Search

Posterior pigment dispersion is a rare ophthalmic finding that has been reported in patients undergoing retinectomy with silicone oil placement and in patients who underwent significant anterior segment manipulation and vitrectomy. The pigment release is believed to occur from retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the former and the posterior iris in the latter. The exact timing of this pre-retinal pigment deposition is unknown but typically is mild and occurs over several months. A rapid progression of diffuse preretinal pigmentation is uncommon and may be suggestive of persistent RPE release from an open break or continued iris trauma with posterior pigment release. This report describes a case of profound posterior pigment deposition more than 4 months after retinectomy and oil in a patient with a persistently open retinectomy edge with anterior retinal detachment. The rapidity of pigment deposition was the clue to recognizing this subtle anterior detachment under silicone oil. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2021;52:47–49.]

Anthocyanins play a variety of adaptive roles in both vegetative tissues and reproductive organs of plants. The broad functionality of these compounds requires sophisticated regulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway to allow proper localization, timing, and optimal intensity of pigment deposition. While it is well-established that the committed steps of anthocyanin biosynthesis are activated by a highly conserved MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) protein complex in virtually all flowering plants, anthocyanin repression seems to be achieved by a wide variety of protein and small RNA families that function in different tissue types and in response to different developmental, environmental, and hormonal cues. In this review, we survey recent progress in the identification of anthocyanin repressors and the characterization of their molecular mechanisms. We find that these seemingly very different repression modules act through a remarkably similar logic, the so-called 'double-negative logic'. Much of the double-negative regulation of anthocyanin production involves signal-induced degradation or sequestration of the repressors from the MBW protein complex. We discuss the functional and evolutionary advantages of this logic design compared with simple or sequential positive regulation. These advantages provide a plausible explanation as to why plants have evolved so many anthocyanin repressors.

PURPOSE To describe a long-term outcome of a new technique using the femtosecond laser to assist with keratopigmentation (corneal tattooing). METHOD Nineteen eyes of 18 patients with a history of significant visual disability related to iris defects underwent femtosecond laser-assisted keratopigmentation (FAK) for functional restoration of their visual disabilities. Postoperative visual acuity and symptomatic resolution were collected during their postoperative visits. RESULTS After FAK surgery, all patients had improvement in their previous visual-related symptoms. Eighteen of 19 eyes (94%) had improvement in their best-corrected Snellen visual acuity. Eight of 19 eyes (42%) had at least 1 line improvement, 8 of 19 eyes (42%) had at least 2 lines of improvement, and 2 of 19 eyes (10%) had at least 3 lines improvement. The average follow-up period was approximately 60 months. CONCLUSIONS The FAK technique offers a long-term effective and safe technique for visual disabilities and improves visual acuity in patients with various traumatic iris defects.

Birds are the only living amniotes with coloured eggs1–4, which have long been considered to be an avian innovation1,3. A recent study has demonstrated the presence of both red-brown protoporphyrin IX and blue-green biliverdin5—the pigments responsible for all the variation in avian egg colour—in fossilized eggshell of a nonavian dinosaur6. This raises the fundamental question of whether modern birds inherited egg colour from their nonavian dinosaur ancestors, or whether egg colour evolved independently multiple times. Here we present a phylogenetic assessment of egg colour in nonavian dinosaurs. We applied high-resolution Raman microspectroscopy to eggshells that represent all of the major clades of dinosaurs, and found that egg colour pigments were preserved in all eumaniraptorans: egg colour had a single evolutionary origin in nonavian theropod dinosaurs. The absence of colour in ornithischian and sauropod eggs represents a true signal rather than a taphonomic artefact. Pigment surface maps revealed that nonavian eumaniraptoran eggs were spotted and speckled, and colour pattern diversity in these eggs approaches that in extant birds, which indicates that reproductive behaviours in nonavian dinosaurs were far more complex than previously known3. Depth profiles demonstrated identical mechanisms of pigment deposition in nonavian and avian dinosaur eggs. Birds were not the first amniotes to produce coloured eggs: as with many other characteristics7,8 this is an attribute that evolved deep within the dinosaur tree and long before the spectacular radiation of modern birds.

