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Biomedical subjects

J C Folk

Publications and source records attributed to J C Folk.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Non-caseating conjunctival granulomas in patients with multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis.

PURPOSE: This study describes a group of patients with clinical findings of peripheral punched-out lesions and panuveitis who had non-caseating granulomas found by non-directed conjunctival biopsy. METHODS: A series of 10 patients seen at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between August 1989 and August 1990 with ocular findings similar to those of multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis, including peripheral punched-out chorioretinal lesions, vitritis, and frequently, cystoid macular edema, was examined. All patients underwent ophthalmic examination, ancillary testing, and non-directed conjunctival biopsy. RESULTS: Of the ten patients, nine were women. Results of FTA-ABS were negative for all patients. A non-directed conjunctival biopsy disclosed non-caseating granulomata in seven of the patients. Acid-fast bacilli were not detected in any specimens. Four of the seven patients with positive biopsy results had either elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels or chest x-rays consistent with sarcoid. Six of these seven patients were 58 years of age or older. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that non-directed conjunctival biopsy specimens be examined to exclude the presence of non-caseating granulomata in uveitis patients with small, inferior, peripheral, punched-out chorioretinal scars, especially in women older than 55 years of age.

Aged

Retinal arteriolar macroaneurysms: long-term visual outcome.

Visual outcome was analysed in 16 consecutive eyes with symptomatic retinal arteriolar macroaneurysms treated by direct laser photocoagulation and 26 consecutive symptomatic eyes followed with no treatment. No difference existed between groups in presenting visual acuity, macular involvement, presence of macular subretinal fluid, or presence or location of associated haemorrhage. The mean follow up was 41 months. In the 26 untreated eyes, visual acuity was improved by 2 or more lines in 13 (50%), was unchanged in nine (35%), and decreased in four cases (15%). In the 16 treated cases, three improved (19%), seven were unchanged (43%), and six had decreased visual acuity (38%). The average minimum angle of resolution improved 0.53 log units in untreated cases and decreased 0.14 log units in treated cases (p = 0.02). Multivariable logistic regression modelling analysis revealed that laser treatment remained a significant risk factor for final visual acuity of less than 20/80 even when controlling for the effects of subretinal haemorrhage and foveal subretinal fluid (odds ratio 8.4, p = 0.01). Laser photocoagulation directly to the macroaneurysm did not improve the visual outcome in this series.

Aged

The association of HLA-B8, B51, DR2, and multiple sclerosis in pars planitis.

PURPOSE: To establish a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association in a homogeneous population of patients with pars planitis. METHODS: A strict set of inclusion parameters was established for the diagnosis of pars planitis. Forty patients with pars planitis who met these criteria underwent HLA analysis of class I and II phenotypes. RESULTS: HLA-B8 was present in 15 (37.5%) of 40 patients versus 85 (19.7%) of 431 controls (relative risk, 2.44; P = 0.011). HLA-B51 was present in 9 (22.5%) of 40 patients versus 51 (11.8%) of 431 controls (relative risk, 2.16; P = 0.049). HLA-DR2 was present in 27 (67.5%) of 40 patients versus 121 (28.0%) of 431 controls (relative risk, 5.32; P < 0.0001). HLA-DR2 has been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Exclusion of five patients with pars planitis in whom MS subsequently developed did not change the significance of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The strongest association of pars planitis with HLA-DR2 and the temporal development of MS in some patients with pars planitis further supports an association between pars planitis and MS.

Case-Control Studies

North Carolina macular dystrophy and central areolar pigment epithelial dystrophy. One family, one disease.

The autosomal-dominant macular dystrophies known as North Carolina macular dystrophy and central areolar pigment epithelial dystrophy were originally described as distinct disease entities in three separate families. However, these disorders have several phenotypic features in common. The single large family with North Carolina macular dystrophy, which descended from three Irish brothers in 1790, has undergone extensive genealogic studies expanding the kindred to more than 2000 family members. As a result, two previously described families with central areolar pigment epithelial dystrophy have been found to descend from these same three Irish brothers with North Carolina macular dystrophy and, therefore, also have North Carolina macular dystrophy. This helps simplify the nosology of the disease and expands the phenotype of North Carolina macular dystrophy to include choroidal neovascular membranes.

Child

Retained nuclei after cataract surgery.

