Methods  Surgeons prospectively enrolled patients with nonneovascular AMD who were awaiting cataract surgery. Fluorescein angiography was performed preoperatively and at the postoperative week 1, month 3, and month 12 visits. Incidence of neovascular AMD development within 12 months after operation was the primary outcome measure.

Results  A total of 108 subjects were enrolled. Of 86 eyes with preoperatively photographically confirmed nonneovascular AMD, 71 had gradable images by month 12. Neovascular AMD was observed in 9 of 71 eyes (12.7%; 95% confidence interval, 6.0%-22.7%). The progression rate between week 1 and month 12 decreased to 3 of 65 eyes (4.6%; 95% confidence interval, 1.0%-12.9%) after excluding 5 neovascular events identified on the postoperative week 1 visit and 1 case with missing photographs at this visit.

Conclusion  The low incidence rate of neovascular AMD development between 1 week and 1 year after cataract surgery did not support the hypothesis that cataract surgery increases the risk of AMD progression. Several eyes appeared to have disease progression on postsurgery week 1 fluorescein angiograms, suggesting that many cases of presumed progression to neovascular AMD following cataract surgery may have been present prior to cataract surgery, but not recognized owing to lens opacity.

Methods  Twenty-nine eyes (16 patients) received myopic LASIK or PRK, with intended correction to emmetropia. Central endothelial photographs were taken before and 9 years after surgery and were analyzed by the same masked investigator after appropriate calibration for magnification. Comparisons were made by using generalized estimating equation models to account for any correlation between fellow eyes of the same patient. The annual exponential rate of cell loss was compared with cell loss during a 10-year period in 42 normal (unoperated) corneas of 42 subjects.

Results  Endothelial cell density 9 years after LASIK and PRK had decreased by 5.3% from preoperative density (P < .001), whereas coefficient of variation of cell area (P = .24) and percentage of hexagonal cells (P = .19) did not change. The mean annual rate of cell loss after refractive surgery (0.6% [standard deviation, 0.8%]) was not different from that in normal corneas (0.6% [0.5%], P = .88; minimum detectable difference = 0.5%;  = .05; β = .20).

Conclusions  Laser in situ keratomileusis and PRK had no long-term effect on the corneal endothelium. Corneas that have undergone LASIK or PRK can be considered for use as donors for posterior lamellar keratoplasty procedures.

Methods  Scores of such risks as infrequent blinking, blink-related microtrauma, conjunctival inflammation, elevated intraocular pressure, dry eye, symblepharon, lagophthalmos, and previous KLAL or penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) failure were calculated and recorded before, during, and after KLAL. Prolonged oral mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus and short-term prednisone and acyclovir were administered in 12 eyes (10 consecutive patients) with total limbal stem cell deficiency after KLAL. Ten eyes underwent subsequent PKP.

Results  More corrective measures were required in eyes with higher risk scores. During a follow-up of 61.2 months (standard deviation [SD], 18.2; range, 36-91 months) after KLAL, postoperative epithelial breakdown due to exposure occurred late in the period after PKP and remained a primary risk. Mean daily doses of 1.4 g of mycophenolate mofetil and 1.6 mg of tacrolimus were administered for 52.7 months (SD, 22.5; range, 23-91 months) with few adverse effects and reached trough levels of 1.6 µg/mL (SD, 0.6 µg/mL) and 4.5 ng/mL (SD, 2 ng/mL), respectively. Keratolimbal allograft and PKP rejection was noted in 2 and 3 eyes, respectively, though there was a reversal in 1 eye in each group, yielding final KLAL and PKP survivals in 10 and 8 eyes, respectively, and ambulatory visual acuity of up to 20/20 in 10 eyes for 67.2% of the entire follow-up period.

Conclusion  Correction of ocular surface deficits combined with an immunosuppressive regimen further improves the long-term outcome of KLAL in eyes with total limbal stem cell deficiency.

Methods  The medical records of patients with primary congenital glaucoma who underwent AGV implantation with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were reviewed. The primary outcome measure was cumulative probability of success, defined as intraocular pressure greater than 5 mm Hg and less than 23 mm Hg and at least a 15% reduction from the preoperative intraocular pressure, without serious complications, additional glaucoma surgery, or loss of light perception.

