Integrated system of phytodepuration for agro-industrial waste water –An eco friendly technology

The integrated system of phytodepuration (ISP) is a biotechnology  based on the combination of phytodepuration in pluriculture and conventional depuration (sewage treatment) technology .It is different from other conventional phytodepurative system in this technology chemical products such as flocculants and disinfectants not required and due to no sludge production it is an ecofriendly technology which is safer to environment

Optic Neuropathy from Cobalt Toxicity in a Patient who Ingested Cattle Magnets

Cobalt is a widely used in the industrial production of hard metals. Cobalt ingestion has been reported to cause widespread systemic toxicity, but its effects on vision have been sparsely reported. The authors report the case of a patient who ingested cattle magnets, which remained in his stomach for an unknown duration of time. These magnets largely consist of cobalt that gradually leached into his blood stream, resulting in protean systemic manifestations, which included optic atrophy

Pyknodysostosis: A rare case report

Pyknodysostosis is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the postnatal onset of short limbs, short stature, and generalized hyperostosis along with acro-osteolysis with sclerosis of the terminal phalanges, a feature that is considered essentially pathognomonic. Other features include persistence of fontanelles, delayed closure of sutures, wormian bones, absence of frontal sinuses, and obtuse mandibular gonial angle with relative mandibular prognathism. Here, we report a case of pyknodysostosis found to be having the classical features during intraoral examination and general physical examination

Cataracts induced by neodymium-yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser lysis of vitreous floaters

Neodymium-yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser vitreolysis has been proposed as a treatment modality for symptomatic vitreous floaters. The purpose of this paper is to report two cases of cataracts associated with posterior capsular compromise, induced by Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters. Case series. Two patients who underwent ND:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic floaters, presented with decline in visual acuity in the treated eye after the laser procedure. At the slit-lamp biomicroscope, each patient was found to have a posterior subcapsular cataract in the treated eye, with obvious loss of integrity of the posterior capsule. These two patients underwent cataract extraction by the same surgeon via phacoemulsification. Both eyes were found to have a defect in the posterior capsule intraoperatively. In both cases, a three-piece acrylic intraocular lens implant was placed in the sulcus, achieving optic capture. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 in both patients, at 1 month following the surgery. At 2 months, one patient had a BCVA of 20/15. The second patient maintained a BCVA of 20/20 at 3 months. Secondary cataract formation accompanied by loss of integrity of the posterior capsule is a potential complication of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic floaters

Surgical outcomes of inflammatory glaucoma: a comparison of trabeculectomy and glaucoma-drainage-device implantation

Our aim was to compare surgical outcomes of trabeculectomy and nonvalved glaucoma-drainage-device (GDD) implantation in eyes with chronic inflammatory glaucoma and uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP).A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with glaucomatous optic neuropathy, chronic anterior or posterior segment inflammation, and ≥6 months postoperative follow-up. All eyes underwent trabeculectomy with either antifibrotic therapy or implantation of a Baerveldt GDD (Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Park, IL, USA). Failure was defined as IOP >21 mmHg, <20 % reduction below baseline or IOP <5 mmHg on two consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months, reoperation for glaucoma, or loss of light-perception vision. Statistical methods consisted of Student’s t tests, χ2 test, and Kaplan–Meier time to failure analysis.Nineteen trabeculectomies of 42 patients were followed for a mean of 31 ± 23 and 23 GDD eyes for a mean of 39 ± 19 months (P = 0.22). At last follow-up, mean IOP (11.83 ± 4.59 and 13.15 ± 6.11 mmHg, P = 0.45) and number of glaucoma medications (1.28 ± 1.56 and 1.26 ± 1.25, P = 0.97) were similar between the trabeculectomy and GDD groups. The frequency and types of postoperative complications in both groups were similar. The cumulative probability of failure after 5 years of follow-up was significantly greater in trabeculectomy eyes (62 %) compared with GDD eyes (25 %) (P = 0.006).Nonvalved tube-shunt surgery was more likely to maintain IOP control and avoid reoperation than trabeculectomy with antifibrotic therapy in eyes with chronic inflammatory glaucoma

Penicillamine induced pseudoxanthoma elasticum with elastosis perforans serpiginosa

Long term D-penicillamine therapy, especially when used to treat Wilson′s disease has been shown to cause elastosis perforans serpiginosa, pseudoxanthoma elasticum perforans and other degenerative dermatoses. We report a 23-year-old male patient who presented with multiple firm papules, nodules over the neck, axillae, front of elbows for five years. He was a known case of Wilson′s disease on long-term treatment with penicillamine for the past 12 years. The papulonodular lesions were non-tender and some were discrete while others were arranged in a circinate pattern. There was central scarring of the skin within the circinate lesions. In addition, there were several small yellowish papules on both sides of the neck which eventually became confluent to form plaques. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of elastosis perforans serpiginosa and pseudoxanthoma elasticum. He was treated with cryotherapy (using liquid nitrogen through cryojet) for former lesions. The lesions showed remarkable improvement after five sittings. Now the patient is under trientine hydrochloride (750 mg twice daily) for Wilson′s disease

The Impact of Surgical Intraocular Pressure Reduction on Visual Function Using Various Criteria to Define Visual Field Progression

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of surgical Intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction on visual function using various methods to define visual field (VF) progression. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on consecutive glaucoma patients who underwent surgical IOP reduction between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2007. All subjects had glaucomatous optic neuropathy, a minimum of 5 preoperative and 5 postoperative visual fields, and were followed for a minimum of 2 years both before and after surgery. VF progression was determined using Guided Progression Analysis (GPA), linear regression analysis of the visual-field index (VFI), and individual sensitivity values using Progressor(™) software. RESULTS: Seventeen eyes of 17 patients (mean age 77.9 ± 9.9 years) were enrolled. Subjects were followed for a mean 5.8 ± 2.4 years prior to surgery and 4.5 ± 1.5 years following surgery. Mean postoperative IOP (11.3 ± 4.2mmHg) and medications (1.3 ± 1.3) were significantly (p<0.001 and p=0.01) reduced compared with prior to surgery (18.0 ± 3.9mmHg, 2.4 ± 0.9 respectively). The number of eyes judged to have VF progression using any method during the postoperative period (3 of 17, 17.6%) was significantly (p=0.03) reduced compared to the preoperative period (9 of 17 eyes, 52.9%). Using VFI criteria, 8 eyes were judged to have preoperative VF progression and 1 eye had persistent VF progression during the postoperative period. None of the eyes judged to have preoperative VF progression using EMGT (n=4) and Progressor criteria (n=1) demonstrated persistent VF progression during the postoperative period. Among eyes with preoperative VF progression, the postoperative slope of mean deviation (−0.21 ± 0.23 db/yr) was significantly (p=0.03) reduced compared with prior to surgery (−1.01 ± 0.23 db/yr). CONCLUSIONS: Despite differences in the criteria used to define visual field progression, glaucoma surgical IOP reduction significantly reduces the incidence and rate of visual field progression