Increased serum levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme are considered as inflammatory markers for diagnosis of sarcoidosis which is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the significance of differences in serum angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme levels of patients with ocular involvement of other autoimmune inflammatory and infectious diseases. This is a prospective study involving patients with ankylosing spondylitis, behcet’s disease, presumed sarcoidosis, presumed latent tuberculosis, presumed latent syphilis, and control group. The serum levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bonnferoni analysis was used to assess pairwise comparisons between the groups. There was a significant increase in serum angiotensin converting enzyme level in patients with presumed sarcoidosis compared to ankylosing spondylitis (p = 0.0001), behcet’s disease (p = 0.0001), presumed latent tuberculosis (p = 0.0001), presumed latent syphilis (p = 0.0001), and control group (p = 0.0001). The increase in serum lysozyme level was significant for patients with presumed sarcoidosis with respect to ankylosing spondylitis (p = 0.0001), behcet’s disease, (p = 0.0001) presumed latent tuberculosis (p = 0.001), presumed latent syphilis (p = 0.033), and control group (p = 0.0001). Elevated serum angiotensin converting enzyme levels are significant for patients with presumed sarcoidosis compared to ocular involvement of other autoimmune diseases such as behcet’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis, and ocular involvement of infectious diseases such as presumed latent tuberculosis and presumed latent syphilis. However, elevated serum lysozyme level might be also detected in ocular involvement of infectious diseases such as presumed latent tuberculosis and presumed latent syphilis. Trial Registration number: NCT02627209 . Date of registration: 12/09/2015.

Background: Magnetically controlled growing rod (MCGR) concept was introduced with the premise of minimizing the repetitive lengthening surgeries, which is default in traditional growing rod (TGR) treatment for early-onset scoliosis (EOS). Despite good radiographic outcomes, previous studies did not compare identical patient groups in terms of etiology and deformity characteristics; therefore, a true comparison of the MCGR and TGR is essential. This study was designed to compare 2 techniques in terms of clinical, radiologic, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes. Methods: Patients with long sweeping congenital curves who underwent convex growth arrest and concave distraction (with TGR or MCGR) were retrospectively reviewed. Instrumented all-posterior convex growth arrest and concave distraction with growing rod technique were performed. Demographic parameters, follow-up time, number of lengthening procedures, radiographic parameters, number of unplanned surgeries, and complications were recorded. The Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) was used to evaluate HRQoL outcomes. Results: A total of 20 patients were included (10 MCGR, 10 TGR). No significant differences were found with regard to average age, follow-up time, radiographic parameters, or complications. Overall surgery per patient including index surgery, and planned and unplanned procedures were significantly lower in the MCGR group (8.8 vs. 1.3) (P=0.01). No patient in either group had graduated from growing rod treatment. HRQoL analysis revealed no significant difference between the 2 groups in any specific domain or in the overall score of the EOSQ-24. Conclusions: Although equally effective in controlling the deformity and superior in reducing the number of surgeries with comparable complication rates, MCGR does not offer any significant improvement in HRQoL outcomes or the overall complication rate. Despite the obvious advantages, according to this preliminary report, the current technology and technique of MCGR may not be sufficient to be the long-awaited “game changer” in the treatment of EOS.

Purpose: To evaluate the surgical outcome of levator resection in congenital ptosis, and to assess the change in levator function (LF) after surgery, as well as its effect on surgical outcomes. Methods: The charts of patients who underwent an anterior levator resection for congenital ptosis between January 2010 and February 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative grades of blepharoptosis, margin-reflex distance, LF, and reoperation status were noted, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Results: A total of 42 eyelids of 37 patients were included of which 32 eyelids (76.2%) had severe ptosis while 10 eyelids (23.8%) had moderate ptosis. The mean follow up was 11.0 ± 7.2 months. The overall success rate after initial surgery was 78.6%, and undercorrection was the leading course of surgical failure, with a rate of 14.3% (6 eyelids) at the final visit. Lagophthalmus and/or overcorrection occurred in 7.1% (3 eyelids) at the final visit, respectively. The mean preoperative LF was 6.8 mm ± 3.1 mm, which increased postoperatively to 8.7 mm ± 3.4 mm (p < 0.05) at month 1 and 9.6 mm ± 3.8 mm (p < 0.05) at the final visit. The mean LF improvement following surgery was 2.9 mm ± 2.2 mm. Conclusions: The levator resection surgery was observed to be an effective treatment for congenital ptosis, including severe ptosis with poor LF. Levator resection resulted in substantial improvement of postoperative levator muscle functioning, which might have an additive effect on the surgical success, especially for those with poor LF.