Julia Canestraro,1 Jerome Sherman2 1SUNY College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Clinical Education, SUNY College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA Introduction: The classic presentation of pigmentary dispersion syndrome (PDS) often consists of midperipheral iris transillumination defects, Krukenberg’s spindle, and dense homogeneous trabecular pigmentation. Other subtle, sometimes overlooked features include pigment on the lens zonules, pigment on the anterior lens capsule and pigment along the equator of the posterior lens capsule. Case: This unique presentation of PDS presented with bilateral, dense, oblique, and symmetrical pigment deposition along the posterior lens capsule that changed in shape, density, and extent over the span of 3years. Discussion: There have been few reports in the literature that describe a central accumulation of pigment along the posterior lens capsule associated with PDS. There are reported cases of pigment deposition along the central aspect of the posterior lens capsule, some changing over time, although none were bilateral and symmetrical. There are suggestions that perhaps this central pigment deposition is related to a break in the ligament of Weiger, allowing communication between the posterior chamber and posterior lens capsule. This is a case in which curvilinear, symmetrical, and changing pigment deposition on the posterior lens capsule is suggestive of perhaps another key features of PDS. Keywords: pigment deposition, ligament of Weiger, space of Berger, zonules, pigmentary glaucoma

Exogenous ochronosis (EO) is an entity that manifests as black-bluish or grayish-brown cutaneous hyperpigmentation, which is a consequence of the deposition of ochronotic pigment with characteristic banana-like morphology between the collagen fibers of the dermis. Both the clinical presentation and histopathology appearance are superimposable with endogenous ochronosis or alcaptonuria, a hereditary disease in which ochronotic pigment deposition occurs at a multisystemic level. The most frequent cause of EO is the use of facial depigmenting creams containing hydroquinone, a common practice among women with high phototypes. We present a woman who developed EO on the face, upper chest, and back after prolonged use of a depigmenting cream containing hydroquinone.

Colour pattern development of butterfly wings has been studied from several different approaches. However, developmental changes in the pupal wing tissues have rarely been documented visually. In this study, we recorded real-time developmental changes of the pupal whole wings of 9 nymphalid, 2 lycaenid, and 1 pierid species in vivo, from immediately after pupation to eclosion, using the forewing-lift method. The developmental period was roughly divided into four sequential stages. At the very early stage, the wing tissue was transparent, but at the second stage, it became semi-transparent and showed dynamic peripheral adjustment and slow low-frequency contractions. At this stage, the wing peripheral portion diminished in size, but simultaneously, the ventral epithelium expanded in size. Likely because of scale growth, the wing tissue became deeply whitish at the second and third stages, followed by pigment deposition and structural colour expression at the fourth stage. Some red or yellow (light-colour) areas that emerged early were “overpainted” by expanding black areas, suggesting the coexistence of two morphogenic signals in some scale cells. The discal spot emerged first in some nymphalid species, as though it organised the entire development of colour patterns. These results indicated the dynamic wing developmental processes common in butterflies.

Avian eggshell coloration may have arisen due to selection on the biological, chemical, or physical properties of the pigments embedded within the eggshell, or due to selection on the coloration that emerges due to pigment deposition. Within both hypothetical frameworks, pigment‐based eggshell coloration would be related to metrics of egg quality; however, no one has evaluated the relative strength of coloration and pigment concentration in predicting egg quality. Here, we examined 66 European starling Sturnus vulgaris eggs and quantified eggshell biliverdin concentration (an antioxidant that produces the eggshell's blue coloration) and used 28 different coloration metrics derived from both photographic and spectrophotometric data. We also measured egg size, eggshell thickness, concentration of carotenoids in the yolk, and concentration of lysozyme in the albumen to capture variation in egg quality. We found that throughout the laying sequence, biliverdin concentration increased while eggshell thickness, yolk carotenoid concentration, and lysozyme concentration in the albumen all decreased, but this variation was not captured by any eggshell coloration metric. Both eggshell coloration and biliverdin concentration were negatively associated with yolk carotenoid concentration, but only eggshell biliverdin concentration was negatively associated with yolk mass. Lastly, biliverdin concentration explained, at most, only 46% of the variation for all eggshell coloration metrics. Our results suggest biliverdin concentration is a better predictor of egg quality than egg coloration in European starlings, supporting the hypothesis that eggshell pigment concentration per se may be the target of selection.

