VOLUME 72 - ISSUE 5

Some particular points concerning the study of strabismus are analyzed, specially, the difficulties for definitions and the different ways it can be conceived, besides the relativity of binocular positions interpretation, and the necessary referential elements for circumscribing such questions. Then, the concept of primary position of gaze is discussed as well as the conditions for its operational attainment, leading to the conclusion that it is materially impossible to achieve this "zero" point, from which all other measurements of strabismus or ocular movements should be done. In sequence, the construction of multiple referential systems applying the quantification of strabismus are examined. The lack of consensual agreement about which should be used as the standard system causes elementary practical implications, as the lack of agreement about how to superimpose orthogonal prisms for the measurement of associated horizontal and vertical deviations. The functional asymmetry of ocular rotations and its exceptions are commented. The accuracy that the measurements of strabismus can be performed is analyzed, leading to the conclusion that fractional figures using the commonest angular unities are improper. At last, some technical problems related to such evaluations are also commented, as operational difficulties related to prism-diopter unity, concerning the use of prisms, and prismatic effects due to the use of conventional optical glasses.

Keywords: Strabismus; Electrophysiology; Visual cortex; Convergence, ocular; Accommodation, ocular; Eye movement measurements

INTRODUCTION: Aging has various effects on visual system. Vision deteriorate, contrast sensitivity decreases and ocular aberrations apparently make the optical quality worse across the years. PURPOSE: To prospective evaluate ocular aberrations along the ages. METHODS: Three hundred and fifteen patients were examined, 155 were male (39.36%) and 160 were female (60.63%). Ages ranged from 5 to 64 year-old, the study was performed from February to November, 2004. Patients were divided into 4 age-groups according to IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) classification: 68 patients from 5 to 14 year-old, 55 patients from 15 to 24 year-old, 116 from 25 to 44 year-old and 76 from 45 to 67 year-old. All patients had the following characteristics: best corrected visual acuity > 20/25, emmetropia or spherical equivalent < 3.50 SD, refractive astigmatism < 1.75 CD on cycloplegic refraction, normal ophthalmologic exam and no previous ocular surgeries. This protocol was approved by Federal University of São Paulo Institutional Review Board. Total optical aberrations were measured by H-S sensor LadarWave® Custom Cornea Wavefront System (Alcon Laboratories Inc, Orlando, FLA, USA) and were statistically analysed. Corneal aberrations were calculated using CT-View software Version 6.89 (Sarver and Associates, Celebration, FL, USA). Lens aberrations were calculated by subtraction. RESULTS: High-order (0.32 e 0.48 µm) and ocular spherical aberrations (0.02 e 0.26 µm) increased respectively in child and middle age groups. High order (0.27 µm) and corneal spherical aberrations (0.05 µm) did not show changes with age. Lens showed a statistically significant spherical aberration increase (from -0.02 to 0.22 µm). Vertical (from 0.10 to -0.07 µm) and horizontal coma (from 0.01 to -0.12 µm) presented progressively negative values with aging. CONCLUSION: High-order and spherical aberrations increased with age due to lens contribution. The cornea did not affect significantly changes observed on ocular aberrations.

Keywords: Ocular physiological phenomena; Corneal topography; Aging; Refractive errors; Refraction, ocular; Diagnostic technique, opthalmologic; Visual acuity; Lens, crystalline

PURPOSE: To compare the optical coherence tomography retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness measurements for detection of progressive axonal loss following acute traumatic optic neuropathy in a longitudinal study. METHODS: Three patients with unilateral traumatic optic neuropathy were evaluated sequentially after trauma. Macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements were obtained using optical coherence tomography weekly for five weeks and around the twelfth week after trauma. RESULTS: All patients showed progressive macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness reduction. The mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness on the first week was 114 μm and reduced sequentially over the first five weeks and was 46 μm on the twelfth week. For macular parameters, the mean average thickness on the first week was 248 μm and also reduced over the first five weeks and was 218 μm on the twelfth week. When compared to the initial measurement, macular thickness average reduction rate at the 12th week was 14% while peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness average reduction rate was 59%. CONCLUSIONS: Although both measurements reduce significantly after trauma, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements show greater and faster retinal neural reduction if compared to macular thickness measurements in traumatic optic neuropathy.

