Articles

Vitamin D deficiency may be a potential risk factor in the development of open-angle glaucoma (OAG), according to a recent study.

Both toric IOLs and peripheral corneal relaxing incisions (PCRIs) reduce astigmatism, but toric IOLs do so to a greater extent as well as being more predictable, according to results of a recently published study.

For the calculation of corneal power, using a single value for a keratometric index (nk) is imprecise and may lead to significant clinical errors, warn researchers of a recent study.

Thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) correlates with the bicaudate ratio (BCR) and with subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a recently published study.

Repetitive activation of residual vision with training of the visual field borders and areas of residual vision can improve visual field defects caused by glaucoma and increase detection sensitivity, according to results from a randomized clinical trial.

In comparing conventional slit lamp photography with iPhone images, it was found the smartphone produces higher-quality pictures and in a more economical way.

A round-up of the latest ophthalmic products

Treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DME) with ranibizumab may improve retinal function and structure, according to researchers from the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College, London Institute of Ophthalmology.

The microbiological spectrum in patients with post-traumatic endophthalmitis has remained unchanged over the past 14 years, with Bacillus spp. still the most commonly found infecting organism, and vancomycin remaining the drug of choice for empiric coverage of gram-positive bacteria.

Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, USA, have developed a new delivery system for treating patients with glaucoma. They have combined nanodiamonds - a by-product of conventional mining and refining processes - with timolol maleate into contact lenses that deliver sustained doses.

The SMC has accepted fluocinolone acetonide (Iluvien, Alimera Sciences Inc.) - the only sustained-release treatment for chronic DME - for restricted use within the NHS Scotland after completing an assessment and review of a simple patient access scheme.

The new layer in the cornea plays an important role in the structure of the tissue that controls the flow of fluid from the eye, according to recent findings.

Diquafosol may have a role in the management of dry eye disease (DED), according to a recently published review.

High-density radial scanning provides superior detection of small full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs) compared with standard raster volume scanning, according to recent data.

Trabeculectomy with mitomycin C is less effective in maintaining reductions in IOP in eyes with uveitic glaucoma (UG) compared with eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a recent study.

For the management of keratoconus, diamond-knife?assisted DALK is effective and predictable in patients with keratoconus, and may offer visual and refractive outcomes that are similar to those achieved with big-bubble DALK, according to a recently published study.

The Optimis Fusion integrated laser platform from Quantel Medical has received CE Mark approval. The system is a combination of advanced selective laser trabeculoplasty photoregeneration therapy with traditional YAG photodisruption treatment for treating both cataract and glaucoma.

Corneal refractive surgery may be more successful in eyes in which the cylinder mainly originates from the anterior cornea; therefore, in candidates for refractive surgery, surgeons should carefully assess the interaction between topographic, refractive and ocular residual astigmatism (ORA) to identify those at high risk for having significant differences between subjective cylinder and topographic astigmatism.

Patients with advanced glaucoma have higher oxygen saturation in venules and lower arteriovenous difference in oxygen saturation compared with healthy individuals. The decrease in arteriovenous difference in patients with severe glaucoma may be related to lower oxygen consumption secondary to neuropathy

A round-up of the latest ophthalmic products

The European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO) has launched its first 3-year strategic plan for 2014 through 2016.

A research initiative to develop new techniques for early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is currently under way at the University of Lincoln, UK.

Retinal injury following childhood exposure to laser 'toys' is a public safety concern, according to the first case series of such injuries, which has recently been published.

Premature infants with very low birth weight who receive an intravenous fat emulsion containing fish oil are less likely to develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a recent study.

IOP measurements obtained with the rebound tonometer (Icare Pro) are more comparable to those achieved with the Goldmann applanation tonometer than those obtained with ultra-high-speed Scheimpflug technology, according to a recent study.

A novel, patented multi-component IOL (IVO Lens, InfinitVision Optics) allows for postoperative adjustments for changes in refraction, making it an ideal solution for paediatric cataract surgery, according to a recent report.

The combination of sutureless coaxial microincision cataract surgery and 23-gauge vitrectomy confers many advantages, including less wound leakage, good anterior chamber stability, safety, decreased inflammation and faster rehabilitation after surgery, according to the authors of a study published recently in Retina: The Journal of Retinal and Vitreous Diseases.

Patients who develop advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) undergo a precipitous loss of vision, concluded the researchers of this study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology.

Patients with optic disc swelling caused by nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) have less light retardance compared with patients with optic disc swelling caused by papilloedema or optic neuritis.

Collagen crosslinking (CXL) in patients with progressive keratoconus was found to be effective after 2 years in improving uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), topographic metrics, and most corneal higher-order aberrations, according to a study published in Cornea: The Journal of Cornea and External Disease. Researchers noted that there was a significant reduction in apical keratometry, which directly correlated with improvements in visual acuity