Blepharitis and trichomegaly induced by cetuximab

This report describes the case of a 41-year old woman in treatment for advanced colorectal cancer who developed severe bilateral blepharitis and trichomegaly after the second dose of cetuximab. Cetuximab-related eyelid toxicity has been described previously; however, its pathogenesis has not yet been clearly established.

Automatic delimitation of the clinical region of interest in ultra-wide field of view images of the retina

Retinal ultra-wide field of view images (fundus images) provides the visu-alization of a large part of the retina though, artifacts may appear in those images. Eyelashes and eyelids often cover the clinical region of interest and worse, eye-lashes can be mistaken with arteries and/or veins when those images are put through automatic diagnosis or segmentation software creating, in those cases, the appearance of false positives results. Correcting this problem, the first step in the development of qualified auto-matic diseases diagnosis programs can be done and in that way the development of an objective tool to assess diseases eradicating the human error from those processes can also be achieved. In this work the development of a tool that automatically delimitates the clinical region of interest is proposed by retrieving features from the images that will be analyzed by an automatic classifier. This automatic classifier will evaluate the information and will decide which part of the image is of interest and which part contains artifacts. The results were validated by implementing a software in C# language and validated through a statistical analysis. From those results it was confirmed that the methodology presented is capable of detecting artifacts and selecting the clin-ical region of interest in fundus images of the retina.

Alterações da margem palpebral associadas ao ectrópio

OBJETIVO: Investigar alterações da margem palpebral em portadores de ectrópio. MÉTODOS: Foi feito estudo observacional, do qual participaram 53 portadores de ectrópio palpebral e 25 portadores de dermatocálase (grupo controle), estudando-se, a partir de imagens digitais, a posição dos cílios e a presença de inflamações na margem palpebral. Os dados foram submetidos a análise estatística. RESULTADOS: Os portadores de ectrópio apresentaram com maior freqüência diminuição do número de cílios, perda da convexidade, triquíase e distiquíase quando comparados aos indivíduos do grupo controle. CONCLUSÃO: O portador de ectrópio possui alterações da margem palpebral provavelmente decorrentes do processo inflamatório crônico que ocorre na região.

Tests of one Brazilian facial reconstruction method using three soft tissue depth sets and familiar assessors

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ectrópio palpebral: Características e relação com alterações óculo-palpebrais

Objective: To evaluate the gender and the characteristics of the ectropion carriers in our region. Methods: A retrospective study was done evolving 112 ectropion carriers. The sex, race, eyelashes alterations (trichiasis and distichiasis), anterior and posterior blepharitis, conjunctival redness, íris color and pterygium presence were evaluated. Gender data were correlated to ectropion classification (involutional, cicatricial, mechanic or paralytic) and submitted to statiscal analysis. Results: The eyelid ectropion occurred more between 71 and 80 years old.The involutional ectropion was the most frequently observed (66,07%), followed by the cicatricial, mechanic, associated types and paralytic. The majority of the patients were male (70,53%), with White skin. Trichiasis (21,42%) and distichiasis (4,46%) were associated to the ectropion eyelid and mainly in the involutional ectropion carriers. Half of the sample had blepharitis and the majority of the patients had red eye (60%) and brown iris (63,39%). Perygium was absent in the majority of the patients. Conclusion: The involutional ectropium is the most frequently observed in our region, mainly in elderly, male, White skin, brown iris and associated to trichiasis, blepharitis and red eyes.

Parâmetros oftálmicos em espécimes de Cuniculus paca criadas em cativeiro

Pós-graduação em Cirurgia Veterinária - FCAV

Displasia ectodérmica hipohidrótica: un síndrome de interés para la odontología

Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a rare disease of genetic etiology. The most frequent form is of recessive linked to X-chromosome inheritance with affected male and female carriers. It can occur through autosomal mutations, of the gene EDA1 gene being responsible for the majority of the cases. It is characterized by the triad: hypohidrosis, oligodontia and hypotrichosis. We present two cases of patients with HED in which we observed characteristic signs of this syndrome: delicate skin, sparce hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, periorbital wrinkles, perioral and periorbital hyperpigmentation, prominent lips, in addition the patient in case 2 also present the depressed nasal bridge. We also found decreased salivary and lacrimal secretion and maxillary hypoplasia in both cases. At the oral examination in case 1 the upper right and left deciduous canines and lower right deciduous canine were present, and in case 2 the upper and lower (right and left) deciduous canines and two upper (one right and other left) permanent incisors were present with altered morphology, all of these dental elements were healthy. The early dental treatment of patients with HED, especially in the presence of oligodontia, as observed in our cases, is important not only to provide a better quality of life for these patients in the short term, but also an attempt to minimize the changes in facial growth to which these patients are subject.

