Physiology and Psychology of Vision and Its Disorders: A Review

The purpose of this review is to bring together to the physiology and psychology of vision and to analyze, based on our own data and on the available literature, the relationship between sight loss and individual reactions. As recent treatments for depression are often effective and have few side-effects, ophthalmologists should consider referral for treatment of depression in patients suffering from vision impairment. For this reason, vision rehabilitation should be more readily available and recommende

Subclinical Macular Edema Detected by Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) in HLA-B27 Positive Anterior Uveitis

Purpose: To assess foveal thickness by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) during acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in HLA–B27 patients. Methods: Foveal thickness was measured at baseline and after clinical resolution of the uveitis. Data of the affected eyes of 11 patients were compared to those of a fellow, healthy eyes and to those of counterpart volunteers. Results: At baseline mean foveal thickness ± SD) was 190 ± 28 µm in affected eyes, 166 ± 20 ï­m in fellow eyes (p < 0.001), and 162±14 µm in control group (p = 0.01). On the second OCT evaluation, no significant change was observed in affected eyes while the difference versus fellow eyes and control group remained statistically significant. Conclusions: A significant increase in foveal thickness was observed in eyes with HLA –B27 AAU when compared with healthy eyes. The difference persisted for at least one month, despite full clinical and functional recover

Physiology and Psychology of Vision and Its Disorders: A Review

The purpose of this review is to bring together to the physiology and psychology of vision and to analyze, based on our own data and on the available literature, the relationship between sight loss and individual reactions. As recent treatments for depression are often effective and have few side-effects, ophthalmologists should consider referral for treatment of depression in patients suffering from vision impairment. For this reason, vision rehabilitation should be more readily available and recommende

Subclinical Macular Edema Detected by Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) in HLA-B27 Positive Anterior Uveitis

Purpose: To assess foveal thickness by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) during acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in HLA–B27 patients. Methods: Foveal thickness was measured at baseline and after clinical resolution of the uveitis. Data of the affected eyes of 11 patients were compared to those of a fellow, healthy eyes and to those of counterpart volunteers. Results: At baseline mean foveal thickness ± SD) was 190 ± 28 µm in affected eyes, 166 ± 20 m in fellow eyes (p < 0.001), and 162±14 µm in control group (p = 0.01). On the second OCT evaluation, no significant change was observed in affected eyes while the difference versus fellow eyes and control group remained statistically significant. Conclusions: A significant increase in foveal thickness was observed in eyes with HLA –B27 AAU when compared with healthy eyes. The difference persisted for at least one month, despite full clinical and functional recover

Bilateral Simultaneous Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Associated with Sildenafil

We report a case of simultaneous bilateral nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) due to sildenafil use. A 55-year-old man with an unremarkable medical history presented simultaneous bilateral NAION 8 months after continuous use of sildenafil 4-5 times a month. At presentation, visual acuity (VA) was 0.7 in the right eye (RE) and 0.9 in the left eye (LE). The visual field showed an inferior altitudinal defect in both eyes and a fundus examination revealed prominent optic disc edema in the RE and a crowded optic disc in the LE. The patient was counseled to discontinue sildenafil, and 3 weeks later VA was 1.0 in both eyes and the optic disc edema in the RE was resolved. However, a visual field defect remained in the RE. Three months later, visual fields were unchanged. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of simultaneous bilateral NAION due to sildenafil use

Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of HPV Ocular Surface Infections

Editorial/no abstrac

Surgical anatomy for the treatment of ocular cancer by Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832)

Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832) (Fig.1) was one of the most famous anatomists during the second half of 18th and the early 19th century, being a professor of anatomy at the Universities of Modena and Pavia. He is considered as the “Father of Italian ophthalmology”, because he wrote the first study for ocular diseases in Italian. His studies on ocular cancer did not offer only a detailed analysis of the disease but also a description of a unique surgical technique for its treatment based on the surgical and clinical anatomy of this disease

Anterior segment granuloma and optic nerve involvement as the presenting signs of systemic sarcoidosis

Marilita M Moschos1, Yan Guex-Crosier21Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece; 2Jules Gonin Eye Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandPurpose: To report a case with anterior and posterior nodules associated with systemic sarcoidosis.Methods: A patient with decreased vision underwent complete ophthalmologic examination, ultrasound biomicroscopy, fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography.Results: The patient presented a nodule of the iris of the OS and of the optic nerves of both eyes. Chest computed tomography and tissue biopsy established the diagnosis.Conclusions: Fluorescein and ICG angiography are the only objective exams to demonstrate the extent of ocular involvement in a patient with sarcoidosis.Keywords: sarcoidosis, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine angiograph

Giant cell arteritis: A rare cause of posterior vasculitis

PURPOSE: To report three cases of posterior vasculitis associated with subacute giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: Three patients with decreased vision underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and fluorescein angiography. RESULTS: All patients presented posterior vasculitis. Patient 1 had an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 38 mm/hr and a C-reactive protein (CRP) of 28mg/L. Patient 2 and 3 had an ESR of 104 and 95 mm/hr and a CRP of 42 and 195 mg/L accordingly. Diagnosis was established by temporal artery biopsy. Resolution was observed after systemic prednisolone therapy. CONCLUSION: GCA should be suspected when posterior vasculitis and relatively high ESR and CRP are present

Cystoid macular edema

We review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and etiology of cystoid macular edema (CME). Inflammatory, diabetic, post-cataract, and macular edema due to age-related macular degeneration is described. The role of chronic inflammation and hypoxia and direct macular traction is evaluated in each case according to different views from the literature. The different diagnostic methods for evaluating the edema are described. Special attention is given to fluoroangiography and the most modern methods of macula examination, such as ocular coherence tomography and multifocal electroretinography. Finally, we discuss the treatment of cystoid macular edema in relation to its etiology. In this chapter we briefly refer to the therapeutic value of laser treatment especially in diabetic maculopathy or vitrectomy in some selected cases. Our paper is focused mainly on recent therapeutic treatment with intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide and anti-VEGF factors like bevacizumab (Avastin), ranibizumab (Lucentis), pegaptamid (Macugen), and others. The goal of this paper is to review the current status of this treatment for macular edema due to diabetic maculopathy, central retinal vein occlusion and post-cataract surgery. For this reason the results of recent multicenter clinical trials are quoted, as also our experience on the use of intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF factors and we discuss its value in clinical practice