Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) helps control keratoconus progression in all age groups, but it works best in adults under 40, new data suggest. The procedure involves a photo-oxidative reaction, catalyzed by riboflavin, that stiffens the cornea. …
Month: January 2013
Understanding How Eye Cells Become Damaged Could Help Prevent Blindness
Light-sensing cells in the eye rely on their outer segment to convert light into neural signals that allow us to see. But because of its unique cylindrical shape, the outer segment is prone to breakage, which can cause blindness in humans. A study publ…
Bandage contact lenses under development as drug delivery vehicles
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Bandage contact lenses, which provide pain relief and comfort from exposed nerve endings that occur with corneal maladies such as corneal abrasions from corneal dystrophies, neurotrophic keratopathy, bullous keratopathy and postsurgical states, may also be developed into drug delivery vehicles, a speaker said here. “The motivating factor for this development is that the eye, the cornea in particular, has a very strong bioprotective mechanism. It allows low permeability of medicine to get into the eye. We know that the tear fluid that drains into the nasal cavity (Read more...)
Submacular hemorrhages may be managed with anti-VEGF
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Intravitreal injections may successfully help manage submacular hemorrhages, according to a speaker here.“We know that submacular hemorrhages have a significant variability in their clinical course,” Mark W. Johnson, MD, said at Retina 2013. “But it does seem that poor prognostic factors include thick blood under the fovea and the presence of AMD. And we know that when an eye has both of these factors, the final visual outcome if you don’t treat these is rarely better than 20/200.”
Pathoanatomy of trauma-induced ocular injuries aids in diagnosis
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Ocular trauma has multiple presentations, a speaker said here.“Understanding the pathoanatomy of trauma-induced injuries aids in diagnosis,” Suber Huang, MD, said at Retina 2013. “The first look at the injury is often the best and most helpful.”
Recognizing conjunctival chalasis avoids dry eye misdiagnosis
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Recognizing conjunctival chalasis depends on listening to the patient’s symptoms and investigating any report of a specific site of discomfort or foreign body sensation, a speaker said.“Conjunctival chalasis occurs when there is a degeneration of Tenon’s fascia that ordinarily tethers the bulbar conjunctiva to the globe,” OSN Cataract Surgery Section Editor John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS, said at Hawaiian Eye 2013. “This allows stretching and redundancy of the conjunctiva, which bunches up at the inferior lid margin, and sometimes elsewhere, and causes a foreign body sensation especially when (Read more...)
DMEK minimizes drawbacks of PK
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Endothelial keratoplasty procedures only replace the part of the cornea that is dysfunctional, making them potentially safer and yielding better visual results compared with penetrating keratoplasty, a speaker said here.“As we get more experience, we are becoming more exact in the way that we do the tissue replacement,” Francis W. Price Jr., MD, said at Hawaiian Eye 2013.
Various treatments available for myopic traction maculopathy
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Multiple options are available to treat myopic traction maculopathy, a speaker said here.“The pathogenesis of myopic traction maculopathy is not completely understood, but I think it’s a very important clue that this virtually always occurs within a posterior staphyloma,” Mark W. Johnson, MD, said at Retina 2013.
Rate of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery remains low
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is uncommon, but it does happen, according to a speaker, with reported rates varying from 0.03% to 0.15%.When looking back at a single institution’s experience over a 15-year period during which nearly 60,000 cataract surgeries were performed, only 16 cases (0.03%) were identified, OSN Retina/Vitreous Board Member Andrew A. Moshfeghi, MD, MBA, said at Hawaiian Eye 2013.
Intraocular lymphoma has many clinical implications
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — The rarity of intraocular lymphoma causes concern and has many clinical implications for physicians, a speaker said here.According to Janet L. Davis, MD, the largest clinical implication of intraocular lymphoma is that the disease is rare.
Google Glasses Ready for Rollout (Developers Only For Now)
Project Glass is Google’s initiative to develop futuristic, Internet-connected glasses that show digital information right in front of your eyes, projected over the physical world, including directions, messages, and more. Although they are not for sale quite yet, the company recently announced that it is holding events in New York City and San Fransisco where […]
Success of Retinal Detachment Surgery
Reattaching the retina is the primary goal of any retinal detachment surgery, but “success” is not defined by improvement in vision.
Twelve-Month Efficacy and Safety of 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg Ranibizumab in Patients with Subfoveal Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration
Objective:
To evaluate the 12-month efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg and 2.0 mg administered monthly and on an as-needed (PRN) basis in treatment-naïve patients with subfoveal neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet A…
Progression of Intermediate Age-related Macular Degeneration with Proliferation and Inner Retinal Migration of Hyperreflective Foci
Purpose:
Drusen and migrating retinal pigment epithelium have been associated with hyperreflective foci (HF) detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). This study sought to quantify the change in intraretinal HF distribution and its correlation with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disease progression.
Design:
Prospective observational study from the multicenter Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Ancillary SD-OCT Study.
Participants:
Patients (n=299) with 1 enrolled eye with intermediate AMD and baseline SD-OCT, followed by SD-OCT imaging at 1-year and 2-year visits.
Methods:
The number and location of HF were scored in (Read more...)
iExaminer iPhone Adapter for Welch Allyn’s PanOptic Ophthalmoscope Cleared in U.S. (w/video)
Welch Allyn received 510(k) FDA clearance for the iExaminer attachment that connects the company’s PanOptic Ophthalmoscope to an iPhone for more fun and utility when doing fundus exams. The combined system allows clinicians to image the eye while saving the images for later review or to share with colleagues. Moreover, the system i (Read more...)
Ampio Pharma Says FDA Accepts IND For Diabetic Macular Edema Drug
Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said the FDA has accepted its IND for Optina, an oral drug used in the treatment of diabetic macular edema, or DME. Optina had been given 505-b-2 status by FDA in July, 2012. Drugs designated under this pathway can be approv…
The Complexity Of Gene Therapy For Congenital Blindness
Independent clinical trials, including one conducted at the Scheie Eye Institute at the Perelman School of Medicine, have reported safety and efficacy for Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a congenital form of blindness caused by mutations in a gene (R…
Low Incidence of Acute Anterior Uveitis After Intravenous Zoledronate
About one in 100 patients could develop acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in the week after receiving intravenous zoledronate, researchers from New Zealand report. “The study was the first to quantify the incidence of AAU following zoledronate infusion,” Dr…
Genetic testing identifies mutations known to cause inherited glaucoma
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Genetic testing is available to identify mutations in genes known to cause dominant and recessive forms of inherited glaucoma, a speaker said here.According to Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD, genetic testing for early-onset forms of glaucoma can provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information.
Study: Pseudophakic dysphotopsia impedes function
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Researchers have found a correlation between pseudophakic dysphotopsia and impeded function, suggesting that the unwanted images are more than just an annoyance, according to a speaker here.Of 2,953 pseudophakic candidates considered for a visual quality study, only 70 met the criteria of having uncomplicated surgery, 20/20 results and no obvious ocular disease — no dry eye, no posterior capsule opacification (PCO), no blepharitis and no ocular complaint.