Results  Thirty eyes of 19 children with primary congenital glaucoma who underwent AGV implantation with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were reviewed. The children had a mean (SD) age of 1.8 (2.6) years, a mean (SD) preoperative intraocular pressure of 28.4 (6.7) mm Hg, and a mean (SD) follow-up time of 57.6 (48.0) months. The cumulative probability of success was 63% in 1 year and 33% in 5 years. After a second AGV implantation, the cumulative probability of success was 86% in 1 and 2 years and 69% in 5 years. Hispanic ethnicity (P = .02) and being female (P = .005) were associated with increased risk of failure.

Conclusions  Thirty-three percent of AGV implantations in children with primary congenital glaucoma were successful after 5 years of follow-up. With the implantation of a second AGV, the 5-year success rate increased to 69%.

Methods  One randomly selected eye of each subject underwent standard automated perimetry, stereoscopic photography, scanning laser polarimetry with enhanced corneal compensation, and time-domain and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Mean retinal sensitivity values were calculated in the normal standard automated perimetry hemifield of the glaucoma group and randomly selected hemifields in the normal and suspected glaucoma groups. The mean RNFL thickness values corresponding to the normal hemifield were calculated. Glaucoma severity was judged using standard automated perimetry pattern standard deviation and the Heidelberg retina tomograph–derived linear cup-disc ratio.

Results  Fifty subjects were enrolled in each group. Mean RNFL thickness in the normal hemifield obtained using spectral-domain OCT, time-domain OCT, and scanning laser polarimetry with enhanced corneal compensation was significantly (P ≤ .01) thinner in the glaucoma group compared with the normal and suspected glaucoma groups. Mean retinal sensitivity in the normal hemifield was significantly (P < .001) reduced in the glaucoma group compared with the normal and suspected glaucoma groups. The Heidelberg retina tomograph–derived cup-disc ratio was significantly correlated with mean RNFL thickness in the normal hemifield obtained using spectral-domain OCT, time-domain OCT, and scanning laser polarimetry with enhanced corneal compensation (P ≤ .01).

Conclusions  Diffuse RNFL atrophy and retinal sensitivity loss exist in glaucomatous eyes with localized standard automated perimetry deficits. Glaucomatous damage affects both structure and function in a linear proportion.

Methods  Extended family members of the proband underwent dilated fundus examination, optical coherence tomography, and, in selected cases, fluorescein angiography and electroretinography.

Results  Seventeen family members, representing 3 generations and ranging in age from 5 to 64 years, were clinically examined. Visual acuities ranged from 20/20 to 20/200. Amblyopia and strabismus were frequently present in affected individuals. Consistent with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance, 7 family members had multiple central macular cystic spaces and flat, round, densely pigmented spots within the retina. There were right-angle vessels and telangiectasis in the central macula. Two subjects showed evidence of active macular neovascularization with leakage on fluorescein angiography at ages 7 and 24 years, which was responsive to either focal laser or a single injection of bevacizumab. In those cases examined, multifocal electroretinography showed a diminished foveal response.

Conclusions  This spotted cystic neovascular macular dystrophy appears to represent a new autosomal dominant retinal condition. Because these patients are at risk for choroidal neovascularization, identification of the responsible gene may provide insight into the mechanisms of pathological neovascularization.

Methods  Optical coherence tomograms were taken at clinical sites with the Stratus OCT using fast macular and crosshair scan protocols. Paper prints of images were evaluated at a central reading center. Quality evaluation identified the accuracy of OCT-measured retinal thickness data and was categorized as good, fair, borderline, or ungradable. Manual measurement of center point thickness was performed on borderline images. Morphological evaluation identified cystoid spaces, subretinal fluid, and vitreoretinal interface abnormalities. Reproducibility of grading was assessed through formal quality control exercises.

Results  A randomly selected set of 106 images was identified for quality control. The first 2 annual regrades showed 91% and 89% intergrader agreement for OCT quality. Intraclass correlation for manually measured center point thickness was 0.99 per year. For morphological variables, intergrader agreement for cystoid spaces was 83% and 76%. Reproducibility for subretinal fluid and vitreoretinal interface abnormalities could not be interpreted owing to their limited presence in the sample.

Conclusion  Optical coherence tomogram evaluation procedures used in the SCORE Study are reproducible and can be used for multicenter longitudinal studies of retinal vein occlusion.