The purpose this study was to investigate quality of the table eggs, their damage and soiling in various age of the laying hens (47-62 weeks) during the second phase of the laying cycle. The object of the research was table eggs, egg white, egg shell, damage and soiling of the egg shell. The eggs were of the final laying hybrid ISA Brown reared in the non-cage system with deep litter and free range at small-scale breeding. In the breeding system with free range at small-scale conditions were secured requirements for laying hens in accordance with welfare principles. The eggs were collected each day at 4:00 pm. Weights of egg and egg shell samples of were measured on scales type KERN 440-35N. A white weight was calculated. Damage and soiling of eggs were investigated under the desk lamp lighting up to 100 W bulb. Statistical evaluation of the results was carried out in the program system SAS. From the existing conclusions of the various scientific and professional published works, it is known that both quality and safety are interrelated. In many works are the risk factors referred together as the quality standards. We found an important fact in assessing the trend of values of the egg shell weight, depending on the age of laying hens. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that the values of egg shell weight were not directly related to egg weight and egg white weight. It follows that the egg shell weight must be assessed comprehensively, and account must be taken of other factors. For the characteristics of the deformed egg shape has been one pc, representing 3.33% of the samples taken for analysis of eggs at 53 weeks of age of the total sampled eggs. In the following 56 weeks of age hens laying eggs there was not a deformed shape. The next subsequent sampling 59 weeks of age laying hens were recorded two pcs of eggs with deformed shape, i.e. 6.67%. At the last sampling of eggs at age 62 weeks, the number of eggs with deformed shape increased to three pcs, representing 10.0% of the sampled eggs for analysis. The sediments on the shell eggs were observed as variable ridge shapes of the shell matter. At the first sampling of eggs at age 47 weeks were found 2 pcs of this defect, representing 6.67% of the sampled eggs. The ridges on the egg shell belong to deviations of the natural shell associated with its texture. These defects of egg shell frequently occur depending on the age of laying hens but can also be caused by other factors. In our experiment was studied mainly the age factor of laying hens. It was interested from aspect of clarifying the relation between ridges on the egg shell and weight of the egg, white, egg, respectively. The results of investigated ridges on the egg shell showed that there occurred in every age of laying hens. Their highest number was recorded at age 59 and 62 weeks (5 pcs, i.e. 16.67% of the 30 egg samples). After 59 weeks of age was found also reduce the weight of the white and shell and at age 62 weeks of age was reduced egg shell weight. Egg production with calcareous sediments on the shell is probably hereditary. Currently, the consumer prefers the consumption of eggs with brown shell. Egg shell color is determined primarily by genetics of laying hens. The results of our experiments have shown that the occurrence of the dots on egg shell had a shade darker brown colour or bright dots, especially on the ends of the egg. The occurrence of dotted eggs was recorded in each assessed age of laying hens (5 - 7 pcs, i.e. 16.67 to 23.33%), while in the last, evaluated 62 weeks of age even up to 9 pcs. These dots and their occurrence are related to the intensity of pigment deposition in the shell cuticle. The process of distribution of pigment in egg shell is the same as is formed by packing egg shell and therefore the cuticle. With the increasing age of laying hens reduces the intensity of pigment deposition in the egg shell and increases of egg surface area, of the egg shell area, to which the pigment is stored. This fact is confirmed by our results especially at week 62 of age, when occurrence of pigment dots was the highest on the shell and also these eggs had the highest average weight.

