
Review of findings presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting
A brief overview of the plethora of findings presented at the 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting held November 12-15 in New Orleans, LA.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting was held November 12 to 15 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event included Subspecialty Days and a virtual component for remote participation.
Paediatrics
Dr Denise Freitas reported that the ocular findings in infants with congenital Zika virus syndrome were similar among the affected infants and occurred frequently. The most prevalent of the findings was optic nerve pallor.
Cataract & Refractive
Dr Cathleen McCabe describes how VUITY, the first and only FDA-approved eye drop to treat age-related blurry near vision, provides opportunities for patients looking for spectacle independence.
Cornea
Dr Shady Awwad pointed out that the application of mitomycin C after corneal crosslinking does not prevent development of corneal haze after the procedure and instead contributes to development of more corneal haze.
Glaucoma
Dr Felipe Medeiros noted that a phase 3 clinical extension study of the bimatoprost implant found that patients’ IOP was lowered and stayed low with no additional treatment or changes in their visual fields.
Inflammation & Infection
Nathan Hall pointed out that an epidemiologic analysis of malignant ocular surface tumours found significant differences in geographic prevalence rates in the United States.
Retina
Intra-arterial tPA treatment could provide benefits for patients with central retinal artery occlusion.
AMD & Anti-VEGF
Dr Sunir J. Garg speaks on the influence of COVID-19 universal face masking on the risk of endophthalmitis following intravitreal anti-VEGF injections.
Dr Roger A. Goldberg noted that small misalignments in the plunger can lead to possible overdosing.
Dr Ines Lains explained that the mechanisms of AMD progression currently remain poorly understood and the tools to predict and halt progression are limited.
In a poster presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2021 annual meeting in New Orleans, Dr Mark Wieland noted that the port delivery system with ranibizumab provides drug delivery over an extended period.
Diabetic Eye Disease
Dr Ajay Kuriyan discusses his poster at AAO, "Fluctuations in central subfield thickness associated with worse visual outcomes in patients with diabetic macular oedema in clinical trial setting."
Dr Dilsher Dhoot reported the results of the KESTREL and KITE in which brolucizumab was compared with aflibercept for treating diabetic macular oedema.
Dr Veeral Sheth presented research that found faricimab, a bispecific monoclonal antibody, provided sustained retinal stability in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) compared with other retinal treatments.
Corporate Updates
ImprimisRx President John Saharek shares an update on a few of the company's latest products during AAO 2021.
Focal Points
Nathan Hall pointed out that an epidemiologic analysis of malignant ocular surface tumours found significant differences in geographic prevalence rates in the United States.
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