Search

BACKGROUND A prospective study was carried out to evaluate postoperative visual acuity and patients satisfaction after implantation of a multifocal add-on IOL. PATIENTS AND METHODS In 50 eyes of 25 patients operated by two surgeons "group A (MK) = 15 patients; group B (MWR) = 10 patients" with age-related cataract after "normal" cataract surgery, sulcus-fixated multifocal add-on IOLs (MS 714 PB Diff., Dr. Schmidt Intraocularlinsen, Sankt Augustin) were implanted. 12 weeks after surgery in both groups the following parameters were evaluated: far visual acuity; intermediate visual acuity (1 meter) and near visual acuity (33 centimeter). In addition, the patients satisfaction was measured in three steps (1 = excellent; 2 = satisfied; 3 = not satisfied) ermittelt. In group A also contrast sensitivity was measured using the Ginsberg box. RESULTS Surgery was performed in all cases without complications. No postoperative complications were observed. After 12 weeks the results in both groups were comparable. Median distance visual acuity was 0.05 +/- 0.02 (LogMar) uncorrected and 0 +/- 0.05 (LogMar) with correction. Intermediate visual acuity was 0.25 +/- 0.06 (LogMar) uncorrected (0.1 +/- 0.09 (LogMar) with correction. Near visual acuity was 0.2 +/- 0.07 (LogMar) and 0.15 +/- 0.02 (LogMar), respectively. Patients satisfaction was 80 - 90%. CONCLUSIONS Sulcus-fixated add-on IOLs are a useful addition to our refractive surgical armamentarium. The present results encourage us to use this method as a standard procedure.

PURPOSE Acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARN) is a rapidly progressive viral necrotic retinitis. We used noninvasive measurement of aqueous flare to quantify blood-ocular barrier breakdown in eyes with ARN und to follow the inflammatory activity and treatment effects. PATIENTS AND METHODS We report on seven patients (5 males und 2 females, age: 16 to 57 years) with ARN that were treated in our institution between 1991 to 1996. Aqueous flare was quantified regularly during treatment using the laser flare-cell meter (Kowa, FC-1000) following pupillary dilation. RESULTS Aqueous flare was highly significantly increased in eyes with ARN (145.5 +/- 139.7, range 30 to 367 photon counts/ms). Contralateral, unaffected eyes showed normal flare values (3.6 +/- 0.8 photon counts/ms, p < 0.0001; normals: 4.1 +/- 1.1 photon counts/ms). Flare values correlated with inflammatory activity before and during antiviral treatment. In two patients with ARN caused by herpes simplex-virus aqueous flare values were extremely increased (367 and 316 photon counts/ms), and retinal necrosis was rapidly progressive despite antiviral therapy. One patient developed early ARN in his contralateral eye with flare values increasing from 3.5 to 22.0 photon counts/ms, which quickly normalized following antiviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS Measurement with the laser flare-cell meter allows quantification of blood-ocular barrier breakdown in eyes with ARN und may be useful for monitoring inflammatory activity during treatment.