SAN FRANCISCO – Multi-cultural challenges, myopia and angle closure glaucoma will take center stage during the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) 2006 Joint Meeting in Las Vegas, Nov. 11-14.

A plethora of joint sessions, presentations and symposiums will feature speakers and panelists from both the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Key sessions include:

Monday, Nov. 13
Myopia: Epidemiology and Prevention of Progression This concise overview will present today's available data on myopia and key strategies for treating it. This free symposium – chaired by Paul Mitchell, MD, PhD and Jonathan B Rubenstein, MD – will provide current information and insight into the importance of myopia, etiologies of myopia, and evidence-based treatment in preventing myopic progression.

Updates on Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Using peer-reviewed publications, Senior Instructor Rajul S. Parikh, MBBS, hosts a course covering and reviewing the epidemiology, the role of diagnostic techniques and the laser and surgical management of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). The session will also cover specific surgical complications and management issues related to PACG, as well as appropriate diagnosis and specific complications related to PACG management that are uncommon in primary open-angle glaucoma.

Tuesday, Nov. 14
East Meets West: Controversies and Challenges in Managing Various Ophthalmic Conditions
Although the various diseases of the eye and visual system occur in all populations, it is becoming increasingly clear that the spectrum, the presentation and management approaches can be quite varied in different parts of the world. This may be due to racial and ethnic differences, prevailing socioeconomic conditions and other factors. This symposium, chaired by Yasuo Tano, MD, and Edward J. Holland, MD, will bring together experts from the East and West to discuss key issues and current perspectives on important ocular conditions.

For a complete program listing or to register for the Joint Meeting, visit www.aao.org/meetings/annual_meeting. Advance registration ends on Oct. 25.

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About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. For more information, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.