This review describes a scheme for diagnosis of glaucoma in population based prevalence surveys. Cases are diagnosed on the grounds of both structural and functional evidence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. The scheme also makes provision for diagnosing glaucoma in eyes with severe visual loss where formal field testing is impractical, and for blind eyes in which the optic disc cannot be seen because of media opacities.

https://bjo.bmj.com/content/bjophthalmol/86/2/238.full.pdf

The definition and classification of glaucoma in prevalence surveys

Tissue sections from aggressive human intraocular (uveal) and metastatic cutaneous melanomas generally lack evidence of significant necrosis and contain patterned networks of interconnected loops of extracellular matrix. The matrix that forms these loops or networks may be solid or hollow. Red blood cells have been detected within the hollow channel components of this patterned matrix histologically, and these vascular channel networks have been detected in human tumors angiographically. Endothelial cells were not identified within these matrix-embedded channels by light microscopy, by transmission electron microscopy, or by using an immunohistochemical panel of endothelial cell markers (Factor VIII-related antigen, Ulex, CD31, CD34, and KDR[Flk-1]). Highly invasive primary and metastatic human melanoma cells formed patterned solid and hollow matrix channels (seen in tissue sections of aggressive primary and metastatic human melanomas) in three-dimensional cultures containing Matrigel or dilute Type I collagen, without endothelial cells or fibroblasts. These tumor cell-generated patterned channels conducted dye, highlighting looping patterns visualized angiographically in human tumors. Neither normal melanocytes nor poorly invasive melanoma cells generated these patterned channels in vitro under identical culture conditions, even after the addition of conditioned medium from metastatic pattern-forming melanoma cells, soluble growth factors, or regimes of hypoxia. Highly invasive and metastatic human melanoma cells, but not poorly invasive melanoma cells, contracted and remodeled floating hydrated gels, providing a biomechanical explanation for the generation of microvessels in vitro. cDNA microarray analysis of highly invasive versus poorly invasive melanoma tumor cells confirmed a genetic reversion to a pluripotent embryonic-like genotype in the highly aggressive melanoma cells. These observations strongly suggest that aggressive melanoma cells may generate vascular channels that facilitate tumor perfusion independent of tumor angiogenesis.

Vascular Channel Formation by Human Melanoma Cells in Vivo and in Vitro: Vasculogenic Mimicry

Background Ocular trauma or disease may lead to severe corneal opacification and, consequently, severe loss of vision as a result of complete loss of corneal epithelial stem cells. Transplantation of autologous corneal stem-cell sources is an alternative to allograft transplantation and does not require immunosuppression, but it is not possible in many cases in which bilateral disease produces total corneal stem-cell deficiency in both eyes. We studied the use of autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells as a source of cells for the reconstruction of the corneal surface. Methods We harvested 3-by-3-mm specimens of oral mucosal tissue from four patients with bilateral total corneal stem-cell deficiencies. Tissue-engineered epithelial-cell sheets were fabricated ex vivo by culturing harvested cells for two weeks on temperature-responsive cell-culture surfaces with 3T3 feeder cells that had been treated with mitomycin C. After conjunctival fibrovascular tissue had been surgically removed from the ocular surfa...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa040455

Corneal reconstruction with tissue-engineered cell sheets composed of autologous oral mucosal epithelium.

An Integrated Hypothesis That Considers Drusen as Biomarkers of Immune-Mediated Processes at the RPE-Bruch's Membrane Interface in Aging and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

https://oftalmologiarafaelcaiado.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/anchor-study.pdf

Ranibizumab versus Verteporfin Photodynamic Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Two-Year Results of the ANCHOR Study

In order to evaluate the applicability of the laser flare-cell meter to diabetic oculopathy, we measured aqueous flare and aqueous "cells" in 84 diabetic eyes of 84 patients and 50 normal control eyes of 50 age-matched subjects. Using fluorescein angiography, diabetic retinopathy was divided into background retinopathy (11 eyes), preproliferative retinopathy (38 eyes), and proliferative retinopathy (35 eyes). In diabetic eyes, the occurrence of both aqueous flare (0.73 +/- 0.39 mg/ml human albumin equivalent) and aqueous cells (mean 2.96, range 0-35.7 cells/0.075 mm3) was significantly greater than in the normal control group (flare 0.14 +/- 0.06 mg/ml, cells 0.39, range 0-2 cells/0.075 mm3, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0002, respectively). The flare values also showed differences between the diabetic subgroups, with flare values being higher in more advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy. No significant correlation could be found between the flare values and the kind of diabetic therapy, the duration of the diabetes, and the number of or the time interval since previous retinal laser coagulations. A flare value of more than 0.5 mg/ml was found to represent probably a "critical value" indicating a tendency towards preproliferative and or proliferative changes. The laser flare-cell meter is a valuable instrument for noninvasive, quantitative assessment of alterations of the blood-aqueous barrier in diabetes. The increase of flare values seems to parallel the progression of diabetic retinopathy.

Quantitative measurement of aqueous flare and aqueous "cells" in eyes with diabetic retinopathy.

Quantitative Assessment of the Blood-aqueous Barrier in Human Eyes With Malignant or Benign Uveal Tumors

Quantification of aqueous melanin granules, intraocular pressure and glaucomatous damage in primary pigment dispersion syndrome

in retrobulbar optic nerve diameter, starting at a baseline diameter of 1.89 mm. . Conclusion : Using this linear regression equation, the optic nerve fiber count can be estimated in routine histology by measuring the optic nerve diameter. Taking into account a fixation-induced tissue shrinkage, this method may also give some indication of the optic nerve fiber count intravitally, when, for eyes with opaque optic media, the diameter of the retrobulbar optic nerve has been measured by imaging techniques. Greater retrobulbar optic nerve caliber may indicate greater structural reserve capacity. Background : The caliber of the retrobulbar optic nerve and the count of optic nerve fibers vary considerably in normals. The diameter of the retrobulbar optic nerve also decreases with optic nerve atrophy. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the caliber of the optic nerve and the optic nerve fiber count. . Methods : We counted the optic nerve fibers and measured the diameter of histological cross sections of the optic nerve for 56 normal subjects and 23 patients with absolute glaucoma. . Results : The optic nerve fiber count increased significantly (P<0.0001) by 777 000 fibers for every millimeter increase

Gottfried O. H. Naumann

Papers

Quantitative measurement of aqueous flare and aqueous "cells" in eyes with diabetic retinopathy.

Quantitative Assessment of the Blood-aqueous Barrier in Human Eyes With Malignant or Benign Uveal Tumors

Quantification of aqueous melanin granules, intraocular pressure and glaucomatous damage in primary pigment dispersion syndrome

Optic nerve fiber count and diameter of the retrobulbar optic nerve in normal and glaucomatous eyes

Detection of varicella zoster virus DNA and viral antigen in human eyes after herpes zoster ophthalmicus