Purpose. A comparative assessment of the prevalence of refractive anomalies among children and adolescents depending on the place of their residence. Materials and methods. The research took place Ganja-Gazakh economic region that consists of different types of settlements. The total populations is 1,240.8 thousand, of which 235.8 thousand are children younger than 15 years and 86.9 thousand are teenagers aged 15–19 years. The children and adolescents included into the study were examined by ophthalmologists within a mobile group formed by Zarifa Aliyeva National Ophthalmological Center. Results. Refractive anomalies were identified at 18,3 ± 2,2; 12,0 ± 1,9 and 11,0 ± 1,8 % of children aged 5 to 9 occur much more frequently in the large city (18.3 %) than in small cities (12.0 %) and rural settlements (11.0 %). These settlement types also show a significant difference in the prevalence rate of refractive anomalies of older children (aged 10–14), resp. (31.0; 18.1, and 13.7 %) and adolescents aged 15–19 (34.7; 15.7, and 13.0 %). Conclusions. The prevalence of refractive anomalies among children and adolescents depends on the subjects’ place of residence: it is higher in large cities and lower in villages. This difference is more pronounced at older ages (children of 10–14 and adolescents aged 15–19). In big cities and towns, the prevailing type of refractive anomaly is myopia. Hyperopia shows similar prevalence rates in all settlement types.

Purpose. To analyze the literature to determine the visual prognosis of eyes affected by retinal angiomatosis of Von-Hippel Lindau disease (VHL). Study Type. Retrospective literature analysis. Methods. Medline and PubMed searches were performed for publications on retinal capillary hemangioma (CRH). Data was collected on patient age of presentation, CRH laterality, location, treatment, and progression. Statistical analyses using Pearson Chi-Square test, likelihood ratio, and Fischer’s exact tests were performed for the effect of these characteristics on visual acuity outcomes. Results. Vision outcomes need to be based on current technology to be clinically relevant. Therefore, only significant publications from 1960 to 2019 were included. Of these, 5 clinical case series included, a total of 427 cases. Of these 69.4 % (58–94.1 %) cases were unilateral CRH, 30.6 % (5.9–42 %) were bilateral, 18.1 % (10.9–23.5 %) were juxtapapillary in location. Major factors affecting visual acuity were age at onset (p = 0.03), location (p < 0.0001) and multifocality (p = 0.0005). Of interest, CRH-related vision loss was independent of the presence of VHL disease (p = 0.157). Conclusion. In this study, age at onset, location, multifocality of CRH were the most important predictors of vision loss, which were used to create a vision-outcome based classification system. This information can be used to counsel patients and for informed consent.

Purpose: to study the morphology of immune inflammation in patients with long-term posttraumatic uveitis. Material and methods. 54 patients who had one of their eyes removed after trauma and/or the results of surgical intervention were examined, followed by morphological examination of the removed eyes. The eyes were divided into three groups based on the type of trauma. Group I consisted of 20 eyes removed in the outcome of contusion injury. Group II was formed from 16 eyes removed as the outcome of a penetrating wound. Group III included 18 removed eyes after penetrating surgical interventions performed for retinal detachment and/or antiglaucomatous operations. Results. Morphological signs of immune inflammation were found in at least half of the cases in each of the studied groups. In group I (patients with concussion injury outcome) the incidence was the highest and amounted to 65 %, whilst in group II and III the signs were revealed in 56.3 %, and 50 %, respectively. In group III, all cases with immune post-traumatic inflammation referred to patients who underwent vitreoretinal interventions with the introduction of silicone oil into the vitreal cavity. Conclusions. According to comprehensive clinical and morphological study of 54 enucleated eyes, morphopathogenesis of immune inflammation with characteristic lymphoid infiltration and formation of lymphoid nodules was revealed in 57.4 % of cases. In patients with morphologically detected immune uveitis in history, exacerbation of post-traumatic inflammatory process was found to be related to acute respiratory viral diseases in 45.1 % of cases, which cannot exclude a possible role of the infectious factor in the development of an inflammatory reaction with signs of immune-based uveitis.

