healthy 57-year-old woman presented with decreased vision in her right eye. Dilated fundus examination revealed central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The laboratory test results for hypercoagulability state showed an abnormal protein S. A few months later she developed an ovarian malignancy. This case illustrates an association between CRVO and ovarian tumour. Coagulation disorders in cancer may be a mechanism for CRVO. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  2. Philadelphia Telemedicine Glaucoma Detection and Follow-Up Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-02

    Glaucoma; Glaucoma Suspect; Diabetic Retinopathy; Ocular Hypertension; Cataract; Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion; Branch Retinal Arterial Occlusion; Central Retinal Vein Occlusion; Central Retinal Artery Occlusion; Epi-retinal Membrane; Macular Degeneration; Drusen; Loss of Vision

  3. Outcomes of microincision vitrectomy surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sato S

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Shimpei Sato,1 Maiko Inoue,2 Shin Yamane,2 Akira Arakawa,2 Mikiro Mori,1 Kazuaki Kadonosono2 1Department of Opthalmology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan Purpose: To evaluate the anatomic and functional effect of microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS with internal limiting membrane (ILM peeling for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO.Methods: The medical records of 101 eyes of 101 patients who had undergone MIVS with ILM peeling for macular edema secondary to BRVO were studied. Patients were classified into ischemic and non-ischemic BRVO based on angiograph. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA and central foveal thickness (CFT, determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.Results: Preoperative mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR BCVA ± standard deviation (SD was 0.52±0.43 and mean CFT ± SD was 489.4±224.9 µm. Postoperative mean BCVA ± SD values were 0.41±0.35, 0.35±0.41, 0.29±0.36, and 0.25±0.41, and mean CFT values were 370.1±148.9, 327.5±157.5, 310.9±154.9, and 274.4±135.3 µm at 1, 3, 6, 12 months, respectively. The mean BCVA was significantly improved at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively (all P<0.05, and the mean CFT was significantly decreased at all postoperative follow-up time points (all P<0.05. At the 12-month postoperative evaluation, BCVA had improved by 0.2 logMAR units in 50 eyes (60.0% with ischemic BRVO and in nine eyes (50.0% with non-ischemic BRVO. Six eyes (6.0% experienced recurrence or persistence of macular edema at 12 months postoperatively.Conclusion: MIVS with ILM peeling for macular edema secondary to BRVO is effective in improving visual acuity and foveal morphology with low recurrence of macular edema. Keywords: MIVS, ILM, BRVO, central foveal thickness, CFT

  4. Retinal Capillary Network and Foveal Avascular Zone in Eyes with Vein Occlusion and Fellow Eyes Analyzed With Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adhi, Mehreen; Filho, Marco A Bonini; Louzada, Ricardo N; Kuehlewein, Laura; de Carlo, Talisa E; Baumal, Caroline R; Witkin, Andre J; Sadda, Srinivas R; Sarraf, David; Reichel, Elias; Duker, Jay S; Waheed, Nadia K

    2016-07-01

    To evaluate the perifoveolar retinal capillary network at different depths and to quantify the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in eyes with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) compared with their fellow eyes and healthy controls using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography (SD-OCTA). We prospectively recruited 23 patients with RVO including 15 eyes with central RVO (CRVO) and 8 eyes with branch RVO (BRVO), their fellow eyes, and 8 age-matched healthy controls (8 eyes) for imaging on prototype OCTA software within RTVue-XR Avanti. The 3 × 3 mm and 6 × 6 mm en face angiograms of superficial and deep retinal capillary plexuses were segmented. Perifoveolar retinal capillary network was analyzed and FAZ was quantified. Decrease in vascular perfusion at the deep plexus was observed in all eyes with CRVO (8/8, 100%) and BRVO (6/6, 100%) without cystoid macular edema, and in 8 of 15 (53%) and 2 of 8 (25%) of the fellow eyes, respectively. Vascular tortuosity was observed in 13 of 15 (87%) CRVO and 5 of 8 (63%) BRVO eyes. Collaterals were seen in 10 of 15 (67%) CRVO and 5 of 8 (63%) BRVO eyes. Mean FAZ area was larger in eyes with RVO than their fellow eyes (1.13 ± 0.25 mm2 versus 0.58 ± 0.28 mm2; P = 0.007) and controls (1.13 ± 0.25 mm2 versus 0.30 ± 0.09 mm2; P network and is able to quantify the FAZ in RVO. Longitudinal studies may be considered to evaluate the clinical utility of OCTA in RVO and other retinal vascular diseases.

  5. Automated retinal fovea type distinction in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of retinal vein occlusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jing; Waldstein, Sebastian M.; Gerendas, Bianca S.; Langs, Georg; Simader, Christian; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula

    2015-03-01

    Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive modality for acquiring high- resolution, three-dimensional (3D) cross-sectional volumetric images of the retina and the subretinal layers. SD-OCT also allows the detailed imaging of retinal pathology, aiding clinicians in the diagnosis of sight degrading diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Disease diagnosis, assessment, and treatment will require a patient to undergo multiple OCT scans, possibly using multiple scanners, to accurately and precisely gauge disease activity, progression and treatment success. However, cross-vendor imaging and patient movement may result in poor scan spatial correlation potentially leading to incorrect diagnosis or treatment analysis. The retinal fovea is the location of the highest visual acuity and is present in all patients, thus it is critical to vision and highly suitable for use as a primary landmark for cross-vendor/cross-patient registration for precise comparison of disease states. However, the location of the fovea in diseased eyes is extremely challenging to locate due to varying appearance and the presence of retinal layer destroying pathology. Thus categorising and detecting the fovea type is an important prior stage to automatically computing the fovea position. Presented here is an automated cross-vendor method for fovea distinction in 3D SD-OCT scans of patients suffering from RVO, categorising scans into three distinct types. OCT scans are preprocessed by motion correction and noise filing followed by segmentation using a kernel graph-cut approach. A statistically derived mask is applied to the resulting scan creating an ROI around the probable fovea location from which the uppermost retinal surface is delineated. For a normal appearance retina, minimisation to zero thickness is computed using the top two retinal surfaces. 3D local minima detection and layer thickness analysis are used

  6. Ocular neovascularization in eyes with a central retinal artery occlusion or a branch retinal artery occlusion

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    Mason lll JO

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available John O Mason III,1,2 Shyam A Patel,1 Richard M Feist,1,2 Michael A Albert Jr,1,2 Carrie Huisingh,1 Gerald McGwin Jr,1,3 Martin L Thomley1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA; 2Retina Consultants of Alabama, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, Birmingham, AL, USA; 3Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Purpose: To investigate the ocular neovascularization (ONV rate in eyes with a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO or a central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO, and to study factors that may influence the ONV rate secondary to CRAO.Methods: This was a retrospective case series of consecutive patients (286 total eyes: 83 CRAOs and 203 BRAOs who were diagnosed with a retinal artery occlusion from 1998 to 2013 at the Retina Consultants of Alabama and University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the association between hypothesized risk factors and ONV development.Results: Twelve (14.5% of the 83 eyes with a CRAO developed ONV. Eleven of 12 eyes (91.7% had iris neovascularization, ten of 12 eyes (83.3% had neovascular glaucoma, and two of 12 eyes (16.7% had neovascularization of the optic disc. The average time for ONV development secondary to CRAO was 30.7 days, ranging from the date of presentation to 137 days. Only two (<1.0% of the 203 eyes with a BRAO developed iris neovascularization. Diabetes mellitus type 2 was a risk factor for ONV development following a CRAO with an adjusted odds ratio of 5.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.4–19.8 (P=0.02.Conclusion: ONV is an important complication of CRAO and is a less-frequent complication of BRAO. Patients with a CRAO, especially those with diabetes mellitus type 2, should be closely monitored for the first 6 months for ONV. Keywords: neovascularization, neovascular glaucoma, retinal artery occlusion, central

  7. Grid laser with modified pro re nata injection of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: MARVEL report no 2

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    Narayanan R

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Raja Narayanan,1 Bhavik Panchal,1 Michael W Stewart,2 Taraprasad Das,1 Jay Chhablani,1 Subhadra Jalali,1 Mohd Hasnat Ali3 On behalf of MARVEL study group 1Smt. Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreo Retinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 3Department of Biostatistics, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India Purpose: The purpose of this study was to prospectively study the efficacy of grid laser combined with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab in eyes with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion.Patients and methods: Treatment-naïve eyes were enrolled to receive injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab. During the first 6 months, patients were evaluated monthly and injected if the best-corrected visual acuity changed by five or more letters or fluid was noted on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT; during the next 6 months, patients were evaluated bimonthly and injected only if the best-corrected visual acuity decreased by five or more letters with the associated fluid. Grid laser photocoagulation was performed if there was fluid on OCT and was repeated if patients were eligible after a minimum interval of 3 months.Results: The mean numbers of ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections were, respectively, 3.2±1.5 and 3.0±1.4 in the first 6 months and 0.3±0.6 and 0.3±0.6 in the last 6 months. ­Moreover, 55/75 (73.33% participants did not receive any injections in the last 6 months. The mean reductions in central retinal thickness at 12 months were 165.67 µm (P<0.001; 95% ­confidence interval -221.50 to -135.0 in the ranibizumab group and 184.78 µm (P<0.001; 95% confidence interval -246.49 to -140.0 in the bevacizumab group (P=0.079. More patients in the bevacizumab group compared to those in the ranibizumab group required rescue laser at 12 months (20 vs eleven; P=0.06.Conclusion: Bimonthly evaluations after month 6

  8. A Review: Proteomics in Retinal Artery Occlusion, Retinal Vein Occlusion, Diabetic Retinopathy and Acquired Macular Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cehofski, Lasse Jørgensen; Honoré, Bent; Vorum, Henrik

    2017-04-28

    Retinal artery occlusion (RAO), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are frequent ocular diseases with potentially sight-threatening outcomes. In the present review we discuss major findings of proteomic studies of RAO, RVO, DR and AMD, including an overview of ocular proteome changes associated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments. Despite the severe outcomes of RAO, the proteome of the disease remains largely unstudied. There is also limited knowledge about the proteome of RVO, but proteomic studies suggest that RVO is associated with remodeling of the extracellular matrix and adhesion processes. Proteomic studies of DR have resulted in the identification of potential therapeutic targets such as carbonic anhydrase-I. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the most intensively studied stage of DR. Proteomic studies have established VEGF, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and complement components as key factors associated with AMD. The aim of this review is to highlight the major milestones in proteomics in RAO, RVO, DR and AMD. Through large-scale protein analyses, proteomics is bringing new important insights into these complex pathological conditions.

  9. Retinal vein occlusion and macular edema – critical evaluation of the clinical value of ranibizumab

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    Keane PA

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Pearse A Keane1, Srinivas R Sadda21NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK; 2Doheny Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAAbstract: Retinal vein occlusions (RVOs constitute the second most common cause of retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy, with a prevalence of between 1% and 2% in persons older than 40 years of age. Despite the existence of numerous potential therapeutic options, none is entirely satisfactory, and many patients with RVO suffer irreversible visual loss. Fortunately however, the recent introduction of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF agents, such as ranibizumab (Lucentis®, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA and bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genentech, offers a potentially new treatment approach for clinicians managing this disorder. The results of the BRAVO and CRUISE trials have provided the first definitive evidence for the efficacy and safety of ranibizumab in the treatment of RVO. As a result, ranibizumab has recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of RVO-associated macular edema. In this review, we provide a critical evaluation of clinical trial data for the safety and efficacy of ranibizumab, and address unresolved issues in the management of this disorder. Keywords: ranibizumab, retinal vein occlusion, vascular endothelial growth factor, macular edema

  10. Assessment of ischemia in acute central retinal vein occlusion from inner retinal reflectivity on spectral domain optical coherence tomography

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    Browning DJ

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available David J Browning, Omar S Punjabi, Chong Lee Department of Ophthalmology, Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, P.A., Charlotte, NC, USA Purpose: To determine the relationship between different spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT signs of retinal ischemia in acute central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO and whether they predict anterior segment neovascularization (ASNV.Design: Retrospective, observational study.Subjects: Thirty-nine consecutive patients with acute CRVO and 12 months of follow-up.Methods: We graded baseline SD-OCTs for increased reflectivity of the inner retina, loss of definition of inner retinal layers, presence of a prominent middle-limiting membrane (p-MLM sign, and presence of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM. Graders were masked with respect to all clinical information.Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs of grading–regrading by graders 1 and 2 were 0.8104, 95% confidence interval (CI (0.6686, 0.8956, and 0.7986, 95% CI (0.6475, 0.8892, respectively. The intragrader coefficients of repeatability (COR for graders 1 and 2 were 0.94 and 0.92, respectively. The ICC of graders 1 compared with 2 was 0.8039, 95% CI (0.6544, 0.8916. The intergrader COR was 0.80. SD-OCT grades of baseline ischemia were not associated with baseline visual acuity (VA, central subfield mean thickness (CSMT, or relative afferent pupillary defect; 12-month VA, CSMT, change in VA, change in CSMT, number of antivascular endothelial growth factor injections or corticosteroid injections, or proportion of eyes developing ASNV. SD-OCT grades of ischemia did not correlate with the proportion of eyes having the p-MLM sign or PAMM. PAMM and p-MLM are milder signs of ischemia than increased reflectivity of the inner retinal layers. Eyes with PAMM can evolve, losing PAMM and gaining the p-MLM sign.Conclusion: Grading of ischemia from SD-OCT in acute CRVO was repeatable within graders and reproducible across

  11. [SERV clinical practice guidelines: management of retinal vein occlusion. Sociedad Española de Retina y Vitreo].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Ulla, F; Abraldes, M J; Basauri, E; Fernández, M; García-Layana, A; Gili, P; Montero, J; Nadal, J; Morales, V; Saravia, M; Cabrera, F; Cervera, E

    2010-09-01

    A guidelines for the management of retinal vein occlusion is presented. This is necessary because at this moment several therapeutic alternatives have been developed although their role is not yet sufficiently defined. Review of the literature for evidence published up to date. Relevant literature was identified and the level of evidence graded. Evidence was then assessed for consistency, applicability and clinical impact. The information was contrasted with those guides published in other countries. Taking into account the different options of treatment that are currently used, several modes of action are suggested. The role of the various complementary examinations are discussed and it is recommended that criteria for the treatment are based on clinical, angiographic, and tomographic findings. Although there is no overall consensus, these guidelines promote a good standard of clinical practise and provide an update of the management of retinal vein occlusion. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Espana.

  12. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Retinal Vascular Diseases and Choroidal Neovascularization

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    Rodolfo Mastropasqua

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To assess the ability of optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A to show and analyze retinal vascular patterns and the choroidal neovascularization (CNV in retinal vascular diseases. Methods. Seven eyes of seven consecutive patients with retinal vascular diseases were examined. Two healthy subjects served as controls. All eyes were scanned with the SD-OCT XR Avanti (Optovue Inc, Fremont CA, USA. Split spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography algorithm was used to identify the blood flow within the tissue. Fluorescein angiography (FA and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA with Spectralis HRA + OCT (Heidelberg Engineering GmbH were performed. Results. In healthy subjects OCT-A visualized major macular vessels and detailed capillary networks around the foveal avascular zone. Patients were affected with myopic CNV (2 eyes, age-related macular degeneration related (2, branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO (2, and branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO (1. OCT-A images provided distinct vascular patterns, distinguishing perfused and nonperfused areas in BRVO and BRAO and recognizing the presence, location, and size of CNV. Conclusions. OCT-A provides detailed images of retinal vascular plexuses and quantitative data of pathologic structures. Further studies are warranted to define the role of OCT-A in the assessment of retinovascular diseases, with respect to conventional FA and ICG-A.

  13. Intravitreal bevacizumab injections versus dexamethasone implant for treatment-naïve retinal vein occlusion related macular edema

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    Laine I

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ilkka Laine,1–3 Juha-Matti Lindholm,1,2 Petteri Ylinen,1,4 Raimo Tuuminen1,2,5 1Helsinki Retina Research Group, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 2Unit of Ophthalmology, Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, Kotka, Finland; 3Department of Automation and Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; 5The Insurance Centre, Patient Insurance Centre, Helsinki, Finland Purpose: To compare the short-term effects of three monthly intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB injections to single dexamethasone (DEX implantation in treatment-naïve patients with cystoid macular edema (CME secondary to branch (BRVO and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO.Design: A retrospective single-center study.Subjects: A total of 135 eyes of 135 patients with BRVO (n=83 and CRVO (n=52.Methods: Changes in clinical parameters were recorded before treatment and at the first and third month after commencement of IVB (n=121 and DEX (n=14.Main outcome measures: Central retinal thickness (CRT, intraocular pressure (IOP, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA.Results: The baseline parameters were comparable between IVB and DEX groups. After the first month, CRT decreased by 131.3±42.9 µm in IVB and by 266.9±48.3 µm in DEX (mean ± SEM; p=0.047. IOP change was –0.29±0.39 mmHg in IVB and +3.70±2.34 mmHg in DEX (p=0.005. IOP elevation to ≥25 mmHg and ≥5 mmHg from the baseline was observed in two of the DEX- and in none of the IVB-treated eyes (p=0.010. After the third month, no differences regarding CRT and IOP were observed between the treatment modalities. Moreover, BCVA gain was comparable between IVB (0.37±0.05 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] units and DEX (0.33±0.30 logMAR units groups.Conclusion: DEX was associated with faster resolution of CME, but had greater probability for short-term IOP elevation when compared to IVB. After the third month, treatments were

  14. Nampt/PBEF/visfatin serum levels: a new biomarker for retinal blood vessel occlusions

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    Kaja S

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Simon Kaja,1,* Anna A Shah,1,* Shamim A Haji,1,* Krishna B Patel,1 Yuliya Naumchuk,1 Alexander Zabaneh,1 Bryan C Gerdes,1 Nancy Kunjukunju,1 Nelson R Sabates,1 Michael A Cassell,1 Ron K Lord,1 Kevin P Pikey,1 Abraham Poulose,1 Peter Koulen1,21Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: The main objective of the study was to quantify serum levels of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt/pre-B-Cell colony-enhancing factor 1/visfatin in subjects with a history of retinal vascular occlusions (RVOs, disease conditions characterized by pronounced ischemia, and metabolic energy deficits. A case–control study of 18 subjects with a history of RVO as well as six healthy volunteers is presented. Serum Nampt levels were quantified using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Serum Nampt levels were 79% lower in patients with a history of RVO compared with that in healthy volunteers (P<0.05. There was no statistically significant difference among the types of RVOs, specifically branch retinal vein occlusions (n=7, central retinal vein occlusions (n=5, hemiretinal vein occlusions (n=3, and central retinal artery occlusions (n=3; P=0.69. Further studies are needed to establish the temporal kinetics of Nampt expression and to determine whether Nampt may represent a novel biomarker to identify at-risk populations, or whether it is a druggable target with the potential to ameliorate the long-term complications associated with the condition, ie, macular edema, macular ischemia, neovascularization, and permanent loss of vision.Keywords: Nampt, PBEF, visfatin, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor, retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, biomarker, retina, vasculature

  15. Full-Thickness Retinochoroidal Incision in the Management of Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

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    San-Ni Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO treated with full-thickness retinochoroidal incisions and to compare whether there is difference in treatment response in ischemic and nonischemic CRVO. Methods. Retrospective study of patients of CRVO receiving full-thickness retinochoroidal incisions in Changhua Christian Hospital. Fluorescein angiography (FA, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect funduscopy, best corrected visual acuity, and central macular thickness (CMT measured by optical coherence tomography were performed pre- and postoperatively. Patients were divided into an ischemic and nonischemic group according to the findings of FA. Patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Results. Twenty-eight eyes (14 ischemic and 14 nonischemic CRVO were included. Functional retinochoroidal venous anastomosis (RCVA was achieved in 48 of the 65 retinochoroidal incisions (73.8%. Central macular thickness (CMT and retinal hemorrhage decreased significantly after the surgery. Significant visual gain was observed postoperatively in the nonischemic group, but not in the ischemic group. Postoperative complications included vitreous hemorrhage (17.8%, neovascular glaucoma (7.1%, and preretinal fibrovasular membrane (10.7%, all of which were in the ischemic group. Conclusions. RCVA formation induced by retinochoroidal incisions could improve venous flow, and decrease CMT and retinal hemorrhage. However, only eyes with nonischemic CRVO showed visual improvement.

  16. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography reveals retinal phlebitis in Susac's syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klufas, Michael A; Dinkin, Marc J; Bhaleeya, Swetangi D; Chapman, Kristin O; Riley, Claire S; Kiss, Szilárd

    2014-01-01

    A 23-year-old woman with history of headaches and auditory changes presented with acute-onset visual field loss in the right eye. The combination of multiple retinal branch artery occlusions of the right eye on funduscopic examination, characteristic white matter lesions in the corpus callosum on magnetic resonance imaging, and hearing loss on audiometric testing led to a diagnosis of Susac's syndrome. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography revealed involvement of the retinal veins, which has not been previously reported with this condition. Additionally, ultra-widefield indocyanine green angiography demonstrated changes in the choroidal circulation, which are controversial in this syndrome. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. Combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion with optic perineuritis following herpes zoster dermatitis in an immunocompetent child.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Reema; Singh, Ramandeep; Takkar, Aastha; Lal, Vivek

    2017-11-01

    A 15-year-old healthy boy developed acute, rapidly progressing visual loss in left eye following herpes zoster dermatitis, with a combined central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), along with optic perineuritis. Laboratory tests were negative. Despite an empirical, intensive antiviral treatment with systemic corticosteroids, and vision could not be restored in the affected eye. Herpes zoster dermatitis, in an immunocompetent individual, may be associated with a combined CRAO and CRVO along with optic perineuritis, leading to profound visual loss.

  18. Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion Caused by Toxoplasmosis in an Adolescent

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    Elizabeth Chiang

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO, while not uncommon in elderly patient populations, is rare in children and adolescents. We report a case of a BRAO secondary to toxoplasmosis in this demographic. Case: A previously healthy 17-year-old male developed a unilateral BRAO in conjunction with inflammation and increased intraocular pressure. Family history was positive for cerebrovascular accidents in multiple family members at relatively young ages. The patient had a hypercoagulable workup as well as a cardiovascular workup which were both normal. A rheumatologic workup was unremarkable. By 3 weeks, a patch of retinitis was more easily distinguished from the BRAO and the diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis was made. Treatment was started with prednisone and azithromycin with subsequent improvement in vision. Toxoplasma antibody levels were elevated for IgG and negative for IgM, IgA, and IgE. The etiology of the BRAO was attributed to ocular toxoplasmosis. Conclusions: Vascular occlusions are rare in toxoplasmosis. This is the third case report of a BRAO in a patient in the pediatric population. The diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis should be considered in young patients with retinal artery occlusions associated with inflammation.

  19. Frosted branch angiitis, neuroretinitis as initial ocular manifestation in Behçet disease

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    Abdullah Al-Mujaini

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Behçet disease is an idiopathic, multisystem disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of orogenital ulceration and vasculitis of the veins and arteries of all calibers. Ocular involvement may affect the conjunctiva, sclera, uveal tract, vitreous, blood vessels, and retina. Many theories have pointed toward an autoimmune response behind its pathogenesis, which may be triggered by exposure to an infectious agent. Frosted branch angiitis is characterized by vascular inflammation, sheathing, retinal edema, and retinal hemorrhages. The disease may be idiopathic in a majority of the cases or may be associated with ocular and systemic pathology. Association between Behηet disease, Frosted branch angiitis, and neuroretinitis is not reported in literature. This uncommon combination reflects the varied systemic and ocular manifestations in Behηet disease, especially in patients who are not diagnosed and treated in time. We hereby report a case of bilateral frosted branch angiitis and neuroretinitis in a young male from Middle-east, suffering from Behçet disease.

  20. The central retinal artery occlusion in the right eye followed by a branch retinal artery occlusion in the left eye four days later

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    Cagatay Caglar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with complaints of sudden, painless, decrease in vision, and sectoral visual field defect in the left eye and later presented to our clinic again with a history of sudden loss of vision in her right eye. In this case study we reported that the patient had branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO in the left eye and at the same time progressing central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO in the right eye.

  1. Retinal vascular changes in hypertensive patients in Ibadan, Sub-Saharan Africa

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    Oluleye ST

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Sunday Tunji Oluleye,1 Bolutife Ayokunu Olusanya,1 Abiodun Moshood Adeoye2 1Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria Background: Earlier studies in Nigeria reported the rarity of retinal vascular changes in hypertensives. The aim of this study was to describe the various retinal vascular changes in the hypertensive patients of Nigeria.Patients and methods: Nine hundred and three hypertensive patients were studied. This study was approved by the ethical and research committee of the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were measured. Cardiac echocardiography was performed on 156 patients. All patients had dilated fundoscopy and fundus photography using the Kowa portable fundus camera and an Apple iPhone with 20 D lens. Statistical analysis was done with Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (Version 21.Results: The mean age of patients was 57 years with a male:female ratio of 1. No retinopathy was found in 556 (61.5% patients. In all, 175 (19.4% patients had features of hypertensive retinopathy. Retinal vascular occlusion was a significant finding in 121 patients (13.4%, of which branch retinal vein occlusion, 43 (4.7%, and central retinal vein occlusion, 30 (3.3%, were the most prominent ones in cases. Hemicentral retinal vein occlusion, 26 (2.9%, and central retinal artery occlusion, 17 (1.9%, were significant presentations. Other findings included nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in five (0.6% patients, hypertensive choroidopathy in seven (0.8% patients, and hemorrhagic choroidal detachment in five (0.6% patients. Left ventricular (LV geometry was abnormal in 85 (55.5% patients. Concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, and concentric hypertrophy were observed in 43 (27.6%, 26 (17.2%, and 15 (9.7% patients, respectively. LV

  2. Anomalous coagulation factors in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy with central retinal vein occlusion: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Hong; Kang, Min Ho; Seong, Mincheol; Cho, Heeyoon; Shin, Yong Un

    2018-04-01

    Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is characterized by sudden, painless visual loss and optic disc edema. NAION occurs mainly in the presence of cardiovascular disease and hypercoagulability, mainly in patients over 50 years of age. We experienced a case of NAION associated with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in a young man with no underlying disease. A 46-year-old man was referred to our clinic following a sudden loss of vision in his right eye. The patient exhibited no underlying disease and reported no ongoing medication. Significant visual loss and visual disturbance of the right eye were observed. The pupil of the right eye was enlarged and an afferent pupillary defect was observed. On fundus examination, retinal hemorrhage was observed in the peripheral retina; macular edema was observed in optical coherence tomography analysis. However, optic disc edema was not evident. No abnormal findings were found in routine blood tests for hypercoagulability. After 3 days of steroid intravenous injection, macular edema disappeared and visual acuity was improved, but optic disc edema began to appear. One week later, optic disc edema was evident and visual acuity was significantly reduced; thus, the patient was diagnosed with NAION. In fluorescein angiography, peripheral retinal ischemia was observed, suggesting that CRVO was complicated. Blood tests, including analysis of coagulation factors, were performed again, showing that coagulation factors IX and XI were increased. Anomalous coagulation factors in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy with central retinal vein occlusion. Systemic steroids were administered. One month later, optic disc edema and retinal hemorrhage gradually diminished and eventually disappeared; however, visual acuity did not recover. In young patients without underlying disease, cases of NAION require careful screening for coagulation disorders. Even if there is no abnormality in the test for routine

  3. Retinal oximetry in patients with ischaemic retinal diseases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rilvén, Sandra; Torp, Thomas Lee; Grauslund, Jakob

    2017-01-01

    The retinal oximeter is a new tool for non-invasive measurement of retinal oxygen saturation in humans. Several studies have investigated the associations between retinal oxygen saturation and retinal diseases. In the present systematic review, we examine whether there are associations between...... retinal oxygen saturation and retinal ischaemic diseases. We used PubMed and Embase to search for retinal oxygen saturation and retinal ischaemic diseases. Three separate searches identified a total of 79 publications. After two levels of manual screening, 10 studies were included: six about diabetic...... retinopathy (DR) and four about retinal vein occlusion. No studies about retinal artery occlusion were included. In diabetes, all studies found that increases in retinal venous oxygen saturation (rvSatO2 ) were associated with present as well as increasing levels of DR. Four of six studies also found...

  4. Retinal vessel diameter and estimated cerebrospinal fluid pressure in arterial hypertension: the Beijing Eye Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonas, Jost B; Wang, Ningli; Wang, Shuang; Wang, Ya Xing; You, Qi Sheng; Yang, Diya; Wei, Wen Bin; Xu, Liang

    2014-09-01

    Hypertensive retinal microvascular abnormalities include an increased retinal vein-to-artery diameter ratio. Because central retinal vein pressure depends on cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP), we examined whether the retinal vein-to-artery diameter ratio and other retinal hypertensive signs are associated with CSFP. Participants of the population-based Beijing Eye Study (n = 1,574 subjects) underwent measurement of the temporal inferior and superior retinal artery and vein diameter. CSFP was calculated as 0.44 × body mass index (kg/m(2)) + 0.16 × diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) - 0.18 × age (years) - 1.91. Larger retinal vein diameters and higher vein-to-artery diameter ratios were significantly associated with higher estimated CSFP (P = 0.001) in multivariable analysis. In contrast, temporal inferior retinal arterial diameter was marginally associated (P = 0.03) with estimated CSFP, and temporal superior artery diameter was not significantly associated (P = 0.10) with estimated CSFP; other microvascular abnormalities, such as arteriovenous crossing signs, were also not significantly associated with estimated CSFP. In a reverse manner, higher estimated CSFP as a dependent variable in the multivariable analysis was associated with wider retinal veins and higher vein-to-artery diameter ratio. In the same model, estimated CSFP was not significantly correlated with retinal artery diameters or other retinal microvascular abnormalities. Correspondingly, arterial hypertension was associated with retinal microvascular abnormalities such as arteriovenous crossing signs (P = 0.003), thinner temporal retinal arteries (P arterial hypertension, an increased retinal vein-to-artery diameter ratio depends on elevated CSFP, which is correlated with blood pressure. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2014. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Dexamethasone intravitreal implant downregulates PDGFR-α and upregulates caveolin-1 in experimental branch retinal vein occlusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cehofski, Lasse Jørgensen; Kruse, Anders; Magnusdottir, Sigriður Olga

    2018-01-01

    while the left control eye was given an identical injection without an implant. Fifteen days after BRVO and DEX implant intervention the retinas were excised and analyzed with tandem mass tag based mass spectrometry. A total of 26 significantly changed proteins were identified. Dexamethasone...... following an intervention with a dexamethasone (DEX) implant this study combined an experimental model of BRVO with proteomic techniques. In six Danish Landrace pigs experimental BRVO was induced in both eyes using argon laser. After inducing BRVO a DEX implant was injected in the right eye of each animal......-α and caveolin-1 were confirmed with immunohistochemistry. DEX implant intervention may inhibit PDGF signaling by decreasing the retinal level of PDGFR-α while an increased content of caveolin-1 may help maintain the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier....

  6. Association between isotretinoin use and central retinal vein occlusion in an adolescent with minor predisposition for thrombotic incidents: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Labiris Georgios

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction We report an adolescent boy with minimal pre-existing risk for thromboses who suffered central retinal vein occlusion associated with isotretinoin use for acne. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first well documented case of this association. Case presentation An otherwise healthy 17-year-old white man who was treated with systemic isotretinoin for recalcitrant acne was referred with central retinal vein occlusion in one eye. Although a detailed investigation was negative, DNA testing revealed that the patient was a heterozygous carrier of the G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene. Despite the fact that this particular mutation is thought to represent only a minor risk factor for thromboses, it is probable that isotretinoin treatment greatly increased the risk of a vaso-occlusive incident in this patient. Conclusion Isotretinoin use may be associated with sight- and life-threatening thrombotic adverse effects even in young patients with otherwise minimal thrombophilic risk. Physicians should be aware of such potential dangers.

  7. Impending anterior ischemic optic neuropathy with elements of retinal vein occlusion in a patient on interferon for polycythemia vera

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    Rue KS

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Kelly S Rue, Louis K Hirsch, Alfredo A SadunDepartment of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAAbstract: We describe the course and likely pathophysiology of impending anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION and retinal vein occlusion in a 56-year-old man with polycythemia vera managed with interferon alpha for 2 years. Our patient presented with decreased vision, scintillating scotomata, and floaters. Fundus examination findings and results of a fluorescein angiogram led to the diagnosis of impending AION and retinal vein occlusion. Considering that both polycythemia vera and interferon have possible influences on vascular occlusion and optic disc edema, we stopped interferon treatment and immediately attempted to treat the polycythemia vera empirically with pentoxifylline and any interferon-associated inflammation with prednisone. Our patient experienced complete resolution of fundus abnormalities and return of normal vision within 3 weeks, which may be attributed to our successful treatment of both etiologies. Thus, further study is warranted to elucidate the treatment of both polycythemia vera and interferon-induced impending AION.Keywords: optic disc edema, interferon alpha, vascular occlusion, Roth spot, autoantibody, pentoxifylline

  8. Biphasic activation of liver regeneration-associated signals in an early stage after portal vein branch ligation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Shinya; Yokoyama, Yukihiro; Kawai, Toru; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Nagino, Masato; Oda, Koji; Nimura, Yuji; Sokabe, Masahiro

    2006-01-01

    At an early stage in liver regeneration, a variety of factors including transcriptional factors, proinflammatory cytokines, and proto-oncogenes are activated or expressed. However, these responses are affected by surgical stress in the conventional portal vein branch ligation model (PVL). We sought to determine the net activation of early regeneration-associated signals after PVL using a newly developed non-surgical stress PVL model. Male Wistar rats were assigned into two groups, a stress-PVL (sPVL) model with laparotomy and portal vein branch ligation, and a non-stress-PVL (nsPVL) one subjected to portal vein branch ligation 1 week after laparotomy in which the effects of surgical stress were subsided. The activation of transcriptional factors and expression of immediate early genes were analyzed at an early time point (within 24 h) by Western blotting and RT-PCR, respectively. A monophasic upregulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) peaked at 3 h after sPVL was observed. In contrast, the expression pattern of these factors was biphasic (first peak at 0.5-1 h, second peak at 3-6 h) in nsPVL group. The expression pattern of immediate early genes showed a similar trend between sPVL and nsPVL. cDNA array analysis for the non-ligated lobe at 2 h after PVL revealed a much higher gene activation in sPVL than in nsPVL. These results indicate that previously observed activation pattern of regeneration-associated signals after PVL is significantly affected by the effect of laparotomy and our results using nsPVL model may more accurately represent liver regeneration-associated signal pattern

  9. THE RESULTS OF RADIAL OPTIC NEUROTOMY FOR TREATMENT OF CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

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    S A Tabatabaii

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available "nCentral retinal vein occlusion (CRVO is the third most common blinding vascular retinal disorder. As there is no proven treatment for CRVO, we performed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of radial optic neurotomy (RON on visual acuity in eyes with CRVO. This study was designed as an interventional case series. Pars plana vitrectomy with RON was performed in 18 eyes of 16 patients with ischemic CRVO with visual acuities of 20/400 or less. Postoperative and preoperative visual acuities were compared using t paired test. Mean preoperative visual acuity was 20/1000 (range, 20/1600 to 20/630. Mean follow-up time was 3.6 months (range, 1 to 9 months. Mean postoperative visual acuity was 20/400 (range, 20/1600 to 20/50 at last follow-up and the difference was significant (P < 0.01; t paired test. Six patients (33% improved to 20/200 postoperatively. There were no major complications intraoperatively. Chorioretinal shunts developed in neurotomy site in 9 cases (50% 4 to 10 weeks after procedure which were associated with faster resolving of hemorrhage and venous dilation. There were no major complications noted with this procedure but vitreous hemorrhage and iris neovascularization was observed in the early postoperative period in 2 (11% of 18 cases. RON may improve visual acuity in eyes with CRVO. It is a technically feasible and fairly safe procedure but postoperatively it may result in some complications such as vitreous hemorrhage, iris neovascularization and retinal detachment.

  10. Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Retinal Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-03

    Retinitis Pigmentosa; Macula Off; Primary Open Angle Glaucoma; Hereditary Macular Degeneration; Treated Retina Detachment; Retinal Artery Occlusion; Retinal Vein Occlusion; Non-Arthritic-Anterior-Ischemic Optic-Neuropathy; Hereditary Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy; Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration; Ischemic Macula Edema

  11. CT findings of portal vein aneurysm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Dal Mo; Chang, Mi Son; Yoon, Myung Hwan; Kim, Hak Soo; Kim, Hyung Sik; Chung, Hyo Sun; Chung, Jin Woo

    1999-01-01

    To describe the CT findings of portal vein aneurysm in eight patients. All patients included in this study (two men and six women) underwent CT examinations between October 1996 and June1998. Of these eight, three were suffering from hepatic disease and portal hypertension. We determined the location, shape, size, and characteristics of the lesions, and the presence or absence of portal vein anomaly. Seven patients had intrahepatic portal vein aneurysm (at the umbilical portion of the left portal vein in five patients, between the transverse and umbilical portion of the left portal vein in one, and at the bifurcation of the anterior and posterior branch of the right portal vein in one), while extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm, at the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic vein was found in only one. Lesions were cyst-shaped in seven cases and saccular in one, and showed well-circumscribed, markedly enhanced mass, which communicated with the portal vein and/or gives off major branches. Portal vein anomaly, in which the right anterior segmental portal vein originated from the umbilical portion of the left portal vein, was seen in three patients. In all three, intrahepatic portal vein aneurysm was present at the umbilical portion of the left portal vein, and in one, the umbilical protion of the left portal vein was located to the right of the Cantlic line. CT examination can help reveal portal vein aneurysm by detecting a well-circumscribed, markedly enhanced mass which communicates with the portal vein and/or gives off major branches

  12. Individualized Ranibizumab Regimen Driven by Stabilization Criteria for Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Michael; Waldstein, Sebastian M; Boscia, Francesco

    2016-01-01

    ischemia (exploratory analysis). RESULTS: At baseline, the mean BCVA was 53.0 letters and mean CRVO duration was 8.9 months (median, 2.4 months). Ranibizumab 0.5-mg treatment resulted in a statistically significant mean gain in BCVA from baseline at month 12 of 12.3 letters (standard deviation [SD], 16......PURPOSE: To assess the 12-month efficacy and safety profile of an individualized regimen of ranibizumab 0.5 mg driven by stabilization criteria in patients with macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). DESIGN: A 24-month, prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter...... study. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred fifty-seven patients. METHODS: Patients were treated with monthly ranibizumab 0.5-mg injections (minimum of 3 injections) until stable visual acuity (VA) was maintained for 3 consecutive months. Thereafter, ranibizumab 0.5 mg was dosed as needed if monthly monitoring...

  13. Effect of oral tranexamic acid on macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion or diabetes

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    Takeyama M

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Masayuki Takeyama,1 Fumio Takeuchi,2 Masahiko Gosho,3 Keijiro Sugita,1 Masahiro Zako,4 Masayoshi Iwaki,5 Motohiro Kamei1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, 2Department of Biochemistry, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, 3Department of Clinical Trial and Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 4Department of Ophthalmology, Asia Hospital, Seto, 5Department of Ophthalmology, Yokkaichi, Digestive Disease Center, Komono, Japan Purpose: Tranexamic acid (TXA is a widely used antifibrinolytic agent that can also cause a decrease in vascular permeability. We hypothesized that TXA could improve macular edema (ME that is caused by an increase in retinal vascular permeability. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of oral TXA for ME associated with retinal vein occlusion (RVO or diabetic ME (DME.Patients and methods: Oral TXA (1,500 mg daily for 2 weeks was administered to patients with persistent ME secondary to RVO (7 eyes and DME (7 eyes. After 2 weeks (ie, the final day of administration and 6 weeks (ie, 4 weeks after the final administration, best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness (CMT were measured and compared with baseline. Analyses were performed for RVO and DME cases. No other treatment was performed during the study period.Results: In RVO cases, significant improvement in CMT was found between baseline (467.7±121.4 µm and 2-week measurements after treatment (428.7±110.5 µm, p=0.024. No significant change was found in CMT between measurements taken at baseline and 6 weeks after treatment. In DME cases, no significant change was found in CMT between measurements taken at baseline and 2 or 6 weeks after treatment. In all analyses of best-corrected visual acuity, no significant change was observed.Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that plasmin plays a role in the development of ME associated with RVO, and oral TXA administration may be

  14. Collateral veins in left renal vein stenosis demonstrated via CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lien, H.H.; Lund, G.; Talle, K.

    1983-02-01

    Twelve patients with left renal vein stenosis from tumor compression were studied with CT. All had distended collateral veins in the perirenal space which either formed a radiating or a cobweb pattern or appeared as marked longitudinal veins. Inferior phrenic vein branches were seen in seven patients and were considerably enlarged in two. Other major veins possibly taking part in collateral circulation could not be recognized due to obliteration of fat planes. The renal fascia was thickened in eleven patients, probably due to edema. A close study of the perirenal space with CT may give valuable information about collateral development.

  15. Collateral veins in left renal vein stenosis demonstrated via CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lien, H.H.; Lund, G.; Talle, K.

    1983-01-01

    Twelve patients with left renal vein stenosis from tumor compression were studied with CT. All had distended collateral veins in the perirenal space which either formed a radiating or a cobweb pattern or appeared as marked longitudinal veins. Inferior phrenic vein branches were seen in seven patients and were considerably enlarged in two. Other major veins possibly taking part in collateral circulation could not be recognized due to obliteration of fat planes. The renal fascia was thickened in eleven patients, probably due to edema. A close study of the perirenal space with CT may give valuable information about collateral development. (orig.)

  16. Protective effect of metformin against retinal vein occlusions in diabetes mellitus - A nationwide population-based study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tai-Chi Lin

    Full Text Available Previous studies have found that metformin can reduce cardiovascular risk, but its association with retinal vein occlusion (RVO is unknown. In this population-based cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD, we demonstrated the protective effect of metformin against RVO in diabetes mellitus (DM and explored the incidence rate and factors associated with RVO development in general and diabetic populations. One million patients were randomly selected from the registry files of the NHIRD, and all their claims data were collected for the 1996-2011 period. Patients with a new diagnosis of central or branch RVO were identified using International Classification of Disease codes. DM was defined for patients with diagnoses and treatments. Factors associated with RVO development in the non-DM and DM cohorts were explored using Cox proportional regression models. In total, 1,018 RVO patients were identified from the database. The average incidence of RVO was 9.93 and 53.5 cases per 100,000 person-years in the non-DM and DM cohorts, respectively. Older age, DM, hypertension, and glaucoma were significant risk factors for RVO, whereas the prescription of anticoagulants was a significant protective factor. In the DM cohort, older age, hypertension, and diabetic retinopathy were significant risk factors for RVO, whereas metformin treatment was a significant protective factor. These results confirmed the risk factors for RVO and demonstrated the protective effect of metformin against RVO in DM patients. Prescribing metformin for DM patients may be beneficial for reducing the incidence of RVO, along with its hypoglycemic action.

  17. Normal hepatic vein patterns on ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hae Jin; Chae, Yoo Soon; Park, Hea Yeoung; Park, Bok Hwan; Kim, Yang Sook

    1987-01-01

    Understanding of the anatomy of the hepatic vein is important in manipulation for transplantation of the liver, hepatectomy and the treatment of hepatic trauma with avulsion of the hepatic vein. Demonstrated of the inferior right hepatic vein (IRHV) is also important; in some cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, thrombus can be seen in the IRHV; in primary Budd-Chiari syndrome, the IRHV is main draining vein; during hepatectomy, the postero-inferior segment of the right lobe and draining IRHV can be preserved. For some 10 months ultrasound examination was done in a total of 124 patients with normal liver function with special emphasis on the hepatic vein, their branches, and the IRHV, and analysed in terms of branching pattern and relative size of the hepatic vein and the detection rate of the IRHV.

  18. Impact of injection therapy on retinal patients with diabetic macular edema or retinal vein occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivaprasad, Sobha; Oyetunde, Sesan

    2016-01-01

    An important factor in the choice of therapy is the impact it has on the patient's quality of life. This survey aimed to understand treatment burden, treatment-related anxiety and worry, and practical issues such as appointment attendance and work absence in patients receiving injection therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME) or retinal vein occlusion (RVO). A European sample of 131 retinal patients completed a detailed questionnaire to elucidate the impact of injection therapy on individuals with DME or RVO. RVO and DME greatly impact a patient's quality of life. An intensive injection regimen and the requirements for multiple hospital visits place a large practical burden on the patient. Each intravitreal injection appointment (including travel time) was reported to take an average of 4.5 hours, with a total appointment burden over 6 months of 13.5 hours and 20 hours for RVO and DME patients, respectively. This creates a significant burden on patient time and may make appointment attendance difficult. Indeed, 53% of working patients needed to take at least 1 day off work per appointment and 71% of patients required a carer's assistance at the time of the injection appointment, ~6.3 hours per injection. In addition to practical issues, three-quarters of patients reported experiencing anxiety about their most recent injection treatment, with 54% of patients reporting that they were anxious for at least 2 days prior to the injection. Patients' most desired improvement to their treatment regimen was to have fewer injections and to require fewer appointments, to achieve the same visual results. Patients' quality of life is clearly very affected by having to manage an intensive intravitreal injection regimen, with a considerable treatment burden having a large negative effect. Reducing the appointment burden to achieve the same visual outcomes and the provision of additional support for patients to attend appointments would greatly benefit those receiving intravitreal

  19. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PATTERN ERG IN CENTRAL VEIN OCCLUSION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saša Novak

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Pattern electroretinogram (PERG findings were analysed in 30 patients with central retinal vein occlusion. Latency and amplitude values of PERG waves were compared with the results obtained in 30 healthy individuals after sample randomisation. In 15 cases with „hemorrhagic type” occlusion of the central retinal vein significantly reduced N1-P1 wave amplitude was noted (0,369 mV, related to „exudative“ disease type (0,557 mV, as well as to the control group of examines (0,782 mV. PERG was described as the sensitive method and important indicator in damage assessment, ie. ischemia in the ganglional cell layer in central retinal vein occlusion. Ischemia increases anoxia, which influences not only the axons but also the enzymatic and transport processes within the cell bodies, dendrites, axons and axonal terminals. Slowing down of the fast phase of axoplasmatic transport in the axons in ischemic damage blocked transmission impulses which could be evident through different degrees of PERG wave amplitude reduction. With this method the patients can be selected in whom due to severe retinal ischemia there is the risk of neovascular glaucomma and maculopathy, which is the absolute indication for panlaser-photocoagulation.

  20. Correlation Factor Analysis of Retinal Microvascular Changes in Patients With Essential Hypertension

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Huang Duru; Huang Zhongning

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To investigate correlation between retinal microvascular signs and essential hypertension classification. Methods The retinal microvascular signs in patients with essential hypertension were assessed with the indirect biomicroscopy lens, the direct and the indirect ophthalmoscopes were used to determine the hypertensive retinopathy grades and retinal arteriosclerosis grades.The rank correlation analysis was used to analysis the correlation these grades with the risk factors concerned with hypertension. Results Of 72 cases with essential hypertension, 28 cases complicated with coronary disease, 20 cases diabetes, 41 cases stroke,17 cases renal malfunction. Varying extent retinal arterioscleroses were found in 71 cases, 1 case with retinal hemorrhage, 2 cases with retina edema, 4 cases with retinal hard exudation, 5 cases with retinal hemorrhage complicated by hard exudation, 2 cases with retinal hemorrhage complicated by hard exudation and cotton wool spot, 1 case with retinal hemorrhage complicated by hard exudation and microaneurysms,1 case with retinal edema and hard exudation, 1 case with retinal microaneurysms, 1 case with branch retinal vein occlusion. The rank correlation analysis showed that either hypertensive retinopathy grades or retinal arteriosclerosis grades were correlated with risk factor lamination of hypertension (r=0.25 or 0.31, P<0.05), other correlation factors included age and blood high density lipoprotein concerned about hypertensive retinopathy grades or retinal arteriosclerosis grades, but other parameters, namely systolic or diastolic pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose,blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine were not confirmed in this correlation analysis (P > 0.05).Conclusions Either hypertensive retinopathy grade or retinal arteriosclerosis grade is close with the hypertension risk factor lamination, suggesting that the fundus examination of patients with

  1. A new venous conduit utilizing the recipient portal vein branches for segment V in adult partial liver transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, I S; Kim, D G; Lee, M D; Hong, S K; Park, S C; Oh, D Y; Ahn, S T; Lee, Y J

    2005-03-01

    Right anterior-medial lobe congestion due to temporary clamping of segment V and/or VIII is common in the operative theater during adult donor right lobe liver transplantation, the most common procedure in our institute. We have used an autogenous saphenous vein conduit to recipient portal vein tributaries in 15 cases, as a "Y-to-I venoplasty" since January 2004. The recipient portal vein is transected 5 mm proximal to its bifurcation and extended to both sides with partial hepatic dissection. The "Y-to-I venoplasty" is made by suture closure of the portal vein transversely to form a tube. The average length is 7.5 cm with a 1.3 cm width. One end of "Y-to-I venoplasty" conduit is anastomosed to the donor segment V branch on the back table. And the other end is anastomosed directly to the IVC via a new window or the middle hepatic vein stump in recipient. The phase distension of the conduit with respiration is noted in the operative field. A 6/15 (40%) patency rate, was observed by CT angiography at the second postoperative week. All-patient conduits showed good flow on serial examinations at the 60th postoperative day. This new venous graft, made of recipient portal vein is a good conduit for segment V decongestion in adult right lobe partial liver transplantation.

  2. Automated method for identification and artery-venous classification of vessel trees in retinal vessel networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Vinayak S; Reinhardt, Joseph M; Garvin, Mona K; Abramoff, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    The separation of the retinal vessel network into distinct arterial and venous vessel trees is of high interest. We propose an automated method for identification and separation of retinal vessel trees in a retinal color image by converting a vessel segmentation image into a vessel segment map and identifying the individual vessel trees by graph search. Orientation, width, and intensity of each vessel segment are utilized to find the optimal graph of vessel segments. The separated vessel trees are labeled as primary vessel or branches. We utilize the separated vessel trees for arterial-venous (AV) classification, based on the color properties of the vessels in each tree graph. We applied our approach to a dataset of 50 fundus images from 50 subjects. The proposed method resulted in an accuracy of 91.44% correctly classified vessel pixels as either artery or vein. The accuracy of correctly classified major vessel segments was 96.42%.

  3. Combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion secondary to systemic non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shukla Dhananjay

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a rare case of low-grade systemic B-cell non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma (NHL causing central retinal artery and vein occlusion, which was the only manifestation of disease recurrence. A young man with resolved systemic NHL underwent fluorescein angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to investigate a severe unilateral visual loss. A combined vascular occlusion was observed in the right eye. Neuroimaging detected optic nerve infiltration; but no systemic/ central nervous system involvement was observed. The patient was treated with high-doses of corticosteroids and optic nerve irradiation. The optic neuropathy and vascular occlusion were resistant to treatment. The subsequent neovascular glaucoma was treated by panretinal photocoagulation, which relieved the pain, but vision was not recovered. No further recurrence was observed over the following year.

  4. A randomised, double-masked, controlled study of the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab versus ranibizumab in the treatment of macular oedema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: MARVEL Report No. 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Raja; Panchal, Bhavik; Das, Taraprasad; Chhablani, Jay; Jalali, Subhadra; Ali, M Hasnat

    2015-07-01

    To assess the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) compared with ranibizumab (IVR) in the treatment of macular oedema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). In this prospective, randomised, non-inferiority trial, 75 participants with macular oedema due to BRVO received intravitreal injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab after 1:1 block randomisation. The primary outcome measure was the difference in mean changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 6 months. Secondary outcome measures included mean change in central retinal thickness (CRT), the proportion of patients improving by >15 letters and the proportion of patients developing neovascularisation. Participants received either IVR (n=37) or IVB (n=38). The mean BCVA at baseline was 52.8±14.4 letters (20/80) and 56.1±10.0 letters (20/80) (p=0.24) in the ranibizumab and bevacizumab groups, respectively. At 6 months, the mean gains in BCVA were +18.1 letters (p<0.0001; 95% CI, +12.8 to +22.6) in the ranibizumab group and +15.6 letters (p<0.0001; 95% CI +12.0 to +20.5) in the bevacizumab group. The difference between the mean visual gains of the treated groups (bevacizumab-ranibizumab) was -2.5 letters (95% CI -8.0 to +5.0; p=0.74). Mean reductions in CRT at 6 months were 177.1±122.3 µm in the ranibizumab group (p<0.0001) and 201.7±166.2 µm in the bevacizumab group (p<0.0001), with no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.48). The mean numbers of ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections were 3.2±1.5 and 3.0±1.4, respectively (p=0.55). Two serious adverse events occurred in the ranibizumab group and one in the bevacizumab group but both were unrelated to intravitreal injections. This study demonstrated significant gain in visual acuity in eyes with BRVO treated with either bevacizumab or ranibizumab. Pro-re-nata strategy was effective in maintaining the visual gain. http://www.ctri.nic.in/ CTRI/2012/01/003120. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited

  5. Branch retinal artery occlusion post-penetrating globe injury with intraocular foreign body.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagpal, Manish; Chaudhary, Pranita; Jain, Ashish

    2018-01-01

    Intraocular foreign body (IOFB) in cases of penetrating eye injury accounts for an important indication of vitreoretinal intervention following ocular trauma. Vascular occlusion as a complication of IOFB is rare. Here we present a case of a 34-year-old male with post-traumatic cataract and an intraocular metallic foreign body (IOFB) lodged in the superficial layers of the retina inferotemporal to the disc, causing an inferotemporal branch retinal artery occlusion. The case was managed by lensectomy with pars plana vitrectomy and IOFB removal followed by a second procedure of secondary IOL implantation. Final best-corrected visual acuity improved to 6/24. This case highlights an unusual sequelae following penetrating ocular trauma.

  6. Branch retinal artery occlusion post-penetrating globe injury with intraocular foreign body

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manish Nagpal

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Intraocular foreign body (IOFB in cases of penetrating eye injury accounts for an important indication of vitreoretinal intervention following ocular trauma. Vascular occlusion as a complication of IOFB is rare. Here we present a case of a 34-year-old male with post-traumatic cataract and an intraocular metallic foreign body (IOFB lodged in the superficial layers of the retina inferotemporal to the disc, causing an inferotemporal branch retinal artery occlusion. The case was managed by lensectomy with pars plana vitrectomy and IOFB removal followed by a second procedure of secondary IOL implantation. Final best-corrected visual acuity improved to 6/24. This case highlights an unusual sequelae following penetrating ocular trauma.

  7. Retinal venous thrombosis in a young patient with coagulation factor XII deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borrego-Sanz, L; Santos-Bueso, E; Sáenz-Francés, F; Martínez-de-la-Casa, J M; García-Feijoo, J; Gegúndez-Fernández, J A; García-Sánchez, J

    2014-08-01

    A 35-year-old woman, with no relevant medical history, was referred for sudden vision loss in the left eye. Ophthalmological examination showed best corrected visual acuity of 1.0 in the right eye and 0.3 in left eye, with normal anterior pole and intraocular pressure. Fundus examination of the left eye revealed a venous thrombosis in the superior temporal branch, with dilated and tortuous retinal veins. The patient was referred to the hematology unit for thrombophilia study, and was diagnosed with a coagulation XII or Hageman factor deficiency. The development of retinal vessel occlusions, in patients under 50 years of age, is frequently associated with thrombophilia or hypercoagulability disorders. Factor XII deficiency is a rare condition, and its presence could contribute to a higher risk of thromboembolic events. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  8. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels in tears of patients with retinal vein occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasza, M; Balogh, Z; Biro, L; Ujhelyi, B; Damjanovich, J; Csutak, A; Várdai, J; Berta, A; Nagy, V

    2015-09-01

    We measured vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in tear fluid and serum in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Eight patients with RVO due to secondary macular oedema were examined. VEGF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients had a full ophthalmic examination (visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy, perimetry, and fluorescein angiography). Central retinal thickness (CRT) was examined using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Tear and serum samples were collected and examinations were performed at diagnosis and 1 and 4 weeks later. VEGF levels in the tears of RVO eyes were significantly higher than in fellow eyes at diagnosis and after both 1 and 4 weeks (paired t test, p1 = 0.01, p2 = 0.02, p3 = 0.006). We found a weak but significant positive correlation between VEGF levels in tear fluid and serum of patients with RVO (r = 0.21), while this correlation tended to be stronger between the fellow eyes and serum levels (r = 0.33). To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report an increased level of VEGF in the tear fluid of patients with RVO. Alterations of VEGF levels in tears may be useful for determining stages of RVO. This non-invasive and objective method may also be helpful for estimating the severity of macular oedema and efficacy of treatment.

  9. Selection of appropriate medial branch of the optic tract by fibres of ventral retinal origin during development and in regeneration: an autoradiographic study in Xenopus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Straznicky, C.; Gaze, R.M.; Horder, T.J.

    1979-01-01

    The formation of the branches of the optic tract has been studied with the use of [ 3 H] -proline autoradiography, during development and during regeneration of the optic nerve in Xenopus with one compound ventral (VV) eye made by the embryonic fusion of two ventral eye fragments. The formation of the optic pathway was abnormal in that the lateral branch failed to develop, suggesting that fibres from a VV retina selectively entered the tectum via the medial branch during development. Three months after section of the optic nerve of a VV eye, regenerated fibres were present both in the contralateral and ipsilateral tecta. On the ipsilateral side regenerated fibres entered the tectum via the medial branch only. Retinal fibres entered the contralateral tectum through both branches in some animals and through the medial branch only in others. It is concluded that mechanical factors alone are insufficient to explain the phenomenon of selection of the appropriate medial branch fibres of ventral retinal origin either during development or in regeneration. Some form of fibre-substrate interaction seems to be necessary; and this ability of fibres from a VV eye to take the path appropriate for ventral retina argues strongly that the VV eye is not a regulated system in terms of cell specificities. 8author)

  10. Association of the Fractal Dimension of Retinal Arteries and Veins with Quantitative Brain MRI Measures in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Women.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Howard A Crystal

    Full Text Available The fractal dimension of retinal arteries and veins is a measure of the complexity of the vascular tree. We hypothesized that retinal fractal dimension would be associated with brain volume and white matter integrity in HIV-infected women.Nested case-control within longitudinal cohort study.Women were recruited from the Brooklyn site of the Women's Interagency HIV study (WIHS; 34 HIV-infected and 21 HIV-uninfected women with analyzable MRIs and retinal photographs were included. Fractal dimension was determined using the SIVA software program on skeletonized retinal images. The relationship between predictors (retinal vascular measures and outcomes (quantitative MRI measures were analyzed with linear regression models. All models included age, intracranial volume, and both arterial and venous fractal dimension. Some models were adjusted for blood pressure, race/ethnicity, and HIV-infection.The women were 45.6 ± 7.3 years of age. Higher arterial dimension was associated with larger cortical volumes, but higher venous dimension was associated with smaller cortical volumes. In fully adjusted models, venous dimension was significantly associated with fractional anisotropy (standardized β = -0.41, p = 0.009 and total gray matter volume (β = -0.24, p = 0.03, and arterial dimension with mean diffusivity (β = -0.33,.p = 0.04 and fractional anisotropy (β = 0.34, p = 0.03. HIV-infection was not associated with any retinal or MRI measure.Higher venous fractal dimension was associated with smaller cortical volumes and lower fractional anisotropy, whereas higher arterial fractal dimension was associated with the opposite patterns. Longitudinal studies are needed to validate this finding.

  11. Association of the Fractal Dimension of Retinal Arteries and Veins with Quantitative Brain MRI Measures in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crystal, Howard A; Holman, Susan; Lui, Yvonne W; Baird, Alison E; Yu, Hua; Klein, Ronald; Rojas-Soto, Diana Marcella; Gustafson, Deborah R; Stebbins, Glenn T

    2016-01-01

    The fractal dimension of retinal arteries and veins is a measure of the complexity of the vascular tree. We hypothesized that retinal fractal dimension would be associated with brain volume and white matter integrity in HIV-infected women. Nested case-control within longitudinal cohort study. Women were recruited from the Brooklyn site of the Women's Interagency HIV study (WIHS); 34 HIV-infected and 21 HIV-uninfected women with analyzable MRIs and retinal photographs were included. Fractal dimension was determined using the SIVA software program on skeletonized retinal images. The relationship between predictors (retinal vascular measures) and outcomes (quantitative MRI measures) were analyzed with linear regression models. All models included age, intracranial volume, and both arterial and venous fractal dimension. Some models were adjusted for blood pressure, race/ethnicity, and HIV-infection. The women were 45.6 ± 7.3 years of age. Higher arterial dimension was associated with larger cortical volumes, but higher venous dimension was associated with smaller cortical volumes. In fully adjusted models, venous dimension was significantly associated with fractional anisotropy (standardized β = -0.41, p = 0.009) and total gray matter volume (β = -0.24, p = 0.03), and arterial dimension with mean diffusivity (β = -0.33,.p = 0.04) and fractional anisotropy (β = 0.34, p = 0.03). HIV-infection was not associated with any retinal or MRI measure. Higher venous fractal dimension was associated with smaller cortical volumes and lower fractional anisotropy, whereas higher arterial fractal dimension was associated with the opposite patterns. Longitudinal studies are needed to validate this finding.

