Hémianopsie latérale homonyme post-traumatique et atteinte des cellules ganglionnaires : à propos de 3 cas

Homonymous lateral hemianopia follows an attack on the contralateral retrochiasmal visual pathways. In three patients with post-traumatic homonymous hemianopia, optical coherence tomographic (OCT) study of the ganglion cell layer thickness showed hemiretinal thinning contralateral to the visual field defect. This involvement could be explained by trans-synaptic degeneration of the pre-geniculate visual pathways, whose cell nuclei correspond to ganglion cells, which synapse with the damaged retrogeniculate visual pathways

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: A Narrative Review of the Issues in Screening and Management From a Panel of European Experts.

Maternal primary and non-primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy can result in in utero transmission to the developing fetus. Congenital CMV (cCMV) can result in significant morbidity, mortality or long-term sequelae, including sensorineural hearing loss, the most common sequela. As a leading cause of congenital infections worldwide, cCMV infection meets many of the criteria for screening. However, currently there are no universal programs that offer maternal or neonatal screening to identify infected mothers and infants, no vaccines to prevent infection, and no efficacious and safe therapies available for the treatment of maternal or fetal CMV infection. Data has shown that there are several maternal and neonatal screening strategies, and diagnostic methodologies, that allow the identification of those at risk of developing sequelae and adequately detect cCMV. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered in this field. Well-designed clinical trials to address several facets of CMV treatment (in pregnant women, CMV-infected fetuses and both symptomatic and asymptomatic neonates and children) are required. Prevention (vaccines), biology and transmission factors associated with non-primary CMV, and the cost-effectiveness of universal screening, all demand further exploration to fully realize the ultimate goal of preventing cCMV. In the meantime, prevention of primary infection during pregnancy should be championed to all by means of hygiene education

Étude du fond d’œil en fonction de l’âge dans le pseudoxanthome élastique chez 158 patients

PURPOSE: To study the prevalence of fundus anomalies among patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum as a function of their age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients have had a complete ophthalmologic examination in multidisciplinary consultation for PXE in a national reference center. RESULTS: Hundred and fifty-eight patients (60 men and 98 women aged from 10 to 90 years old, mean 45±17 years) were included in a cross-sectional retrospective study. All fundus pictures were retrospectively reviewed over 9 years. Peau d\u27orange (55.6 %), was the first fundus feature observed in younger patients and disappeared with age. Angioid streaks (100 %), appeared during the second decade of life: at first hypofluorescent and then hyperfluorescent after 40 years old. Crystalline bodies (54.1 %), optic nerve head drusen (19 %) and peripheral pigmentation (39.9 %) were found in the various age groups. Macular atrophy (33.5 %) could have resulted from subretinal neovascularization (40.8 %), pattern dystrophies (7.9 %) or subretinal fibrosis (5.3 %). The onset of neovascularization appeared during the fourth decade. DISCUSSION: Progressive centrifugal calcification of Bruch\u27s membrane is the cause of the many fundus features observed in PXE patients. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the natural history of PXE can help the clinician explain and reassure patients about the evolving risks of ophthalmological involvement, particularly the fact that neovascular complications arise from the fourth decade

L’anesthésie topique sans recours à un médecin anesthésiste dans la chirurgie de la cataracte ambulatoire de l’adulte : évaluation des critères de sélection en consultation, à propos de 248 cas

INTRODUCTION: This work aims to evaluate selection criteria used during the cataract surgery scheduling visit, to choose whether or not there will be an anesthesiologist available during the surgery, depending upon the patient\u27s comorbidities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study performed in 2016 in Angers university medical center. Two groups were established on the cataract surgery scheduling visit, based on patients\u27 comorbidities and vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate). One group of patients were operated with topical anesthesia, with the anesthesia team, the other one only with blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, with, if needed, a written protocol of sedation or blood pressure control, which could be administrated by a circulating nurse. Those two groups were compared in terms of postoperative complications, intraoperative pain and postoperative visual acuity. RESULTS: 248 surgeries were performed on 185 individual patients, with 108 under stand-alone topical anesthesia, and 135 under anesthetist-monitored topical anesthesia. No significant difference was demonstrated between the two groups, in terms of complications, intraoperative pain or visual acuity outcomes. DISCUSSION: This study allows us to assess selection criteria used in our hospital to determine which patients can undergo cataract surgery under topical anesthesia without the anesthesia team. This procedure lowers organizational constraints while still insuring patient safety. Some patients still probably need an anesthesiologist present, such as those with an unstable disease or risk of agitation, in order to optimize the medications administered during surgery

Diversité des méthodes utilisées par les laboratoires français pour la surveillance des infections à cytomégalovirus humain

Monitoring cytomegalovirus circulating viral load is an important parameter of the follow-up in immunocompromised patients. It can be measured either by DNAemia or by pp65 antigenemia. The French national reference center for cytomegaloviruses organized an investigation of practice in 37 teacher hospital virology laboratories to assess the situation in France in 2010. Methods A questionnaire was sent to collect following information: method used in routine for monitoring of circulating viral load of CMV, assay used, sample matrix and extraction method. Results Thirty-six over thirty-seven laboratories filled the questionnaire. Among these, 67% used the quantitative PCR in routine, 11% antigenemia and 22% antigenemia or quantitative PCR; 87% of the laboratories use whole blood for quantitative PCR, whereas 10% and 3% use plasma and leukocytes respectively. Among the laboratories using DNAemia, 100% used real-time PCR assays, 91% use an automated extraction and 9% a manual extraction. Conclusion Thus in France, measurement of DNAemia by real-time PCR is a tool, which gradually replaces the antigenemia for the monitoring of cytomegalovirus infection among immunocompromised patients. The very great diversity of the methods used justifies the installation of a national quality control on total blood, matrix used by 87% of the laboratories

