Tuesday, February 25, 2014

SNORING AND GLAUCOMA


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.

Friday, February 21, 2014

SPRINGBOARD AND PLATFORM DIVING AND RETINA DETACHMENT

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

Thursday, February 20, 2014

TACROLIMUS DROPS FOR VERNAL CONJUNCTIVITIS

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.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

TOPICAL INDOMETHACIN FOR UVEITIS-RELATED MACULAR EDEMA

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 tolerability was also detected. Results:Statistical analysis showed, from baseline to 6 months' visit, a significant reduction in CFT (p<0 .0001="" 0.001="" 0.5="" a="" and="" blockquote="" both="" discomfort="" global="" group="" groups="" improvement="" in="" indomethacin-treated="" of="" only="" p="" present="" reduction="" significant="" symptoms="" the="" va="" was="">
Conclusions:The four-times-a-day administration of 0.5% indomethacin eye drops in eyes affected by uveitic ME from different etiologies, compared to placebo, is associated with a significant reduction in ME at six months follow-up visit, as measured by SD-OCT. However, not all eyes showed a complete resolution of ME because of vitreo-retinal traction.

INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE LOWERING EFFECT FOR CATARACT SURGERY

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.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Clearkone contact lens for keratoconus

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.

ASPIRIN USE AND AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

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.

Monday, February 10, 2014

COLORED CONTACT LENSES IN GENERAL SHOW INCREASED BACTERIAL ADHERENCE

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) had pigments that did not detach with the rub-off test. The remaining 13 brands of CCL all failed the rub-off test and these lenses showed higher P. aeruginosa adherence (8.7×105–1.9×106CFU/lens). Brands B and C lenses showed at least six times less bacterial adhesion than the other 13 brands. Compared to their clear counterparts, bacterial adherence to brands B and C lenses did not differ significantly, whereas brand A lenses showed significantly higher adherence.

Conclusion
Surface pigments on CCL resulted in significantly higher bacterial adherence.