Selective laser trabeculoplasty: past, present, and future

Over the past two decades, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has increasingly become an established laser treatment used to lower intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients. In this review we trace the origins of SLT from previous argon laser trabeculoplasty and review the current role it has in clinical practice. We outline future directions of SLT research and introduce emerging technologies that are further developing this intervention in the treatment paradigm of glaucoma.Eye advance online publication, 5 January 2018; doi:10.1038/eye.2017.273

Cytomegaloviral colitis in HIV positive patients: endoscopic findings Colite por citomegalovírus em pacientes HIV positivo: aspectos endoscópicos

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea in seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients is one of the most important and disabling symptoms, and often decreases their quality of life. Cytomegalovirus colitis is among the principal causes of this symptom and colonoscopy is the gold standard examination to diagnose it. AIM: To define the main endoscopic findings in seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients with cytomegalovirus colitis. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-three colonoscopies were performed in 200 seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients with diarrhea associated or not to abdominal pain or gastrointestinal bleeding, over 10-year period, whom 51 patients were diagnosed with cytomegalovirus colitis. Full length colonoscopy with ileum intubation was always tried and multiple biopsies of all segments examined, including endoscopically normal segments, were attempted. All diagnoses were confirmed by histologic and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: Total colonoscopy was possible in 98.03% and ileum intubation in 88.23% of these cytomegalovirus colitis patients. At colonoscopy, a heterogeneous ulcerative pattern was presented in 72.54%, an inflammatory process of the mucosa in 21.56% and 5.88% of the patients mucosa was endoscopically normal. CONCLUSION: Full length colonoscopy with ileum intubation and multiples biopsies of all segments, even when they are endoscopically normal, have always to be attempted in cases of seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patient with diarrhea.<br>RACIONAL: Diarréia em pacientes soropositivos para o vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida é um dos sintomas mais importantes e debilitantes e freqüentemente reduz sua qualidade de vida. Colite por citomegalovírus está entre as principais causas desse sintoma e a colonoscopia é o exame padrão-ouro para seu diagnóstico. OBJETIVO: Definir os principais achados endoscópicos em pacientes HIV+ com colite por citomegalovírus. MÉTODO: Duzentas e quarenta e três colonoscopias foram realizadas em 200 pacientes HIV+ com diarréia associada ou não à dor abdominal ou sangramento gastrointestinal, em período de 10 anos, dos quais 51 pacientes foram diagnosticados com colite por citomegalovírus. Colonoscopia total com entubação ileal foi sempre tentada e múltiplas biopsias de todos os segmentos, incluindo segmentos endoscopicamente normais, foram realizadas. Todos os resultados foram confirmados por estudos histológicos e imunoistoquímicos. RESULTADOS: A colonoscopia total foi possível em 98,03% e entubação ileal em 88,23% dos pacientes com colite por citomegalovírus. Nestes pacientes, identificou-se padrão ulcerativo heterogêneo em 72,54%, processo inflamatório da mucosa em 21,56% e mucosa de aspecto normal em 5,93% das colonoscopias. CONCLUSÃO: Podemos concluir que colonoscopia total com entubação ileal com múltiplas biopsias de todos os segmentos, mesmo quando são endoscopicamente normais, têm que ser sempre realizadas em casos de pacientes HIV+ com diarréia

Comparison of five commercial serological tests for the detection of anti-Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies.

Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis-specific antibodies is valuable in investigating recurrent miscarriage, tubal infertility and extrauterine pregnancy. We compared here the performance of immunofluorescence (IF) to four other commercial tests in detecting IgG antibodies directed against C. trachomatis: two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) as the antigen, commercialised respectively by Medac and R-Biopharm (RB), one ELISA using the chlamydial heat shock protein 60 (cHSP60) as the antigen (Medac), as well as a new automated epifluorescence immunoassay (InoDiag). A total of 405 patients with (n = 251) and without (n = 154) miscarriages were tested by all five tests. The prevalence of C. trachomatis-specific IgG antibodies as determined by the IF, cHSP60-Medac, MOMP-Medac, MOMP-RB and InoDiag was 14.3, 23.2, 14.3, 11.9 and 26.2%, respectively. InoDiag exhibited the highest sensitivity, whereas MOMP-RB showed the best specificity. Cross-reactivity was observed with C. pneumoniae using IF, MOMP-RB and InoDiag, and Parachlamydia acanthamoebae using the cHSP60 ELISA test. No cross-reactivity was observed between C. trachomatis and the other Chlamydiales (Neochlamydia hartmannellae, Waddlia chondrophila and Simkania negevensis). Given its high sensitivity, the new automated epifluorescence immunoassay from InoDiag represents an interesting alternative. The MOMP-based ELISA of R-Biopharm should be preferred for large serological studies, given the high throughput of ELISA and its excellent specificity