ABSTRACT.Purpose: To determine the role of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) in tear meniscus imaging and evaluate its diagnostic significance in Sjo¨gren syndrome (SS), non-Sjo¨gren's aqueous tear deficiency (ATD) and lipid tear deficiency (LTD) patients. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six dry eye patients and 174 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All subjects were grouped as follows: group A (ATD), group B (LTD), group C (SS) and group D (normal controls). All subjects underwent dry eye questionnaire, FD-OCT scanning, tear film break-up time (BUT), corneal fluorescence staining and Schirmer I test (SIT). Tear meniscus height (TMH), tear meniscus depth (TMD) and tear meniscus cross-sectional area (TMA) were measured using FD-OCT (RTVue-100). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the cut-off point were determined using a logistic regression model. Results: Mean TMH, TMD, TMA, BUT and SIT of dry eye patients were significantly lower than those of the controls (p < 0.05). Tear meniscus values were significantly decreased in patients with SS compared with ATD and LTD patients. Tear meniscus values were significantly correlated with clinical examination results in all groups. Accuracy of dry eye diagnosis by FD-OCT is highest in patients with SS and lowest in LTD patients. The clinical diagnostic critical points were quite different between groups. Conclusions: Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography could provide precise measurement of the tear meniscus with favourable repeatability. Diagnostic significance is more conspicuous in patients with SS. Tear meniscus measurement by FD-OCT is expected to become a valuable technique in ATD dry eye screening and diagnosis.

Available trials indicate that CAT has lower recurrence risk compared to AMT for primary pterygium treatment, as well as lower risk of unacceptable appearance risk.

Objective To modify the excised larynx bench apparatus to accommodate experiments with rabbit larynges. Study design Methodological study using ex vivo rabbit larynges Methods Rabbit larynges (n=5) were dissected and mounted on a custom-made phonatory apparatus. The arytenoids were adducted by rods and humidified air was passed through the larynx to elicit vocal fold vibration. Acoustic, aerodynamic, electroglottographic, and videokymographic data were collected for each larynx. The same data were collected for 5 canine larynges for the purpose of comparison, and coefficients of variation were calculated for each parameter in both models. Results Reliable phonation was achieved in each larynx. Acoustic fundamental frequency, % jitter, % shimmer, signal-to-noise ratio, pressure and flow at phonation onset and offset, and fundamental frequency, closed quotient, speed quotient, jitter, shimmer, and contact quotient, as recorded by electroglottography, and mucosal wave amplitude and phase difference are reported for rabbit larynges. Coefficients of variation for each parameter are similar in magnitude between the two models. Conclusion We developed a method for recording reliable acoustic, aerodynamic, videokymographic, and electroglottographic data from rabbit larynges. When data obtained from leporine larynges were compared with data from canine larynges, the intra-larynx variability of rabbit larynges was found to be similar to that of canine larynges.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the vocal fold vibratory characteristics of ex vivo bovine, canine, ovine, and porcine larynges to human male and female vocal fold vibrations to determine the best model organism for laryngeal studies concerning vibratory and kinetic characteristics. Study Design Prospective experimental Methods High speed videos were gathered at 4000 frames per second (fps) in the animal models and human high-speed endoscopy data were gathered at 2000 fps. Videos were converted into kymograms and the amplitude, oscillation frequency, and phase difference of vocal fold vibration were measured. Results No statistically significant differences were found with respect to frequency, amplitude, or phase difference between canines and humans. Swine were not significantly different from human females but did have a significantly different oscillation frequency than human males. Ovine vibrational amplitudes were significantly different from humans, and bovine frequency and amplitude differed significantly from humans. Conclusion Canine and porcine larynges are the most appropriate model specimens for laryngeal studies contingent on vibratory or kinetic properties of phonation.