Clinical findings and outcomes of ulcerative keratomycosis in 30 horses in the mid‐Atlantic United States (2006–2007)

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical course and outcome associated with keratomycosis in horses in the mid‐Atlantic USA. Records of horses diagnosed with keratomycosis at New Bolton Center from November 2006 to November 2007 with positive fungal culture were retrospectively studied. Neither horses with ulcerative keratitis and a negative fungal culture nor those with stromal abscesses were included. Subject details, history, clinical findings, therapy and outcome were recorded. Thirty horses fitted both inclusion criteria (diagnosis of keratomycosis and positive corneal fungal culture). Fourteen of 30 cases occurred during summer. Aspergillus was the most commonly cultured fungal genus (17/30, or 57%) followed by Alternaria (4/30). Seventeen horses had positive bacterial and fungal cultures. Fifteen of 30 horses were treated surgically by a keratectomy and amnion (8) or conjunctival (7) graft. Itraconazole was the most common topical anti‐fungal therapy and was utilised in 25/30 horses. Globe survival was 97% (29/30). All surviving globes had a positive menace response and were visual at the last examination. It was concluded that in the mid‐Atlantic USA, fungal keratitis is common, has the highest incidence in summer, and is usually associated with a positive outcome. Aspergillus may be a relatively more common corneal pathogen in this region than elsewhere in the USA. Surgical cases were more likely to have fungal hyphae identified on cytology and tended to be hospitalised longer than medical cases. There was no apparent association between surgical disease and all other patient, organism and treatment variables.     

Morphology of the pig cornea in normal conditions and after incubation in a perfusion apparatus

The fine structure of the pig cornea in normal conditions and after being used in a perfusion apparatus, for 4 h, is described. Earlier reports on the normal morphology of the pig cornea were partly not confirmed. Thus the number of cell layers in the epithelium was found to be 19-23 (a basal cell layer, 4–5 polyhedral cell layers and 14–17 squamous cell layers) compared to earlier reported 6–9 layers.The mean thickness of normal and perfused corneas were 722 μm and 752 μm respectively. Normal corneas had a hydration level of 77.2 % and after perfusion 78.5 %. The normal morphology and morphological changes due to exposure to perfusion were studied by light and electron microscopy. The differences observed between normal and perfused corneas have to be considered limited, and restricted mainly to the anterior squamous epithelium and the endothelium.Taken together our results indicate that the corneas used in the apparatus still had functional integrity.     

Spontaneous Aortic Lesions in Roe Deer (Capreolus Capreolus L)

In 34 out of 60 aortas from roe deer, aged from 6 months to more than 8 years, aortic lesions were found. The frequency of affected regions involved were, in the posterior abdominal portion 53.3 %, in the aortic arch 18.3 %, in the anterior abdominal portion 16.7 %, in the posterior thoracic portion 8.33 % and in the anterior thoracic portion 3.3 %. Of the observed lesions, fatty streaks were seen in 3, fatty streaks and fibrous plaques in 3, fatty streaks with complicated lesions (calcification and acid mucopolysaccharides) in 14 and fibrous plaques with complicated lesions in 14 of the aortas. Elastic tissue degeneration of the inner two thirds of the tunica media was principally found in the aorta of the animals beyond 4 years of age. The lesions significantly (P < 0.001) increased in number and severity with age and appeared to be more progressive in pregnant animals. There was, however, no significant difference between affected male and female animals in the different age groups.     

The use of porcine small intestinal submucosa in ten cases of feline corneal disease

Porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was used as a novel graft material in the management of 10 cases of feline corneal disease. Five cases had stromal ulceration associated with trauma, ocular foreign body and/or suspected infection and required a grafting procedure. Five cases had feline sequestra that were managed by a keratectomy prior to placement of SIS as a graft material. Eight eyes healed with minimal corneal scarring with a very good cosmetic and visual result. One eye with continued aqueous leakage in the immediate postoperative period required a conjunctival pedicle graft to reinforce the SIS graft site. One eye required enucleation 48 h following grafting due to progressive keratomalacia but the SIS material remained intact.     