Keywords: Optic nerve injuries; Tomography, optical coherence; Retina; Retinal ganglion cells; Nerve fibers; Macula; Visual acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of disinfecting solutions in hydrophilic contact lenses (CL). METHODS: Two multi-use solutions denominated solution A (0.001% polyquaternium-1 and 0.0005% myristamidopropyl dimethylamine) and solution B (0.0001% polyaminopropyl biguanide) were used. The solutions were tested in hydrophilic contact lenses infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27583), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC1226), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC13883), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) and the decrease in microorganisms growth after the hydrophilic contact lenses were cleaned with the respective solutions was verified. The manufacture's instructions were followed. RESULTS: A decrease of 90% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and a decrease 100% of Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed. CONCLUSION: The solutions decreased the amount of microorganisms tested.

Keywords: Contact lenses, hydrophilic; Conjuctiva; Solutions; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Stapylococcus aureus; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Candida albicans; Disinfection

PURPOSE: To analyze the quality of the corneas evaluated by slit lamp examination in the Eye Bank of the Hospital de Clínicas UFPR and its relation to donor age and cause of death. METHODS: Analysis of 492 corneas, evaluated in BTO HC-UFPR between August 2006 to August 2008. Each cornea was classified regarding the quality as: very good, good, regular and bad; and according to clarity, epithelial defect, stromal edema, Descemet's folds, stromal opacity, corneal scarring, endothelial density and guttata. RESULTS: The mean donor age was 42.74 years (sd=17.77 years). Among the causes of death, trauma was the most common with 46.18%, followed by cardiovascular causes with 41.86%. In relation to the cornea, 57.11% were classified as "good", followed by 20.73% as "regular", 16.87% as "very good" and 5.28% as "bad". With the application of statistical tests based on ordinal regression model, trauma deaths corneas tend to be better, as well as those of younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically, the corneas from younger donors tend to have better graduations in the assessment, as well as the corneas from donors dead by trauma that tend to have better quality when compared to corneas from donors dead by cardiovascular and other systemic diseases.

Keywords: Corneal transplantation; Tissue donors; Tissue bank; Quality control

PURPOSE: To analyze visual acuity without correction and rotational stability outcomes following toric IOL implantation. METHODS: Prospective study of 20 eyes of 13 patients that underwent phacoemulsification surgery indicated for cataract associated with regular keratomeric astigmatism, symmetrical, ranging from 1 to 4 diopters. Best corrected visual acuity, refraction, keratometry and computed topography were performed preoperatively. The calculation of cylindrical lens power and its placement were determined by the manufacturer. All lenses were implanted in the capsular bag by the same surgeon. The patients were examined by a second independent observer, at 1st, 10th, 20th, 30th, and 60th postoperative day. RESULTS: Visual acuity without correction ranged between 20/15 and 20/40. One eye achieved 20/15 (5%), 4 eyes 20/20 (20%), 6 eyes 20/25 (30%), 7 eyes 20/30 (35%) and 2 eyes 20/40 (10%). Best corrected visual acuity ranged between 20/15 and 20/40; two eyes with 20/15 (10%), 9 eyes 20/20 (45%), 7 eyes 20/25 (35%), 1 eye 20/30 (5%) and 1 eye 20/40 (5%). It is important to remember that the average spherical refraction was -0.05 SD (ranging from -0.50 to +0.75 SD). The mean cylindrical refraction was -0.63 CD ranging from -0.50 to -1.25 CD. The IOL rotation in this study had an average of 3.2º to 30º, ranging from 0º of rotation to a maximum of 13º; 7 lenses (35%) suffered no rotation, 9 lenses (45%) suffered rotation between 1º to 5º, 3 lenses (15%) had rotation between 6º to 10º, and ultimately 1 lens (5%) had rotation between 11º to 15º. There was no significant rotation after the 30th postoperative day. DISCUSSION: The average of rotation of the IOL was 3.2º, where 95% of IOLs presented rotation less than or equal to 10º what means a very good rotational stability. In daily practice, a good visual acuity is directly related to IOL rotational stability and refractive predictability.

