Perception is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of external stimuli through the senses. Visual stimuli are electromagnetic waves that interact with the eye and elicit a sensation. Sensations, indeed, imply the detection, resolution, and recognition of objects and images, and their accuracy depends on the integrity of the visual system. In clinical practice, evaluating the integrity of the visual system relies greatly on the assessment of visual acuity, that is to say on the capacity to identify a signal. Visual acuity, indeed, is of utmost importance for diagnosing and monitoring ophthalmological diseases. Visual acuity is a function that detects the presence of a stimulation (a signal) and resolves its detail(s). This is the case of a symbol like “E”: the stimulus is detected, then it is resolved as three horizontal bars and a vertical bar. In fact, within the clinical setting visual acuity is usually measured with alphanumeric symbols and is a three-step process that involves not only detection and resolution, but, due to the semantic content of letters and numbers, their recognition. Along with subjective (psychophysical) procedures, objective methods that do not require the active participation of the observer have been proposed to estimate visual acuity in non-collaborating subjects, malingerers, or toddlers. This paper aims to explain the psychophysical rationale underlying the measurement of visual acuity and revise the most common procedures used for its assessment.
Backgrounds: To assess changes in anterior segment biometry during accommodation using a swept source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods: One hundred-forty participants were consecutively recruited in the current study. Each participant underwent SS-OCT scanning at 0 and -3 diopter (D) accommodative stress after refractive compensation, and ocular parameters including anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior and posterior lens curvature, lens thickness (LT) and lens diameter were recorded. Anterior segment length (ASL) was defined as ACD plus LT. Lens central point (LCP) was defined as ACD plus half of the LT. The accommodative response was calculated as changes in total optical power during accommodation. Results: Compared to non-accommodative status, ACD (2.952±0.402 vs. 2.904±0.382 mm, P<0.001), anterior (10.771±1.801 vs. 10.086±1.571 mm, P<0.001) and posterior lens curvature (5.894±0.435 vs. 5.767±0.420 mm, P<0.001), lens diameter (9.829±0.338 vs. 9.695±0.358 mm, P<0.001) and LCP (4.925±0.274 vs. 4.900±0.259 mm, P=0.010) tended to decreased and LT thickened (9.829±0.338 vs. 9.695±0.358 mm, P<0.001), while ASL (6.903±0.279 vs. 6.898±0.268 mm, P=0.568) did not change significantly during accommodation. Younger age (β=0.029, 95% CI: 0.020 to 0.038, P<0.001) and larger anterior lens curvature (β=-0.071, 95% CI: -0.138 to -0.003, P=0.040) were associated with accommodation induced greater steeping amplitude of anterior lens curvature. The optical eye power at 0 and -3 D accommodative stress was 62.486±2.284 and 63.274±2.290 D, respectively (P<0.001). Age was an independent factor of accommodative response (β=-0.027, 95% CI: -0.038 to -0.016, P<0.001). Conclusions: During -3 D accommodative stress, the anterior and posterior lens curvature steepened, followed by thickened LT, fronted LCP and shallowed ACD. The accommodative response of -3 D stimulus is age-dependent.
Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic progressive inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that may be immunemediated. Herein, we analyze an 8-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with painless ptosis in the left eye, double tear glands on imaging, elevated levels of eosinophils and immunoglobulin E (IgE) on blood, and massive eosinophil infiltration on pathology. The final diagnosis was Kimura disease involving bilateral lacrimal glands. After resection of the left orbital tumor, no recurrence was observed in the six months postoperation follow-up
A 62-year-old female patient presented with right eye protrusion for 2 years and hypertension for 3 years. Physical examination showed that the upper eyelid retraction of the right eye was about 1.5 mm, and the ptosis of left eye was about 2.5 mm. The levator upper eyelid muscle strength was 13 mm in the right eye and 9 mm in the left eye. Orbital CT and cranial MRI were completed, and no abnormalities were found. A preliminary diagnosis of pseudo plus-minus lid syndrome was made by literature review. Pseudo plus-minus lid syndrome conforms to the Herring’s law. The upper eyelid retraction of the right eye was significantly improved by the left eye elevation test. During the left eye surgery, it was found that the left levator aponeurotic was avulsed about 7 mm. so the left levator aponeurosis was repositioned. After the operation, the upper eyelids of both eyes returned to the normal position and both sides were symmetrical. The most common cause of pseudo Plus—Minus Lid Syndrome is myasthenia gravis. Other causes include thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, congenital ptosis, oculomotor nerve palsy, senile ptosis, and complications of blepharoplasty. In clinical work, we need to grasp the clues of the disease, truly achieve the diagnosis and treatment like chess, break the game and stand, so that patients can get accurate treatment.
