Nancy Groves

Physicians have to convince patients of the long-term consequences of failing to take glaucoma medication by educating them about the disease and the risk of blindness.

Portland, OR-Seronegative spondyloarthropathies are the most likely group of diseases that ophthalmologists will encounter in their practices, yet many cases will be overlooked if doctors rely on classic textbook definitions of symptoms, according to James T. Rosenbaum, MD, professor of ophthalmology and medicine, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland.

Philadelphia-In about 80% of glaucoma cases, medication is the preferred initial approach for lowering IOP. However, the choice of medication must be made with the cognition of individual patient differences that can affect the tolerability and effectiveness of the drug, noted Marlene Moster, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology, Thomas Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Visual function improvement is still apparent and better than ex-pected more than 3 years following the first implantation of a subretinal Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR, Optobionics Corp.) micro-chip in patients experiencing vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This degree of improvement could be due at least in part to a neurotrophic effect, said Alan Y. Chow, MD, co-developer of the ASR.

Woburn, MA-Advanced Vision Research has joined the growing number of physicians who have concluded that the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in flaxseed oil, can relieve dry eye. The company recently added a dietary supplement containing these acids, TheraTears Nutrition, to its line of dry eye products.

GenTeal PF, the newest addition to Novartis Ophthalmics' line of dry eye products, is an appropriate choice for patients who must use a true preservative-free drop because they cannot tolerate even the transient preservatives found in some other artificial tears, according to Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, clinical professor of ophthalmology, Tulane University, New Orleans.

Los Angeles-Insertion of the Herrick Lacrimal Plug (HLP, Lacrimedics, Eastsound, WA) appears to be trouble-free for the majority of patients, with significant complications wuch as pyogenic granuloma and probing occurring in less than 10% of cases, said John C. Affeldt, MD, MPH.

Many of the common complications associated with external silicone punctum plugs, such as extrusion or irritation, can be avoided if physicians take the time to measure the puncta and gauge the correct size, according to representatives of the major manufacturers of these plugs.

London-Routine testing for color vision deficiency is not a reliable method to detect digoxin toxicity in patients taking the drug for heart failure or other cardiac problems, said J.G. Lawrenson, PhD.

Ophthalmic drops that combine immediate antihistamine relief with prophylactic care in the form of mast cell inhibition and eosinophil blockage are the mainstay of therapy for allergic conjunctivitis.

Avon, CT-The "Little Blue Book" PDA version is now available for download to handheld devices running either the Palm OS or Windows CE platforms. The PDA version gives doctors access on their handheld devices to physician and pharmacy fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and other contact information they use on a daily basis.