Glaucoma

In a systematic review of literature, Dr Donald Minckler reports on randomized, controlled trials of aqueous shunts and compares the success rates with those achieved by trabeculectomy.

Visual field screening is an indispensable tool and a prerequisite for proper disease management

Canaloplasty can offer a number of advantages over other techniques... by enhancing aqueous outflow without creating a bleb

In December 2006, the Swiss city of Geneva played host to the very first European glaucoma resident's course, designed for ophthalmic residents seeking the necessary skills for the diagnosis and therapy of glaucoma.

Stating the case for the use of preservative-free medications in glaucoma patients with ocular surface disease.

[Ex-PRESS] should be used as a second treatment option or as a first-line option in complicated cases of glaucoma

A study published in the March issue of Ophthalmology, has found that many young and middle-aged people of Chinese ancestry who are told they have glaucoma may actually be misdiagnosed. These patients who do not show disease progression may, in fact, have glaucoma-like symptoms caused by myopia.

Pfizer has initiated the first in a series of planned clinical trials for PF-03187207, a new experimental medicine for the treatment of glaucoma.

Laser suture lysis or releasable suture techniques can be a preferable alternative to permanent sutures for closing scleral flaps in primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) in uncomplicated glaucoma, according to a study published in the March issue of Journal of Glaucoma.

The results of a questionnaire sent out to consultant ophthalmologists in the UK, has discovered that there is no one strategy in place for the management of glaucoma in pregnant women.

Nitric oxide-donating derivatives of latanoprost for the treatment of glaucoma have been shown to successfully lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in preclinical studies.

Results of a Phase III trial of the once-daily formulation of Xibrom (ISTA Pharmaceuticals) has found it to be both safe and efficacious.

Glaucoma medication timolol exerts a direct antioxidant effect, protecting human endothelial cells from oxidative stress.

GDx variable cornea compensation with scanning laser polarimetry (SLP-VCC), Heidelberg retina tomography (HRT) confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO) and stereoscopic optic nerve head (ONH) photographs may all be useful in assisting clinicians to diagnose glaucoma.

Trabeculectomy is in danger of becoming a technique performed only by sub-specialists with glaucoma fellowship training unless it becomes a mandatory feature in training programmes.

Phaco-trabeculotomy in addition to deep sclerectomy can offer significant reductions in intraocular pressure (IOP).

Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSCIS) with trypan blue staining of the anterior capsule is a safe and effective method of cataract extraction for patients with phacolytic glaucoma.

The Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) and the Molteno single plate implant (MSPI) may provide good early and intermediate-term control of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG), but do not achieve the same success when implanted for long periods.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is comparable to medical treatment as the initial therapy for open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension, according to results of a study presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, last year in Las Vegas.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements with the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (PDCT) are relatively immune to changes in corneal biomechanics and pachymetry.

The UK Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) is launching a campaign encouraging glaucoma patients to follow their medical advice more thoroughly, in order to prevent needless loss of sight.

Neuroprotection, a strategy to slow or prevent the death of retinal ganglion cells, offers the possibility of slowing the rate of glaucomatous progression and preventing blindness. But although the underlying theory appears to be sound, much still needs to be learned through basic and clinical research before neuroprotection could become an integral part of glaucoma therapy.

There is some evidence that compliance and persistence are better with prostaglandins than with other drug classes

Its almost time to close the door on 2006 and welcome another new year. But, before we do that we wanted to take you on a journey through the highs and lows of the past twelve months by reflecting on some of the most significant events to shape your industry this year.

Many doctors using ECP undertreat patients, which leads to unnecessary retreatments. This is understandable, as there is a fear of the consequences of over-treatment with ECP, but I have rarely, if ever, seen this

The significant relationship [between cost and stage of disease] demonstrates the important economic repercussions in health care systems world wide, if glaucoma is not dealt with quickly

Phacoemulsification with IOL implantation, in eyes with PACG, allows us to achieve not only high visual acuity, but also to create favourable conditions for aqueous humour outflow.

Combined surgical management of coexisting cataract and glaucoma has recently gained popularity because of the several advantages that it presents. These advantages include, decreased risk, easier management of early and long-term postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and performing just one surgical procedure to manage both problems.

The management of paediatric glaucoma is primarily surgical. In the literature, goniotomy and trabeculotomy, despite success rates of only 40-90%, are still the initial surgical procedures of choice for most cases of primary congenital glaucoma. In the case of secondary glaucomas associated with conditions such as aphakia, aniridia, anterior segment dysgenesis and Sturge-Weber syndrome, the success rates of goniotomy or trabeculotomy are much lower.

Open angle glaucoma can be considered as a pathology, which predominantly requires surgical treatment. In light of this, John Cairns, in 1968, introduced a "protect filtering" surgical technique that would improve aqueous outflow and reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucomatous eyes. That technique was called trabeculectomy.