Keratic precipitates are deposits of material on the posterior surface of the cornea, which is a relatively common phenomenon in a variety of circumstances both physiological and pathological. Inflammatory cells and uveal pigment in the aqueous show a strong tendency to adhere to one another and to the corneal endothelium, thus forming fine or large deposits. We observed the several kinds of keratic precipitates on the corneal endothelium by flat preoparation method. The character of the keratic precipitates observed in this study was composed of inflammatory cells, erythrocyte, pigment granules derived from the breakdown of red blood cells. In view of the accumulation of the pigment granules into the cytoplasm, it seemed that the endothelium might participate in phagocytosis or secondary changes in the various corneal disease.
Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Cytoplasm ; Endothelium ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Erythrocytes ; Phagocytosis

In order to interprete the significance of the vacuolation found in the corneal endothelium, flat preparations of the corneal endothelium were made in human eyes aged from neonate to 72 year. The result were as follows. 1. The endothelial vacuoles were more frequent with the increase in the time of the post-mortem delay. 2. The endothelial vacuoles were more prevalent in aged. 3. The vacuoles in the endothelium were more easily formed in the peripheral area than the central area. 4. Gross vacuolation found in the corneal endothelium was shown to be the result of post mortem degeneration.
Endothelium ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Vacuoles*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Abdominal*

The linear scratching wound was made gently on the corneal epithelium of rabbit with 21 gauge needle under an operating microscope. Impression cytology was performed at 30 minutes, 1, 2, 3 and 4 hour and 1, 2, 3 and 4 day after 0.5% tetracaine drops under an operating microscope. The filter paper was stained with hematoxylin and eosin. At 30 minute post-scratching, a few polymorphonuclear leukocytes appeared on the scratched cornea at 3 eyes (30%). At 3 and 4 hour, numerous polymorphonuclear leukocytes with corneal epithelial cells appeared on the scratched conea. By 3 day, no inflammatory cells were shown on the filter paper in all eyes. These findings suggest that the polymorphonuclear leukocytes could infiltrate on the corneal lesion at 30 minute post-scratching and the inflammatory cells might act even on the minute corneal lesion such as corneal erosion.
Cornea ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium, Corneal ; Hematoxylin ; Needles ; Neutrophils* ; Tetracaine ; Wounds and Injuries*

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to clarify the histological characteristics of the interface of the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane of the human eye. METHODS: Nighteen donor eyes without corneal pathology were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The Descemet's membrane including the corneal endothelium was cheked for scanning electron microscopy. The junctional characteristics of the posterior corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane was examined by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The scanning electron microscopy showed that collagen sheet faced each other at the right angle near the Descemet's membrane and penetrated the Descemet's membrane with the irregular arrangement. The transmission electron microscopy showed that the electron-dense collagen filaments extended to the posterior stroma from Descemet's membrane. The arrangement of electron-dense collagen filaments paralleled with the arrangement of the collagen fibrils of the posterior stroma. CONCLUSIONS: The interface of the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane was composed of two-typed extracellular materials without the intercellular specificatons.
Collagen ; Corneal Stroma* ; Descemet Membrane* ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Pathology ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes* ; Hematuria*

p53 suppressor gene expression and protein production increases in response to DNA damage and the subsequent cell cycle prolongation permits DNA repair or, in the severe cases, leads to apoptosis. These concepts led us to investigate the expression of p53 as a potential key regulator of DNA repair in the cornea after mechanical-and chemical-induced injury. Mechanical-induced injury was performed by denuding a4mmdiameter area of the central epithelium from the corneas of Sprague Dawley rats. Chemical-induced injury was performed by applying a 3.5 mmdiameter filter paper disc of saturated n-heptanol to the cornea. Samples were collected on the 1st 3rd and 7th day of treatment. We performed immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis on corneal buttons. Control group did not receive any treatment. The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that p53 is localized in the anterior stromal keratocytes. Western blot analysis indicated p53 bandsin the lanes of the mechanically and the chemically injured corneas. Our results suggest that injury to the corneal epithelium triggers the activation of p53.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cornea* ; DNA Damage ; DNA Repair ; Epithelium ; Epithelium, Corneal ; Genes, Suppressor* ; Heptanol ; Immunohistochemistry ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance(MGUS) is one of the monoclonal plasma cell disorder. According to the recent reports, polyneuropathy associated with MGUS may be treatable disease due to potential relationship between the monoclonal protein and immune-mediated nerve damage. It is reported that plasmapheresis is highly effective in the treatment of polyneuropathy associated with IgG type MGUS. We present 53-year-old male with slowly progressive motor weakness and sensory change since 1 year ago. Electrophysiologic studies were compatible with demyelinating neuropathy showing conduction block and temporal dispersion in upper and lower extremities. Abnormal arc against anti-lamda on serum immunoelectrophoresis and M-band in the gamma region on serum protein electrophoresis were shown. After the combined therapy of plasmapheresis (5 times) and steroid, clinical and electrophysiologic findings were markedly improved. We report a case of demyelinating neuropathy associated with IgG lamda type MGUS, which showed good response to combined therapy of plasmapheresis and steroid.
Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance* ; Paraproteinemias* ; Plasma Cells ; Plasmapheresis ; Polyneuropathies

PURPOSE: Cyclodialysis clefts occur when the meridional ciliary muscle fibers become separated from the scleral spur, thereby providing a new drainage pathway of aqueous humor into the suprachoroidal space. Although the mechanism by which cyclodialysis lowers IOP is both of the hyposecretion of aqueous humor and the increased uveoscleral outflow, cyclodialysis clefts do not always cause hypotony. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed the data of 9 eyes of 9 patients who had been diagnosed as traumatic cyclodialysis cleft by gonioscopic examination. RESULTS: Only 4 of the 9 eyes showed hypotony. This hypotony occurred 3 to 13 days (mean 7.3 days) after trauma. Conservative treatment combined with air injection was done in 4 patients with hypotony. In 3 eyes, IOP was normalized 7~10 days after the above treatment. The remaining one eye had an extensive cyclodialysis of 6 o clock and was treated with argon laser. But normalization of IOP was not achieved within the follow up period. Only cyclodialysis clefts of relatively small range were closed spontaneously or with only conservative management. Also posterior synechiae was found in one of the four eyes with hypotony, and was found in three of the four eyes without hypotony. CONCLUSION: Whether hypotony in cyclodialysis patients occur or not depends on the individual ability of scar formation in the cyclodialysis cleft against the anti-proliferative properties of aqueous humor.
Aqueous Humor ; Argon ; Cicatrix ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonioscopy ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the distribution of glycosaminiglycans by the activated retinal neuronal cell on the cultured retinal tissue. METHODS: The retinal tissue was obtained from the donor eyeball without the pathological findings of the retina. The dissected retinal tissue was cultured for 2 weeks in the culture media and reacted with ruthenium red dye to observe the glycosaminoglycans reaction with transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The histochemical reaction to ruthenium red on the cultured retina tissue was prominent on the internal limiting membrane, intercellular space between the axons and dendrites at the outer and inner plexiform layers and interphotoreceptor matrix. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that GAGs may be released into the extracellular spaces between the axons and dendrites, which modulate the retinal circuits.
Axons ; Culture Media ; Dendrites ; Extracellular Space ; Glycosaminoglycans* ; Humans ; Membranes ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Retina* ; Retinal Neurons ; Retinaldehyde ; Ruthenium Red ; Tissue Donors