Unique preservation of the oldest colour pattern ( ≈ 490 Ma) of a molluscan shell and the first record of colour pattern in monoplacophorans are reported from a well that penetrated Early Ordovician strata in the Timan-Pechora Basin of Russia. The unusual preservation reflects low subsidence temperatures and minimal tectonic deformation. A colour pattern in the form of radial stripes coincides with the pattern of multiple muscle attachments to the shell, which obviously influenced the mantle margin responsible for the shell formation and pigment deposition. We assume that this type of colour pattern is one of the most ancient to have appeared in molluscan evolution.

Objective—To determine the prevalence of uveal cysts and pigmentary uveitis (PU) in Golden Retrievers in 3 Midwestern states. Design—Prospective cross-sectional study. Animals—164 American Kennel Club-registered Golden Retrievers in the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Procedures—For all dogs, biomicroscopic and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations of both eyes were performed after pupillary dilation. A finding of pigment deposition in a radial pattern or in zones on the anterior aspect of the lens capsule of 1 or both eyes was required for a diagnosis of PU. Results—Eighty of the 328 (24.4%) eyes and 57 of the 164 (34.8%) dogs had visible uveal cysts. Of those 80 eyes with cysts, 41 (51.3%) had a single cyst located nasally and posterior to the iris, 33 (41.3%) had multiple uveal cysts, and 6 (75%) had a single, free-floating cyst. A diagnosis of PU was made for 9 (5.5%) dogs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Prevalences of uveal cysts (34.3%) and PU (5.5%) in the examined Golden Retrievers were both higher than prevalences reported previously (5.4% for uveal cysts and 1.5% for PU) in the Canine Eye Registry Foundation's 2009 All-Breeds Report. Study findings have indicated that PU is not a rare condition and should be considered as a differential diagnosis for Golden Retrievers with ocular disease.

Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) are laboratory animals increasingly used for research and toxicological studies. Despite the need for an adequate knowledge of spontaneously occurring lesions, studies investigating the background pathology of different organ systems in hamsters are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of spontaneous, age-dependent lesions in the central nervous system of this species. Multiple brain and spinal cord transverse sections of 520 hamsters of 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of age were investigated using histology and immunohistochemistry. Vacuolation of grey matter neuropil and mineralisation especially in the brain stem were the most prominent findings. They gradually increased in severity and frequency with age. Vacuolation and mineralisation affected approximately 100% and 50% of 24-month-old hamsters, respectively. In addition, pigment deposition and mast cell infiltration were commonly detected. Wheth er vacuolation and mineralisation represent an incidental finding or are related to a cognitive dysfunction syndrome remains to be determined.

Yellow pigment deposition is a quality defect associated with channel catfish fillets. This study evaluated the relationship between fillet color and carotenoid contents as well as the effect of refrigerated storage on the color and carotenoid content of discolored catfish fillets. The color and carotenoid content of the yellow fillets were analyzed using the L, a, b-color system and high performance liquid chromatography analysis, respectively. A strong linear relationship between visual yellowness (i.e., the b-values) of fresh catfish fillets and the sum of three major carotenoid contents was observed. Yellow discolored catfish fillets became darker and more yellow during 12 d of refrigerated storage. However, the total carotenoid content of yellow fillets decreased or remained unchanged during storage. Results suggest that while the yellow discoloration of fresh catfish fillets is related to carotenoid contents, the intensification of the discoloration during storage appears to be related to another chemical phenomenon.