Keywords: Astigmatism; Lens implantation, intraocular; Phacoemulsification; Cataract extraction; Visual acuity; Postoperative complications

PURPOSE: To describe an intravitreal injection technique using a commercially available 29-gauge insulin needle syringe (29GN syringe) and a 21-gauge (G) needle, comparing compound waste associated with this technique application and the one described in ranibizumab (Lucentis®) kit instructions. METHODS: Ten 0.3 ml doses of distilled water were aspirated using the 29GN syringe and 21G needle (PT technique), and another ten equal doses were aspirated employing the sterilized Lucentis® kit (LK technique), which contains a 1ml tuberculin syringe, a 18G needle for compound aspiration and a 30G needle for intravitreal injection. For aspiration using the PT technique, a 21G needle is attached over a 29GN syringe. After compound aspiration, the 21G needle is removed and intravitreal injection is performed using the 29G needle. Using a precision balance, the aspiration needles (21G for PT; 18G for LK) were weighed before and after water aspiration and the syringe-needle complexes for injection (29GN for PT; 30G for LK) were weighed before aspiration and after emptying them. The volumes left in the aspiration needles and needle-syringe complexes were estimated by the difference in weight in grams, which were converted to millilitres. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) residual volume (ml) of aspiration needles (21G for PT; 18G for LK) was significantly lower with PT technique (0.0034 ± 0.0016) when compared to LK tech nique (0.0579 ± 0.0011) (p<0.01). The mean (±SD) residual volume (ml) of syringe-needle complexes was significantly lower with PT technique (0.0056 ± 0.0011) than with LK (0.0906 ± 0.003 ml) (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The proposed technique is a reasonable alternative for minimizing medication loss during intravitreal injection procedures.

Keywords: Angiogenesis inhibitors; Injections; Retinal diseases; Ophthalmologic surgical procedures; Macular degeneration; Drug administration routes; Vitreous body

PURPOSE: To determine interocular grating acuity difference in children treated for unilateral infantile cataract. METHODS: A group of 27 children previously treated for unilateral infantile cataract, had their monocular visual acuity measured by sweep visual evoked potentials. Interocular grating acuity difference was calculated as the absolute subtraction of monocular acuity scores. Lens status, opacity severity and eye alignment were considered for analysis. RESULTS: Mean interocular grating acuity difference obtained from unilateral cataract patients was 0.58 ± 0.20 logMAR. This result was significantly larger than 0.10 logMAR used as normative data. Children with severe opacities had a more pronounced amblyopia than the moderate ones. No significant correlation between amblyopia and strabismus or aphakia was found. CONCLUSIONS: Interocular acuity difference in this group of unilateral congenital cataract was more pronounced than previous reports, mainly because of delay in diagnosis, surgery and optical correction.

Keywords: Amblyopia; Cataract; Cataract; Postoperative complications

PURPOSE: To produce proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in an animal ocular trauma model. To evaluate the inhibition of (PVR) emergence and progression by hypericin. METHODS: Experimental Study. Nineteen pigmented male adult rabbits weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 grams were used in this study. All of them were submitted to trauma model with dispase and retinal diathermy to induce PVR membranes formation. They were randomly assigned to receive hypericin (10 µM in 0.1 ml) or saline solution (0.1 ml) as placebo. They were evaluated clinically in the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eighth postoperative days with indirect ophthalmoscopy and digital color retinography. The PVR degree was classified according to Hida (0 to 7). RESULTS: Membranes formation was present in 79% of the eyes; being 100% in the eyes of placebo group and 60% in the eyes of treatment group (hypericin). The comparison between PVR phases averages within the groups showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a p value of 0.0321 for Wilcoxon test. CONCLUSIONS: The trauma model with dispase and retinal diathermy produces vitreoretinal membranes. Hypericin was considered effective in PVR emergence and progression decrease.

