Articles

In patients with manifest glaucoma, refractive surgery should be performed with extreme caution, if performed at all, according to a paper presented by Andreas Petounis from the Patission General Hospital, Greece.

Scanning laser polarimetry with customized cornea compensation (GDx-VCC) and Matrix Frequency Doubling Technology (M-FDT) are more accurate than intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements when employed for mass glaucoma screening, according to Dr Toth and co-workers from the Semmelweis University, Hungary.

Glaucoma is an important public-health problem in Europe, yet no public health approach exists for its detection and control, according to Tarek Shaarawy and K. Mansouri from the Hopitaux Universitaires de Genève, Switzerland.

The IOP-lowering effect of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) does weaken with time but, unlike argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), it is a repeatable procedure and offers a better risk/benefit ratio than other glaucoma treatments, according to Madhu Nagar from the Clayton Eye Centre, UK.

Glaucoma drainage implant surgery is a safe and effective treatment for primary and secondary paediatric glaucoma in addition to initial surgical and medical therapy, according to Inka Helmanova and colleagues from the Masaryk University Hospital, Czech Republic.

The introduction of DuoTrav (travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5%) offers a greater probability of success in reaching target intraocular pressure (IOP) with a single drop, according to Dr Raber, an Alcon consultant from Freiburg, Germany.

The use of travoprost 0.004% and bimatoprost 0.03% can have adverse effects on the ocular surface and can result in dry eye symptoms, according to Samet Ermis and co-workers from the Kocatepe University School of Medicine, Turkey.

All the news from the sixth annual meeting of the International Glaucoma Society

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) can result in significant decreases in mean diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) and diurnal IOP fluctuation, according to Gábor Holló and colleagues from the University of Budapest, Hungary.

Although almost a third of patients referred by optometrists do not have glaucoma, optometrists are still best placed to screen the UK population for glaucoma, according to Dr Aye and colleagues from Northampton General Hospital, UK.

Glaucoma is a serious complication following transplantation, with about 50% of eyes requiring further surgery. According to Justyna Izdebska and colleagues from the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, trabeculectomy seems to be the most effective surgical treatment.

Microincision cataract surgery (MICS) combined with trabeculectomy provides a one-year intraocular pressure (IOP) control comparable to that found with trabeculectomy and separate temporal clear corneal phaco, according to the results of a study by Dr Bayer and colleagues from the Ankara School of Medicine, Turkey.

Two-year follow-up data from patients treated with either latanoprost, travoprost or bimatoprost demonstrates that similar resource consumption outcomes are achieved by all three, as reported by Dr Kobalt and colleagues from European Health Economics in France.

Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) may be an important additional treatment option for the rapid resolution of neovascular glaucoma (NVG), according to the results of a study conducted by Maia Kalev-Landoy and colleagues from the Wolfson Medical Center, Israel.

The use of implants in deep sclerectomy enhances success rates and lowers the need for postoperative medications, according to Petr Strnad, MD and colleagues from the Masaryk University, Czech Republic.

Ocular blood flow alterations and previous visual field damage may play an important role in visual field progression in open angle glaucoma (OAG), according to Antonio Martinez and colleagues from the Instituto Gallego de Oftalmologia, Spain.

To help improve compliance, patients should be made aware of what a normal intraocular pressure (IOP) is and be informed of their own at each visit to their ophthalmologist, according to Rohit Arora and colleagues from the North Middlesex Hospital, UK.

Dorzolamide/timolol fixed combinations (DTFC) and latanoprost achieve consistent 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) control and obtain a significant increase in 24-hour diastolic ocular perfusion pressure over a six-month treatment period, according to Anastasios Konstas from the AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Combigan (brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5%) can cause allergic symptoms in significant numbers of patients, according to Dr Subash and co-workers from Kingston Hospital, UK.

Non-penetrating layer-by-layer trabeculectomy in ostias of Schlemm's canal produces a pronounced and sustained effect and can be applied successfully in patients with therapy resistant open angle glaucoma, according to Dr Dashevskiy from the Munich University of Technology, Germany.

Late stage glaucoma is associated with considerable health and social care costs and a lower visual acuity (VA) is also predictive of a lower quality of life, according to John Thygesen from University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues from France, the UK and Germany.

In eyes with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), trabeculectomy with low dosage mitomycin-C (MMC) and intensified postoperative management offers an increased success rate and a lower incidence of complications, according to Professor Alfredo Reibaldi of the University of Catania, Italy.

Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) is an effective approach for the long-term management of difficult glaucoma cases and should be considered as a first-line treatment for refractory glaucoma, according to Francisco Lima, MD speaking at the "Surgery & Lasers in Glaucoma" session.

Non-penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS) is a safe and effective filtering procedure and could offer an alternative to trabeculectomy in patients with open angle glaucoma, according to Dr Aslan and colleagues from Ege University School of Medicine, Turkey.

Litigation proceedings initiated by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) in 2001 against QLT and Novartis Ophthalmics, have been settled.

A study published in the March issue of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, has found that long-term treatment with a topical steroid after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) is no better at preserving endothelial cell density than short-term treatment.

Cessation of therapy with warfarin may not be necessary in patients receiving anticoagulation who are undergoing vitreoretinal procedures, according to a report in the March issue of Retina.

A study published online ahead of print in Ophthalmology, has highlighted the associated risks between blindness and smoking and warns that people with unilateral age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-related maculopathy (ARM) should be advised that they are increasing their risk of developing the disease in the second-eye.

Visual improvements for low myopia is significantly slower after LASEK than after LASIK, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Patients with age-related maculopathy (ARM) undergoing cataract surgery can expect favourable visual and quality of life outcomes one to three years following surgery, according to the results of a study published in the March issue of Eye.