Methods  Type 1 diabetes was induced with streptozotocin in rats. Tear production was measured by the Schirmer test, and corneal sensitivity, by an esthesiometer. Eye drops of 10^–5M NTX or sterile vehicle were administered either once only or 4 times a day for 1 or 5 days; a single drop of insulin (1 U) was given once only.

Results  Dry eye and corneal insensitivity were detected in the diabetic rats beginning 5 weeks after streptozotocin injection. One drop of NTX or 4 times a day for 1 or 5 days reestablished tear production and corneal sensitivity within 1 hour of administration. The reversal of dry eye lasted for up to 2 to 3 days depending on drug regimen, but restitution of corneal sensation lasted for 4 to 7 days. Topical application of 1 eye drop of insulin restored corneal sensitivity within 1 hour and lasted for at least 2 days. In contrast, 1 eye drop of insulin did not increase tear production at 1, 24, or 48 hours compared with diabetic animals receiving sterile vehicle.

Conclusion  Topical treatment with NTX normalizes tear production and corneal sensitivity in type 1 diabetic rats.

Clinical Relevance  Topical application of NTX to the ocular surface may serve as an important strategy for treating dry eye and corneal anesthesia in diabetes. Its effect, if any, in other forms of decreased corneal sensitivity and/or dry eye should be investigated.

Methods  Retinal detachment was induced in mice by subretinal injection of sodium hyaluronate, 1.4%. In 1 experiment, mice received daily injections of minocycline (group 1) or saline (group 2). In a second experiment, mice were treated with minocycline or saline beginning 24 hours prior, immediately after, or 24 hours after experimental RD. In both experiments, photoreceptor cell survival and apoptosis were assessed by immunohistochemistry with primary antibodies against photoreceptor cell markers, rod rhodopsin, and cone opsin, and by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin end labeling.

Results  Photoreceptor cell apoptosis was detected at day 1 after experimental RD, with apoptotic cells peaking in number at day 3 and dropping by day 7. Treatment with minocycline significantly reduced the number of apoptotic photoreceptor cells associated with RD when given 24 hours before or even 24 hours after RD.

Conclusions  Our data suggest that minocycline may be useful in the treatment of photoreceptor degeneration associated with RD, even when given up to 24 hours after RD.

Clinical Relevance  Use of minocycline in patients with macula-off RD may prevent photoreceptor apoptosis and glial cell proliferation, improving final visual outcomes.

Design  Women aged 50 to 79 years with high and low lutein intake from 3 sites of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study were recruited into the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Fat intake from 1994 through 1998 was estimated using food frequency questionnaires, and AMD was assessed photographically from 2001 through 2004.

Results  Intakes of -6 and -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which were highly correlated (r = 0.8), were associated with approximately 2-fold higher prevalence of intermediate AMD in high vs low quintiles. However, monounsaturated fatty acid intake was associated with lower prevalence. Age interactions were often observed. In women younger than 75 years (n = 1325), total fat and saturated fatty acid intakes were associated with increased prevalence of AMD (multivariate adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval] for intermediate AMD, 1.7 [1.0-2.7] for quintile 5 vs quintile 1 for total fat [P = .10 for trend] and 1.6 [0.7-3.6] for saturated fatty acids [P = .23 for trend]). The associations were reversed in older women.

Conclusions  These results support a growing body of evidence suggesting that diets high in several types of fat may contribute to the risk of intermediate AMD and that diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids may be protective.

Methods  We assessed 426 individuals without PDR at baseline (213 men; 213 women) from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study, an 18-year prospective cohort study of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. Presence of PDR was determined by stereo fundus photography. Cox proportional hazards modeling with stepwise regression was used to determine the independent association of HGB level with PDR. Analyses were sex specific.

Results  There were 206 events. Although the incidence of PDR did not vary by sex (48% in both men and women), in men, HGB exhibited a positive linear relationship with 18-year incidence of PDR (hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.60; P = .003), while in women, HGB level exhibited a quadratic relationship with PDR (P < .001). After multivariable adjustment for univariately significant covariates, HGB level remained significantly predictive of PDR in both men (P = .004) and women (P = .04).

Conclusion  Higher HGB level predicts the incidence of PDR in type 1 diabetes mellitus, though the association varies by sex, being linear and positive in men and quadratic in women.

