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Biomedical subjects

M J Tassignon

Publications and source records attributed to M J Tassignon.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Principles of the use of thermal laser photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy.

The fact that laser treatment is effective in diabetic retinopathy has been proven clinically. Laser photocoagulation is by no means a treatment of the disease as such, but only an indirect way to control the ocular complications of the disease. Besides regulation of glycemia it is the only therapeutic tool in the hands of the ophthalmologist. However routinely used in clinical ophthalmology, the basic principles of the treatment need to be understood by the user. The best way to do so is to use the experimental approach. This paper summarizes the various experimental techniques used to understand and to study the interaction retina-laser: histology, electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry and in vivo microdialysis.

Animals↗

Diplopia as an uncommon complication of cataract surgery.

Two patients are presented with diplopia after cataract extraction performed under local anesthesia. Since there was no spontaneous recuperation after several months, strabismus surgery was performed. The first patient presented a restriction of the inferior rectus muscle probably caused by the retrobulbar injection of anesthetics. The second patient had a decompensation of a congenital superior oblique palsy. A survey of the different etiologies of diplopia after cataract surgery is given.

Aged↗

Ocular and systemic factors associated with posterior capsule opacification.

We reviewed the medical records of 30 eyes of 27 patients needing Nd-YAG laser capsulotomy for posterior capsular opacification after extracapsular cataract extraction using the phaco-emulsification technique with anterior continuous circular capsulorhexis. Associated ocular and/or systemic disorders were reported and the possibility of preselection of patients at risk for posterior capsular opacification and their eligibility for posterior circular continuous capsulorhexis will be emphasized.

Adult↗

Microdialysis measurement of catecholamines in rabbit vitreous after retinal laser photocoagulation.

A method of intravitreous microdialysis in vivo is used to measure the vitreal concentration of catecholamines and their metabolites after laser panphotocoagulation of rabbit retina. Noradrenaline, dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid could be measured. No significant immediate effects of laser coagulation on their concentration could be demonstrated. After 4 days an increase in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid was observed, which subsided after 7 days. At that moment a slight increase of vitreous dopamine was noted.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

On an autosomal dominant form of retinal-cerebellar degeneration: an autopsy study of five patients in one family.

We describe a family with an autosomal dominant form of retinal-cerebellar atrophy. There is an extreme variability in age of onset and severity of the clinical symptoms: some patients remain nearly asymptomatic throughout their entire life; others develop severe retinal and cerebellar symptoms after the age of 35 years; others suffer from a severe disorder with onset in adolescence and death during the third decade of life; in others the onset is in early childhood with prevalence of cerebellar symptoms. There is neither dementia nor epilepsy in any of the patients. Four out of five autopsies showed a severe retinal atrophy, and all five autopsies were also characterized by (1) a cerebellar atrophy affecting the spinocerebellar and olivocerebellar tracts, the cerebellar cortex and the efferent cerebellar pathways, (2) an involvement of the pyramidal pathways and of the motor neurons of brain stem and spinal cord, and (3) an atrophy of the subthalamic nucleus and to a much lesser extent of the pallidum, with also some damage to the substantia nigra. The posterior columns are much less affected except in one patient. In this family, we have excluded linkage with the two loci for spinocerebellar ataxia, i.e., SCA1 on chromosome 6p and SCA2 on chromosome 12q as well as with the locus for Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) on chromosome 14q. A genome-wide search is currently being performed to detect the disease locus responsible.

Adolescent↗

Surgical technique for patients with the apractic type of essential blepharospasm: case report.

A frontalis suspension was carried out in a patient with an essential type of blepharospasm, characterized by difficulties in initiating the act of lid elevation, often referred to as the apractic form of blepharospasm or, as J. Elston proposed, the pretarsal blepharospasm. The patient tries to open the eyes by using the frontalis muscle or by manual traction. It is known than in this form of blepharospasm, insufficient results are seen after botulinum toxin infection. Proper examination of the skin crease of the upper eyelid and of the eyelid gives an idea of the insertion of the levator aponeurosis and of the levator muscle function. A desinsertion, due to frequent manual traction, may be found. In this case, reinsertion of the aponeurosis may relieve the symptoms. If no desinsertion is present a frontalis suspension, similar to those used in ptosis surgery, may give good results.

Blepharospasm↗

The time course of a sixth nerve paresis following epidural anesthesia.

An isolated sixth nerve palsy is seldom seen following epidural anesthesia. An unintentional puncture through the dura may cause a leak of cerebrospinal fluid resulting in a shift of the cerebral content. This may cause a stretching of the sixth cranial nerve giving an abduction palsy. The palsy is benign and resolves completely within two months. The time course of a case will be described.

Abducens Nerve↗

Levator aponeurosis dehiscence in a patient treated with botulinum toxin for blepharospasms and eyelid apraxia.

