Detection and characterization of intraorbital foreign bodies (IFB) is fundamental in acute trauma setting, preventing inflammatory sequelae or complications related to IFB movements when a MRI study is planned. Papers concerning plain film and CT sensibility in IFB detection show controversial results. For this reason we investigated plain film, CT and MRI sensibility in the evaluation of IFB. For an in vitro model, specimens of dry and fresh wood, glass, iron, plastic and graphite were immersed in animal lard and in a 0.9% sodium chloride plus 3.5 g/dl human serum albumin solution. Specimens of different size and nature where also implanted into enucleated pig eyes. Air bubbles were introduced also. Plain film, CT and MRI investigation were performed. Plain films underestimated intraocular IFB as plastic, fresh or dry wooden IFB were not demonstrated. The CT study was always able to depict and differentiate IFB according to the attenuation values. Severe artefacts prevented demonstration of iron, glass and graphite IFB on MRI, whereas plastic or wooden IFB were always detected. Despite radiographs have been suggested as a prerequisite for MR imaging, because our results showed plain film to underestimate radiolucent IFB, we suggest CT as the modality of choice when IFB has to be ruled out.

A case-control study was planned as a part of the Casteldaccia Eye Study in order to investigate about risk factors of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Cases were 44 subjects with glaucoma or intraocular pressure of 24 mm Hg or more. Controls were 220 subjects with intraocular pressure of 20 mm Hg or less and no signs of glaucoma. A number of environmental, behavioral, systemic and ocular variables were studied. Among the others we investigated the following: sunlight exposure, smoking, alcohol intake, pregnancies, systemic hypertension, diabetes, use of corticosteroids, refractive status, anterior chamber depth, lens nuclear sclerosis, iris color and texture. After univariate analysis the use of ocular corticosteroids and antibiotics, myopia, shallow anterior chamber and myopic macular degeneration were associated with ocular hypertension or glaucoma. However, the logistic regression showed that only the use of ocular corticosteroids (odds ratio = 7.79) and the myopia (odds ratio = 5.56) were independently associated.

Prevalence of cataract was studied in a population based survey performed in adults aged 40 years or more living in Casteldaccia, a small Sicilian town. Lens opacities of moderate or severe grade (type II or worse, according to the Lens Opacity Classification System II) were found at the following rates: nuclear opalescence in 18.5%, cortical cataract in 12.9%, posterior subcapsular cataract in 10.8%. All these types of cataract were much more frequent in the elderly population and were about 1.5 times more common in women than in men. Late cataract was found in about 1/3 of subjects aged 60 to 69 years, in 2/3 of subjects aged 70 or more, but rarely under 60 years of age. However, early cataract was rather common among younger subjects. Cataracts causing a reduction of visual acuity under 0.7 in the worst eye were found in 4%, 8.7% and 21.5% respectively in the three age groups ranging from 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 to 69 years and in 54.4% of subjects 70 years old or over.

IOP was measured in 1062 middle-aged and elderly subjects of a small Sicilian town, enrolled in a population based survey. The mean IOP was 15.1 +/- 3.7 mmHg without interocular or sex differences. A small but significant age-dependent increase of IOP was found. Circadian and seasonal influences were recorded: IOP was higher in the morning and in winter. The prevalence of chronic open-angle glaucoma was 1.2%, but it grew to 3.6 if only subjects aged 70 years or more were considered. IOP of 24 mmHg or more was found in 2.7%, while 4.3% of subjects showed IOP of 21 mmHg or more. This survey shows that mean IOP of the Mediterranean population studied is similar to the IOP found in other epidemiologic investigations; the prevalence of glaucoma, however, seems to be rather high.

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