Dorado, Puerto Rico-LASEK has certainly gained some proponents over the last couple of years. These surgeons claim that the procedure is less painful and offers quicker visual recovery than PRK and spares tissue and avoids flap complications associated with LASIK.
Eugene, OR-Three-year FDA clinical trial results establish the efficacy of the myopic Implantable Contact Lens (ICL, STAAR Surgical) for correcting –3 to –20 D of myopia and substantiate its overall safety in patients with moderate to high myopia, said I. Howard Fine, MD.
San Diego-In eyes treated with the Zyoptix Customized Ablation System (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY), outcomes analysis demonstrated improvements in contrast sensitivity and higher-order aberrations in eyes treated with large optical zones of 6.5 to 7 mm and in those that had greater higher-order aberrations before treatment.
Norfolk, VA-A new formulation of the oral nutraceutical HydroEye featuring added lutein (HydroEye Plus Lutein, ScienceBased Health) acknowledges the potential benefits of dietary manipulation on ocular disease, emphasizes prevention, and improves cost-effectiveness and compliance for patients, said John D. Sheppard, MD.
A preservative-free moisturizing ocu-lar mist consisting of tissue-culture-grade medical water bottled to pharmaceutical standards (Nature's Tears, Bio-Logic Aqua Technologies) is a first-line recommendation for treating dry eye following LASIK. The eye mist is favored because of the ease of use and comfort level of the product and high patient compliance, according to two ophthalmologists who regularly recommend the product.
Lausanne, Switzerland-Disorders of accommodation can be caused by disruption of neuroregulation. While many patients present with an insidious and mild accommodative insufficiency, often accompanying a systemic illness, the acute onset of severe and bilateral loss of accommodation is a more serious condition and may indicate the presence of a midbrain lesion.
Los Angeles-Hypertension in a patient should raise a red flag for ophthalmologists because it may be associated with optic neuropathy. Anthony C. Arnold, MD, provided his pearls for the safe management of these patients.
Montreal-Acute third-, fourth-, or sixth-nerve palsies do not seem to be associated with myocardial infarctions (MI) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), but the development of one of these palsies is an indi- cation for an assessment of ischemic risk factors, according to Kashif Baig, MD, MBA.
Nashville-Vertical diplopia has an extensive differential diagnosis. However, it is im-portant to realize that if the ophthalmologist does an appropriate history and looks for a few key clues, there is rarely a case for which it is necessary to order imaging studies, according to Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville.
Fort Lauderdale, FL-The investigational drug tin ethyl etiopurpurin (SnET2) produced a visual acuity benefit and slowed the development of neovascular lesions in two phase III trials of SnET2 photodynamic therapy (PDT) (Miravant Medical Technologies) for the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with wet age-related macular degeneration, said Edgar L. Thomas, MD, Retina-Vitreous Associates, Los Angeles.
Washington, DC-The Alliance for Aging Research has launched a new project on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The campaign includes an Internet module that has been added to the not-for-profit organization's Web site (www. agingresearch.org), allowing consumer and physician access to the latest scientific information relating to AMD through an "AMD Health Corner."OT
Nashville-Vertical diplopia has an extensive differential diagnosis. However, it is im-portant to realize that if the ophthalmologist does an appropriate history and looks for a few key clues, there is rarely a case for which it is necessary to order imaging studies, according to Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville.
Washington, DC-The National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) has developed a new fact sheet that details the incidence of age-related eye disease.
Oklahoma City-When patients with strabismus or diplopia present, ophthalmologists question if the condition is a congenital or an acquired neurologic disease and if imaging or any other tests are needed. R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, differentiated among the various possibilities.
Philadelphia-The five most important causes of light-near dissociation are deafferented pupils, midbrain lesions, Argyll-Robertson pupils, aberrant regeneration of the third nerve, and tonic pupils.
Certain systemic infections such as syphilis, Lyme disease, cat-scratch disease, tuberculosis, or post-viral optic neuritis can mimic the appearance of typical optic neuritis.
Papilledema is a term that is best reserved for optic disc edema that is due to increased intracranial pressure. All other forms of optic disc swelling should probably be referred to as optic disc edema to avoid clinical confusion with the more specific term, papilledema. Ophthalmologists should therefore be cautious about using the term papilledema when they really mean ischemic optic neuropathy or optic neuritis. This is especially important when referring patients to other consultants (for example, neurology) because these patients may end up with inappropriate, expensive, or unnecessary testing.
San Diego-The University of California San Diego's (UCSD) Shiley Eye Center recently received $2 million to establish a distinguished chair in ophthalmology.
Iowa City, IA-The constricted pupil is both easy and hard to diagnose. As with the dilated pupil, there are easy-to-diagnose conditions in the patient with a small pupil-such as physiologic anisocoria, Horner's syndrome, and iris abnormalities-and these occur commonly. Pharmacologic miosis, Adie's pupil, and aberrant regeneration of the third nerve, however, are a bit harder to pinpoint, according to Andrew G. Lee, MD, who outlined his practical approach to diagnosing the constricted pupil.
New York-Structure does predict function, George A. (Jack) Cioffi, MD, told participants in the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here, and therefore measurement of the optic nerve head is important in assessing the presence and progression of the disease.
Patients need to know when an additional fee may be warranted or if the procedure will be free.
Vancouver, British Columbia-In the absence of other risk factors, eyes with a post-LASIK initial residual stromal thickness (RST)
Fort Lauderdale, FL-Accumulating evidence is providing support for the hypothesis that elevated iron levels in the retina may be a factor in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Joshua Dunaief, MD, PhD
Fort Lauderdale, FL-A new analysis of baseline data collected in participants of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) reveals a higher intake of lutein/zeaxanthin was associated with a decreased likelihood of having advanced age-related macular degen- eration (AMD). The results were reported by John Paul SanGiovanni, ScD, at the annual meeting of the Association for Re-search in Vision and Ophthalmology.
Pasadena, CA-A research and supply partnership will combine Carl Zeiss Meditec AG's digital light delivery system with Calhoun Vision Inc.'s light-adjustable lens (LAL).
Fort Lauderdale, FL-In a comparison of the comfort of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) formulations, ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution 0.4% with benzalkonium chloride (BAK) (Acular LS, Allergan) seemed to be as comfortable as preservative-free ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution 0.5% (Acular PF, Allergan) based on ratings by 45 healthy volunteers who received two doses of the drops in a randomized, investigator-masked, single-center clinical trial
Fort Lauderdale, FL- In a preliminary mouse model study of corneal epithelial permeability and barrier function, several differences were found be- tween gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.3% (Zymar, Allergan) and moxifloxacin ophthalmic solu- tion 0.5% (Vigamox, Alcon) but the significance of these findings is unclear, ac- cording to Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD, who presented a poster on this study at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Fort Lauderdale, FL-Studies evaluating age-related changes in the diffusional status of macromolecular transport processes across Bruch's membrane may provide new insight into the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and suggest new targets for intervention, said Ali A. Hussain, PhD, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
By far, most patients surveyed considered efficacy of medication to be more important than possible side effects.
Fort Lauderdale, FL-The investigational drug tin ethyl etiopurpurin (SnET2) produced a visual acuity benefit and slowed the development of neovascular lesions in two phase III trials of SnET2 photodynamic therapy (PDT) (Miravant Medical Technologies) for the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with wet age-related macular degeneration, said Edgar L. Thomas, MD, Retina-Vitreous Associates, Los Angeles.