家兔角膜硷烧伤微量元素Zn、Cu含量及角膜胶原代谢变化

选体重2.5kg左右健康家兔48只,随机分为2组。实验组兔(32只)双眼角膜贴附浸有0.5mol/L NaOH液的滤纸50s后致中度碱烧伤,对照组兔(16只)不予处理。观察期间(50d),实验组兔主要呈现间歇性角膜溃疡,其角膜胶原含量和血清游离Hyp含量变化证实,角膜溃疡的发生是由于烧伤后胶原合成减少和分解加强所致;角膜Zn含量与胶原酶活性有内在联系,而Cu含量对胶原酶活性无影响。据胶原分解高峰出现时间,临床应用胶原酶抑制剂的时机宜在烧伤后7d之前。     

Therapy of ocular and visceral leishmaniasis in a cat

An 8-year-old, spayed female Domestic Short-haired cat was referred for further evaluation of chronic lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis and bilateral ocular disease. The cat had been treated with systemic glucocorticoids for several months. Initial ophthalmic examination revealed bilateral deep stromal corneal ulcers, exudative panuveitis and secondary glaucoma. Mature mild neutrophilia and monocytosis were detected on complete blood cell count. Abnormalities in the serum profile were hyperglycemia, mild azotemia, hyperglobulinemia and moderate polyclonal gammapathy. Urinalysis revealed glucosuria without ketonuria. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed and treatment with long-acting insulin was started. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was highly positive for leishmaniasis, and treatment with allopurinol was started. Although specific topical treatment was applied, melting ulcers progressed to corneal perforation and both eyes were enucleated. Ocular histology showed large numbers of intracellular organisms compatible with amastigotes of the genus Leishmania located in the uveal tract, cornea, sclera and retina. Results of inmunohistochemistry staining on ocular samples were positive for Leishmania. Bone marrow cytology demonstrated numerous macrophages with intracytoplasmatic Leishmania. Polymerase chain reaction results on bone marrow for Leishmania were positive. Three weeks later, hypoglycemic episodes permitted withdrawal of the insulin therapy. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case of ocular and visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in vivo and under systemic treatment in a cat.     

Qualitative tear film and conjunctival goblet cell assessment of cats with corneal sequestra

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the tear film qualitatively and conjunctival goblet cell numbers in cats with and without corneal sequestra. ANIMALS STUDIED AND PROCEDURES: This was a prospective evaluation of 11 cats with corneal sequestra and 14 control eyes that were either the contralateral normal eye when the sequestrum was unilateral or from control cats of similar age with no ocular disease. All cats in this study were examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist. The ophthalmic examinations included a neuro-ophthalmic evaluation, Schirmer tear tests, fluorescein staining, tear film break-up times, applanation tonometry, biomicroscopy, and indirect ophthalmoscopy. The palpebral conjunctiva at the dorsal nasal, ventral nasal, dorsal temporal and ventral temporal fornices were biopsied after topical anesthetic was applied to the cornea and conjunctiva. The conjunctival biopsies were fixed in formalin and sectioned routinely and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and periodic acid-Schiff. These slides were examined by light microscopy by a blinded examiner. Goblet cell numbers were compared to conjunctival basal epithelial cell numbers by region. The goblet cell numbers by region from the eyes with sequestra was statistically compared to those from eyes without sequestra, with a student's paired t-test. Conjunctival swabs were collected from the cats with corneal sequestra and submitted for polymerase chain reaction for Herpes felis, Chlamydia psiitticia, and Mycoplasma felis. The corneal sequestra were removed by surgical keratectomy and fixed and stained routinely, and examined by light microscopy. RESULTS: No neurologic abnormalities were detected in any of the cats. The Schirmer tear tests (eyes with sequestra 14+/-5.1 mm/min; normal eyes 15+/-6.8 mm/min) and intraocular pressures (eyes with sequestra 21+/-6.6; normal eyes 22+/-5.8) were within normal reference ranges for cats. Biomicroscopic examinations revealed varied sizes and depths of brown- and amber-colored corneal sequestra. No abnormalities were noted on indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations. The tear film break-up time was 21 s (+/-12) for the normal eyes (n=14) and 14 s (+/-13) in eyes with corneal sequestra (n=11). The average goblet/epithelial cell ratios by region for the normal eyes and the eyes with sequestra respectively were 0.66, 0.56 for the dorsal nasal fornix, 0.68, 0.57 for the ventral nasal fornix, 0.63, 0.48 for the temporal dorsal fornix, and 0.55, 0.49 for the temporal ventral fornix. There were no significant differences in tear film break-up times and goblet cell numbers in eyes with corneal sequestra and those without sequestra. Three conjunctival swabs from two of 11 cats with sequestra were positive with PCR for Herpes felis virus. These included one cat with bilateral sequestra and one cat with unilateral corneal sequestrum. CONCLUSIONS: The pathogenesis of feline corneal sequestra does not appear to be linked primarily to abnormal goblet cell numbers, qualitative tear film abnormalities, and accelerated tear film break-up time.     

