Alcoholic liver disease and bilateral multifocal central serous retinopathy:a case report

INTRODUCTION: We present a unique case of a patient with bilateral, multifocal central serous retinopathy in a patient with alcoholic liver disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old Caucasian man with alcoholic liver disease, liver cirrhosis and ascites presented to the eye clinic. The ophthalmoscopic examination of both eyes revealed a symmetrical pattern of variably sized, slightly yellowish, translucent, raised lesions throughout the fundi which were confirmed to be caused by multifocal central serous retinopathy after optical coherence tomography and autofluoresence tests. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the possible link between central serous retinopathy and end-stage liver disease, with potential implications for the pathogenesis of central serous retinopathy in these patients

Antenna-assisted picosecond control of nanoscale phase transition in vanadium dioxide

Nanoscale devices in which the interaction with light can be configured using external control signals hold great interest for next-generation optoelectronic circuits. Materials exhibiting a structural or electronic phase transition offer a large modulation contrast with multi-level optical switching and memory functionalities. In addition, plasmonic nanoantennas can provide an efficient enhancement mechanism for both the optically induced excitation and the readout of materials strategically positioned in their local environment. Here, we demonstrate picosecond all-optical switching of the local phase transition in plasmonic antenna-vanadium dioxide (VO2) hybrids, exploiting strong resonant field enhancement and selective optical pumping in plasmonic hotspots. Polarization- and wavelength-dependent pump-probe spectroscopy of multifrequency crossed antenna arrays shows that nanoscale optical switching in plasmonic hotspots does not affect neighboring antennas placed within 100 nm of the excited antennas. The antenna-assisted pumping mechanism is confirmed by numerical model calculations of the resonant, antenna-mediated local heating on a picosecond time scale. The hybrid, nanoscale excitation mechanism results in 20 times reduced switching energies and 5 times faster recovery times than a VO2 film without antennas, enabling fully reversible switching at over two million cycles per second and at local switching energies in the picojoule range. The hybrid solution of antennas and VO2 provides a conceptual framework to merge the field localization and phase-transition response, enabling precise, nanoscale optical memory functionalities

High-dose antioxidants for central serous chorioretinopathy; The randomized placebo-controlled study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To determine the efficacy of high-dose antioxidants in the acute stage of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a randomized placebo-controlled study. The patients with acute CSC (onset within 6 weeks) were randomized to receive either high-dose antioxidant tablets (study group A) or placebo tablets (control group B) for 3 months or until the complete resolution of subretinal fluid. After 3 months, additional treatment with laser or photodynamic therapy (PDT) was considered if any fluorescein leakage persisted. The outcomes measured were the changes in visual acuity (VA) and central macular thickness (CMT), the number of patients with subretinal fluid at each follow-up time, the number of patients with fluorescein leakage at the end of the 3^rd month and patients who received additional treatments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-one of 58 patients (88%) completed the follow-up criteria. The baseline demographic data were comparable in both groups. At the end of the 3^rd month, the VA and CMT showed no statistical difference between the groups but the patients in group A has less fluorescein leakage and additional treatments than in group B (p = 0.027 and 0.03).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The high-dose antioxidants for acute CSC did not show any benefits in VA and CMT. However, the drugs might decrease the chance for fluorescein leakage and additional treatments at the end of the 3^rd month.</p