The authors reviewed the medical records of 36 patients in whom the nucleus or nuclear fragments were retained in the eye after cataract surgery. In 4 patients, there was no further surgery, and visual acuity deteriorated to counting fingers or worse (mean follow-up time, 14 months). Thirty-two patients underwent vitrectomy to remove the retained, unencapsulated nuclear material. Sixty percent (6 of 10) of patients in whom vitrectomy was performed after 3 weeks had chronic glaucoma on long-term follow-up, whereas this complication developed in only 18% (4 of 22) of patients in whom vitrectomy was performed in less than 3 weeks. Sixty-three percent (21 of 32) of vitrectomy patients had final visual acuity of 20/200 or better after removal of the retained nuclear fragments. The causes of the poorest visual outcome (less than 20/200) included 1 or more of the following: corneal decompensation, chronic inflammation, chronic glaucoma with optic atrophy, and retinal detachment.

Aged

Genetic linkage of autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy to chromosome 11q13.

Autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (ADNIV) is an inherited eye disease characterized by retinal and iris neovascularization, abnormal retinal pigmentation, anterior chamber and vitreous inflammation, cystoid macular edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and traction retinal detachment. Some of these clinical features are shared by more common, potentially blinding, conditions including diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, and retinitis pigmentosa. Elucidation of the molecular pathogenesis of ADNIV has the potential to provide insight into the mechanisms of these common disorders. One hundred and sixteen members of an eight generation family affected with ADNIV were examined. A combination of slit lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, and electroretinography was used to establish the diagnosis and 34 family members were found to be affected. Blood samples were obtained from thirty-three of these individuals and nine spouses and used for chromosome linkage analysis with denaturing gradient gel and short tandem repeat polymorphisms. Two markers that map to chromosome 11q13 were found to be significantly linked to the ADNIV phenotype. There were no recombinants between the disease phenotype and marker D11S527 and multipoint analysis yielded a maximum LOD score of 11.9 centered on this marker.

Adult

Ill-defined choroidal neovascularization within ocular histoplasmosis scars.

Seven patients with scars typical of ocular histoplasmosis syndrome presented with new symptoms of decreased vision or metamorphopsia. In each patient the symptoms corresponded to an atrophic or "punched-out" histoplasmosis scar in the macula. Clinically, a small amount of subretinal fluid overlying the scars and slight hyperfluorescence were seen on fluorescein angiography. These findings were due to a choroidal neovascular membrane growing within the margins of the atrophic scar. The membranes were difficult to diagnose because of the absence of hemorrhage, pigmentation, or growth of vessels beyond the margins of the scar. Clinicians should be aware that these patients may have early and growing choroidal neovascularization and may need to undergo photocoagulation or to be followed closely.

Adult

Effects of collaborative education on patient satisfaction and knowledge.

This study details an experimental study that utilized a collaborative educational approach for teaching 50% of a group of patients diagnosed with Diabetic Macular Edema and who underwent Focal Argon Laser treatment. The control group received teaching only by their physician. The registered nurses cared for the control patients, providing comfort interventions and maintaining a safe environment, but did not participate directly in the teaching program.

Aged

Long-term visual function in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy.

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epithellopathy is a chorioretinal inflammatory disease occurring in young, healthy adults. The long-term visual prognosis and recurrence rate is uncertain. We reexamined 28 patients (53 affected eyes) with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (mean follow-up, 8 years) to obtain details on the long-term functional visual outcome. The final visual acuities were 20/25 or better in 48 eyes (90.6%), 20/30 to 20/100 in four eyes (7.5%), and 20/200 in one eye (1.9%). Although the final visual acuity was good, 33 eyes (62.3%) were symptomatic with blurred vision, metamorphopsia, or scotomas. Thirty-six eyes (67.9%) had significant central visual field defects on follow-up examination. There were no recurrences after the initial month of symptoms. The chorioretinal scars did not enlarge with time. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy has a good longterm prognosis for visual acuity, although most patients have residual symptoms and paracentral scotomas.

Acute Disease

Long-term follow-up of severely injured eyes following globe rupture.

There is little information concerning the outcome of severely traumatized eyes, with little visual potential, which are not removed. We studied 50 eyes, which had suffered severe globe rupture, had visual acuities of no better than hand motion, and were not removed within 2 weeks of injury. Seventeen (34%) of the 50 eyes were later removed. Of the 17, nine had become painful. The other 33 eyes, which were not removed, remained comfortable over a mean follow-up of 66 months (12-161 months). Thirty (70%) of 43 eyes, which had follow-up of at least two months, became phthisical. There were no cases of sympathetic ophthalmia. These results suggest that the majority of severely-injured eyes become phthisical, but do not require removal for pain.

Adolescent