Objective: To assess the training effects of “Zhongshan Eye and Nose Related Diseases and Endoscopy Forums” and its influencing factors, propose targeted suggestions for training focus and teaching methods, and improve the teaching quality. Methods: Statistics of live broadcast platform data and custom-designed questionnaires were used to inquire the participants enrolled in the 16 sessions of “Zhongshan Eye and Nose Related Diseases and Endoscopy Forums” from June 2020 to May 2022 for their feedbacks on training effects. The influence of their professions, titles, regions and other factors on the training effects was analyzed. Results: A total of 7 899 participants were enrolled in “Zhongshan Eye and Nose Related Diseases and Endoscopy Forums”, and the total live broadcast person-time was 27 634. Associate senior doctors (30.2%, 2 382) and attending doctors (32.9%, 2 597) accounted for the largest proportion. The number of participants gradually increased from 269 in the first session to 2 537 in the 16th. The topics with the largest number of participants and the greatest gains were applied anatomy and imaging, thyroid associated ophthalmopathy, and lacrimal duct diseases. Through the questionnaire study, 75.4% (95/126) of the participants thought that what they had learned in the forums was very important for their future clinical work; 84.1% (106/126) of the participants applied the knowledge to improve their daily clinical work; 96.0% (121/126) of the participants were willing to participate in the offline practice of eye and nose anatomy classes held by Zhongshan Ophthalmology Center. In terms of the role of the learned knowledge in the future clinical work, the proportion of associate senior doctors and attending doctors who thought "very useful" was significantly higher than that of senior doctors. In terms of whether to apply the knowledge learned to daily clinical work, the proportion of associate senior doctors and attending doctors thinking “yes” was significantly higher than that of senior doctors and residents. Participants who participated in 6–16 sessions had significantly better training results than those who participated in 1–5 sessions. Conclusion: Eye and nose related diseases are attracting increasing attention in ophthalmology and rhinology. “Zhongshan Eye and Nose Related Diseases and Endoscopy Forums” are conducive to the expansion and improvement of participants’ theoretical knowledge, and plays a good role in the daily clinical work of doctors with eye and nose related diseases. The training effect of attending doctors and associate senior doctors is better, and the training effect of participants who participate in the forum more times is better.
Objective: To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of real-time face-to-face online teaching (taking “Tencent Conference” teaching as an example) in medical education and its correlation with ocular surface diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide basis for improving online education programs and preventing dry eye. Methods: The undergraduate students of Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University were selected as the research objects. The method of cross-sectional study was used to collect data using questionnaires to study the effect of real-time face-to-face online teaching and its impact on ocular surface diseases. Results: A total of 131 valid data were collected. Among them, the vast majority of students (84.73%) think real time face to face online teaching is effective, and 96.18% of the students believe that real-time face-to-face online teaching at least partly achieved the purpose of learning. However, the interaction between teachers and students and the classroom atmosphere of real-time face-to-face online teaching needs to be strengthened. In addition, network equipment is also a problem that real-time face-to-face online teaching needs to face. Meanwhile, the survey showed that the prevalence rate of dry eye among the students who participated in real-time face-to-face online teaching reached 66.41%, and there was no correlation between the incidence rate of dry eye and the location of family, the per capita monthly income of family, the equipment, and whether they paid full attention to the lectures. Conclusion: Real-time face-to-face online teaching is effective in medical education during COVID-19, but the main problems are insufficient teacher-student interaction, inactive classroom atmosphere and unstable Internet connection. In addition, real-time face-to face online teaching will increase the incidence of dry eye, so it is necessary to improve the awareness of eye protection and actively prevent it.
