News

Editor's Note: The Bielschowsky head tilt test: all ophthalmologists learned it, few use it, fewer understand it, and most have forgotten it! In this month's column, we will cover the life and times of German ophthalmologist Alfred Bielschowsky (1871-1940), including his contributions to strabismus research.

Investigators from 22 clinical centers across the country have discovered that eye drops used to treat elevated IOP can be effective in delaying the onset of glaucoma, according to the recently released results of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS).

New York-The official definition of glaucoma has changed over the years to downplay the role of IOP, although IOP does remain a central issue in the treatment and prevention of the condition. Such was the conclusion drawn from discussions at the Glaucoma 2002 meeting here.

New York-Achieving success in an optical dispensary requires a continued, innovative marketing effort by the entire office staff, according to two experts who spoke on the subject at the American Association of Dispensing Ophthalmologists (AADO) 6th Dispensing Ophthalmology Conference held during this year's International Vision Expo East.

More than 1.5 million cataract surgery procedures are performed each year in the United States. Currently, cataract surgery is one of the most safe and effective surgical procedures in all of medicine.

FDA Briefs

Orlando-Plans are under way for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's (ASCRS) first Job Fest here, Thursday, Oct. 17.

Eugene, OR-I. Howard Fine, MD, has a simple answer to what is fun about riding motorcycles.

The digital camera revolution has rapidly entered the ophthalmology office. The main advantage of digital cameras is that they allow picture taking as well as image storage without film.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy is a promising treatment of neovascularization brought on by various ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to Lawrence J. Singerman, MD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Intravitreal triamcinolone appears to inhibit the growth of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and reduce subretinal fluid in the short term, but it needs further evaluation, ac-cording to Mark Gillies, MB, BS, PhD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Of the nearly 60 million people in the United States over age 55, 8 million are estimated to be at high risk for advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), making it an important public health concern. However, nutritional supplements may be helpful to reduce this risk, according to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS).

Philadelphia-Obstructive sleep apnea appears to be a significant, previously unrecognized aggravating factor in diabetic retinopathy that promotes progression of ischemia and edema, according to Stephen Sinclair, MD, clinical professor, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia.

Durham, NC-Sustained-release drug delivery systems are a promising new approach for treating posterior segment diseases, according to Glenn J. Jaffe, MD.

Tel Aviv, Israel-The macular computerized psychophysical test (MCPT)-a new test for monitoring patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-seems to be an efficient method for self-detection of AMD-related lesions, according to Anat Loewenstein, MD.

San Antonio, TX-Before prescribing one of the newer medications for glaucoma, clinicians should ask what drugs the patient may be taking for aches and pains-especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), including something as innocuous as aspirin, said William E. Sponsel, MD.

Vitreoretinal surgeons are benefiting from upgrades to the Accurus Surgical System (Alcon Laboratories). The new model features fourth-generation software (XS4), dual dynamic drive (3D) technology that maximizes efficiency, and advanced vitrectomy probes offering increased cutting speeds for exquisite control.

As of July 1, a new marketing code adopted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) takes effect. The code would put an end to gifts and dinners for doctors and their staffs, and even cash giveaways, in addition to all forms of recompense that have nothing to do with patient education.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Anecortave acetate (Alcon), a chemically modified steroid, acts in a unique way to suppress abnormal blood vessel growth in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Researchers presented new strategies for tack-ling numerous retinal diseases that can have devastating effects on vision in a symposium entitled "New Vessels, New Medicines, New Ideas in Retina." Great progress has been made and con-tinues to be made in this subspecialty, noted Harry W. Flynn Jr., MD, organizer of the 2001 American Academy of Ophthalmology symposium.

In this month's column, our international fellow, Mathias Baumann, MD, and I explore a brief history of the German-language medical schools in Switzerland.

Boston-The incidence of overcorrection following PRK and LASIK is fortunately very small, generally less than 5%. Unfortunately, the incidence of consecutive hyperopia after RK is significantly greater and, over time, becomes higher with a hyperopic shift, said Helen K. Wu, MD.

The search for an ideal soft tissue filler to cor-rect various facial folds and wrinkles has gone on for years. At the turn of the last century, injectable paraffin was tried but quickly found to be unacceptable.1 A refined form of liquid silicone was introduced in the 1960s, and for the next 30 years, various forms of injectable silicone were used with few reported complications. Unfortunately, numerous complications arose from the use of adulterated or impure silicones and as a result, injectable silicones were abandoned.2

New York-Short of performing a careful refraction, one of the most significant improvements you can make in your patients' glasses is to prescribe an anti-reflective (AR) coating for their lenses, according to a New York ophthalmologist and a Texas optician.

Vancouver, British Columbia-The FDA recently approved the injection of botulinum toxin type A (Botox Cosmetic, Allergan, Irvine, CA) to treat moderate to severe glabellar lines in adults under age 65.

Visual development and cosmesis are important considerations in the management of congenital ptosis. While parents often are concerned about the child's appearance, the ophthalmologist's role is to make sure the patient's vision is appropriately assessed and to educate the parents regarding the potential relationship between ptosis and visual development.

Patients suffering from mild symptoms of dry eye now have another choice of drops to alleviate the condition.

Visual loss following non-ocular surgical procedures is becoming increasingly recognized and reported in the literature by anesthesiologists, surgeons, and ophthalmologists. The usual cause for visual loss in these cases is ischemic optic neuropathy (ION).

A genetically engineered molecule designed to kill cancers by destroying their rapidly growing blood vessels offers a new line of attack against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other retinal conditions, said Alan Garen, PhD.

Editor's Note: In the absence of other identifiable causes, vision loss in HIV patients may be due to ischemic maculopathy, and that diagnosis should be investigated with fluorescein angiography. The clinical and angiographic features of five patients with HIV infection-related ischemic maculopathy were described in a paper recently published by Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, and associates in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. In this new Ophthalmology Times column, Dr. Cunningham reviews the characteristic features of those patients and highlights the importance of considering a fluorescein angiogram in the diagnostic evaluation of HIV-positive patients with unexplained vision loss.