Vol. VII, No. 18
April 30, 2008
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CONTENTS
New Journal Studies
Academy News
Industry News
NEW JOURNAL STUDIES
Gene therapy restores some sight to four young adults with Leber's congenital amaurosis
Preliminary results from the first two gene therapy trials for Leber's congenital amaurosis suggest treatment is safe in the short term and can restore some vision. At five months, all three participants in the U.S. study showed evidence of improvement in retinal function as evidenced by pupillary light reflex, and all three reported having improved vision in dimly lit environments beginning two weeks after surgery. One of the three participants in the British study experienced improved visual function. Of the six patients enrolled in the two studies, only one patient developed a macular hole, but researchers believe it was unrelated to the treatment. New England Journal of Medicine, April 27, 2008
Ex vivo study suggests sutureless vitrectomy carries a higher risk of bacterial contamination
Researchers applied India ink to human cadaver eyes after either sutureless or sutured vitrectomy surgery. Ink particles were detected in the wound in more than two-thirds of eyes that underwent 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy, either with or without conjunctival displacement. No ink was detected in sutured 25-gauge or sutured 20-gauge incisions. Retina, April 2008
Oral valacyclovir may be an alternative to intravenous acyclovir for acute retinal necrosis
Ten patients scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy were given three, 1000-mg doses of oral valacyclovir the day before surgery, and one dose the day of surgery. Analysis of blood and vitreous samples obtained during and after surgery detected potentially therapeutic concentrations of acyclovir in the vitreous for nonresistant strains of herpes simple 1, herpes simplex 2, and varicella zoster virus. American Journal of Ophthalmology, April 2008
Early infantile esotropia surgery helps promote normal motor development
Parents of 161 infants with infantile esotropia completed a motor development questionnaire before and/or after corrective surgery. Before surgery the children demonstrated significant delays in developmental milestones compared to controls. After surgery, they demonstrated a greater rate of sensorimotor development than controls, and caught up with normal children on both sensorimotor and gross motor skills. Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, April 2008
Vitamin E appears to have no effect in preventing cataracts
A large, randomized trial of healthy females age 45 or older found that vitamin E supplementation for an average of 9.7 years had no beneficial or harmful effect on risk of cataract or cataract subtypes. Ophthalmology, May 2008
Case report: corneal melt after prolonged use of nepafenac for cystoid macular edema
An 82-year-old woman with chronic cystoid macular edema following cataract surgery was treated with nepafenac 0.1%. After five months, the left eye developed a peripheral corneal ulcer with no stromal cell infiltration. After two months of topical antibiotic and lubrication, the patient's visual acuity improved, the epithelium was intact and corneal thinning was stable. Eye & Contact Lens, March 2008
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ACADEMY NEWS
O.N.E. provides free access to leading ophthalmic journals
The Academy’s new Ophthalmic News & Education (O.N.E.) Network provides free to Academy members “full text” access to several journals, including the American Journal of Ophthalmology and British Journal of Ophthalmology. Login first, choose the “O.N.E. Network,” then go to the “library” tab.
Six cyclists to carry EyeCare America message from San Francisco to Washington, DC
The cyclists will begin their three-month “EyeRide for Sight” trek on May 7, stopping along the way to increase awareness and support for EyeCare America’s public service programs. For every $25 donation, EyeCare America can provide sight-saving care and valuable eye health information to someone in the US. Show your support and make a donation online.
Preregistration for the ISRS/AAO Annual Regional Meeting has closed; register onsite in Cancún, Mexico
Registration is free to ISRS/AAO members, but you still need to register. The meeting, Refractive and Cataract Surgery: Today and Tomorrow, will take place 29 to 31 May, 2008 at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun. Take advantage of the shorter session hours and enjoy Cancun in the afternoon. This year’s program is in partnership with the Asociación Latina de Cirugia de Catarata Refractiva y Segmento Anterior (ALCRS) and the Centro Mexicano de Cornea y Cirugia Refractiva (CMCCR). Please contact us at registration@aao.org if you have any questions.
Two new LEO Clinical Update Courses are now available
Each LEO DVD-ROM combines the slides, text, video, and audio exactly as presented at the Annual Meeting and features high-quality slide magnification and a convenient search function. Now available are: Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (2008) and Orbit & Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (2008).
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Clinical trial shows Lucentis outperforms conventional therapy for diabetic macular edema
Six-month results from the READ-2 clinical trial were presented Monday at the 2008 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Patients treated with ranibizumab experienced significantly greater improvements in visual acuity, or clarity of vision, compared with patients receiving either laser photocoagulation therapy or both laser photocoagulation therapy and Lucentis.
FDA panel recommends enhanced explanation of known LASIK side effects
Following day-long testimony from both satisfied and dissatisfied LASIK patients, as well as representatives from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the panel made a series of recommendations for consideration by the FDA, focusing on more explanation about known potential risks of LASIK. The panel also recommended additional information or guidance in the labeling about postoperative intraocular pressure, and additional guidance for implant measurement for post-LASIK cataract surgery.
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