Insufficient quantity but also quality of spray deposition on susceptible grapevine tissue (i.e. target sites) and favourable conditions for pathogens could lead to control failure during high disease pressure situations. To determine deposition quantity and quality benchmarks for biologically effective spray deposits, bunches and leaves of table grapes (Waltham Cross) were sprayed at various growth stages, using different application volumes of a mixture of fenhexamid and a fluorescent tracer pigment and subsequently dusted with dry conidia of Botrytis cinerea where after infection levels on pedicels, receptacles and leaves were determined. Pigment deposition quantity and quality were determined from photos of sprayed parts taken with a digital camera under a stereo microscope and black light illumination at ×30 or ×10 magnifications and assessed with digital image and Hoerl regression analyses. The deposition quantity resulting in 75% control of B. cinerea infection (FPC75 values) was calculated from biological efficacy curves (sigmoidal regression analyses) for leaves and for each growth stage, for pedicels and receptacles. Deposition quantity and quality measurements correlated favourably with Botrytis infection. An optimal deposition value for the control of B. cinerea was determined by increasing spray volume, however by increasing spray volume and deposition quantity or quality levels past this optimum will not significantly improve disease control further. It was indicated that efficacy of agricultural chemicals could be influenced by improving both deposition quantity and quality, quantifiable by digital image analyses of fluorescent pigment deposition. FPC75 values obtained in this study can be used as benchmarks to evaluate future spray application in vineyards.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of annato (Bixa orellana L.) and turmeric (Turmeric longa L.) in layer feeds on live performance, egg quality, and yolk pigmentation and depigmentation time. A number of 144 layers were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with four treatments with six replicates of six birds each. In the basal diet, sorghum replaced 50% of corn, and was supplemented or not with natural pigments to composse the following treatments: Control (0% pigments), AS (2.0% annato), TR (2% turmeric) and ASTR (1% annato and 1% turmeric). Egg weight (g), egg production (%), egg mass (%), feed intake (g), feed conversion ratio (kg/dz and kg/kg) and mortality were evaluated. The following egg quality parameters were evaluated: specific gravity (SG); yolk, albumen, and eggshell percentages, and yolk color. The treatments did not influence layer performance or egg quality parameters, except for egg production and yolk color. The dietary inclusion of 1% turmeric root and 1% annato seed promoted higher egg production. Diets containing annato resulted in more saturated, more intense, and redder yolk color, with increasing pigment deposition after day 10, with maximum values obtained on day 28. Dried turmeric root did not promote good yolk pigmentation, resulting in higher presence of white in the yolk, which was stabilized on day 4. Three days after pigments were withdrawn from the feeds, yolk color faded in the treatments with annato inclusion.

This study attempted to clarify the difference in eggshell pigmentation between blue-shelled ducks (BSD) and white-shelled ducks (WSD). The eggshell pigmentation deposition process is discussed. Ultraviolet spectro-photometer and HPLC were used to determine the biliverdin concentration in the shell gland, uterus liquid and eggshell at 6, 12, 18, 20, 23.5 h post-oviposition. The biliverdin concentration in the eggshell and uterus fluid showed significant differences between BSD and WSD, but not in the shell gland. The heme oxygenase activity in the shell gland of both kinds of ducks remained mostly constant during the ovulatory cycle with no variation. The assay of exogenous biliverdin injection into the shell gland antrum in the WSD indicated that exogenous biliverdin could be deposited continuously into the eggshell until the source was exhausted. A layer-by-layer dissolution assay was used to examine the eggshell pigment deposition process. The biliverdin concentration in the first to sixth layers of the eggshell in the BSD was significantly higher than that in the white-shelled counterpart. The blue pigment concentration increased persistently from the 6 th layer to the 1 st layer. The BSD eggshells did not accumulate a large quantity of biliverdin in the most external layer. They tended to increase the deposition layer by layer. Our results demonstrated that different BSD and WSD eggshell colors were influenced by the amount of biliverdin in the uterus fluid and not determined by the amount of biliverdin in the shell gland. This implies the existence of a mechanism that controls biliverdin transportation from the shell gland into the uterus fluid, thereby playing a key role in regulating duck eggshell color.

The eggshells of many avian species are characterised by distinctive patterns of maculation, consisting of speckles, spots, blotches or streaks, the spatial-statistical properties of which vary considerably between (and often within) species. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the production of eggshell maculation would enable us to explore the costs and constraints on the evolution of maculation patterns, but as yet this area is surprisingly understudied. Here I present a simple model of eggshell maculation, which is based on the known biology of pigment deposition, and which can produce a range of realistic maculation patterns. In particular, it provides an explanation for previous observations of maculation heterogeneity and diversity, and allows testable predictions to be made regarding maculation patterns, including a possible signalling role.

