WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) — The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will meet Thursday to weigh the approval evidence for two cancer therapies: tivozanib and a drug-device product combining melphalan (Alkeran) with a novel infusion kit.
Month: April 2013
Prostaglandin analogues produce no significant differences in tolerability after 3 months
Open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension patients treated for 3 months with prostaglandin analogues with different preservatives showed no significant differences in ocular surface tolerability, a study found.The randomized, multicenter, investigato…
Femtosecond laser pretreatment linked to small, transient increase in IOP
Femtosecond laser pretreatment to cataract surgery was associated with a slight, transient increase in IOP without complications, according to a study.In the interventional, prospective study, 25 eyes of 25 patients underwent femtosecond laser pretreat…
Short-term external buckle effective in retinal detachments with inferior retinal breaks
Short-term placement of an external buckle with pneumatic retinopexy was effective in treating patients with a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with inferior retinal breaks, according to a study.The retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case s…
Prismatic correction can result in positive motor outcomes in esotropic children
Prismatic correction led to successful motor outcomes while maintaining or improving stereo acuity in children with consecutive esotropia and prior unilateral recession and resection surgery, according to a study.The retrospective cohort study analyzed 105 patients with esodeviation of 5 ∆D or greater at 4 weeks after undergoing unilateral recession and resection surgery by the same surgeon. All patients were fitted with prism glasses with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 2 years. Average patient age was 4.7 years.
Obesity Control in Latin American and U.S. Latinos A Systematic Review
By: ibach
VEGF Trap-Eye: Looking Good for AMD
Clinicians should take note of the results of these 2 important studies. Medscape Ophthalmology
Ophthalmologist Compensation Stable From 2011-2012
Ophthalmologists continue to report compensation higher than that seen in middle- and lower-income specialties, with significant differences by sex, geography, and healthcare setting. Medscape Medical News
Prevalence and Severity of Undetected Manifest Glaucoma: Results from the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial Screening – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To estimate the prevalence and severity of undetected glaucoma in the population.Design: Cross-sectional study.Participants: A total of 32 918 subjects aged 55 to 79 years from Malmö, Sweden, who were screened between 1992 and 1997. All sub…
Characterization of a Clinician–Scientist Cohort in Ophthalmology: A Demographic Analysis of K Grant Awardees in Ophthalmology – Corrected Proof
Objective: To analyze ophthalmologists who are National Institutes of Health (NIH) K grant awardees to characterize clinician–scientists in ophthalmology.Design: Cohort study.Participants: Ophthalmologists who have received a K award from 1996 through 2010.Methods: K08 and K23 grant awardees were identified through the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporter database. Information including gender, institution, educational degrees, and success in obtaining an R01 grant was analyzed.Main Outcome Measures: Receipt of an R01 grant.Results: One hundred five ophthalmologists were identified who received K08 or K23 grants from the National Eye Institute from 1996 through 2010. Overall, 75% of these were male, although 43% of K awardees (Read more...)
The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders among the United States Population Younger than 40 Years – Corrected Proof
Objective: To estimate the economic burden of vision loss and eye disorders in the United States population younger than 40 years in 2012.Design: Econometric and statistical analysis of survey, commercial claims, and census data.Participants: The Unit…
Outcomes and Predictive Factors in Bilateral Macular Holes – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To evaluate the incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and visual prognosis in patients with bilateral macular holes repaired surgically with indocyanine green (ICG)—assisted internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in our population.Design: Ret…
Wide-Field Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging of Retinitis Pigmentosa – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of wide-field fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).Design: Cross-sectional case series.Participants: Seventy-five eyes of 75 patients with RP.Methods: We examined the eyes of the RP patients using the Optos 200Tx imaging system (Optos PLC, Dunfermline, United Kingdom) and identified abnormal FAF patterns such as ring hyperautofluorescence and patchy hypoautofluorescent areas. Patients with hyperautofluorescent rings or foveal hyperautofluorescence were compared with those without such findings. We determined the percentage area occupied by the FAF abnormalities within a defined region of the eye and examined the relationship between the percentage area of (Read more...)