  12. Ruptured Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysm Secondary to Toxoplasmic Kyrieleis Arteriolitis: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie Huang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this report was to describe multimodal ocular imaging findings in a patient who presented with a ruptured retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM associated with toxoplasmic Kyrieleis arteriolitis. Methods: We report the case of a 64-year-old man with a history of systemic hypertension and dense amblyopia of the left eye who presented with decreased vision and new floaters in the left eye. Color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography were used as diagnostic imaging tools. Results: No signs of hypertensive retinopathy were noted in the right eye. Multiple chorioretinal scars characteristic of previous toxoplasmosis were revealed in the left eye, with one covering most of the macula. Periarterial plaques or Kyrieleis arteriolitis were observed in retinal arteries surrounding the toxoplasmic retinal scars. Multiple RAMs were observed in these vessels, one of which was acutely ruptured. A perivenular plaque associated with a chronic branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO was noted along the same arcade at the arteriovenous crossing. Conclusion: RAM formation and BRVO can present as possible long-term complications of toxoplasmic Kyrieleis arteriolitis. This is the first reported case demonstrating an association between toxoplasmic Kyrieleis arteriolitis and RAM formation.

  13. Deep vein thrombus formation induced by flow reduction in mice is determined by venous side branches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Moritz; Schönfelder, Tanja; Schwenk, Melanie; Becker, Christian; Jäckel, Sven; Reinhardt, Christoph; Stark, Konstantin; Massberg, Steffen; Münzel, Thomas; von Brühl, Marie-Luise; Wenzel, Philip

    2014-01-01

    Interaction between vascular wall abnormalities, inflammatory leukocytes, platelets, coagulation factors and hemorheology in the pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is incompletely understood, requiring well defined animal models of human disease. We subjected male C57BL/6 mice to ligation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) as a flow reduction model to induce DVT. Thrombus size and weight were analyzed macroscopically and sonographically by B-mode, pulse wave (pw) Doppler and power Doppler imaging (PDI) using high frequency ultrasound. Thrombus size varied substantially between individual procedures and mice, irrespective of the flow reduction achieved by the ligature. Interestingly, PDI accurately predicted thrombus size in a very robust fashion (r2 = 0.9734, p thrombus weight (r2 = 0.5597, p thrombus formation. Occlusion of side branches prior to ligation of IVC did not increase thrombus size, probably due to patent side branches inaccessible to surgery. Venous side branches influence thrombus size in experimental DVT and might therefore prevent thrombus formation. This renders vessel anatomy and hemorheology important determinants in mouse models of DVT, which should be controlled for.

  14. Retinal vessel diameters decrease with macular ganglion cell layer thickness in autosomal dominant optic atrophy and in healthy subjects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rönnbäck, Cecilia; Grønskov, Karen; Larsen, Michael

    2014-01-01

    diameters (central retinal artery equivalent, CRAE, and central retinal vein equivalent, CRVE). Statistical analysis was corrected for age, gender, spherical equivalent refraction, axial length and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in a mixed model analysis. RESULTS: Retinal arteries and veins were...... ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness (p = 0.0017 and p = 0.0057, respectively). CONCLUSION: Narrow retinal arteries and veins were associated not only with the severity of ADOA but with ganglion cell volume in patients with ADOA and in healthy subjects. This suggests that narrow vessels...

  15. Impact of injection therapy on retinal patients with diabetic macular edema or retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sivaprasad S

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Sobha Sivaprasad,1 Sesan Oyetunde2 1NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, 2Allergan Holdings Ltd., Marlow, UK Purpose: An important factor in the choice of therapy is the impact it has on the patient’s quality of life. This survey aimed to understand treatment burden, treatment-related anxiety and worry, and practical issues such as appointment attendance and work absence in patients receiving injection therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME or retinal vein occlusion (RVO.Patients and methods: A European sample of 131 retinal patients completed a detailed questionnaire to elucidate the impact of injection therapy on individuals with DME or RVO.Results: RVO and DME greatly impact a patient’s quality of life. An intensive injection regimen and the requirements for multiple hospital visits place a large practical burden on the patient. Each intravitreal injection appointment (including travel time was reported to take an average of 4.5 hours, with a total appointment burden over 6 months of 13.5 hours and 20 hours for RVO and DME patients, respectively. This creates a significant burden on patient time and may make appointment attendance difficult. Indeed, 53% of working patients needed to take at least 1 day off work per appointment and 71% of patients required a carer’s assistance at the time of the injection appointment, ~6.3 hours per injection. In addition to practical issues, three-quarters of patients reported experiencing anxiety about their most recent injection treatment, with 54% of patients reporting that they were anxious for at least 2 days prior to the injection. Patients’ most desired improvement to their treatment regimen was to have fewer injections and to require fewer appointments, to achieve the same visual results.Conclusion: Patients’ quality of life is clearly very affected by having to manage an intensive intravitreal injection regimen, with a considerable treatment burden

  16. Clinical utilization of anti-vascular endothelial growth-factor agents and patient monitoring in retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular edema

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiss S

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Szilárd Kiss,1 Ying Liu,2 Joseph Brown,3 Nancy M Holekamp,4,5 Arghavan Almony,6 Joanna Campbell,2 Jonathan W Kowalski2 1Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; 2Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA; 3IMS Health, Woodland Hills, CA; 4Pepose Vision Institute, Chesterfield, MO; 5Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO; 6Carolina Eye Associates, Southern Pines, NC, USA Purpose: To examine the utilization of bevacizumab and ranibizumab and disease monitoring in patients with branch or central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO/CRVO or diabetic macular edema (DME in clinical practice.Patients and methods: This retrospective claims analysis included newly diagnosed patients with one or more bevacizumab or ranibizumab injections. Bevacizumab or ranibizumab utilization was assessed by year of first injection: 2008–2010 cohorts (12-month follow-up, January to June 2011 cohort (6-month follow-up. The main outcome measures were mean annual numbers of injections, ophthalmologist visits and optical coherence tomography examinations, and proportion of patients with additional laser or intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA use.Results: A total of 885 BRVO, 611 CRVO, and 2,733 DME patients treated with bevacizumab were included, with too few ranibizumab-treated patients for meaningful analysis. Across the 2008, 2009, and 2010 cohorts, mean annual numbers of bevacizumab injections increased, but remained low (BRVO 2.5, 3.1, 3.3; CRVO 3.1, 3.1, 3.5; and DME 2.2, 2.5, 3.6, respectively; mean ophthalmologist visits ranged between 4.4 and 6.5, and mean optical coherence tomography examinations ranged between 3.1 and 3.9 across all conditions. A total of 42.0% of BRVO, 16.5% of CRVO, and 57.7% of DME patients received additional laser or IVTA therapy. The number of bevacizumab injections was positively associated with laser use in BRVO (3.3 versus 2.9, P<0.03, and with laser or IVTA use in DME (laser, 3.3 versus 2.7, P<0

  17. Fenestration of axillary vein by a variant axillary artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadimani, S; Desai, S D; Bagoji, I B; Patil, B S

    2013-01-01

    Variations of venous pattern in the arm are common. In this case report, we present a variation of axillary artery and vein. During routine educational dissections of axillary region, it was observed that a fenestrated axillary vein was perforated by a variant axillary artery in right arm of an old male cadaver. The axillary artery which was fenestrated through axillary vein had only two branches arising from its second part and no branches from its remaining distal parts. The branches are thoraco-acromial (usual) and another large collateral (unusual) branch. This collateral branch is the origin of several important arteries as the subscapular, circumflex scapular, posterior circumflex humeral and lateral thoracic arteries. We propose to name this artery as collateral axillary arterial trunk. The course of this collateral axillary arterial trunk and its branches and also clinical significance of this variation are discussed in the paper.

  18. Development of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and human umbilical vein smooth muscle cell (HUVSMC) branch/stem structures on hydrogel layers via biological laser printing (BioLP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, P K; Ringeisen, B R

    2010-01-01

    Angiogenesis is one of the prerequisite steps for viable tissue formation. The ability to influence the direction and structure in the formation of a vascular system is crucial in engineering tissue. Using biological laser printing (BioLP), we fabricated branch/stem structures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMC). The structure is simple as to mimic vascular networks in natural tissue but also allow cells to develop new, finer structures away from the stem and branches. Additionally, we printed co-culture structures by first depositing only HUVECs, followed by 24 h incubation to allow for adequate cell-cell communication and differentiation into lumina; these cell printed scaffold layers were then removed from incubation and inserted into the BioLP apparatus so that HUVSMCs could be directly deposited on top and around the previously printed HUVEC structures. The growth and differentiation of these co-culture structures was then compared to the growth of printed samples with either HUVECs or HUVSMCs alone. Lumen formation was found to closely mimic the original branch and stem structure. The beginning of a network structure is observed. HUVSMCs acted to limit HUVEC over-growth and migration when compared to printed HUVEC structures alone. HUVSMCs and HUVECS, when printed in close contact, appear to form cell-cell junctions around lumen-like structures. They demonstrate a symbiotic relationship which affects their development of phenotype when in close proximity of each other. Our results indicate that it is possible to direct the formation and growth of lumen and lumen network using BioLP.

  19. Krypton laser treatment of neovascularization in retinal vein occlusion%氪激光治疗视网膜静脉阻塞的新生血管

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    吴又凯; 武志峰; 张清

    2001-01-01

    Objective To investigate the method and effect of krypton laser photocoagulation for neovascularization in retinal vein occlusion. Methods Tweenty eight eyes of 27 patients with retinal vein occlusion with neovascularization were photocoagulated by krypton-green and-red laser.The fundus changes were observed by fundus fluorescein angiography after photocoagulation. Results The neovascularization disappeared completely in 20 eyes and became smaller in 6 eyes,remained no-change in 2 eyes,and the visual acuity improved in 17 eyes (60.7%) after 6 monthes to 2.5 years of follow-up. Conclusion Krypton laser photocoagulation is obviously effective on regression of neovascularization and prevenion of vitreous hemorrhage in retinal vein occlusion.%目的探讨氪激光治疗视网膜静脉阻塞新生血管的方法和疗效。方法对27例视网膜静脉阻塞伴有新生血管的28只患眼采用氪绿、氪红激光进行光凝治疗。光凝后经6个月~2.5年随访,对比分析光凝前后的荧光素眼底血管造影及视力变化情况。结果新生血管萎缩20只眼,占71.4%,好转6只眼,占21.4%,无效2只眼,占7.2%。视力进步17只眼,占60.7%。结论氪激光光凝术对视网膜静脉阻塞新生血管的消退及预防其玻璃体积血具有显著疗效。

  20. Quantitative and qualitative retinal microvascular characteristics and blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Carol Y; Tay, Wan T; Mitchell, Paul; Wang, Jie J; Hsu, Wynne; Lee, Mong L; Lau, Qiangfeng P; Zhu, Ai L; Klein, Ronald; Saw, Seang M; Wong, Tien Y

    2011-07-01

    The present study examined the effects of blood pressure on a spectrum of quantitative and qualitative retinal microvascular signs. Retinal photographs from the Singapore Malay Eye Study, a population-based cross-sectional study of 3280 (78.7% response) persons aged 40-80 years, were analyzed. Quantitative changes in the retinal vasculature (branching angle, vascular tortuosity, fractal dimension, and vascular caliber) were measured using a semi-automated computer-based program. Qualitative signs, including focal arteriolar narrowing (FAN), arteriovenous nicking (AVN), opacification of the arteriolar wall (OAW), and retinopathy (e.g., microaneurysms, retinal hemorrhages), were assessed from photographs by trained technicians. After excluding persons with diabetes and ungradable photographs, 1913 persons provided data for this analysis. In multivariable linear regression models controlling for age, sex, BMI, use of antihypertensive medication, and other factors, retinal arteriolar branching asymmetry ratio, arteriolar tortuosity, venular tortuosity, fractal dimension, arteriolar caliber, venular caliber, FAN, AVN, and retinopathy were independently associated with mean arterial blood pressure. In contrast, arteriolar/venular branching angle, venular branching asymmetry ratio and OAW were not related to blood pressure. Retinal arteriolar caliber (sβ = -0.277) and FAN (sβ = 0.170) had the strongest associations with mean arterial blood pressure, and higher blood pressure levels were associated with increasing number of both quantitative and qualitative retinal vascular signs (P trend qualitative retinal vascular signs, with the number of signs increasing with higher blood pressure levels.

  1. Clinical reference value of retinal microvascular changes in patients with cerebral microbleeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Yuan Guo

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To study clinical reference value of retinal microvascular changes in patients with cerebral microbleeds(CMBsand discuss its clinical significance. METHODS:From January 2012 to December 2013, 125 hospitalized patients were collected, including 81 cases were male, 44 cases were female, mean age 76.3±11.2 years old. For all patients, functions of liver and kidney, blood-lipoids, blood sugar and blood biochemical examination were tested, and fundus photography and cerebral MR was done. According to the fundus camera eyes, retinal arteriolar equivalent(RAE, retinal venular equivalent(RVE, retinal vein diameter ratio(AVRand arteriovenous crossing sign(AVNwere identified, CMBs were classified with cerebral MRI. All the data were processed by SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: The central retinal arteriolar equivalent(CRAE, central retinal venular equivalent(CRVEand AVR values in the eyes were found no statistical difference(PPCOCLUSION: The results show that retinal microvascular changes, especially small retinal vein arteriovenous cross width, and arteriovenous crossing phenomenon, in which CMBs will happen more likely. After sex, age, hypertension and hyperglycemia in patients with traditional cardiovascular risk factors being ruled out, the retinal microvascular changes are still relatively factors of CMB's occurrence.

  2. Colour Doppler analysis of ophthalmic vessels in the diagnosis of carotic artery and retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma: systematic review of test accuracy studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bittner, Mario; Faes, Livia; Boehni, Sophie C; Bachmann, Lucas M; Schlingemann, Reinier O; Schmid, Martin K

    2016-12-07

    Colour Doppler analysis of ophthalmic vessels has been proposed as a promising tool in the diagnosis of various eye diseases, but the available diagnostic evidence has not yet been assessed systematically. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of the literature on the diagnostic properties of Colour Doppler imaging (CDI) assessing ophthalmic vessels and provide an inventory of the available evidence. Eligible papers were searched electronically in (Pre) Medline, Embase and Scopus, and via cross-checking of reference lists. The minimum requirement to be included was the availability of original data and the possibility to construct a two-by-two table. Study selection, critical appraisal using the QUADAS II instrument and extraction of salient study characteristics was made in duplicate. Sensitivity and specificity was computed for each study. We included 11 studies (15 two-by-two tables) of moderate methodological quality enrolling 820 participants (range 30 to 118). In 44.4% participants were female (range 37-59% in specific subgroups). CDI was assessed for internal carotid stenosis, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and branch or central retinal vein occlusion diagnosis. There was insufficient data to pool the results for specific illnesses. For the assessments of ophthalmic arteries, mean sensitivity was 0.69 (range 0.27-0.96) with a corresponding mean specificity of 0.83 (range 0.70-0.96). Mean sensitivity of the central retinal artery assessments was 0.58 (range 0.31-0.84) and the corresponding mean specificity was 0.82 (range 0.63-0.94). Robust assessments of the diagnostic value of colour Doppler analysis remain uncommon, limiting the possibilities to extrapolate its true potential for clinical practice. PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014014027.

  3. Veias do sistema porta-hepático em gansos domésticos Veins from hepatic portal vein system in domestic geese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana C. Santos

    2009-04-01

    hepatic lobe, connected by a parenchyma bridge. The right hepatic lobe had vessels exclusively from the hepatic portal system composed by intraparenchymal distribution of the right hepatic portal vein, while the vessels of the left hepatic lobe came from the right hepatic portal vein and from small left hepatic portal veins. The right hepatic portal vein emitted the right caudal branch, which emitted a small right caudolateral branch and a large right caudomedial branch. Cranially this vein emitted right cranial and right lateral branches. The tranverse portion of the right hepatic portal vein crossed to the left hepatic lobe, emitting 1 to 6 small cranial and caudal branches to the medial area of the liver. In the left hepatic lobe, the left branch from the right hepatic vein emitted the left cranial, left lateral and left median branches. One to six left hepatic portal veins were identified arising from the left branch or from the transverse portion of the right hepatic portal vein. These vessels arose from the gizzard and pro-ventricle. In 40% of geese one proper hepatic portal vein originated from venous vessels of the gizzard and was distributed into the caudal extremity of the left hepatic isolated lobe.

  4. Oral contraceptive pills: A risk factor for retinal vascular occlusion in in-vitro fertilization patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohina S Aggarwal

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Retinal vascular occlusion is the most common cause of retinopathy leading to severe visual loss in all age groups. Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO is usually seen in older age group and is often associated with systemic vascular diseases. Although the exact cause and effect relationship has not been proven, central retinal vein occlusion has been associated with various systemic pathological conditions, hence a direct review of systems toward the various systemic and local factors predisposing the central retinal vein occlusion is advocated. We describe the development of central retinal venous occlusion with associated cystoid macular edema (CME in two healthy infertile women who were recruited for in vitro fertilization cycle for infertility. Predisposing risk factors associated with central retinal vein occlusion are obesity, sedentary life style, smoking, and some systemic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, associated autoimmune disorders e.g., antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, lupus, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, bleeding or clotting disorders, vasculitis, closed-head trauma, alcohol consumption, primary open-angle glaucoma or angle-closure glaucoma.In our patients, they were ruled out afterdoing allpertaining investigations. The cases were managed with further avoidance of oral contraceptives and intra-vitreal injections of Bevacizumab (Avastin, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF drug and Triamcinolone acetonide (a long acting synthetic steroid. Hence, even if no systemic diseases are detected. Physical examinations are recommended periodically for young women on oral contraceptive pills.

  5. Population branching in the conical intersection of the retinal chromophore revealed by multipulse ultrafast optical spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zgrablić, Goran; Novello, Anna Maria; Parmigiani, Fulvio

    2012-01-18

    The branching ratio of the excited-state population at the conical intersection between the S(1) and S(0) energy surfaces (Φ(CI)) of a protonated Schiff base of all-trans retinal in protic and aprotic solvents was studied by multipulse ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. In particular, pump-dump-probe experiments allowed to isolate the S(1) reactive state and to measure the photoisomerization time constant with unprecedented precision. Starting from these results, we demonstrate that the polarity of the solvent is the key factor influencing the Φ(CI) and the photoisomerization yield. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  6. Duplex sonography of the near-surface leg veins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza, E.

    2007-01-01

    The book contains the following contributions: The ultrasonograph, selection of the ultrasonic transducer, anatomy of the near-surface vein system, physiology of the near-surface vein system, varicose status classification, systematics of the duplex sonography of near-surface leg veins, provocational maneuver for the duplex sonographic varicose diagnostics, exploration of vena saphena parva, perforans veins, side branches, phlebitis, sonography for varicose therapy, postsurgical sonography, deep leg veins, examination of near-surface leg veins for the pathology of the deep vein system, differential diagnostic clarification of leg oedema from the phlebologic-lymphological view, diagnostic side features along the near-surface leg veins

  7. Spectrophotometric retinal oximetry in pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Traustason, Sindri; Kiilgaard, Jens Folke; Karlsson, Robert

    2013-01-01

    PURPOSE: To assess the validity of spectrophotometric retinal oximetry, by comparison to blood gas analysis and intra-vitreal measurements of partial pressure of oxygen (pO2). METHODS: Female domestic pigs were used for all experiments (n=8). Oxygen fraction in inspired air was changed using...... a mixture of room air, pure oxygen and pure nitrogen, ranging from 5% to 100% oxygen. Femoral arterial blood gas analysis and retinal oximetry was performed at each level of inspiratory oxygen fraction. Retinal oximetry was performed using a commercial instrument, the Oxymap Retinal Oximeter T1 (Oxymap ehf...... arterial oxygen saturation and the optical density ratio over retinal arteries revealed an approximately linear relationship (R(2) = 0.74, p = 3.4 x 10(-9)). In order to test the validity of applying the arterial calibration to veins, we compared non-invasive oximetry measurements to invasive pO2...

  8. A framework for classification and segmentation of branch retinal artery occlusion in SD-OCT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jingyun; Shi, Fei; Zhu, Weifang; Chen, Haoyu; Chen, Xinjian

    2016-03-01

    Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) is an ocular emergency which could lead to blindness. Quantitative analysis of BRAO region in the retina is very needed to assessment of the severity of retinal ischemia. In this paper, a fully automatic framework was proposed to classify and segment BRAO based on 3D spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first automatic 3D BRAO segmentation framework. First, a support vector machine (SVM) based classifier is designed to differentiate BRAO into acute phase and chronic phase, and the two types are segmented separately. To segment BRAO in chronic phase, a threshold-based method is proposed based on the thickness of inner retina. While for segmenting BRAO in acute phase, a two-step segmentation is performed, which includes the bayesian posterior probability based initialization and the graph-search-graph-cut based segmentation. The proposed method was tested on SD-OCT images of 23 patients (12 of acute and 11 of chronic phase) using leave-one-out strategy. The overall classification accuracy of SVM classifier was 87.0%, and the TPVF and FPVF for acute phase were 91.1%, 5.5%; for chronic phase were 90.5%, 8.7%, respectively.

  9. Regulatory and Economic Considerations of Retinal Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Ankoor R; Williams, George A

    2016-01-01

    The advent of anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion and diabetes mellitus has prevented blindness in tens of thousands of people. However, the costs of these drugs are without precedent in ophthalmic drug therapeutics. An analysis of the financial implications of retinal drugs and the impact of the Food and Drug Administration on treatment of retinal disease must include not only an evaluation of the direct costs of the drugs and the costs associated with their administration, but also the cost savings which accrue from their clinical benefit. This chapter will discuss the financial and regulatory issues associated with retinal drugs. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Retinal vascular segmentation using superpixel-based line operator and its application to vascular topology estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Tong; Xie, Jianyang; Zhao, Yitian; Zhao, Yifan; Liu, Yue; Wang, Yongtian; Liu, Jiang

    2018-05-09

    Automatic methods of analyzing of retinal vascular networks, such as retinal blood vessel detection, vascular network topology estimation, and arteries/veins classification are of great assistance to the ophthalmologist in terms of diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases. We propose a new framework for precisely segmenting retinal vasculatures, constructing retinal vascular network topology, and separating the arteries and veins. A nonlocal total variation inspired Retinex model is employed to remove the image intensity inhomogeneities and relatively poor contrast. For better generalizability and segmentation performance, a superpixel-based line operator is proposed as to distinguish between lines and the edges, thus allowing more tolerance in the position of the respective contours. The concept of dominant sets clustering is adopted to estimate retinal vessel topology and classify the vessel network into arteries and veins. The proposed segmentation method yields competitive results on three public data sets (STARE, DRIVE, and IOSTAR), and it has superior performance when compared with unsupervised segmentation methods, with accuracy of 0.954, 0.957, and 0.964, respectively. The topology estimation approach has been applied to five public databases (DRIVE,STARE, INSPIRE, IOSTAR, and VICAVR) and achieved high accuracy of 0.830, 0.910, 0.915, 0.928, and 0.889, respectively. The accuracies of arteries/veins classification based on the estimated vascular topology on three public databases (INSPIRE, DRIVE and VICAVR) are 0.90.9, 0.910, and 0.907, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed framework has effectively addressed crossover problem, a bottleneck issue in segmentation and vascular topology reconstruction. The vascular topology information significantly improves the accuracy on arteries/veins classification. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  11. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation and risk of retinal vein thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltanpour, Mohammad Soleiman; Soheili, Zahra; Shakerizadeh, Ali; Pourfathollah, Ali Akbar; Samiei, Shahram; Meshkani, Reza; Shahjahani, Mohammad; Karimi, Abbas

    2013-06-01

    Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level has been established as a significant risk factor for venous thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. Homozygosity for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutation has been associated with elevated plasma Hcy concentration and may contribute to retinal vein thrombosis (RVT) development. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the hyperhomocysteinemia and/or homozygosity for the MTHFR C677T mutation are associated with an increased risk for RVT. Our study population consisted of 73 consecutive patients (50-78 years old) with RVT and 73 control subjects (51-80 years old), matched for age and sex. Genotyping for the MTHFR C677T mutation was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique and Hcy level was determined by an enzyme immunoassay kit. The prevalence of 677TT genotype was higher in patients than control subjects, but the difference in frequency didn't reach a significant value (P = 0.07). The frequency of the 677T allele was 26% and 21.2% in patients and controls, respectively and did not differ significantly between the two groups (odds ratio = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (0.75-2.24), P = 0.33). Fasting plasma total Hcy level was significantly higher in patients than controls (P = 0.001). Our study demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia, but not the MTHFR C677T mutation, is associated with RVT.

  12. Retinal vein occlusion in Benin City, Nigeria | Uhumwangho ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eyes which had definitive treatment with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factors and laser photocoagulation for macula edema and retinal neovascularization, respectively, had better visual acuity compared to eyes which did not receive these treatment, P = 0.002. Conclusion: The incidence and visual loss that ...

  13. Retinal oxygen saturation in relation to retinal thickness in diabetic macular edema

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blindbæk, Søren Leer; Peto, Tunde; Grauslund, Jakob

    to retinal thickness in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: We included 18 patients with DME that all had central retinal thickness (CRT) >300 µm and were free of active proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Optical coherence tomography (Topcon 3D OCT-2000 spectral domain OCT) was used...... for paracentral edema, the oxygen saturation in the upper and lower temporal arcade branches were compared to the corresponding upper and lower subfield thickness. Spearman’s rank was used to calculate correlation coefficients between CRT and retinal oximetry. Results: Median age and duration of diabetes was 59....... 92.3%, p=0.52). We found no correlation between CRT and retinal oxygen saturation, even when accounting for paracentral edema (p>0.05). Furthermore, there was no difference in retinal oxygen saturation between the macular hemisphere that was more or less affected by DME (p>0.05). Conclusion: Patients...

  14. [Indications for Retinal Laser Therapy Revisited].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enders, P; Schaub, F; Fauser, S

    2017-02-10

    Background Laser therapy is an important treatment option in retinal diseases, especially in cases of vascular involvement. Most approaches are based on coagulation of retinal structures. As there is increasing use of agents targetting vascular endothelial growth factor in the treatment of macular diseases, indications for the use of laser treatment need to be reviewed carefully, especially with respect to their significance in first line therapy. This article explains recent strategies and treatment protocols. Materials and Methods Review of current literature in PubMed as well as synopsis of relevant guidelines. Results and Conclusion Retinal laser therapy is still widely used within retinal opthalmology and covers a large spectrum of indications. Despite the success of medical approaches, retinal laser therapy remains an indispensable treatment option for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, central or peripheral vein occlusion and less frequent pathologies, such as retinopathy of prematurity or Coats's disease. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  15. Hemodynamic evaluation of the right portal vein in healthy dogs of different body weights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Almeida Mariana F

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool for evaluating hepatic portal hemodynamics. However, no study in dogs of different body weights, in the range encountered in routine clinical veterinary practice, has been reported. It can be difficult to obtain an ideal insonation angle when evaluating the main portal vein, so evaluation of the right portal vein branch has been described in humans as an alternative. The aim of this study was to analyze, through Doppler ultrasonography, the hemodynamics in the right portal vein branch in dogs of different body weights. Methods Thirty normal dogs were divided in three groups by weight, in order to establish normal values for mean velocity, flow volume and portal congestion index of the right portal vein branch by means of Doppler ultrasonography. Results In all dogs ideal insonation angles were obtained for the right portal vein branch. The average velocity was similar in the three groups, but the portal congestion index and the flow volume differed, showing that the weight of the dog can influence these values. Conclusion Doppler ultrasonography for the evaluation of flow in the right branch of the portal vein could be a viable alternative, or complement, to examining the main vessel segment. This is especially so in those animals in which an ideal insonation angle for examination of the main portal vein is hard to obtain. In addition, the weight of the dog must be considered for the correct evaluation of the portal system hemodynamics, particularly for portal blood flow and the congestion index.

  16. Correlation of Peripheral Vein Tumour Marker Levels, Internal Iliac Vein Tumour Marker Levels and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens in Patients with Prostate Cancer and Borderline High Prostate-Specific Antigen: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrelly, Cormac; Lal, Priti; Trerotola, Scott O; Nadolski, Gregory J; Watts, Micah M; Gorrian, Catherine Mc; Guzzo, Thomas J

    2016-05-01

    To correlate prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free to total PSA percentage (fPSA%) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) levels from peripheral and pelvic venous samples with prostatectomy specimens in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and borderline elevation of PSA. In this prospective institutional review board approved study, 7 patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer had a venous sampling procedure prior to prostatectomy (mean 3.2 days, range 1-7). Venous samples were taken from a peripheral vein (PVS), the right internal iliac vein, a deep right internal iliac vein branch, left internal iliac vein and a deep left internal iliac vein branch. Venous sampling results were compared to tumour volume, laterality, stage and grade in prostatectomy surgical specimens. Mean PVS PSA was 4.29, range 2.3-6 ng/ml. PSA and PAP values in PVS did not differ significantly from internal iliac or deep internal iliac vein samples (p > 0.05). fPSA% was significantly higher in internal iliac (p = 0.004) and deep internal iliac (p = 0.003) vein samples compared to PVS. One of 7 patients had unilateral tumour only. This patient, with left-sided tumour, had a fPSA% of 6, 6, 6, 14 and 12 in his peripheral, right internal iliac, deep right internal iliac branch, left internal iliac and deep left internal iliac branch samples respectively. There were no adverse events. fPSA%, unlike total PSA or PAP, is significantly higher in pelvic vein compared to peripheral vein samples when prostate cancer is present. Larger studies including patients with higher PSA values are warranted to further investigate this counterintuitive finding.

  17. Anatomical variation of the main and right portal vein on indirect portogram : correlated with CT and hepatic angiogram

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Won Kyu; Chang, Jae Chun; Bae, Kyoung Kug; Cho, Jae Ho

    1996-01-01

    To describe variations of the main and right portal veins as visualized by indirect portograms and to examine the surgical implications of these findings. A retrospective review was conducted of 632 indirect portograms of 632 patients in whom third-order branches were visualized. All patients also underwent dynamic CT and AP and oblique hepatic angiography. Variations of the main portal vein were found in 165 patients(26.1%) and involned an immediate trifurcation of the main portal vein in 102 patients(16.1%), early division of the right posterior portal vein in 53(8.4%), simultaneous division into four branches in three (0.5%), five branches in two (0.3%), a replaced P4 originating from the right portal vein in two (0.3%), and an accessory P6 originating from the main portal vein, a replaced P6 originating from the main protal vein, or a replaced left lateral portal vein originating from the right portal vein in one (0.2%), respectively. Of 468 patients who had a common right portal vein, absence of the right posterior portal vein was seen in 26 patients(5.6%) and an accessory subsegmental branch originating from the right portal vein in 17 patients(3.6%). Recognition of such variations of the portal vein assists in the localization and apperciation of the hepatic segmental anatomy, in preoperative evaluations for hepatic resections, and in radiologic interventional procedures through the portal vein

  18. Efficacy and tolerability of bilateral sustained-release dexamethasone intravitreal implants for the treatment of noninfectious posterior uveitis and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryder SJ

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Steven J Ryder,1 Danilo Iannetta,1 Swetangi D Bhaleeya,2 Szilárd Kiss1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA Purpose: To report our experience with bilateral placement of dexamethasone 0.7 mg (DEX sustained-release intravitreal implant in the management of noninfectious posterior uveitis or macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with bilateral noninfectious posterior uveitis and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion who were treated with DEX intravitreal implant was performed. Ocular side effects such as intraocular pressure (IOP, cataract, and tolerability of bilateral injections was reviewed.Results: Twenty-two eyes of eleven patients treated with a total of 32 DEX implants were included. Ten of eleven patients received bilateral implants due to active noninfectious uveitis while the other demonstrated macular edema in both eyes following separate central retinal vein occlusions. Among the patients with bilateral uveitis, the mean interval between DEX implant in the initial eye and the subsequent DEX in the fellow eye was 15.6 days (range 2–71 days. Seven of the ten patients received the second implant in the fellow eye within 8 days of the initial implantation. None of the patients had bilateral implantations on the same day. Seven eyes required reimplantation for recurrence of inflammation (mean interval between first and repeat implantation was 6.00±2.39 months. Following single or, in the case of the aforementioned seven eyes, repeat DEX implantation, all 20 uveitic eyes demonstrated clinical and/or angiographic evidence of decreased inflammation in the form of reduction in vitreous cells on slit lamp ophthalmoscopy, macular edema on ophthalmoscopy, or optical coherence tomography and/or disc and vascular leakage on fluorescein angiography. The mean

  19. Taurine Provides Neuroprotection against Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Froger, Nicolas; Cadetti, Lucia; Lorach, Henri; Martins, Joao; Bemelmans, Alexis-Pierre; Dubus, Elisabeth; Degardin, Julie; Pain, Dorothée; Forster, Valérie; Chicaud, Laurent; Ivkovic, Ivana; Simonutti, Manuel; Fouquet, Stéphane; Jammoul, Firas; Léveillard, Thierry; Benosman, Ryad; Sahel, José-Alain; Picaud, Serge

    2012-01-01

    Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration occurs in numerous retinal diseases leading to blindness, either as a primary process like in glaucoma, or secondary to photoreceptor loss. However, no commercial drug is yet directly targeting RGCs for their neuroprotection. In the 70s, taurine, a small sulfonic acid provided by nutrition, was found to be essential for the survival of photoreceptors, but this dependence was not related to any retinal disease. More recently, taurine deprivation was incriminated in the retinal toxicity of an antiepileptic drug. We demonstrate here that taurine can improve RGC survival in culture or in different animal models of RGC degeneration. Taurine effect on RGC survival was assessed in vitro on primary pure RCG cultures under serum-deprivation conditions, and on NMDA-treated retinal explants from adult rats. In vivo, taurine was administered through the drinking water in two glaucomatous animal models (DBA/2J mice and rats with vein occlusion) and in a model of Retinitis pigmentosa with secondary RGC degeneration (P23H rats). After a 6-day incubation, 1 mM taurine significantly enhanced RGCs survival (+68%), whereas control RGCs were cultured in a taurine-free medium, containing all natural amino-acids. This effect was found to rely on taurine-uptake by RGCs. Furthermore taurine (1 mM) partly prevented NMDA-induced RGC excitotoxicity. Finally, taurine supplementation increased RGC densities both in DBA/2J mice, in rats with vein occlusion and in P23H rats by contrast to controls drinking taurine-free water. This study indicates that enriched taurine nutrition can directly promote RGC survival through RGC intracellular pathways. It provides evidence that taurine can positively interfere with retinal degenerative diseases. PMID:23115615

  20. Correlation of Peripheral Vein Tumour Marker Levels, Internal Iliac Vein Tumour Marker Levels and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens in Patients with Prostate Cancer and Borderline High Prostate-Specific Antigen: A Pilot Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farrelly, Cormac, E-mail: farrellycormac@gmail.com [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Lal, Priti [University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (United States); Trerotola, Scott O.; Nadolski, Gregory J.; Watts, Micah M. [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Gorrian, Catherine Mc. [Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, University College Dublin School of Medicine & Medical Science (Ireland); Guzzo, Thomas J. [University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Urology and Surgery (United States)

    2016-05-15

    PurposeTo correlate prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free to total PSA percentage (fPSA%) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) levels from peripheral and pelvic venous samples with prostatectomy specimens in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and borderline elevation of PSA.Materials and MethodsIn this prospective institutional review board approved study, 7 patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer had a venous sampling procedure prior to prostatectomy (mean 3.2 days, range 1–7). Venous samples were taken from a peripheral vein (PVS), the right internal iliac vein, a deep right internal iliac vein branch, left internal iliac vein and a deep left internal iliac vein branch. Venous sampling results were compared to tumour volume, laterality, stage and grade in prostatectomy surgical specimens.ResultsMean PVS PSA was 4.29, range 2.3–6 ng/ml. PSA and PAP values in PVS did not differ significantly from internal iliac or deep internal iliac vein samples (p > 0.05). fPSA% was significantly higher in internal iliac (p = 0.004) and deep internal iliac (p = 0.003) vein samples compared to PVS. One of 7 patients had unilateral tumour only. This patient, with left–sided tumour, had a fPSA% of 6, 6, 6, 14 and 12 in his peripheral, right internal iliac, deep right internal iliac branch, left internal iliac and deep left internal iliac branch samples respectively. There were no adverse events.ConclusionfPSA%, unlike total PSA or PAP, is significantly higher in pelvic vein compared to peripheral vein samples when prostate cancer is present. Larger studies including patients with higher PSA values are warranted to further investigate this counterintuitive finding.

  1. Correlation of Peripheral Vein Tumour Marker Levels, Internal Iliac Vein Tumour Marker Levels and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens in Patients with Prostate Cancer and Borderline High Prostate-Specific Antigen: A Pilot Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farrelly, Cormac; Lal, Priti; Trerotola, Scott O.; Nadolski, Gregory J.; Watts, Micah M.; Gorrian, Catherine Mc.; Guzzo, Thomas J.

    2016-01-01

    PurposeTo correlate prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free to total PSA percentage (fPSA%) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) levels from peripheral and pelvic venous samples with prostatectomy specimens in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and borderline elevation of PSA.Materials and MethodsIn this prospective institutional review board approved study, 7 patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer had a venous sampling procedure prior to prostatectomy (mean 3.2 days, range 1–7). Venous samples were taken from a peripheral vein (PVS), the right internal iliac vein, a deep right internal iliac vein branch, left internal iliac vein and a deep left internal iliac vein branch. Venous sampling results were compared to tumour volume, laterality, stage and grade in prostatectomy surgical specimens.ResultsMean PVS PSA was 4.29, range 2.3–6 ng/ml. PSA and PAP values in PVS did not differ significantly from internal iliac or deep internal iliac vein samples (p > 0.05). fPSA% was significantly higher in internal iliac (p = 0.004) and deep internal iliac (p = 0.003) vein samples compared to PVS. One of 7 patients had unilateral tumour only. This patient, with left–sided tumour, had a fPSA% of 6, 6, 6, 14 and 12 in his peripheral, right internal iliac, deep right internal iliac branch, left internal iliac and deep left internal iliac branch samples respectively. There were no adverse events.ConclusionfPSA%, unlike total PSA or PAP, is significantly higher in pelvic vein compared to peripheral vein samples when prostate cancer is present. Larger studies including patients with higher PSA values are warranted to further investigate this counterintuitive finding.

  2. Automated artery-venous classification of retinal blood vessels based on structural mapping method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Vinayak S.; Garvin, Mona K.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.; Abramoff, Michael D.

    2012-03-01

    Retinal blood vessels show morphologic modifications in response to various retinopathies. However, the specific responses exhibited by arteries and veins may provide a precise diagnostic information, i.e., a diabetic retinopathy may be detected more accurately with the venous dilatation instead of average vessel dilatation. In order to analyze the vessel type specific morphologic modifications, the classification of a vessel network into arteries and veins is required. We previously described a method for identification and separation of retinal vessel trees; i.e. structural mapping. Therefore, we propose the artery-venous classification based on structural mapping and identification of color properties prominent to the vessel types. The mean and standard deviation of each of green channel intensity and hue channel intensity are analyzed in a region of interest around each centerline pixel of a vessel. Using the vector of color properties extracted from each centerline pixel, it is classified into one of the two clusters (artery and vein), obtained by the fuzzy-C-means clustering. According to the proportion of clustered centerline pixels in a particular vessel, and utilizing the artery-venous crossing property of retinal vessels, each vessel is assigned a label of an artery or a vein. The classification results are compared with the manually annotated ground truth (gold standard). We applied the proposed method to a dataset of 15 retinal color fundus images resulting in an accuracy of 88.28% correctly classified vessel pixels. The automated classification results match well with the gold standard suggesting its potential in artery-venous classification and the respective morphology analysis.

  3. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation and risk of retinal vein thrombosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Soleiman Soltanpour

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy level has been established as a significant risk factor for venous thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. Homozygosity for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T mutation has been associated with elevated plasma Hcy concentration and may contribute to retinal vein thrombosis (RVT development. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the hyperhomocysteinemia and/or homozygosity for the MTHFR C677T mutation are associated with an increased risk for RVT. Materials and Methods: Our study population consisted of 73 consecutive patients (50-78 years old with RVT and 73 control subjects (51-80 years old, matched for age and sex. Genotyping for the MTHFR C677T mutation was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique and Hcy level was determined by an enzyme immunoassay kit. Results: The prevalence of 677TT genotype was higher in patients than control subjects, but the difference in frequency didn′t reach a significant value (P = 0.07. The frequency of the 677T allele was 26% and 21.2% in patients and controls, respectively and did not differ significantly between the two groups (odds ratio = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (0.75-2.24, P = 0.33. Fasting plasma total Hcy level was significantly higher in patients than controls (P = 0.001. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia, but not the MTHFR C677T mutation, is associated with RVT.

  4. Ultra-Widefield Steering-Based SD-OCT Imaging of the Retinal Periphery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhry, Netan; Golding, John; Manry, Matthew W.; Rao, Rajesh C.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To describe the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features of peripheral retinal findings using an ultra-widefield (UWF) steering technique to image the retinal periphery. Design Observational study. Participants 68 patients (68 eyes) with 19 peripheral retinal features. Main Outcome Measures SD-OCT-based structural features. Methods Nineteen peripheral retinal features including: vortex vein, congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE), pars plana, ora serrata pearl, typical cystoid degeneration (TCD), cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, lattice and cobblestone degeneration, retinal hole, retinal tear, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), typical degenerative senile retinoschisis, peripheral laser coagulation scars, ora tooth, cryopexy scars (retinal tear and treated retinoblastoma scar), bone spicules, white without pressure, and peripheral drusen were identified by peripheral clinical examination. Near infrared (NIR) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) images and SD-OCT of these entities were registered to UWF color photographs. Results SD-OCT resolved structural features of all peripheral findings. Dilated hyporeflective tubular structures within the choroid were observed in the vortex vein. Loss of retinal lamination, neural retinal attenuation, RPE loss or hypertrophy were seen in several entities including CHRPE, ora serrata pearl, TCD, cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, lattice and cobblestone degenerations. Hyporeflective intraretinal spaces, indicating cystoid or schitic fluid, were seen in ora serrata pearl, ora tooth, TCD, cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, retinal hole, and typical degenerative senile retinoschisis. The vitreoretinal interface, which often consisted of lamellae-like structures of the condensed cortical vitreous near or adherent to the neural retina, appeared clearly in most peripheral findings, confirming its association with many low-risk and vision-threatening pathologies

  5. Movement of retinal vessels toward the optic nerve head after increasing intraocular pressure in monkey eyes with experimental glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroda, Atsumi; Enomoto, Nobuko; Ishida, Kyoko; Shimazawa, Masamitsu; Noguchi, Tetsuro; Horai, Naoto; Onoe, Hirotaka; Hara, Hideaki; Tomita, Goji

    2017-09-01

    A shift or displacement of the retinal blood vessels (RBVs) with neuroretinal rim thinning indicates the progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. In chronic open angle glaucoma, individuals with RBV positional shifts exhibit more rapid visual field loss than those without RBV shifts. The retinal vessels reportedly move onto the optic nerve head (ONH) in response to glaucoma damage, suggesting that RBVs are pulled toward the ONH in response to increased cupping. Whether this phenomenon only applies to RVBs located in the vicinity or inside the ONH or, more generally, to RBVs also located far from the ONH, however, is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the movement of RBVs located relatively far from the ONH edge after increasing intraocular pressure (IOP) in an experimental monkey model of glaucoma. Fundus photographs were obtained in 17 monkeys. High IOP was induced in the monkeys by laser photocoagulation burns applied uniformly with 360° irradiation around the trabecular meshwork of the left eye. The right eye was left intact and used as a non-treated control. Considering the circadian rhythm of IOP, it was measured in both eyes of each animal at around the same time-points. Then, fundus photographs were obtained. Using Image J image analysis software, an examiner (N.E.) measured the fundus photographs at two time-points, i.e. before laser treatment (time 1) and the last fundus photography after IOP elevation (time 2). The following parameters were measured (in pixels): 1) vertical diameter of the ONH (DD), 2) distance from the ONH edge to the first bifurcation point of the superior branch of the central retinal vein (UV), 3) distance from the ONH edge to the first bifurcation point of the inferior branch of the central retinal vein (LV), 4) ONH area, and 5) surface area of the cup of the ONH. We calculated the ratios of UV to DD (UV/DD), LV to DD (LV/DD), and the cup area to disc area ratio (C/D). The mean UV/DD at time 1 (0.656 ± 0.233) was

  6. Elevated lipocalin-2 level in aqueous humor of patients with central retinal vein occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koban, Yaran; Sahin, Seda; Boy, Fatih; Kara, Fatih

    2018-03-23

    To assess the concentrations of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) in the serum and the aqueous humor of patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The concentrations of LCN2 in the serum and aqueous humor of 16 cataract patients and 16 patients with CRVO with macular edema were compared. Collection of aqueous samples was conducted in the operating theater under sterile conditions and just prior to intravitreal ranibizumab injection or cataract surgery. LCN2 levels in serum and aqueous humor samples were measured using a commercial kit (human lipocalin-2/NGAL PicoKine ELISA Kit, MyBioSource Inc., USA; Catalog No: MBS175829) based on standard sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology. The concentrations of LCN2 in the aqueous humors of the CRVO group were higher than those of the control group (p = 0.021). There was no significant difference in serum LCN2 level between the two groups (p = 0.463). Concentrations of LCN2 in aqueous humor are increased in CRVO. LCN2 may be part of a pro-catabolic phenotype, and it may play an important role in the dreaded complications of CRVO, such as macular edema, macular ischemia, and neovascularization, which lead to blindness.

  7. 多波长激光治疗DR合并视网膜中央静脉阻塞%Efficacy observation on multiple wave length laser for diabetic retinopathy and central retinal vein occlusion

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    田涛; 刘茹; 彭婧利; 谢丽莲; 邝国平

    2014-01-01

    目的:观察多波长激光治疗糖尿病视网膜病变( diabetic retinopathy,DR)合并视网膜中央静脉阻塞( central retinal vein occlusion, CRVO)的疗效。  方法:选取DR合并CRVO患者95例100眼,采用多波长激光进行光凝治疗。其中黄斑区以氪黄激光治疗为主,包括局部光凝和格栅光凝,周边光凝以氪绿或氪红激光进行治疗。手术前后均进行视力、眼底、荧光素眼底血管造影检查。术后随访12~48 wk。观察比较两组光凝前后视力及黄斑水肿变化,并做统计学分析。  结果:在黄斑格栅光凝组,有效率为61.2%,在黄斑局部光凝组,有效率为86.3%,后者总有效率高于前者,有统计学差异(P  结论:多波长激光治疗DR合并CRVO患者的黄斑水肿安全、有效。%AlM:To observe the efficacy of the multiple wave length laser in treating diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS:Totally 95 cases ( 100 eyes ) with diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein occlusion were treated by multiple wave length laser. Krypton yellow laser was used for macular edema in focal photocoagulation and diffuse photocoagulation. For peripheral retina, krypton green or krypton red laser were used. Visual acuity, slit - lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 12 to 48wk. ln this study, change in visual acuity and macular edema were observed in both groups, and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: The effective rate was 61. 2% in diffuse macular edema group and 86. 3% in focal macular edema group. The general effective rate of later was higher than the former, while the treatment effect had significant statistical difference (P CONCLUSlON:Multiple wave length laser is an effective and safe way to treat diabetic macular edema of diabetic retinopathy combined with central retinal vein

  8. Tri-functional cannula for retinal endovascular surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Jonathan D [Albuquerque, NM

    2010-07-27

    A tri-functional cannula combines the functions of tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) solution delivery, illumination and venous pressure measurement. The cannula utilizes a tapered hollow-core optical fiber having an inlet for tPA solution, an attached fiber optic splitter configured to receive illumination light from an optical source such and a LED. A window in the cannula transmits the light to and from a central retinal vein. The return light is coupled to an optical detector to measure the pressure within the vein and determine whether an occlusion has been removed.

  9. Duplex sonography of the near-surface leg veins; Duplexsonographie der oberflaechlichen Beinvenen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendoza, E.

    2007-07-01

    The book contains the following contributions: The ultrasonograph, selection of the ultrasonic transducer, anatomy of the near-surface vein system, physiology of the near-surface vein system, varicose status classification, systematics of the duplex sonography of near-surface leg veins, provocational maneuver for the duplex sonographic varicose diagnostics, exploration of vena saphena parva, perforans veins, side branches, phlebitis, sonography for varicose therapy, postsurgical sonography, deep leg veins, examination of near-surface leg veins for the pathology of the deep vein system, differential diagnostic clarification of leg oedema from the phlebologic-lymphological view, diagnostic side features along the near-surface leg veins.

  10. VEGF Trap-Eye for macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: 6-month results of the phase III GALILEO study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holz, Frank G; Roider, Johann; Ogura, Yuichiro; Korobelnik, Jean-François; Simader, Christian; Groetzbach, Georg; Vitti, Robert; Berliner, Alyson J; Hiemeyer, Florian; Beckmann, Karola; Zeitz, Oliver; Sandbrink, Rupert

    2013-03-01

    To evaluate intravitreal VEGF Trap-Eye (VTE) in patients with macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). In this double-masked study, 177 patients were randomised (3:2 ratio) to intravitreal injections of VTE 2 mg or sham procedure every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity was evaluated using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart. Central retinal thickness (CRT) was measured with optical coherence tomography. From baseline until week 24, more patients receiving VTE (60.2%) gained ≥ 15 letters compared with those receiving sham injections (22.1%) (p<0.0001). VTE patients gained a mean of 18.0 letters compared with 3.3 letters with sham injections (p<0.0001). Mean CRT decreased by 448.6 and 169.3 µm in the VTE and sham groups (p<0.0001). The most frequent ocular adverse events in the VTE arm were typically associated with the injection procedure or the underlying disease, and included eye pain (11.5%), increased intraocular pressure (9.6%) and conjunctival haemorrhage (8.7%). VTE 2 mg every 4 weeks was efficacious in CRVO with an acceptable safety profile. Vision gains with VTE were significantly higher than with observation/panretinal photocoagulation if needed. Based on these data, VTE may provide a new treatment option for CRVO.

  11. Shift-invariant discrete wavelet transform analysis for retinal image classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khademi, April; Krishnan, Sridhar

    2007-12-01

    This work involves retinal image classification and a novel analysis system was developed. From the compressed domain, the proposed scheme extracts textural features from wavelet coefficients, which describe the relative homogeneity of localized areas of the retinal images. Since the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is shift-variant, a shift-invariant DWT was explored to ensure that a robust feature set was extracted. To combat the small database size, linear discriminant analysis classification was used with the leave one out method. 38 normal and 48 abnormal (exudates, large drusens, fine drusens, choroidal neovascularization, central vein and artery occlusion, histoplasmosis, arteriosclerotic retinopathy, hemi-central retinal vein occlusion and more) were used and a specificity of 79% and sensitivity of 85.4% were achieved (the average classification rate is 82.2%). The success of the system can be accounted to the highly robust feature set which included translation, scale and semi-rotational, features. Additionally, this technique is database independent since the features were specifically tuned to the pathologies of the human eye.

  12. Automatic Vessel Segmentation on Retinal Images

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chun-Yuan Yu; Chia-Jen Chang; Yen-Ju Yao; Shyr-Shen Yu

    2014-01-01

    Several features of retinal vessels can be used to monitor the progression of diseases. Changes in vascular structures, for example, vessel caliber, branching angle, and tortuosity, are portents of many diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and arterial hyper-tension. This paper proposes an automatic retinal vessel segmentation method based on morphological closing and multi-scale line detection. First, an illumination correction is performed on the green band retinal image. Next, the morphological closing and subtraction processing are applied to obtain the crude retinal vessel image. Then, the multi-scale line detection is used to fine the vessel image. Finally, the binary vasculature is extracted by the Otsu algorithm. In this paper, for improving the drawbacks of multi-scale line detection, only the line detectors at 4 scales are used. The experimental results show that the accuracy is 0.939 for DRIVE (digital retinal images for vessel extraction) retinal database, which is much better than other methods.

  13. Automated retinal vessel type classification in color fundus images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, H.; Barriga, S.; Agurto, C.; Nemeth, S.; Bauman, W.; Soliz, P.

    2013-02-01

    Automated retinal vessel type classification is an essential first step toward machine-based quantitative measurement of various vessel topological parameters and identifying vessel abnormalities and alternations in cardiovascular disease risk analysis. This paper presents a new and accurate automatic artery and vein classification method developed for arteriolar-to-venular width ratio (AVR) and artery and vein tortuosity measurements in regions of interest (ROI) of 1.5 and 2.5 optic disc diameters from the disc center, respectively. This method includes illumination normalization, automatic optic disc detection and retinal vessel segmentation, feature extraction, and a partial least squares (PLS) classification. Normalized multi-color information, color variation, and multi-scale morphological features are extracted on each vessel segment. We trained the algorithm on a set of 51 color fundus images using manually marked arteries and veins. We tested the proposed method in a previously unseen test data set consisting of 42 images. We obtained an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 93.7% in the ROI of AVR measurement and 91.5% of AUC in the ROI of tortuosity measurement. The proposed AV classification method has the potential to assist automatic cardiovascular disease early detection and risk analysis.

  14. Anatomic relationship of intrahepatic bile ducts to portal veins revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bret, P.M.; Stempel, J.; Atri, M.; Lough, J.O.; Illescas, F.F.

    1987-01-01

    It is well accepted that intrahepatic bile ducts lie in front of corresponding portal vein branches. Since the authors' clinical experience with US was different, they studied 18 normal necropsy cadaver livers. The common bile duct, main portal vein, and hepatic artery were cannulated and injected respectively with air, dilute contrast medium, and mineral oil. The livers were then examined in anatomic position with CT. In the left lobe of the liver, the bile ducts were anterior to the portal vein in seven cases, posterior in seven cases, and were tortuous both anterior and posterior in three cases. In the right lobe, the bile ducts were anterior in nine cases, posterior in five cases, tortuous in one case, and not seen in two cases. In the porta hepatis, the bile ducts were anterior in eight cases, posterior in one case, tortuous in five cases, and not seen in three cases. Histologic specimens confirmed the anterior and posterior location of the bile ducts relative to the portal veins. In conclusion, intrahepatic bile ducts can be either anterior or posterior to the corresponding portal vein branches

  15. Ultra-Widefield Steering-Based Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of the Retinal Periphery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhry, Netan; Golding, John; Manry, Matthew W; Rao, Rajesh C

    2016-06-01

    To describe the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) features of peripheral retinal findings using an ultra-widefield (UWF) steering technique to image the retinal periphery. Observational study. A total of 68 patients (68 eyes) with 19 peripheral retinal features. Spectral-domain OCT-based structural features. Nineteen peripheral retinal features, including vortex vein, congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, pars plana, ora serrata pearl, typical cystoid degeneration (TCD), cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, lattice and cobblestone degeneration, retinal hole, retinal tear, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, typical degenerative senile retinoschisis, peripheral laser coagulation scars, ora tooth, cryopexy scars (retinal tear and treated retinoblastoma scar), bone spicules, white without pressure, and peripheral drusen, were identified by peripheral clinical examination. Near-infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images and SD OCT of these entities were registered to UWF color photographs. Spectral-domain OCT resolved structural features of all peripheral findings. Dilated hyporeflective tubular structures within the choroid were observed in the vortex vein. Loss of retinal lamination, neural retinal attenuation, retinal pigment epithelium loss, or hypertrophy was seen in several entities, including congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, ora serrata pearl, TCD, cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, lattice, and cobblestone degenerations. Hyporeflective intraretinal spaces, indicating cystoid or schitic fluid, were seen in ora serrata pearl, ora tooth, TCD, cystic retinal tuft, meridional fold, retinal hole, and typical degenerative senile retinoschisis. The vitreoretinal interface, which often consisted of lamellae-like structures of the condensed cortical vitreous near or adherent to the neural retina, appeared clearly in most peripheral findings, confirming its association with many low-risk and vision

  16. Intravitreal Bevacizumab: Indications and Complications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jan, S.; Nazim, M.; Karim, S.; Hussain, Z.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Bevacizmab is still an unlicensed drug for intraocular use in spite of the fact that it has shown comparable efficacy to other anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) medications in some large sample randomized control trails. Although repackaged bevacizumab has got safety concerns but its use is growing because of easy availability and low cost. Our study focuses on the diverse and growing indications of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) and its ocular complications in our geographical setting. Method: This interventional case series was carried out at my private practice in Said Anwar Medical Complex, Dabgari, Peshawar, from January 2008 to July 2015. Total of 6107 injections were given to 4352 eyes. Intravitreal bevacizumab was injected in proper operating room setting. Bevacizumab injections were prepared from same vial by multiple withdrawals taking care of aseptic precautions. Follow up was done at 1 week and 20 days and adverse effects were noted. Results: Diabetic macular oedema (36 percent), central retinal vein occlusion (17.6 percent) and branched retinal vein occlusion (11 percent) were the top three indications of IVB. Other common indications were proliferative diabetic retinopathy (9.6 percent), neo-vascular glaucoma (5.9 percent), proliferative diabetic retinopathy with vitreous bleed (4.4 percent), proliferative diabetic retinopathy with tractional retinal detachment (3.7 percent), neo-vascular age related macular degeneration (2.9 percent), central serous retinopathy (1.48 percent) and Eale disease (1.48 percent). Endohthalmitis occurred in 3 eyes (0.069 percent) while retinal detachment was found in only 2 eyes (0.046 percent).Conclusion: Common indications of bevacizumab are diabetic macular oedema, central retinal vein occlusion and branched retinal vein occlusion. Complications like endophthalmitis and retinal detachment are rare. (author)

  17. Clinical study on Bevacizumab for macular edema induced by retinal vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-Guang Duan

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in patients with macular edema(MEinduced by retinal vein occlusion(RVO.METHODS: The records of patients treated with intravitreal injection of 1.75mg bevacizumab for ME induced by RVO were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were evaluated by complete ophthalmic examination, optical coherence tomography(OCTand fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA, etc. Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA, intraocular pressure, the change of lens and vitreous, central foveal thickness(CFTwere observed at 1, 2, 3, 6mo after treatment and compared with before treatment. Repeated treatment with intravitreous bevacizumab occurred if there were signs of persistent or recurrent exudation. All the cases were followed up at least 6mo. An intravitreal injection of bevacizumab(1.75mgwas given at 6wk intervals.RESULTS: Fifty patients(56 eyeswith the average of(57±18.56years old were included. The mean baseline of BCVA, CFT were(logMAR0.82±0.63,(626.5±178.0μm respectively. Although there was no significant decrease in mean CFT at 1wk after injection, the mean BCVA had significant improvement. Followed up at mean 10.26±5.87mo, BCVA, CFT showed significant improvements over baseline values. The statistics of CFT at 1, 2, 3mo after injection were significant differences compared with before injection in each of the three groups. CFT at 1, 3, 12mo after injection were(365.11±23.212μm,(333.42±35.526μm,(267.6±116.8μm, which had a significant difference(PP>0.05. OCT image showed that after injection macular retinal thickness was becoming thinner. FFA showed that after injection macular fluorescein leakage decreased. BCVA was improved by at least two lines in 48 eyes(86%,remained stable in 8 eyes(14%at the last visit. A total of 112 injections were performed and the average number of injections was 1.96 in the group. About 50% of reinjections gained at least two lines of vision improvement at 1

  18. Retinal Vein Occlusion in Benin City, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    risk factors, and treatment outcomes in a group of patients with. RVO seen in a ... There were 15 (68.2%) eyes with central RVO, 3 (13.6%) eyes with branch ... This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative. Commons ...

  19. Computed tomographic and ultrasonographic diagnosis of portal vein tumor thrombus in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mori, H; Futagawa, S; Hayashi, K; Amagasaki, Y; Ochi, M [Nagasaki Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

    1982-04-01

    Nine cases of hepatocellular carcinoma which have invaded the intra- and extrahepatic portal vein were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US). The outstanding CT and sonographic features of the portal vein tumor thrombus were described. In CT, contrast opacification of normal portal vein and its major tributaries were not observed, and they were replaced by a soft tissue density mass representing the tumor thrombus. The thrombus measured 35 - 45 Hounsfield units (HU) in precontrast scans and 60 - 80 HU in postcontrast scans. The portal vein tumor thrombus showed a branched pattern of low density in porta hepatis and intrahepatic region due to differences in attenuation coefficients of the thrombus and adjacent noncancerous hepatic parenchyma on postcontrast scans. In ultrasound study, tumor thrombus was recognized as an echogenic solid mass in the porta hepatis obliterating the normal portal venous structures, or as an intraluminal solid mass in the dilated portal vein and its branches. Numerous collateral venous channels surrounding the thrombosed portal vein were also demonstrated on both CT and US. Particular emphasis was placed on the clinical implications of these non-invasive detection of the portal vein tumor thrombosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

  20. Doppler-ultrasonographic finding of air in the portal vein: a case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Ki Soon; Lee, Kwan Sup; Lee, Yul; Chung, Soo Young; Bae, Sang Hoon [College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1994-03-15

    Classically air in the portal vein has been detected on plain radiography, but computed tomography and ultrasonography have been shown to be more sensitive. We report a case of air in the PV in a 10-day-old infant with pneumatosis intestinalis with its ultrasonographic and Doppler findings. The patient was a 10-day-old infant born by cesarean section at 41 weeks. Simple abdomen film revealed branching pattern of radiolucent air shadows within in contour of liver, gas distention of bowel loops and thickenod bowel walls with lincar intraluminal air shadows in abdomen, suggesting necrotizing enterocolitis. So we performed Doppler ultrasonography. Ultrasonography showed branching pattern of hyperechogenic dots and along the lumen of left portal vein. The color Doppler study revealed an aliasing duo to increased velocity and whirling pattern of blood flow, and the Duplex Doppler spectral display showed sharp, vertical bidirectional spikes by air in portal vein. Air in the portal vein can be easily diagnosed by the following signs: hyperechogenic dots in the portal vein on ultrasonography and vertical, sharp bidirectional spikes superimposed on the usual Doppler tracing of the portal vein on Duplex ultrasonography.

  1. Doppler-ultrasonographic finding of air in the portal vein: a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Ki Soon; Lee, Kwan Sup; Lee, Yul; Chung, Soo Young; Bae, Sang Hoon

    1994-01-01

    Classically air in the portal vein has been detected on plain radiography, but computed tomography and ultrasonography have been shown to be more sensitive. We report a case of air in the PV in a 10-day-old infant with pneumatosis intestinalis with its ultrasonographic and Doppler findings. The patient was a 10-day-old infant born by cesarean section at 41 weeks. Simple abdomen film revealed branching pattern of radiolucent air shadows within in contour of liver, gas distention of bowel loops and thickenod bowel walls with lincar intraluminal air shadows in abdomen, suggesting necrotizing enterocolitis. So we performed Doppler ultrasonography. Ultrasonography showed branching pattern of hyperechogenic dots and along the lumen of left portal vein. The color Doppler study revealed an aliasing duo to increased velocity and whirling pattern of blood flow, and the Duplex Doppler spectral display showed sharp, vertical bidirectional spikes by air in portal vein. Air in the portal vein can be easily diagnosed by the following signs: hyperechogenic dots in the portal vein on ultrasonography and vertical, sharp bidirectional spikes superimposed on the usual Doppler tracing of the portal vein on Duplex ultrasonography

  2. Retinal vessel caliber as a potential marker of treatment outcome in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vergmann, Anna Stage; Torp, Thomas Lee; Lundberg, Kristian

    Title of abstract: Retinal vessel caliber as a potential marker of treatment outcome in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy Design of study: Three months prospective, interventional clinical study. Purpose: The retinal vascular tree can be measured non-invasively and summarized...... into the central retinal artery and vein equivalent (CRAE and CRVE). The purpose of this study was to evaluate retinal calibers as biomarkers for disease activity 3 months after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: Fifty one eyes from 40 newly...... with proliferative diabetic retinopathy....

  3. Blood vessel classification into arteries and veins in retinal images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondermann, Claudia; Kondermann, Daniel; Yan, Michelle

    2007-03-01

    The prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase dramatically in coming years; already today it accounts for a major proportion of the health care budget in many countries. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a micro vascular complication very often seen in diabetes patients, is the most common cause of visual loss in working age population of developed countries today. Since the possibility of slowing or even stopping the progress of this disease depends on the early detection of DR, an automatic analysis of fundus images would be of great help to the ophthalmologist due to the small size of the symptoms and the large number of patients. An important symptom for DR are abnormally wide veins leading to an unusually low ratio of the average diameter of arteries to veins (AVR). There are also other diseases like high blood pressure or diseases of the pancreas with one symptom being an abnormal AVR value. To determine it, a classification of vessels as arteries or veins is indispensable. As to our knowledge despite the importance there have only been two approaches to vessel classification yet. Therefore we propose an improved method. We compare two feature extraction methods and two classification methods based on support vector machines and neural networks. Given a hand-segmentation of vessels our approach achieves 95.32% correctly classified vessel pixels. This value decreases by 10% on average, if the result of a segmentation algorithm is used as basis for the classification.

  4. Clinical features and etiology of retinal vasculitis in Northern Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supanut Apinyawasisuk

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To report on the clinical features and etiology of patients with retinal vasculitis (RV. Materials and Methods: We reviewed medical records of 47 patients (75 affected eyes diagnosed with RV. Clinical presentations, ocular complications, associated systemic diseases, and treatment regimens were registered. Results: Etiology of RV included infectious causes in 10/47, (21% while an association with systemic and/or ocular non-infectious disorders was noted in 22/47 (47%. Eales′ disease and Behcet′s disease represented the most common clinical entities in non-infectious group while tuberculosis-associated RV was diagnosed in 6/10 (60% among those with infectious disorders. RV was bilateral in 28/47 (60% patients. Retinal veins were most commonly affected (72%, 34/47. Involvement of arteries was present in 12/47 (25% and was associated with viral infections and Behcet′s disease. Ocular complications developed in 60/75 (80% eyes. The most common complications were elevated intraocular pressure and/or glaucoma (33/75, 44%. Retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and cystoid macular edema developed in similar percentages (15%. Conclusions: RV in Thailand manifested mostly in male patients, was typically bilateral and involved mostly veins. Involvement of arteries was observed in patients with viral infections and Behcet′s disease. Tuberculosis was the most common infectious cause.

  5. Scatter Photocoagulation Does Not Reduce Macular Edema or Treatment Burden in Patients with Retinal Vein Occlusion: The RELATE Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campochiaro, Peter A; Hafiz, Gulnar; Mir, Tahreem A; Scott, Adrienne W; Solomon, Sharon; Zimmer-Galler, Ingrid; Sodhi, Akrit; Duh, Elia; Ying, Howard; Wenick, Adam; Shah, Syed Mahmood; Do, Diana V; Nguyen, Quan D; Kherani, Saleema; Sophie, Raafay

    2015-07-01

    To determine whether scatter and grid laser photocoagulation (laser) adds benefit to ranibizumab injections in patients with macular edema from retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and to compare 0.5-mg with 2.0-mg ranibizumab. Randomized, double-masked, controlled clinical trial. Thirty-nine patients with central RVO (CRVO) and 42 with branch RVO (BRVO). Subjects were randomized to 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg ranibizumab every 4 weeks for 24 weeks and re-randomized to pro re nata ranibizumab plus laser or ranibizumab alone. Mean change from baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 24 for BCVA at weeks 48, 96, and 144 for second randomization. Mean improvement from baseline BCVA at week 24 was 15.5 and 15.8 letters in the 0.5-mg and 2.0-mg CRVO groups, and 12.1 and 14.6 letters in the 0.5-mg and 2.0-mg BRVO groups. For CRVO, but not BRVO, there was significantly greater reduction from baseline mean central subfield thickness (CST) in the 2.0-mg versus 0.5-mg group (396.1 vs. 253.5 μm; P = 0.03). For the second randomization in CRVO patients, there was no significant difference from week 24 BCVA in the ranibizumab plus laser versus the ranibizumab only groups at week 48 (-3.3 vs. 0.0 letters), week 96 (+0.69 vs. -1.6 letters), or week 144 (+0.4 vs. -6.7 letters), and a significant increase from week 24 mean CST at week 48 (+94.7 vs. +15.2 μm; P = 0.05) but not weeks 96 or 144. For BRVO, there was a significant reduction from week 24 mean BCVA in ranibizumab plus laser versus ranibizumab at week 48 (-7.5 vs. +2.8; P 2.0 vs. +4.8; P 2.0-mg versus 0.5-mg ranibizumab injections and no long-term benefit in BCVA, resolution of edema, or number of ranibizumab injections obtained by addition of laser treatment to ranibizumab. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Retinal glia promote dorsal root ganglion axon regeneration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Lorber

    Full Text Available Axon regeneration in the adult central nervous system (CNS is limited by several factors including a lack of neurotrophic support. Recent studies have shown that glia from the adult rat CNS, specifically retinal astrocytes and Müller glia, can promote regeneration of retinal ganglion cell axons. In the present study we investigated whether retinal glia also exert a growth promoting effect outside the visual system. We found that retinal glial conditioned medium significantly enhanced neurite growth and branching of adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRG in culture. Furthermore, transplantation of retinal glia significantly enhanced regeneration of DRG axons past the dorsal root entry zone after root crush in adult rats. To identify the factors that mediate the growth promoting effects of retinal glia, mass spectrometric analysis of retinal glial conditioned medium was performed. Apolipoprotein E and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC were found to be present in high abundance, a finding further confirmed by western blotting. Inhibition of Apolipoprotein E and SPARC significantly reduced the neuritogenic effects of retinal glial conditioned medium on DRG in culture, suggesting that Apolipoprotein E and SPARC are the major mediators of this regenerative response.

  7. Hepatic VX2 tumor after portal vein occlusion in rabbits: evaluation with DSA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Yueyong; Zou Liguang; Dai Shuhua; Zhang Qichuan; Chen Lin; Huang Xiaobing; Huan Guangqiang

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the value of DSA for hepatic vascular anatomy, and to evaluate the efficacy of portal vein occlusion in rabbits with hepatic VX2 tumor. Methods: Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups with 10 in each group, including test group A and positive control group B of ham operation. For the test group A, portal branch ligation (PBL) was performed for the left external branch after 3 weeks of the tumor implantation to the left external lobe. Two weeks later, the DSA of hepatic artery and portal vein were performed in all of the rabbits. Results: The total displaying effectiveness of the branches of hepatic artery by DSA was better than that by vascular perfusion. There was hypovascular blood supply to hepatic artery implantation of the tumor in the test group A, comparing with that of the group B. Conclusion: DSA can clearly display special details of the hepatic vascular anatomy in rabbits, and play an important role in post-procedural evaluation of the portal vein occlusion in rabbits. (authors)

  8. Retinal Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress and the Effects of a Free Radical Scavenger (Edaravone)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Hideaki

    2017-01-01

    Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in developing and accelerating retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). An excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to functional and morphological impairments in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), endothelial cells, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Here we demonstrate that edaravone, a free radical scavenger, decreased apoptotic cell death, oxidative damage to DNA and lipids, and angiogenesis through inhibiting JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in AMD, glaucoma, DR, and RVO animal models. These data suggest that the therapeutic strategy for targeting oxidative stress may be important for the treatment of these ocular diseases, and edaravone may be useful for treating retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress. PMID:28194256

  9. Imaging of Dual Ophthalmic Arteries: Identification of the Central Retinal Artery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louise Louw

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Identification of the origin of the central retinal artery (CRA is imperative in tailoring angiographic studies to resolve a given clinical problem. A case with dual ophthalmic arteries (OAs, characterized by different origins and distinct branching patterns, is documented for training purposes. Pre-clinical diagnosis of a 9-year-old child who presented with a sharp wire in the left-side eyeball was primarily corneal laceration. For imaging, a selected six-vessel angiographic study with the transfemoral approach was performed. Embolization was not required and the wire could be successfully removed. Right-side OA anatomy was normal, while left-side dual OAs with external carotid artery (ECA and internal carotid artery (ICA origins were seen. The case presented with a left-side meningo-ophthalmic artery (M-OA anomaly via the ECA, marked by a middle meningeal artery (MMA (origin: Maxillary artery; course: Through foramen spinosum with normal branches (i.e. anterior and posterior branches, and an OA variant (course: Through superior orbital fissure with a distinct orbital branching pattern. A smaller OA (origin: ICA; course: Through optic foramen with a distinct ocular branching pattern presented with the central retinal artery (CRA. The presence of the dual OAs and the M-OA anomaly can be explained by disturbed evolutionary changes of the primitive OA and stapedial artery during development. The surgical interventionist must be aware of dual OAs and M-OA anomalies with branching pattern variations on retinal supply, because of dangerous extracranial-intracranial anastomotic connections. It is of clinical significance that the origin of the CRA from the ICA or ECA must be determined to avoid complications to the vision.

  10. Radial optic neurotomy for ischaemic central vein occlusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Jardón, C S; Meza-de Regil, A; Dalma-Weiszhausz, J; Leizaola-Fernández, C; Morales-Cantón, V; Guerrero-Naranjo, J L; Quiroz-Mercado, H

    2005-01-01

    Background/aims: Ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) accounts for 20–50% of all CRVO. No treatment has been proved to be effective. The efficacy of radial optic neurotomy (RON) was evaluated in eyes with ischaemic CRVO. Methods: 10 patients with ischaemic CRVO underwent RON. After pars plana vitrectomy, a microvitreoretinal blade was used to incise the scleral ring, cribriform plate, and adjacent sclera at the nasal edge of the optic disc. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), fluorescein angiography (FA), multifocal electroretinography (mfERG), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were measured preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Results: No visual improvement was noted in the eyes that underwent RON. FA and mfERG showed no increase in retinal perfusion or retinal function postoperatively. Mean macular central thickness changed from 841 (SD 170) μm preoperatively to 162 (SD 34) μm at the sixth postoperative month. One patient had retinal central artery perforation intraoperatively. One patient developed neovascular glaucoma. Conclusion: RON in ischaemic CRVO did not improve visual function (by mfERG) or visual acuity although macular thickness did improve. This technique may be associated with potential risks. Randomised studies are needed to corroborate these results. PMID:15834084

  11. Hemi-central retinal artery occlusion in young adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rishi Pukhraj

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Amongst the clinical presentations of retinal artery occlusion, hemi-central retinal artery occlusion (Hemi-CRAO is rarely described. This case series of four adults aged between 22 and 36 years attempts to describe the clinical profile, etiology and management of Hemi-CRAO. Case 1 had an artificial mitral valve implant. Polycythemia and malignant hypertension were noted in Case 2. The third patient had Leiden mutation while the fourth patient had Eisenmenger′s syndrome. Clinical examination and fundus fluorescein angiography revealed a bifurcated central retinal artery at emergence from the optic nerve head, in all cases. Color Doppler examination of the central retinal artery confirmed branching of the artery behind the lamina cribrosa. It is hypothesized that bifurcation of central retinal artery behind the lamina cribrosa may predispose these hemi-trunks to develop an acute occlusion if associated with underlying risk factors. The prognosis depends upon arterial recanalisation and etiology of the thromboembolic event.

  12. Retinal Oximetry and Vessel Diameter Measurements With a Commercially Available Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope in Diabetic Retinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blair, Norman P; Wanek, Justin; Felder, Anthony E; Joslin, Charlotte E; Kresovich, Jacob K; Lim, Jennifer I; Chau, Felix Y; Leiderman, Yannek; Shahidi, Mahnaz

    2017-10-01

    To test the hypothesis that retinal vascular diameter and hemoglobin oxygen saturation alterations, according to stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR), are discernible with a commercially available scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). One hundred eighty-one subjects with no diabetes (No DM), diabetes with no DR (No DR), nonproliferative DR (NPDR), or proliferative DR (PDR, all had photocoagulation) underwent imaging with an SLO with dual lasers (532 nm and 633 nm). Customized image analysis software determined the diameters of retinal arteries and veins (DA and DV) and central retinal artery and vein equivalents (CRAE and CRVE). Oxygen saturations of hemoglobin in arteries and veins (SO2A and SO2V) were estimated from optical densities of vessels on images at the two wavelengths. Statistical models were generated by adjusting for effects of sex, race, age, eye, and fundus pigmentation. DA, CRAE, and CRVE were reduced in PDR compared to No DM (P ≤ 0.03). DV and CRVE were similar between No DM and No DR, but they were higher in NPDR than No DR (P ≤ 0.01). Effect of stage of disease on SO2A differed by race, being increased relative to No DM in NPDR and PDR in Hispanic participants only (P ≤ 0.02). Relative to No DM, SO2V was increased in NPDR and PDR (P ≤ 0.05). Alterations in retinal vascular diameters and SO2 by diabetic retinopathy stage can be detected with a widely available SLO, and covariates such as race can influence the results.

  13. Retinal Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress and the Effects of a Free Radical Scavenger (Edaravone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomomi Masuda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in developing and accelerating retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO. An excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS can lead to functional and morphological impairments in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE, endothelial cells, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs. Here we demonstrate that edaravone, a free radical scavenger, decreased apoptotic cell death, oxidative damage to DNA and lipids, and angiogenesis through inhibiting JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in AMD, glaucoma, DR, and RVO animal models. These data suggest that the therapeutic strategy for targeting oxidative stress may be important for the treatment of these ocular diseases, and edaravone may be useful for treating retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress.

  14. Endovascular management for significant iatrogenic portal vein bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong Woo; Shin, Ji Hoon; Park, Jonathan K; Yoon, Hyun-Ki; Ko, Gi-Young; Gwon, Dong Il; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Sung, Kyu-Bo

    2017-11-01

    Background Despite conservative treatment, hemorrhage from an intrahepatic branch of the portal vein can cause hemodynamic instability requiring urgent intervention. Purpose To retrospectively report the outcomes of hemodynamically significant portal vein bleeding after endovascular management. Material and Methods During a period of 15 years, four patients (2 men, 2 women; median age, 70.5 years) underwent angiography and embolization for iatrogenic portal vein bleeding. Causes of hemorrhage, angiographic findings, endovascular treatment, and complications were reported. Results Portal vein bleeding occurred after percutaneous liver biopsy (n = 2), percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (n = 1), and percutaneous cholecystostomy (n = 1). The median time interval between angiography and percutaneous procedure was 5 h (range, 4-240 h). Common hepatic angiograms including indirect mesenteric portograms showed active portal vein bleeding into the peritoneal cavity with (n = 1) or without (n = 2) an arterioportal (AP) fistula, and portal vein pseudoaneurysm alone with an AP fistula (n = 1). Successful transcatheter arterial embolization (n = 2) or percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization (n = 2) was performed. Embolic materials were n-butyl cyanoacrylate alone (n = 2) or in combination with gelatin sponge particles and coils (n = 2). There were no major treatment-related complications or patient mortality within 30 days. Conclusion Patients with symptomatic or life-threatening portal vein bleeding following liver-penetrating procedures can successfully be managed with embolization.

  15. Transhepatic course of the portal vein with subcapsular ramification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goebel, N

    1985-06-01

    In a patient, investigated for uterine carcinoma, CT of the liver showed an anomalous course of a large portal vein, which traversed the liver and divided under the ventrolateral liver capsule in its branches. There were no signs of portal hypertension.

  16. In Vivo Imaging of Retinal Hypoxia in a Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uddin, Md Imam; Evans, Stephanie M; Craft, Jason R; Capozzi, Megan E; McCollum, Gary W; Yang, Rong; Marnett, Lawrence J; Uddin, Md Jashim; Jayagopal, Ashwath; Penn, John S

    2016-08-05

    Ischemia-induced hypoxia elicits retinal neovascularization and is a major component of several blinding retinopathies such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Currently, noninvasive imaging techniques capable of detecting and monitoring retinal hypoxia in living systems do not exist. Such techniques would greatly clarify the role of hypoxia in experimental and human retinal neovascular pathogenesis. In this study, we developed and characterized HYPOX-4, a fluorescence-imaging probe capable of detecting retinal-hypoxia in living animals. HYPOX-4 dependent in vivo and ex vivo imaging of hypoxia was tested in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Predicted patterns of retinal hypoxia were imaged by HYPOX-4 dependent fluorescence activity in this animal model. In retinal cells and mouse retinal tissue, pimonidazole-adduct immunostaining confirmed the hypoxia selectivity of HYPOX-4. HYPOX-4 had no effect on retinal cell proliferation as indicated by BrdU assay and exhibited no acute toxicity in retinal tissue as indicated by TUNEL assay and electroretinography (ERG) analysis. Therefore, HYPOX-4 could potentially serve as the basis for in vivo fluorescence-based hypoxia-imaging techniques, providing a tool for investigators to understand the pathogenesis of ischemic retinopathies and for physicians to address unmet clinical needs.

  17. Acute paraumbilical vein recanalization: an unusual complication of acute pancreatitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R J Foster

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Acute pancreatitis is associated with a number of well-known complications and imaging findings. Spontaneous recanalization of the paraumbilical veins as a consequence of pancreatitis in a patient with an otherwise normal liver is, however, a rare entity. This case report depicts this unusual complication as a consequence of gallstone pancreatitis in a patient with a non-cirrhotic liver and no clinical or radiological evidence of portal hypertension. There was recanalization of the paraumbilical veins followed by thrombosis, which is believed to have propagated in a retrograde fashion into distal branches of the otherwise patent portal vein. A literature search for similar cases such as this has yielded no results. Although rare, clinicians and radiologists alike need to be aware of this finding. This case discussion highlights the embryology and anatomy of the paraumbilical veins, as well as discusses the management of paraumbilical and portal vein thrombosis.

  18. Hypoxia-ischemia and retinal ganglion cell damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charanjit Kaur

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Charanjit Kaur1, Wallace S Foulds2, Eng-Ang Ling11Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; 2Singapore Eye Research Institute, SingaporeAbstract: Retinal hypoxia is the potentially blinding mechanism underlying a number of sight-threatening disorders including central retinal artery occlusion, ischemic central retinal vein thrombosis, complications of diabetic eye disease and some types of glaucoma. Hypoxia is implicated in loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs occurring in such conditions. RGC death occurs by apoptosis or necrosis. Hypoxia-ischemia induces the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α and its target genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and nitric oxide synthase (NOS. Increased production of VEGF results in disruption of the blood retinal barrier leading to retinal edema. Enhanced expression of NOS results in increased production of nitric oxide which may be toxic to the cells resulting in their death. Excess glutamate release in hypoxic-ischemic conditions causes excitotoxic damage to the RGCs through activation of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Activation of glutamate receptors is thought to initiate damage in the retina by a cascade of biochemical effects such as neuronal NOS activation and increase in intracellular Ca2+ which has been described as a major contributing factor to RGC loss. Excess production of proinflammatory cytokines also mediates cell damage. Besides the above, free-radicals generated in hypoxic-ischemic conditions result in RGC loss because of an imbalance between antioxidant- and oxidant-generating systems. Although many advances have been made in understanding the mediators and mechanisms of injury, strategies to improve the damage are lacking. Measures to prevent neuronal injury have to be developed.Keywords: retinal hypoxia, retinal ganglion cells, glutamate receptors, neuronal injury, retina

  19. Anatomy of the portal and hepatic veins of the dog: a basis for systematic evaluation of the liver by ultrasonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlisle, C.H.; Wu, J.X.; Heath, T.J.

    1995-01-01

    The objective of this study was to define, in detail, the anatomy of the portal and hepatic veins in the dog in order to establish a procedure for the systematic evaluation of the liver by ultrasonography. Anatomical details were obtained from the formalin fixed livers of ten dogs. The hepatic and portal veins were removed intact from these livers so that a detailed pattern of distribution could be established and the numbers of branches could be counted. Silastic casts were also made of the hepatic and portal veins of two livers, one in situ and one in which it had been removed. The former was to enable the relationship of the portal to the hepatic veins to be established as closely as possible within the animal and the other to provide a model of the distribution of each venous system within the liver. Contrast medium was infused into two other livers and radiographs taken to establish the relationship of each branch to each lobe. It was found that there was a consistent pattern of venous branching to each lobe of the liver in the dog with little variation between individual specimens. All liver lobes contained definite venous branches so that the left lateral and medial, quadrate, right medial and lateral, caudate and papillary veins could be distinguished in each venous system. We believe that an appreciation of this venous distribution will aid in the systematic evaluation of the liver during ultrasonography by enabling identification of each liver lobe. It should be of value for differentiating portal from hepatic veins and veins from dilated bile ducts

  20. Perforation of Axillary Vein by a Branch of the Axillary Artery: an Anatomical Study

    OpenAIRE

    Mahajan, Anita; Rana, K. K; Saha, S

    2012-01-01

    Anatomical variations in the region of axilla and pectoral region are very common. These variations need attention to avoid complications arising during surgeries and diagnostic and interventional invasive procedures in this region such as surgeries for breast carcinoma, venous access during central venous line, pacemaker and cardiac defibrillator implantation etc. During routine cadaveric dissection we had noticed a rare variation of axillary vein and artery. In this case axillary vein, just...

  1. Efficacy of intravitreal injection of Ranibizumab combined with laser photocoagulation in treatment of macular edema secondary to branch retina vein occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui-Fang Yang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available AIM:To observe the effect and safety of Ranibizumab intravitreal injection combined with laser photocoagulation in treatment of macular edema secondary to branch retina vein occlusion(BRVO.METHODS:Forty-four patients(44 eyeswith macular edema secondary to BRVO were enrolled. Patients received intravitreal injection of ranibizumab(0.05mL/0.5mgand laser photocoagulation(ranibizumab groupor laser photocoagulation alone(control group. Patients in ranibizumab group were given laser photocoagulation at 1mo after intravitreal injection. Then ranibizumab was given again if needed. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA, slitlamp examination, fundus examination, non-contact tonometer examination and fundus fluorescein angiography were taken. All patients were followed up for 6mo. We analyzed the changes on BCVA,central macular thickness(CMTbefore and 1,4,12 and 24wk after treatments, and related complications were recorded. RESULTS:Outcomes are significantly better in ranibizumab group with reduced retinal thickness and improved visual acuity. In ranibizumab group, both visual acuity and CMT values were significantly better than those before treatments(visual acuity:t=5.781,7.496,7.341,7.836, all P=0.000; CMT:t=9.784,11.893,11.573,11.437, all P=0.000.In control group, the improvement on visual acuity was not significantly better than that before treatment at 1wk(t=2.130,P=0.053; while the improvement on visual acuity was significantly better at 4,12 and 24wk(t=3.524,6.429,6.922,P=0.04,0.000,0.000.The improvements on visual acuity after treatments in ranibizumab group were significantly better than those in control group at 1,4,12 and 24wk(t=2.604,3.223,3.303,3.296,P=0.015,0.03,0.04,0.03.CMT values after treatments in ranibizumab group were significantly better than those in contral group at 1,4,12 and 24wk(t=43.231,50.504,56.074,38.103,all P=0.000.No severe ocular and systematic side effect was found.CONCLUSION:Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab

  2. CO2-DSA in lower extremity veins: a clinical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Jinhe; Teng Gaojun; Zhu Guangyu; Liu Zhensheng; Li Guozhao; Ding Huijuan; Shen Zhiping; He Shicheng; Deng Gang; Fang Wen

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To explore the feasibility and usefulness of carbon dioxide digital subtraction angiography (CO 2 -DSA) in deep veins of lower extremity via the dorsal is pedis vein. Methods: CO 2 -DSA in lower extremity veins was performed in 15 patients (15 limbs affected, male 9, female 6) by injection of CO 2 via the dorsal is pedis vein. Among them, 8 patients were suspected with deep venous thrombosis (DVT), 6 patients with saphena magna dilation, and 1 patient with a follow-up after thrombolysis due to DVT. Results: Excellent image was obtained in 12 cases, which showed branches of the venous system clearly, as well as the details of DVT. Good image was obtained in 2 cases. Technical failure was encountered in one patient due to inaccessible puncture veins. Mild discomfort (transient pain at the percutaneous site) during the procedure was demonstrated in 11 patients. There was no severe side effects or complications in this series. Conclusion: CO 2 -DSA in lower extremity veins is feasible and safe, the preliminary result is satisfactory. (authors)

  3. Intravitreal aflibercept for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: 18-month results of the phase 3 GALILEO study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogura, Yuichiro; Roider, Johann; Korobelnik, Jean-François; Holz, Frank G; Simader, Christian; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula; Vitti, Robert; Berliner, Alyson J; Hiemeyer, Florian; Stemper, Brigitte; Zeitz, Oliver; Sandbrink, Rupert

    2014-11-01

    To evaluate intravitreal aflibercept for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Randomized, double-masked, phase 3 study. A total of 177 patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO were randomized to receive 2 mg intravitreal aflibercept (n = 106) or sham (n = 71) every 4 weeks for 20 weeks. From weeks 24 to 48, patients were monitored every 4 weeks; the former group received intravitreal aflibercept as needed (PRN), and the sham group received sham. From weeks 52 to 76, patients were monitored every 8 weeks, and both groups received intravitreal aflibercept PRN. The primary endpoint (proportion of patients who gained ≥15 letters) was at week 24. This study reports exploratory outcomes at week 76. The proportion of patients who gained ≥15 letters in the intravitreal aflibercept and sham groups was 60.2% vs 22.1% at week 24 (patients discontinued before week 24 were considered nonresponders; P < .0001), 60.2% vs 32.4% at week 52 (last observation carried forward, P < .001), and 57.3% vs 29.4% at week 76 (last observation carried forward; P < .001). Mean μm change from baseline central retinal thickness was -448.6 vs -169.3 at week 24 (P < .0001), -423.5 vs -219.3 at week 52 (P < .0001), and -389.4 vs -306.4 at week 76 (P = .1122). Over 76 weeks, the most common ocular serious adverse event in the intravitreal aflibercept group was macular edema (3.8%). The visual and anatomic improvements seen after fixed, monthly dosing at week 24 were largely maintained when treatment intervals were extended. Patients with macular edema following CRVO benefited from early treatment with intravitreal aflibercept. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Grid laser with modified pro re nata injection of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: MARVEL report no 2

    OpenAIRE

    Narayanan, Raja; Stewart,Michael; Das,Taraprasad; Chhablani,Jay; Jalali,Subhadra; Ali,Mohammad Hasnat; Panchal,Bhavik

    2016-01-01

    Raja Narayanan,1 Bhavik Panchal,1 Michael W Stewart,2 Taraprasad Das,1 Jay Chhablani,1 Subhadra Jalali,1 Mohd Hasnat Ali3 On behalf of MARVEL study group 1Smt. Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreo Retinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 3Department of Biostatistics, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India Purpose: The purpose of this study was to prospectively study the efficacy of grid laser combined ...

  5. Right top pulmonary vein: Evaluation with 64 section multidetector computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arslan, Gokhan; Dincer, Elvan; Kabaalioglu, Adnan; Ozkaynak, Can

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and anatomic features of the rare variant of the pulmonary veins named 'right top pulmonary vein' as depicted with 64 section multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Materials and methods: MDCT of 610 patients obtained over 12 months period for diagnosis of suspected thoracic or cardiac pathology were routinely reviewed in transverse and 3D images. The frequency of right top pulmonary vein (RTPV) was determined and anatomic features were also documented. Results: Right top pulmonary vein (RTPV) is a supernumerary vein arising from the roof of the right part of the left atrium separately from the orifice of the right superior pulmonary vein. It crosses behind the intermediate bronchus and drains mainly posterior segment of the right upper lobe but also receives few subsegmental branches of superior segment of the right lower lobe. It was detected in 2.2% of patients (14/610). The mean diameter of RTPV was 5.1 mm. Conclusion: The RTPV is a rare venous drainage variation of pulmonary veins. It is important to be aware of this anatomic pattern for avoiding misinterpretation of pulmonary venographic findings, inadvertent ablation of pulmonary vein and perioperative bleeding during video assisted thorocoscopic lobectomy

  6. Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Macular Edema Resulting from Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: One-Year Results of the Phase 3 GALILEO Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korobelnik, Jean-François; Holz, Frank G; Roider, Johann; Ogura, Yuichiro; Simader, Christian; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula; Lorenz, Katrin; Honda, Miki; Vitti, Robert; Berliner, Alyson J; Hiemeyer, Florian; Stemper, Brigitte; Zeitz, Oliver; Sandbrink, Rupert

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injections for treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). A randomized, multicenter, double-masked phase 3 study. A total of 177 treatment-naive patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO were randomized in a 3:2 ratio. Patients received either 2-mg intravitreal aflibercept or sham injections every 4 weeks for 20 weeks. From week 24 to 48, the aflibercept group received aflibercept as needed (pro re nata [PRN]), and the sham group continued receiving sham injections. The primary efficacy end point was the proportion of patients who gained 15 letters or more in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 24. This study reports week 52 results including the proportion of patients who gained 15 letters or more in BCVA and the mean change from baseline BCVA and central retinal thickness. Efficacy end points at week 52 were all exploratory. At week 52, the mean percentage of patients gaining 15 letters or more was 60.2% in the aflibercept group and 32.4% in the sham group (P = 0.0004). Aflibercept patients, compared with sham patients, had a significantly higher mean improvement in BCVA (+16.9 letters vs. +3.8 letters, respectively) and reduction in central retinal thickness (-423.5 μm vs. -219.3 μm, respectively) at week 52 (P < 0.0001 for both). Aflibercept patients received a mean of 2.5 injections (standard deviation, 1.7 injections) during PRN dosing. The most common ocular adverse events in the aflibercept group were related to the injection procedure or the underlying disease, and included macular edema (33.7%), increased intraocular pressure (17.3%), and eye pain (14.4%). Treatment with intravitreal aflibercept provided significant functional and anatomic benefits after 52 weeks as compared with sham. The improvements achieved after 6 monthly doses at week 24 largely were maintained until week 52 with as-needed dosing. Intravitreal aflibercept

  7. Elevated mitochondrial gene expression during rat liver regeneration after portal vein ligation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Y; Suzuki, H; Nimura, Y; Onoue, S; Nagino, M; Tanaka, M; Ozawa, T

    1995-10-01

    We explored the molecular basis of mitochondrial energy production during rat liver regeneration after portal vein ligation. Ligation of the left branch of the portal vein induces an increase in the weight of the nonligated lobe, counterbalancing the reduced weight of the ligated lobe. Using this model, we investigated changes in mitochondrial DNA-binding proteins, mitochondrial DNA, and mitochondrial messenger RNA (mRNA) in rat hepatocytes of the nonligated lobes. The amount of mitochondrial DNA-binding protein increased maximally (200% to 300% of the preoperative level) at 12 hours after the operation, before an increase (390%) in mitochondrial DNA content at 24 hours, and parallel to an increase (240%) in mitochondrial mRNA levels at 12 hours. These results suggest that the energy supply for liver regeneration is achieved through enhancement of mitochondrial DNA replication as well as transcription, in which the mitochondrial DNA-binding proteins probably play regulatory roles. We also found that in the nonligated lobes, mRNA levels of hepatocyte growth factor increased to a detectable level only 12 hours after the operation. These molecular biochemical data help explain why preoperative portal vein embolization, which is a modification of portal vein branch ligation, is an effective method to prevent posthepatectomy liver failure.

  8. Quantification of rat retinal growth and vascular population changes after single and split doses of proton irradiation: translational study using stereology methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Xiao W.; Archambeau, John O.; Kubinova, Lucie; Boyle, Soames; Petersen, Georgia; Grove, Roger; Nelson, G. A. (Principal Investigator)

    2003-01-01

    This study quantified architectural and population changes in the rat retinal vasculature after proton irradiation using stereology. A 100 MeV conformal proton beam delivered 8, 14, 20 and 28 Gy as single and split doses to the whole eye. The vascular networks were prepared from retinal digests. Stereological methods were used to obtain the area of the retina and unbiased estimates of microvessel/artery/vein endothelial, pericyte and smooth muscle population, and vessel length. The retinal area increased progressively in the unirradiated, age-matched controls and in the retinas irradiated with 8 and 14 Gy, indicating uniform progressive retinal growth. No growth occurred after 20 and 28 Gy. Regression analysis of total endothelial cell number in all vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) after irradiation documented a progressive time- and dose-dependent cell loss occurring over 15 to 24 months. The difference from controls was significant (Ppopulations after split doses. At 10 Gy, the rate of endothelial cell loss, a dose parameter used to characterize the time- and dose-dependent loss of the endothelial population, was doubled.

  9. Stent Recanalization of Chronic Portal Vein Occlusion in a Child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cwikiel, Wojciech; Solvig, Jan; Schroder, Henrik

    2000-01-01

    An 8-year-old boy with a 21/2 year history of portal hypertension and repeated bleedings from esophageal varices, was referred for treatment. The 3.5-cm-long occlusion of the portal vein was passed and the channel created was stabilized with a balloon-expandable stent; a portosystemic stent-shunt was also created. The portosystemic shunt closed spontaneously within 1 month, while the recanalized segment of the portal vein remained open. The pressure gradient between the intrahepatic and extrahepatic portal vein branches dropped from 17 mmHg to 0 mmHg. The pressure in the portal vein dropped from 30 mmHg to 17 mmHg and the bleedings stopped. The next dilation of the stent was performed 12 months later due to an increased pressure gradient; the gastroesophageal varices disappeared completely. Further dilation of the stent was planned after 2, 4, and 6 years

  10. Visual function and retinal vessel diameters during hyperthermia in man

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Bettina Hagström; Bram, Thue; Kappelgaard, Per

    2017-01-01

    .01), a 10.6-mmHg mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure (p vein...... laser ophthalmoscopy was used to measure retinal trunk vessel diameters. Assessment was made at baseline, during hyperthermia and after cooling. RESULTS: The induction of a mean increase in core body temperature of 1.02°C was associated with a 7.15-mmHg mean reduction in systolic blood pressure (p

  11. Beta irradiation inhibits neo-intimal formation in vein grafts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang Xiaoou; Ji Shenquan; Zeng Ke; Li Jun; Liu Bingbing; Ma Wenfeng; Zhang Qiang

    2002-01-01

    Objective: The study was to evaluate the effect of beta irradiation on intimal proliferation response in vein grafts. Methods: An autogenous vein graft model was established in 40 rats by transplanting internal branch of jugular vein to carotid artery by end-to-end anastomosis. The vein was irradiated by 32 P before anastomosis. Four dose schedules were studied: (1) control graft (nonirradiated); (2) irradiated with 8 Gy; (3) 18 Gy; and (4) 36 Gy. The grafted veins were harvested at 2 weeks after the operation. IH (intimal hyperplasia) and SMC (smooth muscle cell) proliferation were histologically and immuno-histochemically observed and analyzed by a computer digitalising system. Results: In 18 Gy and 36 Gy-irradiated grafts compared with the control, there was a significant decrease in the average intimal thickness (P 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis of PCNA indicated decrease of positive cells in both 18 Gy and 36 Gy groups compared with 8 Gy and the control group (P 0.05) groups, and there was also no significant difference between 8 Gy and the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: These preliminary results demonstrate that proper dose of beta irradiation in vein graft inhibits smooth muscle cells proliferation and neo-intimal hyperplasia in rat

  12. Dependence of diameters and oxygen saturation of retinal vessels on visual field damage and age in primary open-angle glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramm, Lisa; Jentsch, Susanne; Peters, Sven; Sauer, Lydia; Augsten, Regine; Hammer, Martin

    2016-05-01

    To investigate the interrelationship between the oxygen supply of the retina and its regulation with the severity of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Central retinal artery (CRAE) and vein (CRVE) diameters and oxygen saturation of peripapillary retinal vessels in 41 patients suffering from POAG (64.1 ± 12.9 years) and 40 healthy volunteers (63.6 ± 14.1 years) were measured using the retinal vessel analyzer. All measures were taken before and during flicker light stimulation. The mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) was determined by OCT and the visual field mean defect (MD) was identified using perimetry. In glaucoma patients, CRAE (r = -0.48 p = 0.002) and CRVE (r = -0.394 p = 0.014) at baseline were inversely related to MD, while arterial and venous oxygen saturation showed no significant dependence on the severity of the damage. However, the flicker light-induced change in arterio-venous difference in oxygen saturation was correlated with the MD (r = 0.358 p = 0.027). The diameters of arteries and veins at baseline decreased with reduction of the mean RNFLT (arteries: r = 0.718 p field loss, may be explained by a reduction of the retinal metabolic demand with progressive loss of neuronal tissue in glaucoma. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Association Between Retinal Vascular Calibre and Blindness in Young Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Malin Lundberg; Lundberg, Lars Kristian; Frydkjær-Olsen, Ulrik

    retinopathy ranged between no retinopathy (20 eyes, 55.6%), mild NPDR (15 eyes, 41.6%) and moderate NPDR (1 eye, 2.8%). From baseline retinal photos, central retinal artery and vein equivalent (CRAE and CRVE) was calculated in the validated semi-automated computer program IVAN using the Big6 method. Two eyes......Association Between Retinal Vascular Calibre and Blindness in Young Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Purpose To examine the association between retinal vascular calibre and incident blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy in young patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods A case-control study of 6...... years. Incident blindness was defined for patients who registered between 1995 and 2010 in the Danish Association of the Blind, which is a voluntary organization open for patients with a visual acuity at or below 6/60 (0.1) in the best eye. Each blind patient was matched with 3 controls regarding age...

  14. Impaired Retinal Vasodilator Responses in Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lott, Mary E.J.; Slocomb, Julia E.; Shivkumar, Vikram; Smith, Bruce; Quillen, David; Gabbay, Robert A.; Gardner, Thomas W.; Bettermann, Kerstin

    2013-01-01

    Purpose In diabetes, endothelial dysfunction and subsequent structural damage to blood vessels can lead to heart attacks, retinopathy and strokes. However, it is unclear whether prediabetic subjects exhibit microvascular dysfunction indicating early stages of arteriosclerosis and vascular risk. The purpose of this study was to examine whether retinal reactivity may be impaired early in the hyperglycemic continuum and may be associated with markers of inflammation. Methods Individuals with prediabetes (n = 22), type 2 diabetes (n = 25) and healthy age and body composition matched controls (n = 19) were studied. We used the Dynamic Vessel Analyzer to assess retinal vasoreactivity (percent change in vessel diameter) during a flickering light stimulation. Fasting highly sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation, was measured in blood plasma. Results Prediabetic and diabetic individuals had attenuated peak vasodilator and relative amplitude changes in retinal vein diameters to the flickering light stimulus compared to healthy controls (peak dilation: prediabetic subjects 3.3 ± 1.8 %, diabetic subjects 3.3 ± 2.1% controls 5.6 ± 2.6%, p = .001; relative amplitude: prediabetic subjects 4.3 ± 2.2%, diabetic subjects 5.0 ± 2.6% and control subjects 7.2 ± 3.2%, p = .003). Similar findings were observed in retinal arteries. Levels of hs-CRP were not associated with either retinal vessel response parameters. Conclusion Retinal reactivity was impaired in prediabetic and type 2 diabetic individuals in parallel with reduced insulin sensitivity but not associated with levels of hs-CRP. Retinal vasoreactivity measurements may be a sensitive tool to assess early vascular risk. PMID:23742315

  15. A Graph Cut Approach to Artery/Vein Classification in Ultra-Widefield Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellegrini, Enrico; Robertson, Gavin; MacGillivray, Tom; van Hemert, Jano; Houston, Graeme; Trucco, Emanuele

    2018-02-01

    The classification of blood vessels into arterioles and venules is a fundamental step in the automatic investigation of retinal biomarkers for systemic diseases. In this paper, we present a novel technique for vessel classification on ultra-wide-field-of-view images of the retinal fundus acquired with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a fully automated artery/vein classification technique for this type of retinal imaging with no manual intervention has been presented. The proposed method exploits hand-crafted features based on local vessel intensity and vascular morphology to formulate a graph representation from which a globally optimal separation between the arterial and venular networks is computed by graph cut approach. The technique was tested on three different data sets (one publicly available and two local) and achieved an average classification accuracy of 0.883 in the largest data set.

  16. Dorsal raphe nucleus projecting retinal ganglion cells: Why Y cells?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickard, Gary E.; So, Kwok-Fai; Pu, Mingliang

    2015-01-01

    Retinal ganglion Y (alpha) cells are found in retinas ranging from frogs to mice to primates. The highly conserved nature of the large, fast conducting retinal Y cell is a testament to its fundamental task, although precisely what this task is remained ill-defined. The recent discovery that Y-alpha retinal ganglion cells send axon collaterals to the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in addition to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), medial interlaminar nucleus (MIN), pretectum and the superior colliculus (SC) has offered new insights into the important survival tasks performed by these cells with highly branched axons. We propose that in addition to its role in visual perception, the Y-alpha retinal ganglion cell provides concurrent signals via axon collaterals to the DRN, the major source of serotonergic afferents to the forebrain, to dramatically inhibit 5-HT activity during orientation or alerting/escape responses, which dis-facilitates ongoing tonic motor activity while dis-inhibiting sensory information processing throughout the visual system. The new data provide a fresh view of these evolutionarily old retinal ganglion cells. PMID:26363667

  17. In vitro induction of protein complexes between bevacizumab, VEGF-A¹⁶⁵ and heparin: explanation for deposits observed on endothelial veins in monkey eyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julien, Sylvie; Biesemeier, Antje; Schraermeyer, Ulrich

    2013-04-01

    By investigating the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab on retinal vessels of monkeys, we found that bevacizumab accumulated locally at high concentration within individual blood vessels. It formed electron-dense fibrous deposits between endothelial cells and erythrocytes or granulocytes inducing retinal vein thrombosis. To better characterise the observed deposits, we investigated in vitro whether these deposits result from a complex between bevacizumab, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A(165) and heparin. Cynomolgus monkeys were intravitreally injected with 1.25 mg bevacizumab. The eyes were enucleated between 1 and 14 days after injection and investigated by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were incubated with bevacizumab, VEGF-A(165) and heparin at different concentrations. Treatments with ranibizumab served as control. Bevacizumab and ranibizumab were detected immunohistochemically using Cy-3 or immunogold labelled antibodies. Treated animals showed bevacizumab locally at high concentration within retinal blood vessels. Electron-dense deposits inside retinal vessels and between erythrocytes were detected in three out of four treated monkeys. In vitro, many globular aggregates heavily stained with anti-human IgG were only observed with equimolar amounts (240 nM) of bevacizumab and VEGF-A(165) and 0.2 U/ml heparin and not after ranibizumab treatment. The immunogold labelling specifically localised ultrastructurally the complexes formed between bevacizumab, VEGF-A(165) and heparin at the surfaces of HUVEC cells. Heparin promotes bevacizumab immune complex deposition on to endothelial cells. Our in vitro results could explain the presence of deposits observed on endothelial veins in monkey eyes intravitreally injected with bevacizumab.

  18. Anatomical and radiographical studies on the venous drainage of the udder in goat with special reference to the cranial superficial epigastric vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z.A. Adam

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The present study was achieved to clarify the venous drainage of the udder in twelve healthy Egyptian Baladi goats. Gum-milk latex injection (nine specimens and radiographic imaging technique (three specimens were used to demonstrate the course and tributaries of the main veins draining the udder. The obtained results revealed that the udder of goat was drained through three venous circles, one at its base, while the other two were present in the form of one circle at the base of each teat. The basal venous circle was formed by the external pudendal and cranial superficial epigastric veins, as well as the dorsal labial and mammary branch of the ventral perineal vein. While the papillary venous circle was formed mainly by the cranial and caudal lateral sinus branches of the cranial mammary vein of the external pudendal vein. Also, the origin, course, distribution and termination of the cranial superficial epigastric vein were described. The venous architecture reported in this study could serve as a guide for the further surgical interference within the udder of goat.

  19. Retinal artery occlusion during carotid artery stenting with distal embolic protection device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohara, Kotaro; Ishikawa, Tatsuya; Kobayashi, Tomonori; Kawamata, Takakazu

    2018-01-01

    Retinal artery occlusion associated with carotid artery stenosis is well known. Although it can also occur at the time of carotid artery stenting, retinal artery occlusion via the collateral circulation of the external carotid artery is rare. We encountered two cases of retinal artery occlusion that were thought to be caused by an embolus from the external carotid artery during carotid artery stenting with a distal embolic protection device for the internal carotid artery. A 71-year-old man presented with central retinal artery occlusion after carotid artery stenting using the Carotid Guardwire PS and a 77-year-old man presented with branch retinal artery occlusion after carotid artery stenting using the FilterWire EZ. Because additional new cerebral ischaemic lesions were not detected in either case by postoperative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, it was highly likely that the debris that caused retinal artery occlusion passed through not the internal carotid artery but collaterals to retinal arteries from the external carotid artery, which was not protected by a distal embolic protection device. It is suggested that a distal protection device for the internal carotid artery alone cannot prevent retinal artery embolisation during carotid artery stenting and protection of the external carotid artery is important to avoid retinal artery occlusion.

  20. Analysis of hepatic vein variations in healthy people with 64-slice spiral CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Rong; Li Yong; Shen Jun; Zeng Weike; Li Jieting; Huang Suiqiao; Liang Biling; Liu Chao

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To analyze variations of hepatic vein in healthy people with 64-slice spiral CT. Methods: Seventy-five healthy subjects underwent multi-slice spiral computed (MSCT) hepatic venography. The anatomy of the junction of the hepatic veins with the inferior vena cava and the intrahepatic drainage territory of the hepatic veins and tributaries were evaluated. The hepatic veins were classified according to three anatomic classification (Nakamura's, Marcos's and Kawasaki's classification) methods respectively. Results: There was a common trunk of the middle and left hepatic veins before joining the IVC in 86.7% (65/75)of the cases. In 13.3% (10/75)of the cases, the three main hepatic veins joined the IVC separately. The ratios of Nakamma's classification type A, B, C of hepatic veins were 49.4% (37/75), 37.3% (28/75), and 13.3% (10/75) respectively. The ratios of Marcos's classification type A, B, C of hepatic veins were 56.0% (42/75), 24.0% (18/75), and 20.0% (15/75) respectively. The ratios of Kawasaki's classification type I, II of hepatic vein were 40.0% (30/75) and 60.0% (45/75). Conclusion: Multi-slice spiral CT hepatic venography can provide visualization of peripheral hepatic venous branches in details. (authors)

  1. Heritability of retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taarnhøj, Nina C B B; Larsen, Michael; Sander, Birgit

    2006-01-01

    PURPOSE: To assess the relative influence of genetic and environmental effects on retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure in healthy adults, as well as the possible genetic connection between these two characteristics. METHODS: In 55 monozygotic and 50 dizygotic same-sex healthy twin pairs......%-80%) for CRAE, 83% (95% CI: 73%-89%) for CRVE, and 61% (95% CI: 44%-73%) for mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Retinal artery diameter decreased with increasing age and increasing arterial blood pressure. Mean vessel diameters in the population were 165.8 +/- 14.9 microm for CRAE, 246.2 +/- 17.7 microm...... for CRVE, and 0.67 +/- 0.05 microm for AVR. No significant influence on artery or vein diameters was found for gender, smoking, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, or 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test values. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy young adults with normal blood pressure...

  2. Sclerotherapy of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Index A-Z Sclerotherapy of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Sclerotherapy uses injections from a very fine, ... Sclerotherapy? What is Sclerotherapy of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins? Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment used ...

  3. Regorafenib-induced retinal and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a metastatic colorectal cancer patient with liver dysfunction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchihashi, Kenji; Shimokawa, Hozumi; Takayoshi, Kotoe; Nio, Kenta; Aikawa, Tomomi; Matsushita, Yuzo; Wada, Iori; Arita, Shuji; Ariyama, Hiroshi; Kusaba, Hitoshi; Sonoda, Koh-Hei; Akashi, Koichi; Baba, Eishi

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: Regorafenib is effective for metastatic colorectal cancer but its toxicity such as hemorrhage should be considered. The safety of regorafenib for the patient with the liver disease is not known. Patient concerns: Seventy-one-year old man of colon cancer had myodesopsia and blood stool after 14 days from the initiation of regorafenib administration with 50% dose reduction due to liver dysfunction. Diagnoses: Fundus examination revealed hemorrhage of the retinal vein. Interventions: Regorafenib treatment was discontinued and observational therapy was pursued. Outcomes: Retinal and gastrointestinal hemorrhage resolved in 1 week. Lessons: Retinal hemorrhage should be considered as the differential diagnosis of myodesopsia in the patient treated by regorafenib. Safety and pharmacokinetic of continuous regorafenib administration for patients with liver dysfunction remains to be clarified. PMID:29049226

  4. Regorafenib-induced retinal and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a metastatic colorectal cancer patient with liver dysfunction: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchihashi, Kenji; Shimokawa, Hozumi; Takayoshi, Kotoe; Nio, Kenta; Aikawa, Tomomi; Matsushita, Yuzo; Wada, Iori; Arita, Shuji; Ariyama, Hiroshi; Kusaba, Hitoshi; Sonoda, Koh-Hei; Akashi, Koichi; Baba, Eishi

    2017-10-01

    Regorafenib is effective for metastatic colorectal cancer but its toxicity such as hemorrhage should be considered. The safety of regorafenib for the patient with the liver disease is not known. Seventy-one-year old man of colon cancer had myodesopsia and blood stool after 14 days from the initiation of regorafenib administration with 50% dose reduction due to liver dysfunction. Fundus examination revealed hemorrhage of the retinal vein. Regorafenib treatment was discontinued and observational therapy was pursued. Retinal and gastrointestinal hemorrhage resolved in 1 week. Retinal hemorrhage should be considered as the differential diagnosis of myodesopsia in the patient treated by regorafenib. Safety and pharmacokinetic of continuous regorafenib administration for patients with liver dysfunction remains to be clarified.

  5. Intrahepatic Left to Right Portoportal Venous Collateral Vascular Formation in Patients Undergoing Right Portal Vein Ligation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lienden, K. P. van, E-mail: k.p.vanlienden@amc.uva.nl [Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Interventional Radiology (Netherlands); Hoekstra, L. T. [Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery (Netherlands); Bennink, R. J. [Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Nuclear Medicine (Netherlands); Gulik, T. M. van [Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery (Netherlands)

    2013-12-15

    Purpose: We investigated intrahepatic vascular changes in patients undergoing right portal vein ligation (PVL) or portal vein embolization (PVE) in conjunction with the ensuing hypertrophic response and function of the left liver lobe. Methods: Between December 2008 and October 2011, 7 patients underwent right PVL and 14 patients PVE. Computed tomographic (CT) volumetry to assess future remnant liver (FRL) and functional hepatobiliary scintigraphy were performed in all patients before and 3 weeks after portal vein occlusion. In 18 patients an intraoperative portography was performed to assess perfusion through the occluded portal branches. Results: In all patients after initially successful PVL, reperfused portal veins were observed on CT scan 3 weeks after portal occlusion. This was confirmed in all cases during intraoperative portography. Intrahepatic portoportal collaterals were identified in all patients in the PVL group and in one patient in the PVE group. In all other PVE patients, complete occlusion of the embolized portal branches was observed on CT scan and on intraoperative portography. The median increase of FRL volume after PVE was 41.6 % (range 10-305 %), and after PVL was only 8.1 % (range 0-102 %) (p = 0.179). There were no differences in FRL function between both groups. Conclusion: Preoperative PVE and PVL are both methods to induce hypertrophy of the FRL in anticipation of major liver resection. Compared to PVE, PVL seems less efficient in inducing hypertrophy of the nonoccluded left lobe. This could be caused by the formation of intrahepatic portoportal neocollateral vessels, through which the ligated portal branches are reperfused within 3 weeks.

  6. Pathophysiology of Venous Thromboembolism with Respect to the Anatomical Features of the Deep Veins of Lower Limbs: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ro, Ayako; Kageyama, Norimasa; Mukai, Toshiji

    2017-06-25

    Here the pathophysiology of venous thromboembolism is reviewed with respect to the anatomical features of the deep veins of lower limbs. A thrombus is less likely to form in the thigh veins compared with that in the calf veins; however, clinical symptoms are more likely to appear in the thigh veins owing to vascular occlusion. When a patient is bedridden, thrombosis is more likely to occur in the intramuscular vein, which mainly depends on muscular pumping and the venous valve, rather than in the three crural branches, which mainly depends on the pulsation of the accompanying artery. Thrombi are prone to be generated in the soleal vein compared with those in the gastrocnemius vein because of the vein and muscle structures. A soleal vein thrombosis grows toward the proximal veins along the drainage veins. To prevent a sudden pulmonary thromboembolism-related death in bedridden patients, preventing soleal vein thrombus formation and observing the thrombus proximal propagation via the drainage veins are clinically important. When deep vein thrombosis occurs, avoiding embolization and sequela caused by the thrombus organization is necessary.

  7. Human liver segments: role of cryptic liver lobes and vascular physiology in the development of liver veins and left-right asymmetry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hikspoors, Jill P. J. M.; Peeters, Mathijs M. J. P.; Kruepunga, Nutmethee; Mekonen, Hayelom K.; Mommen, Greet M. C.; Köhler, S. Eleonore; Lamers, Wouter H.

    2017-01-01

    Couinaud based his well-known subdivision of the liver into (surgical) segments on the branching order of portal veins and the location of hepatic veins. However, both segment boundaries and number remain controversial due to an incomplete understanding of the role of liver lobes and vascular

  8. Hemoperitoneum due to ruptured paraumbilical vein in a cirrhotic patient with portal hypertension : treatment by means of coil embolization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jong Myeong; Kim, Hyung Lyul; Lee, Young Hwan; Lee, So Hyun; Kim, Jong Kun

    2000-01-01

    The paraumbilical vein is one of the anastomotic channels between the portal and systemic circulatory systems, and rupture of the intra-abdominal varix is an unusual complication of portal hypertension that can lead to life-threatening hemoperitoneum. We experienced a case of hemoperitoneum due to a ruptured paraumbilical vein revealed by ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT) and percutaneous transhepatic portography. The last mentioned demonstrated a dilated paraumbilical vein draining two branches of the left portal vein into the right external iliac vein, and we performed coil embolization at the site at which the presumed site of paraumbilical vein was presumed to cause hemoperitoneum. We describe this this unusual case of hemoperitoneum due to a ruptured paraumbilical vein in a known liver cirrhosis patient in whom portal hypertension was treated by means of coil embolization. (author)

  9. Congenital Retinal Macrovessel and the Association of Retinal Venous Malformations With Venous Malformations of the Brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pichi, Francesco; Freund, K Bailey; Ciardella, Antonio; Morara, Mariachiara; Abboud, Emad B; Ghazi, Nicola; Dackiw, Christine; Choudhry, Netan; Souza, Eduardo Cunha; Cunha, Leonardo Provetti; Arevalo, J Fernando; Liu, T Y Alvin; Wenick, Adam; He, Lingmin; Villarreal, Guadalupe; Neri, Piergiorgio; Sarraf, David

    2018-04-01

    Congenital retinal macrovessel (CRM) is a rarely reported venous malformation of the retina that is associated with venous anomalies of the brain. To study the multimodal imaging findings of a series of eyes with congenital retinal macrovessel and describe the systemic associations. In this cross-sectional multicenter study, medical records were retrospectively reviewed from 7 different retina clinics worldwide over a 10-year period (2007-2017). Patients with CRM, defined as an abnormal, large, macular vessel with a vascular distribution above and below the horizontal raphe, were identified. Data were analyzed from December 2016 to August 2017. Clinical information and multimodal retinal imaging findings were collected and studied. Pertinent systemic information, including brain magnetic resonance imaging findings, was also noted if available. Of the 49 included patients, 32 (65%) were female, and the mean (SD) age at onset was 44.0 (20.9) years. A total of 49 eyes from 49 patients were studied. Macrovessel was unilateral in all patients. Color fundus photography illustrated a large aberrant dilated and tortuous retinal vein in all patients. Early-phase frames of fluorescein angiography further confirmed the venous nature of the macrovessel in 40 of 40 eyes. Optical coherence tomography angiography, available in 17 eyes (35%), displayed microvascular capillary abnormalities around the CRM, which were more evident in the deep capillary plexus. Of the 49 patients with CRM, 39 (80%) did not illustrate any evidence of ophthalmic complications. Ten patients (20%) presented with retinal complications, typically an incidental association with CRM. Twelve patients (24%) were noted to have venous malformations of the brain with associated magnetic resonance imaging. Of these, location of the venous anomaly in the brain was ipsilateral to the CRM in 10 patients (83%) and contralateral in 2 patients (17%), mainly located in the frontal lobe in 9 patients (75%). Our study has

  10. Retinal Vein Occlusion in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Disease Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Victor; Cheung, Carol Y; Li, Xiang; Tian, Dechao; Wang, Jie Jin; Mitchell, Paul; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Wong, Tien Y

    2016-01-01

    To describe the prevalence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and its risk factors in a multi-ethnic Asian population. This population-based study of 10,033 participants (75.7% response rate) included Chinese, Indian and Malay persons aged 40 years and older. A comprehensive ophthalmic examination, standardized interviews and laboratory blood tests were performed. Digital fundus photographs were assessed for presence of RVO following the definitions used in the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Regression analysis models were constructed to study the relationship between ocular and systemic factors and RVO. Age-specific prevalence rates of RVO were applied to project the number of people affected in Asia from 2013 to 2040. The overall crude prevalence of RVO was 0.72% (n = 71; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.54-0.87%). The crude prevalence of RVO was similar in Chinese, Indian and Malay participants (p = 0.865). In multivariable regression models, significant risk factors of RVO included increased age (odds ratio, OR, 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06), hypertension (OR 3.65, 95% CI 1.61-8.31), increased serum creatinine (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.06, per 10 mmol/L increase), history of heart attack (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.11-4.54) and increased total cholesterol (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07-1.59, per 1 mmol/L increase). None of the ocular parameters were associated with RVO. RVO is estimated to affect up to 16 and 21 million people in Asia by 2020 and 2040, respectively. RVO was detected in 0.72% of a multi-ethnic Asian population aged 40-80 years in Singapore. The significant systemic risk factors of RVO are consistent with studies in white populations.

  11. Current perspectives on ranibizumab

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    Dedania VS

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Vaidehi S Dedania,1 Sophie J Bakri21Department of Ophthalmology, Albany Medical Center, Lions Eye Institute, Albany, NY, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USABackground: This review summarizes the Phase III studies addressing intravitreal ranibizumab treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD, macular edema (ME from retinal vein occlusion (RVO, and diabetic ME (DME.Results: The data from 12 major Phase III studies: six studies in patients with neovascular AMD, two studies in patients with ME from RVO, and four studies in patients with DME demonstrate significant improvement in vision in patients undergoing treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab over patients receiving no treatment or receiving only grid laser. These effects are achieved with low incidences of ocular and nonocular adverse events.Conclusion: Intravitreal ranibizumab is a highly effective and safe therapy for improving vision and reducing vision loss in patients with neovascular AMD, ME from RVO, and DME. Patients generally require long-term treatment although some data show that frequency of treatment necessary to maintain visual outcomes decreases over time.Keywords: age-related macular degeneration, branch retinal vein occlusion, central retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema, intravitreal, macular edema

  12. Percutaneous sclerotherapy of the internal spermatic vein for varicocele through an open ended guide wire

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    Wilms, G.; Oyen, R.; Casselman, J.; Baert, A.L.

    1987-08-01

    Percutaneous sclerotherapy of the internal spermatic vein through an open ended guide wire was performed in 50 patients with left sided variocele. The procedure was successful in 47 patients, without major complications. Percutaneous sclerotherapy through an open ended guide wire offers the advantage of very distal and superselective catheterization with complete embolization of the internal spermatic vein, its side branches and parallel collateral channels. Further follow-up hopefully will confirm the reduction of recurrence rate in our patients.

  13. Ileocolic Arteriovenous Fistula with Superior Mesenteric Vein Aneurism: Endovascular Treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregorio, Miguel Angel de; Gimeno, Maria Jose; Medrano, Joaquin; Schoenholz, Caudio; Rodriguez, Juan; D'Agostino, Horacio

    2004-01-01

    We report a case of a venous aneurysm secondary to an acquired ileocolic arteriovenous fistula in a 64-year-old woman with recurrent abdominal pain and history of appendectomy. The aneurysm was diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography. Angiography showed an arteriovenous fistula between ileocolic branches of the superior mesenteric artery and vein. This vascular abnormality was successfully treated with coil embolization

  14. Retinal detachment and retinal holes in retinitis pigmentosa sine pigmento.

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    Csaky, K; Olk, R J; Mahl, C F; Bloom, S M

    1991-01-01

    Retinal detachment and retinal holes in two family members with retinitis pigmentosa sine pigmento are reported. We believe these are the first such cases reported in the literature. We describe the presenting symptoms and management, including cryotherapy, scleral buckling procedure, and sulfur hexafluoride injection (SF6), resulting in stable visual acuity in one case and retinal reattachment and improved visual acuity in the other case.

  15. Lahore general hospital protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma caused by retinal disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khaqan, H.A.; Haider, S.A.

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate efficacy of LGH (Lahore General Hospital) protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma caused by retinal diseases. Material and Methods: This case series was performed on 9 consecutive eyes of nine patients with uncontrolled neovascular glaucoma at Department of Ophthalmology, Unit II, Lahore General Hospital/PGMI, Lahore. All nine patients completed six months follow up. Among them 6 patients were having PDR (proliferative diabetic retinopathy) and 3 patients having CRVO (central retinal vein occlusion). LGH protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma was: To give intravitreal injection of avastin and then PRP (Pan Retinal Photocoagulation) or Trabeculectomy with MMC (Mitomycin C), if PRP and intravitreal avastin fails to control the intra ocular-pressure (IOP). Results: Three patients had IOP control after intravitreal injection of avastin and PRP, 5 patients had uncontrolled IOP after intravitreal avastin and two sessions of PRP, so they under went trabeculectomy with MMC. One patient had uncontrolled IOP despite of full treatment protocol. All other 8 patients IOP remained stable for six months. Conclusion: Significant decrease in intraocular pressure was achieved after observing LGH protocol for treatment of NVG (Neovascular Glaucoma) caused by retinal diseases. (author)

  16. Vasculitic central retinal vein occlusion: The presenting sign of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis

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    Matthew G.J. Trese

    2016-07-01

    Conclusions and importance: We hypothesize that the systemic inflammation—a hallmark of RA—led to the development of a vasculitic CRVO and, thus, the retinal manifestations served as the disease marker that prompted thorough work-up of the patient's disease, even in the face of initial seronegativity. This case serves as a reminder that, in the setting of CRVO and polyarthralgia, systemic inflammatory conditions must be considered as the underlying etiology. Further, this case report highlights our evolving understanding of the role that serologic markers play in the diagnosis and monitoring of RA.

  17. Missed retinal breaks in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

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    Brijesh Takkar

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the causes and associations of missed retinal breaks (MRBs and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD. METHODS: Case sheets of patients undergoing vitreo retinal surgery for RRD at a tertiary eye care centre were evaluated retrospectively. Out of the 378 records screened, 253 were included for analysis of MRBs and 191 patients were included for analysis of PVD, depending on the inclusion criteria. Features of RRD and retinal breaks noted on examination were compared to the status of MRBs and PVD detected during surgery for possible associations. RESULTS: Overall, 27% patients had MRBs. Retinal holes were commonly missed in patients with lattice degeneration while missed retinal tears were associated with presence of complete PVD. Patients operated for cataract surgery were significantly associated with MRBs (P=0.033 with the odds of missing a retinal break being 1.91 as compared to patients with natural lens. Advanced proliferative vitreo retinopathy (PVR and retinal bullae were the most common reasons for missing a retinal break during examination. PVD was present in 52% of the cases and was wrongly assessed in 16%. Retinal bullae, pseudophakia/aphakia, myopia, and horse shoe retinal tears were strongly associated with presence of PVD. Traumatic RRDs were rarely associated with PVD. CONCLUSION: Pseudophakic patients, and patients with retinal bullae or advanced PVR should be carefully screened for MRBs. Though Weiss ring is a good indicator of PVD, it may still be over diagnosed in some cases. PVD is associated with retinal bullae and pseudophakia, and inversely with traumatic RRD.

  18. Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Isolated Calf Vein Thrombosis in a Large Teaching Hospital

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    Santin Brian

    2011-01-01

    Methods. A retrospective review of the records of 100 consecutive patients diagnosed with ICDVT by DUS was conducted. Results. Patients (59% male were predominantly Caucasian (86% and inpatients (69% with an average age of 53 years. The most frequent risk factors were malignancy (22%, immobility (18%, and previous DVT (13%. Thrombus was present in named tibial veins in 58% and muscular branches in 42%. The peroneal vein was most frequently involved (39/117, 33% followed by the gastrocnemius veins (29/117, 22% and muscular calf tributaries (14%. Conclusions. Our patient population with ICDVT was predominantly symptomatic, in-patient cohort with a high incidence of risk factors such as malignancy, immobility, previous DVT, trauma, and postoperative status. Partial or complete resolution was documented by DUS in 53%.

  19. Fractal analysis reveals reduced complexity of retinal vessels in CADASIL.

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    Michele Cavallari

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL affects mainly small cerebral arteries and leads to disability and dementia. The relationship between clinical expression of the disease and progression of the microvessel pathology is, however, uncertain as we lack tools for imaging brain vessels in vivo. Ophthalmoscopy is regarded as a window into the cerebral microcirculation. In this study we carried out an ophthalmoscopic examination in subjects with CADASIL. Specifically, we performed fractal analysis of digital retinal photographs. Data are expressed as mean fractal dimension (mean-D, a parameter that reflects complexity of the retinal vessel branching. Ten subjects with genetically confirmed diagnosis of CADASIL and 10 sex and age-matched control subjects were enrolled. Fractal analysis of retinal digital images was performed by means of a computer-based program, and the data expressed as mean-D. Brain MRI lesion volume in FLAIR and T1-weighted images was assessed using MIPAV software. Paired t-test was used to disclose differences in mean-D between CADASIL and control groups. Spearman rank analysis was performed to evaluate potential associations between mean-D values and both disease duration and disease severity, the latter expressed as brain MRI lesion volumes, in the subjects with CADASIL. The results showed that mean-D value of patients (1.42±0.05; mean±SD was lower than control (1.50±0.04; p = 0.002. Mean-D did not correlate with disease duration nor with MRI lesion volumes of the subjects with CADASIL. The findings suggest that fractal analysis is a sensitive tool to assess changes of retinal vessel branching, likely reflecting early brain microvessel alterations, in CADASIL patients.

  20. Plasma homocysteine levels, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase A1298C gene polymorphism and risk of retinal vein thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaznavi, Habib; Soheili, Zahra; Samiei, Shahram; Soltanpour, Mohammad Soleiman

    2016-09-01

    There are limited data regarding the role of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) A1298C polymorphism and hyperhomocysteinemia as risk factors for retinal vein thrombosis (RVT) in Iranians. This study aimed to examine a possible association between fasting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels, MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and RVT development in Iranian patients. Our study population consisted of 73 patients with a diagnosis of RVT (52.7 ± 16.2 years) and 73 age and sex-matched healthy controls (49.1 ± 14.6 years). Genotyping for the MTHFR A1298Cpolymorphism was conducted by PCR-RFLP technique and plasma tHcy levels were measured by an enzyme immunoassay method. Fasting plasma tHcy levels were 20.29 ± 8.5 μmol/l in RVT patients and 10.9 ± 3.1 μmol/l in control subjects. The number of cases with abnormal tHcy values (hyperhomocysteinemia) was significantly higher in the RVT patients than control subjects (P = 0.0001). The prevalence of MTHFR 1298CC homozygote genotype was similar in RVT patients and controls (17.8 vs.15.1%, P = 0.45). There were no significant differences in genotype distribution of MTHFR A1298C polymorphism between males and females in both RVT patients and controls (P > 0.05). The frequency of the 1298C allele was 39.1 and 35.6% in patients and controls, respectively, and did not differ significantly between them (P = 0.23). Moreover, heterozygote and homozygote genotypes in the RVT patients had significantly higher abnormal tHcy values than corresponding genotypes in control subjects (P < 0.001). Our study demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia but not homozygosity for MTHFR A1298C polymorphism is a significant risk factor for RVT in the Iranian population.

  1. Pelvic Vein Embolisation in the Management of Varicose Veins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ratnam, Lakshmi A.; Marsh, Petra; Holdstock, Judy M.; Harrison, Charmaine S.; Hussain, Fuad F.; Whiteley, Mark S.; Lopez, Anthony

    2008-01-01

    Pelvic vein incompetence is common in patients with atypical varicose veins, contributing to their recurrence after surgery. Therefore, refluxing pelvic veins should be identified and treated. We present our experience with pelvic vein embolisation in patients presenting with varicose veins. Patients presenting with varicose veins with a duplex-proven contribution from perivulval veins undergo transvaginal duplex sonography (TVUS) to identify refluxing pelvic veins. Those with positive scans undergo embolisation before surgical treatment of their lower limb varicose veins. A total of 218 women (mean age of 46.3 years) were treated. Parity was documented in the first 60 patients, of whom 47 (78.3%) were multiparous, 11 (18.3%) had had one previous pregnancy, and 2 (3.3%) were nulliparous. The left ovarian vein was embolised in 78%, the right internal iliac in 64.7%, the left internal iliac in 56.4%, and the right ovarian vein in 42.2% of patients. At follow-up TVUS, mild reflux only was seen in 16, marked persistent reflux in 6, and new reflux in 3 patients. These 9 women underwent successful repeat embolisation. Two patients experienced pulmonary embolisation of the coils, of whom 1 was asymptomatic and 1 was successfully retrieved; 1 patient had a misplaced coil protruding into the common femoral vein; and 1 patient had perineal thrombophlebitis. The results of our study showed that pelvic venous embolisation by way of a transjugular approach is a safe and effective technique in the treatment of pelvic vein reflux.

  2. Application of morphological bit planes in retinal blood vessel extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraz, M M; Basit, A; Barman, S A

    2013-04-01

    The appearance of the retinal blood vessels is an important diagnostic indicator of various clinical disorders of the eye and the body. Retinal blood vessels have been shown to provide evidence in terms of change in diameter, branching angles, or tortuosity, as a result of ophthalmic disease. This paper reports the development for an automated method for segmentation of blood vessels in retinal images. A unique combination of methods for retinal blood vessel skeleton detection and multidirectional morphological bit plane slicing is presented to extract the blood vessels from the color retinal images. The skeleton of main vessels is extracted by the application of directional differential operators and then evaluation of combination of derivative signs and average derivative values. Mathematical morphology has been materialized as a proficient technique for quantifying the retinal vasculature in ocular fundus images. A multidirectional top-hat operator with rotating structuring elements is used to emphasize the vessels in a particular direction, and information is extracted using bit plane slicing. An iterative region growing method is applied to integrate the main skeleton and the images resulting from bit plane slicing of vessel direction-dependent morphological filters. The approach is tested on two publicly available databases DRIVE and STARE. Average accuracy achieved by the proposed method is 0.9423 for both the databases with significant values of sensitivity and specificity also; the algorithm outperforms the second human observer in terms of precision of segmented vessel tree.

  3. The usefulness and the limitation of MR angiography for the evaluation of colateral veins in portal hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komazaki, Toshio

    1994-01-01

    The usefulness and the limitation of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for the assessment of the portal vein and its branches, i.e., the collateral veins of portal hypertensive patients, were studied. In a total of 22 patients with portal hypertension, both MRA and percutaneous transhepatic portography (PTP) were done at the same time. MRA and PTP images were read at random by three observers. The discriminative scores, decided from the grades of clearness of images, were calculated for six portal venous vessels. The discrimination of the portal vein, splenic vein, paraumbilical vein and gastrorenal shunt was easy on condition that they were clearly visualized by PTP. Thus the accuracy of MRA, which was calculated by comparing it with PTP, the gold standard, was high and above 95%. Regarding the left gastric vein and short gastric vein, the accuracy of MRA were lower than the former four vessels but were still above 80%. MRA, the noninvasive method, seems useful for the first choice to see the total image of portal venous system. (author)

  4. Comparative Study of Compensatory Liver Regeneration in a Rat Model: Portal Vein Ligation Only versus Sequential Ligation of the Portal Vein and Hepatic Artery

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    Chung, Soo Young [Dept. of Pathology, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Jeon, Gyeong Sik [Dept. of Radiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Byung Mo [Dept. of Surgery, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-04-15

    To compare the volume change and the regenerative capacity between portal vein ligation (embolization) (PVL) and heterochronous PVL with hepatic artery ligation (HAL) in a rodent model. The animals were separated into three groups: group I, ligation of the left lateral and median portal vein branches; group II, completion of PVL, followed by ligation of the same branches of the hepatic artery after 48 h; control group, laparotomy without ligation was performed. Five rats from each group were sacrificed on 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after the operation. Volume change measurement, liver function tests and immunohistochemical analysis were performed. The volume of the nonligated lobe between groups I and II was not significantly different by day 5 and day 7. Mean alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels were significantly higher in group II, while the albumin level was higher in group I. Both c-kit- and MIB-5-positive cells used in the activity detection of regeneration were more prevalent in group I on day 1, 3, and 5, with statistical significance. There was no operation related mortality. PVL alone is safe and effective in compensatory liver regeneration. Performing both PVL and HAL does not confer any additional benefits.

  5. Retinal oxygen extraction in individuals with type 1 diabetes with no or mild diabetic retinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fondi, Klemens; Wozniak, Piotr A; Howorka, Kinga; Bata, Ahmed M; Aschinger, Gerold C; Popa-Cherecheanu, Alina; Witkowska, Katarzyna J; Hommer, Anton; Schmidl, Doreen; Werkmeister, René M; Garhöfer, Gerhard; Schmetterer, Leopold

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to compare retinal oxygen extraction in individuals with diabetes with no or mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers. A total of 24 participants with type 1 diabetes and 24 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers were included in this cross-sectional study. Retinal oxygen extraction was measured by combining total retinal blood flow measurements using a custom-built bi-directional Doppler optical coherence tomography system with measurements of oxygen saturation using spectroscopic reflectometry. Based on previously published mathematical modelling, the oxygen content in retinal vessels and total retinal oxygen extraction were calculated. Total retinal blood flow was higher in diabetic participants (46.4 ± 7.4 μl/min) than in healthy volunteers (40.4 ± 5.3 μl/min, p = 0.002 between groups). Oxygen content in retinal arteries was comparable between the two groups, but oxygen content in retinal veins was higher in participants with diabetes (0.15 ± 0.02 ml O 2 /ml) compared with healthy control participants (0.13 ± 0.02 ml O 2 /ml, p diabetes compared with healthy volunteers (total retinal oxygen extraction 1.40 ± 0.44 vs 1.70 ± 0.47 μl O 2 /min, respectively, p = 0.03). Our data indicate early retinal hypoxia in individuals with type 1 diabetes with no or mild diabetic retinopathy as compared with healthy control individuals. Further studies are required to fully understand the potential of the technique in risk stratification and treatment monitoring. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01843114.

  6. Intraretinal hemorrhages in cystoid macular edema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bovino, J A; Kelly, T J; Marcus, D F

    1984-08-01

    Retinal hemorrhages can be associated with typical cystoid macular edema. We examined the fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms of 313 eyes of 264 patients with documented cystoid macular edema to establish the incidence and characteristics of associated intraretinal hemorrhages. As we wanted to study only those hemorrhages unique to cystoid macular edema, we excluded 86 eyes because the patients had diseases known to be associated with retinal hemorrhages. These diseases included diabetes mellitus, branch retinal vein occlusion, hypertensive retinopathy, venous stasis retinopathy, and perifoveal telangiectasia. Of the remaining 227 eyes with cystoid macular edema, 56 (24.7%) were identified with retinal hemorrhages not associated with systemic disease. The hemorrhages were characteristically oval, round, or linear and frequently filled or partially filled the intraretinal cystoid space. In many patients, a blood-fluid level was observed.

  7. A case of double inferior vena cava with renal, ovarian and iliac vein variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Taro; Ikeda, Yayoi

    2018-01-01

    We encountered a rare case of an anatomic variant of inferior vena cava (IVC) duplication with renal, ovarian and iliac vein variation in an 81-year-old Japanese female cadaver during a student dissection course of anatomy at Aichi Gakuin University School of Dentistry. The two IVCs ran upwards bilaterally to the abdominal aorta. The left IVC joined with the left renal vein (RV) to form a common trunk that crossed anterior to the aorta and ended at the right IVC. We detected a vein [interiliac vein (IiV)] connecting the two IVCs at the level of the aortic bifurcation. The IiV was formed by the union of two tributaries from the left IVC and a tributary from the left internal iliac vein (IIV) and ran obliquely upwards from left to right. Two right ovarian veins, arising separately from the ipsilateral pampiniform plexus, ran vertically in parallel to each other, and each one independently terminated at the right IVC and the right RV. Two right IIVs, connecting each other with small branches, ascended and separately joined the right external iliac vein. The right and left IIVs were connected to each other. These variations cause abnormal drainage, which could lead to clinical symptoms associated with the dysfunction of the vascular and urogenital systems. Here we describe the detailed anatomical features of the area and discuss the related anatomical and developmental aspects.

  8. Reliability of using retinal vascular fractal dimension as a biomarker in the diabetic retinopathy detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huang, F.; Dashtbozorg, B.; Zhang, J.; Bekkers, E.J.; Abbasi-Sureshjani, S.; Berendschot, T.T.J.M.; ter Haar Romenij, B.M.

    2016-01-01

    The retinal fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of vasculature branching pattern complexity. FD has been considered as a potential biomarker for the detection of several diseases like diabetes and hypertension. However, conflicting findings were found in the reported literature regarding the

  9. Fundus autofluorescence in retinal artery occlusion: A more precise diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacquet, J-L; Sarov-Rivière, M; Denier, C; Querques, G; Riou, B; Bonin, L; Barreau, E; Labetoulle, M; Rousseau, A

    2017-10-01

    Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a medical emergency associated with a high risk of cerebral vascular accident and other cardiovascular events. Among patients with non-arteritic RAO, a retinal embolus is observed in approximately 40% of cases. Fundus examination and retinography are not reliable to predict the nature of the emboli. We report three consecutive cases of central and branch RAO that were investigated with fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography and color retinal photographs. All patients underwent complete neurological and cardiovascular workups, with brain imaging, cardiac Doppler ultrasound, carotid Dopplers and Holter ECG's, to determine the underlying mechanism of retinal embolism. In the three cases, aged 77.7±4 years (2 women and 1 man), fundus autofluorescence demonstrated hyperautofluorescent emboli. In two cases, it allowed visualization of emboli that were not detected with fundus examination or retinography. The cardiovascular work-up demonstrated atheromatous carotid or aortic plaques in all patients. In one case, it permitted the diagnosis of RAO. Two of the three cases were considered to be of atherosclerotic origin and one of undefined origin. Fundus autofluorescence may help to detect and characterize retinal emboli. Since lipofuscin, which is present in large quantity in atherosclerotic plaques, is the main fluorophore detected with fundus autofluorescence, this non-invasive and simple examination may give information about the underlying mechanism of retinal embolism, and thus impact the etiologic assessment of RAO. Additional studies are necessary to confirm this potential role of autofluorescence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Extended Hemi-Hepatectomy with Portal Vein Reconstruction in a Patient with Situs Ambiguous

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    Keishi Sugimachi

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available We report a case of far-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC with situs ambiguous, complex visceral and vascular anomalies, who was successfully managed by extended hemi-hepatectomy. A 67-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a large liver mass. Abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography and angiography revealed HCC with a diameter of 10 cm, with tumor thrombus in the main and first branch of the portal vein. Multiple complex anomalies in the abdomen were determined preoperatively. He had right-sided spleens-stomach-duodenum, liver at midline, inferior vena cava interruption with azygous continuation, and hepatic arterial anomaly. Extended left lobectomy of the liver with reconstruction of the portal vein was performed. Postoperatively, the patient recovered without major complications, and he was discharged on postoperative day 21. We report the first successful extended hepatectomy with portal vein reconstruction for HCC in a patient with rare situs anomalies.

  11. Reproducibility of retinal circulation measurements obtained using laser speckle flowgraphy-NAVI in patients with glaucoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nakamura M

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Naoko Aizawa, Yu Yokoyama, Naoki Chiba, Kazuko Omodaka, Masayuki Yasuda, Takaaki Otomo, Masahiko Nakamura, Nobuo Fuse, Toru NakazawaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine Sendai, Miyagi, JapanBackground: Laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG enables noninvasive quantification of the retinal circulation in glaucoma patients. In this study, we tested the intrasession reproducibility of LSFG-NAVI, a modified LSFG technique.Methods: Sixty-five eyes from 33 subjects (male (M:female (F = 17:16 with a mean age of 49.4 ± 11.2 years were examined in this study. Two parameters indicating reproducibility – the coefficient of variation (COV and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC – were analyzed three times on the same day that mean blur rate (MBR was measured using LSFG-NAVI. The sites analyzed were the retinal artery and vein, the optic disk, and the choroid. Following classification according to the Glaucoma Hemifield Test (GHT; SITA-Standard 30-2 program, the COV and ICC were examined in patients with (GHT+; 38 eyes, M:F = 20:18, average age 48.9 ± 12.8 years and without (GHT-; 27 eyes, M:F = 13:14, average age 50.1 ± 8.7 years abnormal glaucomatous visual fields.Results: For all subjects, the intrasession reproducibility of MBR in the optic disk (COV: 3.4 ± 2.0; ICC: 0.95 and choroid (COV: 4.7 ± 3.4; ICC: 0.98 was excellent. The reproducibility for the retinal vein (COV: 8.4 ± 5.6, ICC: 0.90 and retinal artery (COV: 10.9 ± 9.9, ICC: 0.9 was moderate. MBRs in the optic disk had good reproducibility in both the GHT+ group (COV: 3.8 ± 2.0; ICC: 0.97 and the GHT− group (COV: 2.9 ± 2.1; ICC: 0.95. Local assessment of the optic disk in normal or glaucoma patients showed that the COVs of the quadrant optic disk areas were best in the temporal area of MBR (3.4%, 4.2%, respectively.Conclusion: LSFG-NAVI showed favorable reproducibility in evaluation of retinal circulation of glaucoma patients, particularly in

  12. Progressive outer retinal necrosis-like retinitis in immunocompetent hosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chawla, Rohan; Tripathy, Koushik; Gogia, Varun; Venkatesh, Pradeep

    2016-08-10

    We describe two young immunocompetent women presenting with bilateral retinitis with outer retinal necrosis involving posterior pole with centrifugal spread and multifocal lesions simulating progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) like retinitis. Serology was negative for HIV and CD4 counts were normal; however, both women were on oral steroids at presentation for suspected autoimmune chorioretinitis. The retinitis in both eyes responded well to oral valaciclovir therapy. However, the eye with the more fulminant involvement developed retinal detachment with a loss of vision. Retinal atrophy was seen in the less involved eye with preservation of vision. Through these cases, we aim to describe a unique evolution of PORN-like retinitis in immunocompetent women, which was probably aggravated by a short-term immunosuppression secondary to oral steroids. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

  13. Retinal venous blood carbon monoxide response to bright light in male pigs: A preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oren, Dan A; Duda, Magdalena; Kozioł, Katarzyna; Romerowicz-Misielak, Maria; Koziorowska, Anna; Sołek, Przemysław; Nowak, Sławomir; Kulpa, Magdalena; Koziorowski, Marek

    2017-03-01

    The physical mechanism by which light is absorbed in the eye and has antidepressant and energizing effects in Seasonal Affective Disorder and other forms of psychiatric major depression is of scientific interest. This study was designed to explore one specific aspect of a proposed humoral phototransduction mechanism, namely that carbon monoxide (CO) levels increase in retinal venous blood in response to bright light. Eleven mature male pigs approximately six months of age were kept for 7days in darkness and fasted for 12h prior to surgery. Following mild sedation, anesthesia was induced. Silastic catheters were inserted into the dorsal nasal vein through the angular vein of the eye to reach the ophthalmic sinus, from which venous blood outflowing from the eye area was collected. The animals were exposed to 5000lx of fluorescent-generated white light. CO levels in the blood were analyzed by gas chromatography before and after 80min of light exposure. At baseline, mean CO levels in the retinal venous blood were 0.43±0.05(SE)nmol/ml. After bright light, mean CO levels increased to 0.54±0.06nmol/ml (two-tailed t-test plight exposure raises carbon monoxide levels in ophthalmic venous blood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Relationship Between Visual Acuity and Retinal Thickness During Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Retinal Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, William C; Brown, David M; Payne, John F; Wykoff, Charles C

    2017-08-01

    To investigate the relationship between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in eyes receiving ranibizumab for 3 common retinal diseases. Retrospective analysis of clinical trial data. Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study BCVA and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography-measured CRT of 387 eyes of 345 patients enrolled in 6 prospective clinical trials for management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) were evaluated by Pearson correlation and linear regression. At baseline, there was a small correlation between BCVA and CRT in pooled AMD trial data (r = -0.24). A medium correlation was identified in pooled DME trial data (r = -0.42). No correlation was found in pooled RVO trial data. At month 12, no correlation was found between changes from baseline in BCVA and CRT in pooled AMD trial data. Medium correlations were identified in both pooled DME (r = -0.45) and pooled RVO (r = -0.35) trial data at month 12. Changes in BCVA and CRT associated with edema recurrence upon transition from monthly to pro re nata (PRN) dosing were correlated in AMD (r = -0.27) and RVO (r = -0.72) trials, but not in DME trial data. DME demonstrated a convincing relationship between BCVA and CRT. Correlations appear to be more complex in AMD and RVO. At the inflection point between monthly and PRN dosing, when recurrence of edema is anticipated in many patients, CRT appears strongly correlated with loss of BCVA in RVO. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Retinal Vasculitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, James T.; Sibley, Cailin H.; Lin, Phoebe

    2016-01-01

    Purpose of review Ophthalmologists and rheumatologists frequently miscommunicate in consulting on patients with retinal vasculitis. This report seeks to establish a common understanding of the term, retinal vasculitis, and to review recent papers on this diagnosis. Recent findings 1) The genetic basis of some rare forms of retinal vascular disease have recently been described. Identified genes include CAPN5, TREX1, and TNFAIP3; 2) Behçet’s disease is a systemic illness that is very commonly associated with occlusive retinal vasculitis; 3) retinal imaging including fluorescein angiography and other newer imaging modalities has proven crucial to the identification and characterization of retinal vasculitis and its complications; 4) although monoclonal antibodies to IL-17A or IL-1 beta failed in trials for Behçet’s disease, antibodies to TNF alpha, either infliximab or adalimumab, have demonstrated consistent benefit in managing this disease. Interferon treatment and B cell depletion therapy via rituximab may be beneficial in certain types of retinal vasculitis. Summary Retinal vasculitis is an important entity for rheumatologists to understand. Retinal vasculitis associated with Behçet’s disease responds to monoclonal antibodies that neutralize TNF, but the many other forms of non-infectious retinal vasculitis may require alternate therapeutic management. PMID:26945335

  16. Varicose vein stripping

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... stripping; Venous reflux - vein stripping; Venous ulcer - veins Patient Instructions Surgical wound care - open Varicose veins - what to ask your doctor Images Circulatory system References American Family Physician. Management of varicose veins. www.aafp.org/afp/2008/ ...

  17. Semi-automated retinal vessel analysis in nonmydriatic fundus photography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuster, Alexander Karl-Georg; Fischer, Joachim Ernst; Vossmerbaeumer, Urs

    2014-02-01

    Funduscopic assessment of the retinal vessels may be used to assess the health status of microcirculation and as a component in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors. Typically, the evaluation is restricted to morphological appreciation without strict quantification. Our purpose was to develop and validate a software tool for semi-automated quantitative analysis of retinal vasculature in nonmydriatic fundus photography. matlab software was used to develop a semi-automated image recognition and analysis tool for the determination of the arterial-venous (A/V) ratio in the central vessel equivalent on 45° digital fundus photographs. Validity and reproducibility of the results were ascertained using nonmydriatic photographs of 50 eyes from 25 subjects recorded from a 3DOCT device (Topcon Corp.). Two hundred and thirty-three eyes of 121 healthy subjects were evaluated to define normative values. A software tool was developed using image thresholds for vessel recognition and vessel width calculation in a semi-automated three-step procedure: vessel recognition on the photograph and artery/vein designation, width measurement and calculation of central retinal vessel equivalents. Mean vessel recognition rate was 78%, vessel class designation rate 75% and reproducibility between 0.78 and 0.91. Mean A/V ratio was 0.84. Application on a healthy norm cohort showed high congruence with prior published manual methods. Processing time per image was one minute. Quantitative geometrical assessment of the retinal vasculature may be performed in a semi-automated manner using dedicated software tools. Yielding reproducible numerical data within a short time leap, this may contribute additional value to mere morphological estimates in the clinical evaluation of fundus photographs. © 2013 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Geology of uranium vein deposits (including Schwartzwalder Mine) in Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, Front Range, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voto, R.H. de; Paschis, J.A.

    1980-01-01

    The Schwartzwalder uranium deposit is one of many uranium vein occurrences in the Lower Proterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Front Range, Colorado. The principal veins of significant uranium content occur marginal to the Colorado Mineral Belt; are localized by structural dilation zones, vein junctions, fault deflections or branching; and occur dominantly within or at the contact of certain preferred metamorphic-stratigraphic units, particularly the siliceous, garnetiferous gneisses, where these rock units are broken by faults and fractures associated with the north-northwest-trending throughgoing faults. Uranium at the Schwartzwalder mine occurs primarily as open-space brecciated vein filling along the steeply west-dipping Illinois vein and numerous east-dipping subsidiary veins where they cut preferred metamorphic host rocks that are tightly folded. Uraninite occurs with molybdenite, adularia, jordisite, ankerite, pyrite, base-metal sulphides, and calcite in vein-filling paragenetic sequence. Minor wall-rock alteration is mainly hematite alteration and bleaching. Vertical relief on the developed ore deposit is 900 metres and still open-ended at depth. No vertical zonation of alteration, vein mineralogy, density of the subsidiary veins, or ore grade has been detected. The Schwartzwalder uranium deposit is of substantial tonnage (greater than 10,000 metric tons of U 3 O 8 ) and grade (averaging 0.57% U 3 O 8 ). Structural mapping shows that the Illinois vein-fault is a Proterozoic structure. Discordant Proterozoic (suggested) and Laramide dates have been obtained from Schwartzwalder ore. The data suggest, therefore, a Proterozoic ancestry of this heretofore presumed Laramide (Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary) hydrothermal uranium deposit. The authors suggest a polygenetic model for the origin of the Schwartzwalder uranium deposit

  19. Ocular Problems of the Aging Military Aviator

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000-08-01

    neuropathy 3 these ocular conditions seen in the older aviator and on Ocular trauma/angle recession 3 his flight status? Branch retinal vein occlusion 2...bifocals, Nutritional amblyopia (RPW) 1 trifocals, double segs, newer progressive lenses, contact Fuch’s heterochromic iridocyclitis 1 lenses, and...In the Surveillance Only part of the program no drug therapy is DISCUSSION: Under present FAA regulations, the used but the flight surgeon must

  20. Clonorchis sinensis ova in bile juice cytology from a patient with severe hyperbilirubinemia and portal vein thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiya, Keiichi; Ganno, Hideaki; Ando, Masayuki; Chong, Ja-Mun

    2016-03-01

    Infection with the trematode Clonorchis sinensis is the most common human fluke infection in East Asian populations. Although this infection is associated with obstructive jaundice or choledocholithiasis, portal vein thrombosis has not been reported. Here, we report the first case of a 60-year-old man who had both C. sinensis infection and portal vein thrombosis with severe hyperbilirubinemia (75.4 mg/dl). He initially presented with abdominal pain and jaundice. Computed tomography revealed gallstones, common bile duct calculus, and thrombus in the left main branch of the portal vein. A nasobiliary tube was inserted under endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Cytology of the bile juice revealed many C. sinensis eggs. The abdominal pain and jaundice improved following choledocholithotomy and combination treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent and anti-coagulant. This case suggests that inflammation around the portal vein as a result of C. sinensis infection has the potential to evoke portal vein thrombosis. Such cases should be treated with both a chemotherapeutic agent and anti-coagulant therapy. In conclusion, the possibility of infection with C. sinensis should be considered in patients presenting with hyperbilirubinemia and portal vein thrombosis, particularly in East Asian populations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Cryptosystem Based On Finger Vein Patterns Using Vas Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G.Kanimozhi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Cryptosystems based on biometrics authentication is developing areas in the field of modernize security schemes. Elastic distortion of fingerprints is one of the major causes for false non-match. While this problem affects all fingerprint identification function it is especially dangerous in opposite identification function such as note list and reduplication function. In such function malicious possessors may purposely distort their fingerprints to evade identification. Distortion rectification or equivalently distortion field estimation is viewed as a regression problem where the input is a distorted fingerprint and the output is the distortion field. The current document deals with the application of finger veins pattern as an approach for possessor confirmation and encryption key generation. The design of the optical imprison scheme by near infrared is described. We propose a step for the location of the vein crossing points and the quantification of the angles between the vein-branches this information is used to generate a personal key that allows the possessor to encrypt information after the confirmation is approved. In order to demonstrate the potential of the suggested approach and model of figure encryption is developed. All action biometric imprison figure presetting key generation and figure encryption are performed on the identical hidden platform adding an important portability and diminishing the execution time.

  2. Portal Vein Thrombosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hakan Demirci

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Portal vein thrombosis is an important cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. Portal vein thrombosis commonly occurs in patient with cirrhosis, malignancy and prothrombotic states. Patients with acute portal vein thrombosis have immediate onset. Patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis have developed portal hypertension and cavernous portal transformation. Portal vein thrombosis is diagnosed with doppler ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Therapy with low molecular weight heparin achieves recanalization in more than half of acute cases.

  3. Posterior Nutcracker Syndrome with Left Renal Vein Duplication: A Rare Cause of Haematuria in a 12-Year-Old Boy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Preza Fernandes

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The nutcracker syndrome (NCS is a rare cause of haematuria. It embraces an extended nonpathognomonic spectrum of symptoms that imply a difficult diagnosis. Ultimately it may be associated with substantial morbidity and even life-threatening events. We report a rare cause if a 12-year-old boy who presented with a history of frequent intermittent episodes of painless constant haematuria. The cystoscopy showed a bloody urine ejaculate from the left ureter meatus. The Doppler ultrasonography showed turbulent pattern of venous blood flow of the posterior renal vein branch behind the aorta. The abdominopelvic computer tomography (apCT revealed left renal vein (LRV duplication with a dilated retroaortic branch, entrapped between the aorta and the vertebral column, promoting the renal nutcracker syndrome. The patient was initially hospitalized and managed with oral iron supplements and continuous saline bladder irrigation, not requiring additional treatment. The child is currently asymptomatic, with haemoglobin value returning to normal and therefore proposed to conservative management with close followup. The authors present a case report of episodic haematuria caused by a rare entity—posterior nutcracker syndrome with renal vein duplication.

  4. Perioperative visual loss with non-ocular surgery: Case report and review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi Pandey

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Perioperative visual loss (POVL, a rare but devastating complication, has been reported after spine, cardiac, and head-neck surgeries.The various causes include ischemic optic neuropathy, central or branch retinal artery occlusion, and cortical blindness. The contributory factors described are microvascular diseases and intraoperative hemodynamic compromise. However, the exact association of these factors with post-operative blindness has not yet been confirmed. A case of POVL with caesarian section surgery is being presented. The visual loss occurred due to a combined occlusion of central retinal artery and vein.The causes, presentation, and risk factors of POVL after non-ocular surgery are being discussed.

  5. Airway branching morphogenesis in three dimensional culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gudjonsson Thorarinn

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lungs develop from the fetal digestive tract where epithelium invades the vascular rich stroma in a process called branching morphogenesis. In organogenesis, endothelial cells have been shown to be important for morphogenesis and the maintenance of organ structure. The aim of this study was to recapitulate human lung morphogenesis in vitro by establishing a three dimensional (3D co-culture model where lung epithelial cells were cultured in endothelial-rich stroma. Methods We used a human bronchial epithelial cell line (VA10 recently developed in our laboratory. This cell line cell line maintains a predominant basal cell phenotype, expressing p63 and other basal markers such as cytokeratin-5 and -14. Here, we cultured VA10 with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs, to mimic the close interaction between these cell types during lung development. Morphogenesis and differentiation was monitored by phase contrast microscopy, immunostainings and confocal imaging. Results We found that in co-culture with endothelial cells, the VA10 cells generated bronchioalveolar like structures, suggesting that lung epithelial branching is facilitated by the presence of endothelial cells. The VA10 derived epithelial structures display various complex patterns of branching and show partial alveolar type-II differentiation with pro-Surfactant-C expression. The epithelial origin of the branching VA10 colonies was confirmed by immunostaining. These bronchioalveolar-like structures were polarized with respect to integrin expression at the cell-matrix interface. The endothelial-induced branching was mediated by soluble factors. Furthermore, fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR-2 and sprouty-2 were expressed at the growing tips of the branching structures and the branching was inhibited by the FGFR-small molecule inhibitor SU5402. Discussion In this study we show that a human lung epithelial cell line can be induced by endothelial cells to

  6. Spectral imaging technique for retinal perfusion detection using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasta, Seyed Hossein; Manivannan, Ayyakkannu; Sharp, Peter F.

    2012-11-01

    To evaluate retinal perfusion in the human eye, a dual-wavelength confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO) was developed that provides spectral imaging of the fundus using a combination of red (670 nm) and near-infrared (810 nm) wavelengths. The image of the ocular fundus was analyzed to find out if quantitative measurements of the reflectivity of tissue permit assessment of the oxygen perfusion of tissue. We explored problems that affect the reproducibility of patient measurements such as non-uniformity errors on the image. For the first time, an image processing technique was designed and used to minimize the errors of oxygen saturation measurements by illumination correction in retina wide field by increasing SNR. Retinal images were taken from healthy and diabetic retinopathy eyes using the cSLO with a confocal aperture of 100 μm. The ratio image (RI) of red/IR, as oxygen saturation (SO2) index, was calculated for normal eyes. The image correction technique improved the reproducibility of the measurements. Average RI intensity variation of healthy retina tissue was determined within a range of about 5.5%. The capability of the new technique to discriminate oxygenation levels of retinal artery and vein was successfully demonstrated and showed good promise in the diagnosis of the perfused retina.

  7. Focus on Varicose Veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... because the valves of the veins no longer work. Under the pressure of gravity these veins can continue to expand and, in ... and to determine whether the vein valves are work- ing properly or have ... painless. How are varicose veins treated? Varicose veins are always ...

  8. Leiomyosarcoma of the great saphenous vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Campos Moraes Amato

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A 56-year-old male patient presented with a complaint of two painful, hard, palpable nodules in the right lower limb. A Doppler ultrasound scan revealed the presence of nodules, likely to be neoplastic. Computed angiography showed two solid hypervascular nodules in the right great saphenous vein, fed by branches of the posterior tibial artery. Embolization of the nodules using surgical cyanoacrylate was performed, followed by an excisional biopsy. Anatomical pathology and immunohistochemical analysis identified the nodule as a high-grade leiomyosarcoma, characterized by ten mitotic figures per ten high-power fields, necrosis and cell pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical analysis results were positive for caldesmon and desmin labeling. A second surgical procedure was performed to enlarge the free margins.

  9. Spider Vein Removal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spider veins: How are they removed? I have spider veins on my legs. What options are available ... M.D. Several options are available to remove spider veins — thin red lines or weblike networks of ...

  10. Peripheral retinal degenerations and the risk of retinal detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Hilel

    2003-07-01

    To review the degenerative diseases of the peripheral retina in relationship with the risk to develop a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and to present recommendations for use in eyes at increased risk of developing a retinal detachment. Focused literature review and author's clinical experience. Retinal degenerations are common lesions involving the peripheral retina, and most of them are clinically insignificant. Lattice degeneration, degenerative retinoschisis, cystic retinal tufts, and, rarely, zonular traction tufts, can result in a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Therefore, these lesions have been considered for prophylactic therapy; however, adequate studies have not been performed to date. Well-designed, prospective, randomized clinical studies are necessary to determine the benefit-risk ratio of prophylactic treatment. In the meantime, the evidence available suggests that most of the peripheral retinal degenerations should not be treated except in rare, high-risk situations.

  11. Effect of eye NGF administration on two animal models of retinal ganglion cells degeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Colafrancesco

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF administration on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs in experimentally induced glaucoma (GL and diabetic retinopathy (DR. GL was induced in adult rats by injection of hypertonic saline into the episcleral vein of the eye and diabetes (DT was induced by administration of streptozoticin. Control and experimental rats were treated daily with either ocular application of NGF or vehicle solution. We found that both animal models present a progressive degeneration of RGCs and changing NGF and VEGF levels in the retina and optic nerve. We then proved that NGF eye drop administration exerts a protective effect on these models of retinal degeneration. In brief, our findings indicate that NGF can play a protective role against RGC degeneration occurring in GL and DR and suggest that ocular NGF administration might be an effective pharmacological approach.

  12. What Are Varicose Veins?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Leer en español What Is Varicose (VAR-i-kos) veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can ... TA-ze-uhs), spider veins, varicoceles (VAR-i-ko-seals), and other vein problems. Telangiectasias Telangiectasias are ...

  13. Improvement of retinal blood vessel detection by spur removal and Gaussian matched filtering compensation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Di; Vignarajan, Janardhan; An, Dong; Tay-Kearney, Mei-Ling; Kanagasingam, Yogi

    2016-03-01

    Retinal photography is a non-invasive and well-accepted clinical diagnosis of ocular diseases. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of retinal images is crucial in ocular diseases related clinical application. In this paper, we proposed approaches for improving the quality of blood vessel detection based on our initial blood vessel detection methods. A blood vessel spur pruning method has been developed for removing the blood vessel spurs both on vessel medial lines and binary vessel masks, which are caused by artifacts and side-effect of Gaussian matched vessel enhancement. A Gaussian matched filtering compensation method has been developed for removing incorrect vessel branches in the areas of low illumination. The proposed approaches were applied and tested on the color fundus images from one publicly available database and our diabetic retinopathy screening dataset. A preliminary result has demonstrated the robustness and good performance of the proposed approaches and their potential application for improving retinal blood vessel detection.

  14. Varicose vein - noninvasive treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... spider veins. These are small varicose veins. Salt water (saline) or a chemical solution is injected into the varicose vein. The vein will harden and then disappear. Laser treatment can be used on the surface of the skin. Small bursts ...

  15. Research of triamcinolone acetonide with compound anisodine hydrobromide for mild central retinal vein occlusion in early stage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Fan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To explore the clinical significance of triamcinolone acetonide combined with compound anisodine hydrobromide injection for the treatment of mild(non ischemiccentral retinal vein occlusion(CRVOin the early stage.METHODS: One hundred and sixteen eyes in 116 patients with non ischemic CRVO in early stage were randomly divided into four groups, group A, group B, group C, and group D. Divided by the completely random data method, each group had 29 eyes. Group A received no treatment. Group B was given compound anisodine hydrobromide injection in subcutaneous injection besides superficial temporal artery of the eye. Group C was injected with triamcinolone acetonide beside eyeballs and Group D was given triamcinolone acetonide combined with compound anisodine hydrobromide injection. In each group, we observed and recorded the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA, using EDTRS chart, bleeding, optical coherence tomography(OCTscanning for central macular thickness(CMT, fundus fluorescence angiography(FFAimaging check for the possibility of ischemic CRVO at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12wk respectively. The total curative effect after 3mo was being compared among the three groups.RESULTS: After 12 weeks' treatment, the mean BCVA was lower and the mean CMT was higher in group A than those before the treatment. The mean BCVA was increased and the mean CMT decreased in group B, C and D after treated for 3mo. Comparing Group D with the rest groups, the variation of BCVA and CMT had statistical significance(PP>0.05. Ischemic CRVO was found in 8 cases of group A, 6 cases of group B, 5 cases of group C, and 2 cases of group D,and the difference was not statistically significant(χ2=4.361; P=0.225. Flame-shaped bleeding was found in 14 cases of group A, 7 cases of group B, 9 cases of group C and 4 cases of group D and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=8.821; P=0.032. CONCLUSION: The combination of triamcinolone acetonide and compound anisodine hydrobromide

  16. Therapeutic Effect of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Laser-Induced Retinal Injury in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanfeng Jiang

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Stem cell therapy has shown encouraging results for neurodegenerative diseases. The retina provides a convenient locus to investigate stem cell functions and distribution in the nervous system. In the current study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs by systemic transplantation in a laser-induced retinal injury model. MSCs from C57BL/6 mice labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP were injected via the tail vein into mice after laser photocoagulation. We found that the average diameters of laser spots and retinal cell apoptosis were decreased in the MSC-treated group. Interestingly, GFP-MSCs did not migrate to the injured retina. Further examination revealed that the mRNA expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein and matrix metalloproteinase-2 were lower in the injured eyes after MSC transplantation. Our results suggest that intravenously injected MSCs have the ability to inhibit retinal cell apoptosis, reduce the inflammatory response and limit the spreading of damage in the laser-injured retina of mice. Systemic MSC therapy might play a role in neuroprotection, mainly by regulation of the intraocular microenvironment.

  17. Ligation of superior mesenteric vein and portal to splenic vein anastomosis after superior mesenteric-portal vein confluence resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy - Case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jianlin; Abbas, Jihad; Hoetzl, Katherine; Allison, David; Osman, Mahamed; Williams, Mallory; Zelenock, Gerald B

    2014-12-01

    62 year old Caucasian female with pancreatic head mass abutting the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) presented with fine needle aspiration biopsy confirmed diagnosis of ductal adenocarcinoma. CT scan showed near complete obstruction of portal vein and large SMV collateral development. After 3 months of neoadjuvant therapy, her portal vein flow improved significantly, SMV collateral circulation was diminished. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and superior mesenteric portal vein (SMPV) confluence resection were performed; A saphenous vein interposition graft thrombosed immediately. The splenic vein remnant was distended and adjacent to the stump of the portal vein. Harvesting an internal jugular vein graft required extra time and using a synthetic graft posed a risk of graft thrombosis or infection. As a result, we chose to perform a direct anastomosis of the portal and splenic vein in a desperate situation. The anastomosis decompressed the mesenteric venous system, so we then ligated the SMV. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, except transient ascites. She redeveloped ascites more than one year later. At that time a PET scan showed bilateral lung and right femur metastatic disease. She expired 15 months after PD. The lessons we learned are (1) Before SMPV confluence resection, internal jugular vein graft should be ready for reconstruction. (2) Synthetic graft is an alternative for internal jugular vein graft. (3) Direct portal vein to SMV anastomosis can be achieved by mobilizing liver. (4) It is possible that venous collaterals secondary to SMV tumor obstruction may have allowed this patient's post-operative survival.

  18. Retinal Thickening and Photoreceptor Loss in HIV Eyes without Retinitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheryl A Arcinue

    Full Text Available To determine the presence of structural changes in HIV retinae (i.e., photoreceptor density and retinal thickness in the macula compared with age-matched HIV-negative controls.Cohort of patients with known HIV under CART (combination Antiretroviral Therapy treatment were examined with a flood-illuminated retinal AO camera to assess the cone photoreceptor mosaic and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT to assess retinal layers and retinal thickness.Twenty-four eyes of 12 patients (n = 6 HIV-positive and 6 HIV-negative were imaged with the adaptive optics camera. In each of the regions of interest studied (nasal, temporal, superior, inferior, the HIV group had significantly less mean cone photoreceptor density compared with age-matched controls (difference range, 4,308-6,872 cones/mm2. A different subset of forty eyes of 20 patients (n = 10 HIV-positive and 10 HIV-negative was included in the retinal thickness measurements and retinal layer segmentation with the SD-OCT. We observed significant thickening in HIV positive eyes in the total retinal thickness at the foveal center, and in each of the three horizontal B-scans (through the macular center, superior, and inferior to the fovea. We also noted that the inner retina (combined thickness from ILM through RNFL to GCL layer was also significantly thickened in all the different locations scanned compared with HIV-negative controls.Our present study shows that the cone photoreceptor density is significantly reduced in HIV retinae compared with age-matched controls. HIV retinae also have increased macular retinal thickness that may be caused by inner retinal edema secondary to retinovascular disease in HIV. The interaction of photoreceptors with the aging RPE, as well as possible low-grade ocular inflammation causing diffuse inner retinal edema, may be the key to the progressive vision changes in HIV-positive patients without overt retinitis.

  19. Improving the Outcome of Vein Grafts: Should Vascular Surgeons Turn Veins into Arteries?

    OpenAIRE

    Isaji, Toshihiko; Hashimoto, Takuya; Yamamoto, Kota; Santana, Jeans M.; Yatsula, Bogdan; Hu, Haidi; Bai, Hualong; Jianming, Guo; Kudze, Tambudzai; Nishibe, Toshiya; Dardik, Alan

    2017-01-01

    Autogenous vein grafts remain the gold standard conduit for arterial bypass, particularly for the treatment of critical limb ischemia. Vein graft adaptation to the arterial environment, i.e., adequate dilation and wall thickening, contributes to the superior performance of vein grafts. However, abnormal venous wall remodeling with excessive neointimal hyperplasia commonly causes vein graft failure. Since the PREVENT trials failed to improve vein graft outcomes, new strategies focus on the ada...

  20. Towards Vision-Based Control of a Handheld Micromanipulator for Retinal Cannulation in an Eyeball Phantom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Brian C.; Yang, Sungwook; MacLachlan, Robert A.; Riviere, Cameron N.

    2012-01-01

    Injecting clot-busting drugs such as t-PA into tiny vessels thinner than a human hair in the eye is a challenging procedure, especially since the vessels lie directly on top of the delicate and easily damaged retina. Various robotic aids have been proposed with the goal of increasing safety by removing tremor and increasing precision with motion scaling. We have developed a fully handheld micromanipulator, Micron, that has demonstrated reduced tremor when cannulating porcine retinal veins in an “open sky” scenario. In this paper, we present work towards handheld robotic cannulation with the goal of vision-based virtual fixtures guiding the tip of the cannula to the vessel. Using a realistic eyeball phantom, we address sclerotomy constraints, eye movement, and non-planar retina. Preliminary results indicate a handheld micromanipulator aided by visual control is a promising solution to retinal vessel occlusion. PMID:24649479

  1. Relationships among Ocular Blood Flow Shown by Laser Speckle Flowgraphy, Retinal Arteriosclerotic Change, and Chorioretinal Circulation Time Obtained by Fluorescein Angiography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hironori Osamura

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the correlations among the mean blur rate (MBR in the optic nerve head (ONH shown by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG, retinal arteriosclerosis, and the circulation time obtained by fluorescein angiography (FA. Method. We evaluated 118 patients and assessed their time of choroidal flush, arm-to-retina time, and early and late phases of retinal circulation time (RT: sec obtained by FA. The severity of retinal arteriosclerosis was classified according to the Scheie classification. The MBR values throughout the ONH (MBR-A, in the tissue (MBR-T, and in the vessels (MBR-V were analyzed. Results. Patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO showed prolonged early and late phases of RT compared to other ocular diseases. Single and multiple regression analyses showed that the MBR-V and Scheie classification were significantly associated with both the choroidal flush and arm-to-retina times. The incidences of RVO and MVR-V were significantly associated with the early phase of RT, and the incidences of RVO, MBR-V, Scheie classification, and gender were revealed to be factors independently contributing to the late phase of RT. Conclusion. MBR-V in the ONH and retinal arteriosclerosis are important contributing factors for the circulation time of each stage obtained by FA.

  2. Comparison of fractional flow reserve of composite Y-grafts with saphenous vein or right internal thoracic arteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glineur, David; Boodhwani, Munir; Poncelet, Alain; De Kerchove, Laurent; Etienne, Pierre Yves; Noirhomme, Philippe; Deceuninck, Paul; Michel, Xavier; El Khoury, Gebrine; Hanet, Claude

    2010-09-01

    Composite Y-grafts, using the left internal thoracic artery as the inflow, allow a more efficient use of conduits without the need to touch a diseased ascending aorta. Among other conduits, the saphenous vein graft may be an alternative to the radial artery in elderly patients. We evaluated the hemodynamic characteristics of 17 composite Y-grafts made with the left internal thoracic artery anastomosed to the left anterior descending coronary artery in all cases and with either the free right internal thoracic artery (RITA group, n = 10) or a saphenous vein graft (SVG group, n = 7) implanted proximally to the left internal thoracic artery and distally to the circumflex territory 6 months after the operation. At baseline, the pressure gradient measured with a 0.014-inch pressure wire was minimal between the aorta and the internal thoracic artery stem (2 +/- 1 mm Hg), the internal thoracic artery and left anterior descending (4 +/- 2 mm Hg), the internal thoracic artery and left circumflex (3 +/- 1 mm Hg), and the saphenous vein graft and left circumflex (2 +/- 2 mm Hg). During hyperemia induced by adenosine, the pressure gradient increased significantly to 6 +/- 2 mm Hg in the internal thoracic artery stem, 9 +/- 4 mm Hg in the internal thoracic artery and left anterior descending artery, 9 +/- 3 mm Hg in the internal thoracic artery and left circumflex, and 7 +/- 4 mm Hg in the saphenous vein graft and left circumflex. Fractional flow reserve was 0.94 +/- 0.02 in internal thoracic artery stem, 0.90 +/- 0.04 mm Hg in the internal thoracic artery and left anterior descending, 0.91 +/- 0.03 mm Hg in the internal thoracic artery and left circumflex, and 0.92 +/- 0.06 mm Hg in the saphenous vein graft and left circumflex. No difference between the two types of composite Y-grafts was observed for pressure gradients or fractional flow reserve measured in internal thoracic artery stem or in distal branches. Composite Y-grafts with saphenous vein or right internal thoracic

  3. Portal Vein Embolization: What Do We Know?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Denys, Alban, E-mail: Alban.Denys@chuv.ch [Centre Hospitalo Universitaire Vaudois, Department of Radiology and Interventional Radiology Unit (Switzerland); Prior, John [Centre Hospitalo Universitaire Vaudois, Department of Nuclear Medicine (Switzerland); Bize, Pierre; Duran, Rafael [Centre Hospitalo Universitaire Vaudois, Department of Radiology and Interventional Radiology Unit (Switzerland); Baere, Thierry De [Institut Gustave Roussy, Department of Interventional Radiology (France); Halkic, Nermin; Demartines, Nicolas [Centre Hospitalo Universitaire Vaudois, Department of Visceral Surgery (Switzerland)

    2012-10-15

    Portal vein embolization (PVE) has been developed to increase the size of the future remnant liver (FRL) left in place after major hepatectomy, thus reducing the risk of postoperative liver insufficiency. PVE consist in embolizing preoperatively portal branches of the segments that will be resected. Indication is based on preoperative measurements of the FRL by computed tomography and its ratio with either the theoretical liver volume or by direct measurement of the functional liver volume. After PVE, the volume and function of the FRL increases in 3 to 6 weeks, permitting extensive resections in patients otherwise contraindicated for liver resection. The PVE technique is variable from one center to another; however n-butyl-cyano-acrylate provides an interesting compromise between hypertrophy rate and procedure risk.

  4. Accessory hepatic vein: MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chang Hee; Rho, Tack Soo; Cha, Sang Hoon; Park, Cheol Min; Cha, In Ho

    1995-01-01

    To evaluate the MR appearance of the accessory hepatic veins. The study included 87 consecutive patients for whom abdominal MR images were obtained. The subjects who had liver lesion or hepatic vascular abnormalities were excluded. Couinaud classified accessory hepatic veins into inferior and middle right hepatic veins. Our major interests were evaluation of the incidence, morphology, and location of the accessory hepatic vein. Inferior right hepatic vein was demonstrated in 43 out of 87 patients (49%). The morphology was linear in 35 patients (80.5%), and V-shaped in 8 patients (19.5%). In 40 patients (93%), the inferior right hepatic vein was located in the posteroinferior aspect of the right lobe. Middle right hepatic vein was demonstrated in 7 out of 87 patients (8%). All were single linear in morphology, combined with the inferior right hepatic vein, and located between the right hepatic vein and inferior right hepatic vein. The accessory hepatic vein was demonstrated in 49% among the Korean adult population, and was located in posteroinferior portion of the liver, in 93%

  5. Vasoinhibins regulate the inner and outer blood-retinal barrier and limit retinal oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arredondo Zamarripa, David; Díaz-Lezama, Nundehui; Meléndez García, Rodrigo; Chávez Balderas, Jesús; Adán, Norma; Ledesma-Colunga, Maria G; Arnold, Edith; Clapp, Carmen; Thebault, Stéphanie

    2014-01-01

    Vasoinhibins are prolactin fragments present in the retina, where they have been shown to prevent the hypervasopermeability associated with diabetes. Enhanced bradykinin (BK) production contributes to the increased transport through the blood-retina barrier (BRB) in diabetes. Here, we studied if vasoinhibins regulate BRB permeability by targeting the vascular endothelium and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) components of this barrier. Intravitreal injection of BK in male rats increased BRB permeability. Vasoinhibins prevented this effect, as did the B2 receptor antagonist Hoe-140. BK induced a transient decrease in mouse retinal and brain capillary endothelial monolayer resistance that was blocked by vasoinhibins. Both vasoinhibins and the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME, but not the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), blocked the transient decrease in bovine umbilical vein endothelial cell (BUVEC) monolayer resistance induced by BK; this block was reversed by the NO donor DETANONOate. Vasoinhibins also prevented the BK-induced actin cytoskeleton redistribution, as did L-NAME. BK transiently decreased human RPE (ARPE-19) cell monolayer resistance, and this effect was blocked by vasoinhibins, L-NAME, and NAC. DETANONOate reverted the blocking effect of vasoinhibins. Similar to BK, the radical initiator Luperox induced a reduction in ARPE-19 cell monolayer resistance, which was prevented by vasoinhibins. These effects on RPE resistance coincided with actin cytoskeleton redistribution. Intravitreal injection of vasoinhibins reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in retinas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, particularly in the RPE and capillary-containing layers. Thus, vasoinhibins reduce BRB permeability by targeting both its main inner and outer components through NO- and ROS-dependent pathways, offering potential treatment strategies against diabetic retinopathies.

