Articles

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

Autologous serum (AS) eye drops on the ocular surface of patients with bilateral severe dry eye improved not only ocular surface dryness, but decreased damage of the epithelium as well, as measured by clinical, laboratory, and subjective criteria, according to results from a study recently published in Current Eye Research

Steroid-induced central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) may only occur in select patients who are vulnerable, rather than having a dose-dependent effect, according to a recent study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science

Patients with pseudophakic eye who have undergone cataract will have greater access to fluocinolone acetonide (Iluvien, Alimera Sciences) for the treatment of chronic diabetic macular oedema (DME) that is considered refractive to available therapies. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a final guidance recommending fluocinolone acetonide, making it available for patients through the National Health Service (NHS).

Two treatments with selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in the same area of the trabecular meshwork (TM) do not significantly affect IOP, compared with two SLT treatments in differing areas, according to a recently published study.

All anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents improve visual acuity compared with laser photocoagulation, but there is insufficient evidence to distinguish the performance of any single anti-VEGF agent over another, according to results from a recently-conducted meta-analysis from researchers at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. The safety of bevacizumab also remains uncertain.

Despite treatment, chloroquine retinopathy may continue to progress long after drug cessation, according to a study published on-line by the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Further, disease progression may be accompanied by cystoid macular oedema, epiretinal membrane formation and peripheral involvement.

Swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be superior to enhanced depth imaging (EDI)-OCT in imaging the posterior sclera, but not in imaging the lamina cribrosa, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) caused less keratocyte apoptosis, proliferation and inflammation compared with femtosecond laser LASIK, according to data from a recent animal model study.

The Home Monitoring of the Eye (HOME) study, conducted in AREDS2 clinical centres, has demonstrated that patients at high-risk of developing choroidal neovascularization (CNV) - the neovascular or wet phase of AMD - benefit from using the ForeseeHome monitoring device (Notal Vision).

According to recently published data, anti-VEGF therapy is superior to laser photocoagulation for the treatment of moderate-to-severe visual impairment caused by diabetic macular oedema (DME).

Roche has announced additional encouraging results of a phase II study with lampalizumab to treat patients with geographic atrophy (GA). The MAHALO study data was presented during the Retina subspeciality day at AAO 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Major geographical differences exist worldwide in cases of cataracts and macular degeneration, according to the largest-ever analysis of worldwide vision impairment and blindness, which was recently published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

Progranulin, a protein found in fat-derived stem cells, may reverse and perhaps prevent age-related, light-induced retinal damage, according to results from a study done in a mouse model by researchers from Gifu Pharmaceutical University and Gifu University, Japan.

Researchers presented positive top-line clinical results for AMA0076 (Amakem Therapeutics), a possible new drug candidate for the treatment of glaucoma at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Nicox has launched Sjö, an advanced diagnostic panel for the early detection of Sjögren's syndrome, and has formed a partnership with the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation to raise aware of this disease among eye care professionals.

ML7 has the potential to bring an effective, targeted therapeutic response in patients who suffer from dry eye syndromes. Preclinical trials of the eye-drop formulation of Neuroptis Biotech's ML7 product have yielded positive results, and have recently been published.