News

Tel Aviv, Israel-The macular computerized psychophysical test (MCPT)-a new test for monitoring patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-seems to be an efficient method for self-detection of AMD-related lesions, according to Anat Loewenstein, MD.

San Antonio, TX-Before prescribing one of the newer medications for glaucoma, clinicians should ask what drugs the patient may be taking for aches and pains-especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), including something as innocuous as aspirin, said William E. Sponsel, MD.

Vitreoretinal surgeons are benefiting from upgrades to the Accurus Surgical System (Alcon Laboratories). The new model features fourth-generation software (XS4), dual dynamic drive (3D) technology that maximizes efficiency, and advanced vitrectomy probes offering increased cutting speeds for exquisite control.

As of July 1, a new marketing code adopted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) takes effect. The code would put an end to gifts and dinners for doctors and their staffs, and even cash giveaways, in addition to all forms of recompense that have nothing to do with patient education.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Anecortave acetate (Alcon), a chemically modified steroid, acts in a unique way to suppress abnormal blood vessel growth in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Researchers presented new strategies for tack-ling numerous retinal diseases that can have devastating effects on vision in a symposium entitled "New Vessels, New Medicines, New Ideas in Retina." Great progress has been made and con-tinues to be made in this subspecialty, noted Harry W. Flynn Jr., MD, organizer of the 2001 American Academy of Ophthalmology symposium.

In this month's column, our international fellow, Mathias Baumann, MD, and I explore a brief history of the German-language medical schools in Switzerland.

Boston-The incidence of overcorrection following PRK and LASIK is fortunately very small, generally less than 5%. Unfortunately, the incidence of consecutive hyperopia after RK is significantly greater and, over time, becomes higher with a hyperopic shift, said Helen K. Wu, MD.

The search for an ideal soft tissue filler to cor-rect various facial folds and wrinkles has gone on for years. At the turn of the last century, injectable paraffin was tried but quickly found to be unacceptable.1 A refined form of liquid silicone was introduced in the 1960s, and for the next 30 years, various forms of injectable silicone were used with few reported complications. Unfortunately, numerous complications arose from the use of adulterated or impure silicones and as a result, injectable silicones were abandoned.2

Vancouver, British Columbia-The FDA recently approved the injection of botulinum toxin type A (Botox Cosmetic, Allergan, Irvine, CA) to treat moderate to severe glabellar lines in adults under age 65.

Visual development and cosmesis are important considerations in the management of congenital ptosis. While parents often are concerned about the child's appearance, the ophthalmologist's role is to make sure the patient's vision is appropriately assessed and to educate the parents regarding the potential relationship between ptosis and visual development.

Patients suffering from mild symptoms of dry eye now have another choice of drops to alleviate the condition.

Visual loss following non-ocular surgical procedures is becoming increasingly recognized and reported in the literature by anesthesiologists, surgeons, and ophthalmologists. The usual cause for visual loss in these cases is ischemic optic neuropathy (ION).

A genetically engineered molecule designed to kill cancers by destroying their rapidly growing blood vessels offers a new line of attack against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other retinal conditions, said Alan Garen, PhD.

Editor's Note: In the absence of other identifiable causes, vision loss in HIV patients may be due to ischemic maculopathy, and that diagnosis should be investigated with fluorescein angiography. The clinical and angiographic features of five patients with HIV infection-related ischemic maculopathy were described in a paper recently published by Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, and associates in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. In this new Ophthalmology Times column, Dr. Cunningham reviews the characteristic features of those patients and highlights the importance of considering a fluorescein angiogram in the diagnostic evaluation of HIV-positive patients with unexplained vision loss.

The need for surgical repair of a single severed lacrimal canaliculus is somewhat controversial, largely because the relative roles of the upper and lower canaliculi have not been clearly established or appreciated.

Roger Martin of Connecticut has made a remarkable difference in the ophthalmic world, proving that anyone can make a difference with desire and dedication.

A recent amblyopia study conducted in collaboration with the National Eye Institute is providing ophthalmologists and their patients with preliminary data indicating that eye drops may be an effective alternative to patching for treatment of the condition.

San Juan, Puerto Rico-IOP on the day after trabeculectomy or a combined phacoemulsification-trabeculectomy procedure is not predictive of a patient's IOP a year later, said glaucoma specialist Janet B. Serle, MD.

Alcon submits PMA application

Philadelphia-Cupping of the optic disc often occurs in association with glaucoma but can also develop after anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), although this is an area of controversy.

Nothing can provoke more angst among ophthalmologists than to have a patient return to your office with the complaint that the "glasses YOU made are terrible and I can't see."

Atlanta-For more consistent accuracy in LASIK, refractive surgeons should regularly scrutinize their data so that they can adjust their nomograms, according to EmoryUniversity ophthalmology professor George Waring III, MD.

New Orleans-A system incorporating a narrow-beam excimer laser with an active tracking system to detect minuscule eye motions is effective in the LASIK correction of myopia and astigmatism, according to Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology at Tulane University School of Medicine here.

Minneapolis-Maximum correction and minimal trauma are two of the important benefits provided by the cross-cylinder technique for the correction of mixed astigmatism, according to Y. Ralph Chu, MD.

Many ophthalmologists are aware of the uses of optical coherence tomography (OCT)1 in diagnosing glaucoma and retinal pathologies such as macular hole and cystoid macular edema. However, anterior segment OCT imaging2 is still rarely used because of lack of dedicated commercial instrumentation. Maldonado et al. have shown that the commercial OCT retinal scanner (Zeiss Humphrey Systems, Dublin, CA) can be used to image corneal anatomy after LASIK.3 This has sparked an interest in developing dedicated anterior segment OCT systems.

Yokohama, Japan-Cataract is a major complication in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) with the characteristic facial eczema, according to Japanese researchers. They advise that patients with this condition be monitored closely and cautioned not to rub their eyes.

Glaucoma researchers at Pusan University Medical Center, Pusan, South Korea and the Kresge Eye Institute (KEI) of Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, working in collaboration, have found that the preoperative injection of mitomycin-C (MMC) can be an effective and safe adjunct to a needling revision procedure for a failed bleb.