Rapid Assessment of Neurovisual Integrity Using Multiple Rarebits – Corrected Proof
Objective: Rapid assessments of vision commonly rely on visual acuity testing alone. Although well suited for uncovering optical defects, visual acuity tests may fail to detect dysfunction of the neural substrate. There is a need for a rapid companion …
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Malignant Eyelid Tumor: Hybrid Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography and Dual Dye Technique – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To study the utility of hybrid single photon emission computed tomography / computed tomography (SPECT/CT) scan and dual-dye technique in identification of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients with an advanced malignant eyelid tumor.Desig…
Cataract Extraction Outcomes and the Prevalence of Zonular Insufficiency in Retinitis Pigmentosa – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To examine surgical outcomes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) undergoing phacoemulsification cataract extraction.Design: Retrospective observational case series.Patients And Methods: In this single-institution study of consecutive RP patients who underwent phacoemulsification cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2012, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative records were analyzed with attention to best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), lens and zonular status, capsular tension ring use, incidence of posterior capsular opacification and neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser capsulotomy, and surgical complications.Results: Eighty eyes of 47 RP patients (21 male) underwent cataract surgery during the study period at an average (Read more...)
The Short- and Long-term Effects on the Visual System of Children Following Exposure to Maternal Substance Misuse in Pregnancy – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To document the prevalence of ophthalmic morbidities in babies born to mothers who misused substances in pregnancy and to assess whether it changes over 5 years.Design: Retrospective comparative case series.Methods: The series included: (1) a …
The Value of Combining Autofluorescence and Optical Coherence Tomography in Predicting the Visual Prognosis of Sealed Macular Holes – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To investigate the autofluorescence patterns of sealed macular holes and determine the correlations of the postoperative changes in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of patients with sealed idiopathic macular holes.Design: Retrospective consecutive observational case series.Methods: Seventy-seven eyes from 75 consecutive patients who had undergone successful vitrectomies for idiopathic macular holes by a single surgeon with postoperative follow-ups for over 1 year were included. FAF imaging studies were performed 1 month and 6 months post surgery, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed at regular intervals after surgery. The main outcome measures were (Read more...)
Ocular Biometric Parameters Associated With Intraocular Pressure Reduction After Cataract Surgery in Normal Eyes – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To evaluate the ocular biometric parameters associated with intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction after phacoemulsification.Design: Prospective, observational case series.Methods: The study included 999 patients who had undergone uncomplicated phacoemulsification. IOP and ocular biometric parameters were checked preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively using anterior segment optical coherence tomography, optical biometry, and ultrasonic biomicroscopy. The relationship between IOP change and the parameters, including preoperative IOP, anterior chamber depth, axial length, angle opening distance at 500 μm, anterior chamber area, corneal thickness, lens thickness, and iris thickness at 750 μm, was evaluated.Results: The mean patient age was 67.1 ± 4.3 years. The average change in IOP (Read more...)
Comparisons of Outcomes With Different Intervals Between Adjunctive Ranibizumab and Photodynamic Therapy for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy – Corrected Proof
Purpose: To determine the optimal time for administration of intravitreal ranibizumab injections before photodynamic therapy (PDT) as combined therapy to treat polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).Design: Retrospective, comparative, interventional case series.Methods: The study included 99 eyes (98 patients) with treatment-naïve subfoveal PCV treated with an intravitreal ranibizumab injection followed by PDT. The combination therapy included 1 ranibizumab injection administered 7 days before PDT (7-day group) or 2 days before PDT (2-day group). All eyes were followed for over 12 months.Results: Intravitreal ranibizumab was administered 7 days before PDT in 59 eyes and 2 days before PDT in 40 eyes. In the 7-day group, the best-corrected visual (Read more...)