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Metipranolol is a beta-blocker that has been used in ophthalmology and in systemic therapy for about 10 years. Reports about reversible uveitis under the product Glauline (metipranolol-containing eye drops) in England were the reason for extensive studies with metipranolol-containing eye drops produced with different methods. Analytical studies concerning the influence of irradiation sterilization on the drug containers, studies on the toxicity of the ophthalmic drug on tissue cultures, and prospective and retrospective clinical studies on 2,800 glaucoma patients were performed. Irradiation sterilization leads to the formation of free radicals on the surface of the containers and, depending on the radiation dose, to a decrease in the pH of the drug solution. In prospective studies involving 1,516 glaucoma patients, no intraocular side effects due to metipranolol-containing eye drops were found. In the retrospective examination including 1,306 glaucoma patients, 19 cases of uveitis were found. Thirteen cases of recurring iritis were diagnosed, which had already been observed before the onset of glaucoma therapy. In 2 cases the iritis led to secondary glaucoma and was treated with metipranolol. In 2 cases glaucoma was treated with pilocarpine (and dipivefrin) and metipranolol concomitantly. One case of rubeosis iridis was incorrectly classified as iritis. One case is possibly related to metipranolol despite the assessment to the contrary by the ophthalmologist in question. Following the results of these studies, an accumulation of cases of uveitis caused by metipranolol can be excluded.

VER was recorded in 7 patients with ocular hypertension while intraocular pressure was artificially elevated. Four of the patients manifested signs of vascular autoregulation, while in 3 no such signs were observed. This absence of autoregulation was also observed in primary open-angle glaucoma patients. On the basis of these first results it may be expected that the pressure compliance test will identify patients with ocular hypertension in whom damage to the optic disk is likely to occur at a later date.

The tear break-up was determined in 30 patients with healthy eyes aged from 18 to 67 using two different types of filter combinations: (1) Schott Filter OG 530 and Schott Filter BG 12. (2) Schott Filter OG 530 and Zeiss Filter 485. In view of the filter characteristics, we expected a reduction of the variance of the tear break-up time with the second filter combination. This did not occur. There was no difference between the two filter combinations described according to the Wilcoxon Test on the 5 percent level. The reasons are discussed.

In 30 healthy volunteers the tear-film break-up times of both eyes were determined, comparing one eye with a cut-off filter (customarily used in fluorescein angiography (Schott OG 530, thickness 3 mm] with the common method, not using this filter, in the other eye. By using the filter the variance of observed break-up times is decreased, and the time elapsing after the administration of the dye no longer influences the break-up time significantly. The filter described here is therefore recommended for determining the tear-film break-up time.

Oculo-oscillodynamography (OODG) after Ulrich was performed in 11 patients suffering from a monolateral, hemodynamically relevant carotid stenosis identified by Doppler sonography. All of the pressure parameters which can be measured by OODG--systolic retinal, systolic ciliary, and diastolic ocular perfusion pressure--were low on the side concerned. In contrast to the already-established methods of measuring ocular perfusion--ophthalmodynamometry and ophthalmodynamography after Hager--the advantages of OODG are that it not only enables the systolic retinal pressure to be differentiated from the systolic ciliary or diastolic ocular perfusion pressure, but also permits the results of the investigation to be illustrated graphically, so that objective evaluation is possible.

Tear film break-up time was measured on 6 consecutive workdays in 6 subjects without eye disease selected at random. The reasons for the wide range of scatter in the values measured were investigated by variance component estimation. It was found that intraindividual variance is by far the most important factor influencing the overall variance of the measured values. Therefore, caution is called for when judging the stability of the precorneal tear film by the tear film break-up time in healthy individuals.

An partial avulsion of the optic nerve was found after a blunt ocular trauma in a 34-year old-patient. For the first time it is possible to demonstrate CT exposures of such a case. The importance of this method in cases of blunt ocular trauma accompanied by hemorrhages of the anterior chamber or the vitreous is discussed.

Ocular oscillodynamograms (OODG) were made in 9 patients with an occlusion of the central artery and 11 patients with an occlusion of one branch artery. While there were no pathologic findings in patients with branch artery occlusions, it was not possible to record any systolic-retinal oscillations of the pulse in patients with an occlusion of the central artery. In three cases the systolic ciliary perfusion pressure was also low owing to carotid stenosis.

In 30 subjects without ophthalmological disease the corneal contact time of a new artificial polyacrylic-based tear gel (Vidisic, produced by Dr. Mann, Berlin) was compared with a well-known artificial polyvinyl alcohol-based tear solution. The Vidisic concentration remained in the corneal tear film 7 times longer than the substance it was compared with. In a second study including 7 normal subjects and 5 patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca, the influence of Vidisic on break-up time (BUT) and the Schirmer test was demonstrated. It was found that tear secretion improved for 2-4 hours (Schirmer test) and the stability of the tear film (BUT) improved for about 6 hours with Vidisic. These results suggest that application of Vidisic four times a day is sufficient for efficatious therapy even in cases of severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

In this paper the results of the Aulhorn flicker test in 105 healthy subjects are described. With decreasing flicker frequencies there was an increasing sensitivity to brightness below the individual flicker fusion frequency. These results contrast with those obtained in patients with acute optic neuritis. In these patients the sensitivity to brightness decreased at low flicker frequencies. The range of frequency intervals between 3 and 50 Hz in which the maximum increase in brightness sensitivity was be observed was also investigated. The results have been compiled in a diagram for clinical use.

The effect of Vidisic (a new jelly artificial tear solution) and an ointment basing on Dexpanthenol on the tear production and the tear film stability was studied both on patients in the intensive care units (ICU) and during operations. In 10 relaxed and ventilated patients of the ICU there was no significant change in the tear production after application of either therapy. In 30 patients, undergoing surgery in endotracheal anaesthesia, the break-up-time and the test according to Schirmer were measured pre- and postoperatively. Like in the ICU-patients no difference in tear production could be found. Regarding the stability of the precorneal tear film however Vidisic was more effective than ointment basing on Dexpanthenol. Especially this clear jelly artificial tear solution allowed in contrast to the ointment a permanent and reliable judgement of the pupillary reaction. In addition the patients felt more comfortable with Vidisic.