  6. Vasoinhibins regulate the inner and outer blood-retinal barrier and limit retinal oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David eArredondo Zamarripa

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Vasoinhibins are prolactin fragments present in the retina, where they have been shown to prevent the hypervasopermeability associated with diabetes. Enhanced bradykinin (BK production contributes to the increased transport through the blood-retina barrier (BRB in diabetes. Here, we studied if vasoinhibins regulate BRB permeability by targeting the vascular endothelium and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE components of this barrier. Intravitreal injection of BK in male rats increased BRB permeability. Vasoinhibins prevented this effect, as did the B2 receptor antagonist Hoe-140. BK induced a transient decrease in mouse retinal and brain capillary endothelial monolayer resistance that was blocked by vasoinhibins. Both vasoinhibins and the nitric oxide (NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME, but not the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, blocked the transient decrease in bovine umbilical vein endothelial cell (BUVEC monolayer resistance induced by BK; this block was reversed by the NO donor DETANONOate. Vasoinhibins also prevented the BK-induced actin cytoskeleton redistribution, as did L-NAME. BK transiently decreased human RPE (ARPE-19 cell monolayer resistance, and this effect was blocked by vasoinhibins, L-NAME, and NAC. DETANONOate reverted the blocking effect of vasoinhibins. Similar to BK, the radical initiator Luperox induced a reduction in ARPE-19 cell monolayer resistance, which was prevented by vasoinhibins. These effects on RPE resistance coincided with actin cytoskeleton redistribution. Intravitreal injection of vasoinhibins reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS in retinas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, particularly in the RPE and capillary-containing layers. Thus, vasoinhibins reduce BRB permeability by targeting both its main inner and outer components through NO- and ROS-dependent pathways, offering potential treatment strategies against diabetic retinopathies.

  7. Suppression of Retinal Neovascularization in vivo by Inhibition of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Using Soluble VEGF-Receptor Chimeric Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiello, Lloyd Paul; Pierce, Eric A.; Foley, Eliot D.; Takagi, Hitoshi; Chen, Helen; Riddle, Lavon; Ferrara, Napoleone; King, George L.; Smith, Lois E. H.

    1995-11-01

    The majority of severe visual loss in the United States results from complications associated with retinal neovascularization in patients with ischemic ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and retinopathy of prematurity. Intraocular expression of the angiogenic protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is closely correlated with neovascularization in these human disorders and with ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization in mice. In this study, we evaluated whether in vivo inhibition of VEGF action could suppress retinal neovascularization in a murine model of ischemic retinopathy. VEGF-neutralizing chimeric proteins were constructed by joining the extracellular domain of either human (Flt) or mouse (Flk) high-affinity VEGF receptors with IgG. Control chimeric proteins that did not bind VEGF were also used. VEGF-receptor chimeric proteins eliminated in vitro retinal endothelial cell growth stimulation by either VEGF (P hypoxic conditioned medium (P < 0.005) without affecting growth under nonstimulated conditions. Control proteins had no effect. To assess in vivo response, animals with bilateral retinal ischemia received intravitreal injections of VEGF antagonist in one eye and control protein in the contralateral eye. Retinal neovascularization was quantitated histologically by a masked protocol. Retinal neovascularization in the eye injected with human Flt or murine Flk chimeric protein was reduced in 100% (25/25; P < 0.0001) and 95% (21/22; P < 0.0001) of animals, respectively, compared to the control treated eye. This response was evident after only a single intravitreal injection and was dose dependent with suppression of neovascularization noted after total delivery of 200 ng of protein (P < 0.002). Reduction of histologically evident neovascular nuclei per 6-um section averaged 47% ± 4% (P < 0.001) and 37% ± 2% (P < 0.001) for Flt and Flk chimeric proteins with maximal inhibitory effects of 77% and 66

  8. Retinal vasculitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu El-Asrar, Ahmed M; Herbort, Carl P; Tabbara, Khalid F

    2005-12-01

    Retinal vasculitis is a sight-threatening intraocular inflammation affecting the retinal vessels. It may occur as an isolated ocular condition, as a manifestation of infectious or neoplastic disorders, or in association with a systemic inflammatory disease. The search for an underlying etiology should be approached in a multidisciplinary fashion based on a thorough history, review of systems, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation. Discrimination between infectious and noninfectious etiologies of retinal vasculitis is important because their treatment is different. This review is based on recently published articles on retinal vasculitis and deals with its clinical diagnosis, its link with systemic diseases, and its laboratory investigation.

  9. Interventions for asymptomatic retinal breaks and lattice degeneration for preventing retinal detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Charles P

    2014-09-05

    Asymptomatic retinal breaks and lattice degeneration are visible lesions that are risk factors for later retinal detachment. Retinal detachments occur when fluid in the vitreous cavity passes through tears or holes in the retina and separates the retina from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium. Creation of an adhesion surrounding retinal breaks and lattice degeneration, with laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy, has been recommended as an effective means of preventing retinal detachment. This therapy is of value in the management of retinal tears associated with the symptoms of flashes and floaters and persistent vitreous traction upon the retina in the region of the retinal break, because such symptomatic retinal tears are associated with a high rate of progression to retinal detachment. Retinal tears and holes unassociated with acute symptoms and lattice degeneration are significantly less likely to be the sites of retinal breaks that are responsible for later retinal detachment. Nevertheless, treatment of these lesions frequently is recommended, in spite of the fact that the effectiveness of this therapy is unproven. The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of techniques used to treat asymptomatic retinal breaks and lattice degeneration for the prevention of retinal detachment. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (2014, Issue 2), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to February 2014), EMBASE (January 1980 to February 2014), PubMed (January 1948 to February 2014), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials

  10. Ligation of superior mesenteric vein and portal to splenic vein anastomosis after superior mesenteric-portal vein confluence resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy – Case report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jianlin; Abbas, Jihad; Hoetzl, Katherine; Allison, David; Osman, Mahamed; Williams, Mallory; Zelenock, Gerald B.

    2014-01-01

    62 year old Caucasian female with pancreatic head mass abutting the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) presented with fine needle aspiration biopsy confirmed diagnosis of ductal adenocarcinoma. CT scan showed near complete obstruction of portal vein and large SMV collateral development. After 3 months of neoadjuvant therapy, her portal vein flow improved significantly, SMV collateral circulation was diminished. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and superior mesenteric portal vein (SMPV) confluence resection were performed; A saphenous vein interposition graft thrombosed immediately. The splenic vein remnant was distended and adjacent to the stump of the portal vein. Harvesting an internal jugular vein graft required extra time and using a synthetic graft posed a risk of graft thrombosis or infection. As a result, we chose to perform a direct anastomosis of the portal and splenic vein in a desperate situation. The anastomosis decompressed the mesenteric venous system, so we then ligated the SMV. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, except transient ascites. She redeveloped ascites more than one year later. At that time a PET scan showed bilateral lung and right femur metastatic disease. She expired 15 months after PD. Conclusion The lessons we learned are (1) Before SMPV confluence resection, internal jugular vein graft should be ready for reconstruction. (2) Synthetic graft is an alternative for internal jugular vein graft. (3) Direct portal vein to SMV anastomosis can be achieved by mobilizing liver. (4) It is possible that venous collaterals secondary to SMV tumor obstruction may have allowed this patient's post-operative survival. PMID:25568802

  11. Treatment of Retinal Separation in HIV-infected Patients with Cytomegalovirus Retinitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. L. Onischenko

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available HIV infection — is a socially significant problem for many countries, as the infected die in an average of 10-11 years due to the immunodeficiency virus. Up to 20% of patients with AIDS lose their sight because of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMV retinitis, which occurs in 70% of HIV-infected people. In some patients with HIV infection blindness occurs because of acute retinal necrosis of CMV etiology. The algorithm of CMV retinitis treatment in HIV-infected patients is described in modern manuals (ganciclovir, valganciclovir, foscarnet and others on the background of antiretroviral therapy, but the tactics of treatment of retinal separation in these patients is not clearly defined. It may be “wait and see”, providing conservative treatment with antiviral drugs, and the active tactics — vitreoretinal surgery. In this article the authors present their personal clinical observations of three HIV-infected patients with CMV retinitis at the age of 8 to 36 years with a detailed analysis of the clinical data and the results of the laboratory tests. In particular, the authors give their own results of intravitreal introduction of ganciclovir in patients with CMV retinitis. Given the poor prognosis for the life of these patients, the authors put a deontological question of justification of active treatment of retinal separation in AIDS patients with CMV retinitis.

  12. "CEPHALIC VEIN ANATOMY IN ANTECUBITAL FOSSA DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULA"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M. Alamshah

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to create an effective arteriovenous fistula (AVF in patients with sustained chronic renal failure (CRF, surgeons need to become familiar with various anatomical variations of venous structures in the operating field. Because of variety and different types of cubital venous anatomies, there is more than a 90% possibility of creating suitable AVFs in the cubital fossa , but in the wrist and forearm, due to old injections and thrombophlebitis, there is less chance to do so. Since cephalic vein is the main venous conduit for constructing an AVF in the antecubital region, this study focuses on the various anatomical variations of cephalic vein and its communicating branches. We studied the cubital cephalic anatomy of 103 patients with CRF during construction of an AVF from July 1999 to June 2001. Five types of cephalic vein anatomy were seen: type A (44.66%, type B (30.1%, type C (18.44%, type D (3.88% and type E (2.29% in 39 right and 64 left arms. Seventy-six anastomoses were performed to brachial trunk, 25 to the radial and 2 to the ulnar artery. Eleven cases with progressive swelling after AVF were uneventfully cured by hand elevation. No infection, false aneurysm, venous hypertension or steal syndrome was detected. In order to obtain the best results and select appropriate operative technique for reliable vascular access in CRF, it is necessary to understand the anatomical variety of cephalic vein.

  13. Clinical quantitative study of therapeutic effect of partial splenic embolization (PSE) on portal vein hemodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Zhengran; Shan Hong; Zhu Kangshun; Jiang Zaibo; Guan Shouhai; Huang Mingsheng

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To research the changes of blood flow and pressure of the portal vein at both pre-and post-PSE. Methods: The blood flows of the portal vein (PV), splenic vein (SV), and superior mesentery vein (SMV) were measured by using color Doppler in 31 cases with clinically proved hepatic cirrhosis and hypersplenism at both pre- and post-PSE. The pressure of the portal vein and its branches was measured by percutaneous and trans-spleen portal venous catheterization, respectively both pre- and post-embolization in 11 cases of them. Results: The blood flow of PV, SV and SMV decreased significantly in all 31 cases after PSE (P < 0.05). The decreased degrees of blood flow of both PV and SV after PSE were positively related to the embolization degree (r = 0.589, P = 0.002 for PV; r= 0.862, P < 0.001 for SV). In 11 cases whose embolization degrees were more than 60%, the pressure of PV, SV and SMV decreased significantly after embolization (P<0.001). The decrease degree was (22.2 +- 5.8)%, (28.5 +- 1.7)% and (19.5 +- 8.1)%, respectively. The decreased degrees of pressure of both PV and SV after PSE were also positively related to the embolization degree (r = 0.645, P = 0.032 for PV; r = 0.687, P = 0.020 for SV). Conclusion: The embolization degree ranged from 60% to 80% may ameliorate peripheral blood WBC and PLT count, significantly decrease the blood flow and depress the pressure of portal vein, and relieve esophageal and gastric varices

  14. Msx1 is expressed in retina endothelial cells at artery branching sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Lopes

    2012-02-01

    Msx1 and Msx2 encode homeodomain transcription factors that play a role in several embryonic developmental processes. Previously, we have shown that in the adult mouse, Msx1lacZ is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs and pericytes, and that Msx2lacZ is also expressed in VSMCs as well as in a few endothelial cells (ECs. The mouse retina and choroid are two highly vascularized tissues. Vessel alterations in the retina are associated with several human diseases and the retina has been intensely used for angiogenesis studies, whereas the choroid has been much less investigated. Using the Msx1lacZ and Msx2lacZ reporter alleles, we observed that Msx2 is not expressed in the eye vascular tree in contrast to Msx1, for which we establish the spatial and temporal expression pattern in these tissues. In the retina, expression of Msx1 takes place from P3, and by P10, it becomes confined to a subpopulation of ECs at branching points of superficial arterioles. These branching sites are characterized by a subpopulation of mural cells that also show specific expression programs. Specific Msx gene inactivation in the endothelium, using Msx1 and Msx2 conditional mutant alleles together with a Tie2-Cre transgene, did not lead to conspicuous structural defects in the retinal vascular network. Expression of Msx1 at branching sites might therefore be linked to vessel physiology. The retinal blood flow is autonomously regulated and perfusion of capillaries has been proposed to depend on arteriolar precapillary structures that might be the sites for Msx1 expression. On the other hand, branching sites are subject to shear stress that might induce Msx1 expression. In the choroid vascular layer Msx1lacZ is expressed more broadly and dynamically. At birth Msx1lacZ expression takes place in the endothelium but at P21 its expression has shifted towards the mural layer. We discuss the possible functions of Msx1 in the eye vasculature.

  15. Msx1 is expressed in retina endothelial cells at artery branching sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Miguel; Goupille, Olivier; Saint Cloment, Cécile; Robert, Benoît

    2012-04-15

    Msx1 and Msx2 encode homeodomain transcription factors that play a role in several embryonic developmental processes. Previously, we have shown that in the adult mouse, Msx1(lacZ) is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and pericytes, and that Msx2(lacZ) is also expressed in VSMCs as well as in a few endothelial cells (ECs). The mouse retina and choroid are two highly vascularized tissues. Vessel alterations in the retina are associated with several human diseases and the retina has been intensely used for angiogenesis studies, whereas the choroid has been much less investigated. Using the Msx1(lacZ) and Msx2(lacZ) reporter alleles, we observed that Msx2 is not expressed in the eye vascular tree in contrast to Msx1, for which we establish the spatial and temporal expression pattern in these tissues. In the retina, expression of Msx1 takes place from P3, and by P10, it becomes confined to a subpopulation of ECs at branching points of superficial arterioles. These branching sites are characterized by a subpopulation of mural cells that also show specific expression programs. Specific Msx gene inactivation in the endothelium, using Msx1 and Msx2 conditional mutant alleles together with a Tie2-Cre transgene, did not lead to conspicuous structural defects in the retinal vascular network. Expression of Msx1 at branching sites might therefore be linked to vessel physiology. The retinal blood flow is autonomously regulated and perfusion of capillaries has been proposed to depend on arteriolar precapillary structures that might be the sites for Msx1 expression. On the other hand, branching sites are subject to shear stress that might induce Msx1 expression. In the choroid vascular layer Msx1(lacZ) is expressed more broadly and dynamically. At birth Msx1(lacZ) expression takes place in the endothelium but at P21 its expression has shifted towards the mural layer. We discuss the possible functions of Msx1 in the eye vasculature.

  16. Varicose Veins - Multiple Languages

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy: Varicose Veins - English MP3 Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy: Varicose Veins - 简体中文 (Chinese, Simplified (Mandarin dialect)) MP3 Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy: Varicose Veins - English ...

  17. Valsalva and gravitational variability of the internal jugular vein and common femoral vein: Ultrasound assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beddy, P. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland)]. E-mail: pbeddy@eircom.net; Geoghegan, T. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Ramesh, N. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Buckley, O. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland); O' Brien, J. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Colville, J. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Torreggiani, W.C. [Department of Radiology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (Ireland)

    2006-05-15

    Purpose: Central venous cannulation via the common femoral vein is an important starting point for many interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for cannulation of the femoral vein and to compare these with the relative changes in the internal jugular vein. Methods: High-resolution 2D ultrasound was utilised to determine variability of the calibre of the femoral and internal jugular veins in 10 healthy subjects. Venous diameter was assessed during the Valsalva manoeuvre and in different degrees of the Trendelenburg position. Results: The Valsalva manoeuvre significantly increased the size of the femoral and internal jugular veins. There was a relatively greater increase in femoral vein diameter when compared with the internal jugular vein of 40 and 29%, respectively. Changes in body inclination (Trendelenburg position) did not significantly alter the luminal diameter of the femoral vein. However, it significantly increased internal jugular vein diameter. Conclusions: Femoral vein cannulation is augmented by the Valsalva manoeuvre but not significantly altered by the gravitational position of the subject.

  18. Heritability of Retinal Vascular Fractals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vergmann, Anna Stage; Broe, Rebecca; Kessel, Line

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the genetic contribution to the pattern of retinal vascular branching expressed by its fractal dimension. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 50 monozygotic and 49 dizygotic, same-sex twin pairs aged 20 to 46 years. In 50°, disc-centered fundus photographs, the reti...... fractal dimension did not differ statistically significantly between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs (1.505 vs. 1.495, P = 0.06), supporting that the study population was suitable for quantitative analysis of heritability. The intrapair correlation was markedly higher (0.505, P = 0.......0002) in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins (0.108, P = 0.46), corresponding to a heritability h2 for the fractal dimension of 0.79. In quantitative genetic models, dominant genetic effects explained 54% of the variation and 46% was individually environmentally determined. Conclusions: In young adult twins...

  19. Chaetomium retinitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabbara, Khalid F; Wedin, Keith; Al Haddab, Saad

    2010-01-01

    To report a case of Chaetomium atrobrunneum retinitis in a patient with Hodgkin lymphoma. We studied the ocular manifestations of an 11-year-old boy with retinitis. Biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, and fundus photography were done. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed. A vitreous biopsy was subjected to viral, bacterial, and fungal cultures. Vitreous culture grew C. atrobrunneum. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple cerebral lesions consistent with an infectious process. The patient was given intravenous voriconazole and showed improvement of the ocular and central nervous system lesions. We report a case of central nervous system and ocular lesions by C. atrobrunneum. The retinitis was initially misdiagnosed as cytomegaloviral retinitis. Vitreous biopsy helped in the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of a life- and vision-threatening infection.

  20. Retinitis Pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Ronald E.

    1979-01-01

    The author describes the etiology of retinitis pigmentosa, a visual dysfunction which results from progressive loss of the retinal photoreceptors. Sections address signs and symptoms, ancillary findings, heredity, clinical diagnosis, therapy, and research. (SBH)

  1. Retinitis Pigmentosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Linked Retinoschisis (XLRS) X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP) Usher Syndrome Other Retinal Diseases Glossary News & Research News & Research ... degenerate. Forms of RP and related diseases include Usher syndrome, Leber congenital amaurosis, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, among ...

  2. Retinal Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Linked Retinoschisis (XLRS) X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP) Usher Syndrome Other Retinal Diseases Glossary News & Research News & Research ... central portion of the retina called the macula. Usher Syndrome Usher syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by ...

  3. Comparison between mechanical properties of human saphenous vein and umbilical vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamedani Borhan

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As a main cause of mortality in developed countries, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD is known as silent killer with a considerable cost to be dedicated for its treatment. Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG is a common remedy for CAD for which different blood vessels are used as a detour. There is a lack of knowledge about mechanical properties of human blood vessels used for CABG, and while these properties have a great impact on long-term patency of a CABG. Thus, studying these properties, especially those of human umbilical veins which have not been considered yet, looks utterly necessary. Methods Umbilical vein, as well as human Saphenous vein, are respectively obtained after cesarean and CABG. First, histological tests were performed to investigate different fiber contents of the samples. Having prepared samples carefully, force-displacement results of samples were rendered to real stress–strain measurements and then a fourth-order polynomial was used to prove the non-linear behavior of these two vessels. Results Results were analyzed in two directions, i.e. circumferentially and longitudinally, which then were compared with each other. The comparison between stiffness and elasticity of these veins showed that Saphenous vein’s stiffness is much higher than that of umbilical vein and also, it is less stretchable. Furthermore, for both vessels, longitudinal stiffness was higher than that of circumferential and in stark contrast, stretch ratio in circumferential direction came much higher than longitudinal orientation. Conclusion Blood pressure is very high in the region of aorta, so there should be a stiff blood vessel in this area and previous investigations showed that stiffer vessels would have a better influence on the flow of bypass. To this end, the current study has made an attempt to compare these two blood vessels’ stiffness, finding that Saphenous vein is stiffer than umbilical vein which is somehow as stiff as

  4. Vein grafting in fingertip replantations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hede; Jackson, William D; Songcharoen, Somjade; Akdemir, Ovunc; Li, Zhijie; Chen, Xinglong; Jiang, Liangfu; Gao, Weiyang

    2009-01-01

    In this retrospective study, the survival rates of fingertip replantation with and without vein grafting were evaluated along with their postoperative functional and cosmetic results. One hundred twenty-one-fingertip amputations were performed in 103 patients between September 2002 and July 2007. Thirty-four amputated fingertips were replanted without vein grafting, while 87 amputated fingertips were replanted with vein grafting for arterial and/or venous repairs. The overall survival rates of the replantations with and without vein grafting were 90% (78/87) and 85% (29/34), respectively. The survival rates were 88% (36/41) with venous repair, 93% (25/27) with arterial repair, and 89% (17/19) with both. Nineteen patients without vein grafting and 48 patients with vein grafting had a follow-up period of more than one year. Good cosmetic and functional outcomes were observed in both groups of patients. The results show that vein grafting is a reliable technique in fingertip replantations, showing no significant difference (P > 0.05) in survival between those with and without vein grafting. Furthermore, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in survival was found between cases with vein grafts for arterial and/or venous repairs. In fingertip replantations with vein grafting, favorable functional and esthetic results can be achieved without sacrificing replantation survival. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  5. Lack of differences in the regional variation of oxygen saturation in larger retinal vessels in diabetic maculopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, Christina Mørup; Bek, Toke

    2017-06-01

    Diabetic retinopathy is characterised by morphological lesions in the ocular fundus related to disturbances in retinal blood flow. The two vision threatening forms of retinopathy show specific patterns of distribution of retinal lesions with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) developing secondary to ischaemia and hypoxia in the retinal periphery and diabetic maculopathy (DM) developing secondary to hyperperfusion and increased vascular permeability in the macular area. These differences in the distribution of retinal lesions might be reflected in regional differences in oxygen saturation in the larger retinal vessels. Dual-wavelength retinal oximetry was performed in 30 normal persons, 30 patients with DM and 30 patients with PDR, and the oxygen saturation was measured in peripapillary vessels supplying the four retinal quadrants and in branches from the upper temporal arcades supplying, respectively, the macular area and the retinal periphery. The overall oxygen saturation was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in normal persons and the arteriovenous (AV) saturation difference significantly lower in the patients with DM. The regional variation in oxygen saturation was similar in the three studied groups with a decreasing saturation from the upper nasal through the lower nasal, lower temporal and the upper temporal peripapillary vessels, and with a significantly higher oxygen saturation in venules draining the macular area than in venules draining the retinal periphery. The regional differences in retinal lesions in vision threatening diabetic retinopathy are not reflected in regional differences in the oxygen saturation of larger retinal vessels. The development of vision threatening diabetic retinopathy depends on other factors, such as, for example, regional differences in the retinal microcirculation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  6. Stratigraphic distribution of veins in the Murray and Stimson formations, Gale crater, Mars: Implications for ancient groundwater circulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nachon, M.; Sumner, D. Y.; Borges, S. R.; Stack, K.; Stein, N.; Watkins, J. A.; Banham, S.; Rivera-Hernandez, F.; Wiens, R. C.; l'Haridon, J.; Rapin, W.; Kronyak, R. E.

    2017-12-01

    Since landing at Gale crater, Mars, in August 2012, the Curiosity rover has driven through more than 300m of stratigraphy. From the first to the most recent sedimentary rocks explored, light-toned veins have been observed cutting the host-rock and were interpreted as diagenetic features emplaced by hydraulic fracturing. Chemical and mineralogical analyses show they consist of Ca-sulfate. Here we report on the veins' distribution within two geological formations explored more recently by the rover: (a) the Murray Formation that consists mainly of fine-grained laminated rocks that have been interpreted as having been deposited in a former lacustrine environment [1], and (b) the Stimson Formation, which lies unconformably above the Murray, and consists of cross bedded sandstones interpreted as being deposited in a aeolian environment [2]. We have performed a systematic observation of the veins within the MastCam images, from the base of the Murray (Sol 750) up to Sol 1515 [3], described their main geometrical characteristics (e.g. orientation to laminae, relative density, branching). Five veins facies were defined based on veins' geometrical properties, abundance, and host-rock grain size. The distribution of veins facies was placed within the broader stratigraphic context. The distribution of veins within the Murray and Stimson Formations shows strong rheological controls. In the Murray, light-toned veins are present from the basal part of the section up to the most recently explored exposures. Several dense vein outcrops are associated with local variations in host-rock type, suggesting rheological control of fluid circulation. In Stimson sandstones, light-toned veins are also present though much rarer, again possibly due to rheological properties. The light-toned veins represent post depositional fluid circulation, occurring after accumulation of the lacustrine Murray rocks; at least some veins formed after Murray's burial, erosion, and the deposition and

  7. Hypoxia-induced retinal neovascularization in zebrafish embryos: a potential model of retinopathy of prematurity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yu-Ching; Chang, Chao-Yuan; Kao, Alex; Hsi, Brian; Lee, Shwu-Huey; Chen, Yau-Hung; Wang, I-Jong

    2015-01-01

    Retinopathy of prematurity, formerly known as a retrolental fibroplasia, is a leading cause of infantile blindness worldwide. Retinopathy of prematurity is caused by the failure of central retinal vessels to reach the retinal periphery, creating a nonperfused peripheral retina, resulting in retinal hypoxia, neovascularization, vitreous hemorrhage, vitreoretinal fibrosis, and loss of vision. We established a potential retinopathy of prematurity model by using a green fluorescent vascular endothelium zebrafish transgenic line treated with cobalt chloride (a hypoxia-inducing agent), followed by GS4012 (a vascular endothelial growth factor inducer) at 24 hours postfertilization, and observed that the number of vascular branches and sprouts significantly increased in the central retinal vascular trunks 2-4 days after treatment. We created an angiography method by using tetramethylrhodamine dextran, which exhibited severe vascular leakage through the vessel wall into the surrounding retinal tissues. The quantification of mRNA extracted from the heads of the larvae by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed a twofold increase in vegfaa and vegfr2 expression compared with the control group, indicating increased vascular endothelial growth factor signaling in the hypoxic condition. In addition, we demonstrated that the hypoxic insult could be effectively rescued by several antivascular endothelial growth factor agents such as SU5416, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab. In conclusion, we provide a simple, highly reproducible, and clinically relevant retinopathy of prematurity model based on zebrafish embryos; this model may serve as a useful platform for clarifying the mechanisms of human retinopathy of prematurity and its progression.

  8. Vein matching using artificial neural network in vein authentication systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noori Hoshyar, Azadeh; Sulaiman, Riza

    2011-10-01

    Personal identification technology as security systems is developing rapidly. Traditional authentication modes like key; password; card are not safe enough because they could be stolen or easily forgotten. Biometric as developed technology has been applied to a wide range of systems. According to different researchers, vein biometric is a good candidate among other biometric traits such as fingerprint, hand geometry, voice, DNA and etc for authentication systems. Vein authentication systems can be designed by different methodologies. All the methodologies consist of matching stage which is too important for final verification of the system. Neural Network is an effective methodology for matching and recognizing individuals in authentication systems. Therefore, this paper explains and implements the Neural Network methodology for finger vein authentication system. Neural Network is trained in Matlab to match the vein features of authentication system. The Network simulation shows the quality of matching as 95% which is a good performance for authentication system matching.

  9. Retinal Endovascular Surgery with Tissue Plasminogen Activator Injection for Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuta Takata

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To report 2 cases of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO who underwent retinal endovascular surgery with injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA into the retinal artery and showed a remarkable improvement in visual acuity and retinal circulation. Methods: Standard 25-G vitrectomy was performed under local anesthesia. Simultaneously, tPA (80,000 units/mL solution was injected into the retinal artery of the optic disc for 2–3 min using a microneedle. Changes in visual acuity, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT, fluorescein angiography, and laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG results were examined. Results: Both cases could be treated within 12 h after the onset of CRAO. Case 1 was a 47-year-old woman. Her visual acuity improved from counting fingers before operation to 0.08 logMAR 1 month after the surgery. However, thinning of the retina at the macula was observed by OCT. Case 2 was a 70-year-old man. His visual acuity improved from counting fingers to 0.1 logMAR 2 months after the surgery. Both fluorescein angiography and LSFG showed improvement in retinal circulation after the surgery in case 2. Conclusions: Retinal endovascular surgery with injection of tPA into the retinal artery was feasible and may be a way to improve visual acuity and retinal circulation when performed in the acute phase of CRAO.

  10. Relationship between Retinal Vascular Caliber and Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marmor Alon

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the relationship between retinal vascular caliber and cardiovascular disease in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD patients without diabetes and hypertension. Methods: Intention to treat study of individuals who underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT during a two year period. Coronary artery disease (CAD was defined as stenosis of >50% in at least one major coronary artery. Liver and spleen density were measured by abdominal (CT; intima-media thickness (IMT by Doppler ultrasound; retinal artery and vein diameter by colored-retinal angiography; and metabolic syndrome by ATP III guidelines. Serum biomarkers of insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidant-antioxidant status were assessed. Results: Compared with 22 gender and age matched controls, the 29 NAFLD patients showed higher prevalence of coronary plaques (70% vs. 30%, p < 0.001, higher prevalence of coronary stenosis (30% vs. 15%, p < 0.001, lower retinal arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR (0.66 ± 0.06 vs. 0.71 ± 0.02, p < 0.01, higher IMT (0.98 ± 0.3 vs. 0.83 ± 0.1, p < 0.04, higher carotid plaques (60% vs. 40%, p < 0.001, higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA (4.0 ± 3.4 vs. 2.0 ± 1.0, p < 0.005, and higher triglyceride levels (200 ± 80 vs. 150 ± 60, p < 0.005 than controls. Multivariate analysis showed fatty liver (OR 2.5; p < 0.01, IMT (OR 2.3 p < 0.001, and retinal AVR ratio (OR 1.5, p < 0.01 to be strongly associated with CAD independent of metabolic syndrome (OR 1.2, p < 0.05. Conclusions: Patients with smaller retinal AVR (<0.7 are likely to be at increased risk for CAD and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with NAFLD even without hypertension or diabetes.

  11. Regarding optical coherence tomography grading of ischemia in central retinal venous occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tripathy K

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Koushik TripathyDepartment of Vitreoretina and Uvea, ICARE Eye Hospital & Postgraduate Institute, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaThe author read with interest the article by Browning et al.1 The author humbly wants to discuss a few facts.1. The article1 discusses grading of retinal ischemia based on optical coherence tomography features in central retinal venous occlusion. As coexisting central retinal arterial occlusion or cilioretinal arterial occlusion may also cause inner retinal hyper-reflectivity, exclusion of such cases is an important consideration before implicating central retinal venous occlusion for the ischemia. Extensive intraretinal hemorrhages are other important hindrances to the evaluation of the perfusion status of the retina using both fluorescein angiogram and optical coherence tomography.2. It would be interesting to know the gonioscopic findings, especially neovascularization of the anterior chamber angle if it was performed at presentation and during the follow-ups.3. The manuscript documented that the incidence of anterior segment neovascularization at 1 year was 8.9% in severe ischemia group.1 The incidence of anterior segment neovascularization in perfused groups was higher (15.4% and 17.6% for mild and moderate ischemia, respectively. Although the sample size was low, such findings are contrary to the literature2 and require further discussion. Authors' replyDavid J Browning, Omar S Punjabi, Chong LeeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, P.A., Charlotte, NC, USA We thank Dr Tripathy for his interest in our article and would respond to his above-mentioned points.1. We agree that excluding eyes with cilioretinal artery and central retinal artery occlusions is necessary to be able to attribute inner retinal reflectivity changes to central retinal vein occlusion. Cilioretinal artery occlusion is associated with a band of ischemic retinal whitening and central retinal artery occlusion

  12. Glycogen synthase kinase-3: a key kinase in retinal neuron apoptosis in early diabetic retinopathy

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Li Zhaohui; Ma Ling; Chen Xiaodong; Li Yonghao; Li Shiyi; Zhang Jinglin; Lu Lin

    2014-01-01

    Background Diabetes-related pathogenic factors can cause retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis,but the specific mechanism is not very clear.The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) activation and retinal neuron apoptosis.Methods In an in vitro experiment,the number of apoptotic RGC-5 cells differentiated by staurosporine was evaluated via flow cytometry and nuclei staining using Hoechst 33258.GSK-3 phosphorylation and caspase-3 activation in RGC-5 cells after serum deprivation were determined using Western blotting.Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected using the dye 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetrethyl benzimidalyl carbocyanine iodide,and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured with dihydroethidium.In an in vivo experiment,the number of apoptotic retinal neurons was evaluated via terminal transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL),and GSK-3 phosphorylation was determined using Western blotting,in the retinal nerve epithelial tissue of rats in which diabetes was induced by intravenous tail-vein injection of streptozotocin for 4 weeks.Results The levels of phosphorylated Ser21/9 in GSK-3α/β and p-T308/S473-AKT were lower and the cleaved caspase-3 levels were higher in the serum-deprived model (P <0.05).Lithium chloride treatment was associated with a slower rate of apoptosis,increased mitochondrial membrane potential,and decreased ROS levels in differentiated RGC-5 cells (P <0.05).The level of blood glucose and the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the whole-mounted retinas were higher (P <0.01),and the levels of phosphorylated Ser21/9 in GSK-3α/β and body weight were lower (P <0.05).However,the thickness of the retinal nerve epithelial layer was not significantly less in diabetic rats compared with control group.Lithium chloride intravitreal injection increased the levels of phosphorylated Ser21/9 in GSK-3α/β and decreased TUNEL-positive cells in the whole-mounted retinas

  13. Absence of Middle Hepatic Vein Combined with Retro-Aortic Left Renal Vein: a Very Rare Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sezer Akçer

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The hepatic and renal veins drain into the inferior vena cava. The upper group of hepatic veins consists of three veins which extend to the posterior face of the liver to join the inferior cava. The left renal vein passes anterior to the aorta just below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. We detected a variation in the hepatic and renal veins in a multislice CT angiogram of a nine-year-old male patient in the Radiology Department of Afyon Kocatepe University Medical School. The upper group hepatic veins normally drains into the inferior vena cava as three separate trunks, namely the right, left and middle. In our case, we found that only the right and left hepatic veins existed and the middle hepatic vein was absent. Furthermore, the left renal vein, which normally passes anterior to the abdominal aorta, was retro-aortic. Left renal vein variations are of great importance in planning retroperitoneal surgery and vascular interventions. Knowledge of a patient’s hepatic vein and renovascular anatomy and determining their variations and anomalies are of critical importance to abdominal operations, transplantations and preoperative evaluation of endovascular interventions.

  14. Surgical Access to Jejunal Veins for Local Thrombolysis and Stent Placement in Portal Vein Thrombosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schellhammer, Frank; Esch, Jan Schulte am; Hammerschlag, Sascha; Knoefel, Wolfram Trudo; Fuerst, Guenter

    2008-01-01

    Portal vein thrombosis is an infrequent entity, which may cause high morbidity and mortality. We report a case of portal vein thrombosis due to benign stenosis following partial pancreatoduodenectomy with segmental replacement of the portal vein by a Gore-tex graft. Using a surgical access to jenunal veins, local thrombolysis, mechanical fragmentation of thrombus, and stent placement were successfully performed.

  15. Percutaneous transsplenic catheterization of portal vein: technique and clinical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Kangshun; Huang Mingsheng; Pang Pengfei; Zhou Bin; Xu Changmo; Qian Jiesheng; Li Zhengran; Jiang Zaibo; Shan Hong

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous transsplenic portal vein catheterization (PTSPC). Methods: Thirty patients with portal hypertension underwent gastroesophageal variceal embolization via PTSPC route, 2 of which simultaneously underwent portal vein stenting. This study included the patients with portal venous obstruction (tumor embolus or thrombus) or the patients with serious liver atrophy caused by liver cirrhosis. The patients who had severe coagulation insufficiency (with prothrombin time > 20 s) were excluded. Of the 30 patients, 17 had primary hepatocellular carcinoma with main portal venous tumor embolus, 13 had cirrhosis with severe liver atrophy and (or)slight or moderate ascite. Before this study, all of 30 patients had a history of variceal bleeding, and 16 patients had a normal coagulation level, 10 patients had a mildly prolonged prothrombin time (14-17 s), 4 patients had a moderately prolonged prothrombin time (18-20 s). All of 30 patients underwent upper abdomen CT enhanced scanning before this procedure, and the site, direction, and depth of splenic vein branch puncture were decided by CT images. The technology of PTSPC, procedure-related complications, and its clinical application were retrospectively analyzed. Results: PTSPC was performed successfully in 28 of 30 patients. Two cases failed because of a small intrasplenic vein. Procedure-related complications occurred in 6 patients (20.0%), which had decrease of hemoglobin concentration (15-50 g/L). Four of them needed blood transfusion. In the six patients, one patient (3.3%) with abdominal cavity hemorrhage had a serious drop of blood pressure 2 hours after procedure, whose clinical symptoms were relieved after four units of packed RBC and a great quantity of fluid were transfused. Twenty-eight patients whose PTSPC were successfully performed underwent variceal embolization, 2 of them were placed with portal vein covered stents. During a median follow-up period of 6 months

  16. Fluorescein angiography and retinal vascular development in premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcaro, Velia; Velia, Purcaro; Baldascino, Antonio; Antonio, Baldascino; Papacci, Patrizia; Patrizia, Papacci; Giannantonio, Carmen; Carmen, Giannantonio; Molisso, Anna; Anna, Molisso; Molle, Fernando; Fernando, Molle; Lepore, Domenico; Domenico, Lepore; Romagnoli, Costantino; Costantino, Romagnoli

    2012-10-01

    To investigate the role of fluorescein angiography (FA) in the management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm newborns. An observational case series of 13 extremely low birth weight infants. From September 2009 to March 2010, 13 newborn infants with a gestational age <29 weeks end/or birth weight <1000 g underwent serial fluorescein angiography with RetCam (Clarity, Pleasanton, CA) every 2 weeks. The fluorescein angiograms were examined to optimize the timing of diagnosis of ROP and to investigate development of retinal and choroidal vascularization. There were no side effects related to FA. Variable features of retinal and choroidal circulation in preterm infants with a high risk of developing ROP were noted. FA allows vessels branching at the junction between vascular and avascular retina (V-Av junction) to be viewed easily and shows the ROP findings that sometimes cannot be seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Dye leakage is the most significant sign of progression to severe ROP or the need for surgery in newborn babies with ROP. RetCam-assisted intravenous FA is safe and allows a more objective assessment of the ROP stage and zone.

  17. Galen and his anatomic eponym: vein of Galen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ustun, Cagatay

    2004-09-01

    Galen or Galenus was born at Pergamum (now Bergama in Turkey) in 129 A.D., and died in the year 200 A.D. He was a 2nd century Greek philosopher-physician who switched to the medical profession after his father dreamt of this calling for his son. Galen's training and experiences brought him to Alexandria and Rome and he rose quickly to fame with public demonstrations of anatomical and surgical skills. He became physician to emperor Marcus Aurelius and the emperor's ambitious son, Commodus. He wrote prodigiously and was able to preserve his medical research in 22 volumes of printed text, representing half of all Greek medical literature that is available to us today. The structures, the great cerebral vein and the communicating branch of the internal laryngeal nerve, bear his eponym.

  18. Ghrelin Attenuates Retinal Neuronal Autophagy and Apoptosis in an Experimental Rat Glaucoma Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ke; Zhang, Meng-Lu; Liu, Shu-Ting; Li, Xue-Yan; Zhong, Shu-Min; Li, Fang; Xu, Ge-Zhi; Wang, Zhongfeng; Miao, Yanying

    2017-12-01

    Ghrelin, a natural ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a), may protect retinal neurons against glaucomatous injury. We therefore characterized the underlying mechanism of the ghrelin/GHSR-1a-mediated neuroprotection with a rat chronic intraocular hypertension (COH) model. The rat COH model was produced by blocking episcleral veins. A combination of immunohistochemistry, Western blot, TUNEL assay, and retrograde labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was used. Elevation of intraocular pressure induced a significant increase in ghrelin and GHSR-1a expression in retinal cells, including RGCs and Müller cells. Western blot confirmed that the protein levels of ghrelin exhibited a transient upregulation at week 2 after surgery (G2w), while the GHSR-1a protein levels were maintained at high levels from G2w to G4w. In COH retinas, the ratio of LC3-II/LC-I and beclin1, two autophagy-related proteins, were increased from G1w to G4w, and the cleavage product of caspase3, an apoptotic executioner, was detected from G2w to G4w. Intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin significantly increased the number of surviving RGCs; inhibited the changes of LC3-II/LC-I, beclin1, and the cleavage products of caspase3; and reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells in COH retinas. Ghrelin treatment also reversed the decreased levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR, upregulated GHSR-1a protein levels, and attenuated glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in COH retinas. All these results suggest that ghrelin may provide neuroprotective effect in COH retinas through activating ghrelin/GHSR-1a system, which was mediated by inhibiting retinal autophagy, ganglion cell apoptosis, and Müller cell gliosis.

  19. Differential diagnosis of retinal vasculitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu El-Asrar, Ahmed M; Herbort, Carl P; Tabbara, Khalid F

    2009-10-01

    Retinal vaculitis is a sight-threatening inflammatory eye condition that involves the retinal vessels. Detection of retinal vasculitis is made clinically, and confirmed with the help of fundus fluorescein angiography. Active vascular disease is characterized by exudates around retinal vessels resulting in white sheathing or cuffing of the affected vessels. In this review, a practical approach to the diagnosis of retinal vasculitis is discussed based on ophthalmoscopic and fundus fluorescein angiographic findings.

  20. Retinal pigmentary changes in chronic uveitis mimicking retinitis pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevgi, D Damla; Davoudi, Samaneh; Comander, Jason; Sobrin, Lucia

    2017-09-01

    To present retinal pigmentary changes mimicking retinitis pigmentosa (RP) as a finding of advanced uveitis. We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients without a family history of inherited retinal degenerations who presented with retinal pigment changes and signs of past or present intraocular inflammation. Comprehensive eye examination including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination and dilated fundus examination was performed on all patients in addition to color fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and full-field electroretinogram testing. We identified five patients with ages ranging from 33 to 66 years, who presented with RP-like retinal pigmentary changes which were eventually attributed to longstanding uveitis. The changes were bilateral in three cases and unilateral in two cases. Four of five cases presented with active inflammation, and the remaining case showed evidence of active intraocular inflammation during follow-up. This study highlights the overlapping features of advanced uveitis and RP including the extensive pigmentary changes. Careful review of possible past uveitis history, detailed examination of signs of past or present inflammation and ancillary testing, with FA often being most helpful, are required for the correct diagnosis. This is important, because intervention can prevent further damage if the cause of the pigmentary changes is destructive inflammation.

  1. Short-term poor glycemic control and retinal microvascular changes in pediatric Type 1 Diabetes patients in Singapore: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ling-Jun; Lamoureux, Ecosse; Wong, Tien Yin; Lek, Ngee

    2017-06-15

    Poor glycemic control in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) patients is strongly associated with an increased risk of diabetes-related microvascular complications later in life, but it is unclear whether short period of poor glycemic control in children with T1D can cause evident microvascular morphological changes long before any pathological manifestation. Our study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between poor glycemic control and subsequent changes in retinal microvasculature, in a pilot study of 55 pediatric T1D patients from Singapore after a one-year follow-up. This is a hospital-based, exposure-matched and retrospective longitudinal study. A total of 55 T1D patients were included from Singapore KK Women's and Children Hospital, 28 of whom had poor glycemic control (average glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥8% during the year) while the other 27 age- and gender-matched subjects had good glycemic control (HbA1c Singapore I Vessel Assessment [SIVA], version 4.0, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore) and a spectrum of retinal vascular parameters (e.g. caliber, tortuosity, branching angle and fractal dimension) were measured quantitatively from 0.5 to 2.0 disc diameters. There was no significant difference in ethnicity, duration of T1D, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and low-density cholesterol lipoprotein (LDL) between the two groups. Retinal imaging was obtained at the end of 1 year of glycemic control assessment. In multiple linear regression adjusting for ethnicity, BMI, LDL and duration of T1D, patients with poor glycemic control tended to have marginally wider retinal arteriolar caliber (6.0 μm, 95% CI: -0.9, 12.8) and had significantly larger retinal arteriolar branching angle (10.1 degrees, 95% CI: 1.4, 18.9) compared with their age- and gender- matched counterparts with good glycemic control. Our findings showed that abnormal retinal microvascular morphology was evident in pediatric patients with T1D after one-year's poor glycemic

  2. The economics of vein disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sales, Clifford M; Podnos, Joan; Levison, Jonathan

    2007-09-01

    The management of cosmetic vein problems requires a very different approach than that for the majority of most other vascular disorders that occur in a vascular surgery practice. This article focuses on the business aspects of a cosmetic vein practice, with particular attention to the uniqueness of these issues. Managing patient expectations is critical to the success of a cosmetic vein practice. Maneuvering within the insurance can be difficult and frustrating for both the patient and the practice. Practices should use cost accounting principles to evaluate the success of their vein work. Vein surgery--especially if performed within the office--can undergo an accurate break-even analysis to determine its profitability.

  3. A structural analysis of the Minas da Panasqueira vein network and related fracture generations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Dominique; Vieira, Romeu; Muchez, Philippe; Sintubin, Manuel

    2014-05-01

    The Minas da Panasqueira is a world-class W-Cu-Sn vein-type deposit, situated within the Central Iberian Zone of the Palaeozoic Iberian Massif (Portugal). The deposit consists of a network of subhorizontal, sill-like massive quartz veins situated above the southwestern extremity of a greisen cupola, within regionally metamorphosed, isoclinally folded, lower-greenschist slates and greywackes. The greisen cupola is part of a larger intrusive complex, emplaced during the late- to post-tectonic stage of the Variscan orogeny. The late-Variscan granitoid(s) underlying the Panasqueira deposit is considered to have served as a major metal source. The structure of the network of subhorizontal extension veins, consists of numerous planar vein lobes that are separated by host-rock bridges and merge at branch-points. A structural analysis demonstrates that not only within the Panasqueira mine, but also on a more regional scale, one or more generations of flat-lying fractures are present. The veins clearly exploited these pre-existing discontinuities, as confirmed by (1) the vein geometry being directly influenced by variations in the orientation of the initial fracture sets and (2) the geometry of the rock bridges and overlapping vein morphologies, consistently showing straight-line propagating crack tips. If veining is governed by a preferential, strongly developed anisotropy in the host rock, the hypothesis of vein lobes and rock bridges forming during propagation of the parent crack by tip-line bifurcation and confinement processes (Foxford et al., 2000) does not seem plausible. Instead, we propose that the rock bridges formed from several, initially separate and small veinlets that eventually overlapped in an en echelon arrangement during progressive propagation and inflation. Bending of the rock bridges and incipient vein rotation indicate that veining occurred near the brittle-ductile transition. Using a quantitative analysis of bridge orientations, vein aspect ratios

  4. Portal Vein Embolization as an Oncosurgical Strategy Prior to Major Hepatic Resection: Anatomic, Surgical and Technical Considerations for Successful Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Tewani Orcutt

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE is used to extend the indications for major hepatic resection, and it has become the standard of care for selected patients with hepatic malignancies treated at major hepatobiliary centers. To date, various techniques with different embolic materials have been used with similar results in the degree of liver hypertrophy. Regardless of the specific strategy used, both surgeons and interventional radiologists must be familiar with each other’s techniques to be able to create the optimal plan for each individual patient. Knowledge of the segmental anatomy of the liver is paramount to fully understand the liver segments that need to be embolized and resected. Understanding the portal vein anatomy and the branching variations, along with the techniques used to transect the portal vein during hepatic resection, is important because these variables can affect the PVE procedure and the eventual surgical resection. Comprehension of the advantages and disadvantages of approaches to the portal venous system and the various embolic materials used for PVE is essential to best tailor the procedures for each patient and to avoid complications. Before PVE, meticulous assessment of the portal vein branching anatomy is performed with cross-sectional imaging, and embolization strategies are developed based on the patient’s anatomy. The PVE procedure consists of several technical steps, and knowledge of these technical tips, potential complications and how to avoid the complications in each step is of great importance for safe and successful PVE, and ultimately successful hepatectomy. Because PVE is used as an adjunct to planned hepatic resection, priority must always be placed on safety, without compromising the integrity of the future liver remnant, and close collaboration between interventional radiologists and hepatobiliary surgeons is essential to achieve successful outcomes.

  5. Repetitive magnetic stimulation improves retinal function in a rat model of retinal dystrophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rotenstreich, Ygal; Tzameret, Adi; Levi, Nir; Kalish, Sapir; Sher, Ifat; Zangen, Avraham; Belkin, Michael

    2014-02-01

    Vision incapacitation and blindness associated with retinal dystrophies affect millions of people worldwide. Retinal degeneration is characterized by photoreceptor cell death and concomitant remodeling of remaining retinal cells. Repetitive Magnetic Stimulation (RMS) is a non-invasive technique that creates alternating magnetic fields by brief electric currents transmitted through an insulated coil. These magnetic field generate action potentials in neurons, and modulate the expression of neurotransmitter receptors, growth factors and transcription factors which mediate plasticity. This technology has been proven effective and safe in various psychiatric disorders. Here we determined the effect of RMS on retinal function in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a model for retinal dystrophy. Four week-old RCS and control Spargue Dawley (SD) rats received sham or RMS treatment over the right eye (12 sessions on 4 weeks). RMS treatment at intensity of at 40% of the maximal output of a Rapid2 stimulator significantly increased the electroretinogram (ERG) b-wave responses by up to 6- or 10-fold in the left and right eye respectively, 3-5 weeks following end of treatment. RMS treatment at intensity of 25% of the maximal output did not significant effect b-wave responses following end of treatment with no adverse effect on ERG response or retinal structure of SD rats. Our findings suggest that RMS treatment induces delayed improvement of retinal functions and may induce plasticity in the retinal tissue. Furthermore, this non-invasive treatment may possibly be used in the future as a primary or adjuvant treatment for retinal dystrophy.

  6. Deep Vein Thrombosis

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    OWNER

    Deep Vein Thrombosis: Risk Factors and Prevention in Surgical Patients. Deep Vein ... preventable morbidity and mortality in hospitalized surgical patients. ... the elderly.3,4 It is very rare before the age ... depends on the risk level; therefore an .... but also in the post-operative period. ... is continuing uncertainty regarding.

  7. Bilateral patching in retinal detachment: fluid mechanics and retinal "settling".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, William J

    2011-07-20

    When a patient suffers a retinal detachment and surgery is delayed, it is known clinically that bilaterally patching the patient may allow the retina to partially reattach or "settle." Although this procedure has been performed since the 1860s, there is still debate as to how such a maneuver facilitates the reattachment of the retina. Finite element calculations using commercially available analysis software are used to elucidate the influence of reduction in eye movement caused by bilateral patching on the flow of subretinal fluid in a physical model of retinal detachment. It was found that by coupling fluid mechanics with structural mechanics, a physically consistent explanation of increased retinal detachment with eye movements can be found in the case of traction on the retinal hole. Large eye movements increase vitreous traction and detachment forces on the edge of the retinal hole, creating a subretinal vacuum and facilitating increased subretinal fluid. Alternative models, in which intraocular fluid flow is redirected into the subretinal space, are not consistent with these simulations. The results of these simulations explain the physical principles behind bilateral patching and provide insight that can be used clinically. In particular, as is known clinically, bilateral patching may facilitate a decrease in the height of a retinal detachment. The results described here provide a description of a physical mechanism underlying this technique. The findings of this study may aid in deciding whether to bilaterally patch patients and in counseling patients on pre- and postoperative care.

  8. Arabidopsis thaliana Ei-5: Minor Vein Architecture Adjustment Compensates for Low Vein Density in Support of Photosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Jared J; Polutchko, Stephanie K; Demmig-Adams, Barbara; Adams, William W

    2018-01-01

    An Arabidopsis thaliana accession with naturally low vein density, Eifel-5 (Ei-5), was compared to Columbia-0 (Col-0) with respect to rosette growth, foliar vein architecture, photosynthesis, and transpiration. In addition to having to a lower vein density, Ei-5 grew more slowly, with significantly lower rates of rosette expansion, but had similar capacities for photosynthetic oxygen evolution on a leaf area basis compared to Col-0. The individual foliar minor veins were larger in Ei-5, with a greater number of vascular cells per vein, compared to Col-0. This compensation for low vein density resulted in similar values for the product of vein density × phloem cell number per minor vein in Ei-5 and Col-0, which suggests a similar capacity for foliar sugar export to support similar photosynthetic capacities per unit leaf area. In contrast, the product of vein density × xylem cell number per minor vein was significantly greater in Ei-5 compared to Col-0, and was associated not only with a higher ratio of water-transporting tracheary elements versus sugar-transporting sieve elements but also significantly higher foliar transpiration rates per leaf area in Ei-5. In contrast, previous studies in other systems had reported higher ratios of tracheary to sieve elements and higher transpiration rate to be associated with higher - rather than lower - vein densities. The Ei-5 accession thus further underscores the plasticity of the foliar vasculature by illustrating an example where a higher ratio of tracheary to sieve elements is associated with a lower vein density. Establishment of the Ei-5 accession, with a low vein density but an apparent overcapacity for water flux through the foliar xylem network, may have been facilitated by a higher level of precipitation in its habitat of origin compared to that of the Col-0 accession.

  9. Autologous Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction Flap Salvage: Microvascular Anastomosis with Serratus Branch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Kuta, BScH

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Summary:. Autologous breast reconstruction has become a standard option during the recovery of breast cancer survivors. Although pedicle damage is a rare complication of this procedure, extensive torsion or tension can lead to partial or total flap failure. We report a case of partial flap salvage after accidental transection of the pedicled blood supply within the intramuscular course of a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. This salvage technique involved microvascular anastomosis between the remaining vasculature of the latissimus dorsi pedicle and the serratus branch of the thoracodorsal artery and vein.

  10. Ligation of superior mesenteric vein and portal to splenic vein anastomosis after superior mesenteric-portal vein confluence resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy – Case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianlin Tang

    2014-12-01

    Conclusion: The lessons we learned are (1 Before SMPV confluence resection, internal jugular vein graft should be ready for reconstruction. (2 Synthetic graft is an alternative for internal jugular vein graft. (3 Direct portal vein to SMV anastomosis can be achieved by mobilizing liver. (4 It is possible that venous collaterals secondary to SMV tumor obstruction may have allowed this patient's post-operative survival.

  11. Noninvasive Retinal Markers in Diabetic Retinopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blindbæk, Søren Leer; Torp, Thomas Lee; Lundberg, Kristian

    2017-01-01

    The retinal vascular system is the only part of the human body available for direct, in vivo inspection. Noninvasive retinal markers are important to identity patients in risk of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. Studies have correlated structural features like retinal vascular caliber...... and fractals with micro- and macrovascular dysfunction in diabetes. Likewise, the retinal metabolism can be evaluated by retinal oximetry, and higher retinal venular oxygen saturation has been demonstrated in patients with diabetic retinopathy. So far, most studies have been cross-sectional, but these can only...... retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. The Department of Ophthalmology at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, has a strong tradition of studying the retinal microvasculature in diabetic retinopathy. In the present paper, we demonstrate the importance of the retinal vasculature not only as predictors of long...

  12. Frequency of lattice degeneration and retinal breaks in the fellow eye in retinal detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorentzen, S E

    1988-04-01

    The fellow eye of 100 consecutively admitted cases of retinal detachment was studied with three-mirror examination for the presence of lattice degeneration and retinal breaks. Lattice degeneration was found in 18% and retinal breaks in 20% of fellow eyes.

  13. Vein visualization: patient characteristic factors and efficacy of a new infrared vein finder technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiao, F B; Resta-Flarer, F; Lesser, J; Ng, J; Ganz, A; Pino-Luey, D; Bennett, H; Perkins, C; Witek, B

    2013-06-01

    We investigated the patient characteristic factors that correlate with identification of i.v. cannulation sites with normal eyesight. We evaluated a new infrared vein finding (VF) technology device in identifying i.v. cannulation sites. Each subject underwent two observations: one using the conventional method (CM) of normal, unassisted eyesight and the other with the infrared VF device, VueTek's Veinsite™ (VF). A power analysis for moderate effect size (β=0.95) required 54 samples for within-subject differences. Patient characteristic profiles were obtained from 384 subjects (768 observations). Our sample population exhibited an overall average of 5.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.4-6.2] veins using CM. As a whole, CM vein visualization were less effective among obese [4.5 (95% CI 3.8-5.3)], African-American [4.6 (95% CI 3.6-5.5 veins)], and Asian [5.1 (95% CI 4.1-6.0)] subjects. Next, the VF technology identified an average of 9.1 (95% CI 8.6-9.5) possible cannulation sites compared with CM [average of 5.8 (95% CI 5.4-6.2)]. Seventy-six obese subjects had an average of 4.5 (95% CI 3.8-5.3) and 8.2 (95% CI 7.4-9.1) veins viewable by CM and VF, respectively. In dark skin subjects, 9.1 (95% CI 8.3-9.9) veins were visible by VF compared with 5.4 (95% CI 4.8-6.0) with CM. African-American or Asian ethnicity, and obesity were associated with decreased vein visibility. The visibility of veins eligible for cannulation increased for all subgroups using a new infrared device.

  14. Retinal Prosthesis System for Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Health Technology Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Christine; Tu, Hong Anh; Weir, Mark; Holubowich, Corinne

    2016-01-01

    Background Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic disorders that involves the breakdown and loss of photoreceptors in the retina, resulting in progressive retinal degeneration and eventual blindness. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is the only currently available surgical implantable device approved by Health Canada. It has been shown to improve visual function in patients with severe visual loss from advanced retinitis pigmentosa. The objective of this analysis was to examine the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, and safety of the Argus II system in improving visual function, as well as exploring patient experiences with the system. Methods We performed a systematic search of the literature for studies examining the effects of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, and appraised the evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria, focusing on visual function, functional outcomes, quality of life, and adverse events. We developed a Markov decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Argus II system compared with standard care over a 10-year time horizon. We also conducted a 5-year budget impact analysis. We used a qualitative design and an interview methodology to examine patients’ lived experience, and we used a modified grounded theory methodology to analyze information from interviews. Transcripts were coded, and themes were compared against one another. Results One multicentre international study and one single-centre study were included in the clinical review. In both studies, patients showed improved visual function with the Argus II system. However, the sight-threatening surgical complication rate was substantial. In the base-case analysis, the Argus II system was cost-effective compared with standard care only if willingness-to-pay was more than $207,616 per quality-adjusted life

  15. Palliative treatment of TIPS to portal vein tumor thrombosis complicated with portal vein hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Zaibo; Shan Hong; Guan Shouhai; Zhu Kangshun; Huang Mingsheng; Li Zhengran; Guo Tiansheng; Liu Lang

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the palliative therapeutic effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) complicated with portal vein hypertension, and to discuss the technical skills. Methods: There were 14 cases of end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with PVTT and portal vein hypertension, the average age was 53.6 yr. There were 8 cases with complete occlusion of main portal vein, 6 eases with incomplete thrombosis, and 5 cases combined with portal vein cavernous transformation. One case had simple hemorrhage, 3 eases had intractable ascites, and 10 cases had hemorrhage accompanied by intractable ascites. Results: The procedure of TIPS was successful in 10 cases, the successful rate was about 71%. The mean portal vein pressure was reduced from 37.2 mm Hg to 18.2 mm Hg, with an average reduction of 19.0 mm Hg. After the procedure of TIPS, the ascites decreased, hemorrhage stopped and the clinical symptoms disappeared. The average survival period was 132.3 days. The procedure were failing in 4 cases. Conclusion: TIPS was an effective palliative therapeutic methods to control the hemorrhage and ascites aroused by hepatic carcinoma complicated with PVTT

  16. Intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept in the treatment of choroidal and retinal vascular diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    HodjatJalali, Kamran; Mehravaran, Shiva; Faghihi, Hooshang; Hashemi, Hassan; Kazemi, Pegah; Rastad, Hadith

    2017-09-01

    To investigate the short-term outcomes after intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept in the treatment of choroidal and retinal vascular diseases. Thirty-four eyes of 29 patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) received a single dose intravitreal injection of 0.05 ml ziv-aflibercept (1.25 mg). Visual acuity, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) activity, and possible side effects were assessed before and at 1 week and 1 month after the intervention. At 1 month after treatment, mean central macular thickness (CMT) significantly decreased from 531.09 μm to 339.5 μm ( P  < 0.001), and no signs of side effects were observed in any subject. All patients responded to treatment in terms of reduction in CMT. The improvement in visual acuity was statistically non-significant. Our findings suggest that a single dose intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept may have acceptable relative safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with intraocular vascular disease. The trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2015081723651N1).