Les troubles visuels au cours de la maladie d’Alzheimer

Principale cause de démence chez le sujet âgé, la maladie d’Alzheimer est caractérisée par l’association de troubles mnésiques, d’un syndrome aphaso-apraxo-agnosique et d’un retentissement fonctionnel. Des symptômes visuels peuvent être présents et parfois dominer le tableau, notamment lors de l’atrophie corticale postérieure, décrite comme la « variante visuelle de la maladie d’Alzheimer ». Les patients et leurs proches rapportent ainsi fréquemment des difficultés de lecture, d’écriture, ou de reconnaissance visuelle. Hormis les agnosies visuelles, d’autres anomalies neuro-ophtalmologiques peuvent expliquer cette symptomatologie : atteinte hémianopsique du champ visuel, neuropathies optiques et mouvements oculaires anormaux. L’objectif de cet article est de faire la liste des troubles visuels retrouvés dans la maladie d’Alzheimer

The changing patterns of group politics in Britain

Two interpretations of ways in which group politics in Britain have presented challenges to democracy are reviewed: neo-corporatism or pluralistic stagnation and the rise of single issue interest groups. The disappearance of the first paradigm created a political space for the second to emerge. A three-phase model of group activity is developed: a phase centred around production interests, followed by the development of broadly based 'other regarding' groups, succeeded by fragmented, inner directed groups focusing on particular interests. Explanations of the decay of corporatism are reviewed. Single issue group activity has increased as party membership has declined and is facilitated by changes in traditional media and the development of the internet. Such groups can overload the policy-making process and frustrate depoliticisation. Debates about the constitution and governance have largely ignored these issues and there is need for a debate

Blue light-filtering intraocular lenses and post-operative mood: a pilot clinical study

The purpose of the study was to determine if implantation of blue-filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) affects post-operative mood, inducing more depression, compared to patients undergoing implantation with conventional IOLs. The study was conducted at the Angers University Hospital, France. This was a prospective with a lowercase pilot study, including consecutive patients planned to undergo cataract surgery in both eyes within 1 week. The same type of IOL was used in both eyes of each patient. The choice of IOL was not randomized but driven by the habits and experience of each participating surgeon. Cognitively healthy patients (an MMSE score higher than 25) were assessed before and after surgery, using the 30-item geriatric depression scale (GDS) to seek symptoms of depression. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the association between the type of IOL and the 30-item GDS score improvement during the 3 months after lens implantation, while adjusting for participants\u27 characteristics (age, visual acuity). Blue-filtering IOLs were used in 16 patients (mean +/- standard deviation, 75.6 +/- 7.5 years; 75 % female), and untinted IOLs in 18 patients (77.3 +/- 6.9 years; 77.8 %female). Pre-operatively visual acuity and GDS scores were comparable in the two groups. The post-operative GDS score was improved by 1.91 +/- 3.10 points in the whole sample (P = 0.002), as well as in each subgroup of patients. Three months after surgery, the mean change in GDS score did not differ between groups (P = 0.365), nor did the mean visual acuity (P = 0.198)

Mitochondrial dysfunction affecting visual pathways

Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to cellular energetic impairment, which may affect the visual pathways, from the retina to retrochiasmal structures. The most common mitochondrial optic neuropathies include Leber\u27s hereditary optic neuropathy and autosomal dominant optic atrophy, but the optic nerve can be affected in other syndromic conditions, such as Wolfram syndrome and Friedreich\u27s ataxia. These disorders may result from mutations in either the mitochondrial DNA or in the nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Despite the inconstant genotype-phenotype correlations, a clinical classification of mitochondrial disorders may be made on the basis of distinct neuro-ophthalmic presentations such as optic neuropathy, pigmentary retinopathy and retrochiasmal visual loss. Although no curative treatments are available at present, recent advances throw new light on the pathophysiology of mitochondrial disorders. Current research raises hopes for novel treatment of hereditary optic neuropathies, particularly through the use of new drugs and mitochondrial gene therapy

Metabolomic Profiling of Aqueous Humor in Glaucoma Points to Taurine and Spermine Deficiency: Findings from the Eye-D Study

We compared the metabolomic profile of aqueous humor from patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG; n = 26) with that of a group of age- and sex-matched non-POAG controls (n = 26), all participants undergoing cataract surgery. Supervised paired partial least-squares discriminant analysis showed good predictive performance for test sets with a median area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.89 and a p-value of 0.0087. Twenty-three metabolites allowed discrimination between the two groups. Univariate analysis after the Benjamini-Hochberg correction showed significant differences for 13 of these metabolites. The POAG metabolomic signature indicated reduced concentrations of taurine and spermine and increased concentrations of creatinine, carnitine, three short-chain acylcarnitines, 7 amino acids (glutamine, glycine, alanine, leucine, isoleucine, hydroxyl-proline, and acetyl-ornithine), 7 phosphatidylcholines, one lysophosphatidylcholine, and one sphingomyelin. This suggests an alteration of metabolites involved in osmoprotection (taurine and creatinine), neuroprotection (spermine, taurine, and carnitine), amino acid metabolism (7 amino acids and three acylcarnitines), and the remodeling of cell membranes drained by the aqueous humor (hydroxyproline and phospholipids). Five of these metabolic alterations, already reported in POAG plasma, concern spermine, C3 and C4 acylcarnitines, PC aa 34:2, and PC aa 36:4, thus highlighting their importance in the pathogenesis of glaucoma