Our aim was to determine the rate of intraoperative complications induced by pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PSX) in cataract surgery. We report our experience regarding 1,052 consecutive patients who underwent phacoemulsification. Exact logistic regression was used to examine the role of PSX in intraoperative complications. Odds ratio for intraoperative complications (vitreous loss, capsular break, zonular break) was estimated to be 5.1 for PSX present as compared to when it is absent. PSX was associated with a statistically significant increase in intraoperative complications during cataract surgery (p < 0.0001).

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l Background: Tamoxifen retinopathy is known to be an adverse effect of high-dose tamoxifen treatment. Evidence of ocular toxicity at lower doses is less convincing: the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the above-mentioned retinopathy in a population treated with low-dose tamoxifen. l Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine women treated with low-dose tamoxifen (20 mg/day) were examined. Visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp biomicroscopy and fundus examination were performed. Patients were reexamined after 6±12 months. l Results: Refractile retinal opacities, similar to those previously described as tamoxifen retinopathy, were observed in four patients (prevalence 3.1%; mean duration of therapy 806 days). None of them revealed corneal opacities, papillary and/or macular edema, or visual impairment. The ophthalmoscopic aspect did not change after a mean follow-up of 215 days, although one of these patients had interrupted tamoxifen intake. Statistical analysis (Student's t-test) did not reveal any difference between patients with and those without refractile retinal opacities as far as age, treatment duration and ERG values were concerned. An early hyperfluorescence, reminescent of cuticular drusen, was demonstrated by fluorescein angiography in all four cases. l Conclusions: The present study would seem to confirm that low-dose tamoxifen may induce retinal toxicity in a low proportion of patients, but we cannot be certain that the refractile retinal opacities observed are really caused by tamoxifen, as differentiation from age-related macular degeneration with cuticular drusen appears nearly impossible.

Background:Intravitreal injection of human mesenchymal stem cells has been shown to be effective in slowing the progression of diabetic retinopathy in an animal model of chemically induced diabetes mellitus. We studied changes in growth factor levels released from human mesenchymal stem cells in the vitreous cavity as well as changes in growth factor levels in host retinal neurons following intravitreal injection.Methods:Twenty-two Lewis rats were treated with an intravitreal human mesenchymal stem cell microinjection. Determination of neurotrophic factors released by human mesenchymal stem cells in the vitreous was carried out using real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results:Detectable levels of neurotrophic factors were identified postoperatively in the vitreous of all rats.Conclusion:Increased intravitreal and retinal concentrations of neuroprotective growth factors in rats confirm the neuroprotective activity of human mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic retinopathy.

Background:This study sought to evaluate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor eye drops and cysteine oral supplements on corneal healing in patients treated with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).Materials and Methods:One hundred and twenty patients treated bilaterally with PRK for myopia were enrolled at one of two eye centers (Clinica Santa Lucia, Bologna, Italy and Department of Ophthalmology, University of Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy) and were treated at the former center. Sixty patients included in the study group (Group 1) were treated postoperatively with topical basic fibroblast growth factor plus oral L-cysteine supplements, whereas 60 subjects included in the control group (Group 2) received basic fibroblast growth factor eye drops. We recorded the rate of corneal re-epithelialization and patients were followed-up every 30 days for 6 months. Statistical analyses were performed on the collected data.Results:The eyes in Group 1 demonstrated complete re-epithelialization at Day 5, whereas the eyes in Group 2 achieved this status on Day 6. No side-effects were reported.Conclusions:Patients treated with basic fibroblast growth factor eye drops and L-cysteine oral supplements benefit from more rapid corneal re-epithelialization. In human eyes, this combination treatment appeared to be safe and effective in accelerating corneal surfacing after surgery.Financial Disclosure:No author has any financial or proprietary interest in any material or method used in this study.Trial Registration:Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN73824458.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of cysteine oral supplements in corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods: A total of 200 eyes (100 patients) underwent PRK. We divided patients into 2 groups; each group was composed of 50 patients (100 eyes). Group 1 patients were assigned to use oral L-cysteine, with a daily dose of 200 mg (100-mg pills to be taken twice a day) for a duration of 14 days, starting from the week preceding the operation; the patients in group 2 were used as a control, and received the oral supplementation of 40-mg placebo pills to be taken twice a day for a duration of 14 days, starting from the week preceding the operation. Results: All the eyes of patients treated with cysteine oral supplements showed shorter times to re-epithelization than the eyes of the control group. The mean time of corneal wound healing observed in group 1 was 102 ± 15 h, compared to an average of 159 ± 9 h in group 2. Conclusion: Our research showed that oral cysteine supplementation, in a daily dose of 200 mg, reduces mean corneal wound healing time in patients after PRK.

Mitomycin C is a useful adjunct to glaucoma surgery. Adverse effects at the dosage used are mainly due to hypotony and are preventable with two-layer suture. Low-dose mitomycin C may be useful in standard primary trabeculectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of preparedbasic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) eyedrops in corneal epithelial healing of transgenic mice after excimer laser photoablation. Materials and Methods: In our prospective case series, 60 eyes of 30 mice had uneventful bilateral excimer laser photoablation. In each mouse, 1 eye received the standard topical postoperative therapy with tobramicin, diclofenac and dexamethasone eyedrops, plusbFGF eyedrops 5 μg/10 μl PBS 3 times a day for 1 week, or until corneal reepithelialization was complete. The fellow eye served as the control and received the standard postoperative therapy plus placebo. The mice were monitored daily, commencing the day after surgery and for 7 days, in order to evaluate the corneal reepithelialization rate by using a video slitlamp camera with a cobalt blue light. The mean diameter of the corneal wounds was measured. Videotaped images were recorded and analyzed by computer planimetry. Results: All the eyes treated withbFGF eyedrops healed completely before day 5 after surgery, with a mean reepithelialization time of 90 ± 12 h (standard deviation); the mean reepithelialization time was 124 ± 10 h in those eyes receiving placebo. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in corneal haze presentation during the follow-up, perhaps because the time period was too brief (7 days). However, corneal clarity on slitlamp biomicroscopy was greater in the study group than in the control group. No side effects or toxic effects were documented. Conclusions: These data suggest that the bFGF significantly accelerates epithelial healing after excimer photoablation. A further clinical study should be performed to prove the results obtained in this study as well as the long-term efficacy of bFGF to prevent corneal haze.