Orbital fracture is a common orbital complication of traumatic diseases, and some of them need to be treated by orbital fracture repair surgery. Implants of different materials are one of the important factors affecting the surgical outcome and prognosis. There is no uniform standard for the selection of implants at home and abroad. At present, most of the implant materials used in clinical practice are heterogeneous materials, including non-absorbable materials and absorbable materials. The most commonly used non-absorbable materials are titanium mesh and high-density polyethylene (Medpor). Absorbable materials are mainly all kinds of macromolecular polymers. These two types of materials have shown different advantages and disadvantages in clinical. By reviewing the relevant reports recent 5 years, and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of materials, we can provide some references for clinicians to choose from.
Abstract: Red eye is common in our daily practice. It ranges from non-inflammatory to inflammatory causes. An extended course of disease should prompt suspicion and the possibility of diagnosis revision. A prolonged conjunctivitis mimicking nodular episcleritis can be presented as a manifestation of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). A 57-year-old woman complained of eye redness and tearing for two weeks which partially resolved with antibiotics. She was subsequently commenced on topical and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and topical anti-allergic. However, in the following reviews she developed cornea thinning and her systemic examination revealed an injected uvula with absence of upper respiratory tract infection. She was investigated for connective tissue disease and found to have raised anti-inflammatory markers and her antinuclear antibody and C-ANCA tests were positive. She was diagnosed with GPA. Her conditions improved followed by the commencement of topical corticosteroid with high dose of systemic corticosteroid, which followed by a tapering regime with oral corticosteroid. Although red eye is common, it is associated with a variety of diseases. GPA manifestation can be as subtle as a red eye. Any prolonged partially treated red eye should prompt suspicion of a more sinister cause. Sensitive detection of other subtle systemic signs is very important.
Objective: In this review, non-transgenic models of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are discussed, with focuses on murine retinal degeneration induced by sodium iodate and lipid peroxide (HpODE) as preclinical study platforms.
Background: AMD is the most common cause of vision loss in a world with an increasingly aging population. The major phenotypes of early and intermediate AMD are increased drusen and autofluorescence, Müller glia activation, infiltrated subretinal microglia and inward moving retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Intermediate AMD may progress to advanced AMD, characterized by geography atrophy and/or choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Various transgenic and non-transgenic animal models related to retinal degeneration have been generated to investigate AMD pathogenesis and pathobiology, and have been widely used as potential therapeutic evaluation platforms.
Methods: Two retinal degeneration murine models induced by sodium iodate and HpODE are described. Distinct pathological features and procedures of these two models are compared. In addition, practical protocol and material preparation and assessment methods are elaborated.
Conclusions: Retina degeneration induced by sodium iodate and HpODE in mouse eye resembles many clinical aspects of human AMD and complimentary to the existent other animal models. However, standardization of procedure and assessment protocols is needed for preclinical studies. Further studies of HpODE on different routes, doses and species will be valuable for the future extensive use. Despite many merits of murine studies, differences between murine and human should be always considered.
Background: Continuous and primary in vitro cultures are largely used to study cellular mechanisms occurring in several pathologic-like or pathological conditions. Continuous cell lines allow to perform long-lasting experiments since they do not undergo senescence.
Methods: The immortalized Moorfields/Institute of Ophtalmology-Müller 1 (MIO-M1) cell type represents a valuable model to analyze the mechanistic pathways characterizing Müller glial cells, both in health and in disease. MIO-M1 can be used to dissect the response of these glial cells following treatments which mimic pathological condition. For instance, MIO-M1 are useful to study the response of this cell type to stress condition as the case of oxidative stress (OS) (cultured with hydrogen peroxide), pathological neovascularization (cultured with VEGF), hypoxic or hyperoxic condition (cultured in low or high oxygen chamber). On the other hand, primary cultures allow to specifically analyze cellular responses without the interference of the whole organ, although the experimental treatment is performed in vivo. Primary Müller cells can be used to perform electrophysiological analyses of different cell sites.
Discussion: We describe how to manage MIO-M1 cells and how to analyze their response to different stress conditions; moreover, we report how to isolate and identify primary Müller cells and how to perform patch clamp and single cell recordings on them.
