No abstract

The presumptive diagnosis of Candida endophthalmitis was made in 11 intravenous (i.v.) drug addicts, seven surgical patients and five individuals with no established risk factors. It was based on the clinical symptoms with partial to total visual loss and the findings of a retinohyalitic lesion eventually affecting the entire eye. Empiric antimycotic treatment consisted of i.v. amphotericin B (average cumulative dose 1,580 mg) and i.v. or oral flucytosine (mean cumulative dose 231 g). This treatment resulted in a significant mean improvement of visual acuity from 0.15 to 0.275 during treatment and 0.55 after completion of therapy. Long-term results showed stable scar healing of the inflammatory lesions and stable to improved visual acuity. Transient side effects of treatment included anemia, thrombocytopenia and a rise of serum creatinine. Empiric antimycotic treatment of presumptive Candida endophthalmitis favourably influences the course of this infection. Regular ophthalmological examination of these patients is mandatory.

Two antiviral agents, ethyl-deoxy-uridine and iodo-deoxy-cytidine, were compared therapeutically for their effect on experimental deep herpetic keratitis in rabbits. While iodo-deoxy-cytidine is a competitive inhibitor of thymidine, ethyl-deoxy-uridine works by blocking the enzyme deoxythymidine-kinase (EC 2.7.1.21). The clinical results and histopathological changes showed that both drugs were effective, and that ethyl-deoxy-uridine as well as iodo-deoxy-lytidine seemed non-toxic for the epithelium.

No abstract

No abstract