News

Magnets have led travelers and explorers safely home and have spared ship's captains from the ocean depths. Today, they play a major role in medicine in the analysis of ourinternal organs by the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

New York-Multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) and multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEPs) are relatively new techniques that are starting to be used in a clinical setting. Jeffrey G. Odel, MD, discussed the usefulness of these diagnostic tests in patients with neuro-ophthalmic pathology.

Buffalo, NY-In the absence of optic nerve swelling, the clinician may be faced with a difficult diagnosis in a patient with a pale optic nerve, according to Norah S. Lincoff-Cohen, MD. A comprehensive differential diagnosis needs to be made to rule out disorders that may require immediate treatment.

New York -Five potential causes of failure of glaucoma filtration surgery include excessive subconjunctival fibrosis, tight scleral flap sutures, encapsulated bleb, occluded internal ostium, and intraocular obstruction, according to James C. Tsai, MD.

Munich, Germany-The key to minimizing vision loss associated with diabetic macular edema (DME) is to develop a treatment to prevent the edema from reaching the center of the macula, according to analyses of a study by Eli Lilly and Co.

Aliso Viejo, CA-Eyeonics Inc. is altering the wording of the physician's labeling on its Crystalens IOL to indicate better that it can treat presbyopia.

Fairfax, VA-Physicians-in-training in ophthalmology may take the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program examination April 16, 2005, in Washington, DC.

San Carlos, CA-The international approval process of pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen) as a potential treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration is under way, as the companies begin filings in Europe, Canada, and Japan.

Irvine, CA-The FDA will let VisiJet Inc. sell its surgical device for separating corneal tissue in the United States, according to the company.

Therapies for the management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have progressed rapidly in recent years. Ophthalmology Times convened a panel of cutting-edge retinal specialists from across the United States to discuss the latest in the diagnosis of AMD and to explore current practice patterns with pharmaceutical and surgical treatment options.

The FDA approval in mid-September of the Verisyse/Artisan phakic IOL [Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) and Ophtec USA] for use in patients with myopia could be the start of a revolution comparable to the advent of LASIK, according to Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, FACS, one of the investigators who took part in clinical trials of the lens.

Informed consent

Bethesda, MD-Baseline data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) have shown a protective effect for fish consumption in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Emily Y. Chew, MD. Furthermore, 5 years of additional follow-up have yielded new data on mortality.

Nashville-Although outcomes data from the Submacular Surgery Trials are not yet available, quality-of-life information from the study will help investigators evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment options for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD.

New York-The 3-D Anatomy Imager software, the latest modular feature associated with the Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA) ophthalmic imaging system (Talia Technology), offers a new level of interactivity in retinal imaging, according to Richard B. Rosen, MD, FACS.

San Diego-An off-label use of conductive keratoplasty (CK) is treatment of presbyopia in patients who had undergone a previous LASIK procedure. Stephen Pascucci, MD, demonstrated that CK improves near vision in these patients and has little effect on the uncorrected binocular distance visual acuity. Patient counseling is mandatory to prepare them for 3 to 4 months of blurry distance vision.

San Diego-Scleral ablation with the 2.94 erbium:YAG laser for the treatment of presbyopia seems to be an effective and safe procedure in most patients, according to Bobby Maddox, MD, here at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Diego-LASIK using the Allegretto Wave Laser (WaveLight Laser Technologie AG) can be effective to treat anisometropic amblyopia in the absence of any other appropriate treatments. Well-centered ablations can be achieved even in patients with poor fixation because of the eye tracker.

When the lens was implanted in patients with hyperopia, very good results were obtained in patients with up to 12 D of refractive error.

SEE concluded that the preventable risk associated with pre-surgery lies in obtaining an adequate patient history and performing a thorough examinationof the patient.

Who gets Lyme uveitis, and what are the historical and clinical clues that help make the diagnosis?

Durham, NC-Results of a 9-month randomized, dose-masked, multicenter clinical trial of a fluocinolone acetonide sustained drug delivery system to treat posterior uveitis resulted in significant gains for the eyes that received implants when compared with fellow eyes that did not receive implants, said Glenn J. Jaffe, MD.

The breadth of offerings at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Resource Center and Technology Pavilion at the first joint meeting with the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) is extraordinary. Physicians can try the demo for the Basic and Clinical Science Course on CD-ROM, flip through the latest patient education products, get help with critical business issues such as coding, and learn the ins and outs of acquiring and installing an electronic medical records system.

Tel Hashomer, Israel-Results of preclinical studies suggest that minocycline has potential utility as a neuroprotective agent in the management of optic nerve diseases, said Hani Levkovitch-Verbin, MD.

The diagnosis of glaucomatous progression is a daunting task for the ophthalmologist. Just 20 years ago, we began subjectively evaluating stereoscopic optic disc photos and series of visual fields.

New York-"The time to think about preventing a shallow anterior chamber is the moment you decide to perform a trabeculectomy," said Jody R. Piltz-Seymour, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.

New York-The best time to start treating a bleb-associated infection resulting from trabeculectomy is when its first warning signs appear, reported Paul J. Lama, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.

New York-Hypotony maculopathy-damage to the macula caused by clinically significant low IOP-has several causes, including overfiltering blebs, bleb leak, cyclodialysis cleft, and ciliary body effusion/detachment, reported Celso Tello, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.