Articles

A unique nanoparticle has been developed that could prove to be an effective drug delivery device for the treatment of glaucoma.

A 3-D computer automated threshold Amsler grid test is able to identify abnormalities characteristic of glaucoma in glaucoma suspects whose achromatic Humphrey visual field test was normal.

A new gene has been discovered which, when mutated, causes Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), a common form of inherited blindness in babies.

A potential new treatment approach for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) may be possible now that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) has been found to play an important role in promoting the development of retinal blood vessels.

Community optometrists trained in glaucoma can provide satisfactory decisions regarding diagnosis and initiation of treatment.

People who drink coffee are less likely to develop primary late onset blepharospasm.

Five of the largest European ophthalmic societies have founded a new supranational society — The Federation of European Ophthalmology.

High-tension open angle glaucoma (htOAG) is associated with high pulse pressure, increased carotid arterial stiffness and, in people treated for systemic hypertension, low diastolic perfusion pressure.

Researchers from University College London (UCL), Moorfields Eye Hospital and the University of Sheffield, UK are launching a pioneering project that plans to use stem cells to cure blindness resulting from age-related macular degeneration.

The European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) celebrated its 50th anniversary at its 2007 Jubilee Congress, held in June, in partnership with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Fluorescein angiography (FA) remains a valuable tool for monitoring anti-VEGF drugs after intravitreal injections, however, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is becoming and increasingly popular method.

A clinical trial of an electronic subretinal prosthesis has successfully allowed blind patients to recover some perception of single and multiple phosphenes, as well as horizontal and vertical lines.

Blue-blocking intraocular lenses (IOLs) offer no advantages to the eye and could actually cause health problems such as insomnia and depression.

Alcon Refractive Horizon has had to deactivate two algorithms in all LADAR6000 lasers in the US that caused corneal abnormalities in myopia patients undergoing LASIK.

Although femtosecond lasers offer a strong alternative to microkeratomes, they are not suitable for every situation, according to Theo Seiler, MD.

Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) injections can result in a significant transient rise in intraocular pressure (IOP), which may be damaging to the optic nerve, particularly in patients with advanced glaucoma.

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Travoprost, latanoprost and bimatoprost all significantly reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) and increase ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT), according to report published online ahead of print in Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica.

Different types of early lenticular opacities in cataract patients induce different wavefront aberration profiles, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

ORBIS International has been awarded a $5,000,000 grant from American International Group (AIG) to ensure the growth of its long-term blindness prevention programmes in the developing world.

Stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, who have undergone vision restoration therapy (VRT), demonstrate increased brain activity, according to researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, USA.

Degree and pattern of staining with lissamine green is a good objective indicator of the severity of tear deficiency, according to a report published in the July issue of Eye and Contact Lens.

The efficacy of gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin for preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis was investigated in a rabbit model. Animals were pretreated with one of the two fourth-generation fluoroquinolones or BSS, received a midstromal injection with an inoculum of MRSA, and then study treatment continued for up to 96 hours postinjection. Gatifloxacin-treated eyes demonstrated less inflammation and infection, and lower numbers of recovered MRSA than moxifloxacin-and BSS-treated animals.

Intravitreal injection of up to 4 mg of a fusion protein that is an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent (VEGF Trap-Eye, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.) is well tolerated and yields no evidence of ocular inflammation. The agent appears to produce rapid and durable clinical increases in best-corrected visual acuity, along with improvements in anatomic features, in patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration.

The instillation of bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals) results in less severe and less frequent patient discomfort compared with ketorolac tromethamine 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan). However, the anesthetic effect of either commercially available nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug was statistically equivalent.

Treatment with topical azithromycin 1% ophthalmic solution (AzaSite, InSite Vision) using a frequent dosing regimen was effective in reducing colony counts of azithromycin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an animal model of keratitis.

Interim results of a study of pegaptanib sodium as maintenance therapy for age-related macular degeneration show that patients previously treated successfully with other agents maintain visual and anatomic stability.

A modified latex bead rat model has proven to be valid for measuring retinal ganglion cell loss in high-pressure glaucoma.

In a double-masked, randomized comparison of three leading ocular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, nepafenac 0.1% (Nevanac, Alcon Laboratories) had significantly greater ocular bioavailability than either ketorolac 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan) or bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals).

Tears of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may develop during the course of anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) related pigment epithelial detachment (PED).