INTERESTING EYE NEWS & CLINICAL PEARLS

This study concludes; Severe snoring was not significantly associated with the prevalence of open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma or retinal vein occlusions after adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and cognitive function score. Our population-based study did not reveal that snoring was a risk factor for glaucoma and thus did not provide a reason to assess or to treat snoring in patients with glaucoma.

The following interesting article was published in the Chinese Medical Journal. Observation and management of retinal changes related to diving in professional divers It concludes: Results  Every year, the percentage of divers who have various degrees of retinal lesions is between 43.3% and 56.2%.During the 4 years, there were no statistically significant differences in divers’ best-corrected visual acuity and retinal lesions. There were also no statistically significant differences between male and female athletes. However, there were statistically significant differences in IOP during these years. Moreover there were statistically significant differences in IOP and the scope of retinal lesions between platform divers and springboard divers. Conclusions  Our management of retinal lesions could be effective to prevent severe retinopathy in professional divers. At the same time, platform divers are more likely to have retinal lesions than springboard divers

This  study from  Eye & Contact Lens: Science & Clinical Practice   sought to evaluate the efficacy of the isolated use of tacrolimus compared with the combined use of tacrolimus and olopatadine for the treatment of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).  The conclusion was as follows: The isolated use of tacrolimus and the combined use of tacrolimus and olopatadine seems to have the same efficacy, although controlled studies with larger samples are required to confirm this hypothesis.

According to this study in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science: Purpose: Aim of the present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of 0.5% indomethacin eye drops in adult patients suffering from macular edema (ME) related to different aetiology uveitis. Methods:Forty-six eyes of thirty-one adult patients (20 females and 11 males) mean age 39 years, affected by inflammatory macular edema, were randomized to receive a dose of commercial 0.5% indomethacin eye-drops (INDOM®, Alfa Intes, Italy) four times a day (16 subjects = 23 eyes) or placebo (the vehicle of INDOM®, 15 subjects = 23 eyes) during a six months' active therapy follow-up. Study assessment at each visit included: visual acuity testing (VA), slit lamp examination, intra ocular pressure (IOP) evaluation and Heidelberg Spectralis Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) central foveal thickness (CFT) measurement. Any variation in subjective symptoms and...

This literature review in Current Opinion in Ophthalmology reports: There are sufficient data to suggest that cataract surgery provides a lowering effect on IOP in the long term. This effect appears to be proportional to preoperative IOP. Eyes with higher preoperative IOP have the greatest average lowering, whereas eyes with IOP in the lower range of statistically normal tend to have an IOP that is unchanged from baseline or even higher following cataract surgery. In patients with narrow angles, the IOP-lowering effect appears to also be proportional to the degree of anterior chamber deepening induced by cataract surgery.

According to this study in Eye and Contact Lens : Clearkone provides an improvement in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and subjective comfort in patients with keratoconus when compared with other contact lens options. However, clinicians must get specific training to fit the lens and be aware of potential adverse events.

According to this analysis of randomized controlled trials in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science: ...aspirin use is not associated with AMD, but it increased the risk of the neovascular form of AMD.

According to this study in the Journal of the British Contact Lens Association Fifteen brands of colored contact lenses (CCL) were purchased from optical, non-optical retail outlets, and via the Internet. A standardized rub-off test was performed on each CCL (five lenses per brand) to confirm the location of the pigments. The rub-off test comprised gentle rubbing on the surfaces of each CCL with wetted cotton buds for a maximum of 20 rubs per surface. A new set of CCL (five lenses per brand) were incubated in  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  overnight. Viable counts of adhered bacteria were determined by the number of colony-forming units (CFU) on agar media on each lens. The adherence of  P. aeruginosa  as well as  Staphylococcus aureus  and  Serratia marcescens  to three brands of CCL (A–C) (five lenses per brand) were also compared to their adherences on their clear counterparts. Results Only two of the 15 brands of CCL tested (brands B and C) ha...