Keywords: Vitreoretinopathy, proliferative; Vitreoretinopathy, proliferative; Antidepressive agents; Retinal detachment; Eye injuries; Wound healing; Disease models, animal; Rabbits

PURPOSE: To evaluate bevacizumab toxicity in neurosensorial retina and retinal pigment epithelium in pigmented rabbit eyes by means of histological studies. METHODS: Thirty eyes of fifteen rabbits were distributed into three groups: sham group (S), that received a 0.1 ml balanced saline solution (BSS) intravitreal injection (10 eyes); group 1, that received a 1.25 mg (0.1 ml) bevacizumab intravitreal injection (10 eyes); and group 2, that received a 2.5 mg (0.1 ml) bevacizumab intravitreal injection (10 eyes). Rabbits were sacrificed 90 days after the procedure and both eyes of each rabbit were enucleated. A histological examination of neurosensorial retina and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) was performed. Its morphological features and layer thickness were also analyzed. RESULTS: No histological differences in neurosensorial retina or in retinal pigmented epithelium were found and layer thickness did not differ significantly between balanced saline solution-injected eyes and bevacizumab-injected eyes. CONCLUSION: After a 90-day follow-up period, a single 1.25 or 2.5 mg bevacizumab intravitreal injection did not lead to toxic damage in the neurosensorial retina and retinal pigment epithelium of pigmented rabbit eyes, and it appears to be a safe procedure for retinal neovascular diseases.

Keywords: Angiogenesis inhibitors; Macular degeneration; Neovascularization; pathologic; Macula lutea; Injections; Retina; Rabbits; Models, animal

Purpose: To compare the analgesic effect between dipyrone, 90 mg etoricoxib, and placebo after excision of primary pterygium with conjunctival autograft. METHODS: Prospective, randomized, double-masked clinical trial. Three groups of 26 patients (one eye per patient) were submitted to surgery and received the study drugs for five days after surgery. A scale of pain was used, graduated from zero to ten, for patient evaluation in the first, third and fifth postoperative days. The pain was classified as absent (zero), mild (1 to 3), moderate (4 to 7) and severe (8 to 10). Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS, version 11.5. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between etoricoxib and dipyrone in the first and third postoperative days (p=0.001 and p=0.01; respectively). Etoricoxib was superior to placebo only in the first postoperative day (p=0.04). There was no significance in the comparison between dipyrone and placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Analgesia of etoricoxib was superior to placebo in the first postoperative day and to dipyrone in the third and fifth days after excision of primary pterygium with conjunctival autograft. There was no significant difference between dipyrone and placebo in all time points.

Keywords: Pain; postoperative; Pterygium; Placebo; Pyridines; Dipyrone; Analgesia; Conjunctiva

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and usefulness of the use of oral sedation with midazolam (15 mg) in patients submitted to blepharoplasty. METHODS: Randomized double-blind prospective study of 42 patients (surgical risk ASA I and II) divided into three groups of 14 patients each: Group M (midazolam 15 mg), group P (placebo) and group SM (no medication). All patients were evaluated according to the degree of sedation and pain during surgery and the variation of anxiety between the preoperative and intraoperative period, arterial pressure (systolic-SAP and diastolic-DAP), respiratory frequency (RF) and pulsation. RESULTS: Unifatorial variance analysis with Tukey test demonstrated that the use of midazolam provoked a significant SAP and RF reduction during the intraoperative period. These effects were not pronounced and were accompanied by a reduction of pain perception and anxiety and mild sedation. CONCLUSIONS: Oral sedation with midazolam in patients that had undergone eyelid surgical procedures is safe and easy to perform with minimal systemic effects.

Keywords: Midazolam; Blepharoplasty; Blood pressure; Conscious sedation

Purpose: To verify the results of balloon-catheter dilatation for the treatment of congenital lacrimal duct obstruction. To the best of author's knowledge this procedure has not been previously used in Brazil and deserves scientific studies. METHODS: Children between 2 and 5 years old, with congenital lacrimal duct obstruction, were treated with balloon-catheter dilatation (Lacricath®). Catheter was introduced by the superior lacrimal punctum, under general anesthesia. RESULTS: Twenty-seven eyes were treated and 23 presented total improvement of epiphora signs and symptoms (85.2% success rate). During a one year follow-up, all the procedures had good outcomes, without complications and all the children had 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Balloon-catheter dilatation is an efficient and safe procedure and might be used for congenital lacrimal duct obstruction treatment in children older than 2 years.

