The British journal of ophthalmology
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The lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity of the aqueous humour has been estimated in both eyes of 7 patients having uniocular retinoblastoma. In 1 patient the aqueous humour LDH activity in the healthy eye was above normal, but there was no clinical evidence of malignancy. ⋯ A high LDH activity persisted even after irradiation, though no tumour tissue was visible ophthalmoscopically. It is suggested that the estimation of the LDH activity in the aqueous humour of the healthy eye in cases of uniocular retinoblastoma might be of value in the early detection of a bilateral retinoblastoma.
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A pupillographic technique, an adaptation of the swinging light test, is described for the measurement of unilateral afferent pupillary defects. In normal persons it yielded accurate, reproducible estimates of the magnitude of artificial afferent defects made with neutral filters of 1 to 4 log units density. ⋯ Measurement of the pupillary defect underestimated severe degrees of impairment revealed by visual threshold determination. Discrepancies between pupillary defect and visual acuity were observed in the 2 patients with compressive lesions and in 1 patient who had a central scotoma 4 months after an attack of optic neuritis.
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Topically applied anaesthetics are potentially dangerous, as frequent and continuous application may lead to anaesthetic-induced keratitis. Three patients with serious corneal lesions are described.
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Tissue removed from nine new cases from 18 hours to 20 weeks after injury by a golf ball contained crystalline and other foreign material to which there was a mild inflammatory reaction followed by macrophagic activity and fibrosis. Optical and electron probe analysis showed that the crystalline material was crushed barytes containing small quantities of muscovite as is typical in natural deposits. ⋯ By contrast with previous reports, no zinc sulphide was found. The form and frequent location of the deposits in the conjunctiva as compared with cornea and eyelid is related to the structure of these tissues.