Purpose: to compare the tonometry results obtained by transpalpebral scleral tonometry and pneumotonometry for patients with their contact lenses on. Material and methods. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in 30 (60 eyes) patients with various refraction errors including 5 patients (10 eyes) aged 11–63 (45.0 ± 21.0) years with hyperopia of +1.75 to +9.0 D (+4.4 ± 2.6 D) and 25 patients (50 eyes) aged 12–57 (26.4 ± 13.5) years with myopia of -0.5 to -11.25 D (-4.4 ± 2.4 D). In most of cases patients used soft daily disposable contact lenses (spherical or multifocal). IOP was determined in both eyes of each patient using 1) transpalpebral scleral tonometry (EASYTON tonometer), and 2) corneal pneumotonometry. IOP was first measured when the patient was without their contact lenses, by both methods consecutively. 20 minutes after putting the lenses on, IOP was measured once again. Each measurement was taken three times and the average IOP value was determined. The data were analyzed using parametric statistics: the mean value and the standard deviation (M ± SD) of each parameter were calculated. Results. On average, patients without contact lenses showed transpalpebral IOP (IOPtr) of 16.3 ± 2.9 mmHg in the right eye (OD) and 16.6 ± 3.2 mmHg in the left eye (OS) and pneumotonometry IOP (IOPpn) of 16.0 ± 3.8 in OD and 15.6 ± 3.3 mmHg in OS. When the lenses were put on, the values of IOPtr stayed practically the same: 16.0 ± 3.9 mmHg in OD and 16.7 ± 3.1 mmHg in OS. IOPpn also changed insignificantly: 15.7 ± 2.9 mmHg in OD and 15.5 ± 2.8 mmHg in OS, but individual IOPpn data scattered more when the lenses were put on. IOPtr of hyperopic patients both with the lenses (19.5 ± 3.9 mmHg in OD and 19.7 ± 3.3 mmHg in OS) and without them (19.3 ± 2.8 mmHg in OD and 19.6 ± 3.1 mmHg in OS) was higher than IOPpn both with the lenses (14.0 ± 1.8 mmHg in OD and 14.2 ± 1.7 mmHg in OS) and without them (13.5 ± 2.7 mmHg in OD and 13.2 ± 1.6 mmHg in OS). A higher IOPtp in the hyperopic group seems more plausible because most patients in this group were significantly older than in myopic group. In hyperopic patients, IOPpn level in lenses tended to be higher than without them, while IOPtr was the same in either case. It may be due to the fact that contact lenses for high hyperopia are rather thick, which affects the air impact on the cornea during pneutonometry. In the myopic group the difference between IOPtr (15.2 ± 3.5 mmHg in OD and 16.0 ± 2.7 mmHg in OS) and IOPpn (16.1 ± 2.9 mmHg in OD and 15.9 ± 3.0 mmHg in OS) in lenses and IOPtr (15.7 ± 2.6 mmHg in OD and 15.9 ± 2.9 mmHg in OS) and IOPpn (16.6 ± 3.8 mmHg in OD and 16.1 ± 3.4 mmHg in OS) without them was insignificant. Conclusion. Transpalpebral scleral tonometry using EASYTON is an adequate method to measure IOP of patients with contact lenses on and can be the method of choice in a some of clinical cases, since its results and their repeatability are not affected by factors associated with the presence of a contact lens.

Purpose. To evaluate a quantitative method for grading the "blurriness" of ocular fundus images in patients with varying degrees of cataract including diabetes mellitus type II in order to improve the quality of fundus examination when it is affected by opacification of the crystalline lens, and to develop an objective method for measuring severity of cataract. Material and methods. We studied 16 patients (32 eyes) with a range of lens opacities and etiologies, including diabetes mellitus type II (12 patients). Age range was 70.19 ± 7.9 years. Degree of transparency of the lens was graded on the LOCS III system. Visual acuity was determined with 20/200 ETDRS at a distance of 4 m (ESV-3000). Images of the fundus were taken with a Topcon Mark II TRC retinal camera NW7SF Type IA. Image Resolution was 8 TIFF. An image processing algorithm that combined bandpass filtering, entropy analysis. and power spectral integration was used to quantify image haziness in terms of two inversely-related scales: “Blur Score” and “Clarity Score”. Data were analyzed via Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results. In order to better fix the details of the fundus images with lens opacities using a computer algorithm with a filter system, evaluation scales have been developed – the clarity score scale and the blur score scale. The two scales provide similar information, but in opposite directions. LOCS III lens opacities (NC and C) showed a positive correlation with Blur Score and negative correlation with Clarity Score. This indicates that a lower Blur Score, or higher Clarity Score, correlates with better visual acuity. The values of LOCS III NO and P, on the other hand, showed no reliable correlation with Blur or Clarity scores. Conclusions. A computer quantitative image analysis method originally developed to determine the opacities of the vitreous body can be used to analyze fundus images of patients with different stages of cataract when processing original images from a fundus camera. The proposed algorithm can be used to develop an objective method.