Keywords: Lacrimal duct obstruction; Balloon dilatation; Children

PURPOSE: To evaluate the quality of the corneas processed by Sorocaba Eye Bank (BOS) - SP and transplanted out of the Ophthalmology Hospital of Sorocaba (HOS), as well as the corneas that had re-entered in the BOS, being transplanted or not in the HOS, during the year of 2007. METHODS: Ophthalmologists that transplanted corneas processed by BOS outside of the Ophthalmology Hospital of Sorocaba were contacted, as well as those who had used re-entried corneas, to collect the following information: period from eye enucleation until transplant, transparency of the donated tissue, time of transplant and primary failure. RESULTS: During the year of 2007, Sorocaba Eye Bank distributed three hundred and ninety-two corneas for outside HOS. From these, six had returned to BOS and had been transplanted in the Ophthalmology Hospital of Sorocaba. From those, none was rejected; however, two presented some opacity in the visual axis. After attempt to congregate information regarding the 386 transplanted corneas outside HOS, data of only 48 keratoplasty were available. The average time from the enucleation until the keratoplasty was of 5.5 days (1-13 days), and of postoperative average follow-up, 9.8 months (4-15 months). Three corneas had developed primary failure; three presented opacity in the visual axis; one presented infectious keratitis, requiring therapeutic keratoplasty; a patient died and another one lost follow-up. The other 39 corneas did not present any problems until the time this study was ended. CONCLUSION: Because of the difficulties to congregate informations of the patients transplanted in other hospitals, it is difficult to define the quality of the distributed corneas by Sorocaba Eye Bank. Thus, other analysis are necessary in order to define changes and new directions for future studies on selection and preservation of donated corneas.

Keywords: Corneal transplantation; Tissue donors; Organ preservation; Eye banks; Corneal diseases; Hospitals, special; Retrospective studies

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of vascular endothelial growth factor-specific (VEGF) monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that does not extend beneath the foveal center (nonsubfoveal CNV). METHODS: The study design was a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients over a two-month period under active treatment with bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab for neovascular AMD. Patients with neovascularization within the macula that did not extend beneath the center of the foveal avascular zone, along with at least one large drusen (>125 µ) or many intermediate size (63-124 µ) drusen were included. Best corrected Snellen visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis of the central macular thickness was recorded for each visit. Serial injections of bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab were administered until there was resolution of subretinal fluid clinically or by OCT. Data over the entire follow-up period were analyzed for overall visual acuity and OCT changes. All patients had follow-up since diagnosis of at least 6 months (mean=9.6 months). RESULTS: Of the thirteen included patients, eleven had reduction of retinal thickening in the area involved by the CNV. The remaining two patients did not have OCT data available but had no fluid or activity on clinical examination at last follow-up. One patient (8%) lost one line of vision; one (8%) remained stable, and eleven (84%) gained one or more lines of visual acuity. Three patients (23%) gained three or more lines. The average treatment outcome for all patients was a gain of 1.7 ± 1.3 lines of Snellen acuity. Both therapeutic agents were effective, with an average gain of 1.6 ± 0.6 lines for patients treated with bevacizumab, 1.5 ± 1.9 lines gained for patients treated with ranibizumab and 2.5 ± 0.7 lines gained in the two patients who received both agents over the course of their treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of intravitreal anti-VEGF agents for nonsubfoveal CNV in AMD is effective. Our results are comparable to published results from large-scale trials of anti-VEGF therapy for subfoveal CNV. Our data support the idea that bevacizumab or ranibizumab appear to be the treatment of choice for AMD patients with nonsubfoveal CNV.

Keywords: Choroidal neovascularization; Macular degeneration; Antibodies, monoclonal; Angiogenesis inhibitors; Visual acuity

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the average blinking time in conversation and in Video Display Terminal use of young adults and adults in the presbyopic age group. METHODS: A transversal analytical study in a readily accessible sample consisting of Volkswagen do Brasil - Curitiba, Paraná employees was performed. The cohort group consisted of 108 subjects divided into two age groups: Group 1, the young adult group (age range 20-39): 77 employees, mean age of 30.09 ± 5.09; Group 2, the presbyopic adult group, (age range 40-53): 31 employees, mean age of 44.17 ± 3. Subjects under 18 years of age, with a history of ocular disorders, contact lens wearers and computer non-users were excluded. The subjects had their faces filmed for 10 minutes in conversation and VDT reading. Student's t-test was used and the statistical significance level was 95%. RESULTS: The average time between blinks in Group 1 for conversation and VDT reading was 5.16 ± 1.83 and 10.42 ± 7.78 seconds, respectively; in Group 2. 4,9 ± 1.49 and 10.46 ± 5.54 seconds. In both age groups, the time between blinks in VDT reading situations was higher (p<0.0001). There was no statistically meaningful difference for conversation and VDT reading situations when the two studied age groups were compared (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There was an increase in the blinking time between young adults and the presbyopic group in VDT use situations when compared with reading situations. The difference in the blinking frequency between young adults and the presbyopic group in VDT use and reading situations was not statistically significant.