  17. Raised intraocular pressure and recurrence of retinal detachment as complications of external retinal detachment surgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jawwad, M.; Khan, B.; Shah, M.A.; Qayyum, I.; Aftab, M.; Qayyum, I.

    2015-01-01

    Patients with Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment may develop raised intraocular pressure and recurrence of retinal detachment when they undergo external retinal detachment surgery. The present study was conducted to determine the postoperative rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) and recurrence of retinal detachment. Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted at Eye department of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar on 25 patients of both genders from August 2012 to July 2014. Results: Of the 25 patients, 18 (72%) developed raised IOP in the immediate postoperative period; this figure decreased to 12 (48%) at one week. Following medical or surgical intervention in these 12 cases, there was only 1 (4%) case with mildly raised IOP at two weeks postoperative. Five (20%) cases developed recurrent retinal detachment which later resolved with treatment. There were no significant differences by age or gender. Conclusion: External Retinal Detachment Surgery raised intraocular pressure postoperatively and caused recurrence of retinal detachment. These complications were treated medically and surgically with resolution within two weeks. (author)

  18. Peripheral Retinal Vascular Patterns in Patients with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, San-Ni; Hwang, Jiunn-Feng; Wu, Wen-Chuan

    2016-01-01

    This is an observational study of fluorescein angiography (FA) in consecutive patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Changhua Christian Hospital to investigate the peripheral retinal vascular patterns in those patients. All patients had their age, sex, axial length (AXL), and refraction status (RF) recorded. According to the findings in FA of the peripheral retina, the eyes were divided into 4 groups: in group 1, there was a ramified pattern of peripheral retinal vasculature with gradual tapering; in group 2, there was an abrupt ending of peripheral vasculature with peripheral non-perfusion; in group 3, there was a curving route of peripheral vasculature forming vascular arcades or anastomosis; and in group 4, the same as in group 3, but with one or more wedge-shaped avascular notches. Comparisons of age, sex, AXL, and RF, association of breaks with lattice degeneration and retinal non-perfusion, surgical procedures utilized, and mean numbers of operations were made among the four groups. Of the 73 eyes studied, there were 13 eyes (17.8%) in group 1, 3 eyes (4.1%) in group 2, 40 eyes (54.8%) in group 3 and 17 eyes (23.3%) in group 4. Significant differences in age, AXL and RF, and association of retinal breaks to non-perfusion were noted among the four groups. Patients in group 1 had older ages, while younger ages were noted in groups 3 and 4. Eyes in group 1 had the shortest average AXL and were least myopic in contrast to the eyes in groups 3 and 4. Association of retinal breaks and retinal non-perfusion was significantly higher in groups 2, 3 and 4 than in group 1. In conclusion, peripheral vascular anomalies are common in cases with RRD. Patients with peripheral non-perfusion tend to be younger, with longer axial length and have the breaks associated with retinal non-perfusion. PMID:26909812

  19. Corneal and Retinal Neuronal Degeneration in Early Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivasan, Sangeetha; Dehghani, Cirous; Pritchard, Nicola; Edwards, Katie; Russell, Anthony W; Malik, Rayaz A; Efron, Nathan

    2017-12-01

    To examine the neuronal structural integrity of cornea and retina as markers for neuronal degeneration in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). Participants were recruited from the broader Brisbane community, Queensland, Australia. Two hundred forty-one participants (187 with diabetes and 54 nondiabetic controls) were examined. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was graded according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scale. Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), corneal nerve fiber tortuosity (CNFT), full retinal thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), focal (FLV) and global loss volumes (GLV), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), nephropathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular measures were examined. The central zone (P = 0.174), parafoveal thickness (P = 0.090), perifovea (P = 0.592), RNFL (P = 0.866), GCC (P = 0.798), and GCC GLV (P = 0.338) did not differ significantly between the groups. In comparison to the control group, those with very mild NPDR and those with mild NPDR had significantly higher focal loss in GCC volume (P = 0.036). CNFL was significantly lower in those with mild NPDR (P = 0.004) in comparison to the control group and those with no DR. The CNBD (P = 0.094) and CNFT (P = 0.458) did not differ between the groups. Both corneal and retinal neuronal degeneration may occur in early stages of diabetic retinopathy. Further studies are required to examine these potential markers for neuronal degeneration in the absence of clinical signs of DR.

  20. Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy - Varicose Veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy - Varicose Veins Varicose veins are enlarged veins you may see on your ... Healthy Roads Media project www. healthyroadsmedia. org English - Concerns and Discomforts of Pregnancy (Varicose Veins) Last reviewed ...

  1. Corrosion cast study of the canine hepatic veins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uršič, M; Vrecl, M; Fazarinc, G

    2014-11-01

    This study presents a detailed description of the distribution, diameters and drainage patterns of hepatic veins on the basis of the corrosion cast analysis in 18 dogs. We classified the hepatic veins in three main groups: the right hepatic veins of the caudate process and right lateral liver lobe, the middle hepatic veins of the right medial and quadrate lobes and the left hepatic veins of both left liver lobes and the papillary process. The corrosion cast study showed that the number of the veins in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria and most anatomical textbooks is underestimated. The number of various-sized hepatic veins of the right liver division ranged from 3 to 5 and included 1 to 4 veins from the caudate process and 2 to 4 veins from the right lateral liver lobe. Generally, in all corrosion casts, one middle-sized vein from the right part of the right medial lobe, which emptied separately in the caudal vena cava, was established. The other vein was a large-sized vein from the remainder of the central division, which frequently joined the common left hepatic vein from the left liver lobes. The common left hepatic vein was the largest of all the aforementioned hepatic veins.

  2. Image Quality Enhancement Using the Direction and Thickness of Vein Lines for Finger-Vein Recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Ho Park

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available On the basis of the increased emphasis placed on the protection of privacy, biometric recognition systems using physical or behavioural characteristics such as fingerprints, facial characteristics, iris and finger-vein patterns or the voice have been introduced in applications including door access control, personal certification, Internet banking and ATM machines. Among these, finger-vein recognition is advantageous in that it involves the use of inexpensive and small devices that are difficult to counterfeit. In general, finger-vein recognition systems capture images by using near infrared (NIR illumination in conjunction with a camera. However, such systems can face operational difficulties, since the scattering of light from the skin can make capturing a clear image difficult. To solve this problem, we proposed new image quality enhancement method that measures the direction and thickness of vein lines. This effort represents novel research in four respects. First, since vein lines are detected in input images based on eight directional profiles of a grey image instead of binarized images, the detection error owing to the non-uniform illumination of the finger area can be reduced. Second, our method adaptively determines a Gabor filter for the optimal direction and width on the basis of the estimated direction and thickness of a detected vein line. Third, by applying this optimized Gabor filter, a clear vein image can be obtained. Finally, the further processing of the morphological operation is applied in the Gabor filtered image and the resulting image is combined with the original one, through which finger-vein image of a higher quality is obtained. Experimental results from application of our proposed image enhancement method show that the equal error rate (EER of finger-vein recognition decreases to approximately 0.4% in the case of a local binary pattern-based recognition and to approximately 0.3% in the case of a wavelet transform

  3. An approach to localize the retinal blood vessels using bit planes and centerline detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraz, M M; Barman, S A; Remagnino, P; Hoppe, A; Basit, A; Uyyanonvara, B; Rudnicka, A R; Owen, C G

    2012-11-01

    The change in morphology, diameter, branching pattern or tortuosity of retinal blood vessels is an important indicator of various clinical disorders of the eye and the body. This paper reports an automated method for segmentation of blood vessels in retinal images. A unique combination of techniques for vessel centerlines detection and morphological bit plane slicing is presented to extract the blood vessel tree from the retinal images. The centerlines are extracted by using the first order derivative of a Gaussian filter in four orientations and then evaluation of derivative signs and average derivative values is performed. Mathematical morphology has emerged as a proficient technique for quantifying the blood vessels in the retina. The shape and orientation map of blood vessels is obtained by applying a multidirectional morphological top-hat operator with a linear structuring element followed by bit plane slicing of the vessel enhanced grayscale image. The centerlines are combined with these maps to obtain the segmented vessel tree. The methodology is tested on three publicly available databases DRIVE, STARE and MESSIDOR. The results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed algorithm is comparable with state of the art techniques in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Retinal Imaging and Image Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abràmoff, Michael D.; Garvin, Mona K.; Sonka, Milan

    2011-01-01

    Many important eye diseases as well as systemic diseases manifest themselves in the retina. While a number of other anatomical structures contribute to the process of vision, this review focuses on retinal imaging and image analysis. Following a brief overview of the most prevalent causes of blindness in the industrialized world that includes age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, the review is devoted to retinal imaging and image analysis methods and their clinical implications. Methods for 2-D fundus imaging and techniques for 3-D optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging are reviewed. Special attention is given to quantitative techniques for analysis of fundus photographs with a focus on clinically relevant assessment of retinal vasculature, identification of retinal lesions, assessment of optic nerve head (ONH) shape, building retinal atlases, and to automated methods for population screening for retinal diseases. A separate section is devoted to 3-D analysis of OCT images, describing methods for segmentation and analysis of retinal layers, retinal vasculature, and 2-D/3-D detection of symptomatic exudate-associated derangements, as well as to OCT-based analysis of ONH morphology and shape. Throughout the paper, aspects of image acquisition, image analysis, and clinical relevance are treated together considering their mutually interlinked relationships. PMID:22275207

  5. [Peripheral retinal degenerations--treatment recommendations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joussen, A M; Kirchhof, B

    2004-10-01

    This report reviews the clinical appearance of degenerative diseases of the peripheral retina in relationship to the risk of developing a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. We present recommendations for preventive treatment in eyes at increased risk of developing retinal detachment. Retinal degenerations are common lesions involving the peripheral retina but most of them are clinically insignificant. Lattice degeneration, degenerative retinoschisis, cystic retinal tufts, and very rarely zonular traction tufts can result in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Therefore, these lesions have been considered for prophylactic treatment; however, adequate studies have not been performed to date. Most of the peripheral retinal degenerations may not require treatment except in rare, high-risk situations. According to current knowledge there is no higher incidence of secondary pucker or other side effects after laser coagulation. Therefore, generous laser indication is recommended if risk factors apply.

  6. Retinal vascular geometry and its association to microvascular complications in patients with type 1 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, M L; Broe, Rebecca; Frydkjaer-Olsen, Ulrik

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE: To examine associations between retinal vascular geometry (tortuosity, branching coefficient [BC] and length-diameter ratio [LDR]) and diabetic proliferative retinopathy (PDR), nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: A cohort...... of patients with T1DM participated in a clinical examination in 2011. Blood and urine analyses were done and retinal images taken. PDR was defined as Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study level 61 or above, nephropathy as albumin-creatinin ratio ≥300 mg/g, and neuropathy as vibration perception threshold.......8% were male. Prevalence of PDR, nephropathy, and neuropathy were 26.5%, 6.8%, and 10.1% , respectively. Patients with increased arteriolar BC had a higher risk of nephropathy (OR: 3.10, 95% CI: [1.01-9.54]). Patients with increased venular BC had a higher risk of neuropathy (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: [1...

  7. Endovascular Radiofrequency Ablation for Varicose Veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Executive Summary Objective The objective of the MAS evidence review was to conduct a systematic review of the available evidence on the safety, effectiveness, durability and cost–effectiveness of endovascular radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of primary symptomatic varicose veins. Background The Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) met on August 26th, 2010 to review the safety, effectiveness, durability, and cost-effectiveness of RFA for the treatment of primary symptomatic varicose veins based on an evidence-based review by the Medical Advisory Secretariat (MAS). Clinical Condition Varicose veins (VV) are tortuous, twisted, or elongated veins. This can be due to existing (inherited) valve dysfunction or decreased vein elasticity (primary venous reflux) or valve damage from prior thrombotic events (secondary venous reflux). The end result is pooling of blood in the veins, increased venous pressure and subsequent vein enlargement. As a result of high venous pressure, branch vessels balloon out leading to varicosities (varicose veins). Symptoms typically affect the lower extremities and include (but are not limited to): aching, swelling, throbbing, night cramps, restless legs, leg fatigue, itching and burning. Left untreated, venous reflux tends to be progressive, often leading to chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). A number of complications are associated with untreated venous reflux: including superficial thrombophlebitis as well as variceal rupture and haemorrhage. CVI often results in chronic skin changes referred to as stasis dermatitis. Stasis dermatitis is comprised of a spectrum of cutaneous abnormalities including edema, hyperpigmentation, eczema, lipodermatosclerosis and stasis ulceration. Ulceration represents the disease end point for severe CVI. CVI is associated with a reduced quality of life particularly in relation to pain, physical function and mobility. In severe cases, VV with ulcers, QOL has been rated to be as bad

  8. From vein precipitates to deformation and fluid rock interaction within a SSZ: Insights from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micheuz, Peter; Quandt, Dennis; Kurz, Walter

    2017-04-01

    International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions 352 and 351 drilled through oceanic crust of the Philippine Sea plate. The two study areas are located near the outer Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) fore arc and in the Amami Sankaku Basin. The primary objective was to improve our understanding of supra-subduction zones (SSZ) and the process of subduction initiation. The recovered drill cores during IODP expedition 352 represent approximately 50 Ma old fore arc basalts (FAB) and boninites revealing an entire volcanic sequence of a SSZ. Expedition 351 drilled FAB like oceanic crust similar in age to the FABs of expedition 352. In this study we present data on vein microstructures, geochemical data and isotopic signatures of vein precipitates to give new insights into fluid flow and precipitation processes and deformation within the Izu-Bonin fore arc. Veins formed predominantly as a consequence of hydrofracturing resulting in the occurrence of branched vein systems and brecciated samples. Along these hydrofractures the amount of altered host rock fragments varies and locally alters the host rock completely to zeolites and carbonates. Subordinately extensional veins released after the formation of the host rocks. Cross-cutting relationships of different vein types point to multiple fracturing events subsequently filled with minerals originating from a fluid with isotopic seawater signature. Based on vein precipitates, their morphology and their growth patterns four vein types have been defined. Major vein components are (Mg-) calcite and various zeolites determined by Raman spectra and electron microprobe analyses. Zeolites result from alteration of volcanic glass during interaction with a seawaterlike fluid. Type I veins which are characterized by micritic infill represent neptunian dykes. They predominantly occur in the upper levels of drill cores being the result of an initial volume change subsequently to crystallization of the host rocks. Type II veins are

  9. The umbilical and paraumbilical veins of man.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, B F; Tudor, R G

    1980-03-01

    During its transit through the umbilicus structural changes occur in the thick wall of the extra-abdominal segment of the umbilical vein whereby the components of the intra-abdominal segment acquire an essentially longitudinal direction and become arranged in fibro-elastic and fibro-muscular zones. The vein lumen becomes largely obliterated by asymmetrical proliferation of loose subendothelial conective tissue. The latter forms a new inner zone within which a small segment of the lumen persists in an eccentric position. This residual lumen transmits blood to the portal system from paraumbilical and systemic sources, and is retained in the upper part of the vein, even in old age. A similar process of lumen closure is observed in the ductus venosus. In early childhood the lower third of the vein undergoes breakdown, with fatty infiltration, resulting in its complete division into vascular fibro-elastic strands, and in old age some breakdown occurs in the outermost part of the wall of the upper two thirds. The paraumbilical veins are thick-walled and of similar structure to the umbilical vein. Together they constitute an accessory portal system which is confined between the layers of the falciform ligament and is in communication with the veins of the ventral abdominal wall. The constituents form an ascending series, namely, Burow's veins, the umbilical vein, and Sappey's inferior and superior veins. The main channel of Sappey's inferior veins may be the remnant of the right umbilical vein since it communicates with the right rectus sheath and often communicates directly with the portal system within the right lobe of the liver. The results are of significance in relation to clinical usage of the umbilical vein.

  10. Risk factor profile in retinal detachment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azad Raj

    1988-01-01

    Full Text Available 150 cases of retinal detachment comprising 50 patients each of bilateral retinal detachment, unilateral retinal detachment without any retinal lesions in the fellow eve and unilateral retinal detachment with retinal lesions in the fellow eye were studied and the various associated risk factors were statistically analysed. The findings are discussed in relation to their aetiological and prognostic significance in the different types of retinal detachment. Based on these observations certain guidelines are offered which may be of value in decision making, in prophylactic detachment surgery. Tractional breaks in the superior temporal quadrant especially when symptomatic. mandate prophylactic treatment. Urgency is enhanced it′ the patient is aphakic. Associated myopia adds to the urgency. The higher incidence of initial right e′ e involvement in all groups suggests a vascular original possibly ischaemic.

  11. WIDEFIELD SPECTRAL-DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING OF PERIPHERAL ROUND RETINAL HOLES WITH OR WITHOUT RETINAL DETACHMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casswell, Edward J; Abou Ltaif, Sleiman; Carr, Thomas; Keane, Pearse A; Charteris, David G; Wickham, Louisa

    2018-03-02

    To describe the widefield spectral-domain optical coherence tomography features of peripheral round retinal holes, with or without associated retinal detachment (RD). Retrospective, observational study of 28 eyes with peripheral round retinal holes, with and without RD. Patients underwent imaging with a widefield 50-degree spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) and Optos ultra-widefield imaging systems (Optos, United Kingdom). Vitreous attachment at the site of the retinal hole was detected in 27/28 (96.4%) cases. Cases were split into three groups: RHs with RD (n = 12); RHs with subretinal fluid (n = 5), and flat RHs (n = 11), with minimal or no subretinal fluid. 91.6% retinal holes associated with subretinal fluid or RD had vitreous attachment at the site of the hole. Eighty percent had vitreous attachment at both edges of the retinal hole, in a U-shape configuration, which appeared to exert traction. By contrast, flat retinal holes had visible vitreous attachment only at one edge of the retinal hole in 45.4%. Vitreous attachment was commonly seen at the site of round retinal holes. Vitreous attachment at both edges of the retinal hole in a U-shape configuration was more commonly seen at holes associated with subretinal fluid or RD.

  12. Idiopathic Bilateral External Jugular Vein Thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hindi, Zakaria; Fadhel, Ehab

    2015-08-20

    Vein thrombosis is mainly determined by 3 factors, which constitute a triad called Virchow's triad: hypercoagulability, stasis, and endothelial injury. Venous thrombosis commonly occurs in the lower extremities since most of the blood resides there and flows against gravity. The veins of the lower extremities are dependent on intact valves and fully functional leg muscles. However, in case of valvular incompetency or muscular weakness, thrombosis and blood stasis will occur as a result. In contrast, the veins of the neck, specially the jugulars, have distensible walls which allow flexibility during respiration. In addition, the blood directly flows downward towards the heart. Nevertheless, many case reports mentioned the thrombosis of internal jugular veins and external jugular veins with identified risk factors. Jugular vein thrombosis has previously been associated in the literature with a variety of medical conditions, including malignancy. This report is of a case of idiopathic bilateral external jugular vein thrombosis in a 21 year-old male construction worker of Southeast Asian origin with no previous medical history who presented with bilateral facial puffiness of gradual onset over 1 month. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography were used in the diagnosis. Further work-up showed no evidence of infection or neoplasia. The patient was eventually discharged on warfarin. The patient was assessed after 6 months and his symptoms had resolved completely. Bilateral idiopathic external jugular veins thrombosis is extremely rare and can be an indicator of early malignancy or hidden infection. While previous reports in the literature have associated jugular vein thrombosis with malignancy, the present case shows that external jugular vein thrombosis can also be found in persons without malignancy.

  13. Right trisectionectomy with principle en bloc portal vein resection for right-sided hilar cholangiocarcinoma: no-touch technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Marcel Autran; Makdissi, Fabio F; Surjan, Rodrigo C

    2012-04-01

    The most favorable long-term survival rate for hilar cholangiocarcinoma is achieved by a R0 resection. A surgical concept involving a no-touch technique, with extended right hepatic resections and principle en bloc portal vein resection was described by Neuhaus et al. According to Neuhaus et al., their technique may increase the chance of R0, because the right branch of the portal vein and hepatic artery is in close contact with the tumor and is frequently infiltrated. The left artery runs on the left margin of the hilum and often is free. The 5-year survival rate for their patients is 61% but 60-day mortality rate is 8%. Given the increased morbidity, some authors do not agree with routine resection of portal vein and may perform the resection of portal vein only on demand, after intraoperative assessment and confirmation of portal vein invasion. This video shows en bloc resection of extrahepatic bile ducts, portal vein bifurcation, and right hepatic artery, together with extended right trisectionectomy (removal of segments 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8). A 75-year-old man with progressive jaundice due to right-sided hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent percutaneous biliary drainage with metallic stents for palliation. The patient was referred for a second opinion. Serum bilirubin levels were normal, and CT scan showed a resectable tumor, but volumetry showed a small left liver remnant. Right portal vein embolization was then performed, and CT scan performed after 4 weeks showed adequate compensatory hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (segments 2 and 3). Surgical decision was to perform a right trisectionectomy with en bloc portal vein and bile duct resection using the no-touch technique. The operation began with hilar lymphadenectomy. The common bile duct is sectioned. Right hepatic artery is ligated. Left hepatic artery is encircled. Portal vein is dissected and encircled. Right liver is mobilized and detached from retrohepatic vena cava. Right and middle hepatic

  14. Blood sampling from adrenal gland vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Yong; Ni Caifang

    2009-01-01

    Adrenal gland vein sampling is an interventional method to get the blood samples from the adrenal gland vein. The blood is obtained via a catheter which is selectively inserted in the adrenal gland vein. This technique is mainly used to be diagnostic for primary hyperaldosteronism. A full knowledge of the anatomy and variations of the adrenal gland vein, serious preoperative preparation and skilled catheterization manipulation are necessary for obtaining sufficient blood sample and for reducing the occurrence of complications. Providing the physicians with definite diagnostic evidence and being technically feasible, adrenal gland vein sampling should become one of the routine examinations for clarifying the cause of primary hyperaldosteronism. (authors)

  15. Branching pathways in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalisky, O.; Ottolenghi, M.

    1982-01-01

    The pulsed laser photolysis of light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin (BR 570 ) is carried out between 25 C and -92 C in neutral and alkaline water-glycerol solutions. At relatively low temperatures the primary photoproduct K 610 equilibrates with a blue-shifted species, Ksub(p). Both K 610 and the new intermediate subsequently decay into another species, K'sub(p), in a process which competes with the formation of L 550 . Finally, K'sub(p) converts very slowly to L 550 . This branched pathway delays the formation of L 550 and thus of M 412 , without affecting the final yield of either species. A thermal back-reaction regenerating BR 570 takes place at the stage of L 550 , inhibiting the formation of M 412 . The reaction which also predominates at low temperatures, is relatively inefficient at high pH when the forward L 550 → M 412 step is highly catalyzed. It is the superposition of both these branching mechanisms which accounts for the complex effects of temperature and pH on the photocycle of BR 570 . The latter mechanism is accounted for by a molecular scheme in which deprotonation of a tyrosine moiety at the stage of L 550 constitutes a prerequisite for deprotonation of the retinal-lysine schiff-base as required for forming M 412 . This scheme appears to be directly related to the proton pump. (author)

  16. Isolated inferior mesenteric portal hypertension with giant inferior mesenteric vein and anomalous inferior mesenteric vein insertion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G Raghavendra Prasad

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Extrahepatic portal hypertension is not an uncommon disease in childhood, but isolated inferior mesenteric portal varices and lower gastrointestinal (GI bleed have not been reported till date. A 4-year-old girl presented with lower GI bleed. Surgical exploration revealed extrahepatic portal vein obstruction with giant inferior mesenteric vein and colonic varices. Inferior mesenteric vein was joining the superior mesenteric vein. The child was treated successfully with inferior mesenteric - inferior vena caval anastomosis. The child was relieved of GI bleed during the follow-up.

  17. Multimodal ultrasonographic assessment of leiomyosarcoma of the femoral vein in a patient misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Mei; Yan, Feng; Huang, Bin; Wu, Zhoupeng; Wen, Xiaorong

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: Primary leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the vein is a rare tumor that arises from the smooth muscle cells of the vessel wall and has an extremely poor prognosis. This tumor can occur in vessels such as the inferior vena cava, great saphenous vein, femoral vein, iliac vein, popliteal vein, and renal vein; the inferior vena cava is the most common site. LMS of the femoral vein can result in edema and pain in the lower extremity; therefore, it is not easy to be differentiated from deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Moreover, virtually no studies have described the ultrasonographic features of LMS of the vein in detail. Patient concerns: We present a case of a 55-year-old woman with LMS of the left femoral vein that was misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on initial ultrasonographic examination. The patient began to experience edema and pain in her left leg seven months previously. She was diagnosed as having DVT on initial ultrasonographic examination, but the DVT treatment that she had received for 7 months failed to improve the status of her left lower limb. Diagnoses: She subsequently underwent re-examination by means of a multimodal ultrasonographic imaging approach (regular B-mode imaging, color Doppler imaging, pulsed-wave Doppler imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography), which confirmed a diagnosis of LMS. Interventions: This patient was treated successfully with surgery. Outcomes: This case demonstrates that use of multiple ultrasonographic imaging techniques can be helpful to diagnose LMS accurately. Detection of vasculature in a dilated vein filled with a heterogeneous hypoechoic substance on ultrasonography is a sign of a tumor. Lessons: The pitfall of misdiagnosing this tumor as DVT is a useful reminder. PMID:29145269

  18. Retinal detachment following endophthalmitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelsen, P T; Marcus, D A; Bovino, J A

    1985-08-01

    Fifty-five consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis were reviewed. All patients were treated with systemic, periocular, topical, and intravitreal antibiotics. In addition, 33 of the patients underwent a pars plana vitrectomy. Nine retinal detachments occurred within six months of initial diagnosis. The higher frequency of retinal detachment in the vitrectomy group (21%) as compared to those patients managed without vitrectomy (9%) may be explained by a combination of surgical complications and the increased severity of endophthalmitis in the vitrectomy group. The two patients who developed retinal detachment during vitrectomy surgery rapidly progressed to no light perception. Conversely, the repair of retinal detachments diagnosed postoperatively had a good prognosis.

  19. Effect of pharmacologically induced retinal degeneration on retinal autofluorescence lifetimes in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dysli, Chantal; Dysli, Muriel; Zinkernagel, Martin S; Enzmann, Volker

    2016-12-01

    Fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) was used to investigate retinal autofluorescence lifetimes in mouse models of pharmacologically induced retinal degeneration over time. Sodium iodate (NaIO 3 , 35 mg/kg intravenously) was used to induce retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration with subsequent loss of photoreceptors (PR) whereas N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU, 45 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was employed for degeneration of the photoreceptor cell layer alone. All mice were measured at day 3, 7, 14, and 28 after the respective injection of NaIO 3 , MNU or NaCl (control). Fluorescence lifetime imaging was performed using a fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). Fluorescence was excited at 473 nm and fluorescence lifetimes were measured in a short and a long spectral channel (498-560 nm and 560-720 nm). Corresponding optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were consecutively acquired and histology was performed at the end of the experiments. Segmentation of OCT images and histology verified the cell type-specific degeneration process over time. Retinal autofluorescence lifetimes increased from day 3 to day 28 in mice after NaIO 3 treatment. Finally, at day 28, fluorescence lifetimes were prolonged by 8% in the short and 61% in the long spectral channel compared to control animals (p = 0.21 and p = 0.004, respectively). In mice after MNU treatment, the mean retinal autofluorescence lifetimes were already decreased at day 3 and retinal lifetimes were finally shortened by 27% in the short and 51% in the long spectral channel at day 28 (p = 0.0028). In conclusion, degeneration of the RPE with subsequent photoreceptor degeneration by NaIO 3 lead to longer mean fluorescence lifetimes of the retina compared to control mice, whereas during specific degeneration of the photoreceptor layer induced by MNU shorter lifetimes were measured. Therefore, short retinal fluorescence lifetimes may originate

  20. Peripheral Retinal Vascular Patterns in Patients with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Taiwan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    San-Ni Chen

    Full Text Available This is an observational study of fluorescein angiography (FA in consecutive patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD in Changhua Christian Hospital to investigate the peripheral retinal vascular patterns in those patients. All patients had their age, sex, axial length (AXL, and refraction status (RF recorded. According to the findings in FA of the peripheral retina, the eyes were divided into 4 groups: in group 1, there was a ramified pattern of peripheral retinal vasculature with gradual tapering; in group 2, there was an abrupt ending of peripheral vasculature with peripheral non-perfusion; in group 3, there was a curving route of peripheral vasculature forming vascular arcades or anastomosis; and in group 4, the same as in group 3, but with one or more wedge-shaped avascular notches. Comparisons of age, sex, AXL, and RF, association of breaks with lattice degeneration and retinal non-perfusion, surgical procedures utilized, and mean numbers of operations were made among the four groups. Of the 73 eyes studied, there were 13 eyes (17.8% in group 1, 3 eyes (4.1% in group 2, 40 eyes (54.8% in group 3 and 17 eyes (23.3% in group 4. Significant differences in age, AXL and RF, and association of retinal breaks to non-perfusion were noted among the four groups. Patients in group 1 had older ages, while younger ages were noted in groups 3 and 4. Eyes in group 1 had the shortest average AXL and were least myopic in contrast to the eyes in groups 3 and 4. Association of retinal breaks and retinal non-perfusion was significantly higher in groups 2, 3 and 4 than in group 1. In conclusion, peripheral vascular anomalies are common in cases with RRD. Patients with peripheral non-perfusion tend to be younger, with longer axial length and have the breaks associated with retinal non-perfusion.

  1. Self-taught axillary vein access without venography for pacemaker implantation: prospective randomized comparison with the cephalic vein access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Squara, Fabien; Tomi, Julien; Scarlatti, Didier; Theodore, Guillaume; Moceri, Pamela; Ferrari, Emile

    2017-12-01

    Axillary vein access for pacemaker implantation is uncommon in many centres because of the lack of training in this technique. We assessed whether the introduction of the axillary vein technique was safe and efficient as compared with cephalic vein access, in a centre where no operators had any previous experience in axillary vein puncture. Patients undergoing pacemaker implantation were randomized to axillary or cephalic vein access. All three operators had no experience nor training in axillary vein puncture, and self-learned the technique by reading a published review. Axillary vein puncture was fluoroscopy-guided without contrast venography. Cephalic access was performed by dissection of delto-pectoral groove. Venous access success, venous access duration (from skin incision to guidewire or lead in superior vena cava), procedure duration, X-ray exposure, and peri-procedural (1 month) complications were recorded. results We randomized 74 consecutive patients to axillary (n = 37) or cephalic vein access (n = 37). Axillary vein was successfully accessed in 30/37 (81.1%) patients vs. 28/37 (75.7%) of cephalic veins (P = 0.57). Venous access time was shorter in axillary group than in cephalic group [5.7 (4.4-8.3) vs. 12.2 (10.5-14.8) min, P < 0.001], as well as procedure duration [34.8 (30.6-38.4) vs. 42.0 (39.1-46.6) min, P = 0.043]. X-ray exposure and peri-procedural overall complications were comparable in both groups. Axillary puncture was safe and faster than cephalic access even for the five first procedures performed by each operator. Self-taught axillary vein puncture for pacemaker implantation seems immediately safe and faster than cephalic vein access, when performed by electrophysiologists trained to pacemaker implantation but not to axillary vein puncture. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Advances in Retinal Stem Cell Biology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea S Viczian

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Tremendous progress has been made in recent years to generate retinal cells from pluripotent cell sources. These advances provide hope for those suffering from blindness due to lost retinal cells. Understanding the intrinsic genetic network in model organisms, like fly and frog, has led to a better understanding of the extrinsic signaling pathways necessary for retinal progenitor cell formation in mouse and human cell cultures. This review focuses on the culture methods used by different groups, which has culminated in the generation of laminated retinal tissue from both embryonic and induced pluripotent cells. The review also briefly describes advances made in transplantation studies using donor retinal progenitor and cultured retinal cells.

  3. Sector retinitis pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Woerkom, Craig; Ferrucci, Steven

    2005-05-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is one of the most common hereditary retinal dystrophies and causes of visual impairment affecting all age groups. The reported incidence varies, but is considered to be between 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 7,000. Sector retinitis pigmentosa is an atypical form of RP that is characterized by regionalized areas of bone spicule pigmentation, usually in the inferior quadrants of the retina. A 57-year-old Hispanic man with a history of previously diagnosed retinitis pigmentosa came to the clinic with a longstanding symptom of decreased vision at night. Bone spicule pigmentation was found in the nasal and inferior quadrants in each eye. He demonstrated superior and temporal visual-field loss corresponding to the areas of the affected retina. Clinical measurements of visual-field loss, best-corrected visual acuity, and ophthalmoscopic appearance have remained stable during the five years the patient has been followed. Sector retinitis pigmentosa is an atypical form of RP that is characterized by bilateral pigmentary retinopathy, usually isolated to the inferior quadrants. The remainder of the retina appears clinically normal, although studies have found functional abnormalities in these areas as well. Sector RP is generally considered a stationary to slowly progressive disease, with subnormal electro-retinogram findings and visual-field defects corresponding to the involved retinal sectors. Management of RP is very difficult because there are no proven methods of treatment. Studies have shown 15,000 IU of vitamin A palmitate per day may slow the progression, though this result is controversial. Low vision rehabilitation, long wavelength pass filters, and pedigree counseling remain the mainstay of management.

  4. Cone dysfunctions in retinitis pigmentosa with retinal nerve fiber layer thickening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobacı, Güngör; Ozge, Gökhan; Gündoğan, Fatih Ç

    2012-01-01

    To investigate whether or not thicker retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients relates to functional abnormalities of the photoreceptors. Optical coherence tomography-based RNFL thickness was measured by Stratus-3™ (Zeiss, Basel, Switzerland) optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram (ERG) recordings made using the RETI-port(®) system (Roland, Wiesbaden, Germany) in 27 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and in 30 healthy subjects. Photopic ERG b-wave amplitude, cone ERG b-wave latency, 30 Hz flicker amplitude, and 30 Hz flicker latency had significant correlations to the RNFL-temporal (r = -0.55, P = 0.004, r = 0.68, P = 0.001, r = -0.65, P = 0.001, and r = -0.52, P = 0.007, respectively). Eyes with thicker RNFL (ten eyes) differed significantly from those with thinner RNFL (eight eyes) regarding cone ERG b-wave latency values only (P = 0.001). Thicker RNFL in patients with retinitis pigmentosa may be associated with functional abnormality of the cone system.

  5. Progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) in AIDS patients: a different appearance of varicella-zoster retinitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavesio, C E; Mitchell, S M; Barton, K; Schwartz, S D; Towler, H M; Lightman, S

    1995-01-01

    Retinal infections caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) have been reported in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Two cases of a VZV-related retinitis are described with the characteristic features of the recently described progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) syndrome. Both patients suffered from the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with greatly reduced peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, and presented with macular retinitis without vitritis. The disease was bilateral in one case and unilateral in the other. The clinical course was rapidly progressive with widespread retinal involvement and the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with complete loss of vision in the affected eyes despite intensive intravenous antiviral therapy. VZV DNA was identified in vitreous biopsies, by molecular techniques based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in both patients. At present, the use of very high-dose intravenous acyclovir may be the best therapeutic option in these patients for whom the visual prognosis is poor. Intravitreal antiviral drugs could also contribute to the management of these cases.

  6. Portal vein thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chawla, Yogesh K; Bodh, Vijay

    2015-03-01

    Portal vein thrombosis is an important cause of portal hypertension. PVT occurs in association with cirrhosis or as a result of malignant invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma or even in the absence of associated liver disease. With the current research into its genesis, majority now have an underlying prothrombotic state detectable. Endothelial activation and stagnant portal blood flow also contribute to formation of the thrombus. Acute non-cirrhotic PVT, chronic PVT (EHPVO), and portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis are the three main variants of portal vein thrombosis with varying etiological factors and variability in presentation and management. Procoagulant state should be actively investigated. Anticoagulation is the mainstay of therapy for acute non-cirrhotic PVT, with supporting evidence for its use in cirrhotic population as well. Chronic PVT (EHPVO) on the other hand requires the management of portal hypertension as such and with role for anticoagulation in the setting of underlying prothrombotic state, however data is awaited in those with no underlying prothrombotic states. TIPS and liver transplant may be feasible even in the setting of PVT however proper selection of candidates and type of surgery is warranted. Thrombolysis and thrombectomy have some role. TARE is a new modality for management of HCC with portal vein invasion.

  7. Comprehensive automatic assessment of retinal vascular abnormalities for computer-assisted retinopathy grading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Vinayak; Agurto, Carla; VanNess, Richard; Nemeth, Sheila; Soliz, Peter; Barriga, Simon

    2014-01-01

    One of the most important signs of systemic disease that presents on the retina is vascular abnormalities such as in hypertensive retinopathy. Manual analysis of fundus images by human readers is qualitative and lacks in accuracy, consistency and repeatability. Present semi-automatic methods for vascular evaluation are reported to increase accuracy and reduce reader variability, but require extensive reader interaction; thus limiting the software-aided efficiency. Automation thus holds a twofold promise. First, decrease variability while increasing accuracy, and second, increasing the efficiency. In this paper we propose fully automated software as a second reader system for comprehensive assessment of retinal vasculature; which aids the readers in the quantitative characterization of vessel abnormalities in fundus images. This system provides the reader with objective measures of vascular morphology such as tortuosity, branching angles, as well as highlights of areas with abnormalities such as artery-venous nicking, copper and silver wiring, and retinal emboli; in order for the reader to make a final screening decision. To test the efficacy of our system, we evaluated the change in performance of a newly certified retinal reader when grading a set of 40 color fundus images with and without the assistance of the software. The results demonstrated an improvement in reader's performance with the software assistance, in terms of accuracy of detection of vessel abnormalities, determination of retinopathy, and reading time. This system enables the reader in making computer-assisted vasculature assessment with high accuracy and consistency, at a reduced reading time.

  8. Interobserver Variability in Target Definition for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With and Without Portal Vein Thrombus: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Consensus Guidelines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Theodore S., E-mail: tshong1@mgh.harvard.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Bosch, Walter R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Krishnan, Sunil [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Kim, Tae K. [Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Mount Sinai Hospital and Women' s College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Mamon, Harvey J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Shyn, Paul [Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Ben-Josef, Edgar [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Seong, Jinsil [Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Medical College, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Haddock, Michael G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Cheng, Jason C. [Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Feng, Mary U. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Stephans, Kevin L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Roberge, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Montreal General Hospital/McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Crane, Christopher [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); and others

    2014-07-15

    Purpose: Defining hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gross tumor volume (GTV) requires multimodal imaging, acquired in different perfusion phases. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the variability in contouring and to establish guidelines and educational recommendations for reproducible HCC contouring for treatment planning. Methods and Materials: Anonymous, multiphasic planning computed tomography scans obtained from 3 patients with HCC were identified and distributed to a panel of 11 gastrointestinal radiation oncologists. Panelists were asked the number of HCC cases they treated in the past year. Case 1 had no vascular involvement, case 2 had extensive portal vein involvement, and case 3 had minor branched portal vein involvement. The agreement between the contoured total GTVs (primary + vascular GTV) was assessed using the generalized kappa statistic. Agreement interpretation was evaluated using Landis and Koch's interpretation of strength of agreement. The S95 contour, defined using the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm consensus at the 95% confidence level, was created for each case. Results: Of the 11 panelists, 3 had treated >25 cases in the past year, 2 had treated 10 to 25 cases, 2 had treated 5 to 10 cases, 2 had treated 1 to 5 cases, 1 had treated 0 cases, and 1 did not respond. Near perfect agreement was seen for case 1, and substantial agreement was seen for cases 2 and 3. For case 2, there was significant heterogeneity in the volume identified as tumor thrombus (range 0.58-40.45 cc). For case 3, 2 panelists did not include the branched portal vein thrombus, and 7 panelists contoured thrombus separately from the primary tumor, also showing significant heterogeneity in volume of tumor thrombus (range 4.52-34.27 cc). Conclusions: In a group of experts, excellent agreement was seen in contouring total GTV. Heterogeneity exists in the definition of portal vein thrombus that may impact treatment

  9. Case report: Varicosity of the communicating vein between the left renal vein and the left ascending lumbar vein mimicking a renal artery aneurysm: Report of an unusual site of varicose veins and a novel hypothesis to explain its association with abdominal pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandeep G Jakhere

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A communicating vein between the left renal vein and the left ascending lumbar vein has only rarely been reported in the imaging literature. There are very few reports of varicosity of this communicating vein. Nonetheless, awareness about this communicating vein is of utmost importance for surgeons performing aortoiliac surgeries and nephrectomies as it may pose technical difficulties during surgery or cause life-threatening retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Varicosity of this venous channel may be mistaken for paraaortic lymphadenopathy, adrenal pseudo-mass, or renal artery aneurysm. We report a case of a patient with varicosity of this communicating vein, which mimicked a left renal artery aneurysm. A novel hypothesis is also proposed to explain the relationship with abdominal pain.

  10. Retinal Detachment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adnan Riaz, MD

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available History of present illness: A 58-year-old female presented to the emergency department reporting six days of progressive, atraumatic left eye vision loss. Her symptoms started with the appearance of dark spots and “spider webs,” and then progressed to darkening of vision in her left eye. She reports mild pain since yesterday. Her review of symptoms was otherwise negative. Ocular physical examination revealed normal external appearance, intact extraocular movements, and visual acuities of 20/25 OD and light/dark sensitivity OS. Fluorescein uptake was negative and slit lamp exam was unremarkable. Significant findings: Bedside ocular ultrasound revealed a serpentine, hyperechoic membrane that appeared tethered to the optic disc posteriorly with hyperechoic material underneath. These findings are consistent with retinal detachment (RD and associated retinal hemorrhage. Discussion: The retina is a layer of organized neurons that line the posterior portion of the posterior chamber of the eye. RD occurs when this layer separates from the underlying epithelium, resulting in ischemia and progressive photoreceptor degeneration, with potentially rapid and permanent vision loss if left untreated.1 Risk factors include advanced age, male sex (60%, race (Asians and Jews, and myopia and lattice degeneration.2 Bedside ultrasound (US performed by emergency physicians provides a valuable tool that has been used by ophthalmologists for decades to evaluate intraocular disease.1,3 Findings on bedside ultrasound consistent with RD include a hyperechoic membrane floating in the posterior chamber. RD usuallyremain tethered to the optic disc posteriorly and do not cross midline, a feature distinguishing them from posterior vitreous detachments. Associated retinal hemorrhage, seen as hyperechoic material under the retinal flap, can often be seen.1,2 US can also distinguish between “mac-on” and “mac-off” detachments. If the retina is still attached to the

  11. Interventional treatment of iliac vein compression syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaoqiang; Zhou Weiming; Nie Zhonglin; Yu Chaowen

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of interventional treatment of iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS). Methods: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was performed in 40 cases. Thirty-three cases underwent endovascular stent implantation and 27 cases underwent second-stage left saphenous vein ligation and stripping and the valves of left femoral veins narrowing. Thirty-one cases were followed-up postoperatively and the duration was 6-66 months (mean 28 months). Results: The dilation of iliac veins was successful in 36 cases and there were god efficacy in all patients when they discharged from hospital. Followed-up during post-operation, all the limbs ulcers were cured and varicose veins disappeared. The skin pigmentation disappeared in 17 of 19 cases and markedly relieved in 2 cases. Left lower limb swelling disappeared in 15 of 17 cases and relieved in 2 cases. Conclusion: There is good efficacy in the interventional treatment of left iliac vein lesions, but second-stage procedures should be performed in secondary lesions of saphenous veins and valves of femoral veins

  12. Peripapillary retinal thermal coagulation following electrical injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manjari Tandon

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we have presented the case report of a 20 year old boy who suffered an electric injury shock, following which he showed peripapillary retinal opacification and increased retinal thickening that subsequently progressed to retinal atrophy. The fluorescein angiogram revealed normal retinal circulation, thus indicating thermal damage to retina without any compromise to retinal circulation.

  13. Automatic detection and classification of malarial retinopathy- associated retinal whitening in digital retinal images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akram, M.U.; Alvi, A.B.N.; Khan, S.A.

    2017-01-01

    Malarial retinopathy addresses diseases that are characterized by abnormalities in retinal fundus imaging. Macular whitening is one of the distinct signs of cerebral malaria but has hardly been explored as a critical bio-marker. The paper proposes a computerized detection and classification method for malarial retinopathy using retinal whitening as a bio-marker. The paper combines various statistical and color based features to form a sound feature set for accurate detection of retinal whitening. All features are extracted at image level and feature selection is performed to detect most discriminate features. A new method for macula location is also presented. The detected macula location is further used for grading of whitening as macular or peripheral whitening. Support vector machine along with radial basis function is used for classification of normal and malarial retinopathy patients. The evaluation is performed using a locally gathered dataset from malarial patients and it achieves an accuracy of 95% for detection of retinal whitening and 100% accuracy for grading of retinal whitening as macular or non-macular. One of the major contributions of proposed method is grading of retinal whitening into macular or peripheral whitening. (author)

  14. Evolution of Outer Retinal Folds Occurring after Vitrectomy for Retinal Detachment Repair

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dell'Omo, Roberto; Tan, H. Stevie; Schlingemann, Reinier O.; Bijl, Heico M.; Lesnik Oberstein, Sarit Y.; Barca, Francesco; Mura, Marco

    2012-01-01

    PURPOSE. To assess the evolution of outer retinal folds (ORFs) occurring after repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (sd-OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and to discuss their pathogenesis. METHODS. Twenty patients were operated on

  15. Retinitis pigmentosa, Coats disease and uveitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solomon, A; Banin, E; Anteby, I; Benezra, D

    1999-01-01

    To study the anamnestic immune response to retinal specific antigens of two patients suffering from a rare triad of retinitis pigmentosa, Coats disease and uveitis. 17-year-old girl presented with an acute episode of panuveitis, and her 19-year-old brother suffered from chronic uveitis. On examination, both patients showed retinal vascular changes and subretinal exudations typical of Coats disease, with bone-spicule pigmentary changes as observed in retinitis pigmentosa. All routine examinations were unrevealing. However, the peripheral lymphocytes from these two siblings gave a specific anamnestic response to retinal antigens in vitro. A stimulation index of 4.6 was obtained when the sister's lymphocytes were stimulated with interphotoreceptor binding protein, IRBP--during the acute stage of the uveitis. The brother's lymphocytes showed a stimulation index of 2.7 towards S-Ag during the chronic phase of his uveitic condition. These results indicate that autoimmunity towards retinal antigens may play some role in specific types of retinitis pigmentosa. Whether these autoimmune reactions are a primary pathological mechanism or are secondary to the extensive destruction of the photoreceptor layer resulting from the retinitis pigmentosa remains debatable.

  16. Dendritic thickness: a morphometric parameter to classify mouse retinal ganglion cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.D. Loopuijt

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available To study the dendritic morphology of retinal ganglion cells in wild-type mice we intracellularly injected these cells with Lucifer yellow in an in vitro preparation of the retina. Subsequently, quantified values of dendritic thickness, number of branching points and level of stratification of 73 Lucifer yellow-filled ganglion cells were analyzed by statistical methods, resulting in a classification into 9 groups. The variables dendritic thickness, number of branching points per cell and level of stratification were independent of each other. Number of branching points and level of stratification were independent of eccentricity, whereas dendritic thickness was positively dependent (r = 0.37 on it. The frequency distribution of dendritic thickness tended to be multimodal, indicating the presence of at least two cell populations composed of neurons with dendritic diameters either smaller or larger than 1.8 µm ("thin" or "thick" dendrites, respectively. Three cells (4.5% were bistratified, having thick dendrites, and the others (95.5% were monostratified. Using k-means cluster analysis, monostratified cells with either thin or thick dendrites were further subdivided according to level of stratification and number of branching points: cells with thin dendrites were divided into 2 groups with outer stratification (0-40% and 2 groups with inner (50-100% stratification, whereas cells with thick dendrites were divided into one group with outer and 3 groups with inner stratification. We postulate, that one group of cells with thin dendrites resembles cat ß-cells, whereas one group of cells with thick dendrites includes cells that resemble cat a-cells.

  17. Regulation of Taurine transporter activity in cultured rat retinal ganglion cells and rat retinal Muller Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eissa, Laila A.; Smith, Sylvia B.; El-sherbeny, Amira A.

    2006-01-01

    Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. The amino acid taurine is believed to play an antioxidant protective role in diabetic retinopathy through the scavenging of the reactive species. It is not well established whether taurine uptake is altered in retina cells during diabetic conditions. Thus, the present study was designed to investigate the changes in taurine transport in cultures of rat retinal Muller cells and rat retinal ganglion cells under conditions associated with diabetes. Taurine was abundantly taken up by retinal Muller cells and rat retinal ganglion cells under normal glycemic condition. Taurine was actively transported to rat Muller cells and rat retinal ganglion cells in a Na and Cl dependant manner. Taurine uptake further significantly elevated in both type of cells after the incubation with high glucose concentration. This effect could be attributed to the increase in osmolarity. Because Nitric Oxide (NO) is a molecule implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes, we also determined the activity of taurine transporter in cultured rat retinal Muller cells and rat retinal ganglion cells in the presence of the NO donors, SIN-1 and SNAP. Taurine uptake was elevated above control value after 24-h incubation with low concentration of NO donors. We finally investigated the ability of neurotoxic glutamate to change taurine transporter activity in both types of cells. Uptake of taurine was significantly increased in rat retinal ganglion cells when only incubated with high concentration of glutamate. Our data provide evidence that taurine transporter is present in cultured rat retinal ganglion and Muller cells and is regulated by hyperosmolarity. The data are relevant to disease such as diabetes and neuronal degeneration where retinal cell volume may dramatically change. (author)

  18. Outcomes in bullous retinal detachment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah P. Read

    2017-06-01

    Conclusions and importance: GRTs are an uncommon cause of retinal detachment. While pars plana vitrectomy with tamponade is standard in GRT management, there is variability in the use of scleral buckling and PFO in these cases. This is in contrast to retinal dialysis where scleral buckle alone can yield favorable results. Though a baseball ocular trauma is common, retinal involvement is rare compared to other sports injuries such as those occurring with tennis, soccer and golf. Sports trauma remains an important cause of retinal injury and patients should be counseled on the need for eye protection.

  19. Influence of transverse mode on retinal spot size and retinal injury effect: A theoretical analysis on 532-nm laser

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia-Rui Wang

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The fundamental transverse mode (TEM00 is preferable for experimental and theoretical study on the laser-induced retinal injury effect, for it can produce the minimal retinal image and establish the most strict laser safety standards. But actually lasers with higher order mode were frequently used in both earlier and recent studies. Generally higher order mode leads to larger retinal spot size and so higher damage threshold, but there are few quantitative analyses on this problem. In this paper, a four-surface schematic eye model is established for human and macaque. The propagation of 532-nm laser in schematic eye is analyzed by the ABCD law of Gaussian optics. It is shown that retinal spot size increases with laser transverse mode order. For relative lower mode order, the retinal spot diameter will not exceed the minimum laser-induced retinal lesion (25 ~ 30 μm in diameter, and so has little effect on retinal damage threshold. While for higher order mode, the larger retinal spot requires more energy to induce injury and so the damage threshold increases. When beam divergence is lowered, the retinal spot size decreases correspondingly, so the effect of mode order can be compensated. The retinal spot size of macaque is slightly smaller than that of human and the ratio between them is independent of mode order. We conclude that the laser mode order has significant influence on retinal spot size but limited influence on the retinal injury effect.

  20. Enhanced generation of retinal progenitor cells from human retinal pigment epithelial cells induced by amniotic fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanie-Jahromi, Fatemeh; Ahmadieh, Hamid; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Davari, Maliheh; Ghaderi, Shima; Kanavi, Mozhgan Rezaei; Samiei, Shahram; Deezagi, Abdolkhalegh; Pakravesh, Jalil; Bagheri, Abouzar

    2012-04-10

    Retinal progenitor cells are a convenient source of cell replacement therapy in retinal degenerative disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of the homeobox genes PAX6 and CHX10 (retinal progenitor markers) during treatment of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells with amniotic fluid (AF), RPE cells harvested from neonatal cadaver globes were cultured in a mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 supplemented with 10% FBS. At different passages, cells were trypsinized and co-cultured with 30% AF obtained from normal fetuses of 1416 weeks gestational age. Compared to FBS-treated controls, AF-treated cultures exhibited special morphological changes in culture, including appearance of spheroid colonies, improved initial cell adhesion and ordered cell alignment. Cell proliferation assays indicated a remarkable increase in the proliferation rate of RPE cells cultivated in 30% AF-supplemented medium, compared with those grown in the absence of AF. Immunocytochemical analyses exhibited nuclear localization of retinal progenitor markers at a ratio of 33% and 27% for CHX10 and PAX6, respectively. This indicated a 3-fold increase in retinal progenitor markers in AF-treated cultures compared to FBS-treated controls. Real-time PCR data of retinal progenitor genes (PAX6, CHX10 and VSX-1) confirmed these results and demonstrated AF's capacity for promoting retinal progenitor cell generation. Taken together, the results suggest that AF significantly promotes the rate of retinal progenitor cell generation, indicating that AF can be used as an enriched supplement for serum-free media used for the in vitro propagation of human progenitor cells.

  1. The angiographic demonstration of hepatic vein obstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zu Maoheng; Xu Hao; Li Guojun; Gu Yuming; Wei Ning; Wang Cheng; Xu Wei

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the angiographic feature of hepatic vein obstruction. Methods Forty-five patients (male 23, female 22, age 9-54 years) suffered from hepatic vein obstruction. The inferior vena cavography and the hepatic venography were performed in all cases. Results: IVC was free in 37 patients with hepatic vein obstruction, both IVC and HV were obstructed in 8 patients. The local or long stenosis of IVC was found in 31 inferior vena cavography. The diameter of IVC was normal in 12 patients. The sign of membranous dome was found in hepatic vein orifice in 5 cases and in accessory hepatic vein orifice in 4 cases. Intrahepatic venous collaterals were found in 45 cases. Conclusion: Hepatic vein obstruction can be reproached primarily in inferior vena cavography, the membranous dome is a direct sign of membranous obstruction of HV and AHV in inferior vena cavography. The selected hepatic venography can provide reliable evidence to diagnose hepatic vein obstruction

  2. A Vein Map Biometric System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Fuentes

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available There is increasing demand world-wide, from government agencies and the private sector for cutting-edge biometric security technology that is difficult to breach but userfriendly at the same time. Some of the older tools, such as fingerprint, retina and iris scanning, and facial recognition software have all been found to have flaws and often viewed negatively because of many cultural and hygienic issues associated with them. Comparatively, mapping veins as a human barcode, a new technology, has many advantages over older technologies. Specifically, reproducing a three-dimensional model of a human vein system is impossible to replicate. Vein map technology is distinctive because of its state-of-the-art sensors are only able to recognize vein patterns if hemoglobin is actively flowing through the person

  3. Deep vein thrombosis of the leg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Eun Hee; Rhee, Kwang Woo; Jeon, Suk Chul; Joo, Kyung Bin; Lee, Seung Ro; Seo, Heung Suk; Hahm, Chang Kok [College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1987-04-15

    Ascending contrast venography is the definitive standard method for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities. Authors analysed 22 cases of DVT clinically and radiographically. 1.The patients ranged in age from 15 to 70 yrs and the most prevalent age group was 7th decade (31%). There was an equal distribution of males and females. 2.In 11 cases of 22 cases, variable etiologic factors were recognized, such as abdominal surgery, chronic bedridden state, local trauma on the leg, pregnancy, postpartum, Behcet's syndrome, iliac artery aneurysm, and chronic medication of estrogen. 3.Nineteen cases out of 22 cases showed primary venographic signs of DVT, such as well-defined filling defect in opacified veins and narrowed, irregularly filled venous lumen. In only 3 cases, the diagnosis of DVT was base upon the segmental nonvisualization of deep veins with good opacification of proximal and distal veins and presence of collaterals. 4.Extent of thrombosis: 3 cases were confined to calf vein, 4 cases extended to femoral vein, and 15 cases had involvement above iliac vein. 5.In 17 cases involving relatively long segment of deep veins, propagation pattern of thrombus was evaluated by its radiologic morphology according to the age of thrombus: 9 cases suggested central or antegrade propagation pattern and 8 cases, peripheral or retrograde pattern. 6.None of 22 cases showed clinical evidence of pulmonary embolism. The cause of the rarity of pulmonary embolism in Korean in presumed to be related to the difference in major involving site and propagation pattern of DVT in the leg.

  4. Deep vein thrombosis of the leg

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Eun Hee; Rhee, Kwang Woo; Jeon, Suk Chul; Joo, Kyung Bin; Lee, Seung Ro; Seo, Heung Suk; Hahm, Chang Kok

    1987-01-01

    Ascending contrast venography is the definitive standard method for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities. Authors analysed 22 cases of DVT clinically and radiographically. 1.The patients ranged in age from 15 to 70 yrs and the most prevalent age group was 7th decade (31%). There was an equal distribution of males and females. 2.In 11 cases of 22 cases, variable etiologic factors were recognized, such as abdominal surgery, chronic bedridden state, local trauma on the leg, pregnancy, postpartum, Behcet's syndrome, iliac artery aneurysm, and chronic medication of estrogen. 3.Nineteen cases out of 22 cases showed primary venographic signs of DVT, such as well-defined filling defect in opacified veins and narrowed, irregularly filled venous lumen. In only 3 cases, the diagnosis of DVT was base upon the segmental nonvisualization of deep veins with good opacification of proximal and distal veins and presence of collaterals. 4.Extent of thrombosis: 3 cases were confined to calf vein, 4 cases extended to femoral vein, and 15 cases had involvement above iliac vein. 5.In 17 cases involving relatively long segment of deep veins, propagation pattern of thrombus was evaluated by its radiologic morphology according to the age of thrombus: 9 cases suggested central or antegrade propagation pattern and 8 cases, peripheral or retrograde pattern. 6.None of 22 cases showed clinical evidence of pulmonary embolism. The cause of the rarity of pulmonary embolism in Korean in presumed to be related to the difference in major involving site and propagation pattern of DVT in the leg

  5. Bilateral meandering pulmonary veins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thupili, Chakradhar R.; Udayasankar, Unni [Pediatric Imaging, Imaging Institute Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (United States); Renapurkar, Rahul [Imaging Institute Cleveland Clinic, Thoracic Imaging, L10, Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Meandering pulmonary veins is a rare clinical entity that can be mistaken for more complex congenital syndromes such as hypogenetic lung syndrome. We report imaging findings in a rare incidentally detected case of bilateral meandering pulmonary veins. We briefly discuss the role of imaging in diagnosing this condition, with particular emphasis on contrast-enhanced CT. (orig.)