The combined occurrence of ocular pigment deposition and glaucoma has been described in Cairn Terriers. Recently, this condition was also observed in two other breeds: the Boxer (two cases) and the Labrador Retriever (one case). Six dogs were referred to the Ophthalmology section of the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals and to a private referral clinic because of glaucoma or blindness in one or both eyes. In five cases ophthalmic examination showed pigment depositions in the sclera around the entire circumference of the perilimbal zone. Eight enucleated eyes (four eyes of two Cairn Terriers, three eyes of two Boxers and one eye of a Labrador Retriever) were examined microscopically. All eyes showed the same findings: an extensive infiltration of large melanin-containing cells with an eccentric nucleus, located in the iris, ciliary body, retina, choroids and sclera. Transmission electron microscopy of two of the examined eyes revealed that the morphology of most of these cells was consistent with melanophages. While reports in the veterinary literature concerning this condition are limited the cells concerned have been described to be melanocytes. Further research is needed to conclusively identify the cell type. As described in the present report, the histologic and transmission electron microscopic findings suggest a different etiology of the ocular pigment deposition and glaucoma compared with the pigment dispersal syndrome in humans.

Mixed dust pneumoconiosis secondary to domestic wood smoke exposure is a cause of pneumoconiosis in women from developing countries, but is rarely seen in the USA. An elderly female non-smoker, who immigrated to the USA from Pakistan 10 years previously, presented with a worsening non-productive cough and dyspnoea on exertion. She did not have any occupational or environmental exposures other than utilising firewood for cooking while living in Pakistan. Radiographs revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules associated with hilar and mediastinal adenopathy. A video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy revealed ill-defined nodules in a perivascular subpleural deposition, carbon pigment deposition around the terminal bronchioles, dust macules and negatively birefringent needles on polarised light microscopy with mixed dust nodules outnumbering the silicotic nodules consistent with mixed dust pneumoconiosis. This case illustrates the need for awareness of this condition among physicians caring for women who lived in areas where biomass exposure is common.

Protoporphyrin has been identified as the main eggshell pigment in brown-shelled eggs. However, there has been some uncertainty concerning the distribution of the pigment within the shell (and cuticle) in brown-shelled eggs. Most previous studies have suggested that the bulk of the shell pigment is deposited in the cuticle of the shell. The present study measured the levels of protoporphyrin in intact eggshells and in shells from which the cuticle had been removed, using eggs from flocks at 3 different ages. This enabled the calculation of the relative amount of protoporphyrin in the calcareous eggshell and the cuticle layer of the eggshell. The majority of the protoporphyrin pigment was located in the calcareous part of the eggshell (80-87%) with a minority contained within the cuticle (13-20%). These findings suggest that studies focused on maintenance of shell color in brown-shelled eggs need to consider the stage of egg formation at which the reduction in pigment deposition is occurring.

An electron microscopic study of peripheral leukocytes obtained from a 39 year old woman with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome was performed. Ceroid pigment granules were found within the lysosomes in 3.5% of monocytes and 5.4% of lymphocytes. Infrequently, pigment granules were also found in the parallel tubular arrays of lymphocytes. The lymphocytes containing ceroid pigment granules were confirmed to be T cells by immunoelectron microscopy. It was speculated that intralysosomal accumulation of ceroid pigment granules in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome may be due to lysosomal dysfunction.

We describe a case of an increasing pigmentary plaque on the posterior surface of the lens during follow-up of a case of pigment dispersion syndrome and suggest that this is a new sign of pigment dispersion.

じん肺症について,吸入された粉じんが肺以外の臓器に与える影響についてはほとんど知られていない.われわれは病理学的にじん肺症と診断された病理剖検例5例について全身の諸臓器を組織学的に検討した.全例の肝臓および脾臓において,組織学的に粉じんと考えられる黒色色素の沈着を認めた.皮膚や消化管ではそれら黒色色素は認められなかった.肝臓における主たる沈着部位は肝小葉間結合織内リンパ管,肝静脈壁リンパ管および肝被膜リンパ管に相当する脈管様構造とその周囲であり,肝小葉内では類洞壁の網内系細胞にも微量の黒色色素を認めた.電子顕微鏡学的検索では沈着黒色色素の超微形態とその元素組成の間に,基本的に3つのパターンを認めた.免疫組織化学的には,黒色色素を含有した網内系細胞はlysozymeなどが陽性を示したが,黒色色素非含有網内系細胞に比しその染色性は弱く,黒色色素含有によるそれら酵素活性の低下が示唆され,じん肺の免疫能に与える影響が推定された.