Tests of one Brazilian facial reconstruction method using three soft tissue depth sets and familiar assessors

Facial reconstruction is a method that seeks to recreate a person's facial appearance from his/her skull. This technique can be the last resource used in a forensic investigation, when identification techniques such as DNA analysis, dental records, fingerprints and radiographic comparison cannot be used to identify a body or skeletal remains. To perform facial reconstruction, the data of facial soft tissue thickness are necessary. Scientific literature has described differences in the thickness of facial soft tissue between ethnic groups. There are different databases of soft tissue thickness published in the scientific literature. There are no literature records of facial reconstruction works carried out with data of soft tissues obtained from samples of Brazilian subjects. There are also no reports of digital forensic facial reconstruction performed in Brazil. There are two databases of soft tissue thickness published for the Brazilian population: one obtained from measurements performed in fresh cadavers (fresh cadavers' pattern), and another from measurements using magnetic resonance imaging (Magnetic Resonance pattern). This study aims to perform three different characterized digital forensic facial reconstructions (with hair, eyelashes and eyebrows) of a Brazilian subject (based on an international pattern and two Brazilian patterns for soft facial tissue thickness), and evaluate the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photos of the individual and other nine subjects. The DICOM data of the Computed Tomography (CT) donated by a volunteer were converted into stereolitography (STL) files and used for the creation of the digital facial reconstructions. Once the three reconstructions were performed, they were compared to photographs of the subject who had the face reconstructed and nine other subjects. Thirty examiners participated in this recognition process. The target subject was recognized by 26.67% of the examiners in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern, 23.33% in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern and 20.00% in the reconstruction performed with the International Pattern, in which the target-subject was the most recognized subject in the first two patterns. The rate of correct recognitions of the target subject indicate that the digital forensic facial reconstruction, conducted with parameters used in this study, may be a useful tool. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new tool based on two micromanipulators facilitates the handling of ultrathin cryosection ribbons

A close to native structure of bulk biological specimens can be imaged by cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections (CEMOVIS). In some cases structural information can be combined with X-ray data leading to atomic resolution in situ. However, CEMOVIS is not routinely used. The two critical steps consist of producing a frozen section ribbon of a few millimeters in length and transferring the ribbon onto an electron microscopy grid. During these steps, the first sections of the ribbon are wrapped around an eyelash (unwrapping is frequent). When a ribbon is sufficiently attached to the eyelash, the operator must guide the nascent ribbon. Steady hands are required. Shaking or overstretching may break the ribbon. In turn, the ribbon immediately wraps around itself or flies away and thereby becomes unusable. Micromanipulators for eyelashes and grids as well as ionizers to attach section ribbons to grids were proposed. The rate of successful ribbon collection, however, remained low for most operators. Here we present a setup composed of two micromanipulators. One of the micromanipulators guides an electrically conductive fiber to which the ribbon sticks with unprecedented efficiency in comparison to a not conductive eyelash. The second micromanipulator positions the grid beneath the newly formed section ribbon and with the help of an ionizer the ribbon is attached to the grid. Although manipulations are greatly facilitated, sectioning artifacts remain but the likelihood to investigate high quality sections is significantly increased due to the large number of sections that can be produced with the reported tool.

The ageing ocular surface:challenges for biomaterials design and function

Changing demographics and in particular an increasingly ageing population, in combination with improved longevity, will have a major impact on changing the face of human diseases and likewise the demand for appropriate biomaterials. The ocular surface is a multifaceted system that combines to create a unique mucosal surface, which includes the cornea, conjunctiva, sclera and lids of the eye. Physical parameters such as the eyelids and eyelashes, combined with the numerous secretory glands that produce the complex tear film, act together to protect and maintain the cornea. Unfortunately an ageing tear film and lacrimal functional unit can lead to impairment of this magnificently orchestrated structure. No single mechanism or modification is responsible but, whatever the cause, the consequence is a reduction in tear stability. An uncompromised tear film is fundamental to a healthy ocular surface. In the face of progressively changing demographics and consequent requirements for medical intervention and medical device developments, it is important to understand what effects the ageing process has on these anterior ocular structures.