  6. Determination of retinal surface area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagra, Manbir; Gilmartin, Bernard; Thai, Ngoc Jade; Logan, Nicola S

    2017-09-01

    Previous attempts at determining retinal surface area and surface area of the whole eye have been based upon mathematical calculations derived from retinal photographs, schematic eyes and retinal biopsies of donor eyes. 3-dimensional (3-D) ocular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows a more direct measurement, it can be used to image the eye in vivo, and there is no risk of tissue shrinkage. The primary purpose of this study is to compare, using T2-weighted 3D MRI, retinal surface areas for superior-temporal (ST), inferior-temporal (IT), superior-nasal (SN) and inferior-nasal (IN) retinal quadrants. An ancillary aim is to examine whether inter-quadrant variations in area are concordant with reported inter-quadrant patterns of susceptibility to retinal breaks associated with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Seventy-three adult participants presenting without retinal pathology (mean age 26.25 ± 6.06 years) were scanned using a Siemens 3-Tesla MRI scanner to provide T2-weighted MR images that demarcate fluid-filled internal structures for the whole eye and provide high-contrast delineation of the vitreous-retina interface. Integrated MRI software generated total internal ocular surface area (TSA). The second nodal point was used to demarcate the origin of the peripheral retina in order to calculate total retinal surface area (RSA) and quadrant retinal surface areas (QRSA) for ST, IT, SN, and IN quadrants. Mean spherical error (MSE) was -2.50 ± 4.03D and mean axial length (AL) 24.51 ± 1.57 mm. Mean TSA and RSA for the RE were 2058 ± 189 and 1363 ± 160 mm 2 , respectively. Repeated measures anova for QRSA data indicated a significant difference within-quadrants (P area/mm increase in AL. Although the differences between QRSAs are relatively small, there was evidence of concordance with reported inter-quadrant patterns of susceptibility to retinal breaks associated with PVD. The data allow AL to be converted to QRSAs, which will assist further

  7. The veining phenomenon in unalloyed plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, J.S.

    1976-01-01

    An investigation has been made of the veining phenomenon in unalloyed plutonium. The surface markings, or veins, which are sometimes seen on α-phase plutonium samples, arise as a result of the β→α transformation. As far as is known, this veining is unrivalled in its scale and form as compared with the solid state surface transformation effects shown by any other metal. The phenomenon has been explained by the application of the Le Chatelier principle to the phase change. In this instance, the large (10%) volume contraction associated with the β→α reaction and the anisotropy of the nonoclinic α-phase structure, account for the fact that the veins are so prominent in plutonium. On the basis of the proposed model, the veins can only form at temperatures where the transformation mechanism is non-martensitic. (Auth.)

  8. Unusual termination of the right testicular vein | Woldeyes | Anatomy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The testicular veins are formed by the veins emerging from the testis and epididymis forming the pampiniform venous plexus. The right testicular vein drains into inferior vena cava and the left testicular vein to the left renal vein. Testicular veins display a great variability with regard to their number, course and sites of ...

  9. An unusual case: right proximal ureteral compression by the ovarian vein and distal ureteral compression by the external iliac vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halil Ibrahim Serin

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A 32-years old woman presented to the emergency room of Bozok University Research Hospital with right renal colic. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT showed compression of the proximal ureter by the right ovarian vein and compression of the right distal ureter by the right external iliac vein. To the best of our knowledge, right proximal ureteral compression by the ovarian vein together with distal ureteral compression by the external iliac vein have not been reported in the literature. Ovarian vein and external iliac vein compression should be considered in patients presenting to the emergency room with renal colic or low back pain and a dilated collecting system.

  10. Giant Retinal Tear With Retinal Detachment in Regressed Aggressive Posterior Retinopathy of Prematurity Treated by Laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Parijat; Tewari, Ruchir; Salunkhe, Nitesh; Kumawat, Devesh; Kumar, Vinod

    2017-06-29

    Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after successfully regressed retinopathy of prematurity is a rare occurrence. Late onset rhegmatogenous retinal detachment has been reported infrequently. The authors report a case of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity that underwent uneventful regression after laser photocoagulation and later developed an inoperable closed funnel retinal detachment due to a giant retinal tear. This case represents the earliest development of such complications in regressed aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity treated by laser. Development of a giant retinal tear has also not been previously reported after laser treatment. This case highlights that successful regression of severe retinopathy of prematurity does not safeguard against future complications and requires frequent long-term follow-up. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54:e34-e36.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  11. Enhanced generation of retinal progenitor cells from human retinal pigment epithelial cells induced by amniotic fluid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanie-Jahromi Fatemeh

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Retinal progenitor cells are a convenient source of cell replacement therapy in retinal degenerative disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of the homeobox genes PAX6 and CHX10 (retinal progenitor markers during treatment of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells with amniotic fluid (AF, RPE cells harvested from neonatal cadaver globes were cultured in a mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 supplemented with 10% FBS. At different passages, cells were trypsinized and co-cultured with 30% AF obtained from normal fetuses of 1416 weeks gestational age. Results Compared to FBS-treated controls, AF-treated cultures exhibited special morphological changes in culture, including appearance of spheroid colonies, improved initial cell adhesion and ordered cell alignment. Cell proliferation assays indicated a remarkable increase in the proliferation rate of RPE cells cultivated in 30% AF-supplemented medium, compared with those grown in the absence of AF. Immunocytochemical analyses exhibited nuclear localization of retinal progenitor markers at a ratio of 33% and 27% for CHX10 and PAX6, respectively. This indicated a 3-fold increase in retinal progenitor markers in AF-treated cultures compared to FBS-treated controls. Real-time PCR data of retinal progenitor genes (PAX6, CHX10 and VSX-1 confirmed these results and demonstrated AF's capacity for promoting retinal progenitor cell generation. Conclusion Taken together, the results suggest that AF significantly promotes the rate of retinal progenitor cell generation, indicating that AF can be used as an enriched supplement for serum-free media used for the in vitro propagation of human progenitor cells.

  12. Screening for retinitis in children with probable systemic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    CMV retinitis may be prevented by timely diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to .... retinitis are: 'a fulminant picture of retinal vasculitis and vascular sheathing with areas of yellow-white, full thickness, retinal necrosis producing retinal oedema associated ... and intravenous foscarnet as alternatives.[4] Although CMV- ...

  13. Bioelectronic retinal prosthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiland, James D.

    2016-05-01

    Retinal prosthesis have been translated to clinical use over the past two decades. Currently, two devices have regulatory approval for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa and one device is in clinical trials for treatment of age-related macular degeneration. These devices provide partial sight restoration and patients use this improved vision in their everyday lives to navigate and to detect large objects. However, significant vision restoration will require both better technology and improved understanding of the interaction between electrical stimulation and the retina. In particular, current retinal prostheses do not provide peripheral visions due to technical and surgical limitations, thus limiting the effectiveness of the treatment. This paper reviews recent results from human implant patients and presents technical approaches for peripheral vision.

  14. Isolation and characterization of portal branch ligation-stimulated Hmga2-positive bipotent hepatic progenitor cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, Hiroshi; Tagawa, Yoh-ichi; Tamai, Miho; Motoyama, Hiroaki; Ogawa, Shinichiro; Soeda, Junpei; Nakata, Takenari; Miyagawa, Shinichi

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → Hepatic progenitor cells were isolated from the portal branch-ligated liver of mice. → Portal branch ligation-stimulated hepatic progenitor cells (PBLHCs) express Hmga2. → PBLHCs have bidirectional differentiation capability in vitro. -- Abstract: Hepatic stem/progenitor cells are one of several cell sources that show promise for restoration of liver mass and function. Although hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), including oval cells, are induced by administration of certain hepatotoxins in experimental animals, such a strategy would be inappropriate in a clinical setting. Here, we investigated the possibility of isolating HPCs in a portal branch-ligated liver model without administration of any chemical agents. A non-parenchymal cell fraction was prepared from the portal branch-ligated or non-ligated lobe, and seeded onto plates coated with laminin. Most of the cells died, but a small number were able to proliferate. These proliferating cells were cloned as portal branch ligation-stimulated hepatic cells (PBLHCs) by the limiting dilution method. The PBLHCs expressed cytokeratin19, albumin, and Hmga2. The PBLHCs exhibited metabolic functions such as detoxification of ammonium ions and synthesis of urea on Matrigel-coated plates in the presence of oncostatin M. In Matrigel mixed with type I collagen, the PBLHCs became rearranged into cystic and tubular structures. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated the presence of Hmga2-positive cells around the interlobular bile ducts in the portal branch-ligated liver lobes. In conclusion, successful isolation of bipotent hepatic progenitor cell clones, PBLHCs, from the portal branch-ligated liver lobes of mice provides the possibility of future clinical application of portal vein ligation to induce hepatic progenitor cells.

  15. Investigation of adverse events associated with an off-label use of arterial stents and CE-marked iliac vein stents in the iliac vein: insights into developing a better iliac vein stent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shida, Takuya; Umezu, Mitsuo; Iwasaki, Kiyotaka

    2018-06-01

    We analyzed the adverse events associated with an off-label use of arterial stents and CE-marked iliac vein stents for the treatment of iliac venous thromboembolism and investigated their relationships with the anatomical features of the iliac vein, to gain insights into the development of a better iliac vein stent. Reports of adverse events following the use of stents in the iliac vein were retrieved from the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database that contain suspected device-associated complications reported to the Food and Drug Administration. Data from 2006 to 2016 were investigated. The literature analysis was also conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science focusing on English articles published up to 4 October 2016. The analysis of 88 adverse events from the MAUDE database and 182 articles from the literature revealed that a higher number of adverse events had been reported following the use of arterial stents in the iliac vein compared to CE-marked iliac vein stents. While stent migration and shortening were reported only for the arterial stents, stent fracture and compression occurred regardless of the stent type, even though a vein does not pulsate. A study of the anatomical features of the iliac vein implies that bending, compression, and kink loads are applied to the iliac vein stents in vivo. For designing, developing, and pre-clinical testing of stents intended for use in the iliac vein, the above mechanical load environments induced by the anatomical features should be considered.

  16. Tractional retinal detachment in Usher syndrome type II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rani, Alka; Pal, Nikhil; Azad, Raj Vardhan; Sharma, Yog Raj; Chandra, Parijat; Vikram Singh, Deependra

    2005-08-01

    Retinal detachment is a rare complication in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. A case is reported of tractional retinal detachment in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa and sensorineural hearing loss, which was diagnosed as Usher syndrome type II. Because of the poor visual prognosis, the patient refused surgery in that eye. Tractional retinal detachment should be added to the differential diagnoses of visual loss in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

  17. Inherited Retinal Degenerative Disease Registry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-13

    Eye Diseases Hereditary; Retinal Disease; Achromatopsia; Bardet-Biedl Syndrome; Bassen-Kornzweig Syndrome; Batten Disease; Best Disease; Choroidal Dystrophy; Choroideremia; Cone Dystrophy; Cone-Rod Dystrophy; Congenital Stationary Night Blindness; Enhanced S-Cone Syndrome; Fundus Albipunctatus; Goldmann-Favre Syndrome; Gyrate Atrophy; Juvenile Macular Degeneration; Kearns-Sayre Syndrome; Leber Congenital Amaurosis; Refsum Syndrome; Retinitis Pigmentosa; Retinitis Punctata Albescens; Retinoschisis; Rod-Cone Dystrophy; Rod Dystrophy; Rod Monochromacy; Stargardt Disease; Usher Syndrome

  18. Retinal Macroglial Responses in Health and Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa de Hoz

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to their permanent and close proximity to neurons, glial cells perform essential tasks for the normal physiology of the retina. Astrocytes and Müller cells (retinal macroglia provide physical support to neurons and supplement them with several metabolites and growth factors. Macroglia are involved in maintaining the homeostasis of extracellular ions and neurotransmitters, are essential for information processing in neural circuits, participate in retinal glucose metabolism and in removing metabolic waste products, regulate local blood flow, induce the blood-retinal barrier (BRB, play fundamental roles in local immune response, and protect neurons from oxidative damage. In response to polyetiological insults, glia cells react with a process called reactive gliosis, seeking to maintain retinal homeostasis. When malfunctioning, macroglial cells can become primary pathogenic elements. A reactive gliosis has been described in different retinal pathologies, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD, diabetes, glaucoma, retinal detachment, or retinitis pigmentosa. A better understanding of the dual, neuroprotective, or cytotoxic effect of macroglial involvement in retinal pathologies would help in treating the physiopathology of these diseases. The extensive participation of the macroglia in retinal diseases points to these cells as innovative targets for new drug therapies.

  19. Preoperative mapping of the saphenous vein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Levi-Mazloum, Niels Donald; Sillesen, H; Nielsen, Tina G

    1995-01-01

    A consecutive series of 92 patients had their greater saphenous vein assessed with duplex ultrasound scanning prior to planned infrainguinal bypass procedures. A naturally occurring optimal vein diameter was discovered. It was significantly correlated with higher postoperative ankle-brachial pres......-brachial pressure index (ABI) and lesser early postoperative thrombosis. A significant linear regression was found between the pre and postoperative vein diameter....

  20. The CT appearance of the superior intercostal veins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lund, G.

    1982-01-01

    The CT appearance of the superior intercostal veins is described. The veins are more frequently seen on the right side. The right superior intercostal vein should not be misinterpreted as a paraspinal mass when it is large or bulges into the contour of the right lung. A case of stenosis of the left brachiocephalic vein is shown, where the left superior intercostal vein serves as a collateral. (orig.)

  1. Branching pathways in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalisky, O.; Ottolenghi, M. (Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel). Dept. of Physical Chemistry)

    1982-01-01

    The pulsed laser photolysis of light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin (BR/sub 570/) is carried out between 25 C and -92 C in neutral and alkaline water-glycerol solutions. At relatively low temperatures the primary photoproduct K/sub 610/ equilibrates with a blue-shifted species, Ksub(p). Both K/sub 610/ and the new intermediate subsequently decay into another species, K'sub(p), in a process which competes with the formation of L/sub 550/. Finally, K'sub(p) converts very slowly to L/sub 550/. This branched pathway delays the formation of L/sub 550/ and thus of M/sub 412/, without affecting the final yield of either species. A thermal back-reaction regenerating BR/sub 570/ takes place at the stage of L/sub 550/, inhibiting the formation of M/sub 412/. The reaction which also predominates at low temperatures, is relatively inefficient at high pH when the forward L/sub 550/ ..-->.. M/sub 412/ step is highly catalyzed. It is the superposition of both these branching mechanisms which accounts for the complex effects of temperature and pH on the photocycle of BR/sub 570/. The latter mechanism is accounted for by a molecular scheme in which deprotonation of a tyrosine moiety at the stage of L/sub 550/ constitutes a prerequisite for deprotonation of the retinal-lysine schiff-base as required for forming M/sub 412/. This scheme appears to be directly related to the proton pump.

  2. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of gastric varix draining via the left inferior phrenic vein into the left hepatic vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibukuro, Kenji; Mori, Koichi; Tsukiyama, Toshitaka; Inoue, Yoshihiro; Iwamoto, Yukako; Tagawa, Kazumi

    1999-01-01

    We encountered a patient with gastric varix draining not via the usual left suprarenal vein but via the left inferior phrenic vein joining the left hepatic vein. Transfemoral balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of the varix was performed under balloon occlusion of the left inferior phrenic vein via the left hepatic vein and retrograde injection of the sclerosing agent (5% of ethanolamine oleate) into the gastric varix. Disappearance of the gastric varix was confirmed on endoscopic examination 2 months later.

  3. Retinal Vessels Segmentation Techniques and Algorithms: A Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasem Almotiri

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Retinal vessels identification and localization aim to separate the different retinal vasculature structure tissues, either wide or narrow ones, from the fundus image background and other retinal anatomical structures such as optic disc, macula, and abnormal lesions. Retinal vessels identification studies are attracting more and more attention in recent years due to non-invasive fundus imaging and the crucial information contained in vasculature structure which is helpful for the detection and diagnosis of a variety of retinal pathologies included but not limited to: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR, glaucoma, hypertension, and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD. With the development of almost two decades, the innovative approaches applying computer-aided techniques for segmenting retinal vessels are becoming more and more crucial and coming closer to routine clinical applications. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview for retinal vessels segmentation techniques. Firstly, a brief introduction to retinal fundus photography and imaging modalities of retinal images is given. Then, the preprocessing operations and the state of the art methods of retinal vessels identification are introduced. Moreover, the evaluation and validation of the results of retinal vessels segmentation are discussed. Finally, an objective assessment is presented and future developments and trends are addressed for retinal vessels identification techniques.

  4. Pressure Changes before and after Explosive Rhyolitic Bomb Ejection at Chaiten, Chile Recorded By Water Diffusion Profiles Around Tuffisite Veins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuffen, H.; McGowan, E.; Castro, J. M.; Berlo, K.; James, M. R.; Owen, J.; Schipper, C. I.; Wadsworth, F. B.; Saubin, E.; Wehbe, K.

    2014-12-01

    The recent rhyolitic eruptions at Chaitén and Cordón Caulle have provided valuable new insights into the relationship between explosive and effusive activity, and the gas escape mechanisms that permit rapid effusion of degassed lava[1,2]. Bombs ejected during mixed explosive-effusive activity host spectacular tuffisite veins cutting both dense obsidian (Fig 1a) and highly-expanded pumice. Tuffisite veins are ash-filled fracture networks that act as ephemeral permeable pathways for gas escape in shallow conduits and lava domes. Previous studies have revealed water depletion adjacent to tuffisite veins, leading to models of fracture-triggered pressure release[2] and estimates of gas escape timescales[2,3]. We have characterised water diffusion profiles from a new suite of tuffisite-bearing Chaitén bombs, using synchrotron-source FTIR at the Diamond Light Source, Oxford, UK. Unexpectedly, one exceptionally large tuffisite vein, which is 30 mm thick (Fig. 1a, b) is mantled by zones of strong water enrichment, which enclose the usual narrow depletion zones immediately adjacent to the vein (Fig. 1c). Consistent results from different branches of this vein (Fig. 1b) indicate a similar history. The plausible range of diffusion model solutions points towards ~2-4 hours of vein pressurisation, followed by a brief pre-quench period of lower pressure conditions. In our model the vein opened during a period of overpressure at the lava dome base, sustained by gas influx from a deeper catchment extending hundreds of metres into the upper conduit. Overpressure culminated in violent bomb ejection, after which vein pressure decreased due to gas leakage to the atmosphere through the incompletely welded vein, as observed in rhyolitic bombs from Cordón Caulle (Fig. 1d). Commonly-seen water depletion zones[2,3] may therefore merely record post-fragmentation degassing. However, the enrichment zone points towards the type of deep pressurisation associated with cycles of tilt and

  5. Vein Patch Closure Using Below the Knee Greater Saphenous Vein for Femoral Endarterectomy Procedures is Not Always a Safe Choice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Berner

    Full Text Available : Background: The complication of vein patch rupture is well described after carotid patch angioplasty; however, there is a paucity of data about the safety of vein patch closure in the setting of femoral endarterectomy. Methods/results: From May 2012 to May 2015, 115 femoral endarterectomies with patch closure were performed. A patch rupture occurred in three cases (2.6% with a mortality rate of 66% (2/3. In all cases the greater saphenous vein below the knee was used as patch material. Discussion/conclusion: Vein patches, particularly from small calibre veins, should be excluded in femoral endarterectomy procedures as they pose a substantial risk of rupture. Keywords: Angioplasty, Patch rupture, Femoral artery, Patch, Great saphenous vein

  6. Protein kinase C in porcine retinal arteries and neuroretina following retinal ischemia-reperfusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gesslein, Bodil; Gustafsson, Lotta; Wackenfors, Angelica

    2009-01-01

    Identification of the intracellular signal-transduction pathways activated in retinal ischemia may be important in revealing novel pharmacological targets. To date, most studies have focused on identifying neuroprotective agents. The retinal blood vessels are key organs in circulatory failure, an...

  7. Varicose Veins: Role of Mechanotransduction of Venous Hypertension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atta, Hussein M.

    2012-01-01

    Varicose veins affect approximately one-third of the adult population and result in significant psychological, physical, and financial burden. Nevertheless, the molecular pathogenesis of varicose vein formation remains unidentified. Venous hypertension exerted on veins of the lower extremity is considered the principal factor in varicose vein formation. The role of mechanotransduction of the high venous pressure in the pathogenesis of varicose vein formation has not been adequately investigated despite a good progress in understanding the mechanomolecular mechanisms involved in transduction of high blood pressure in the arterial wall. Understanding the nature of the mechanical forces, the mechanosensors and mechanotransducers in the vein wall, and the downstream signaling pathways will provide new molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins. This paper summarized the current understanding of mechano-molecular pathways involved in transduction of hemodynamic forces induced by blood pressure and tries to relate this information to setting of venous hypertension in varicose veins. PMID:22489273

  8. Concentric retinitis pigmentosa: clinicopathologic correlations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milam, A H; De Castro, E B; Smith, J E; Tang, W X; John, S K; Gorin, M B; Stone, E M; Aguirre, G D; Jacobson, S G

    2001-10-01

    Progressive concentric (centripetal) loss of vision is one pattern of visual field loss in retinitis pigmentosa. This study provides the first clinicopathologic correlations for this form of retinitis pigmentosa. A family with autosomal dominant concentric retinitis pigmentosa was examined clinically and with visual function tests. A post-mortem eye of an affected 94 year old family member was processed for histopathology and immunocytochemistry with retinal cell specific antibodies. Unrelated simplex/multiplex patients with concentric retinitis pigmentosa were also examined. Affected family members of the eye donor and patients from the other families had prominent peripheral pigmentary retinopathy with more normal appearing central retina, good visual acuity, concentric field loss, normal or near normal rod and cone sensitivity within the preserved visual field, and reduced rod and cone electroretinograms. The eye donor, at age 90, had good acuity and function in a central island. Grossly, the central region of the donor retina appeared thinned but otherwise normal, while the far periphery contained heavy bone spicule pigment. Microscopically the central retina showed photoreceptor outer segment shortening and some photoreceptor cell loss. The mid periphery had a sharp line of demarcation where more central photoreceptors were near normal except for very short outer segments and peripheral photoreceptors were absent. Rods and cones showed abrupt loss of outer segments and cell death at this interface. It is concluded that concentric retinitis pigmentosa is a rare but recognizable phenotype with slowly progressive photoreceptor death from the far periphery toward the central retina. The disease is retina-wide but shows regional variation in severity of degeneration; photoreceptor death is severe in the peripheral retina with an abrupt edge between viable and degenerate photoreceptors. Peripheral to central gradients of unknown retinal molecule(s) may be defective

  9. Relationship between target organ damage and blood pressure, retinal vessel calibre, oxidative stress and polymorphisms in VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes in patients with hypertension: a case-control study protocol (LOD-Hipertension).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Marcos, Manuel A; Gonzalez-Sarmiento, Rogelio; Recio-Rodríguez, José I; Agudo-Conde, Cristina; Gamella-Pozuelo, Luis; Perretta-Tejedor, Nuria; Martínez-Salgado, Carlos; García-Ortiz, Luis

    2014-04-03

    Target organ damage (TOD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The study objectives were to analyse the relationship of TOD to blood pressure, size of retinal arteries and veins, oxidative stress and different polymorphisms in the VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes in participants with hypertension. A case-control study to analyse the relationship between clinical, biochemical and genetic parameters and presence of cardiac, vascular and renal TOD in 486 patients with hypertension. Participants with TOD will be considered as cases, and those without TOD will be enrolled as controls. This will be a collaborative study conducted by the groups of Primary Care, Cardiovascular and Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases of the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica of Salamanca (IBSAL). Assessment of cardiac, renal and vascular TOD. Measurement of peripheral and central blood pressure, size of eye fundus arteries and veins, and oxidative stress, and polymorphisms in the VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes. The study will be conducted after approval is obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hospital Clínico Universitario of Salamanca. All study participants will sign an informed consent to agree to participate in the study, and another consent to agree on the genetic study, in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the WHO standards for observational studies. The results of this study will allow for an understanding of the relationship of the different TODs with blood pressure, retinal artery and vein diameters, oxidative stress and polymorphisms in VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes. Clinical Trials. gov Identifier: NCT02022618.

  10. Lattice degeneration of the retina and retinal detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semes, L P

    1992-01-01

    Lattice retinal degeneration is considered the most significant peripheral retinal disorder potentially predisposing to retinal breaks and retinal detachment. Lattice degeneration affects the vitreous and inner retinal layers with secondary changes as deep as the retinal pigment epithelium and perhaps the choriocapillaris. Variations in clinical appearance are the rule; geographically, lattice lesions favor the vertical meridians between the equator and the ora serrata. Lattice degeneration begins early in life and has been reported in sequential generations of the same family. Along with its customary bilateral occurrence, lattice shares other characteristics of a dystrophy. The association between the vitreous and retina in lattice lesions may be responsible for the majority of lattice-induced retinal detachments. The tumultuous event of posterior vitreous separation in the presence of abnormally strong vitreoretinal adherence is the trigger for a retinal tear that, in turn, may lead to retinal detachment. Although retinal holes in young patients with lattice degeneration may play a role in the evolution of retinal detachment, the clinical course of lattice degeneration seems to be one of dormancy rather than of progressive change. This discussion outlines the pathophysiology of lattice retinal degeneration and the relationship of pathophysiology to clinical presentation. The epidemiology of lattice degeneration is summarized, as are the possible precursors to retinal detachment. A clinical characterization of the natural history of lattice degeneration is offered, and interventions for complications are described. To conclude, management strategies from a primary-care standpoint are reviewed.

  11. [Deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandoval-Chagoya, Gloria Alejandra; Laniado-Laborín, Rafael

    2013-01-01

    Background: despite the proven effectiveness of preventive therapy for deep vein thrombosis, a significant proportion of patients at risk for thromboembolism do not receive prophylaxis during hospitalization. Our objective was to determine the adherence to thrombosis prophylaxis guidelines in a general hospital as a quality control strategy. Methods: a random audit of clinical charts was conducted at the Tijuana General Hospital, Baja California, Mexico, to determine the degree of adherence to deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis guidelines. The instrument used was the Caprini's checklist for thrombosis risk assessment in adult patients. Results: the sample included 300 patient charts; 182 (60.7 %) were surgical patients and 118 were medical patients. Forty six patients (15.3 %) received deep vein thrombosis pharmacologic prophylaxis; 27.1 % of medical patients received deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis versus 8.3 % of surgical patients (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: our results show that adherence to DVT prophylaxis at our hospital is extremely low. Only 15.3 % of our patients at risk received treatment, and even patients with very high risk received treatment in less than 25 % of the cases. We have implemented strategies to increase compliance with clinical guidelines.

  12. Bilateral acute retinal necrosis-A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasad Palimar

    1992-01-01

    Full Text Available A 42 year old man presented with acute bilateral uveitis and necrotizing retinitis. Systemic investigations including test for AIDS and CMV retinitis were negative. Despite oral Acyclovir, both eyes progressed rapidly to retinal detachment with loss of vision. Early recognition is necessary to diagnose the bilateral acute retinal necrosis syndrome and initiate treatment. Bilateral acute retinal necrosis (BARN is a term first coined by Young and Bird in 1978 although the syndrome had been originally described by Urayama et al as an unilateral condition. This syndrome is characterized by the triad of acute confluent peripheral necrotizing retinitis, moderate to severe vasculitis and vitritis in an otherwise healthy individual. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment occurs within two to three months of the onset of the disease and the second eye is involved in 36% of patients, usually within 6 weeks. We herein report a patient who presented with simultaneous BARN leading to retinal detachment in a matter of days. Also, to our knowledge this is the first report of this condition in India.

  13. INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING-DEPENDENT RETINAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES AFTER VITRECTOMY IN RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hisatomi, Toshio; Tachibana, Takashi; Notomi, Shoji; Koyanagi, Yoshito; Murakami, Yusuke; Takeda, Atsunobu; Ikeda, Yasuhiro; Yoshida, Shigeo; Enaida, Hiroshi; Murata, Toshinori; Sakamoto, Taiji; Sonoda, Koh-Hei; Ishibashi, Tatsuro

    2018-03-01

    To examine retinal changes after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, we used 3-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment cases. The 68 eyes from 67 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were studied, including 35 detached macula cases (51%) and 33 attached macula cases. Internal limiting membrane peeling was performed with fine forceps after brilliant blue G staining. The 3D-OCT images were obtained with volume-rendering technologies from cross-sectional OCT images. The 3D-OCT detected 45 eyes (66%) with ILM peeling-dependent retinal changes, including dissociated optic nerve fiber layer appearance, dimple sign, temporal macular thinning, ILM peeling area thinning, or forceps-related retinal thinning. The ILM peeled area was detectable in only 9 eyes with 3D-OCT, whereas it was undetectable in other 59 eyes. The dissociated optic nerve fiber layer appearance was detected in 8 of the total cases (12%), and dimple signs were observed in 14 cases (21%). Forceps-related thinning was also noted in eight cases (24%) of attached macula cases and in four cases (11%) of detached macula cases. No postoperative macular pucker was noted in the observational period. The 3D-OCT clearly revealed spatial and time-dependent retinal changes after ILM peeling. The changes occurred in 2 months and remained thereafter.

  14. Non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verbakel, S.K. (Sanne K.); R.A.C. van Huet (Ramon A. C.); C.J.F. Boon (Camiel); A.I. Hollander (Anneke); R.W.J. Collin (Rob); C.C.W. Klaver (Caroline); C. Hoyng (Carel); R. Roepman (Ronald); B.J. Klevering (Jeroen)

    2018-01-01

    textabstractRetinitis pigmentosa (RP) encompasses a group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by the primary degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors. RP is a leading cause of visual disability, with a worldwide prevalence of 1:4000. Although the majority of RP cases are non-syndromic,

  15. Retinal Image Preprocessing: Background and Noise Segmentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Usman Akram

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Retinal images are used for the automated screening and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. The retinal image quality must be improved for the detection of features and abnormalities and for this purpose preprocessing of retinal images is vital. In this paper, we present a novel automated approach for preprocessing of colored retinal images. The proposed technique improves the quality of input retinal image by separating the background and noisy area from the overall image. It contains coarse segmentation and fine segmentation. Standard retinal images databases Diaretdb0, Diaretdb1, DRIVE and STARE are used to test the validation of our preprocessing technique. The experimental results show the validity of proposed preprocessing technique.

  16. Anomalous adrenal vein anatomy complicating the evaluation of primary hyperaldosteronism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaitlin M. Ford, BS

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adrenal vein development in utero occurs concurrently with the development of the inferior vena cava, the renal veins, and the gonadal veins. The embryologic formation of these veins involves communication of various venous systems. Although the left adrenal-renal vein complex is most commonly described as a shared emptying of the left adrenal vein and the left inferior phrenic vein into the left renal vein, there have been reports of numerous anatomic variations of this complex. In this report, we present a case of a rare variant of the left adrenal vein, in which the left adrenal vein empties into the left gonadal vein, which takes an atypical course superolateral to the left kidney.

  17. [Preventive treatment of retinal detachment in aphakic eyes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regnault, F; Bregeat, P

    1977-01-01

    We have examined 243 cases with retinal detachment occurring within 6 months following cataract surgery. In 92 of them retinal tear was due to lattice degeneration, in 66 to snail track degeneration and in 17 to equatorial degeneration. 290 other patients had preventive treatments. In this group, there were only 10 cases of retinal detachment. 9 out of 22 patients who had no preventive treatment suffered retinal detachments. There are two reasons for the occurrence of this retinal detachment in the 6 months following cataract surgery in eyes where retinal degenerations are found: (1) surgical trauma even with cryoextraction is responsible for traction of the vitreous base, (2) rapid disappearance of the hyaluronic acid in the aphakic vitreous is responsible for the degradation of the vitreous with formation of large zones of liquid vitreous. When adhesion between the vitreous and the retinal degeneration area remains, the traction is responsible for retinal tear or retinal detachment. The importance of the preventive treatment of retinal lesions prior to cataract surgery should be stressed.

  18. On dynamics of uranium vein mineralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrosyan, R.V.

    1981-01-01

    The formation of urnaium vein deposits and the essence of consanguinity of the mineralization and wall metasomatites are considered. The formation of uranium mineralization is analysed from the positions of Korzhinsky D. S. : the formation of metasomatite aureole and associated vein ores take place as a result of the development of one solution flow while the formation of mineral vein associations occurs on the background of contineous filtration of the solution during metasomato is due to a repeated (pulse) half-opening of fractures and their filling with a part of filtrating solution. The analysis of the available information on the example of two different uranium manifestations permits to reveal certain relations both in the character of wall rock alterations and between the metasomatosis and the formation of ore minerals in veins. The conclusion is made that spatial-time correlations of vein formations with wall metasomatites attest that the pulse formation of ores in veinlets occurs on the background and in interrelation with a consecutive precipitation of components in the aureole volume. The analysis of element migration dynamics in wall aureole carried out from the positions of the Korzhinsky hypothesis of the advance wave of acid components that takes into account the interaction of continuous and pulse mechanisms of solution movement permits to avoid contradictions when interpreting the processes of wall rock alterations and vein ore-forming, and permits to make a common scheme of vein ore-genesis [ru

  19. A Morphological Insight of the Femoral Vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferreira AH

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A total of 13 cadavers (12 men and 1 women of different age group were used for the study with the purpose to determine the prevalence of femoral vein duplication. Lower limb regions (26 sides were carefully dissected as per the standard dissection procedure. Femoral vein (unitruncular was found in 96.15% of specimen. Bitruncular configurations (total bifidity was found in a male cadaver of 75 years of age (3.85%. In the right lower limb, 6.5 cms below the inguinal ligament the femoral vein - lateral ramus received the lateral circumflex femoral vein, and the medial circumflex femoral vein, and the lateral and medial ramii formed a common venous trunk. Knowledge of the truncular venous variations is important to recognize and avoid potential errors in diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the femoral vein, in the case of an occluded duplicated trunk.

  20. Analysis of retinal function using chromatic pupillography in retinitis pigmentosa and the relationship to electrically evoked phosphene thresholds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelbsch, Carina; Maeda, Fumiatsu; Lisowska, Jolanta; Lisowski, Lukasz; Strasser, Torsten; Stingl, Krunoslav; Wilhelm, Barbara; Wilhelm, Helmut; Peters, Tobias

    2017-06-01

    To analyse pupil responses to specific chromatic stimuli in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa (RP) to ascertain whether chromatic pupillography can be used as an objective marker for residual retinal function. To examine correlations between parameters of the pupil response and the perception threshold of electrically evoked phosphenes. Chromatic pupillography was performed in 40 patients with advanced RP (visual acuity Chromatic pupillography demonstrated a significant decrease in outer retinal photoreceptor responses but a persisting and disinhibited intrinsic photosensitive retinal ganglion cell function in advanced RP. These phenomena may be useful as an objective marker for the efficacy of any interventional treatment for hereditary retinal diseases as well as for the selection of suitable patients for an electronic retinal implant. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Retinal detachment in black South Africans

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    low incidence of retinal detachment in black patients is not known. ... a retinal break. Predisposing factors include peripheral retinal degenerations, myopia, aphakia and trauma. Delay in presentation increases the difficulty in achieving adequate surgical ... On examination, note was taken of the visual acuity in both eyes, the ...

  2. Suspected bacterial endophthalmitis following sustained-release dexamethasone intravitreal implant: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arıkan Yorgun, Mücella; Mutlu, Melek; Toklu, Yasin; Cakmak, Hasan Basri; Cağıl, Nurullah

    2014-06-01

    A 58-year-old man admitted to our opthalmology department with the complaint of branch retinal vein occlusion. He was treated with intravitreal Ozurdex in the right eye. Two days after the injection, the patient presented with ocular pain and the visual acuity was hand movement. A diagnosis of endophthalmitis was made. We performed emergent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and the implant was removed from the vitreous cavity using a retinal forceps. A combination of vancomycin 1.0 mg and amikacin 0.4 mg was injected intravitreally. However, because of the blurring in the vitreus one week after the procedure, phacoemulsification and a repeat PPV was performed. Five days after the last procedure the signs and symptoms of endophthalmitis were resolved. Our case demonstrated that endophthalmitis could develop after intravitreal implantation of Ozurdex. Surgical removal of the implant and immediate vitrectomy seems to be a useful treatment option in these cases.

  3. Right hepatic vein injury after blunt abdominal trauma in a 12-year-old boy- case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roik, D.; Konecka, A.; Brzewski, M.; Marcinski, A.; Kaminski, A.; Piotrowska, A.; Jasinska, A.

    2008-01-01

    Blunt abdominal trauma in children is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization. We present a rare case of traumatic liver injury. A 12-year-old boy was admitted to the Surgery Department after a bicycle fall and handlebar impact injury to the right infracostal area. At admission he was stable, with no abnormalities except for a subcutaneous hepatoma found in the injured area. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed free intraperitoneal fluid. Computed tomography (CT) revealed irregular branching laceration of the right superior hepatic segments with extension into the hepatic veins. No active extravasation of contrast material was seen. On the next day, cause of the deterioration of the patient's condition, CT examination was repeated and revealed focal extravasation of contrast material in the portal hilum posterior to the gallbladder. An injury of the right hepatic vein was found on laparotomy. Hepatic vein injury is a rare but very serious complication after blunt liver trauma and it is an indication for surgical treatment. Diagnostic imaging is essential for therapeutic decisions, but its value is sometimes limited.The precise analysis of injury mechanism and localization may be very helpful.CT is currently the modality of choice for the evaluation of blunt liver trauma. If an active bleeding is suspected the delayed scans seem to be recommended. (author)

  4. Cavernous transformation of the portal vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lehotska, V.; Dostalova, K.; Durkovsky, A.; Samal, V.

    1995-01-01

    In this contribution, the authors give an account of a rare case of a cavernous transformation of the portal vein that may have originated secondarily in a proliferative hematogenous disease with a polyglobulia and thrombosis in the periferal blood count as well as development of portal hypertension of a prehepatal type. The state of hyper-coagulation in a myeloproliferative disease may have lead to a chronic thrombosis of the portal vein with a subsequent malformation of the portal vein in terms of a cavernous transformation of the portal vein. The case is an interesting one because of the discrepancy between the gravity of the thrombotic complication and slightness of the symptoms in the clinical picture. The authors point out the importance of ultrasonography and computed tomography examination following the intravenous application of a water solution of a contrast medium in a morphologic diagnosing of a rare complication of a chronic thrombotic clot of the portal vein - the cavernous transformation. (authors)

  5. Varicose Vein Treatment (Endovenous Ablation of Varicose Veins)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... associated veins. top of page What are the benefits vs. risks? Benefits No surgical incision is needed—only a small ... risk of infection. The chance of infection requiring antibiotic treatment appears to be less than one in ...

  6. Preduodenal portal vein: its surgical significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makey, D A; Bowen, J C

    1978-11-01

    Preduodenal portal vein is a rare anatomical variant which may be one of many anomalies in the neonate with duodenal "atresia." Preduodenal portal vein also may be an occasional finding in an adult undergoing biliary, gastric, or pancreatic surgery. Awareness and recognition of the anomaly are essential for the avoidance of injury during such operations. We report here a symptomless patient whose preduodenal portal vein was discovered at cholecystectomy.

  7. Multimodal ultrasonographic assessment of leiomyosarcoma of the femoral vein in a patient misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Mei; Yan, Feng; Huang, Bin; Wu, Zhoupeng; Wen, Xiaorong

    2017-11-01

    Primary leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the vein is a rare tumor that arises from the smooth muscle cells of the vessel wall and has an extremely poor prognosis. This tumor can occur in vessels such as the inferior vena cava, great saphenous vein, femoral vein, iliac vein, popliteal vein, and renal vein; the inferior vena cava is the most common site. LMS of the femoral vein can result in edema and pain in the lower extremity; therefore, it is not easy to be differentiated from deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Moreover, virtually no studies have described the ultrasonographic features of LMS of the vein in detail. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman with LMS of the left femoral vein that was misdiagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on initial ultrasonographic examination. The patient began to experience edema and pain in her left leg seven months previously. She was diagnosed as having DVT on initial ultrasonographic examination, but the DVT treatment that she had received for 7 months failed to improve the status of her left lower limb. She subsequently underwent re-examination by means of a multimodal ultrasonographic imaging approach (regular B-mode imaging, color Doppler imaging, pulsed-wave Doppler imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography), which confirmed a diagnosis of LMS. This patient was treated successfully with surgery. This case demonstrates that use of multiple ultrasonographic imaging techniques can be helpful to diagnose LMS accurately. Detection of vasculature in a dilated vein filled with a heterogeneous hypoechoic substance on ultrasonography is a sign of a tumor. The pitfall of misdiagnosing this tumor as DVT is a useful reminder.

  8. Duplication of the Portal Vein: A Case Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sang Won; Shin, Hyeong Cheol; Jou, Sung Shick; Han, Jong Kyu; Kim, Il Young [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-12-15

    The duplication of the portal vein is an uncommon congenital anomaly. To date, only four cases have been reported in the medical literature. This anomaly can cause portal hypertension in pediatric patients. In addition, duplication of the portal vein has various patterns of connection with a splenic vein or mesenteric veins, and it can lie anterior or posterior to the duodenum. We report the MDCT findings of an adult patient with duplication of the portal vein that was found incidentally

  9. Management of Post-Traumatic Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens via Right-to-Left Femoral Vein to Femoral Vein Bypass (Palma Procedure).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dua, Anahita; Heller, Jennifer; Lee, Cheong

    2017-11-01

    Phlegmasia cerulea dolens (PCD) is a rare condition resulting from venous occlusion that impairs arterial flow. We report a rare case of post-traumatic PCD after ligation of the iliac vein with successful treatment by right-to-left femoral vein to femoral vein bypass using left great saphenous vein (Palma procedure). The clinical presentation, diagnostic process, and approach to management along with a literature review on the operative management of PCD are presented in this case report.

  10. Absent right superior caval vein in situs solitus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lytzen, Rebekka; Sundberg, Karin; Vejlstrup, Niels

    2015-01-01

    Introduction In up to 0.07% of the general population, the right anterior cardinal vein obliterates and the left remains open, creating an absent right superior caval vein and a persistent left superior caval vein. Absent right superior caval vein is associated with additional congenital heart...... disease in about half the patients. We wished to study the consequences of absent right superior caval vein as an incidental finding on prenatal ultrasonic malformation screening. Material and methods This is a retrospective case series study of all foetuses diagnosed with absent right superior caval vein...... no postnatal complications. All children were found to have healthy hearts at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In all cases, the findings proved to be a benign condition with no clinical manifestations or complications. Although isolated absent right superior caval vein does not seem to affect the outcome, associated...

  11. Finger vein extraction using gradient normalization and principal curvature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Joon Hwan; Song, Wonseok; Kim, Taejeong; Lee, Seung-Rae; Kim, Hee Chan

    2009-02-01

    Finger vein authentication is a personal identification technology using finger vein images acquired by infrared imaging. It is one of the newest technologies in biometrics. Its main advantage over other biometrics is the low risk of forgery or theft, due to the fact that finger veins are not normally visible to others. Extracting finger vein patterns from infrared images is the most difficult part in finger vein authentication. Uneven illumination, varying tissues and bones, and changes in the physical conditions and the blood flow make the thickness and brightness of the same vein different in each acquisition. Accordingly, extracting finger veins at their accurate positions regardless of their thickness and brightness is necessary for accurate personal identification. For this purpose, we propose a new finger vein extraction method which is composed of gradient normalization, principal curvature calculation, and binarization. As local brightness variation has little effect on the curvature and as gradient normalization makes the curvature fairly uniform at vein pixels, our method effectively extracts finger vein patterns regardless of the vein thickness or brightness. In our experiment, the proposed method showed notable improvement as compared with the existing methods.

  12. Prevalence of generalized retinal dystrophy in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bertelsen, Mette; Jensen, Hanne; Bregnhøj, Jesper F

    2014-01-01

    of this study was to examine the prevalence and diagnostic spectrum of generalized retinal dystrophy in the Danish population. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study with data from the Danish Retinitis Pigmentosa Registry that comprises all patients in Denmark with generalized retinal......PURPOSE: Generalized retinal dystrophy is a frequent cause of visual impairment and blindness in younger individuals and a subject of new clinical intervention trials. Nonetheless, there are few nation-wide population-based epidemiological data of generalized retinal dystrophy. The purpose...... and chorioretinal dystrophies from the 19th century to the present. Among 3076 registered cases, the primary diagnosis of generalized retinal dystrophy was assessed by chart review, including fundus photographs and electroretinograms. Demographic data on the Danish population were retrieved from Statistics Denmark...

  13. Branching structure and strain hardening of branched metallocene polyethylenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, Enrique; Li, Si-Wan; Costeux, Stéphane; Dealy, John M.

    2015-01-01

    There have been a number of studies of a series of branched metallocene polyethylenes (BMPs) made in a solution, continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) polymerization. The materials studied vary in branching level in a systematic way, and the most highly branched members of the series exhibit mild strain hardening. An outstanding question is which types of branched molecules are responsible for strain hardening in extension. This question is explored here by use of polymerization and rheological models along with new data on the extensional flow behavior of the most highly branched members of the set. After reviewing all that is known about the effects of various branching structures in homogeneous polymers and comparing this with the structures predicted to be present in BMPs, it is concluded that in spite of their very low concentration, treelike molecules with branch-on-branch structure provide a large number of deeply buried inner segments that are essential for strain hardening in these polymers

  14. Branching structure and strain hardening of branched metallocene polyethylenes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torres, Enrique; Li, Si-Wan; Costeux, Stéphane; Dealy, John M., E-mail: john.dealy@mcgill.ca [Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C4 (Canada)

    2015-09-15

    There have been a number of studies of a series of branched metallocene polyethylenes (BMPs) made in a solution, continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) polymerization. The materials studied vary in branching level in a systematic way, and the most highly branched members of the series exhibit mild strain hardening. An outstanding question is which types of branched molecules are responsible for strain hardening in extension. This question is explored here by use of polymerization and rheological models along with new data on the extensional flow behavior of the most highly branched members of the set. After reviewing all that is known about the effects of various branching structures in homogeneous polymers and comparing this with the structures predicted to be present in BMPs, it is concluded that in spite of their very low concentration, treelike molecules with branch-on-branch structure provide a large number of deeply buried inner segments that are essential for strain hardening in these polymers.

  15. Adventitial cystic disease of the common femoral vein presenting as deep vein thrombosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Kyun Kim

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Adventitial cystic disease of the common femoral vein is a rare condition. We herein report the case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with painless swelling in her left lower leg that resembled deep vein thrombosis. She underwent femoral exploration and excision of the cystic wall. The presentation, investigation, treatment, and pathology of this condition are discussed with a literature review.

  16. Novel method for edge detection of retinal vessels based on the model of the retinal vascular network and mathematical morphology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lei; Zheng, Xiaoxiang; Zhang, Hengyi; Yu, Yajun

    1998-09-01

    Accurate edge detection of retinal vessels is a prerequisite for quantitative analysis of subtle morphological changes of retinal vessels under different pathological conditions. A novel method for edge detection of retinal vessels is presented in this paper. Methods: (1) Wavelet-based image preprocessing. (2) The signed edge detection algorithm and mathematical morphological operation are applied to get the approximate regions that contain retinal vessels. (3) By convolving the preprocessed image with a LoG operator only on the detected approximate regions of retinal vessels, followed by edges refining, clear edge maps of the retinal vessels are fast obtained. Results: A detailed performance evaluation together with the existing techniques is given to demonstrate the strong features of our method. Conclusions: True edge locations of retinal vessels can be fast detected with continuous structures of retinal vessels, less non- vessel segments left and insensitivity to noise. The method is also suitable for other application fields such as road edge detection.

  17. Clinically undetected retinal breaks causing retinal detachment: A review of options for management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Deepak; Ching, Jared; Tornambe, Paul E

    2017-08-12

    The successful detection of retinal breaks is a critical step in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery in order to prevent persistent/recurrent retinal detachments. Not all retinal breaks causing retinal detachments are obvious. Retinal breaks may be obscured by opacities that are either anterior segment related, lens related, or posterior segment related. Rules to identify breaks based on subretinal fluid configuration are more difficult to apply in pseudophakic, aphakic, and scleral buckle encircled eyes-and in eyes with repeat detachments and those with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Exudative detachments exhibit characteristic features and must be ruled out. A thorough clinical examination preoperatively is important even if a vitrectomy is planned. We review the incidence and causes of undetected breaks, along with preoperative/clinical issues that may hinder break detection. We review the literature with respect to investigative approaches and techniques that are available to the vitreoretinal surgeon when primary breaks remain clinically undetected during the preoperative examination. We broadly divide the surgical approaches into ones where the surgeon utilizes techniques to pursue actively a search for breaks versus adopting a purely speculative approach. Advantages and disadvantages of various techniques are appraised. Intuitively one might argue that an encircling scleral buckle combined with vitrectomy would give higher single operation success than pars plana vitrectomy alone because "undetected" retinal breaks would be addressed by a 360° plombage. We could not confirm this concept. Newer techniques, such as pars plana vitrectomy augmented with dye extrusion or endoscopic-assisted pars plana vitrectomy, show encouraging results. Technological advances such as intraoperative optical coherence tomography will also help to broaden the vitreoretinal surgeon's armamentarium. At this time, there is no gold standard in terms of the recommended

  18. Augmented reality based real-time subcutaneous vein imaging system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ai, Danni; Yang, Jian; Fan, Jingfan; Zhao, Yitian; Song, Xianzheng; Shen, Jianbing; Shao, Ling; Wang, Yongtian

    2016-07-01

    A novel 3D reconstruction and fast imaging system for subcutaneous veins by augmented reality is presented. The study was performed to reduce the failure rate and time required in intravenous injection by providing augmented vein structures that back-project superimposed veins on the skin surface of the hand. Images of the subcutaneous vein are captured by two industrial cameras with extra reflective near-infrared lights. The veins are then segmented by a multiple-feature clustering method. Vein structures captured by the two cameras are matched and reconstructed based on the epipolar constraint and homographic property. The skin surface is reconstructed by active structured light with spatial encoding values and fusion displayed with the reconstructed vein. The vein and skin surface are both reconstructed in the 3D space. Results show that the structures can be precisely back-projected to the back of the hand for further augmented display and visualization. The overall system performance is evaluated in terms of vein segmentation, accuracy of vein matching, feature points distance error, duration times, accuracy of skin reconstruction, and augmented display. All experiments are validated with sets of real vein data. The imaging and augmented system produces good imaging and augmented reality results with high speed.

  19. Retinal findings in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad M. Mansour

    2017-09-01

    Conclusions and importance: Drusen remain the ocular stigmata for MPGN occuring at an early age. The retinal disease is progressive with gradual thickening of Bruch's membrane and occurrence of retinal pigment epithelium detachment.

  20. Retinal detachment in paediatric patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zafar, S. N.; Qureshi, N.; Azad, N.; Khan, A.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To assess the causes of retinal detachment in children and the various operative procedures requiring vitreoretinal surgical intervention for the same. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, from January 2006 to May 2009. Methodology: A total of 281 eyes of 258 patients, (aged 0 - 18 years) who underwent vitreo-retinal surgical intervention for retinal detachment were included. Surgical log was searched for the type of retinal detachment and its causes. Frequencies of various interventions done in these patients viz. vitrectomy, scleral buckle, use of tamponading agents, laser photocoagulation and cryotherapy were noted. Results were described as descriptive statistics. Results: Myopia was the cause in 62 (22.1%) and trauma in 51 (18.1%) of the eyes. Total retinal detachment (RD) was treated in 94 (33.5%) eyes, sub total RD in 36 (12.8%), recurrent RD in 32 (11.4%), giant retinal tear in 28 (10%), tractional RD in 15 (5.3%) and exudative RD in 2 (0.7%). Prophylactic laser or cryotherapy was applied in 74 (26.3%) of the eyes. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was carried out in 159 (56.6%) eyes while scleral buckle procedure was done in 129 (45.9%) eyes. Silicon oil was used in 149 (53%), perfluorocarbon liquid in 32 (11.4%) and gas tamponade in 20 (7.1%) eyes. Conclusion: The most common cause of retinal detachment in paediatric patients was myopia, followed by trauma. Total RD was more common as compared to the other types. The most common procedure adopted was pars plana vitrectomy followed by scleral buckle procedure. (author)

  1. Retinal Prosthesis System for Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Health Technology Assessment Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Christine; Tu, Hong Anh; Wells, David; Holubowich, Corinne

    2017-01-01

    Background Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited disorders characterized by the degeneration of the photoreceptors in the retina, resulting in progressive vision loss. The Argus II system is designed to restore partial functional vision in patients with profound vision loss from advanced retinitis pigmentosa. At present, it is the only treatment option approved by Health Canada for this patient population. In June 2016, Health Quality Ontario published a health technology assessment of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system for patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa. Based on that assessment, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee recommended against publicly funding the Argus II system for this population. It also recommended that Health Quality Ontario re-evaluate the evidence in 1 year. The objective of this report was to examine new evidence published since the 2016 health technology assessment. Methods We completed a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of clinical benefits and harms, value for money, and patient preferences related to the Argus II system. We performed a systematic literature search for studies published since the 2016 Argus II health technology assessment. We developed a Markov decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Argus II system compared with standard care, and we calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios over a 20-year time horizon. We also conducted a five-year budget impact analysis. Finally, we interviewed people with retinitis pigmentosa about their lived experience with vision loss, and with the Argus II system. Results Four publications from one multicentre international study were included in the clinical review. Patients showed significant improvements in visual function and functional outcomes with the Argus II system, and these outcomes were sustained up to a 5-year follow-up (moderate quality of evidence). The safety profile was generally acceptable. In

  2. Personal authentication through dorsal hand vein patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Chih-Bin; Hao, Shu-Sheng; Lee, Jen-Chun

    2011-08-01

    Biometric identification is an emerging technology that can solve security problems in our networked society. A reliable and robust personal verification approach using dorsal hand vein patterns is proposed in this paper. The characteristic of the approach needs less computational and memory requirements and has a higher recognition accuracy. In our work, the near-infrared charge-coupled device (CCD) camera is adopted as an input device for capturing dorsal hand vein images, it has the advantages of the low-cost and noncontact imaging. In the proposed approach, two finger-peaks are automatically selected as the datum points to define the region of interest (ROI) in the dorsal hand vein images. The modified two-directional two-dimensional principal component analysis, which performs an alternate two-dimensional PCA (2DPCA) in the column direction of images in the 2DPCA subspace, is proposed to exploit the correlation of vein features inside the ROI between images. The major advantage of the proposed method is that it requires fewer coefficients for efficient dorsal hand vein image representation and recognition. The experimental results on our large dorsal hand vein database show that the presented schema achieves promising performance (false reject rate: 0.97% and false acceptance rate: 0.05%) and is feasible for dorsal hand vein recognition.

  3. Thrombosis of right ovarian vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forner, J.; Talens, A.; Flores, M.; Mendez, M.

    2001-01-01

    Ovarian vein thrombosis is a rare postpartum complication (0.1%). It can be fatal, since it can lead to sepsis, pulmonary thromboembolisms and inferior vena cava or renal vein thrombosis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are the techniques of choice for its diagnosis, while the value of ultrasound is limited due to its low sensitivity and specificity. We report the case of a woman who, during puerperium, developed thrombosis of right ovarian vein that presented clinical, ultrasonographic and computed tomographic features of appendicitis. We describe the radiological sings and stress the fact that this diagnosis should be suspected in puerperal women. (Author) 9 refs

  4. Gross anatomical study on the human myocardial bridges with special reference to the spatial relationship among coronary arteries, cardiac veins, and autonomic nerves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Yuko; Arakawa, Takamitsu; Kageyama, Ikuo; Aizawa, Yukio; Kumaki, Katsuji; Miki, Akinori; Terashima, Toshio

    2016-04-01

    Coronary arteries are frequently covered by cardiac muscles. This arrangement is termed a myocardial bridge. Previous studies have shown that myocardial bridges can cause myocardial ischemic diseases or cardiac arrhythmia, but the relevant pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. We examined 60 hearts from Japanese cadavers macroscopically to clarify the spatial relationships among coronary arteries, cardiac veins and autonomic nerves. We found 86 myocardial bridges in 47 hearts from the 60 cadavers examined (78.3%). Next, we dissected out nine hearts with myocardial bridges in detail under the operating microscope. We found no additional branches of coronary arteries on the myocardial bridge surfaces. However, the cardiac veins, which usually accompany the coronary arteries, ran independently on the myocardial bridge surfaces in the same region. Cardiac autonomic nerves comprised two rami: one was associated with the coronary artery under the myocardial bridge and the other ran on the surface of the bridge. Such spatial relationships among the coronary arteries, cardiac veins and cardiac autonomic nerves at the myocardial bridges are quite similar to those in mouse embryo hearts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Stem Cell-Based Therapeutic Applications in Retinal Degenerative Diseases.

    OpenAIRE

    Huang Yiming; Enzmann Volker; Ildstad Suzanne T

    2011-01-01

    Retinal degenerative diseases that target photoreceptors or the adjacent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) affect millions of people worldwide. Retinal degeneration (RD) is found in many different forms of retinal diseases including retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Effective treatment for retinal degeneration has been widely investigated. Gene-replacement therapy has been shown to improve visual function in inheri...

  6. Retinal Cell Degeneration in Animal Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masayuki Niwa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this review is to provide an overview of various retinal cell degeneration models in animal induced by chemicals (N-methyl-d-aspartate- and CoCl2-induced, autoimmune (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, mechanical stress (optic nerve crush-induced, light-induced and ischemia (transient retinal ischemia-induced. The target regions, pathology and proposed mechanism of each model are described in a comparative fashion. Animal models of retinal cell degeneration provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of the disease, and will facilitate the development of novel effective therapeutic drugs to treat retinal cell damage.

  7. Prophylactic treatment of retinal breaks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blindbæk, Søren Leer; Grauslund, Jakob

    2015-01-01

    Prophylactic treatment of retinal breaks has been examined in several studies and reviews, but so far, no studies have successfully applied a systematic approach. In the present systematic review, we examined the need of follow-up after posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) - diagnosed by slit...... published before 2012. Four levels of screening identified 13 studies suitable for inclusion in this systematic review. No meta-analysis was conducted as no data suitable for statistical analysis were identified. In total, the initial examination after symptomatic PVD identified 85-95% of subsequent retinal......-47% of cases, respectively. The cumulated incidence of RRD despite prophylactic treatment was 2.1-8.8%. The findings in this review suggest that follow-up after symptomatic PVD is only necessary in cases of incomplete retinal examination at presentation. Prophylactic treatment of symptomatic retinal breaks...

  8. Assessment and management of patients with varicose veins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Louise

    Varicose veins are enlarged superficial veins found in the legs. This article explores the anatomy and physiology of the venous system to assist nurses to assess, manage and treat patients with varicose veins.

  9. Deep vein thrombosis: a clinical review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kesieme EB

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Emeka Kesieme1, Chinenye Kesieme2, Nze Jebbin3, Eshiobo Irekpita1, Andrew Dongo11Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria; 2Department of Paediatrics, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria; 3Department of Surgery, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt, NigeriaBackground: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT is the formation of blood clots (thrombi in the deep veins. It commonly affects the deep leg veins (such as the calf veins, femoral vein, or popliteal vein or the deep veins of the pelvis. It is a potentially dangerous condition that can lead to preventable morbidity and mortality.Aim: To present an update on the causes and management of DVT.Methods: A review of publications obtained from Medline search, medical libraries, and Google.Results: DVT affects 0.1% of persons per year. It is predominantly a disease of the elderly and has a slight male preponderance. The approach to making a diagnosis currently involves an algorithm combining pretest probability, D-dimer testing, and compression ultrasonography. This will guide further investigations if necessary. Prophylaxis is both mechanical and pharmacological. The goals of treatment are to prevent extension of thrombi, pulmonary embolism, recurrence of thrombi, and the development of complications such as pulmonary hypertension and post-thrombotic syndrome.Conclusion: DVT is a potentially dangerous condition with a myriad of risk factors. Prophylaxis is very important and can be mechanical and pharmacological. The mainstay of treatment is anticoagulant therapy. Low-molecular-weight heparin, unfractionated heparin, and vitamin K antagonists have been the treatment of choice. Currently anticoagulants specifically targeting components of the common pathway have been recommended for prophylaxis. These include fondaparinux, a selective indirect factor Xa inhibitor and the new oral selective direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran and selective

  10. Dual Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration of Gastric Varix Draining into the Left Adrenal Vein and Left Inferior Phrenic Vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishida, Norifumi; Ninoi, Teruhisa; Kitayama, Toshiaki; Yamamoto, Akira; Sakai, Yukimasa; Sato, Kimihiko; Hamuro, Masao; Nakamura, Kenji; Inoue, Yuichi; Yamada, Ryusaku

    2004-01-01

    A 66-year-old woman with a gastric varix, draining into a dilated left adrenal vein and a left inferior phrenic vein, was treated with dual balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO). Under balloon occlusion of the left adrenal vein and the left inferior phrenic vein, retrograde injection of a sclerosant (5% ethanolamine oleate) into the gastric varix was performed. Two weeks later, disappearance of flow in the gastric varix was confirmed on endoscopic ultrasound examination

  11. Transplantation of rat embryonic stem cell-derived retinal progenitor cells preserves the retinal structure and function in rat retinal degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Zepeng; Guan, Yuan; Cui, Lu; Song, Jian; Gu, Junjie; Zhao, Hanzhi; Xu, Lei; Lu, Lixia; Jin, Ying; Xu, Guo-Tong

    2015-11-09

    Degenerative retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading cause of blindness. Cell transplantation showed promising therapeutic effect for such diseases, and embryonic stem cell (ESC) is one of the sources of such donor cells. Here, we aimed to generate retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) from rat ESCs (rESCs) and to test their therapeutic effects in rat model. The rESCs (DA8-16) were cultured in N2B27 medium with 2i, and differentiated to two types of RPCs following the SFEBq method with modifications. For rESC-RPC1, the cells were switched to adherent culture at D10, while for rESC-RPC2, the suspension culture was maintained to D14. Both RPCs were harvested at D16. Primary RPCs were obtained from P1 SD rats, and some of them were labeled with EGFP by infection with lentivirus. To generate Rax::EGFP knock-in rESC lines, TALENs were engineered to facilitate homologous recombination in rESCs, which were cotransfected with the targeting vector and TALEN vectors. The differentiated cells were analyzed with live image, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometric analysis, gene expression microarray, etc. RCS rats were used to mimic the degeneration of retina and test the therapeutic effects of subretinally transplanted donor cells. The structure and function of retina were examined. We established two protocols through which two types of rESC-derived RPCs were obtained and both contained committed retina lineage cells and some neural progenitor cells (NPCs). These rESC-derived RPCs survived in the host retinas of RCS rats and protected the retinal structure and function in early stage following the transplantation. However, the glia enriched rESC-RPC1 obtained through early and longer adherent culture only increased the b-wave amplitude at 4 weeks, while the longer suspension culture gave rise to evidently neuronal differentiation in rESC-RPC2 which significantly improved the visual function of RCS rats. We have successfully differentiated

  12. Retinal Structure Measurements as Inclusion Criteria for Stem Cell-Based Therapies of Retinal Degenerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Samuel G; Matsui, Rodrigo; Sumaroka, Alexander; Cideciyan, Artur V

    2016-04-01

    We reviewed and illustrated the most optimal retinal structural measurements to make in stem cell clinical trials. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and autofluorescence (AF) imaging were used to evaluate patients with severe visual loss from nonsyndromic and syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP), ABCA4-Stargardt disease, and nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Outer nuclear layer (ONL), rod outer segment (ROS) layer, inner retina, ganglion cell layer (GCL), and nerve fiber layer (NFL) thicknesses were quantified. All patients had severely reduced visual acuities. Retinitis pigmentosa patients had limited visual fields; maculopathy patients had central scotomas with retained peripheral function. For the forms of RP illustrated, there was detectable albeit severely reduced ONL across the scanned retina, and normal or hyperthick GCL and NFL. Maculopathy patients had no measurable ONL centrally; it became detectable with eccentricity. Some maculopathy patients showed unexpected GCL losses. Autofluorescence imaging illustrated central losses of RPE integrity. A hypothetical scheme to relate patient data with different phases of retinal remodeling in animal models of retinal degeneration was presented. Stem cell science is advancing, but it is not too early to open the discussion of criteria for patient selection and monitoring. Available clinical tools, such as OCT and AF imaging, can provide inclusion/exclusion criteria and robust objective outcomes. Accepting that early trials may not lead to miraculous cures, we should be prepared to know why-scientifically and clinically-so we can improve subsequent trials. We also must determine if retinal remodeling is an impediment to efficacy.

