1: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 26;224(5):274-282 [Epub ahead of print] 

Correlation between Disc Damage Likelihood Scale and Optical Coherence
Tomography in the Diagnosis of Glaucoma.

Abdul Majid AS, Kwag JH, Jung SH, Yim HB, Kim YD, Kang KD.

Department of Ophthalmology, Oxford Eye Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford,
UK.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the Disc Damage Likelihood
Scale (DDLS), visual field and various optical coherence tomography (OCT)
parameters for glaucoma diagnosis. Methods: The study comprised 149 eyes from
149 patients. The patients were categorized as normal, glaucoma suspect or with
glaucoma. They were clinically examined and graded according to the DDLS system.
OCT was performed to acquire both a retinal nerve fibre layer analysis and an
optic nerve head analysis. The relationships between DDLS score, visual field
and OCT parameters were analysed using multiple correlation analysis. Results:
The normal, glaucoma suspect and glaucoma groups had average DDLS scores of 1.58
+/- 1.40, 2.55 +/- 1.93 and 5.33 +/- 1.39, respectively. Evaluating the area
under the receiver operator characteristic curve, the DDLS had the best
predictive power (0.917), followed by corrected pattern standard deviation.
Conclusion: The DDLS is a useful parameter in the diagnosis of glaucoma and it
showed a close correlation with visual field, cup/disc ratio and OCT parameters.
Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PMID: 20185941  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

2: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 25;224(5):267-273 [Epub ahead of print] 

Protective Effect of Intravitreal Bevacizumab and Sub-Tenon Triamcinolone
Acetonide against Occlusion of Choriocapillaris Induced by Photodynamic Therapy.

Mukai R, Kishi S, Sato T, Watanabe G, Matsumoto H.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Gunma School of Medicine, Maebashi,
Japan.

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) and
sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide (TA) against choriocapillaris occlusion
induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT). Methods: This prospective, nonrandomized,
consecutive study included 80 eyes of 80 patients with polypoidal choroidal
vasculopathy who underwent an initial PDT. The posttherapeutic follow-up periods
were more than 3 months (mean, 9.3 months). Patients were divided into three
groups consecutively: the PDT group included 21 eyes of 21 patients treated with
only PDT, the TA group included 32 eyes of 32 patients treated with PDT and a
sub-Tenon injection of 20 mg TA, and the IVB group included 27 eyes of 27
patients treated with PDT and an intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab.
Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was performed before and 3 months after
PDT. The degree of choriocapillaris occlusion was assessed in the marginal zone
of the PDT area based on the background hypofluorescence seen on ICGA quantified
by densitometry (Imagenet). Results: ICGA at 1 and 5 min showed hypofluorescence
in the marginal zone in all eyes 3 months after PDT. The hypofluorescence became
indistinguishable from the background fluorescence 15 min after treatment in
some eyes; however, the relative hypofluorescence persisted in some cases. The
rates of fluorescence intensity in the marginal zone compared to those in the
untreated area, i.e. the percentage of baseline fluorescence, were 0.60, 0.65
and 0.73 at 1, 5 and 15 min after dye injection in the PDT group, respectively,
0.64, 0.68 and 0.82 in the TA group, and 0.64, 0.73 and 0.90 in the IVB group.
The intensity of the fluorescence was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the TA
group at 15 min and in the IVB group at 1, 5 and 15 min compared with the PDT
group. Conclusions: IVB and TA reduced choriocapillaris occlusion after PDT. IVB
appeared to have a stronger protective effect than TA in this therapeutic
regimen. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PMID: 20185940  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

3: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 19;224(4):266 [Epub ahead of print] 

Reply.

Sahap Kukner A, Alagoz G.

Department of Ophthalmology, Izzet Baysal Medical Faculty, Golkoy, Turkey.

Publication Types:
    LETTER

PMID: 20173356  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

4: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 19;224(4):265 [Epub ahead of print] 

Pellet Injuries to the Orbit.

Goodfellow JF, Caesar RH.

Cheltenham General Hospital, Cheltenham, UK.

Publication Types:
    LETTER

PMID: 20173355  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

5: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 17;224(4):258-264 [Epub ahead of print] 

Comparison of Intravitreal Bevacizumab versus Triamcinolone for the Treatment of
Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema.

Kreutzer TC, Al Saeidi R, Kook D, Wolf A, Ulbig MW, Neubauer AS, Haritoglou C.

Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.

Background: Our purpose was to compare the effect of triamcinolone and
bevacizumab (Avastin) on the retinal thickness and functional outcome in
patients with diabetic macular edema. Methods and Materials: A collective of 32
patients, who had been treated by a single 4.0-mg intravitreal triamcinolone
injection (group 1), was matched to 32 patients ('matched pairs'), who had
received 3 injections of 1.25 mg of bevacizumab within 3 months in 4-week
intervals (group 2). The outcome variables were changes in best corrected visual
acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness 3 months after therapy. Results: Both
groups did not differ regarding preoperative VA and central retinal thickness
measured by optical coherence tomography. The baseline mean VA was 0.72 +/- 0.39
logMAR in group 1 and 0.73 +/- 0.39 logMAR in group 2 (p = 0.709). The mean
central retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography was 548 +/-
185 mum in group 1 and 507 +/- 192 mum in group 2. While the patients in group 1
experienced a slight increase in VA of on average 0.7 lines following a single
triamcinolone injection to a mean of 0.64 +/- 0.40 logMAR (p = 0.066) after 3
months, the patients in group 2 showed almost no effect on VA with an average
increase of 0.2 lines to a mean VA of 0.72 +/- 0.30 logMAR (p = 0.948) following
3 intravitreal injections of bevacizumab. Comparing the effect on VA between
both groups no statistically significant difference (p = 0.115) was noted.
Concerning decrease in central retinal thickness both therapies were highly
effective (p < 0.001 each), again, without statistically significant difference
between the groups (p < 0.128). Conclusion: Our data suggest that a single
triamcinolone injection may be as effective as a 3 times repeated intravitreal
administration of bevacizumab for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.
Further prospective trials should be performed. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG,
Basel.

PMID: 20160463  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

6: Ophthalmologica. 2010 Feb 10;224(4):251-257 [Epub ahead of print] 

Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Comparative Trial of Photography and
Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy.

Wilson PJ, Ellis JD, Macewen CJ, Ellingford A, Talbot J, Leese GP.

Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK.

Aims: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of wide-field scanning laser
ophthalmoscopy (WSLO) in the detection of referable diabetic eye disease, and to
compare its performance with digital retinal photography. Methods: Patients
enrolled into the study underwent non-mydriatic WSLO imaging, then single- and
dual-field mydriatic digital retinal photography, and examination with slit lamp
biomicroscopy, the reference standard. Grading of retinopathy was performed in a
masked fashion. Results: A total of 380 patients (759 eyes) were recruited to
the study. Technical failure rates for dilated single-field retinal photography,
dual-field retinal photography and undilated WSLO were 6.3, 5.8 and 10.8%,
respectively (0.005 < p < 0.02 for photography vs. WSLO). The respective indices
for screening sensitivity were 82.9, 82.9 and 83.6% (p > 0.2). Specificity was
92.1, 91.1 and 89.5%, respectively (p > 0.2). Conclusions: Sensitivity and
specificity for WSLO were similar to retinal photography. The technical failure
rate was greater for the WSLO used in this study. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger
AG, Basel.

PMID: 20145421  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]