Design  A retrospective cohort study was performed on retinoblastoma survivors who received the diagnosis from 1914 to 1984 and were interviewed in 2000. Lens doses were estimated from radiotherapy records. The cumulative time interval to cataract extraction between dose groups was compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression.

Results  Seven hundred fifty-three subjects (828 eyes) were available for analysis for an average of 32 years of follow-up. During this period, 51 cataract extractions were reported. One extraction was reported in an eye with no radiotherapy compared with 36 extractions in 306 eyes with 1 course of radiotherapy and 14 among 38 eyes with 2 or 3 treatments. The average time interval to cataract extraction in irradiated eyes was 51 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 48-54) following 1 treatment and 32 years (95% CI, 27-37) after 2 or 3 treatments. Eyes exposed to a therapeutic radiation dose of 5 Gy or more had a 6-fold increased risk (95% CI, 1.3-27.2) of cataract extraction compared with eyes exposed to 2.5 Gy or less.

Conclusions  The results emphasize the importance of ophthalmologic examination of retinoblastoma survivors who have undergone radiotherapy. The risk of cataract extraction in untreated eyes with retinoblastoma is comparable with the risk of the general population.

Methods  A total of 439 participants in the Surgery for Trichiasis, Antibiotics to Prevent Recurrence (STAR) trial had visual and subjective concerns measured before and 6 months after surgery. Trichiasis surgery was performed in at least 1 eye by integrated eye care workers. Visual acuity was measured using illiterate E versions of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts with standardized, forced-choice procedures. Improvement was defined as improvement in visual acuity greater than 1 line (5 letters).

Results  The mean improvement in visual acuity for the eyes that had surgery was 0.129 logMAR units (P < .001). Surgery was associated with improvement in visual acuity compared with no surgery (odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.70). Independent predictors of visual acuity improvement in the eyes that had surgery included the number of lashes touching the globe prior to surgery and baseline visual acuity. Among patients, 93.8% described significant pain and 90.4% significant photophobia at baseline compared with only 1.4% and 0.9%, respectively, following surgery.

Conclusions  Surgery to correct trichiasis appears to provide significant visual acuity improvement as well as a decrease in subjective concerns in patients with trachomatous trichiasis.

Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00347776

Methods  Genomic DNA samples derived from venous blood were collected from all family members. Complete sequencing of COL2A1 was performed on a proband. Primers for polymerase chain reaction and sequencing were designed to cover all exon and intron-exon boundaries. Direct sequencing of CSPG2 was performed on all family member samples.

Results  No detectable COL2A1 mutations were noted, making the diagnosis of ocular Stickler syndrome highly unlikely for this family. A unique base pair substitution (c.9265 + 1G>T) in intron 8 of the CSPG2 gene cosegregating with disease status was identified. This mutation occurred in a highly conserved previously reported splice site with a similar base pair substitution (G>A). Direct sequencing of this splice site mutation in 107 unrelated external controls revealed no variants, supporting the rarity of this base pair change and its causation in Wagner syndrome. This novel base pair substitution is thought to cause the deletion of exon 8 and formation of a truncated protein product.

Conclusion  Mutation screening of CSPG2 in autosomal dominant vitreoretinopathy families is important for accurate diagnosis.

Clinical Relevance  This study underscores the importance of obtaining extensive pedigree information and comparative ophthalmologic clinical information, as the phenotypic findings may vary greatly among independent family members. The study also affirms the paradigm shift from diagnosis assignment based on eponyms to that based on gene mutation type.

Methods  Analysis and correlation of the 2006 Florida Agency of Health Care Administration ED and inpatient data sets with the 2007 Florida Physician Workforce Survey.

Results  The Florida Physician Workforce Survey showed 46.3% of ophthalmologists surveyed took ED call in Florida in 2006. Based on estimates derived from the survey, 462 to 532 ophthalmologists participated in ED coverage that year. The level of workload varied considerably depending on International Classification of Diseases code diagnosis. Annual workload for open wounds to the eye, on average, ranged from 2.7 to 3.1 per ophthalmologist taking ED call.

Conclusions  Strategic planning for the delivery of ED eye care needs to consider both the number and types of cases presenting to the ED and the availability of ophthalmologists to provide care that other specialists cannot. This preliminary study explores the use of a workload statistic that may help to gauge manpower needs in the future.