Purpose. To study the effectiveness and tolerability of sodium cromoglycate (Uzbekistan) in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Material and methods. 60 patients (120 eyes) with allergic conjunctivitis aged 18 to 60 years (28 men and 32 women), were divided into two homogeneous groups with similar clinical manifestations. The main group (30 patients), in addition to basic treatment, received instillations of sodium cromoglycate, 2 drops 4 times a day for 4 weeks. The control group (30 patients) received a foreign medication of the same group, instilled in the same way. Results. The patients of both groups revealed a comparable therapeutic effect. By the end of the treatment course, substantial positive changes were observed and the symptoms of allergic inflammation disappeared. The treatment effectiveness was 95.9 and 97.6 % in the main and the control groups, respectively. Conclusion. The use of domestic medication of the sodium cromoglycate group reduces the patients’ subjective complaints and helps achieve a maximum therapeutic effect at a price affordable by the patient and the clinic. No side effects or cases of intolerance to the drug of sodium cromoglycate group used have been revealed.

Purpose was to study how ultraviolet (UV) light (365 nm) applied in low doses (1200 J·m^-2), corresponding to the regimens of spectrofluorimetric analysis of the limbus and lens area, to the anterior eye chamber, affects bioelectric activity of the retina. Material and methods. A group of 25 volunteers (12 men and 13 women aged 21.0 ± 1.3 years) with no signs of ophthalmological or somatic pathology underwent spectrofluorimetric assessment of the limbus and lens area, followed by an evaluation of retina electrogenesis state. Results. We revealed no changes in the electric activity of the retina during the whole period of observation. The amplitude of A-wave varied from 75.2 mcV to 86.2 mcV both before and after the spectrofluorimetric examination. There were no significant changes in b-wave characteristics at any periods of investigation; b/a index did not demonstrate any difference from the baseline level. Conclusion. UV radiation (365 nm) of the anterior eye chamber in doses not exceeding those permitted by the SANPIN 5804-91 standard has no effect on the retinal function, should be considered safe, and can be used in future studies.

Purpose of our work was to evaluate the effect of inadequate laser coagulation (LC) of peripheral vitreochorioretinal dystrophy (PVCRD) on the clinical and functional state of the retina. Material and methods. Ganzfeld ERG and multifocal ERG (mfERG) were recorded in 18 patients (32 eyes) with PVСRD in which, upon examination of the fundus, signs of inadequate retinal LC were detected and documented, such as hypercoagulation, an excessively large number of coagulates with minimal changes in the retina, or massive LC at the normal fundus. Results. The functional activity of the macular region after massive LC at the periphery of the retina in patients with PVCRD was shown to be reduced. The characteristic signs of reduction of the ganzfeld ERG and mfERG associated with a large volume of LC of the retina in patients without a history of surgical treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment are described. For the first time, a functional method has been proposed to identify the risk of development and progression of macular dysfunction associated with massive LC of the retina, which includes a decrease in the amplitude of the waves of the maximal ERG and / or oscillatory potentials by 30 % or more with a parallel decrease in the density P1 in 1–3 rings of mfERG by 30 % and more as compared to the norm. Conclusion. Electrophysiological markers of macular dysfunction development risk associated with massive LC of the retina are proposed. The use of these markers in the clinic is important for predicting the risk of pathological changes in the macular region involving a decrease in visual functions, the choice of treatment tactics, and expert assessment of the volume of retinal LC redundancy.

Purpose. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), determine the preclinical changes in optic nerve head (ONH) after chemotherapy in children with retinoblastoma (RB). Material and methods. 38 patients (76 eyes) were examined and treated: 15 girls, 23 boys with RB averagely aged 21.0 ± 1.5 months. Of these, 58 affected eyes before treatment belonged to groups А (3), В (16), С (33), D (3), and Е (3). All tumor nodes were located on the fundus outside the optic disk. The examination of these eyes was carried out on an optical coherent tomograph SOCT Copernicus 4.2 (Poland). The 58 eyes were first tested before treatment, then after 3 or 4 courses of systemic chemotherapy (CT), once again after 6 courses of systemic CT and 1–3 courses of superselective intraarterial CT and 4–9 courses of intravitreal CT. 15 healthy children (30 eyes) of the corresponding age were examined as a control. Results. After 3 courses of systemic CT, OCT determined optic neuropathy with edema in 46.6 %. Morphometric data included parapapillary retinal cystic cavities, elevation of the contour of the optic disc towards the vitreous, increased rim volume (to 0.87 ± 0.12 mm³) and average thickness of the nerve fiber layer increased to 0.39 ± 0.06 mm (p < 0.01). After combined chemotherapy we revealed the thinning of the peripapillary choroid (to 80.0 ± 3.2 μm) with no retinal edema in 34.5 %, a reduction of rim volume to 0.34 ± 0.2 mm³ and the layer of nerve fibers to 0.02 ± 0.01 mm (p < 0.01). These changes are evidences of optic nerve disc atrophy. Conclusion. OCT is an informative method of examining the optic disc in children with RB at different stages of treatment, which identifies signs of edema and symptoms of atrophy more often (respectively, by 15.6 % and 17.3 %). Preclinical diagnostics of optic disc pathology with the help of OCT allows predicting visual functions in children with RB at its early stages and developing a differentiated approach to the choice of RB treatment.

