Objective To detect the value of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound diagnosis in common ocular fundus diseases. Methods Two-dimensional (2D) images of 38 patients with common ocular fundus diseases were three-dimensionally reconstructed via 3D ultrasound workstation. The 3D images reflecting the ocular diseases were analyzed. Result In 38 patients with common ocular fundus diseases, there was vitreous hemorrhage in 16 patients, retinal detachment in 12, choroidal detachment in 5, and intraocular space occupying lesion in 5. Compared with the 2D images, 3D reconstructed images reflect the lesions more intuitionistically, displayed the relationship between the lesions and the peripheral tissues more clearly, and revealed the blood flow more specifically. During a scanning examination, 3D reconstructed technology provided the diagnostic information of section of X, Y and Z axises simultaneously which shortened the time of examination; the condition of any point of lesions and the relation between the lesion and the peripheral tissues could be gotten by the tools like cut and chop provided by 3D imaging software itself, which avoided detecting the same lesion with different angles and lays and proved the diagnostic efficacy. Conclusions 3D ultrasound diagnosis is better than 2D in diagnosis of vitreous, retina, choroid, and intraocular space occupying lesion. 3D ultrasound diagnosis is a complementarity for the 2D one, and the Z axis changes the former observational angles which may provide the new way of precise diagnosis. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005, 21: 381-383)
The human hereditary retinal degeneration is one of the main cause of irreversible blindness in the world. the mechanisms leading to retinal photoreceptor degeneration are not entirely clear. However, microglia acting as innate immune monitors are found to be activated early in retinal degeneration in many retinitis pigmentosa animal models. These activated microglia are involved in phagocyte rod cell fragments of degenerated retina, and also produce high levels of cytotoxic substances such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which aggravate the death of adjacent healthy photoreceptor cells. It suggests that microglia activation plays an important role in photoreceptor degeneration. At the same time, a series of studies have confirmed that some drugs can prevent or reduce neuronal death and slow the occurrence and progression of retinal degeneration by interfering with abnormal activation of microglia. It is expected to be a new choice for the treatment of hereditary retinal degeneration.
Objective To observe the changes of intraocular pressure (IOP) after intravitreous injection wih triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and their affected factors. Methods The clinical data of 125 patients (125eyes) who had undergone intravitreous injection with TA were retrospectively analyzed. The patients (52 males and 73 females) aged from 17 to 83 years with the average age of 56.5. There were 49 patient (39.2%) with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 56 (44.8%) with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and 20 (16.0%) with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One day before the treatment, IOP was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry, and the basic IOP was 7~31 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) and the average IOP was (14.69plusmn;3.72) mm Hg. The patients were divided into two groups according to the basic IOP:below 15 mm Hg group (n=64) and 15 mm Hg or above group (n=61). All of the patients underwent intravitreous injection with 4mg TA. IOP was measured 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after the treatment in the same way, respectively, and later was measured once every 1 month. The follow-up period was 3~21 months with the mean of 5 months. The elevation of IOP would be defined as the pressure of 21mmHg or higher. The changes of IOP in patients before and after the treatment, and with different diseases and ages were analyzed. Results Thirty-six patients (28.8%) had elevation of IOP after the treatment, out of whom 97.2% had the elevation within 3 months after the injection and decreased to the basic level 7 months after the injection. In these patients, there were 11 (17.19%) in the below 15 mm Hg group and 25 (40.98%) in 15 mm Hg or above group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.01）. During the followup period, the mean maximum IOP was (20.09plusmn;7.58) mmHg, which was 5.43 mmHg higher than that before the treatment（P＜0.001）. The mean maximum IOP of 53 patients (42.4%) after the treatment was 5 mm Hg higher than that before the treatment. The mean maximum IOP during the followup period was （18.19plusmn;4.73）mmHg in DR group，（22.50plusmn;9.30）mmHg in RVO group, and（18.12plusmn;6.09）mmHg in AMD group. The occurrence of the elevation of IOP in RVO group was obviously higher than that in the other 2 groups (P＜0.01）. The result of regression analysis showed that age was correlative with the elevation of IOP after the treatment: more risks of occurrence of high IOP were found in younger patients (P=0.000). Conclusion Elevation of IOP after intravitreous injection with TA is common, which is correlative with the basic IOP, age, and pathogeny. After the intravitreous injection with TA, the elevation of IOP often occurs in patients with high basic IOP before treatment, younger age, and RVO. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2007, 23: 115-117)