DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF A BIORBITAL PENCIL INJURY

A 9-year-old girl was wounded by a pencil which entered the right orbit and passed towards the left. The broken part remained inside. The diagnosis was delayed for 9 months since the history and the symptoms were misleading. The pencil, which could not be detected with plain X-rays, was demonstrated with computerized tomography (CT) and removed from the orbit successfully. The case is presented to emphasize the contribution of CT to the perforating injuries of the orbit with wooden particles. Importance of orbital foreign bodies in the differential diagnosis of proptosis in the pediatric age group is also discussed

Effects of topically applied prostaglandin F2 alpha tromethamine salt on glaucomatous human eyes

Prostaglandin F2 alpha(PGF2 alpha) as its tromethamine salt was topically applied, and hypotensive and other ocular effects were studied, in glaucomatous human eyes. After baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements, 100 mu g PGF2 alpha tromethamine salt dissolved in 50 mu l saline was applied to 23 glaucomatous eyes of 20 patients. The pretreatment diurnal IOP values of the same eye served as control group. It was found that in comparison with baseline values, PGF2 alpha caused significant but transient elevation in IOP in the first half-hour (mean 1.95 mm Hg, p < 0.01), but it decreased below baseline values at the first hour. A significant decrease in IOP from baseline was observed at the 2nd hour (p < 0.05), which became more prominent between the 4th and 24th hours (p < 0.001). PGF2 alpha produced a maximal IOP reduction of 10.21 mm Hg at the 12th hour (p < 0.001). The IOP differences between PGF2 alpha-treated and control groups were significant between the 4th and 24th hours (p < 0.001), with the maximal IOP difference of 9.21 mm Hg at the 12th hour (p < 0.001). PGF2 alpha caused marked conjunctival hyperaemia in all eyes. Aqueous flare and cellular response were not seen in any of the eyes. Half of the patients experienced ocular smarting or a foreign-body sensation, periocular pain and headache. PGF2 alpha reduced IOP effectively in glaucomatous human eyes

Effects of topically applied prostaglandin F2 alpha on normotensive human eyes

The ocular effects of topical prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) were studied in normotensive human eyes. PGF2 alpha as tromethamine salt, 100 mu g, was applied to one eye of 23 normotensive subjects, intraocular pressure (IOP) and pupil size were measured, objective and subjective findings recorded during the first 24 h. Tonography was performed in 10 subjects. As compared with the baseline, PGF2 alpha caused a significant IOP reduction between 1 and 24 h (p 0.05)