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Introduction To evaluate the effects of cycloplegia on the biometric components and anterior segment parameters of the eye. Methods In this cross-sectional study, changes to axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD) lens thickness, anterior chamber angle (ACA) and volume, corneal thickness in the pupil center (PC), corneal curvature (CC) and white-to-white (WTW) following cycloplegia induced by tropicamide 1% in 42 eyes of patients aged 23–58 years were assessed. Biometric components and anterior segment parameters were measured using an IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) and a Pentacam HR (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany), respectively. Results Significant statistical changes in ACD (increased by 0.06 ± 0.05 mm; p 0.05). Also, a significant inferior displacement of the PC along the vertical axes was seen (p = 0.020). Conclusion Cycloplegia resulted in a deeper ACD and thinner lens thickness. These changes should be considered in determining intraocular lens (IOL) power to prevent refractive surprises in cataract surgery and also in the phakic IOL implantation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the anatomical changes produced by implantation of the complete intracorneal ring (MyoRing; DIOPTEX, GmbH, Linz, Austria) on the different corneal anatomical layers as measured by the ABCD keratoconus staging system 6 months after operation. METHODS: Seventeen eyes of 17 keratoconic patients implanted with MyoRing using the femtosecond laser were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. Distance uncorrected visual acuity and distance corrected visual acuity (DCVA), refraction, and Scheimpflug tomography with Pentacam HR were determined for each patient. The 4 ABCD parameters were recorded, which include the anterior and posterior radius of curvature from a 3.0-mm optical zone centered on the thinnest point (TP) (A & B, respectively), the thinnest corneal thickness (C), and DCVA (D). RESULTS: Statistically significant improvement (preoperatively vs. postoperatively) in the DCVA (0.40+/-0.21 vs. 0.67+/-0.20 in decimal notation, P=0.001) associated with significant flattening effect was observed in both anterior (6.02+/-0.40 vs. 7.18+/-0.54 mm, P

BACKGROUND One of the earliest diagnostic signs of hepatorenal syndrome in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis is an increase in the renal vascular resistive index (RI). In this study, the impact of propranolol on decreasing this index and to postpone the probability of hepatorenal syndrome has been investigated. METHODS In the current research, 30 patients with liver cirrhosis with different age and sexes have been enrolled. Demographic data and complete medical history have been collected using a specific questionnaire. At first, renal artery Doppler ultrasonography was performed to determine the RI. The patients were then treated with propranolol, and under supervision, the dose of the drug was increased gradually every 3 to 5 days to reach the target of 25% decrease in resting heart rate. One month after reaching the target dose of the medicine, Doppler ultrasonography was repeated for the patients and the second RI was compared with the pretreatment ones. RESULTS According to our results after treatment with propranolol, a significant decrease of RI was observed (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) before and after treatment with propranolol (p = 0.290). In our study, we found that administering propranolol was associated with significant changes in RI and GFR between the patients with compensated and decompensated cirrhosis (mean change: -0.005 ± 0.017 vs. -0.058 ± 0.045; p < 0.01 for RI and -4.226 ± 17.440 vs. 13.486 ± 12.047; p < 0.01 for GFR in patients with compensated and decompensated cirrhosis, respectively). CONCLUSION Propranolol reduces renal vascular RI in patients with cirrhosis. The response rates in the patients with decompensating cirrhosis were significantly higher than the patients with compensating cirrhosis.

Dual diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder (SUD) in adults has been an area of clinical and research interest. In the present study, we assessed the frequency of ADHD in drug-dependent patients. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. We assessed the frequency of ADHD in 144 drug-dependent patients who were admitted for detoxification at Ebn-e-Sina psychiatric hospital between August 2007 and June 2008. All patients met DSM-IV-R criteria for substance dependency; diagnosis was made by two psychiatrists. Patients completed demographic characteristics questionnaire and were rated on Wender Utah Rating Scale and adult ADHD measurement scale. Those with higher than cut-off point of both scales were interviewed directly by a psychiatrist based on DSM-IV-R criteria for the best estimate diagnoses of ADHD. Eighteen (12.5%) of the substance-dependent patients were found to have ADHD as a child that persists to adulthood. Starting age of substance use was 22.0...

It has been suggested that antioxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL) antibodies play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to measure serum ox-LDL IgG levels in 31 patients with angiographically defined coronary artery disease (CAD) (≥50% stenosis in at least one major coronary artery; CAD+group) and compare these levels with those of 32 subjects with −group) and 24 healthy age- and sex-matched controls using ELISA. We did not find any significant difference between CAD+, CAD−, and control groups in regard to oxLDL IgG levels (P=0.83). Serum oxLDL IgG levels did not differ between 1VD (one vessel disease), 2VD (2 vessels disease), and 3VD (3 vessels disease) subgroups of CAD+patients (P=0.20). Serum anti-oxLDL titers were only significantly correlated with LDL-C in the CAD+group (P<0.05) and waist and hip circumference (P<0.05andP<0.01, resp.) in the CAD−group. In stepwise regression analysis, none of the conventional cardiovascular risk factors was associated with serum ox-LDL IgG levels. The present results suggest that serum levels of ox-LDL IgG are neither associated with the presence and severity of CAD nor with the conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: Chronic otitis media (COM) can be treated with tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy. In patients who have undergone middle ear surgery, three-dimensional spiral computed tomography (CT) scan plays an important role in optimizing surgical planning. Objectives: This study was performed to compare the findings of three-dimensional reconstructed spiral and conventional CT scan of ossicular chain study in patients with COM. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients enrolled in the study underwent plane and three dimensional CT scan (PHILIPS-MX 8000). Ossicles changes, mastoid cavity, tympanic cavity, and presence of cholesteatoma were evaluated. Results of the two methods were then compared and interpreted by a radiologist, recorded in questionnaires, and analyzed. Logistic regression test and Kappa coefficient of agreement were used for statistical analyses. Results: Sixty two ears with COM were found in physical examination. A significant difference was observed between the findings of the two methods in ossicle erosion (11.3% in conventional CT vs. 37.1% in spiral CT, P = 0.0001), decrease of mastoid air cells (82.3% in conventional CT vs. 93.5% in spiral CT, P = 0.001), and tympanic cavity opacity (12.9% in conventional CT vs. 40.3% in spiral CT, P=0.0001). No significant difference was observed between the findings of the two methods in ossicle destruction (6.5% conventional CT vs. 56.4% in spiral CT, P = 0.125), and presence of cholesteatoma (3.2% in conventional CT vs. 42% in spiral CT, P = 0.172). In this study, spiral CT scan demonstrated ossicle dislocation in 9.6%, decrease of mastoid air cells in 4.8%, and decrease of volume in the tympanic cavity in 1.6%; whereas, none of these findings were reported in the patients' conventional CT scans. Conclusion: Spiral-CT scan is superior to conventional CT in the diagnosis of lesions in COM before operation. It can be used for detailed evaluation of ossicular chain in such patients.