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Biomedical subjects

D Minassian

Publications and source records attributed to D Minassian.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

National survey of blindness and low vision in The Gambia: results.

A population based survey of blindness and eye disease has been conducted throughout the whole country of The Gambia, and 8174 people were examined. The prevalence of blindness (best acuity less than 3/60) was 0.7% and low vision (6/24-3/60) 1.4%. The causes of blindness were cataract (55%), non-trachomatous corneal opacity/phthisis (20%), and trachoma (17%). An estimated 5500 people in The Gambia require cataract surgery, 4600 eyelid surgery for entropion, and 4600 people spectacles to correct a refractive error which causes a visual acuity of less than 6/18. More than half the current burden of blindness in The Gambia is potentially remediable through the provision of cataract surgery and aphakic spectacles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Alterations of the anterior lens capsule associated with climatic keratopathy.

We describe changes in the anterior lens capsules of older people in Somalia, a country which is close to the equator and with large areas of sand, often highly reflective of sunlight. The capsule changes are confined to the central pupillary area. In order of apparently increasing severity they consist of a white opalescence ('frosting'), an elevation in front of the contour of the rest of the lens to form a plateau, and a 'bag' or herniation of the lens capsule through the pupil. Plateau and bagging taken together are strongly associated with climatic keratopathy (and by inference with reflected ultraviolet exposure), weakly associated with exfoliation syndrome, inversely related to the degree of cataract, and interfere severely with vision.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Ocular fundus lesions in divers.

Retinal fluorescein angiography was used to examine the ocular fundi of 84 divers. The retinal capillary density at the fovea was low and microaneurysms and small areas of capillary nonperfusion were seen. The divers had significantly more abnormalities of the retinal pigment epithelium than a comparison group of non-divers. Furthermore, the prevalence of fundus abnormality was related to length of diving history. All observed changes were consistent with the obstruction of the retinal and choroidal circulations. Such obstruction could be due either to intravascular bubble formation during decompression, or to altered behaviour of blood constituents and blood vessels in hyperbaric conditions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

The relationship between blood flow of mammary tissue and its overlying skin in the mouse.

To determine the relationship between mammary and cutaneous blood flow (BF) the regional distribution of 86RbCl was used to estimate the fractional distribution of the cardiac output to these tissues in virgin, multiparous, pregnant and lactating mice. The results indicate a positive linear correlation between the values obtained for the skin and that obtained for its underlying mammary tissue. This finding may have a practical application, since the skin is more readily accessible for BF measurements than the mammary tissue that it covers.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Rapid serological test for diagnosis of chlamydial ocular infections.

A rapid serodiagnostic test for the diagnosis of paratrachoma (TRIC ophthalmia neonatorum, inclusion conjunctivitis, TRIC punctate keratoconjunctivitis, and trachoma of sexually transmitted origin) has been developed. The technique is based on using a modified micro-immunofluorescence test for detecting antichlamydial IgG and IgM in the blood and IgG and IgA in tears. The blood samples are collected on cellulose sponges after a finger prick, and tears are collected by introducing small sponges into the lower conjunctival fornix of the eye. The blood and tear samples collected in this way could be sent to the diagnostic laboratory by post without special arrangements for cold storage. In general the presence of antichlamydial IgG at a level of greater than or equal to 1/32 or IgM at a level of greater than or equal to 1/8 in blood and antichlamydial IgG or IgA at a level of greater than or equal to 1/8 in tears was closely associated with ocular paratrachoma. The combined results of the micro-IF test of blood and tears has yielded the highest rate of positivity (90%). In patients with acute untreated paratrachoma the sensitivity of this test was similar to that of irradiated McCoy cells. In patients with a milder infection receiving antibiotics the sensitivity of the serodiagnostic test was superior to that of the cultural test. The high sensitivity and specificity of this rapid, simple and inexpensive serodiagnostic test for the diagnosis of chlamydial ocular infections, coupled with simple and practical methods of collection and transport of blood and tear specimens, offer advantages over cultural tests for routine diagnosis and study of chlamydial ocular infections.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