The purpose is to develop a new method of evisceration of the eyeball in II–III degree subatrophies and assess its effectiveness. Material and methods. 172 patients with blind or incurable eyes who underwent one of the three operations: eye evisceration according to the newly developed technique involving an implantation of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts (main group), eyeball enucleation (comparison group I) and classical eye evisceration (comparison group II) were observed. Results. No complications were revealed either in the early or in the late period. A positive result was noted in all patients of the main group: average stump mobility was 140.1° ± 3.7° and average prosthesis mobility was 111.2° ± 4.0°. Prosthesis retraction after evisceration occurred 13.9 % less often than after enucleation (comparison group I), while the prosthesis retraction depth (mm) was 54.5 % lower than after enucleation. The retraction of the upper eyelid was also 26 % less common and its depth (mm) was 39.3 % lower.

Purpose. The aim is to estimate the content of proinflammatory chemokines (CXCL1/GRO-α CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL10/IP-10, CXCL12/ SDF-1α, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL5/RANTES, CCL11/Eotaxin) in blood serum in corneal ulcers and their relationship to the cellular immune response to corneal and uveoretinal tissues. Material and methods. 96 patients with corneal ulcer and 38 apparently healthy subjects, who made up the control group, were examined. Chemokines were determined by multiplex analysis using xMAP technology (Luminex, USA) in the xPONENT3.1 program using magnetic fluorescent microspheres and a ProcartaPlex kit (eBioscience, USA). To identify the autoimmune component, a micromodification of the leukocyte migration inhibition reaction (MIRL) with extracts of the corneal and the uveoretinal tissue of bovine eyes were used. Based on MIRL results, the patients were divided into two groups: 1 group sensitized patients (positive response to tissue antigens) — 33 (34 %) patients, 2 group — nonsensitized patients (negative response to tissue antigens) — 63 (66 %) patients. Results. The group of patients showed 2–10 times higher concentrations of the following chemokines, with respect to the control group: CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL12/SDF-1α, CXCL10/IP-10, ССL2/MCP-1, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL5/RANTES. Shifts of CXC-chemokines (CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL12/SDF-1α, CXCL1/GRO-α, CXCL10/IP-10) in patients with central corneal ulcer were associated with increased systemic cellular immune response to eye tissue antigens; the most expressed dynamics was noted for chemokine CXCL8/IL8. Сonclusions. The revealed changes in CXC- and CC-classes chemokine levels in patients’ blood characterize the corneal ulcers an immopathologic process and validate the necessity of further research into diagnostic informativeness of the presented mediator spectrum as biological markers for the prognosis of corneal ulcers and their complications in wider clinical samples. Concentration of serum CXC chemokines, and most directly CXCL8/IL-8 can serve as an additional marker for the development of a cellular immune response to eye tissue antigens in patients with a central corneal ulcer.

Purpose: to experimentally evaluate treatment plans for bacterial corneal ulcers involving corticosteroid. Material and methods. We used a previously developed model of bacterial corneal ulcer. 40 rabbits (40 eyes) were divided into 4 groups of 10 rabbits (10 eyes) each. Group 1 received topical antibacterial treatment. Groups 2 and 3 additionally received 0.2–0.3 ml injections of 0.1 % Dexamethasone solution once a day (parabulbar and systemic, respectively). Group 4 (control) was clinically observed after corneal ulcer modeling, with no treatment given. The clinical picture and the dynamics of the course of the disease were assessed by biomicroscopy, a fluorescein test, photoregistration and optical coherence tomography of the anterior eye zone (Visante OCT model 1000, Carl Zeiss, Germany). To analyze inflammatory changes and corneal opacities, a quantitative scoring system has been developed. Results. Corneal opacities emerged in the 1 st group of rabbits on the 14 th day from treatment start: in groups 2 and 3, the 9 th day. In group 4, the ulcerous defect remained by day 14. In group 1, a statistically significant thinning of the cornea (by 148.2 ± 32.6 nm) was noted in the ulceration zone after 7 days. The same effect was noted in group 2 (by 363.3 ± 82.0 nm), in the 3rd group 3 (by 362.8 ± 81.2 nm), and in group 4 (by 135.9 ± 40.0 nm). In 90 % of cases in groups 2 and 3, mild corneal opacities without vascularization were formed. In other cases, corneal opacities of high or moderate degree with vascularization were observed. Conclusion. Treatment of bacterial ulcers of rabbit corneas with dexamethasone glucocorticosteroid drug reduces the recovery time as compared to the results achieved through antibacterial treatment alone, as it brings about a rapid drop in the overall inflammatory response and diameter of the ulcer, significant reduction of the edema and infiltration of the cornea, confirmed by AS-OCT. Additionally, such treatment ensures milder corneal opacity and helps avoid corneal vascularization.

