Retina

As another year comes to an end, five members of Ophthalmology Times Europe’s Editorial Advisory Board reflect and share their perspectives on the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for ophthalmologists in 2018, whilst also considering the potential challenges.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for cenegermin eye drops (Oxervate, Dompé) for the treatment of moderate to severe neurotrophic keratitis.

Most ocular structures become luminescent for a short time when exposed to a light source of appropriate wavelength; this phenomenon is known as autofluorescence (AF). AF is due to the presence of fluorescent substances called fluorophores.

Researchers have injected their first patient with a virus engineered to remodel the gene responsible for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP).

Failure to follow-up after ophthalmology appointments can damage patients’ health, a new study suggests. “In our view, national consideration should be given to create targets for reporting how well providers are managing follow-up patients,” reported A Davis and colleagues in the journal Eye.

The global epidemic in type 2 diabetes mellitus is of unprecedented proportions. In absolute numbers, it probably exceeds any previous epidemic in the history of mankind. There are now more than 400 million people with diabetes in the world, and the number is projected to exceed 600 million by 2030.

Electronic retina implants can restore enough vision for some patients to pursue tasks of daily living, according to RE MacLaren, part of a team testing the devices.

Ocriplasmin (Jetrea, ThromboGenics) may achieve lower macular hole closure rates than in trials, new British and Irish data suggests. Also, “the incidence of adverse events was greater than previously reported,” wrote RJ Haynes of Bristol Eye Hospital in Bristol, United Kingdom, and colleagues in the journal Eye.

Serum and aqueous levels of Klotho levels are reduced in pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG) while Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is increased, researchers say.

Millions of adults around the world run the risk of losing their eyesight because of inattention to complications of diabetes, according to a team of international researchers. “A quarter of people with diabetes surveyed are not discussing eye complications with their health care professional, with many presenting when vision problems have already occurred,” the report said.

Optical services chains in the United Kingdom are misleading customers about filters to screen out blue light from electronic devices, according to the BBC. Boots Opticians and Vision Express both claim that the filters protect against retinal damage despite a lack of evidence, the news service said in a recent press release.

The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study of two Portuguese populations.

Accumulating evidence suggests that multiple treatments can help people with amblyopia, according to a review of the literature.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expediting its review of a new potential treatment for giant cell arteritis, a rare inflammatory disease that can cause permanent vision loss, Roche has announced.

Work is progressing on contact lenses that can monitor biomarkers in tear film for intraocular pressure, diabetes mellitus, and other health conditions.

Patients treated for diabetic macular oedema with ranibizumab in the UK National Health Service (NHS) are getting benefits similar to those seen in clinical trials, according to a new study

Screening programmes could catch diabetic retinopathy in children earlier if they began screening 6 years after diabetes is diagnosed.

Studies in mice suggest that a technology based on topical endoscope fundus imaging could allow early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have said.

Surgeons may safely delay operating on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) for a few days to accommodate their schedules, a new study suggested.

The Novel Evidenced Assessment of Tortuosity (NEAT) system is intuitive and works even with poor images, according to its creators, Konstantinos Balaskas and his colleagues at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and five other centres in the United Kingdom.

In a 1-year comparison of intravitreous aflibercept, bevacizumab and ranibizumab therapy for centre-involved DME, aflibercept was more effective at improving vision among patients who started treatment at lower levels of visual acuity.

Researchers using the AREDS lens grading scale have found that long-term clinically relevant outcomes can be predicted by 2-year changes in severity of lens opacities.

NICE has released a draft decision recognizing the benefits of aflibercept solution for injection for the majority of patients with visual impairment caused by DME.

Patients who receive triamcinolone acetonide treatment for DME demonstrate changes in OCT reflectivity in their foveal cystoid spaces that are associated with a rebound in macular thickening and visual deterioration.