Morphometric analysis of the corneal endothelium of Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) using scanning electron microscopy

The objective of this study was to examine the endothelial surface morphology and to perform morphometric analysis of the corneal endothelial cells of Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) using scanning electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis with regard to polygonality, mean cell area, cell density and coefficient of variation of mean cell area was performed. Cell areas were measured using image analysis software. The normal corneal endothelium of Yacare caiman consisted of polygonal cells of uniform size and shape with interdigitations of the cell borders. Microvilli appeared as protrusions on the cellular surface. The average cell area was 270 +/- 24 microm(2) and the endothelial cell density was 3704 +/- 324 cells/mm(2). The coefficient of variation of cell area was 0.22. This study demonstrates that the Yacare caiman corneal endothelium is similar to those described in other vertebrates.     

根际铁膜对铜胁迫下水稻叶片叶绿素及MDA质量摩尔浓度的影响

采用盆栽和水培试验,在添加氧化铁及人工制备植物根系铁膜条件下,以水稻叶片叶绿素和MDA质量摩尔浓度为指标,探讨铁膜对重金属Cu胁迫的响应。结果表明,在铜污染条件下添加氧化铁对维持植株中叶绿素含量具有显著作用,但增加土壤中氧化铁的含量对水稻幼苗生长也会产生不利影响;在水培条件下,水稻幼苗对Cu胁迫十分敏感,培养液中铜质量浓度达到1 mg/L时对叶绿素含量就有显著的抑制效应,但随着Cu质量浓度的增加（1~15 mg/L）,铜胁迫对叶绿素的抑制强度变化并不剧烈,反映出铁膜对铜胁迫的抵御功效。     

Intracorneal hemorrhage in 19 dogs (22 eyes) from 2000 to 2010: a retrospective study

Objective The aim of this retrospective study is to review clinical data on patients that suffered intracorneal hemorrhage (ICH), and the veterinary and human literature available for this condition. Animal Studied A search for ICH was performed within the clinical database of the Animal Health Trust. Nineteen cases were identified (22 eyes). Procedures The patient’s age, breed, and gender were reviewed, together with etiology, location, treatment, and follow‐up. The relevant data were compared with the Animal Health Trust (AHT) ophthalmology referral population for the same period of time (n = 5555). Results Twenty‐two eyes were affected. No breed or sex predisposition could be identified. Patients aged 10 years and above were more frequently affected when compared with the AHT ophthalmology referral population. ICH was recorded in all corneal quadrants, with the mid‐peripheral cornea more often affected. Areas of corneas affected by the ICH showed long‐term loss of transparency. Ocular diseases as a source of neovascularization varied from ocular surface to intraocular disease. Systemic diseases were investigated in some patients, and no concomitant disease could be linked to the development of ICH. Conclusions Intracorneal hemorrhage is a rare condition associated with corneal neovasculature. As in the human ophthalmology literature, ICH could not be linked to a specific ocular or systemic disease. Severe complications described in humans with this condition, such as pupillary block or corneal perforation, were not seen in any of these canine patients. Canine ICH seem to reabsorb with time, with or without medical treatment. Surgical treatment was not required in any of our patients.