The IOP loading method permits evaluation of the biomechanical properties of the cornea across its entire surface. All nine contralateral unaffected eyes in patients with a diagnosis of unilateral keratoconus presented weak biomechanical properties and in fact should be considered as forme fruste keratoconus.

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Introduction and purpose.  Diabetes is one of the underlying causes of blindness and other long-term negative consequences that significantly affect patients’ quality of life. The study aimed to determine the indicators characterizing the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of vascular dysfunction, in particular diabetic retinopathy (DR), and the relationship of these changes with nitric oxide. Material and methods. There were 2114 patients with various surgical diseases under observation (including 1073 patients with purulent-septic soft tissue diseases), among them there were 193 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 134 patients with Wagner stage 2-5 diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) and diabetic retinopathy in the main group (268 eyes). The comparison group included 59 patients (118 eyes) of the corresponding age with DM without DFS and DR. Both groups were the same in age and gender. Results. The level of the end products of nitric oxide metabolism in peripheral blood was found to be 1.78 times (p<0.01) higher compared with patients without DR. A decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in patients with DR was by 1.56 times (p<0.01) lower relative to the comparison group. The content of thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-active products in the peripheral blood of patients of the main group exceeded by 1.58 times (p <0.01) the reference values of patients without DR. When determining the content of S-nitrosithiols, an increase in these indicators in the main group was found to be 2.38 times (p<0.01). Patients in the main group with DR also showed a 5.13-fold (p<0.001) increase in peripheral blood homocysteine concentration. NO is known to have both positive and harmful effects depending on its concentration. On the one hand, NO causes relaxation of blood vessels by reducing blood pressure, prevents platelet aggregation and adhesion, limits LDL cholesterol oxidation, suppresses smooth muscle cell proliferation, and reduces the expression of proinflammatory genes that are associated with atherogenesis. It is known that NO can have both positive and harmful effects, depending on its concentration. On the one hand, NO causes relaxation of blood vessels, reducing blood pressure, prevents platelet aggregation and adhesion, limits the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, suppresses the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, and reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory genes that are associated with atherogenesis. On the other hand, NO interacts with O2-, leading to the inactivation of NO and the production of peroxynitrite, which post-transcriptionally modifies proteins and negatively affects their function. This can contribute to endothelial dysfunction by stimulating the production of inflammatory mediators and lipid peroxidation and thus increasing cell permeability. Conclusions. The findings show that the patients with diabetes mellitus complicated by retinopathy and DFS had a significant increase in the content of nitric oxide in the peripheral blood, the cause of which is hyperglycemia. The use of an intercellular mediator (nitric oxide), which contributes to the physiological regulation of the hemodynamics of the eye, protects vascular endothelial cells from pathogenic factors of ischemia, will help clinicians choose an effective pharmacological therapy appropriate for a particular patient and a particular eye.

Objective ‒ to analyze the tactics of flattening in women with varying degrees of myopia and to assess the incidence of complications in the postpartum period and the birth of children with congenital refractive errors in this category of patients. Materials and methods. The conclusions about absence of a causal relationship between pregnancy, delivery and retinal detachment on an example of 442 patients with myopia a various degrees have been developing. Results. To modern requirements the estimation of the methods applied to inspection by pregnant women with myopia is resulted in quality of rendering of the specialized ophthalmologic and obstetric help to the population. The basic stages of conducting pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period at women with myopia according to last scientific achievements in the field of ophthalmology and obstetrics are certain. It is shown, delivery patients with myopia an average and high degree are expedient for conducting through natural patrimonial ways on a background long epidural the anesthesia allowing medical to switch off an attempt and to prevent occurrence of ophthalmologic complications. Conclusions. It is noted an urgency of a problem and necessity of the further perfection of tactics of conducting pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period at women with myopia. The tactics of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in women with myopia need to be improved. The coefficients of the cornea and sclera rigidity measurement have to be included in to the standard examination of pregnant women with myopia different degrees. It’s allows to identify possible risk factors for reducing the strength properties of the eye fibrous capsule in these patients. It helps to calculate the possible risks of progression of myopia, ruptures, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment during prenatal and postpartum periods. These techniques using in routine practice would reduce the number of postpartum infectious and inflammatory complications in both mothers and newborns, as well as the number of cases of hypoxic lesions of the central nervous system in the early neonatal period.