CYCLOSPORIN AND TACROLIMUS USEFULNESS IN VERNAL CONJUNCTIVITIS

This report in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports discusses the use and effectiveness of cyclosporin and tacrolimus for the treatment of vernal conjunctivitis.

Topical corticosteroids, often required for controlling symptoms and signs in severe VKC, can lead to serious ocular complications. Immunomodulators that have been investigated for VKC treatment include topical ocular preparations of cyclosporine A and tacrolimus. Severe VKC responds promptly to topical cyclosporine A and tacrolimus, mostly within 1 month of therapy. Prolonged use of cyclosporine A and tacrolimus in VKC is safe and is tolerated by most patients without significant side effects. 

USE OF ORAL CORTICOSTEROIDS IN INFECTIOUS ORBITAL CELLULITIS

This study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology concludes:

Use of oral steroids as an adjunct to intravenous antibiotic therapy for orbital cellulitis may hasten resolution of inflammation with a low risk of exacerbating infection.

THERAPEUTIC KERATOPLASTY VS. PKP FOR ABMD

This study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology  investigates  therapeutic keratoplasty vs. penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant) for anterior corneal basement membrane dystrophy.  It concludes:

Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty with the big-bubble technique provided comparable visual and optical results as PK and resulted in less endothelial damage, as well as eliminating endothelial rejection in macular corneal dystrophy. Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty surgery is a viable option for macular corneal dystrophy without endothelial involvement.

CONJUNCTIVOCHALASIS INTERFERES WITH TEAR FLOW

This article concludes:

The tear reservoir in the fornix rapidly replenishes the meniscus under normal circumstances. Conjunctivochalasis obliterates tears not only in the meniscus, but also in the reservoir, explaining how symptoms develop in CCh patients. Blinking is an effective compensatory mechanism to distinguish the severity of CCh. Surgical correction should not only restore the tear meniscus, but also deepen the fornix in CCh patients.

DORZOLAMIDE FOR POST-OPERATIVE MACULAR EDEMA

This article in Clinical Ophthalmology concludes:

Topical dorzolamide significantly reduced mean central macular thickness at 1 month and mean aqueous flare at 2 weeks after surgery for epiretinal membrane compared with controls. Although further investigation of more cases and longer follow-up are needed, this study suggests that topical dorzolamide can be efficacious in reducing macular edema in the early phase after vitrectomy via its anti-inflammatory effect.

SUPPLEMENTATION WITH CITICOLINE MAY SLOW DOWN THE RATE OF GLAUCOMA PROGRESSION

According to this study in Ophthalmalogica:

 supplementation with citicoline might significantly slow down glaucomatous rates of progression.

This article in Wikipedia cites studies that indicate that citicoline supplementation is useful to enhance memory and mental focus, reduce attention deficit, and aid in stroke recovery.  The article states that dosages from 500mg to 2000mg per day are safe and effective.

DRY EYE AND ACUPUNCTURE

Interesting article in the Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science:

Combined acupuncture and Chinese medicinal atomizer fumigation can help alleviate DES symptoms

CALORIE RESTRICTION AND AGE RELATED EYE DISEASE

This is the abstract from the article in Experimental Gerentology:

The morbidity of ocular diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye disease, has been gradually increasing worldwide. Because these diseases develop from age-associated ocular dysfunctions, interventions against the aging process itself may be a promising strategy for their management. Among the several approaches to interrupt aging processes, calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to recover and/or slow age-related functional declines in various organs, including the eye. Here, we review interventions against the aging process as potential therapeutic approaches to age-related ocular diseases. The effects of CR and CR mimetics in animal models of age-related eye diseases are explored. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of expanding this research to prospective studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which CR and/or CR mimetics preserve ocular functions.

USING SIMULTANEOUS CORNEAL CROSS-LINKING TO PREVENT REGRESSION IN HYPEROPIC LASIK PATIENTS

This report in Clinical Ophthalmology studied the effectiveness of simultaneous cross-linking during hyperopic LASIK to prevent regression.  It concludes:

Simultaneous LASIK and CXL for hyperopia is safe. Outcomes of the small cohort suggest that this technique may be promising for ameliorating hyperopic regression, presumed to be biomechanical in origin, and may also address ectasia risk.

EFFECTIVENESS OF CORNEAL CROSS-LINKING WITH KERATOCONUS AND POST-LASIK ECTASIA

This study in the Journal of Cornea and External Disease evaluated the effectiveness of corneal cross-linking on patients with primary and secondary ectasia, including patients with keratoconus and post-LASIK ectasia.

The results showed improvement in both corrected and uncorrected visual acuity over a 6 month period of time, with no regression over a 36 month period.  The untreated control group showed worsening in visual acuity over the same period of time.  The study concludes:

This study shows that corneal collagen cross-linking can stabilize progressive corneal ectasia, both primary and secondary, with no induced iatrogenic effects.

AREDS UPDATE

This AREDS report published in Ophthalmology updates us on the long-term (10 years) effects of vitamins C and E, Beta Carotene, and Zinc on macular degeneration. It concludes:

Five years after the clinical trial ended, the beneficial effects of the AREDS formulation persisted for development of neovascularization (wet macular degeneration) but not for geographic atrophy (dry macular degeneration). These results are consistent with the original recommendations that persons with intermediate or advanced AMD in 1 eye should consider taking the AREDS formulation.