Intravitreal bevacizumab did not appear toxic to the retina in albino rabbits at a concentration of 2.5 mg. Intravitreally injected bevacizumab should be evaluated for efficacy in choroidal neovascularization and macular edema.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) on experimental corneal neovascularisation in rats. Methods: Silver nitrate sticks (75% silver nitrate, 25% potassium nitrate) were used to perform chemical cauterisation on the corneas of 16 eyes from 16 male Long Evans rats. For the following 7 days, the 10 eyes in the treatment group were instilled with bevacizumab 4 mg/ml drops twice daily, whereas the 6 eyes in the control group received placebo (normal saline drops twice daily). Digital photographs of the cornea were analysed to determine the area of cornea covered by neovascularisation as a percentage of the total corneal area. Results: In the bevacizumab-treated eyes, neovascularisation covered, on average, 38.2% (15.5%) (mean (SD)) of the corneal surface compared with 63.5% (5.0%) in the control group (p,0.02, Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusion: Topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) at a concentration of 4 mg/ml limits corneal neovascularisation following chemical injury in the male Long Evans rat model.

Thrombocytosis is frequently encountered as an incidental laboratory finding. The most common etiology is reactive (secondary) thrombocytosis due to infections, trauma, surgery, or occult malignancy. Even though thrombocytosis is benign and self-limiting in most cases, it can result in hemorrhage or thrombosis. The hypercoagulable state is characterized by episodes of thrombosis and can be due to inherited or acquired conditions. Extreme thrombocytosis may result in thrombotic events such as acute myocardial infarction, mesenteric vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. It is important for physicians to be familiar with the complications associated with thrombocytosis. Postsplenectomy reactive thrombocytosis has an incidence of about 75% to 82%. Thrombosis in association with elevated platelet count after splenectomy is well recognized, with an incidence of approximately 5%. This case report describes a 61-year-old patient who underwent emergent splenectomy and presented 1 week later with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Severe thrombocytosis, which was not present prior to splenectomy, was noted, and a diagnosis of reactive thrombocytosis was initially made. Involvement of the right coronary artery led to emergent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Essential thrombocytosis was considered when treatment with hydroxyurea failed to lower the platelet count. A review of arterial and venous thrombosis in patients with severe thrombocytosis is presented, and the approach to the management of such patients is discussed.

Escalating doses of intravitreous adalimumab in rabbit eyes caused no detectable functional or structural ocular toxicity up to a dose of 0.50 mg. Administration of 1.0 mg in 0.1 ml was associated with an inflammatory reaction and retinal necrosis.

To discover the frequency of pyrexia in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in the Hospital for Medicine of the Locomotor System (HMLS/SARAH), a review study was undertaken. For a period of 3 months, all new episodes of fever were recorded. During the study 221.3 patients/month were observed. The age ranged from 14 to 60 years and time of lesion from 1 to 6,264 days: 85 patients were paraplegia or paraparetic, and 44 tetraplegic or tetraparetic. At the beginning of the study 10.8% of the patients had fever. During follow up, we observed a rate of 33. 9 new incidences per 100 patients/month. In 77. 3% only one cause was identified, and in 8% no cause could be defined. The commonest causes were urinary tract infection (UTI) (44.3%), and soft tissue infections (11.4%). Frequent causes of fever in the acute stage other than UTI were complications related to the initial trauma and thromboembolic disease (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate the high incidence of fever in patients with SCI, in addition to providing a useful approach for diagnosis and management.