SD-OCT imaging in eyes with GA revealed a wide spectrum of morphologic alterations, both in the surrounding retinal tissue and in the atrophic area. These alterations may reflect different disease stages or, alternatively, heterogeneity on a cellular and molecular level. Longitudinal studies using in vivo SD-OCT imaging may allow evaluation of the relevance of these phenotypic changes as potential predictive markers for the progression of disease (i.e., enlargement rates of GA over time) and may be used for monitoring of future therapeutic interventions.

The patella is a sesamoid bone that is found in most mammals and is regularly located in the insertion tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Up to now, only a little has been known about the topography, structure and function of the patella in marsupials. Therefore the stifles of 61 marsupials of 30 different species were studied by radiography, necropsy and light microscopy. It was found that only the family of bandicoots (Peramelidae) possessed a typical patella. The other species revealed a patelloid consisting of fibrocartilage. The structure of the patelloid revealed common characteristic features in the following families of marsupials: (1) Dasyuridae, Phalangeridae. Pseudocheriidae, and Potoroidae; (2) Burramyidae; (3) Phascolarctidae, Vombatidae, and Dendrolagus; and (4) Superfamily Macropodoidea (except Dendrolagus and Potoroidae). Our results imply that the degree of differentiation in the fibrocartilage of the patelloid was strongly correlated to the mechanical forces acting on the patelloid which are a result of the specific kind of locomotion and the way of life. Generally the bony patella does not belong to the phylogenetic programme of the marsupials--with the exception of the bandicoots which are very closely related to the subclass of placental mammals (Eutheria).

Skulls of 38 breeds were measured, and from the data a new classification of breeds with long, medium and short skulls is presented.

Purpose: To present light and electron microscopic as well as immunohistochemical findings after corneal cross-linking (CXL).Methods: Six keratoconus corneas after CXL, 12 keratoconus corneas without CXL, and 7 normal corneas were examined by light microscopy, indirect immunohistochemistry using antibodies against proapoptotic BAX, antiapoptotic survivin, and BCL-2, and antismooth muscle actin and, in part, by transmission electron microscopy. Direct immunofluorescence with 496-diamidino-2-phenylindole was performed to analyze keratocytes/area in the anterior, middle, posterior, peripheral, and central corneal stroma. Results:The period between CXL and keratoplasty ranged from 5 to 30 months. All keratoconus corneas showed the typical histological changes. Increased proapoptotic BAX expression and/or antiapoptotic survivin expression were noticed in keratocytes and endothelium in 2 keratoconus specimens after CXL. Smooth muscle actin was only observed in subepithelial scar tissue of 2 keratoconus corneas without CXL. Keratoconus corneas after CXL revealed a significant reduction in keratocyte counts in the entire cornea (P = 0.003) compared with keratoconus corneas without CXL and normal corneas. This difference was because of a loss of keratocytes in the anterior (P = 0.014) and middle (P = 0.024) corneal stroma. Keratocytes in CXL corneas were reduced in the center (P = 0.028) and the periphery (P = 0.047).Conclusions: CXL in human keratoconus can cause considerable morphologic corneal changes up to 30 months postoperatively. Especially noteworthy is a long-lasting, maybe permanent, keratocyte loss in the anterior and middle corneal stroma involving the central and peripheral cornea. As long-term corneal damage after CXL is of genuine concern, particular care should be taken to perform this procedure only in accordance with investigational protocols.