Vascular reactivities to vasoactive substances were compared with ophthalmic and ciliary arteries (OAs and CAs) of Japanese monkeys. These two kind of arteries were perfused with Tyrode solution under a constant flow rate at 37 degrees C, respectively. Each drug solution was given by a microinjector into the endothelial side of the artery through a cannulated tubing, and responses were obtained as changes in perfusion pressure. Results were as follows: 1) Norepinephrine induced vasoconstriction in a dose-related manner in both arteries. The threshold dose was approximately 0.01 microgram in OAs and 0.1 microgram in CAs. The maximum value was approximately 45 mmHg in OAs and 20 mmHg in CAs. 2) Phenylephrine induced vasoconstriction in almost the same grade in both arteries. 3) Xylazine caused no significant change in perfusion pressure in both arteries. 4) Tyramine showed only small vasoconstrictor responses in both arteries. 5) 5-HT induced vasoconstriction in a dose-related manner in both arteries. The threshold dose was 0.001 microgram in CAs and 0.003 microgram in OAs, which indicated the smallest threshold dose in examined substances. However, the maximum increase in perfusion pressure was about 30 mmHg in OAs and 20 mmHg in CAs even at large doses. 6) PGF2 alpha induced a moderate increase in perfusion pressure, and the response in CAs was significantly greater than that in OAs. 7) KCl induced dose-dependent vasoconstriction. In CAs, the constriction induced by KCl was slightly greater than that in OAs but not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fabry’s disease has well-known characteristic morphological findings, i.e., the whorl-like corneal opacity and the posterior spoke-like cataract, etc. But its functional aspect has not been investigated fully. Thus, a 47-year-old male with Fabry’s disease was examined with Cochet-Bonnet’s esthesiometer, photokeratometry, ultrasonography, electropupillography, electroretinography, electro-oculography and fluorescein fundus angiography. Most of functional findings remained normal in spite of corneal opacity, cataract, retinal and conjunctival vascular tortuosity, choroidal vascular disturbance and delayed retinal circulation time. We discuss the reasons why significant functional disturbance has not developed.

Four cases with hysterical amblyopia in youngsters under 15-year-old showed the poor reproducibility of visual field, that is, when the same target was moved from the periphery toward the fixation ten times along the same meridian during the same examination, the position of the plotted points were rather variable. The range of variation was measured from the innermost point to the outermost one, after the two first points were omitted because points first detected were usually far from the others. The variation of cases measured by this method was compared with that of normal persons. Results were as follows; 1. in normal person, the mean value of its range was 5.5 degrees in first decade and 4.2 degrees in second to seventh decade; 2. patients with psychogenic visual disturbances showed a variability of 14.2 degrees, and this was significantly different from normal (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that this convenient method was helpful for diagnosis of hysteria. It should also be remembered that when we evaluate the visual field, changes under 4 degrees are probably not significant.

Three patients in a family with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) were studied especially electrophysiologically. Two cases showed abnormal ERG, namely reduction of amplitude of oscillatory potentials, a and b wave of bright white flash ERG, scotopic and photopic b waves. One case showed reduced Light peak/Dark trough ratio of EOG. Next, the electrophysiological findings of cases with FEVR reported in the literature were analyzed. The result was that FEVR has electrophysiological varieties but a statistical significant relationship between electrophysiological findings and visual acuity. That is, cases with abnormal ERG or EOG have more impaired visual acuity than normal ones. Furthermore, there was a tendency that eyes with abnormal ERG or EOG showed more disturbed color vision and advanced fundus findings than normal ones. These results seemed to be understandable by anatomically characteristic fundus feature of FEVR.