A group of pseudophakic patients was investigated to determine whether their implants shift along an anteroposterior axis under different conditions of ciliary muscle stimulation. There was no statistically significant change in refraction after either pilocarpine or cyclopentolate administration. A change in anterior chamber depth between the position after pilocarpine and that after cyclopentolate was found. It appears that rigid posterior chamber implants do move backwards on ciliary muscle relaxation, but by a maximum 0.25 mm. This is not thought to represent a mechanical threat to ocular health.

Fifty-five children with pure anisometropic amblyopia presented consecutively between 1983 and 1986. Analysis of their records was undertaken with respect to the age at presentation, the initial visual acuity after spectacle correction, and the final acuity attained after treatment. The results show that the final vision achieved does not depend on the age at presentation. The implications of these findings are discussed and their relations to the sensitive period for the development of amblyopia from other causes outlined.

No abstract

In a prospective study all contact lens wearers presenting to the ophthalmic casualty department of the University Hospital Nottingham within a six month period were examined to determine the number and pattern of ophthalmic problems occurring in this group. This information was then compared with prescribing information from contact lens dispensers in the city. The incidence of problems associated with contact lens wear within the first six months of starting to use a new contact lens was found to be 0.9% for soft daily wear lenses and 0.8% for rigid lenses. Reservations about these figures are discussed. The similarity between the incidence for the two types of lenses appears to contradict previous suggestions that soft lens wearers are more at risk of developing complications. It may be that the early period of lens wear represents a favoured time with respect to soft lens induced disease while hard lens problems are more common at this time. Both giant papillary conjunctivitis and corneal ulceration were seen in significant numbers but neither were associated with one particular lens type.

The results of a retrospective analysis of 49 eyes (40 patients) that underwent penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus are presented. All grafts had the same size trephine for both host and donor corneas. Ninety-eight per cent of eyes achieved a post-operative visual acuity of 6/12 or better; 43% of eyes attained this level of acuity unaided, although more than half of these required spectacles or contact lenses to reach their best corrected acuity. The average post-operative spherical ametropia was -0.5 dioptre (SD 2.97 dioptres) and the average post-operative cylinder was -3.8 dioptres (SD 2.63 dioptres). Three eyes (6%) required keratorefractive surgery to reduce astigmatism. Wound integrity was satisfactory using the same (size) trephine for both host and donor, with no patient suffering a post-operative wound leak or iris prolapse. The reduction of post-operative myopia and astigmatism is discussed.