News

In case you have been so busy with your practice and other obligations that you missed it, two medical miracles (my opinion) have recently been reported. Each is only partially relevant to the practice of ophthalmology, but it seems to me that these are worth awareness.

Chicago—Off-label use of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) now holds promise for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Setting aside decades of distrust, China's Premier Wen Jiabao hailed the vast potential for Sino-Indian cooperation in science and technology during a visit to technology export powerhouse Tata Consultancy Services in Bangalore.

Chicago—Diabetic macular edema (DME), by its nature, is somewhat resistant to simple algorithmic treatment formulations because of the multifactorial nature of the decision-making process and the host of new therapies that continually become available, explained Julia Haller, MD.

Plymouth, England—Latanoprost (Xalatan, Pfizer Ophthalmics), a potent topical ocular antihypertensive agent, does not seem to cause changes in the central corneal thickness after 2 months of follow-up. This result contradicts previous studies that reported a statistically significant decrease in the central corneal thickness, according to George D. Pappas, MD.

American ophthalmologists have a number of meetings each year they can choose to attend to hear the latest advances in the practice of eye care.

Portland, OR—The novel formulation of timolol maleate 0.5% ophthalmic solution containing potassium sorbate (Istalol, ISTA Pharmaceuticals) is a good option to consider for adjunctive therapy in patients whose IOP is not adequately controlled by a prostaglandin analogue alone, said John R. Samples, MD.

Chicago—The GDx-variable corneal compensator (VCC, Carl Zeiss Meditec), a commercial device that is currently in its fifth generation, may help with early diagnosis of glaucoma by identifying a thinning retinal nerve fiber layer, according to David S. Greenfield, MD, who described the basics of the technology at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

An advantage of spectral-domain OCT compared with conventional OCT technology is that the former has a more than 150-fold better light sensitivity, allowing higher resolution up to 2 to 3 ?m.

San Francisco—The pioneering of global risk assessment in cardiovascular medicine has provided some important lessons for ophthalmologists in their effort to develop a risk calculator for glaucoma, said Jeffrey M. Liebmann, MD, at Glaucoma 2005.

San Francisco—Both IOP and the rate of aqueous flow exhibit a circadian rhythm, and that is likely to have significant implications for the evaluation and treatment of patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma, said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, at Glaucoma 2005.

Chicago—Releasable compression sutures can circumvent the limitations of transconjunctival suture lysis and offer several advantages in controlling aqueous flow after trabeculectomy, according to Murray A. Johnstone, MD, a consultant in glaucoma at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle.

Plymouth, England—Latanoprost (Xalatan, Pfizer Ophthalmics), a potent topical ocular antihypertensive agent, does not seem to cause changes in the central corneal thickness after 2 months of follow-up. This result contradicts previous studies that reported a statistically significant decrease in the central corneal thickness, according to George D. Pappas, MD.

Chicago—Glaucoma patients whose condition is nonresponsive to traditional therapies may have another treatment option, the gold microshunt (GMS) from SOLX. Outcomes of a study of the novel implant placed in the supraciliary space, which were conducted at sites in Israel and Spain, showed that 61% of patients had achieved IOP reduction of 30% or more by 6 months, with a mean reduction of 34% at 18 months after implantation.

New York—Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) performed in patients with medically controlled glaucoma who are undergoing phacoemulsification is extremely safe and associated with long-term reduction in the need for glaucoma medications, said Stanley J. Berke, MD.

Chicago—Douglas H. Johnson, MD, discussed several aspects of his research into aqueous outflow that could lead to a better understanding of the cause of glaucoma and ultimately contribute to a cure. He delivered the American Glaucoma Society lecture at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's glaucoma subspecialty day program.

Chicago—While epidemiologic studies indicate that only one-third of glaucoma damage is attributable to an excessive IOP over the normal distribution, the good news is that, nevertheless, much of the remainder is also pressure-dependent and, therefore, preventable.

Newark, NJ—Optimal medical therapy for most patients needing IOP-lowering treatment may be as simple as one bottle or two, said Robert D. Fechtner, MD.

Chicago—The Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II (HRT II, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH), the most widely available generation of this technology, creates a two-dimensional picture of a three-dimensional structure, such as the optic nerve, by acquiring images in a manner similar to that of computed tomography. Jeffrey D. Henderer, MD, explained the basics of this technology and its relevance to glaucoma at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Chicago—Similar IOP-lowering outcomes were attained in eyes that underwent trabeculectomy or received the Ex-PRESS miniature glaucoma shunt (Optonol) placed under a partial-thickness scleral flap. Hypotony was less frequent in eyes that received the implant, according to the results of a comparison study.

Chicago—Examining the optic disc using the direct ophthalmoscope is a preferred method among some glaucoma specialists, including George Spaeth, MD, who spoke at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Chicago—Results of a study including more than 1,000 eyes followed for up to 3 years show that selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) performed with the Q-switched frequency-doubled 532-nm Nd:YAG laser (Selecta II, Lumenis) is a safe and effective option for lowering and maintaining IOP across a spectrum of glaucoma patients, reported Lawrence F. Jindra, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—A consortium of German researchers is making considerable progress toward development of an implantable device for 24-hour monitoring of IOP, according to Peter Walter, MD.

Rochester, NY—Bausch & Lomb will work with two biopharmaceutical companies on the development of angiogenesis-inhibiting compounds to treat retinal disorders.

Hunenberg, Switzerland—The Australian Therapeutics Goods Administration has approved Alcon Inc.'s anecortave acetate suspension 15 mg (RETAANE) for the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization caused by exudative age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) where there is a classic component.

The burden of diabetes in 2002 was 132 billion. The prevalence of diabetes in all age groups may be increasing, reflecting the surging rates of obesity. In terms of vision impairment, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the working population that is preventable with timely application of photocoagulation.

American ophthalmologists have a number of meetings each year they can choose to attend to hear the latest advances in the practice of eye care.

Practice administrators will learn more about dealing with staff and employees, including how to find and keep personnel.

Chicago—Clinicians should use a systematic approach when confronted with the complaint of double vision. Knowing the possible symptoms and signs associated with diplopia can help with the diagnosis, explained Kimberly Cockerham, MD, FACS, at the neuro-ophthalmology subspecialty day meeting during the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Chicago—A careful history followed by a complete workup may be key to understanding and treating the cause of vision loss in patients with malignancy, explained Nicholas J. Volpe, MD.