Purpose: To investigate the correlation between demodicosis and chalazia in patients with the latter.Design: Prospective, observational, comparative study.Methods: Forty-four adult and 47 pediatric patients with chalazia and 34 adult and 30 pediatric age- and sex-matched patients without chalazia treated at an institutional referral eye center were included. All 155 patients underwent lash sampling followed by microscopic identification and counting of Demodex mites. All 91 patients with chalazia underwent surgical removal, and among them, 74 were followed up for 18 ± 4.3 months after surgery. Statistical correlation between ocular demodicosis and chalazia and its postoperative recurrence was performed.Results: Demodicosis was significantly more (Read more...)
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Medicare SGR reform gains ground, but payment plan still undecided
The American Medical Association praised what it called “strong bipartisan votes” by two Congressional committees to replace the current Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and end the “annual cycle of draconian Medicare physician payment cuts and short-term patches” on physician reimbursement.The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees both passed versions of the bill on Thursday, including what an AMA statement calls a plan to “consolidate and restructure existing quality improvement incentive programs to reduce the administrative and financial burden on physicians.”Action by the full House and Senate (Read more...)
CABP4 Mutations Do Not Cause Congenital Stationary Night Blindness – Corrected Proof
I read with interest the analysis of Dutch patients diagnosed with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) by Bijveld et al, particularly what was written regarding patients with recessive mutations in calcium binding protein 4 (CABP4; Mendelian Inheritance in Man *608965). CABP4 encodes a protein that is specifically located in photoreceptor synaptic terminals, where it probably modulates photoreceptor calcium release. Only 3 of 101 patients diagnosed with CSNB in the authors’ series had CABP4 mutations, and all 3 patients (2 families) harbored the same homozygous mutation (c.646C>T; p.Arg216X). These 3 patients had nystagmus and low vision. Two were photophobic. All 3 had (Read more...)
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Katena acquires IOP Ophthalmics
IOP Ophthalmics has been acquired by Katena, according to a press release.Katena manufactures ophthalmic surgical instruments and related ophthalmic products, with sales in more than 110 countries, while IOP Ophthalmics develops, commercializes and distributes specialty ophthalmic surgical devices and biologics.
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Synergetics reports 6.2% increase in sales for first quarter
Synergetics USA reported total sales of $15.5 million for its first quarter, an increase of 6.2% over the first quarter last year, according to a press release.Net income was $900,000, or $0.04 per diluted share, a 30.8% decrease from $1.4 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, a year ago.
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BLOG: ‘Tis the season
Not the holiday season, the heating season! If you live north of the Mason-Dixon Line and you take care of dry eye patients, you just got very busy. Why? Because furnaces all across North America went on sometime last month, and your patients have been slowly dehumidifying the air in their homes and workplaces. With that comes the “dry eye season,” as predictable in many areas as ragweed in the fall and corneal abrasions on Dec. 26.