Most modern antihypertensive drugs used in the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma have an indirect neuroprotective effect not only because they reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), but also because of a stimulating effect on the natural metabolic processes in the eye. Researchers and clinicians today follow the strategy of compensating IOP, starting from the earliest stages of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON), regardless of which drug (generic or original) reduces IOP and which combination of the main active substances this drug has. The need for neuroprotective therapy in clinical practice mainly appears either in the far advanced stages or in cases of progressive loss of visual functions. However, given the multifactorial nature of GON, it is extremely important to add neuroprotective treatment in time, starting from the early stages. Electrophysiological and morphometric studies can provide objective monitoring of neuroprotective therapy. In order to increase the effectiveness of treatment, hypotensive therapy should be supplemented by early use of direct neuroprotectors targeted at oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity and affecting other molecular mechanisms of glaucoma so as the primary events of neurodegeneration could be blocked.

An increase in the growth of cardiovascular diseases has been observed in the last few years. Cardiac rhythm disturbances, especially atrial fibrillation, in absence of cardioversion and proper prophylaxis lead to thromboembolic complications. Drug therapy in rhythm disorders consists of the many antiarrhythmic drugs, prescribed for a long period of time. This fact can result to the ocular toxicy, which have insidious and slow progression. First and foremost, there is a risk of amiodarone-associated toxicity. Amiodarone affects as anterior segment structures (photosensitivity, corneal and conjunctiva deposits, anterior subcapsular cataract) as posterior segment structures (optic neuropathy). Fibers of the papillomacular bundle are the most vulnerable structures in optic nerve to the toxic effect of amiodarone due to the absence of myelination and salutatory conduction, their small size and high-energy requirements. The difficulties in diagnosis of amiodarone-associated optic neuropathy are related to slow progression (patients don’t notice symptoms until the late stages) and clinical similarity to ischemic optic neuropathy.

The first part of the literature review described the ophthalmoscopic picture of the small choroidal melanoma and pseudomelanomas [ROJ, 2019; 12 (4): 99–108]. This is the second part of the review, which describes the features characteristic of small uveal melanoma and pseudomelanomas, revealed by fluorescence angiography and autofluorescence. Typical properties of fluorescence and autofluorescence are presented for every disease of the eye fundus studied: small choroidal melanoma, choroidal nevus, circumscribed choroidal hemangioma, melanocytoma, choroidal metastatic carcinoma, congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, late-stage age-related macular degeneration, focal retinochoroiditis of the posterior pole, organized subretinal hemorrhage, retinal hemangioma. The attention was focused on the similarity of angiographic and autofluorescence symptoms of the diseases under study. The need for new differential diagnostic criteria was emphasized.

Part 1 of the review presents types of epimacular membranes (EMM), their epidemiology and management standard, topography of normal fovea seen on the optical coherence tomography, as well as dependence of functional results of surgery on disease duration.

Because of the unpredictable hypotensive effect and serious complications during continuous-wave cyclophotocoagulation (CW-CPC), the use of this method in the treatment of glaucoma is limited. Therefore, a new technique was developed, known as micropulse trans-scleral cyclophotocoagulation (MP-CPC). During MP-CPC, a series of short bursts of laser pulses deliver energy to the ciliary body at the near-infrared wavelength of 810 nm, which is strongly absorbed by melanin. As shown by experimental studies, there are several acting mechanisms which reduce IOP decrease during MP-CPC. In clinical studies, patients with different forms and stages of glaucoma received laser energy of similar parameters during MP-CPC. It may be concluded that MP-CPC is a safe and effective alternative to traditional CW-CPC. However if laser irradiation directed to the ciliary body during MP-CPC gets longer, the incidence of complications increases. The variation of glaucoma forms in patients who underwent MP-CPC and a relatively small number of cases involved in the studies prevent us from making an unambiguous recommendation of this technique at the moment. An extensive research of the technique is required.