  13. Safety of iPhone retinal photography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Sheng Chiong; Wynn-Williams, Giles; Wilson, Graham

    2017-04-01

    With the advancement in mobile technology, smartphone retinal photography is becoming a popular practice. However, there is limited information about the safety of the latest smartphones used for retinal photography. This study aims to determine the photobiological risk of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus when used in conjunction with a 20Diopter condensing lens for retinal photography. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus (Apple, Cupertino, CA) were used in this study. The geometrical setup of the study was similar to the indirect ophthalmoscopy technique. The phone was set up at one end of the bench with its flash turned on at maximal brightness; a 20 Dioptre lens was placed 15 cm away from the phone. The light that passes through the lens was measured with a spectroradiometer and an illuminance probe at the other end to determine the spectral profile, spatial irradiance, radiant power emitted by the phone's flash. Trigonometric and lens formula were applied to determine the field of view and retinal surface in order to determine the weighted retinal irradiance and weighted retinal radiant exposure. Taking ocular transmission and the distribution of the beam's spatial irradiance into account, the weighted retinal irradiance is 1.40 mW/cm 2 and the weighted retinal radiant exposure is 56.25 mJ/cm 2 . The peak weighted foveal irradiance is 1.61 mW/cm 2 . Our study concluded that the photobiological risk posed by iPhone 6 indirect ophthalmoscopy was at least 1 order of magnitude below the safety limits set by the ISO15004-2.2.

  14. Recurrence of superficial vein thrombosis in patients with varicose veins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karathanos, Christos; Spanos, Konstantinos; Saleptsis, Vassileios; Tsezou, Aspasia; Kyriakou, Despina; Giannoukas, Athanasios D

    2016-08-01

    To investigate which factors other than history of superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) are associated with recurrent spontaneous SVT episodes in patients with varicose veins (VVs). Patients with a history of spontaneous SVT and VVs were followed up for a mean period of 55 months. Demographics, comorbidities, and thrombophilia screening test were analyzed. Patients were grouped according to the clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathophysiology classification. A multiple logistic regression analysis with the forward likelihood ratio method was undertaken. Thirteen patients out of 97 had a recurrence SVT episode during the follow-up period. All those patients were identified to have a thrombophilia defect. Protein C and S, antithrombin, and plasminogen deficiencies were more frequently present in patients without recurrence. Gene mutations were present in 38% in the nonrecurrence group and 77% in the recurrence group. After logistic regression analysis, patients with dislipidemia and mutation in prothrombin G20210A (FII) had an increased risk for recurrence by 5.4-fold and 4.6-fold, respectively. No deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism occurred. Dislipidemia and gene mutations of F II are associated with SVT recurrence in patients with VVs. A selection of patients may benefit from anticoagulation in the short term and from VVs intervention in the long term. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. Endovenous mechanochemical ablation of great saphenous vein incompetence using the ClariVein device: a safety study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eekeren, R. van; Boersma, D.; Elias, S.; Holewijn, S.; Werson, D.A.; Vries, J.P. de; Reijnen, M.M.P.J.

    2011-01-01

    PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of endovenous mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) for the treatment of great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence. METHODS: The newly developed ClariVein device uses a technique that combines mechanical endothelial damage using a rotating wire with the

  16. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and spiral computed tomography in the detection and characterization of portal vein thrombosis complicating hepatocellular carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rossi, Sandro; Ghittoni, Giorgia; Ravetta, Valentina; Torello Viera, Francesca; Rosa, Laura [Policlinico ' S. Matteo' Foundation, IRCCS, VI Department of Internal Medicine and Interventional Ultrasonography, Pavia (Italy); Serassi, Martina; Scabini, Mara; Vercelli, Alessandro; Calliada, Fabrizio [IRCCS Policlinico ' S. Matteo' , Department of Radiology, P.le Golgi n. 19, Pavia (Italy); Tinelli, Carmine [Biometrics Unit, IRCCS Policlinico ' S. Matteo' , Pavia (Italy); Dal Bello, Barbara [IRCCS Policlinico ' S. Matteo' , Department of Human Pathology, Pavia (Italy); Burns, Peter N. [University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, ON (Canada); Imaging Research S660, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2008-08-15

    The aim was to compare the performances of contrast-enhanced (CE) ultrasonography (US) and spiral computed tomography (CT) in the detection and characterization of portal vein thrombosis complicating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied 50 patients with HCC who had biopsy-proven portal vein thrombi that had been detected with US and color Doppler US. Thirteen of the thrombi involved the main portal trunk and 37 the segmental branches. CEUS and CT were performed within a week of thrombus biopsies. For each imaging technique, diagnoses of thrombosis (present/absent) and thrombus nature (malignancy/benignancy) were made by experienced readers under blinded conditions and compared with pathological findings to determine accuracy rates for thrombus detection and characterization. Forty-four of the 50 thrombi were pathologically diagnosed as malignant and the remaining six were benign. CEUS detected 50/50 (100%) thrombi and correctly characterized 49/50 (98%). CT detected 34/50 (68%) thrombi and correctly characterized 23 of these 34 (68%). CEUS outperformed CT in terms of both thrombus detection (P < 0.0001) and characterization (P = 0.0001). CEUS appears to be significantly superior to CT for detection and characterization of portal vein thrombosis complicating HCC, and it should be considered in the staging of these tumors. (orig.)

  17. Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR venography for varicose veins of the calf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohata, Yoshiko; Naito, Akira; Ito, Katuhide.

    1995-01-01

    2D time-of-flight MR venography (2D TOF MRV) was performed in 16 patients (25 calves) with varicose veins and 2 volunteers (4 calves), and compared with venography. Sequential SPGR (TR/TE/FA=45 ms/7 ms/60deg) transverse images and/or GRASS (TR/TE/FA=100 ms/13 ms/60deg) transverse images were obtained for MRV. Superior presaturation pulse (S-SAT) was placed in 21 calves, and 0.05 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA was used in all calves. Projection MRVs were generated with maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction. Regarding sequence parameter, S-SAT was useful to eliminate signal from artery that would obscure the signal of deep veins. The detectability of deep veins was improved with the use of S-SAT. In the comparison with venography, MRV could more clearly demonstrate varicose veins more than 5 mm in diameter and their drainage veins than venography. But it could not so clearly demonstrate deep veins as venography. It could not detect fine varicose veins less than 5 mm in diameter and connecting veins with valve insufficiency. In the examination of varicose veins, detection of deep veins, large varicose veins and their main drainage veins is clinically important, because diagnosis of patency of deep veins and dilatation of the drainage veins is necessary to choose the treatment, concluding conservative therapy, stripping and sclerotherapy. However, detection of fine varicose veins and connecting veins are not so important because those veins seldom need treatment. MRV was not so suitable for detection of deep veins, but very useful for detection of varicose veins more than 5 mm in diameter and their main drainage veins. In conclusion, MRV is non-invasive and effective method in varicose veins of calf, and it can take the place of venography with the improvement of deep vein detectability. (author)

  18. Automated detection of retinal disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmchen, Lorens A; Lehmann, Harold P; Abràmoff, Michael D

    2014-11-01

    Nearly 4 in 10 Americans with diabetes currently fail to undergo recommended annual retinal exams, resulting in tens of thousands of cases of blindness that could have been prevented. Advances in automated retinal disease detection could greatly reduce the burden of labor-intensive dilated retinal examinations by ophthalmologists and optometrists and deliver diagnostic services at lower cost. As the current availability of ophthalmologists and optometrists is inadequate to screen all patients at risk every year, automated screening systems deployed in primary care settings and even in patients' homes could fill the current gap in supply. Expanding screens to all patients at risk by switching to automated detection systems would in turn yield significantly higher rates of detecting and treating diabetic retinopathy per dilated retinal examination. Fewer diabetic patients would develop complications such as blindness, while ophthalmologists could focus on more complex cases.

  19. Advances in Retinal Optical Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanxiu Li

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Retinal imaging has undergone a revolution in the past 50 years to allow for better understanding of the eye in health and disease. Significant improvements have occurred both in hardware such as lasers and optics in addition to software image analysis. Optical imaging modalities include optical coherence tomography (OCT, OCT angiography (OCTA, photoacoustic microscopy (PAM, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO, adaptive optics (AO, fundus autofluorescence (FAF, and molecular imaging (MI. These imaging modalities have enabled improved visualization of retinal pathophysiology and have had a substantial impact on basic and translational medical research. These improvements in technology have translated into early disease detection, more accurate diagnosis, and improved management of numerous chorioretinal diseases. This article summarizes recent advances and applications of retinal optical imaging techniques, discusses current clinical challenges, and predicts future directions in retinal optical imaging.

  20. Retinal shows its true colours

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Coughlan, N. J.A.; Adamson, B. D.; Gamon, L.

    2015-01-01

    Retinal is one of Nature's most important and widespread chromophores, exhibiting remarkable versatility in its function and spectral response, depending on its protein environment. Reliable spectroscopic and photochemical data for the isolated retinal molecule are essential for calibrating theor...

  1. Paediatric retinal detachment: aetiology, characteristics and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McElnea, Elizabeth; Stephenson, Kirk; Gilmore, Sarah; O'Keefe, Michael; Keegan, David

    2018-01-01

    To provide contemporary data on the aetiology, clinical features and outcomes of paediatric retinal detachment. A retrospective review of all those under 16y who underwent surgical repair for retinal detachment at a single centre between the years 2008 and 2015 inclusive was performed. In each case the cause of retinal detachment, the type of detachment, the presence or absence of macular involvement, the number and form of reparative surgeries undertaken, and the surgical outcome achieved was recorded. Twenty-eight eyes of 24 patients, 15 (62.5%) of whom were male and 9 (37.5%) of whom were female, their mean age being 11.6y and range 2-16y developed retinal detachment over the eight year period studied. Trauma featured in the development of retinal detachment in 14 (50.0%) cases. Retinal detachment was associated with other ocular and/or systemic conditions in 11 (39.3%) cases. A mean of 3.0 procedures with a range of 1-9 procedures per patient were undertaken in the management of retinal detachment. Complex vitrectomy combined with scleral buckling or complex vitrectomy alone were those most frequently performed. Mean postoperative visual acuity was 1.2 logMAR with range 0.0-3.0 logMAR. In 22 of 26 (84.6%) cases which underwent surgical repair the retina was attached at last follow-up. Aggressive management of paediatric retinal detachment including re-operation increases the likelihood of anatomical success. In cases where the retinal detachment can be repaired by an external approach alone there is a more favourable visual outcome.

  2. Leiomyosarcoma of the renal vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lemos Gustavo C.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Leiomyosarcoma of the renal vein is a rare tumor of complex diagnosis. We presented a case of renal vein leiomyosarcoma detected in a routine study. The primary treatment was complete surgical removal of the mass. In cases where surgical removal is not possible the prognosis is poor, with high rates of local recurrence and distant spread.

  3. Retrobulbar optic neuritis and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in a fourteen-year-old girl with retinitis pigmentosa sine pigmento.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatta, M; Hayasaka, S; Kato, T; Kadoi, C

    2000-01-01

    A 14-year-old girl complained of a sudden decrease in right visual acuity. The patient had night blindness, a mottled retina but no pigments, extinguished scotopic electroretinographic response, central scotoma in the right eye and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. She had initially received laser photocoagulation around the retinal tear and then corticosteroid therapy, cryoretinopexy and segmental buckling. Her right visual acuity increased to 1.0. The association of retinitis pigmentosa sine pigmento, retrobulbar optic neuritis and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, as demonstrated in our patient, may be uncommon. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

  4. Genomic analysis of mouse retinal development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seth Blackshaw

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available The vertebrate retina is comprised of seven major cell types that are generated in overlapping but well-defined intervals. To identify genes that might regulate retinal development, gene expression in the developing retina was profiled at multiple time points using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE. The expression patterns of 1,051 genes that showed developmentally dynamic expression by SAGE were investigated using in situ hybridization. A molecular atlas of gene expression in the developing and mature retina was thereby constructed, along with a taxonomic classification of developmental gene expression patterns. Genes were identified that label both temporal and spatial subsets of mitotic progenitor cells. For each developing and mature major retinal cell type, genes selectively expressed in that cell type were identified. The gene expression profiles of retinal Müller glia and mitotic progenitor cells were found to be highly similar, suggesting that Müller glia might serve to produce multiple retinal cell types under the right conditions. In addition, multiple transcripts that were evolutionarily conserved that did not appear to encode open reading frames of more than 100 amino acids in length ("noncoding RNAs" were found to be dynamically and specifically expressed in developing and mature retinal cell types. Finally, many photoreceptor-enriched genes that mapped to chromosomal intervals containing retinal disease genes were identified. These data serve as a starting point for functional investigations of the roles of these genes in retinal development and physiology.

  5. Proposal for a new classification of variations in the iliac venous system based on internal iliac veins: a case series and a review of double and left inferior vena cava.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Shogo; Naito, Munekazu; Hirai, Shuichi; Terayama, Hayato; Miyaki, Takayoshi; Itoh, Masahiro; Fukuzawa, Yoshitaka; Nakano, Takashi

    2013-09-01

    There are many reports on variations in the inferior vena cava (IVC), particularly double IVC (DIVC) and left IVC (LIVC). However, no systematic report has recorded iliac vein (IV) flow patterns in the DIVC and LIVC. In this study, we examined IV flow patterns in both DIVC and LIVC observed during gross anatomy courses conducted for medical students and in previously reported cases. During the gross anatomy courses, three cases of DIVC and one case of LIVC were found in 618 cadavers. The IV flow pattern from these four cases and all other previously reported cases can be classified into one of the following three types according to the vein into which the internal iliac vein drained: the ipsilateral external IV; confluence of the ipsilateral external IV and IVC; and the communicating vein, which connects the IVC and the contralateral IVC or its iliac branch. This classification, which is based on the internal IV course, is considered to be useful because IV variations have the potential to cause clinical problems during related retroperitoneal surgery, venous interventional radiology, and diagnostic procedures for pelvic cancer.

  6. PlGF gene knockdown in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akrami, Hassan; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Sadeghizadeh, Majid; Ahmadieh, Hamid; Rezaeikanavi, Mozhgan; Samiei, Shahram; Khalooghi, Keynoush

    2011-04-01

    To evaluate the knockdown of placental growth factor (PlGF) gene expression in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and its effect on cell proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenic potential of RPE cells. Human RPE cells were isolated by dispase I solution and cultured in DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). A small interfering RNA (siRNA) corresponding to PlGF mRNA and a scrambled siRNA (scRNA) were introduced into the cells. Cell proliferation and cell death were examined by ELISA. PlGF mRNA and protein were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot. The levels of gene expression for human retinal pigment epithelium-specific protein 65 kDa (RPE65), cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) and tyrosinase were examined by real-time PCR. The angiogenic activity of RPE cell-derived conditioned media was assayed by a tube formation assay using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). At a final siRNA concentration of 20 pmol/ml, the transfection efficiency was about 80%. The amount of PlGF transcripts was reduced to 10% after 36 h of incubation, and the amount of PlGF protein in culture supernatant was significantly decreased. Suppression of PlGF gene had no effect on RPE cell proliferation and survival, and there were no notable changes in the transcript levels of RPE65, CRALBP or tyrosinase for the cultures treated by siRNA cognate to PlGF. Vascular tube formation was efficiently reduced in HUVECs. Our findings present PlGF as a key modulator of angiogenic potential in RPE cells of the human retina.

  7. Ultrasound assessment of great saphenous vein insufficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chander RK

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Rajiv K Chander,1 Thomas S Monahan1,2 1Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2Department of Surgery, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA Abstract: Duplex ultrasonography is the ideal modality to assess great saphenous vein insufficiency. Duplex ultrasonography incorporates both gray scale images to delineate anatomy and color-Doppler imaging that visualizes the flow of blood in a structure. Assessment of great saphenous vein requires definition of the anatomy, augmentation of flow, evaluation for both superficial and deep vein thrombosis, and determining the presence of reflux. Currently, evolution in the treatment of reflux also relies on ultrasound for the treatment of the disease. Understanding the utilization of the ultrasound for the diagnosis and treatment of greater saphenous vein reflux is important for practitioners treating reflux disease. Keywords: duplex ultrasonography, small saphenous vein 

  8. Vitreo-retinal eye surgery robot : sustainable precision

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meenink, H.C.M.

    2011-01-01

    Vitreo-retinal eye surgery encompasses the surgical procedures performed on the vitreous humor and the retina. A procedure typically consists of the removal of the vitreous humor, the peeling of a membrane and/or the repair of a retinal detachment. Vitreo-retinal surgery is performed minimal

  9. Astrocytes and Müller Cell Alterations During Retinal Degeneration in a Transgenic Rat Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Sánchez, Laura; Lax, Pedro; Campello, Laura; Pinilla, Isabel; Cuenca, Nicolás

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa includes a group of progressive retinal degenerative diseases that affect the structure and function of photoreceptors. Secondarily to the loss of photoreceptors, there is a reduction in retinal vascularization, which seems to influence the cellular degenerative process. Retinal macroglial cells, astrocytes, and Müller cells provide support for retinal neurons and are fundamental for maintaining normal retinal function. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of macroglial changes during retinal degeneration in P23H rats. Methods: Homozygous P23H line-3 rats aged from P18 to 18 months were used to study the evolution of the disease, and SD rats were used as controls. Immunolabeling with antibodies against GFAP, vimentin, and transducin were used to visualize macroglial cells and cone photoreceptors. Results: In P23H rats, increased GFAP labeling in Müller cells was observed as an early indicator of retinal gliosis. At 4 and 12 months of age, the apical processes of Müller cells in P23H rats clustered in firework-like structures, which were associated with ring-like shaped areas of cone degeneration in the outer nuclear layer. These structures were not observed at 16 months of age. The number of astrocytes was higher in P23H rats than in the SD matched controls at 4 and 12 months of age, supporting the idea of astrocyte proliferation. As the disease progressed, astrocytes exhibited a deteriorated morphology and marked hypertrophy. The increase in the complexity of the astrocytic processes correlated with greater connexin 43 expression and higher density of connexin 43 immunoreactive puncta within the ganglion cell layer (GCL) of P23H vs. SD rat retinas. Conclusions: In the P23H rat model of retinitis pigmentosa, the loss of photoreceptors triggers major changes in the number and morphology of glial cells affecting the inner retina. PMID:26733810

  10. Astrocytes and Müller cells changes during retinal degeneration in a transgenic rat model of retinitis pigmentosa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura eFernández-Sánchez

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa includes a group of progressive retinal degenerative diseases that affect the structure and function of photoreceptors. Secondarily to the loss of photoreceptors, there is a reduction in retinal vascularization, which seems to influence the cellular degenerative process. Retinal macroglial cells, astrocytes and Müller cells provide support for retinal neurons and are fundamental for maintaining normal retinal function. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of macroglial changes during retinal degeneration in P23H rats. Methods: Homozygous P23H line-3 rats aged from P18 to 18 months were used to study the evolution of the disease, and SD rats were used as controls. Immunolabeling with antibodies against GFAP, vimentin, and transducin were used to visualize macroglial cells and cone photoreceptors. Results: In P23H rats, increased GFAP labeling in Müller cells was observed as an early indicator of retinal gliosis. At 4 and 12 months of age, the apical processes of Müller cells in P23H rats clustered in firework-like structures, which were associated with ring-like shaped areas of cone degeneration in the outer nuclear layer. These structures were not observed at 16 months of age. The number of astrocytes was higher in P23H rats than in the SD matched controls at 4 and 12 months of age, supporting the idea of astrocyte proliferation. As the disease progressed, astrocytes exhibited a deteriorated morphology and marked hypertrophy. The increase in the complexity of the astrocytic processes correlated with greater connexin 43 expression and higher density of connexin 43 immunoreactive puncta within the ganglion cell layer of P23H versus SD rat retinas. Conclusions: In the P23H rat model of retinitis pigmentosa, the loss of photoreceptors triggers major changes in the number and morphology of glial cells affecting the inner retina.

  11. Alk2/ACVR1 and Alk3/BMPR1A Provide Essential Function for Bone Morphogenetic Protein-Induced Retinal Angiogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Heon-Woo; Chong, Diana C; Ola, Roxana; Dunworth, William P; Meadows, Stryder; Ka, Jun; Kaartinen, Vesa M; Qyang, Yibing; Cleaver, Ondine; Bautch, Victoria L; Eichmann, Anne; Jin, Suk-Won

    2017-04-01

    Increasing evidence suggests that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling regulates angiogenesis. Here, we aimed to define the function of BMP receptors in regulating early postnatal angiogenesis by analysis of inducible, endothelial-specific deletion of the BMP receptor components Bmpr2 (BMP type 2 receptor), Alk1 (activin receptor-like kinase 1), Alk2 , and Alk3 in mouse retinal vessels. Expression analysis of several BMP ligands showed that proangiogenic BMP ligands are highly expressed in postnatal retinas. Consistently, BMP receptors are also strongly expressed in retina with a distinct pattern. To assess the function of BMP signaling in retinal angiogenesis, we first generated mice carrying an endothelial-specific inducible deletion of Bmpr2 . Postnatal deletion of Bmpr2 in endothelial cells substantially decreased the number of angiogenic sprouts at the vascular front and branch points behind the front, leading to attenuated radial expansion. To identify critical BMPR1s (BMP type 1 receptors) associated with BMPR2 in retinal angiogenesis, we generated endothelial-specific inducible deletion of 3 BMPR1s abundantly expressed in endothelial cells and analyzed the respective phenotypes. Among these, endothelial-specific deletion of either Alk2 / acvr1 or Alk3 / Bmpr1a caused a delay in radial expansion, reminiscent of vascular defects associated with postnatal endothelial-specific deletion of BMPR2, suggesting that ALK2/ACVR1 and ALK3/BMPR1A are likely to be the critical BMPR1s necessary for proangiogenic BMP signaling in retinal vessels. Our data identify BMP signaling mediated by coordination of ALK2/ACVR1, ALK3/BMPR1A, and BMPR2 as an essential proangiogenic cue for retinal vessels. © 2017 The Authors.

  12. Retinitis pigmentosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamel Christian

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Retinitis pigmentosa (RP is an inherited retinal dystrophy caused by the loss of photoreceptors and characterized by retinal pigment deposits visible on fundus examination. Prevalence of non syndromic RP is approximately 1/4,000. The most common form of RP is a rod-cone dystrophy, in which the first symptom is night blindness, followed by the progressive loss in the peripheral visual field in daylight, and eventually leading to blindness after several decades. Some extreme cases may have a rapid evolution over two decades or a slow progression that never leads to blindness. In some cases, the clinical presentation is a cone-rod dystrophy, in which the decrease in visual acuity predominates over the visual field loss. RP is usually non syndromic but there are also many syndromic forms, the most frequent being Usher syndrome. To date, 45 causative genes/loci have been identified in non syndromic RP (for the autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, and digenic forms. Clinical diagnosis is based on the presence of night blindness and peripheral visual field defects, lesions in the fundus, hypovolted electroretinogram traces, and progressive worsening of these signs. Molecular diagnosis can be made for some genes, but is not usually performed due to the tremendous genetic heterogeneity of the disease. Genetic counseling is always advised. Currently, there is no therapy that stops the evolution of the disease or restores the vision, so the visual prognosis is poor. The therapeutic approach is restricted to slowing down the degenerative process by sunlight protection and vitaminotherapy, treating the complications (cataract and macular edema, and helping patients to cope with the social and psychological impact of blindness. However, new therapeutic strategies are emerging from intensive research (gene therapy, neuroprotection, retinal prosthesis.

  13. Gonadal vein tumor thrombosis due to renal cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamidreza Haghighatkhah

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Renal cell carcinoma (RCC had a tendency to extend into the renal vein and inferior vena cava, while extension into the gonadal vein has been rarely reported. Gonadal vein tumor thrombosis appears as an enhancing filling defect within the dilated gonadal vein anterior to the psoas muscle and shows an enhancement pattern identical to that of the original tumor. The possibility of gonadal vein thrombosis should be kept in mind when looking at an imaging study of patients with RCC

  14. Identifikasi Pepper vein yellows virus yang Berasosiasi dengan Penyakit Yellow Vein Banding pada Tanaman Mentimun di Bali

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Dewa Nyoman Nyana

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Yellowing vein banding disease has been reported infecting cucurbit plants in Bali since 2014. Similar vein banding symptom on chilli pepper was observed previously, and early diagnosis indicated infection of Polerovirus. The objective of this research was to confirm the presence of Polerovirus infection on cucumber plant showing yellow vein banding symptom in Bali. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction – based detection method was conducted using specific primer pairs PeVYV-CP-F-BamH1/ PeVYV-CP-R-Pst1followed by sequencing and nucleotide sequence analysis.  Specific DNA fragments of ± 650 bp was successfully amplified from field samples.  Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the sequence has the highest similarity > 95% with Pepper vein yellow virus (PeVYV infecting chili pepper from Indonesia (Bali, and Rembang, Japan, and Greece.

  15. Visual Acuity is Related to Parafoveal Retinal Thickness in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa and Macular Cysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brockhurst, Robert J.; Gaudio, Alexander R.; Berson, Eliot L.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose To quantify the prevalence and effect on visual acuity of macular cysts in a large cohort of patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Methods In 316 patients with typical forms of retinitis pigmentosa, we measured visual acuities with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) charts, detected macular cysts with optical coherence tomography (OCT), and quantified retinal thicknesses by OCT. We used the FREQ, LOGISTIC, and GENMOD procedures of SAS to evaluate possible risk factors for cyst prevalence and the MIXED procedure to quantify the relationships of visual acuity to retinal thickness measured at different locations within the macula. Results We found macular cysts in 28% of the patients, 40% of whom had cysts in only one eye. Macular cysts were seen most often in patients with dominant disease and not at all in patients with X-linked disease (p = 0.006). In eyes with macular cysts, multiple regression analysis revealed that visual acuity was inversely and independently related to retinal thickness at the foveal center (p = 0.038) and within a ring spanning an eccentricity of 5° to 10° from the foveal center (p = 0.004). Conclusions Macular cysts are a common occurrence in retinitis pigmentosa, especially among patients with dominantly-inherited disease. Visual acuity is influenced by edema in the parafovea, as well as in the fovea. PMID:18552390

  16. Paediatric retinal detachment: aetiology, characteristics and outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth McElnea

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To provide contemporary data on the aetiology, clinical features and outcomes of paediatric retinal detachment. METHODS: A retrospective review of all those under 16y who underwent surgical repair for retinal detachment at a single centre between the years 2008 and 2015 inclusive was performed. In each case the cause of retinal detachment, the type of detachment, the presence or absence of macular involvement, the number and form of reparative surgeries undertaken, and the surgical outcome achieved was recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-eight eyes of 24 patients, 15 (62.5% of whom were male and 9 (37.5% of whom were female, their mean age being 11.6y and range 2-16y developed retinal detachment over the eight year period studied. Trauma featured in the development of retinal detachment in 14 (50.0% cases. Retinal detachment was associated with other ocular and/or systemic conditions in 11 (39.3% cases. A mean of 3.0 procedures with a range of 1-9 procedures per patient were undertaken in the management of retinal detachment. Complex vitrectomy combined with scleral buckling or complex vitrectomy alone were those most frequently performed. Mean postoperative visual acuity was 1.2 logMAR with range 0.0-3.0 logMAR. In 22 of 26 (84.6% cases which underwent surgical repair the retina was attached at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Aggressive management of paediatric retinal detachment including re-operation increases the likelihood of anatomical success. In cases where the retinal detachment can be repaired by an external approach alone there is a more favourable visual outcome.

  17. Conventional tomographic hilar anatomy emphasizing the pulmonary veins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genereux, G.P.

    1983-01-01

    The pulmonary hili are a frequent site of interpretive uncertainty because of thir complex anatomy. The right hilar shadow relates primarily to the ascending and descending pulmonary arteries and the right superior pulmonary vein, whereas the left hilar density accrues from the left pulmonary artery, left descending pulmonary artery, and left superior pulmonary vein. The right and left superoir pulmonary veins are intimately associated with and inseparable from the arteries. Knowledge of the course of these veins facilitates their identification on conventional tomograms. The right and left inferior pulmonary veins lie behind the lower hili and contribute only a small increment to the normal hilar density; the horizontal course of these vessels readily distinguishes them from the vertically oriented lower lobe arteries. Prominence of both the right and left superior and inferior veins may cause hilar pseudotumors. Conventional tomograms are most helpful in understanding plain radiographs. A multiview approach in anteroposterior, 55 0 posterior oblique, and lateral projections is recommended for a complete assessment. Computed tomography in transaxial sections adds further understanding of spatial relations in the hili, including the contributions of the pulmonary veins

  18. Evaluation of the portal veins, hepatic veins and bile ducts using fat-suppressed segmented True FISP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueda, Takashi; Uchikoshi, Masato; Imaoka, Izumi; Iwaya, Kazuo; Matsuo, Michimasa; Wada, Akihiko

    2005-01-01

    True FISP (fast imaging with steady-state free precession) is a fast imaging technique that provides high SNR (signal to noise ratio) and excellent delineation of parenchymal organs. The contrast of True FISP depends on the mixture of T 2 /T 1 . Vessels with slow flow are usually displayed as high signal intensity on True FISP images. The purpose of this study was to optimize fat-suppressed (FS) segmented True FISP imaging for portal veins, hepatic veins, and bile ducts. FS segmented True FISP images were applied to the phantoms of liver parenchyma, saline, and oil with various flip angles (every 10 degrees from 5-65 degrees) and k-space segmentations (3, 15, 25, 51, 75, 99). Five healthy volunteers were also examined to get optimized flip angle and k-space segmentation. The largest flip angle, 65 degrees, showed the best contrast between the liver parenchyma phantom, saline, and oil. The largest segmentations, 99, provided the best contrast between a liver parenchyma phantom and saline. However, the signal of the oil phantom exceeded that of the liver parenchyma phantom with 99 segmentations. As a result, the flip angle of 65 degrees and 75 segments is recommended to get the best contrast between the liver parenchyma phantom and saline, while suppressing the signal of oil. The volunteer studies also support the phantom studies and showed excellent anatomical delineation of portal veins, hepatic veins, and bile ducts when using these parameters. We conclude that True FISP is potentially suitable for the imaging of portal veins, hepatic veins, and bile ducts. The flip angle of 65 degrees with 75 segments is recommended to optimize FS segmented True FISP images. (author)

  19. A method for volumetric retinal tissue oxygen tension imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felder, Anthony E; Wanek, Justin; Teng, Pang-Yu; Blair, Norman P; Shahidi, Mahnaz

    2018-01-01

    Inadequate retinal oxygenation occurs in many vision-threatening retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions, and age-related macular degeneration. Therefore, techniques that assess retinal oxygenation are necessary to understand retinal physiology in health and disease. The purpose of the current study is to report a method for the three-dimensional (3D) imaging of retinal tissue oxygen tension (tPO 2 ) in rats. Imaging was performed in Long Evans pigmented rats under systemic normoxia (N = 6) or hypoxia (N = 3). A vertical laser line was horizontally scanned on the retina and a series of optical section phase-delayed phosphorescence images were acquired. From these images, phosphorescence volumes at each phase delay were constructed and a 3D retinal tPO 2 volume was generated. Retinal tPO 2 volumes were quantitatively analyzed by generating retinal depth profiles of mean tPO 2 (M tPO2 ) and the spatial variation of tPO 2 (SV tPO2 ). The effects of systemic condition (normoxia/hypoxia) and retinal depth on M tPO2 and SV tPO2 were determined by mixed linear model. Each 3D retinal tPO 2 volume was approximately 500 × 750 × 200 μm (horizontal × vertical × depth) and consisted of 45 en face tPO 2 images through the retinal depth. M tPO2 at the chorioretinal interface was significantly correlated with systemic arterial oxygen tension (P = 0.007; N = 9). There were significant effects of both systemic condition and retinal depth on M tPO2 and SV tPO2 , such that both were lower under hypoxia than normoxia and higher in the outer retina than inner retina (P < 0.001). For the first time, 3D imaging of retinal tPO 2 was demonstrated, with potential future application for assessment of physiological alterations in animal models of retinal diseases.

  20. The surface morphology of retinal breaks and lattice retinal degeneration. A scanning electron microscopic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, M R; Streeten, B W

    1986-02-01

    In 14 of 110 eye bank eyes, lesions characteristic of peripheral retinal surface pathology were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These included operculated and flap tears, trophic round holes, lattice degeneration with holes, and paravascular retinal "pitting" degeneration. By SEM, the edges of the retinal breaks were covered by smooth cellular membranes, merging peripherally with a meshwork of vitreous fibrils. The membrane cells had poorly defined borders, a pitted surface, and variable numbers of microvilli consistent with glia. Lattice surfaces and foci of paravascular retinal degeneration were covered by similar membrane, but showed characteristic differences. It appears that breaks in the internal limiting membrane always stimulate proliferation of preretinal glial membranes. Similar cellular morphology of the membranes associated with breaks is consistent with a common cell of origin. Limited proliferation of these membranes suggests that surface gliosis is normally inhibited when the cells contact either intact basement membrane or vitreous.

  1. Generating and analyzing synthetic finger vein images

    OpenAIRE

    Hillerström, Fieke; Kumar, Ajay; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract: The finger-vein biometric offers higher degree of security, personal privacy and strong anti-spoofing capabilities than most other biometric modalities employed today. Emerging privacy concerns with the database acquisition and lack of availability of large scale finger-vein database have posed challenges in exploring this technology for large scale applications. This paper details the first such attempt to synthesize finger-vein images and presents analysis of synthesized images fo...

  2. Toward high-resolution optoelectronic retinal prosthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palanker, Daniel; Huie, Philip; Vankov, Alexander; Asher, Alon; Baccus, Steven

    2005-04-01

    It has been already demonstrated that electrical stimulation of retina can produce visual percepts in blind patients suffering from macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Current retinal implants provide very low resolution (just a few electrodes), while several thousand pixels are required for functional restoration of sight. We present a design of the optoelectronic retinal prosthetic system that can activate a retinal stimulating array with pixel density up to 2,500 pix/mm2 (geometrically corresponding to a visual acuity of 20/80), and allows for natural eye scanning rather than scanning with a head-mounted camera. The system operates similarly to "virtual reality" imaging devices used in military and medical applications. An image from a video camera is projected by a goggle-mounted infrared LED-LCD display onto the retina, activating an array of powered photodiodes in the retinal implant. Such a system provides a broad field of vision by allowing for natural eye scanning. The goggles are transparent to visible light, thus allowing for simultaneous utilization of remaining natural vision along with prosthetic stimulation. Optical control of the implant allows for simple adjustment of image processing algorithms and for learning. A major prerequisite for high resolution stimulation is the proximity of neural cells to the stimulation sites. This can be achieved with sub-retinal implants constructed in a manner that directs migration of retinal cells to target areas. Two basic implant geometries are described: perforated membranes and protruding electrode arrays. Possibility of the tactile neural stimulation is also examined.

  3. Silver nano - a trove for retinal therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalishwaralal, Kalimuthu; Barathmanikanth, Selvaraj; Pandian, Sureshbabu Ram Kumar; Deepak, Venkatraman; Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi

    2010-07-14

    Pathological retinal angiogenesis (neovascularization) is one of the most feared complications among retinal diseases, leading to visual impairment and irreversible blindness. Recent findings made by us on therapeutic applications of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against VEGF induced retinal endothelial cells, elucidates the effectual inhibitory activities of AgNPs over the downstream signaling pathways (Src and AKT/PI3K) leading to retinal angiogenesis. The current review focuses on the imperative role of VEGF induced angiogenesis in the development of retinal neovascularization and despite the fact that several VEGF targeting ocular drugs are available; the review examines the need for a cost economic alternative, thereby suggesting the role of AgNPs as an emerging economic ocular drug for retinal therapies. The current technologies available for the development of targeted and controlled release of drugs is being discussed and a model has been proposed for the amenable targeting mechanism, by which Poly gamma glutamic acid (PGA) capsulated AgNPs conjugated to cyclic RGD peptides carry out a sustained controlled release specifically targeting the neovascularization cells and induce apoptosis unaffecting the normal retinal cells. These constructs consequently affirm the futuristic application of silver nanoparticles as a boon to ocular therapies. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Brachial artery repair using the basilic vein as a reliable conduit in a 3-year-old child

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyunyoung G. Kim

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available A supracondylar fracture of the humerus is the most common upper extremity fracture in children with concurrent neurovascular complications. However, bypass grafting in the management of a pediatric open elbow dislocation with an arterial injury has rarely been reported in the literature. Hence, an adequate conduit for a vessel graft interposition remains questionable when a primary anastomosis is limited in an arterial reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to present a brachial artery reconstruction in a 3-year-old patient with an open supracondylar fracture of the humerus. In the clinical and surgical examination of the patient, an open wound in the left antecubital fossa presented with accompanying brachial artery injury. To repair the artery, a reverse end-to-end anastomosis was conducted using basilic vein graft from the ipsilateral arm under general anesthesia. The patient had palpable radial pulses in the postoperative clinical examination and was discharged without complications. The great saphenous vein (GSV has proven to be the most common and the best conduit for arterial reconstruction of the upper extremity in the adult patients. However, the GSV graft is known to have the propensity for becoming aneurysmal in pediatric patients. Some studies have demonstrated the basilic vein as a suitable conduit in pediatric patients, in that it has durable patency, fewer branches, size compatibility for anastomosis, and proximity to the brachial artery. Our case confirms the safety of using this autogenous vein from within the zone of injury for arterial reconstruction, after a supracondylar humeral fracture. The management of pediatric elbow fractures accompanying vascular injuries can be technically demanding due to relatively small, delicate structures and concurrent neurovascular network. Nonetheless, a vascular injury should be treated with high level of suspicion and immediate intervention to avoid any limb ischemia or loss. In

  5. Non-invasive stem cell therapy in a rat model for retinal degeneration and vascular pathology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaomei Wang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP is characterized by progressive night blindness, visual field loss, altered vascular permeability and loss of central vision. Currently there is no effective treatment available except gene replacement therapy has shown promise in a few patients with specific gene defects. There is an urgent need to develop therapies that offer generic neuro-and vascular-protective effects with non-invasive intervention. Here we explored the potential of systemic administration of pluripotent bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs to rescue vision and associated vascular pathology in the Royal College Surgeons (RCS rat, a well-established animal model for RP. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Animals received syngeneic MSCs (1x10(6 cells by tail vein at an age before major photoreceptor loss. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: both rod and cone photoreceptors were preserved (5-6 cells thick at the time when control animal has a single layer of photoreceptors remained; Visual function was significantly preserved compared with controls as determined by visual acuity and luminance threshold recording from the superior colliculus; The number of pathological vascular complexes (abnormal vessels associated with migrating pigment epithelium cells and area of vascular leakage that would ordinarily develop were dramatically reduced; Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated there was upregulation of growth factors and immunohistochemistry revealed that there was an increase in neurotrophic factors within eyes of animals that received MSCs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results underscore the potential application of MSCs in treating retinal degeneration. The advantages of this non-invasive cell-based therapy are: cells are easily isolated and can be expanded in large quantity for autologous graft; hypoimmunogenic nature as allogeneic donors; less controversial in nature than other stem cells; can be readministered with minor discomfort

  6. Application of stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelium in retinal degenerative diseases: present and future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingyue Luo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available As a constituent of blood-retinal barrier and retinal outer segment (ROS scavenger, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE is fundamental to normal function of retina. Malfunctioning of RPE contributes to the onset and advance of retinal degenerative diseases. Up to date, RPE replacement therapy is the only possible method to completely reverse retinal degeneration. Transplantation of human RPE stem cell-derived RPE (hRPESC-RPE has shown some good results in animal models. With promising results in terms of safety and visual improvement, human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE (hESC-RPE can be expected in clinical settings in the near future. Despite twists and turns, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE (iPSC-RPE is now being intensely investigated to overcome genetic and epigenetic instability. By far, only one patient has received iPSC-RPE transplant, which is a hallmark of iPSC technology development. During follow-up, no major complications such as immunogenicity or tumorigenesis have been observed. Future trials should keep focusing on the safety of stem cell-derived RPE (SC-RPE especially in long period, and better understanding of the nature of stem cell and the molecular events in the process to generate SC-RPE is necessary to the prosperity of SC-RPE clinical application.

  7. Application of stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelium in retinal degenerative diseases: present and future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Mingyue; Chen, Youxin

    2018-01-01

    As a constituent of blood-retinal barrier and retinal outer segment (ROS) scavenger, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) is fundamental to normal function of retina. Malfunctioning of RPE contributes to the onset and advance of retinal degenerative diseases. Up to date, RPE replacement therapy is the only possible method to completely reverse retinal degeneration. Transplantation of human RPE stem cell-derived RPE (hRPESC-RPE) has shown some good results in animal models. With promising results in terms of safety and visual improvement, human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE (hESC-RPE) can be expected in clinical settings in the near future. Despite twists and turns, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE (iPSC-RPE) is now being intensely investigated to overcome genetic and epigenetic instability. By far, only one patient has received iPSC-RPE transplant, which is a hallmark of iPSC technology development. During follow-up, no major complications such as immunogenicity or tumorigenesis have been observed. Future trials should keep focusing on the safety of stem cell-derived RPE (SC-RPE) especially in long period, and better understanding of the nature of stem cell and the molecular events in the process to generate SC-RPE is necessary to the prosperity of SC-RPE clinical application.

  8. A Method for Combined Retinal Vascular and Tissue Oxygen Tension Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felder, Anthony E; Wanek, Justin; Tan, Michael R; Blair, Norman P; Shahidi, Mahnaz

    2017-09-06

    The retina requires adequate oxygenation to maintain cellular metabolism and visual function. Inner retinal oxygen metabolism is directly related to retinal vascular oxygen tension (PO 2 ) and inner retinal oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), whereas outer retinal oxygen consumption (QO 2 ) relies on oxygen availability by the choroid and is contingent upon retinal tissue oxygen tension (tPO 2 ) gradients across the retinal depth. Thus far, these oxygenation and metabolic parameters have been measured independently by different techniques in separate animals, precluding a comprehensive and correlative assessment of retinal oxygenation and metabolism dynamics. The purpose of the current study is to report an innovative optical system for dual oxyphor phosphorescence lifetime imaging to near-simultaneously measure retinal vascular PO 2 and tPO 2 in rats. The use of a new oxyphor with different spectral characteristics allowed differentiation of phosphorescence signals from the retinal vasculature and tissue. Concurrent measurements of retinal arterial and venous PO 2 , tPO 2 through the retinal depth, inner retinal OEF, and outer retinal QO 2 were demonstrated, permitting a correlative assessment of retinal oxygenation and metabolism. Future application of this method can be used to investigate the relations among retinal oxygen content, extraction and metabolism under pathologic conditions and thus advance knowledge of retinal hypoxia pathophysiology.

  9. Retinal layer measurements after successful macula-off retinal detachment repair using optical coherence tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menke, Marcel N; Kowal, Jens H; Dufour, Pascal; Wolf-Schnurrbusch, Ute E; Ceklic, Lala; Framme, Carsten; Wolf, Sebastian

    2014-09-04

    Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to analyze the thickness of various retinal layers of patients following successful macula-off retinal detachment (RD) repair. Optical coherence tomography scans of patients after successful macula-off RD repair were reanalyzed with a subsegmentation algorithm to measure various retinal layers. Regression analysis was performed to correlate time after surgery with changes in layer thickness. In addition, patients were divided in two groups. Group 1 had a follow-up period after surgery of up to 7 weeks (range, 21-49 days). In group 2, the follow-up period was >8 weeks (range, 60-438 days). Findings were compared to a group of age-matched healthy controls. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between inner nuclear-outer plexiform layer (INL-OPL) thickness and time after surgery (P=0.0212; r2=0.1551). Similar results were found for the ellipsoid zone-retinal pigment epithelium complex (EZ-RPE) thickness (P=0.005; r2=0.2215). Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCL-IPL) was negatively correlated with time after surgery (P=0.0064; r2=0.2101). For group comparison, the retinal nerve fiber layer in both groups was thicker compared to controls. The GCL-IPL showed significant thinning in group 2. The outer nuclear layer was significantly thinner in groups 1 and 2 compared to controls. The EZ-RPE complex was significantly thinner in groups 1 and 2 compared to controls. In addition, values in group 1 were significantly thinner than in group 2. Optical coherence tomography retinal layer thickness measurements after successful macular-off RD repair revealed time-dependent thickness changes. Inner nuclear-outer plexiform layer thickness and EZ-RPE thickness was positively correlated with time after surgery. Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness was negatively correlated with time after surgery. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

  10. Gene Correction Reverses Ciliopathy and Photoreceptor Loss in iPSC-Derived Retinal Organoids from Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Li Deng

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP is an irreversible, inherited retinopathy in which early-onset nyctalopia is observed. Despite the genetic heterogeneity of RP, RPGR mutations are the most common causes of this disease. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs from three RP patients with different frameshift mutations in the RPGR gene, which were then differentiated into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells and well-structured retinal organoids possessing electrophysiological properties. We observed significant defects in photoreceptor in terms of morphology, localization, transcriptional profiling, and electrophysiological activity. Furthermore, shorted cilium was found in patient iPSCs, RPE cells, and three-dimensional retinal organoids. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated correction of RPGR mutation rescued photoreceptor structure and electrophysiological property, reversed the observed ciliopathy, and restored gene expression to a level in accordance with that in the control using transcriptome-based analysis. This study recapitulated the pathogenesis of RPGR using patient-specific organoids and achieved targeted gene therapy of RPGR mutations in a dish as proof-of-concept evidence. : Jin and colleagues demonstrate that patient-specific iPSC-derived 3D retinae can recapitulate disease progress of retinitis pigmentosa through presenting defects in photoreceptor morphology, gene profile, and electrophysiology, as well as the defective ciliogenesis in iPSCs, iPSC-RPE, and 3D retinae. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene correction can rescue not only photoreceptor structure and electrophysiological property but also observed ciliopathy. Keywords: RPGR, photoreceptor, electrophysiology, retinitis pigmentosa, patient-derived iPSCs, retinal organoid, RPE cells, cilium, ciliopathy, disease modeling

  11. Umbilical vein draining into the inferior vena cava via the internal iliac vein, bypassing the liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Currarino, G.; Stannard, M.W.; Texas Univ., Dallas, TX; Kolni, H.

    1991-01-01

    This is the third report of an anomalous umbilical vein draining ectopically in a left pelvic vein, probably the left internal iliac, and through the inferior vena cava into the right atrium. The anomaly was encountered in a newborn infant with nonimmune hydrops fetalis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, multiorgan failure and possibly Noonan Syndrome. (orig.)

  12. Umbilical vein draining into the inferior vena cava via the internal iliac vein, bypassing the liver

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Currarino, G.; Stannard, M.W. (Children' s Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Radiology Texas Univ., Dallas, TX (United States). Southwestern Medical Center); Kolni, H. (Methodist Hospital, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Pediatrics)

    1991-05-01

    This is the third report of an anomalous umbilical vein draining ectopically in a left pelvic vein, probably the left internal iliac, and through the inferior vena cava into the right atrium. The anomaly was encountered in a newborn infant with nonimmune hydrops fetalis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, multiorgan failure and possibly Noonan Syndrome. (orig.).

  13. Relationship between target organ damage and blood pressure, retinal vessel calibre, oxidative stress and polymorphisms in VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes in patients with hypertension: a case–control study protocol (LOD-Hipertensión)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Marcos, Manuel A; Gonzalez-Sarmiento, Rogelio; Recio-Rodríguez, José I; Agudo-Conde, Cristina; Gamella-Pozuelo, Luis; Perretta-Tejedor, Nuria; Martínez-Salgado, Carlos; García-Ortiz, Luis

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Target organ damage (TOD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The study objectives were to analyse the relationship of TOD to blood pressure, size of retinal arteries and veins, oxidative stress and different polymorphisms in the VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes in participants with hypertension. Methods and analysis A case–control study to analyse the relationship between clinical, biochemical and genetic parameters and presence of cardiac, vascular and renal TOD in 486 patients with hypertension. Participants with TOD will be considered as cases, and those without TOD will be enrolled as controls. This will be a collaborative study conducted by the groups of Primary Care, Cardiovascular and Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases of the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica of Salamanca (IBSAL). Assessment of cardiac, renal and vascular TOD. Measurement of peripheral and central blood pressure, size of eye fundus arteries and veins, and oxidative stress, and polymorphisms in the VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes. Ethics and dissemination The study will be conducted after approval is obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hospital Clínico Universitario of Salamanca. All study participants will sign an informed consent to agree to participate in the study, and another consent to agree on the genetic study, in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the WHO standards for observational studies. The results of this study will allow for an understanding of the relationship of the different TODs with blood pressure, retinal artery and vein diameters, oxidative stress and polymorphisms in VAV-2 and VAV-3 genes. Trial registration number Clinical Trials. gov Identifier: NCT02022618. PMID:24699462

  14. Patterning of leaf vein networks by convergent auxin transport pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawchuk, Megan G; Edgar, Alexander; Scarpella, Enrico

    2013-01-01

    The formation of leaf vein patterns has fascinated biologists for centuries. Transport of the plant signal auxin has long been implicated in vein patterning, but molecular details have remained unclear. Varied evidence suggests a central role for the plasma-membrane (PM)-localized PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1) intercellular auxin transporter of Arabidopsis thaliana in auxin-transport-dependent vein patterning. However, in contrast to the severe vein-pattern defects induced by auxin transport inhibitors, pin1 mutant leaves have only mild vein-pattern defects. These defects have been interpreted as evidence of redundancy between PIN1 and the other four PM-localized PIN proteins in vein patterning, redundancy that underlies many developmental processes. By contrast, we show here that vein patterning in the Arabidopsis leaf is controlled by two distinct and convergent auxin-transport pathways: intercellular auxin transport mediated by PM-localized PIN1 and intracellular auxin transport mediated by the evolutionarily older, endoplasmic-reticulum-localized PIN6, PIN8, and PIN5. PIN6 and PIN8 are expressed, as PIN1 and PIN5, at sites of vein formation. pin6 synthetically enhances pin1 vein-pattern defects, and pin8 quantitatively enhances pin1pin6 vein-pattern defects. Function of PIN6 is necessary, redundantly with that of PIN8, and sufficient to control auxin response levels, PIN1 expression, and vein network formation; and the vein pattern defects induced by ectopic PIN6 expression are mimicked by ectopic PIN8 expression. Finally, vein patterning functions of PIN6 and PIN8 are antagonized by PIN5 function. Our data define a new level of control of vein patterning, one with repercussions on other patterning processes in the plant, and suggest a mechanism to select cell files specialized for vascular function that predates evolution of PM-localized PIN proteins.

  15. Patterning of leaf vein networks by convergent auxin transport pathways.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan G Sawchuk

    Full Text Available The formation of leaf vein patterns has fascinated biologists for centuries. Transport of the plant signal auxin has long been implicated in vein patterning, but molecular details have remained unclear. Varied evidence suggests a central role for the plasma-membrane (PM-localized PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1 intercellular auxin transporter of Arabidopsis thaliana in auxin-transport-dependent vein patterning. However, in contrast to the severe vein-pattern defects induced by auxin transport inhibitors, pin1 mutant leaves have only mild vein-pattern defects. These defects have been interpreted as evidence of redundancy between PIN1 and the other four PM-localized PIN proteins in vein patterning, redundancy that underlies many developmental processes. By contrast, we show here that vein patterning in the Arabidopsis leaf is controlled by two distinct and convergent auxin-transport pathways: intercellular auxin transport mediated by PM-localized PIN1 and intracellular auxin transport mediated by the evolutionarily older, endoplasmic-reticulum-localized PIN6, PIN8, and PIN5. PIN6 and PIN8 are expressed, as PIN1 and PIN5, at sites of vein formation. pin6 synthetically enhances pin1 vein-pattern defects, and pin8 quantitatively enhances pin1pin6 vein-pattern defects. Function of PIN6 is necessary, redundantly with that of PIN8, and sufficient to control auxin response levels, PIN1 expression, and vein network formation; and the vein pattern defects induced by ectopic PIN6 expression are mimicked by ectopic PIN8 expression. Finally, vein patterning functions of PIN6 and PIN8 are antagonized by PIN5 function. Our data define a new level of control of vein patterning, one with repercussions on other patterning processes in the plant, and suggest a mechanism to select cell files specialized for vascular function that predates evolution of PM-localized PIN proteins.

  16. Quantification of deep medullary veins at 7 T brain MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuijf, Hugo J.; Viergever, Max A.; Vincken, Koen L. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute, Utrecht (Netherlands); Bouvy, Willem H.; Razoux Schultz, Tom B.; Biessels, Geert Jan [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht (Netherlands); Zwanenburg, Jaco J.M. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute, Utrecht (Netherlands); University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2016-10-15

    Deep medullary veins support the venous drainage of the brain and may display abnormalities in the context of different cerebrovascular diseases. We present and evaluate a method to automatically detect and quantify deep medullary veins at 7 T. Five participants were scanned twice, to assess the robustness and reproducibility of manual and automated vein detection. Additionally, the method was evaluated on 24 participants to demonstrate its application. Deep medullary veins were assessed within an automatically created region-of-interest around the lateral ventricles, defined such that all veins must intersect it. A combination of vesselness, tubular tracking, and hysteresis thresholding located individual veins, which were quantified by counting and computing (3-D) density maps. Visual assessment was time-consuming (2 h/scan), with an intra-/inter-observer agreement on absolute vein count of ICC = 0.76 and 0.60, respectively. The automated vein detection showed excellent inter-scan reproducibility before (ICC = 0.79) and after (ICC = 0.88) visually censoring false positives. It had a positive predictive value of 71.6 %. Imaging at 7 T allows visualization and quantification of deep medullary veins. The presented method offers fast and reliable automated assessment of deep medullary veins. (orig.)

  17. Unification venoplasty to cope with recipient portal vein anomaly during living donor liver transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, S-H; Hwang, S; Jung, D-H; Ahn, C-S; Moon, D-B; Ha, T-Y; Song, G-W; Kim, K-H; Park, G-C; Namgoong, J-M; Park, Y-H; Park, H-W; Jung, B-H; Lee, S-G

    2013-10-01

    To cope with recipient portal vein (PV) anomalies, such as early branching of the right posterior section (RPS), during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) surgery, we performed a simulation study to standardize the surgical technique for unification portal venoplasty. This study included an observational analysis of conventional methods utilizing RPS PV, simulation-based design of a new surgical technique, and clinical application of this new technique. In a case encountering RPS PV, a mild anastomotic PV stenosis was persistent over 6 months postsurgery, indicating the need for technical refinement. After computational simulation analysis, we found that simple suturing of the PV branch patch automatically resulted in a funnel-shaped elongation. A prospective recipient study (n = 30) indicated that usual PV reconstruction via the PV bifurcation method is feasible in the absence of unusual donor or recipient PV anomaly. Retrospective living donor PV anatomy analysis (n = 20) revealed that 20-mm-long limbs of the first-order PV branches are necessary to make a 10- to l5-mm-long funneled PV stump. This technique of unification venoplasty for an anomalous recipient PV was applied to an adult patient undergoing LDLT with a right liver graft, for which it was shown to be technically feasible and effective. A simplified unification venoplasty technique was developed to cope with a recipient PV anomaly in adult LDLT. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Preoperative mapping of the saphenous vein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Levi-Mazloum, Niels Donald; Sillesen, H; Nielsen, Tina G

    1996-01-01

    A series of 124 patients had their greater saphenous vein assessed with duplex ultrasound scanning prior to planned infrainguinal bypass procedures. 33 (27%) bypass procedures thrombosed within the first year. A naturally occurring optimal vein diameter was discovered: 5.0-6.5 mm at mid-thigh lev...

  19. A clinical approach to the diagnosis of retinal vasculitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Asrar, Ahmed M Abu; Herbort, Carl P; Tabbara, Khalid F

    2010-04-01

    Retinal vasculitis is a sight-threatening inflammatory eye condition that involves the retinal vessels. Detection of retinal vasculitis is made clinically, and is confirmed with the help of fundus fluorescein angiography. Active vascular disease is characterized by exudates around retinal vessels resulting in white sheathing or cuffing of the affected vessels. In this review, a practical approach to the diagnosis of retinal vasculitis is discussed based on ophthalmoscopic and fundus fluorescein angiographic findings.

  20. MR detection of retinal hemorrhages: correlation with graded ophthalmologic exam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beavers, Angela J.; Allbery, Sandra M.; Stagner, Anna M.; Hejkal, Thomas W.; Lyden, Elizabeth R.; Haney, Suzanne B.

    2015-01-01

    Dilated fundoscopic exam is considered the gold standard for detecting retinal hemorrhage, but expertise in obtaining this exam is not always immediately available. MRI can detect retinal hemorrhages, but correlation of the grade or severity of retinal hemorrhage on dilated fundoscopic exam with retinal hemorrhage visibility on MRI has not been described. To determine the value of standard brain protocol MRI in detecting retinal hemorrhage and to determine whether there is any correlation with MR detection of retinal hemorrhage and the dilated fundoscopic exam grade of hemorrhage. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 77 children <2 years old who were seen for head trauma from April 2007 to July 2013 and had both brain MRI and dilated fundoscopic exam or retinal camera images. A staff pediatric radiologist and radiology resident reviewed the MR images. Retinal hemorrhages were graded by a chief ophthalmology resident on a 12-point scale based on the retinal hemorrhage type, size, location and extent as seen on review of retinal camera images and detailed reports by ophthalmologists. Higher scores indicated increased severity of retinal hemorrhages. There was a statistically significant difference in the median grade of retinal hemorrhage examination between children who had retinal hemorrhage detected on MRI and children who did not have retinal hemorrhage detected on MRI (P = 0.02). When examination grade was categorized as low-grade (1-4), moderate-grade (5-8) or high-grade (>8) hemorrhage, there was a statistically significant association between exam grade and diagnosis based on MRI (P = 0.008). For example, only 14% of children with low-grade retinal hemorrhages were identified on MRI compared to 76% of children with high-grade hemorrhages. MR detection of retinal hemorrhage demonstrated a sensitivity of 61%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 63%. Retinal hemorrhage was best seen on the gradient