Dalia Sabry

Studies on Tongue of Reptilian Species Psammophis sibilans, Tarentola annularis and Crocodylus niloticus

En el presente estudio fueron utilizados tres diferentes especies de reptiles Psammophis sibilans (Orden Ophidia), Tarentola annularis (Orden Squamata y Crocodylus niloticus (Orden Crocodylia). Sus lenguas fueron removidas y examinadas morfologicamente. Las mucosas linguales se examinaron bajo microscopio electronico de barrido (SEM) y tambien procesadas para la investigacion histologica. El estudio morfologico macroscopico revelo variaciones de la estructura de la lengua, siendo estas alargadas con el extremo bifurcado en P. sibilans o de estructura triangular aplanada con una base amplia y el borde libre conico en T. annularis o triangular rugosa llenando casi todo el suelo de la cavidad en C. niloticus. En el SEM, la mucosa lingual mostro finas ranuras estriadas dispuestas radialmente en la extension oblicua con perdida de las papilas linguales. Numerosas microcrestas fueron detectadas por encima de la superficie de las celulas en P. sibilans. T. annularis exhibiendo una disposicion de papilas filiformes conicas aplanadas y abundante de microcrestas. Sin embargo, en C. niloticus, la mucosa lingual posee diferentes tipos de papilas filiformes ademas de papilas gustativas con una extensa disposicion de corpusculos gustativas. Histologicamente, mediante confirmacion de SEM se ilustra la protrusion del epitelio escamoso estratificado de la mucosa lingual en P. sibilans y la presencia de corpusculos gustativos apicales en las papilas filiformes conicas de T. annularis. La mucosa lingual de C. niloticus revelo diferentes formas de ambas papilas, filiformes y gustativas.

Functional Anatomical, Histological and Ultrastructural Studies of three Chameleon Species: Chamaeleo Chamaeleon, Chamaeleo Africanus, and Chamaeleon Vulgaris

Fueron recolectadas tres especies de Camaleon incluyendo Camaleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Camaleon Chamaeleo africanus y Chamaeleon vulgaris. Se diseco su lengua y examino morfologicamente mediante el uso de microscopia de luz y electronica de barrido. Ambas especies mostraron caracteristicas histologicas similares en relacion a las papilas linguales y glandulas tubulares con secrecion mucosa densa, especialmente el Chamaeleon vulgaris. No hubo queratinizacion de las superficies linguales. Ultraes-tructuralmente, el unico patron de papilas linguales fue el filiforme, tomando una estructura ya sea cilindrica, conica y de hoja. Aunque las especies de Camaleon examinadas se recogieron de diferentes habitat, ellas mostraron similitudes en su estructura histologica y ultraestructural.

Correlation Between En Face Optical Coherence Tomography Defects of the Inner Retinal Layers and Ganglion Cell Inner Plexiform Layer Analysis After Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Hole.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to report en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) inner retinal changes after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for idiopathic full-thickness macular hole (IFTMH) and to correlate these findings with macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) analysis. METHODS This prospective study included 20 patients with IFTMH treated using pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling. All patients were analyzed using en face OCT at 6 months after surgery to determinate the effect of ILM peeling on the inner retinal layers. Correlation between the GC-IPL en face OCT findings and that obtained by three-dimensional volumetric OCT scanning also was performed. RESULTS Seven patients (35%) showed defects in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) that appeared as multiple dark dots with no visible defects at the GC-IPL, either with en face OCT or 3D volumetric OCT scanning. Thirteen patients (65%) showed a similar combination of RNFL defects and well-circumscribed defects in the underlying GC-IPL. These defects could be visualized on en face OCT display, and they correlated with areas of GC-IPL thinning detected in the 3D volumetric OCT scanning. CONCLUSIONS With ILM peeling, en face OCT scanning showed two forms of inner retinal layers changes. The first form was the concentric macular dark spots (CMDS) with intact GC-IPL. The second form appeared in the CMDS with evident localized defects in the underlying GC-IPL. These defects correlate with the areas of GC-IPL thinning detected using 3D volumetric OCT scanning.

Multifocal electroretinography and optical coherence tomography changes after repeated intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in myopic choroidal neovascularization.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of repeated intravitreal bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization. Methods: We performed a prospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series study. Sixteen eyes from 16 patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia had a monthly injection of intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25 mg for 3 consecutive months. Best-corrected visual acuity assessment, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography and multifocal electroretinogram were performed before treatment and at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Results: The mean logarithm of minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity was 1.43 before treatment. At 6 months after treatment, the mean best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly (P = 0.02) to 0.7. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated absence of leakage in 14 eyes (87.5%) and persistent but decreased leakage in the remaining 2 eyes (12.5%). Optical coherence tomography showed a highly significant reduction in the foveal central thickness (P < 0.001) at all follow-up visits. The foveal and parafoveal rings showed a significant improvement in the multifocal electroretinogram responses. At the sixth month follow-up, the P1 amplitudes and implicit time P values in the foveal and parafoveal rings were <0.01 and <0.001, respectively. None of the remaining three rings showed any significant change throughout the study period. Conclusion: In 6-month follow-up, repeated injections of intravitreal bevacizumab were effective in treating myopic choroidal neovascularization. No adverse effect was detected on retinal function evaluated by multifocal electroretinogram.

