The case presented is a chorioretinal granuloma in a patient with AIDS. The neoformation appeared to be caused by atypical mycobacterium, although it was not possible to isolate the germ. The chorioretinal infection caused by atypical mycobacterium in patients with AIDS occurs very rarely and has so far been described only as a post-mortem finding.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evoked oto-acoustic emissions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa].

Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOE) offer a unique opportunity to measure objectively the function of outer hair cells in human beings. In this paper the Authors report a study carried out employing EOE evaluation on cochlear function in subjects with retinitis pigmentosa. Nine patients with retinitis pigmentosa with normal hearing in both ears upon traditional audiometric evaluation were studied. The frequency spectrum of the EOE was taken into consideration, evaluated in frequency bands of 50 Hz, in order to ascertain the presence or absence of the emissions and, when present, their amplitude. These data were compared statistically, using the Student's T Test, to those obtained in a homogeneous control group of normal subjects. In subjects with retinitis pigmentosa, average EOE intensity values were statistically lower than those found in normal subjects. In fact, the Student's T Test evaluation revealed significant differences in EOE intensity in 64 of the 127 frequency bands examined. Moreover, the distribution of the EOE in patients with retinitis pigmentosa proved to be more discontinuous than that observed in the normal subjects. These data appear to indicate authentic alterations in the cochlear mechanics in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Such alterations may well be related to outer hair cell lesions. It seems likely that the auditory system is involved in retinitis pigmentosa degenerative processes more frequently than traditional audiometric tests have been able to show.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The treatment of congenital obstructions of the lacrimal passages (author's transl)].

The Authors describe their method of treatment of congenital dacryocystitis. Up to 3-4 months of age the treatment consists in the use of antibiotic eye drops and message of the lacrimal sack. After this age and up to 8 months of age irrigation of the lacrimal passages is carried out. If this is unsuccessful or if the children are older a probing is performed. The Authors report the results of the probing in a series of 118 children (146 eyes). The best results are obtained when the probing is effectuated before 8 months of age. After this age the success decreases with the increase in age of the young children. There is no apprecciable difference between the unilateral and bilateral cases.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of aging on the seminiferous epithelium of the brown Norway rat.

Aging of the mammalian testis is often accompanied by loss of germ cells and, as a result, decreased daily sperm production. It is currently unknown whether cell loss is the result of aging-related changes in germ cells or whether there are also aging-related changes in the Sertoli cells that normally support germ development and differentiation. To begin to compare the effects of age on germ cells and on Sertoli cells, we examined brown Norway rats of 6, 12, 18, 21, and 24 months of age for the frequency of seminiferous tubule regression and total testis contents of transcripts for three Sertoli cell products: SGP-2, transferrin, and cyclic protein-2 (CP-2)/cathepsin L. Histological analysis revealed no changes in the seminiferous epithelium from 6 to 12 months of age. However, from 12 to 24 months of age, the percentage of normal tubules gradually decreased from 95% to 15% of the total while the percentage of fully regressed tubules (containing no germ cells per tubule cross section) increased from 0% to 78%. In our analysis of specific Sertoli cell transcripts, we noted no change in total testis content of SGP-2 mRNA from 6 to 24 months. However, total testis content of transferrin mRNA was unchanged from 6 to 18 months, but increased by 24 months to 368% of the content of a 6-month-old testis. In contrast, total testis content of CP-2/cathepsin L mRNA was unchanged from 6 to 12 months, but decreased by 24 months to 58% of the content of a 6-month-old testis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