Histopathologic Findings in Early Encapsulated Blebs of Young Patients Treated With the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve
Objective/aim Uncontrolled glaucoma presents a challenge for the ophthalmic surgeon especially in children and juvenile patients. For many patients who have undergone failed surgical procedures before, episcleral implants remain the last choice. Encapsulated blebs forming over antiglaucoma devices present a complication leading to malfunctioning or even failure with reincrease in intraocular pressure. We report our histopathologic findings of such blebs developing around the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) after a short time period in young patients. Materials and methods Nine young patients (2 to 17 y of age) with otherwise uncontrollable glaucoma were treated with AGV (models FP-7 and FP-8, si…
Surface Topographies of Glaucoma Drainage Devices and Their Influence on Human Tenon Fibroblast Adhesion
PURPOSE. This study was performed to investigate the surface topography of different glaucoma drainage devices and to determine the effects of surface roughness on cell adhesion of cultured human tenon fibroblasts.METHODS. The surface topography of four widely used devices (Ahmed FP7 and Ahmed S-2; New World Medical, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Baerveldt BG101-350; Advanced Medical Optics, Irvine, CA; and Molteno S1; Molteno Ophthalmic Ltd., Dunedin, New Zealand) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and roughness was quantified by white-light confocal microscopy. Cells were grown for 72 hours on the surfaces of implants affixed to standard culture dishes. The cells were labeled…
Endothelin receptor B in trabecular meshwork
Abstract Endothelin-1 (ET-1), the most potent vasoconstrictor known to date, seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary open angle glaucoma. ET-1 was found in different tissues of the eye and in high concentrations in the aqueous humour. The effects of ET-1 are mediated by two receptors, ET-A receptor (ET-AR) and ET-B receptor (ET-BR), which are both expressed in bovine trabecular meshwork (TM). ET-1 induced contraction of TM predominantly by activation of ET-AR. This study analyzes the role of ET-BR in TM function and investigates the synthesis of ET-1 by human TM (HTM) cells. The effect of IRL-1620, a specific ET-BR agonist, on contractility of bovine TM (BTM) was investigated wi…
Cholinergic Responses of Ophthalmic Arteries in M3and M5Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Knockout Mice
PURPOSE. To determine the functional role of M 3 and M 5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in ophthalmic arteries using gene-targeted mice. METHODS. Muscarinic receptor gene expression was quantified in murine ophthalmic arteries using real-time PCR. To test the functional relevance of M 3 and M 5 receptors, ophthalmic arteries from mice deficient in either subtype (M3R -/- , M5R -/- , respectively) and wild-type controls were isolated, cannulated with micropipettes, and pressurized. Changes in luminal vessel diameter in response to muscarinic and nonmuscarinic receptor agonists were measured by video microscopy. RESULTS. With the use of real-time PCR, all five muscarinic receptor …
Intraocular Pressure Telemetry for Managing Glaucoma during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Purpose To evaluate in glaucoma patients the feasibility and use of remote monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) with an implanted telemetry sensor during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Patients previously implanted with a telemetric IOP sensor (Eyemate; Implandata GmbH) were included. Methods Intraocular pressure measurements acquired by the patients during the lockdown were collected by physicians who were located remotely. A questionnaire was sent to 10 participating study centers to evaluate the clinical impact of remote monitoring of IOP via the IOP sensor system. Main Outcome Measures Number of patients who obtained home…