News

Two surgeons discuss strategies for profiling patients for glaucoma surgical technique.

2013 has been an important year in retina therapy, with increased information released on nutritional supplements for AMD patients, widened indications for anti-VEGFs and the approval of treatment for symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion.

There is buzz happening within the glaucoma industry, and two experts weigh in on the various highlights of the year.

Four industry leaders discern what the biggest opportunities and challenges were of 2013 and what we should be excited about for the coming year.

This article highlights a photo competition from countries across the globe.

Corneal crosslinking is a hot topic at the moment, but according to Dr Cummings, it is important to do some due diligence about the available technology.

The availability of newer presbyopia solutions such as corneal inlays has changed the landscape of presbyopia treatment and is now allowing us to offer our patients a better quality of vision.

Patients who receive intravitreal ranibizumab for treatment of diabetic macular oedema over a 3-year period achieved rapid improvements in vision and oedema.

In this article, the authors review the various corticosteroid options and attempt to determine their place in the therapeutic regimen.

Ophthalmologists from 76 countries discussed the latest findings in diagnostics and therapy, and also issues of promoting the next generation of young ophthalmologists.

Advancements in cataract surgery have always been surrounded by passionate debate with arguments for and against new technologies and techniques. In this article, the authors discuss their recent study in which they examined the evolution of cataract surgery and controversy surrounding it.

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.

Heidelberg edge perimetry (HEP) may have role in the early detection and assessment of functional damage cause by glaucoma, according to the authors of a case report presented online at PubMed via Case Reports in Ophthalmology. Further, HEP testing may potentially have advantages over standard automated perimetry (SAP), currently the gold standard for visual function testing.

Shallower anterior chamber depth (ACD) and a smaller iris curvature (I-Curv) are the two primary anterior segment biometric parameters associated with acute primary angle closure during an attack, according to a recent study published in Ophthalmology.

One in three young Danish patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus progressed to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and two in three had 2-step progression despite their young age, according to study results recently published in the November 2013 issue of Acta Diabetologica. In addition, these researchers from Denmark found that after 30-years? duration of diabetes, the presence of diabetic retinopathy was almost universal.

The most common indications for IOL exchange are IOL dislocation and incorrect IOL power, according to study results in press for the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Patient requests for IOL exchange due to dissatisfaction have also increased, and this is especially true for patients who achieve undesired visual acuity even without photic symptoms.

Waveform changes in optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow as measured by laser speckle flowgraphy may be useful in differentiating healthy eyes from those with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), according to the authors of a recent study.

Phacoemulsification done after trabeculectomy may significantly increase the rates of bleb failure in the following 12 months, but not at 24 months, according to a recently published study.

Oral pazopanib - in a dose of 15 mg/d - is well tolerated and may improve mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal lesion thickness and central retinal thickness in as little as 1 month of treatment in some patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to recent study results.

Traditionally, corneal astigmatism in cataract patients has been addressed through corneal correction by means of corneal incisional relaxing techniques, excimer laser keratectomy and, most recently, by means of femtosecond laser astigmatic keratotomy.

In this article, the authors describe the IOL in detail and discuss a feasibility study, concluding that the concept of a multi-component IOL can help overcome any refractive problem that may arise at any time after cataract surgery.

Preliminary results suggest that the PresVIEW ScleraI Implant, a two-part clear plastic locking implant designed to provide secure placement in the eye, is safe and effective for presbyopic emmetropes and has demonstrated interesting intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction capabailities.

Non-invasive imaging modalities, such as high-resolution anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and in-vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) imaging, may be more sensitive to identifying and monitoring epithelial downgrowth, compared with routine light biomicroscopy in patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty, and will perhaps replace more invasive diagnostics in these patients.

In this article, the author provides a summary of the current market and considerations with regard to generic drugs for glaucoma treatment.

In this article, Dr Vinekar describes the Karnataka Internet Assisted Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (KIDROP) programme and how this is changing the landscape of eye screening in India.

Dr Hirnschall described a recent prospective, multicentre study performed in Vienna (Austria), Castrop-Rauxel (Germany) and London (UK), in which the insufficient astigmatism reduction after toric lens implantation was assessed.