Pediatrics

Houston—Filtering bleb encapsulation after trabeculectomy seems to respond well to tapering topical corticosteroids alone or in conjunction with IOP-lowering agents. Withdrawing steroids appeared beneficial for lowering the IOP compared with continuing the use of steroids to prevent inflammation, according to Sheila Bazzaz, MD.

With cataract and refractive procedures, ocular comfort and inflammation management are highly relevant to the patient's impression of a successful procedure. Add to that an expectation that an increase in visual acuity will follow closely on the heels of surgery, and the standards are set very high.

Intracameral triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog, Bristol?Myers Squibb) used judiciously offers simple and safe anti-inflammatory treatment in cataract surgery patients, said James P. Gills, MD, at "Spotlight on Cataract Surgery in 2005" during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

A number of pathologies can be confused with giant cell arteritis, Anthony Arnold, MD, explained Monday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Patients with a painful ophthalmoplegia might have an isolated cranial neuropathy, a skull-based or cavernous sinus process such as a tumor, or an inflammatory or infiltrative process, an orbital process, a brainstem process, or a vasculitic process.

Mass vision screening for amblyopia in school-age children should be standardized, and Pamela Hutt Berg, CO, COMT, recommended how that might be accomplished Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

The patterns of childhood blindness and visual impairment are changing over time, according to Clare Gilbert, MD, MSc. Dr. Gilbert described the shifts in pediatric blindness patterns resulting from the ?nurture? factors Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Physical evidence is a linchpin the patient may use to attach tangibility to a service's intangible nature.

In the field of glaucoma therapy, a study onthe measurement of central corneal thickness suggested that clinicians may be overestimating IOP in children with thick corneas.

Orlando—Refractive surgery may be an option for treating children with high myopia and neurobehavioral disorders who are unable to use either of the two principal methods of correcting myopia, spectacles or contact lenses.

Orlando—Photoscreening in younger elementary school children was more sensitive than patched surround HOTV acuity, according to a study conducted in a school setting among nearly 1,700 children.

Refractec Inc. announces the promotion of Thomas G. Frinzi to the newly created position of chief operating officer to oversee the company?s growing global operations. Frinzi, formerly senior vice president of sales and marketing, will add clinical, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance to his sales and marketing responsibilities. He continues to report directly to President and CEO Mitchell B. Campbell.

The risk of scarring was increased 3.6-fold among patients who wore contact lenses at baseline relative to those who did not wear contact lenses.

The conjunctival allergen challenge model is highly reproducible and has a highly standardized grading system.

Washington, DC-Dry eye disease affects millions of people worldwide and with that has come a recent greater awareness among patients that it is indeed a problem. As the recognition of the magnitude of dry eye is changing, so too has knowledge of its pathogenesis, the technology facilitating diagnosis, and the drugs that are becoming available to treat it. General ophthalmologists will be increasingly challenged to learn more about the disease and the best ways to treat individual patients, according to Michael Lemp, MD.

It was important to educate the nurses, respiratory therapists, and families that more oxygen was not necessarily better.

Orlando—The high-frequency ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) can reliably estimate the distance of horizontal muscle insertion from the limbus in eyes that had previous strabismus surgery on the same muscle, according to Shuan H. Dai, MB, BS, FRANZCO, a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Dallas—Essilor will acquire Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.'s Spectacle Lens Group, including the group's Definity brand of progressive lenses.

Dallas—Essilor will acquire Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.'s Spectacle Lens Group, including the group's Definity brand of progressive lenses.

Patients treated with cyclosporine had greater symptomatic improvement compared with controls using preservative-free artificial tears.

Burlington, VT—Early appropriate intervention can make a substantial difference in preventing permanent visual loss or diplopia when faced with a patient who has an orbital compartment syndrome or a white-eyed blowout fracture.

Burlington, VT—Early appropriate intervention can make a substantial difference in preventing permanent visual loss or diplopia when faced with a patient who has an orbital compartment syndrome or a white-eyed blowout fracture.

Orlando—Ongoing efforts to encourage the adoption of mandatory preschool vision screening in every state were the main topic of discussion during a workshop at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS).

As a young man living in China, culinary arts meant more to Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, than a hobby. For young Zhang, cooking was a possible survival skill as he embarked on a new culture and adventure in the United States.

Optic neuritis is an acute, inflammatory, sporadic optic neuropathy unrelated to trauma, toxins, or a nutritional deficiency.

Orlando—The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recently honored Leonard Apt, MD, professor of ophthalmology and founding director of the division of pediatric ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, at the group's annual meeting here.

The ingenuity of pharmaceutical researchers continues to amaze in their bility to devise inventive solutions and improve upon our current arsenal of ophthalmic medications, devices,and delivery systems.

New York—Vision Connection, an online resource of Lighthouse International for those with vision impairment and rehabilitation, has added an enhanced searchable database.

Washington, DC &#8212 A good visual outcome is often achieved following primary IOL placement in pediatric eyes undergoing removal of traumatic cataract, said Richard Golub, MD.

It may be a little harsh to say that battle lines are drawn, but it is not stretching the imagination any to see that there are distinctly different opinions being debated on eye examinations for preschool children.

Baltimore—Prescribed weekend atropine sulfate 1% appears to be as effective as prescribed daily use for treating moderate amblyopia in young children, according to results from a study conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group.