Comparative Structural and Functional Study on the Eye of Freshwater Teleosts: Clarias gariepinus, Malapterurus electricus, Anguilla anguilla and Oreochromis niloticus

Vision is a complex process in teleost fishes inhabiting different habitats, especially those exhibiting both nocturnal and diurnal behaviors. In the present study, four species of freshwater teleosts were collected from the River Nile at Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. These include three nocturnal species, Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae), Malapterurus electricus (Malapteruridae) and Anguilla anguilla (Anguillidae), and one diurnal fish Oreochromis niloticus (Cichlidae). The ocular regions of the selected teleosts were dissected and their lens, cornea and retina were processed for histological, morphometric, scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations. Morphologically, the gross structure of the ocular region varied between the species. The lens exhibited organized lens fibers with characteristic ball and socket structure densely grouped in Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus compared to less compacted fibers in Anguilla anguilla, becoming widened at both peripheral lens angles in Malapterurus electricus. The cornea was pigmented in Anguilla anguilla and clear in the other examined fishes. The retinal thickness and visual acuity were markedly increased in the nocturnal fishes compared to the diurnal species. Also, the photoreceptors of the nocturnal fishes were composed mainly of rods and few single and double cones. The neural circuit of retinal cells showed comparatively increased distribution of amacrine and Müller cells in between the ganglion and inner nuclear cells in both C. gariepinus and M. electricus. These data suggest that nocturnal fishes C. gariepinus, M. electricus and A. anguilla and the diurnal fish O. niloticus exhibited differences in their corneal, lenticular and retinal structures, accommodated to their diurnal and nocturnal behaviors.

Perforated punctal plugs with adjuvant use of mitomycin-C in management of acquired external punctal stenosis grades 0 and 1

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of perforated punctal plugs with adjuvant application of mitomycin-C in the management of acquired external punctal stenosis grades 0 and 1. METHODS This is a prospective interventional case series including 30 eyes of 30 patients with acquired external punctal stenosis of the lower punctum of grades 0 and 1 presenting with epiphora. They were examined to exclude other causes of lacrimation and epiphora: Slit-lamp assessment of the stenosed punctum and grading was done, probing was done to exclude associated canalicular stenosis, and syringing was done to exclude nasolacrimal duct obstruction. For all cases, dilatation was done, followed by application of mitomycin-C, and perforated punctal plugs were then inserted. Plugs were removed after 6 months, and anatomical and functional success were assessed and followed during and for 6 months after removal of the plugs. RESULTS The study included 30 patients with acquired external punctal stenosis: 9 males (30%) and 21 females (70%) with a mean age of 62.83 ± 8.3 years. Punctal stenosis grade 0 (no punctum) occurred in 9 cases (30%), and grade 1 (the punctum is covered by a membrane) occurred in 21 cases (70%). Six months after removal of the plugs, epiphora improved in 93.3% of patients, and fluorescein dye disappearance test results improved in 90% of patients; 6.7% of cases had early extrusion of the plug, and 3.3% had granuloma formation. CONCLUSIONS Application of perforated punctal plugs combined with mitomycin-C is a simple and efficient technique in the management of tight acquired external punctal stenosis.

Macular functional and anatomical ring maps in patients with best vitelliform macular dystrophy

Purpose This study aimed at assessing the macular anatomical and functional changes in patients having different stages of best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD). Design This is a retrospective noncomparative case series. Materials and methods The study included patients in different stages of BVMD. All patients had a solitary lesion involving the fovea. They underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation, fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG). The results were compared with those of an age-matched and sex-matched control group. Results This study included 14 eyes from 10 patients belonging to seven families. The mean log MAR BCVA was 0.5 ± 0.1 with significant reduction compared with the control group ( P = 0.05). Both FA and OCT scans showed changes confined to the lesion only. OCT showed a significant increase in thickness in the foveal and perifoveal rings ( P = 0.0003 and 0.05, respectively). Multifocal ERG showed significant changes between the study and control groups in the three rings ( P = 0.0001 for both amplitude and implicit time for ring 1; P = 0.05 for the other two rings). Conclusion In different stages of BVMD with solitary lesions involving the fovea, the integrated FA and OCT findings were very helpful in the diagnosis; however, their changes were confined to the lesions only. Multifocal ERG revealed reduction of the cone function all over the macula, which was most evident centrally.