title: Freshwater sponge spicules: a new agent of ocular pathology.
abstract: In a recent outbreak of human ocular injuries that occurred in the town of Araguatins, at the right bank of Araguaia river, state of Tocantins, Brazil, along the low water period of 2005, two patients (8 and 12-year-old boys) presented inferior adherent leukoma in the left eye (OS), and peripherical uveites, with snowbanking in the inferior pars plana. The third one (13-year-old girl) showed posterior uveites in OS, also with snowbanking. Histopathological analysis of lensectomy material from the three patients and vitrectomy from the last one revealed several silicious spicules (gemmoscleres) of the freshwater sponges Drulia uruguayensis and D. ctenosclera. This work brings material evidences, for the first time in the literature, that freshwater sponge spicules may be a surprising new etiological agent of ocular pathology.
authors.affiliation: Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. cvolkmer@fzb.rs.gov.br
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Volkmer-Ribeiro
authors.forename: Henrique L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oréfice
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelajo-Machado
authors.forename: Leandro M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Alencar
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Twiggy C A
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Pedro P A
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Manso
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machado
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D011161:Porifera; D045483:Rivers; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy