Size variation of the lacrimal punctum in adults

This is the first reported study on accurate computerized measurements of lacrimal punctal size in normal adults. There was a wide variation found between patients. The lower lid puncta were consistently noted to be larger than those of the upper lids. This is clinically significant in dry-eye patients who may need to be treated with punctal plugs of various sizes.

Eyelid anaphylactic reaction to atracurium with general anesthesia

Atracurium is a relatively new neuromuscular blocking anesthetic with known histamine release effects which has become popular in ophthalmic anesthesia. This report describes the IV use of Atracurium causing an anaphylactic reaction manifested by localized edema of all four eyelids, conjunctival chemosis and mild laryngeal edema requiring scheduled ptosis and strabismus surgery to be cancelled.

A histopathologic study of 716 unselected eyes in patients with cancer at the time of death

To determine the frequency of ocular metastases in the general population, we conducted a prospective histopathologic study of 716 eyes obtained from patients who had malignant neoplasms at the time of death. Fifty-two patients had ocular metastases; all of these individuals had widespread metastases that contributed to their deaths. The overall incidence of ocular metastases among all fatal cases of cancer was 9.3%. Thirty-three of the 117 patients with various types of leukemia and four of the 60 patients dying with lymphoma had ocular involvement. The total incidence of ocular metastases in patients dying of all types of carcinoma was 4.0%. In the nine patients dying of sarcoma, no ocular metastases were detected. We estimate that about 22,000 patients who will die of cancer in the United States during 1983 will have ocular metastases.