Clinical manifestations of alkaptonuria have been well described and are most commonly characterized by ochronosis or pigmentation of connective tissue. Sites most commonly involved in ochronosis include joints, heart, skin, and kidney. We describe a 66-year-old woman with a history of alkaptonuria who had widespread ochronosis. The dura mater showed extensive pigment deposition, which was evident both grossly and microscopically at autopsy. To our knowledge, description of dura mater involvement by ochronosis has not been previously reported in the literature.

Two cases are presented of patients wearing rigid gas permeable contact lenses who exhibited the typical fan-shaped patterns of corneal pigment deposition related to long-term medication containing amiodarone. The vortex corneal epitheliopathy and contact lens tolerance were monitored over several years. In both cases, the lens material was replaced with one incorporating an ultra-violet light inhibitor in view of the possibility of medically induced photosensitivity.

Phalaris angusta is a South American natural grass that produces poisoning in sheep and cattle in Argentina and Brazil. Phalaris spp. can produce unrelated forms of poisoning in ruminants, acute and chronic syndromes. The objective of this paper was to describe an outbreak of acute and chronic Phalaris nervous syndrome in 53 of 980 fattening steers and heifers in a farm of Buenos Aires province. On September of 2006 the animals developed nervous signs and died after 3-5 days. The herd was removed to a phalarisfree pasture. Three months later (on December) 15 new clinical cases developed in the herd. Necropsy performed in one affected calf showed neither grossly nor microscopic changes. Microscopically, there were no major alterations in tissues. Nervous signs had been described in some field cases where neither pigment deposition nor axonal degeneration could be detected. Clinical findings displayed by affected cattle after consumption of Phalaris angusta pastures resemble those observed by other authors in Phalaris staggers. This is the first report in Argentina where both syndromes were seen in the same herd. Phalaris angusta é uma gramínea originária da América do Sul, que causa intoxicação em ovinos e bovinos na Argentina e Brasil. A intoxicação pode ocasionar quadros nervosos agudos ou crônicos, independentes um do outro. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever ambos os quadros (agudo e crônico) da intoxicação por Phalaris em um rebanho de 980 garrotes em engorda na província de Buenos Aires. Em setembro de 2006, 53 animais desenvolveram sinais nervosos e morreram após um curso clínico de 3-5 dias. O rebanho foi trocado para uma pastagem sem Phalaris. Em dezembro, alguns animais apresentaram diarréia, depressão e perda progressiva de peso. Quando eram forçados a se movimentar, os sinais progrediam para incoordenação dos membros torácicos, impossibilidade de se manter em pé e decúbito lateral. Havia perda de peso e os animais morriam após um curso clínico de 5-7 dias. Não foram observadas lesões macroscópicas nem histológicas nos animais com as duas formas da doença. Os sinais clínicos observados são semelhantes aos observados em outros surtos de intoxicação aguda ou crônica por Phalaris angusta.