A 63 years old woman presented with bilateral blepharospasms and eyelid apraxia which was treated with Botulinum toxin injections. A post-treatment ptosis was seen with preserved levator function. It was then suggested that manual eyelid traction could have caused aponeurotic dehiscence of the levator muscles. Surgical exploration confirmed this diagnosis. One must be aware that eyelid apraxia can mask an aponeurotic dehiscence of the levator muscle induced by chronic manual traction exerted on the apractic eyelids.

Apraxias↗

[Blindness due to electrocoagulation following functional endoscopic sinus surgery].

A case is presented with irreversible blindness in one eye and restriction of the infratemporal visual field in the other eye, due to electrocoagulation performed for delayed bleeding after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Although blindness due to rhinosurgery is a well-known, but rare complication, a review of the recent literature did not reveal a similar incident. The use of electrocoagulation especially under bad visualization circumstances, which may be the case in postoperative bleeding following endoscopic sinus surgery, is strongly discouraged.

Adult↗

A removable ocular microdialysis system for measuring vitreous biogenic amines.

A microdialysis system with a removable probe and a fixed scleral entry port is presented. The probe can be inserted several times with minimal trauma, permitting repeated sampling in one animal. The functioning of the setup is illustrated by the measurement of dopamine, dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid, and noradrenaline in the vitreous of healthy rabbits under physiological conditions.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

Caterpillar induced kerato-conjunctivitis.

Caterpillar hairs disseminated by the wind can cause serious ocular problems in man. Although this ocular injury was already described in the past century, caterpillar keratoconjunctivitis remains occasional. A recent case of caterpillar keratoconjunctivitis will be described. The conjunctiva as well as the surrounding skin was involved in a huge erythematous rash. Since caterpillar hairs are equipped with barbed hooks, they can easily penetrate soft tissue and thus are very difficult to remove. Recurrent inflammatory reactions lasting for months and resulting in a granulomatous disease, is the rule. The name of keratitis nodosum was given to the granulomatous reaction, secondary to the presence of caterpillar hairs in corneal tissue.

Animals↗

Botulinum A toxin therapy in ophthalmology: a report of patients with facial dystonias.

An overview is given of the indications, results and complications with the use of botulinum A toxin injection therapy specifically in the treatment of facial dystonias. A total of 79 patients have been treated over a 5-year period. The patients were divided in four groups: essential blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, apraxia of the opening of the eyes and spastic entropion. On average, the therapeutical effect started the third day after injection. The average duration of the beneficial effect was dependent of the underlying pathology. Local side effects were mild and systemic side effects were not seen. Botulinum A toxin therapy proved to have a reliable and reproducible effect in appropriate dosages, in 90% of the patients.

Blepharospasm↗

Botulinum A toxin injection in patients with facial nerve palsy.

The preliminary experience of the authors with Botulinum toxin injections as a therapeutic tool for the ocular problems following facial nerve palsy is reported. Patients attained with facial nerve palsy who might benefit from Botulinum toxin were divided into three groups according to their eye problem: incomplete eyelid closure, postparalytic secondary facial spasm with synkinesis and contracture of the internal rectus muscle in the case of association with an abducens nerve palsy.

Botulinum Toxins↗

Endogenous pneumococcal endophthalmitis after splenectomy: report of two cases.

Two cases of pneumococcal sepsis, meningitis and unilateral endophthalmitis after total splenectomy are described. The first patient, a 9-year-old girl, had severe panuveitis complicated by traction retinal detachment, eventually requiring vitrectomy. Due to large chorioretinal scars the visual recovery was poor. Minor residual neurological signs remained. The second patient, a 39-year-old man, showed endophthalmitis of the right eye. The recovery of the pneumococcal meningitis was complicated by severe neurological impairment. The right eye progressed to phthisis bulbi. The importance of early recognition of postsplenectomy sepsis (PSS) is emphasised since the survival rate is poor and the risk of visual loss high.

Adult↗

Blindness following paranasal sinus surgery: a report of two cases.

Two cases of blindness following paranasal sinus surgery are presented. The first patient, a 38-year old man, developed a delayed massive haemorrhage, after bilateral sphenoethmoidectomy. This hemorrhage could be stopped by electric cauterisation under endoscopical control. During this reintervention the patient developed total blindness of his right eye, and a restriction of the inferotemporal left visual field. The second patient, a 10-year old girl, developed, after bilateral spheno-ethmoidectomy for isolated sphenoiditis, total blindness of the left eye and paralysis of the ipsilateral extraocular muscles. According to the literature, blindness secondary to paranasal surgery is mainly due to retrobulbar hemorrhage. In the first case blindness was due to a direct cauterisation of the optic nerve, after perforation of the lamina papyracea. In the second case, blindness was probably due to a hemorrhage in the orbital apex.

Adult↗