EW Weekly, April 2, 2021

- FDA approves enhanced monovision IOL
- Report: Demand for refractive surgery up amid pandemic
- Study: Antifibrotic activity of rho-kinase inhibitors
- Companies partner to explore nanoparticle applications for ophthalmic therapies
- ASCRS Journal Club on April 8
- Research highlights
- Product news
- A study published in the journal Ophthalmology evaluated whether systemic conditions that are higher risk for dry eye disease are associated with severity of dry eye signs and symptoms. The study was based on secondary analysis from the Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Study, which included 535 patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease. The researchers found that more severe dry eye signs were significantly associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, rosacea, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral artery disease, and daily smoking history. Other systemic conditions such as thyroid dysfunction, osteoarthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia were not associated with dry eye signs. None of the conditions, according to the research, were significantly associated with the OSDI. With this info, the researchers concluded that significant dry eye disease signs vary by systemic condition, and understanding these conditions and their underlying etiologies that can increase a patient’s risk of dry eye disease could improve management.
- A pilot prospective study evaluated anterior segment OCT-angiography (AS-OCTA) in patients with chemical injuries in order to evaluate the technology’s utility in assessing limbal vasculature. According to the research, 10 subjects who suffered alkali injuries were included in the study and compared to uninjured controls. AS-OCTA revealed lower mean limbal vessel density in the affected quadrants of eyes that experienced chemical injury. Spectral domain and swept-source AS-OCTA were in agreement when assessing vessel density. The study authors concluded that AS-OCTA can provide “objective, non-contact, rapid assessment of limbal vasculature involvement in eyes with acute chemical injury.” The authors suggested future studies evaluate the role of AS-OCTA in the prognosis of eyes that have experienced chemical injury. This paper is published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
- Researchers sought to identify risk factors for progression in untreated keratoconus cases, looking at 3,994 untreated eyes from 2,283 keratoconus patients from 34 centers in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Italy. Clinical parameters evaluated were visual acuity, steepest keratometry (max-K), and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT) with patients categorized as progressors or stable for each parameter. Primary outcomes were the proportion of eyes that continued progressing in each of the parameters within 3 years. The researchers saw progression in visual acuity, max-K, and TCT at 1 year in 3.2%, 6.6%, and 3.1% of eyes, respectively. Higher baseline visual acuity and max-K were associated with visual acuity loss. Thicker baseline TCT, steeper baseline max-K, and younger baseline age were associated with TCT thinning over time. The researchers concluded that steeper max-K and a younger age were the most clinically useful baseline predictors of progression. The research is published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
- neurolens launched the neurolens Measurement Device, Gen2 (nMD2), which provides objective, repeatable measurements of binocular vision and eye alignment.
- Nova Eye Medical introduced a new instrument to use with its iTrack canaloplasty microcatheter, the Reiss Patel Technique (RPT) All-in-One forceps, designed to streamline use of the microcatheter in the procedure.
This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Vanessa Caceres.
EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.
Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor
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