Objective

To determine prevalence, reason for evaluation, treatment, and outcome for dogs and cats with presumed solitary ocular lymphoma (PSOL).

Design

Retrospective case series.

Animals

7 dogs and 2 cats with PSOL.

Procedures

Medical records were reviewed. Progression-free survival time (PFST) and overall survival time (OST) were determined.

Results

Animals with intraocular (4 dogs and 1 cat) or conjunctival (3 dogs and 1 cat) lymphoma represented 0.1% and 0.08% of patients with lymphoma evaluated at the hospital during the study period, respectively. Animals with intraocular lymphoma represented 0.19% of all patients with uveitis; animals with conjunctival lymphoma represented 0.16% of all patients with conjunctivitis. Tumors included B-cell (2 intraocular and 1 conjunctival), non-B-cell, non-T-cell (1 intraocular), and T-cell (3 conjunctival) neoplasms; immunophenotype of 2 uveal lymphomas was not determined. Treatments included enucleation (4 intraocular) and chemotherapy (3 intraocular and 2 conjunctival). All dogs with intraocular lymphoma developed neurologic signs. Lymph node metastasis was detected in 2 patients with conjunctival lymphoma. Median PFST and OST were 178 days for all animals with PSOL, dogs with PSOL, and animals with intraocular lymphoma. Median PFST and OST for animals with conjunctival lymphoma were 221 and 549 days, respectively.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Results indicated PSOL was uncommon, but should be considered a differential diagnosis for animals with uveitis or conjunctivitis. Performance of MRI and cytologic analysis of CSF and regional lymph node aspirate samples may be beneficial for such patients. Prognosis seemed to be better for animals with conjunctival lymphoma than it was for those with intraocular lymphoma.

We describe a case series of photoreceptor dysplasia with secondary retinal degeneration in juvenile Peregrine Falcons. Six Peregrine Falcons ( Falco peregrinus) and three Peregrine Falcon × Prairie Falcon ( Falco mexicanus) hybrids had early-life visual deficits. Eight birds had visual defects shortly after hatching, and one bird had visual deficits first noticed at 5 mo of age. Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed in each animal. Eight of the animals had electroretinograms, and nine of the animals had their eyes examined histologically after euthanasia. Ophthalmic examinations did not reveal consistent and potentially blinding abnormalities, including an absence of ophthalmoscopic retinal lesions. Electroretinographic findings included subnormal amplitudes (with rod responses more abnormal than cone responses), with a negative b-wave amplitude occurring in one bird. Histologically, a reduction in the number of photoreceptors was present with numerous degenerative changes to the remaining photoreceptors, including frequent blunting and disorganization of photoreceptor outer segments, decreased numbers of cells in the inner nuclear layer, decreased numbers of ganglion cells, decreased thickness of the nerve fiber layer, and decreased myelinated axons within the optic nerve. Ultrastructurally, only minor cone outer segment changes and occasional phagocytic cells were seen. Results strongly suggested a primary retinopathy, characterized by photoreceptor dysplasia and secondary retinal degeneration with loss of cellular elements throughout the retina. The presence of a similar spectrum of findings in related individuals, the early age of onset, and the relative lack of other environmental, ocular, or systemic abnormalities suggested possible heritability.

Wound healing is a complex process that requires the intervention of cytoactive factors. The one-time application of soluble factors to a wound bed does not maintain a steady, sufficient concentration. Here we investigated the benefits of anchoring a factor in a wound bed via a tether to endogenous collagen. We used a collagen-mimetic peptide (CMP) as a pylon. The CMP binds to damaged but not intact collagen and thus localizes a pendant cytoactive factor in the regions of a wound bed that require intervention. As a model factor, we chose substance P, a peptide of the tachykinin family that promotes wound healing. Using splinted wounds in db/db mice, we found that the one-time application of a CMP-substance P conjugate enhances wound healing compared to unconjugated substance P and other controls. Specifically, all 16 wounds treated with the conjugate closed more thoroughly and, did so with extensive re-epithelialization and mitigated inflammatory activity. These data validate a simple and general strategy for re-engineering wound beds by the integration of beneficial cytoactive factors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Silver is a commonly used topical antimicrobial. However, technologies to immobilize silver at the wound surface are lacking, while currently available silver-containing wound dressings release excess silver that can be cytotoxic and impair wound healing. We have shown that precise concentrations of silver at lower levels can be immobilized into a wound bed using a polyelectrolyte multilayer attachment technology. These silver nanoparticle-impregnated polyelectrolyte multilayers are noncytotoxic yet bactericidal in vitro, but their effect on wound healing in vivo was previously unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on wound healing of integrating silver nanoparticle/polyelectrolyte multilayers into the wound bed. A full-thickness, splinted, excisional murine wound healing model was employed in both phenotypically normal mice and spontaneously diabetic mice (healing impaired model). Gross image measurements showed an initial small lag in healing in the silver-treated wounds in diabetic mice, but no difference in time to complete wound closure in either normal or diabetic mice. Histological analysis showed modest differences between silver-treated and control groups on day 9, but no difference between groups at the time of wound closure. We conclude that silver nanoparticle/polyelectrolyte multilayers can be safely integrated into the wound beds of both normal and diabetic mice without delaying wound closure, and with transient histological effects. The results of this study suggest the feasibility of this technology for use as a platform to affect nanoscale wound engineering approaches to microbial prophylaxis or to augment wound healing.