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Show 126 LITERATURE ABSTRACTS Effectiveness of Hyperbaric Oxygen in Treating Radiation Injury to the Optic Nerves and Chiasm. Guy J, Schatz NJ. Ophthalmology 1990; 97: 1246- 7 ( Oct). [ No reprint information given.] Drs. Guy and Shatz comment on and critique the recent study reported by Roden et a1. regarding the use of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of radiation optic neuropathy. Dr. Roden and colleagues offer rebuttal to the arguments in a letter which follows this article standing by their previous conclusions that the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of radiation optic neuropathy has not been proven. Lyn A. Sedwick, M. D. Toxoplasma gondii Retinochoroiditis and Optic Neuritis in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Grossniklaus HE, Specht CS, Allaire G, Leavitt JA. Ophthalmology 1990; 97: 1342- 6 ( Oct). [ Reprint requests to Dr. Charles Specht, Department of Ophthalmic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC 20306- 6000.] The authors reported a 29- year- old HIV- positive man who developed uveitis in his left eye with evidence of retinal vasculitis consistent with cytomegalovirus. He was taking azidothymidine ( AZT) and subsequently was treated with dihydroxypropoxyphenylguanine ( DHPG). His vision worsened, and he developed orbital congestion and edema; enlarged optic nerve was shown on computerized tomographic scanning. Enucleation demonstrated toxoplasmosis cysts in the retina and optic nerve without evidence of virus presence. Lyn A. Sedwick, M. D. Ocular Syphilis. Tamesis RR, Foster CS. Ophthalmology 1990; 97: 1281- 7 ( Oct). [ Reprint requests to Dr. Richard Tamesis, Immunology and Uveitis Service, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114.] The authors review five years' experience with ocular syphilis in a total of 25 patients. All patients lQi. N~ mol, Vol. l1, No. 2, 1991 had a positive fluorescent treponema1antibody absorption and two thirds a positive VDRL. Anterior and/ or posterior uveitis was present in 17 of 25 patients; 1 patient had optic neuritis; and two displayed optic atrophy. Ten patients had lumbar puncture and about half of these had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid ( protein and/ or cells and/ or positive VORL). Two patients who were tested for human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) were positive. The authors recommend lumbar puncture and HIV testing for all patients with ocular syphilis and high- dose, prolonged penicillin therapy. Lyn A. Sedwick, M. D. Mae III Positively Detects the Mitochondrial Mutation Associated With Type I Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Stone EM, Coppinger JM, Kardon RH, Donelson J. Arch Ophthalmol 1990; 108: 1417- 20. ( Oct) [ Reprint requests to Dr. E. Stone, Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242.] The Molecular Genetics of Leber's Optic Neuropathy. Johns DR. Arch Ophthalmol 1990; 108: 1405- 7. ( Oct) [ No reprint request information given.] The authors report the use of a new method of restriction fragment length polymorphism for detecting a Wallace- type Leber's mutation in mito~ hondrial. DNA. Previous restriction enzyme testmg for thIS mutation was predicated on a " negative test," i. e., the mutation prevented a normal c~ eavage p~ ttem of the DNA, thus leading to posSIble techrucal errors ( i. e., inactive enzyme) giving the same result. The new test gives a cleavage near the mutation position only when the Wallace mutati~ n is present and rapidly gives a reliable diagnOSIS of Wallace- type Leber's mutation. The authors used this testing to confidently diagnose Leber's on a 26- year- old man without a family history of optic nerve disease. The editorial by Dr. Johns on page 1405 in the same issue discusses this new technology for the elucidation and diagnosis of this disease. Lyn A. Sedwick, M. D. |