We measured interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) in the vitreous humour and serum of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), in order to determine the role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of the disease. Vitreous and serum samples were collected from 21 patients with PDR who were undergoing pars plana vitrectomy. Control vitreous samples were obtained from cadavers and control serum samples from healthy subjects. The cytokines were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Vitreous IL-1b and TNF-a concentrations in patients with PDR exceeded those of controls (Po0.05), as did serum IL-1b and TNF-a. We suggest that increased vitreous IL-1b and TNF-a levels may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of PDR, which features abnormal cell proliferation and neovascularisation.

In the present study, the records of 242 children, aged 1-14 years, admitted with perforating ocular injury were reviewed retrospectively over a 5-year period. There were 175 boys and 67 girls in the study group. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to their ages. Perforating injuries occurred most frequently in the street in all groups. The second most common place of the injury was at home in the 1-9 year-olds and in the fields in the 10-14 year-olds. The cause of the perforation was a metallic substance in 32.6%, wood in 15.3%, stone in 12.0%, glass in 12.3%, pellets in 12%, and injection needles in 8.3%. Most of the perforations occurred during unsupervised play, while all perforations with glass occurred during traffic accidents. Surgery was performed in 234 patients, while 8 patients in whom spontaneous closure had already occurred during admission received only medical treatment. In 28.9% the visual acuity was undetermined, in 25.7% the visual acuity was 0.1 or more, in 22.7% the visual acuity was between 0.06 and light perception, and in 22.7% there was no light perception on final evaluation. It is emphasized that educative and legislative measures such as informing the parents, teachers and children about the causative factors and potential hazards of perforating ocular injuries and restricting the availability of dangerous items to children, should be taken into consideration in order to prevent perforating ocular injuries in children.

Objective: To evaluate the choroidal thickness in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). Methods: In this observational comparative study, 68 eyes of 34 MS patients and 60 eyes of 30 healthy subjects were evaluated. All participants underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and OCT scanning. Choroidal thickness measurements were performed at seven points. Results: The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was reduced significantly in MS patients (310.71 ± 61.85 μm) versus healthy controls (364.85 ± 41.81 μm) (p < 0.001). The difference was also significant at all six measurement points (p < 0.001 for all). Choroidal thickness measurements revealed no significant difference between MS eyes with a prior optic neuritis (ON) history (MS ON) and those without ON history (MS non-ON). Subfoveal choroidal thickness did not correlate with retinal nerve fiber layer and Expanded Disability Status Scale score, but reduced choroidal thickness was associated with longer disease duration (r = -0.28, p = 0.019) in MS patients. Conclusion: In MS patients, choroidal structural changes occur both in MS ON and MS non-ON eyes. The decreased choroidal thickness might provide evidence to support a potential role of vascular dysregulation in the pathophysiology of MS.

Intravitreal dexamethasone implant-associated endophthalmitis is an uncommon and a challenging situation. Intravitreal antibiotics may lead to favorable visual outcomes without the need for a pars plana vitrectomy and implant removal in selected cases.