— Pansteatitis was recognized in four cats fed a diet based mainly on oily fish. Except for fever, these cats had all the other typical findings of the disease, namely hyperesthesia, painful, nodular-to-irregular subcutaneous masses, neutrophilic leukocytosis, firm and discolored subcutaneous fat, and lobular and septal pyogranulomatous panniculitis with necrosis, mineralization, and ceroid pigment deposition. Three of the cats responded well to treatment and became clinically normal after 1 month, the fourth was lost to follow-up. Resume— Une pansteatite a ete reconnue chez 4 chats alimentes pricipalement avec du poisson gras. Exception falte de la fievre, ces chats presentealent les signes caracteriqtiques de cette affection: hyperesthe-sie, douleur, masses sour-cutanees nodulaires a irregulleres, tissue adipeux sous-cutane dur et decolore et pannicullte pyogranulomateuse septale avec necrose, mineralisation et depot de pigment ceroide. Trois des chats ont bien repondu au traitement et sont redevenus cliniquement normauz en un mois. Le quatrieme n'a pas pu etre suivi. Zusammenfassung— Bei 4 Katzen, die mit einer Diat ernahrt wurden, die hauptsachlich aus fettreichem Fisch bestand, wurde eine Pansteatitis festgestellt. Mit Ausnahme von Fieber zeigten diese Katzen all die anderen typischen Symptome diesser Krankheit, namlich Hypersasthesie, Schmerz, nodulare bis unregelmasig geformte subkutane Gebilde, Leukozytose mit Neutrophilie, verhartetes und farblich verandertes subkutanes Fett, lobulare und septale pyogranulomatose Pannikulitis mit Nekrose, Mineralisation und Einlagerung von zeroidem Pigment. Drei der Katzen sprachen gut auf die Therapie an und wurden nach einem Monat klinisch gesund. Bei der 4. Katze war der Krankheitsverlauf nicht weiter verfolgbar. Resumen En 4 gatos alimentados en una dieta basada fundamentalmente en pescado azul, se diagnostico pansteataitis. Excepto por la aparicion de la fiebre, estos gatos presentaron los hallazgos clinicos tipicos de la enfermedad, hiperestesia, dolor, nodulos o masas irregulares en el tejido subcutaneo, leucocitosis neutrofilica, grasa subcutanea descolorida y de consistencia firme, y paniculitis piogranulomatosa de tipo septal y lobular con la presencia de necrosis, mineralizacion y pigmento de deposicion ceroide. Tres de los gatos respondieron favorablemente al tratamiento y llegaron a ser completamente normales despues de un mes, en el cuarto no se pudo hacer un seguimiento clinico.

The present study was conducted to study the genetics of tinted eggshell colors in two breeds of chickens laying white-shell eggs. Reciprocal crosses were made between an inbred White Leghorn line (ES) and an inbred Ancona line (ANC). The F1 birds were intercrossed and F1 females were backcrossed to each of the original lines. Eggshell color from each resultant group was measured using a Minolta chromometer, and a value (e) representing the color intensity adjusted by hue and saturation was used as the measurement criterion. Age, hatch group, and crosses each contributed significantly to the variation seen in eggshell color. Distribution comparisons indicated that two major autosomal loci affected the trait in these lines: one gene having incomplete dominance controls the amount of pigment deposition; the second completely inhibits pigment deposition when homozygous recessive. A test of goodness of fit supported this hypothesis. Genetic components were estimated by linear models. Epistasis, dominance, and additive effects contributed significantly to this trait. No sex-linked effects were noted.

Fundus autofluorescence imaging (FAF) in a case of diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation is described in this study. It is a rare chorioretinopathy associated with systemic cancer, for which the exact pathological mechanisms are poorly understood. FAF-imaging revealed a diffuse background of hyper-autofluorescence associated with diffuse orange pigment deposition and islands of persistent hypo-fluorescence corresponding to loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In this disorder, increasingly smaller spots of FAF hypo-fluorescence were found from the center to the periphery of the affected retina. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated a negative of the FAF-images. FAF hypo-autofluorescence corresponded to optical coherence tomography (OCT) thinning or absence of the RPE-layer. Conversely, FAF hyper-autofluorescence correlated to thickening of the RPE-layer on OCT. The case demonstrates that FAF can be useful for the diagnosis of diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation and offers greater insight into the pathophysiology of this disease.

The skin of a patient with diffuse melanosis as a result of malignant melanoma was examined by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. Our findings indicate that the slate-blue discoloration in this patient was due to pigment deposition in dermal macrophages and endothelial cells. Multiple attempts to identify disseminated metastatic melanoma cells were unsuccessful.