Keywords: Computer terminals; Blinking; Presbyopia; Adolescent; Adult

PURPOSE: To compare the correction of ocular aberrations between custom and standard LASIK retreatment. METHODS: Prospective, randomized trial with paired eye control of 74 eyes from 37 patients who underwent LASIK retreatment. Each patient underwent retreatment using Zyoptix LASIK (Bausch & Lomb) in 1 eye and Planoscan LASIK (Bausch & Lomb) in the fellow eye. Correction of ocular aberrations was compared between custom and standard LASIK retreatments. RESULTS: At 6 months, there was a statistically significant reduction in defocus, astigmatism, coma, spherical aberration, second, third, higher-order and total aberration in Zyoptix eyes. There was a statistically significant reduction in defocus, second-order and total aberration in Planoscan eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Custom retreatment was statistically superior than standard retreatment for correction of lower and higher ocular aberrations.

Keywords: Astigmatism; Astigmatism; Myopia; Myopia; Keratomileusis, laser in situ; Visual acuity; Retreatment

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with clinical and genetic heterogeneity. This syndrome was first described by Laurence and Moon in 1866 and additional cases were described by Bardet and Biedl between 1920 and 1922. The main features are obesity, polydactyly, pigmentary retinopathy, learning disabilities, various degrees of intellectual impairment, hypogonadism, and renal abnormalities. Bardet-Biedl syndrome is both phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. Clinical diagnosis is based on the presence of 4 of the 5 cardinal features. The authors present a typical case of pigmentary retinopathy due to Bardet-Biedl syndrome and made a brief commentary about the disease's cardinal manifestations.

Keywords: Bardet-Biedl syndrome; Retinitis pigmentosa; Retinal degeneration; Human; Female; Adolescent; Case reports

Microphthalmos is a developmental ocular disorder defined as a small eyeball. The condition can be associated with abnormalities of anterior and posterior segments. The most common anterior characteristics include corneal opacities, angle-closure and a shallow anterior chamber and cataract. The main findings of posterior segment are uveal effusion, retinal folds, abnormalities of macular capillar vascularization, absence of foveal depression and peripheral retinoschisis. Three patients with microphthalmos were assisted and their OCT features of posterior segment were analyzed. The first case had uveal effusion syndrome, choroidal and retinal detachment treated with parcial sclerectomy at the four quadrants. The other case presented with neurosensory retinal fold at fovea and papillomacular area in both eyes without involvement of retinal pigment epithelium layer and choriocapillaris. The third patient showed absence of foveal depression. The main diferencial diagnosis for this condition is foveal hypoplasia.

Keywords: Microphthalmos; Microphthalmos; Microphthalmos; Eye abnormalities; Uveal diseases; Retina; Fovea centralis; Case reports

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has proved to be a very valuable tool in the assessment of patients with glaucoma. In this report, intracranial tumors were discovered in two glaucoma suspects referred for diagnostic confirmation by OCT - a clivus chordoma and a craniopharyngeoma. Optical coherence tomography findings - marked asymmetrical diffuse attenuation of the peripapillary nerve fiber layer in nasal and temporal sectors - raised concerns about lesions in chiasmatic region and permitted the timely diagnosis of these intraocular tumors.

Keywords: Glaucoma; Optic disc; Optic chiasm; Retina; Tomography, optical coherence; Hemianopsia; Craniopharyngioma; Optic nerve diseases; Human; Male; Adult; Case reports

A case of a patient with an irregular pigmented lesion of the lower eyelid margin simulating malignant tumor, which was treated based on the results of impression cytology and diagnosed by histopathological study is presented. The importance of cytological technique is emphasized as an effective and safe method that avoids unnecessary and extensive procedures.

