We quantitatively analyzed inflammation in orbital fat from cases of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) using short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences from magnetic resonance imaging. The signal intensity ratios (SIRs) of orbital fat as well as the superior rectus (SR), inferior rectus (IR), lateral rectus (LR), medial rectus (MR), and superior oblique (SO) muscles on STIR images were measured in 70 eyes from 70 treatment-naive TAO patients (active TAO group, 19 patients; inactive TAO group, 51 patients) and 20 eyes from 20 controls. The mean SIR in the active TAO group was significantly higher than that in the inactive TAO group and controls (P < 0.001). The SIR of orbital fat in all TAO patients was significantly (P < 0.001) positively correlated with that of the extraocular muscles: SR (r = 0.64), IR (r = 0.55), LR (r = 0.58), MR (r = 0.71), and SO (r = 0.65). The SIR of orbital fat had a significant positive correlation with the CAS (r = 0.53, P < 0.001). The measurements of SIRs in orbital fat may be useful in evaluating the activity in tissues of TAO patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the anterior segment of the eye after cycloplegia. A biometer combined with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) was used for measurements. Patients with strabismus or amblyopia who underwent cycloplegia were included. The axial length, central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness were measured with the biometer–SSOCT system before and after cycloplegia. Altogether, 10 eyes of 10 patients (mean age 7.20 ± 3.08 years, range 4–14 years) were evaluated. The mean measurements before cycloplegia were 22.75 ± 0.96 mm axial length, 516 ± 33 μm central corneal thickness, 3.40 ± 0.21 mm anterior chamber depth, and 3.77 ± 0.26 mm lens thickness. The corresponding values after cycloplegia were 22.75 ± 0.95 mm, 519 ± 34 μm, 3.68 ± 0.16 mm, and 3.42 ± 0.20 mm, respectively. The mean lens thickness had significantly decreased (P < 0.001) after cycloplegia, and the mean anterior chamber depth had significantly increased (P < 0.001). The means of the axial length (P = 0.66) and central corneal thickness (P = 0.17) had not changed significantly. The change in lens thickness was significantly correlated with the change in anterior chamber depth (r = −0.73, P = 0.02). The new biometer–SSOCT combination proved useful for accurately detecting changes in the anterior segment of the eye after cycloplegia in pediatric patients. The biometer’s measurements indicated increased anterior chamber depth and decreased lens thickness after cycloplegia. The anterior chamber depth increased relative to the decrease in lens thickness.

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Blue cone monochromacy (BCM) is characterized by loss of function of both OPN1LW (the first) and OPN1MW (the downstream) genes on the X chromosome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the first and downstream genes in the OPN1LW/OPN1MW array in four unrelated Japanese males with BCM. In Case 1, only one gene was present. Abnormalities were found in the promoter, which had a mixed unique profile of first and downstream gene promoters and a −71A > C substitution. As the promoter was active in the reporter assay, the cause of BCM remains unclear. In Case 2, the same novel mutation, M273K, was present in exon 5 of both genes in a two-gene array. The mutant pigments showed no absorbance at any of the wavelengths tested, suggesting that the mutation causes pigment dysfunction. Case 3 had a large deletion including the locus control region and entire first gene. Case 4 also had a large deletion involving exons 2–6 of the first gene. As an intact LCR was present upstream and one apparently normal downstream gene was present, BCM in Case 4 was not ascribed solely to the deletion. The deletions in Cases 3 and 4 were considered to have been caused by non-homologous recombination.

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