Purpose: To review the clinical features of acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) in Chinese patients. Methods: All patients with AZOOR during 2002–2004 in our hospitals were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Seven consecutive Chinese patients with AZOOR were recruited and followed up for 4–18 months. Their age ranged from 26 to 47 years and all were affected bilaterally. They were from the cities near the Pacific Ocean and were used to eating seafood. The common complaints were slightly reduced visual acuity and photopsia. At least one eye of each patient had a visual field defect or decreased local area sensitivity and one patient had bilateral blind spot enlargement. Ten in 14 eyes showed increased numbers of vitreous cells and 4 eyes had anterior chamber inflammatory cells and a keratic precipitate. In their initial examination, minimal or no fundus changes were found, only yellow-white dots or gray dots presented on the deep retina or outer retinal layer. Fundus fluorescent angiography showed large-area depigmentation and hyperfluorescein spots corresponding to fundus findings. Electroretinogram (ERG) or multifocal ERG was abnormal in all eyes with no changes in their follow-up examination. Not all of the initial diagnoses of these patients were consistent with the final ones. Conclusions: AZOOR is not a common disease in China, but easy to misdiagnose. Female predilection, photopsia, visual field defect, ERG abnormality and minimal ophthalmoscopic changes are the common characteristics of AZOOR in Chinese patients. Living habits may play a role in the development of AZOOR.

The present study focuses on development of novel thermoreversible ophthalmic drug delivery system using Ganciclovir as potential candidate for treatment of various ocular infections. The formulation was prepared for thermoreversible gel which incorporates liposomes of Ganciclovir as core system. Thermoreversible gel prolongs delivery of drug with use of combination of polymers like Poloxamer, Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. The Poloxamer used here serves as temperature sensitive polymer. Thus prepared system was evaluated for various parameters. Liposomes found to be complies with basic requirement like non-leak ability, high in-vitro drug release with optimum encapsulation efficiency. The results obtained showed that the in situ gel is clear and transparent (prime requirement for ophthalmic product) with high gelling capacity and moderately viscous liquid (1454 cp), highest bioadhesive strength (Dyne/cm2). The ex-vivo study was also done and compared with marketed eye drop formulation. The results showed superiority of in situ gel formulation over eye in sustaining the drug release over prolong period of time. The haemolytic study performed proved the non-haemolytic nature of formulation.

BACKGROUND Amyloidosis is caused by misfolding of proteins and is characterized by formation of extracellular aggregates of insoluble fibrin. The primary effects in the eye include sharp deterioration of visual acuity as a result of vitreous opacity. According to the local and systemic distribution characteristics of amyloid deposits and their fibrin components, amyloidosis can be classified as primary, secondary or familial. Therefore, we report a typical case of vitreous amyloidosis in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) to improve ophthalmologists’ understanding of the disease and reduce misdiagnosis and recurrence. CASE SUMMARY The patient was a 49-year-old man who complained of progressive visual decline in both eyes over a 2-mo period. No systemic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension were reported, and no obvious family history of disease was identified. The patient’s visual acuity was HM/10 cm in the right eye and 0.06 in the left eye. He had a transparent cornea in both eyes, with a normal anterior depth, clear aqueous humor, no obvious iris abnormalities, round pupils of approximately 3 mm in diameter, normal direct and indirect light reflexes, and normal intraocular pressure. After various examinations, the patient was diagnosed with binocular vitreous amyloidosis secondary to hATTR associated with a Lys55Asn variant in TTR. The binocular visual acuity recovered to 1.0 after binocular vitrectomy. CONCLUSION Vitreous amyloidosis is rare in the clinic and gene testing can assist the diagnosis accurately and effectively.

The classification of lens capsule defects is feasible and favorable for uniform clinical description, clinical research and IOL implantation.