Keywords: Melanosis; Melanoma; Conjunctival neoplasms; Cytological techniques; Eyelid diseases; Case reports

Antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, are useful in the management of rheumatic diseases, but may cause a potentially blinding condition known as toxic maculopathy. This report describes the findings on standard and on high-resolution spectral domain ocular coherence tomography performed in a CirrusTM HD-OCTdevice in two patients with chloroquine maculopathy. In one case, a very similar aspect of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plaque atrophy occured in both angiographic and HD-OCT images obtained by "en-face" (coronal) segmentation. In another patient with clinical signs of maculopathy and no angiographic abnormalities, signs of RPE atrophy could also be observed in HD-OCT scans, raising the possibility that this technique may allow the early detection of the disease.

Keywords: Chloroquine; Retinal disease; Macula lutea; Tomography, optical coherence; Case reports

Levy-Hollister or lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome is a rare entity with autossomic dominant inheritance occuring as an isolated form or affecting many family generations. Diagnosis is based on the identification of the lacrimal drainage system abnormalities with reduction or absence of tear production and bone, teeth, salivar glands and outer ear abnormalities. A 13 year-old male patient has been followed at the Hospital Servidor Público Estadual in São Paulo due to dry eye since his first year of life. Due to the occurrence of early ocular manifestations in patients with Levy-Hollister or lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital syndrome, ophthalmologists must be aware to recognize and control this syndrome.

Keywords: Ear external; Lacrimal apparatus; Hand deformities, congenital; Hearing, loss; Salivary glands; Xerostomia; Tooth abnormalities; Syndrome; Case reports; Human; Male; Adolescent

Five retinocytoma cases diagnosed over 75 months are reported. The mean age at diagnosis was 193.2 months. Two cases were unilateral, one was bilateral and two exhibited retinoblastoma in the fellow eye. Clinical and ophthalmoscopic aspects, genetical implications and the need of treatment and continuous follow-up of retinocytoma patients are discussed.

Keywords: Retinal neoplasms; Retinal neoplasms; Retinal neoplasms; Retinal neoplasms; Retinoblastoma; Case reports

Serpiginous choroiditis is a rare ocular inflammatory disease that can lead to permanent vision loss due to macular involvement. This article reports a case of a patient with macular serpiginous choroiditis submitted to subtenon and intravitreal triamcinolone injections. The clinical aspects and differential diagnosis of this ocular disease, including fluorescein angiogram and high-resolution optical coherence tomography are discussed.

Keywords: Uveitis; Choroiditis; Retinal diseases; Chorioretinitis; Case reports

A sharp drop in the prevalence of leprosy occurred in the last three decades. However, the incidence has not decreased at the same rate. Three years after the World Health Organization last deadline for leprosy control, patients considered healed still need special care for their incapacities and immunopathological reactions. Medical literature reffers blindness in 4% to 11% of studied patients and more than 20% with severe visual problems due to corneal exposure, bacillary invasion and hipersensibility. These mechanisms result in a population of nearly one million blind leprosy patients even though official prevalence accounts no more than 250,000 patients worldwide. The author calls for better patients management and follow-up and urges ophthalmologists to become more aware and interested in the treatment of the ocular complications of leprosy.

Keywords: Leprosy; Leprosy; Blindness; Eye infections; Bacterial; Vision disorders

Bacterial endophthalmitis is a serious but uncommon intraocular infection which frequently results in vision loss. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy are associated with better visual outcome. Conventional microbiological methods are currently used for microbiological characterization of eyes with suspected endophthalmitis. However, the sensitivity of bacterial detection from aqueous and vitreous humor using microbiology techniques is poor, and time-consuming to confirm the results. The application of molecular methods enhances significantly laboratory confirmation of bacterial endophthalmitis, demanding a shorter time to draw a definitive result and thereby promoting the early initiation of a more specific therapy to limit the empirical or unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. PCR-based techniques, including post-PCR methods such RFLP, DNA probe hybridization and DNA sequencing have been successfully used for the diagnostic elucidation of clinically suspected bacterial endophthalmitis cases, showing promising application in the routine practice of ocular microbiology laboratories.

Keywords: Endophthalmitis; Eye infections, bacterial; Molecular diagnostic techniques; Polymerase chain reaction