Inflammation & Infection

During the ASRS Annual Scientific Meeting, Dr Sunir Garg reported that the risk of presumed infectious endophthalmitis following administration of anti-VEGF injections does not increase and universal masking may actually decrease the risk of culture-positive endophthalmitis.

At the ASRS 39th Annual Scientific Meeting, Dr Yoshihiro Yonekawa reported that the prevalence of endophthalmitis following MIGS is similar to the prevalence rates of endophthalmitis after other incisional glaucoma surgeries.

Investigators have found that 1 intravitreal injection of an adeno-associated virus encoding an immunosuppressive transgene, either HLA-G or eqIL-10, reduced the clinical and histologic inflammation in a well-established model of autoimmune uveitis.

The U.S. FDA granted orphan drug designation to ADX-2191, methotrexate for intravitreal injection, as treatment for retinitis pigmentosa.

While operating on a patient with chronic uveitis presents some challenges, there are a few pearls that may increase success.

Investigators found that 56.4% of Horner’s syndrome cases resulted from a dangerous cause.

Whilst endophthalmitis following cataract surgery can lead to serious vision outcomes, there are ways of minimising the risk of it occurring whilst also being mindful of the need to prescribe antibiotics in a way that does not worsen antimicrobial resistance.

Ophthalmologists are seeking improved treatment options for uveitis as epidemiological studies demonstrate the scope and sight-stealing burden of the disease.

Experience at one ophthalmic practice in Bulgaria demonstrates that new operating procedures, technologies and good management can enable clinics to remain open and operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ophthalmic training and education should continue to be a priority.

In this roundtable, members of the Ophthalmology Times Europe® Editorial Advisory Board consider the top challenges and opportunities that they anticipate will affect ophthalmology in Europe in 2021.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the entire global community. As we look to the future to advance the provision of eyecare excellence, opportunities for innovation must be embraced and new, patient-centric ways of managing clinical practices adopted.

To maintain treatment quality and patient and staff safety in the SARS-CoV-2 era, it is important to minimise clinic visits and maximise use of imaging modalities. In addition, extending treatment intervals with longer-acting agents is key to maximising safety and patients’ vision outcomes.

The findings of a new study will enable clinicians to make more accurate diagnoses of multiple sclerosis (MS) and uveitis while giving people a better understanding of their prognoses, according to its authors.

Patients with moderate and severe meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) may benefit from topical loteprednol etabonate and eyelid scrubs with warm compresses, according to researchers in South Korea.

The duration and pattern of action of pain-suppressing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used prior to photorefractive keratotomy (PRK) varies with the NSAID used, according to South Korean researchers.

In this article, the author discusses a recent study determining the frequency of 'Floppy eyelid' syndrome among patients of an active working age range.

Endophthalmitis is most often caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and the antibiotics vancomycin and ceftazidime seem to perform well in treating it. That was one of the findings of a 25-year retrospective study conducted by Dr Ronald C. Gentile, of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and his colleagues in New York City and San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Temperatures measured by a newly developed non-contact ocular surface thermographer (OST) can be used to evaluate the efficacy of topical anti-allergic agents because of the significant correlation of the conjunctival surface temperature and the severity of conjunctival allergic reaction, according to recently published data.

In this article, Dr Solborg Bjerrum discusses his recent study assessing whether there is an increased risk of post-op endophthalmitis in private clinics versus public hospitals.

What to investigate: aqueous, vitreous or both?

Diagnosing and managing dry eye patients can be challenging. Here Dr Philipp Steven looks at a new way of treating tear film osmolarity, the TearLab Osmolarity System, which he believes could dramatically simplify the process.

Foresight Biotherapeutics, Inc. has announced data from a pre-clinical study designed to assess the safety and efficacy of the topical administration of FST-100 in a highly regarded Ad5 NZW rabbit model of adenoviral conjunctivitis.

BD OcuSeal Liquid Ocular Bandage, a fully synthetic protective barrier to be used for post-surgical, post-traumatic and non-traumatic ocular conditions, has been launched in Europe by BD Medical?Ophthalmic Systems.

According to research analysts it is estimated that as little as five percent of a topically applied drug ever reaches the intraocular tissues due to drug loss as the result of tearing, lacrimal fluid-eye barriers, and blood-ocular barriers.

The fluocinolone acetonide (Retisert; Bausch & Lomb) surgical implant can prevent blindness in cases of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO), according to research at the University of Iowa, US.

There is an association between uveal and a variety of skin melanomas, according to study results published in the March issue of Ophthalmology.

ESBATech AG, a developer of antibody fragment therapeutics, has initiated a Phase IIa study in patients with acute anterior uveitis, designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and clinical activity of topically applied ESBA105.

Fungus and microbial infection are the most common causes of infectious scleritis, according to study conclusions published in the February issue of Eye.

ESBA105, an anti-TNF alpha antibody fragment designed to reduce inflammation in patients undergoing cataract surgery, has begun a Phase Ib/IIa trial, according to an announcement from ESBATech AG, the antibody's developer.