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Eye Health and Disorders Topic Homepage
Eye Health and Disorders Overview
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that encompasses the treatments of diseases of the eye and its annexes.
The eye is the primary organ of vision and it is embryologically an extension of the central nervous system.1 It shares many common anatomical and physiological properties with the brain; both are protected by bony walls, have firm fibrous coverings and are perfused by fluids of like composition and are...
... under equivalent pressures.1
The human eye consists of a sphere made up of three coats; outer, middle and inner coats.1 All structures of the eye may be affected by diseases; lens, retina, cornea, or optic nerve. Some may affect vision or the appearance of the eye, but many are asymptomatic in the early stages.5 This lack of symptoms is a diagnostic problem, particularly in the case of glaucoma. Indeed, it can ruin visual fibers and eventually cause irreversible blindness. Many eye conditions are hereditary, such as refractive errors, strabismus, cataracts or glaucoma.6
Other ocular changes may be related to systemic disorders and affect the eyes; diabetes mellitus, hypertension, infectious diseases, and rheumatic disorders.6 Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are the main causes of blindness in the working age population in developed countries.4 The increasing number of people with diabetes suggests that DR and DME will continue to be major contributors of visual impairment and blindness for years to come.4
Aging causes many changes in the eye; decrease in visual acuity and tear production, and clouding of the lens.5 Worldwide, degenerative eye diseases (age-related maculopathy (ARM), cataract, glaucoma) are the main causes of visual impairment and blindness, contributing to disability in the elderly.2 Approximately 15% of people aged 80 and over are currently living with ARM. With a more or less rapid evolution to blindness, this disease due to aging of the population is a major public health problem.3
1. Galloway N.R. et al. Common eye diseases and their management. Springer edition. Third edition. 2006 : 217 pages.
2. Delcourt C. et al. Nutrition and age-related eye diseases: the Alienor (Antioxydants, Lipides Essentiels, Nutrition et maladies OculaiRes) Study. Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging. December 2010 ; 14 (10) : 854-61.
3. Combadière C. et al. CX3CR1-dependent subretinal microglia cell accumulation is associated with cardinal features of age-related macular degeneration. Journal of Clinical Investigation. October 2007 ; 117 (10) : 2920-2928.
4. Ciulla T.A. et al. Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema: pathophysiology, screening, and novel therapies. Diabetes Care. September 2003 ; 26 (9) : 2653-64.
5. Beers M.H. et al. The Merck manual of medical information. Merck research laboratories. Second home edition. 2003 : 1275-1319.
6. Lang G.K. Ophthalmology: a short textbook. Thieme. 2000 : 586 pages.
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Drug News
Phase III trial shows FloraGlo lutein (OmniActive Health Technologies) fails to protect against AMD
07-05-2013A multicenter, randomized clinical trial that included people at high risk for progression to advanced Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), shows that adding lutein and zeaxanthin, and the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, as found in FloraGlo lutein from OmniActive Health Technologies, to a formulation of antioxidant vitamins and minerals (so-called AREDS formulation) that has shown...
FDA Advisory Committee rejects Melblez Kit (Delcath) for Ocular melanioma metastatic to the Liver
06-05-2013
Delcath Systems, Inc. announced that the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 16 to 0 with no abstentions that benefits of treatment with Delcath's Melblez Kit (Melblez (melphalan) for Injection for use with the Delcath Hepatic Delivery System) for the treatment of patients with unresectable Ocular melanoma metastatic to the Liver do not outweigh the risks associated with the...
Positive trial results for OMS 302 (Omeros Corporation) in Cataract surgery
27-04-2013Analyses of Phase II and Phase II clinical data show the favorable impact of OMS 302 (ketorolac and phenylephrine), from Omeros Corporation, on reducing the incidence of miosis (pupil constriction) during intraocular lens replacement (ILR) surgery for Cataracts. In patients receiving standard-of-care preoperative mydriatic topical drops, OMS 302 reduces the occurrence of pupil constriction of...
Eye Health and Disorders Drug Data - A-Z
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Recent Drug Updates
Lucentis 10 mg/ml solution for injection
08-05-2013Lucentis is indicated in adults for: • the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). • the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME)....
AZOPT
02-05-2013To decrease elevated intraocular pressure in ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. As monotherapy in patients unresponsive to beta-blockers or patients in whom beta-blockers are...
LUMIGAN Eye Drops
02-05-2013Reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in chronic open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy to beta-blockers)....
Clinical Guidelines
Guidelines for the Management of Strabismus in Childhood
Mar 2012The aim of strabismus management is to achieve good visual acuity in each eye, restore normal ocular..
... alignment (as near as possible, which may be a small under or
over correction) and maximise the potential for sensory cooperation between the two eyes (the development of binocular single vision, which includes 3D vision, or
stereopsis). While normal binocular single vision is the goal, sub-normal levels may be useful and may prevent later recurrences.
UK Guidelines for the Management of Pituitary Apoplexy
Oct 2010It is hoped that the document will provide guidance for physicians, endocrinologists, neurosurgeons..
... and ophthalmologists. The purpose of the guidelines is to encourage the widespread adoption of harmonized good practice in the diagnosis and management of patients with pituitary apoplexy. The guidelines are also intended to provide a basis for local and national audit and recommendations that are suitable for the audit process have been included in section 9.
The document should be considered as guidelines only; it is not intended to serve as a standard of medical care. The doctors concerned must make the management plan for an individual patient.
Online CME
Aspirin Use and Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Apr 2013
... clinicians and other healthcare professionals in order to enhance patient care.
Post-Procedural Endophthalmitis: A Review
Apr 2013
... ophthalmologists, and other physicians who care for patients with endophthalmitis.
Clinical Trials
A Phase 2b/3 Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Masked, Dose-Ranging Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Emixustat Hydrochloride (ACU-4429) with Placebo for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy Associated with Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration
12-03-2013To determine if ACU-4429 reduces the rate of progression of geographic atrophy (GA) compared to placebo in subjects with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Vision Restoration Training in Glaucoma (VRT-G)
21-02-2013Importance: Visual field loss after retinal damage in glaucoma is considered irreversible and methods are needed to achieve vision restoration. Behavioral vision restoration training (VRT), shown to improve visual fields in hemianopia and optic nerve damage, might comprise such a method. Objective: To determine if..
... behaviorally activating areas of residual visual (ARV) using VRT by daily one hour training for 3 months improves detection performance in perimetry compared to a vision discrimination task in the intact visual field sector.
Medical Videos
Medical Journal Abstracts
Efficacy and safety of collagen matrix implants in phacotrabeculectomy, and comparison with mitomycin C augmented phacotrabeculetcomy at one year
Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology
Dec 2012
Background: To assess the efficacy and safety of collagen matrix implant (Ologen TM) in phacotrabeculectomy surgeries in patients with primary glaucoma. Design: Prospective, non-randomized, comparative study. Participants: Sixty-six Asian patients undergoing phacotrabeculectomy. Methods: One eye of 33 consecutive..
Is pre-operative ciliary body and iris anatomical configuration a predictor of malignant glaucoma development?
Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology
Dec 2012
Background: To investigate anatomic configuration of ciliary body and iris, using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), as a predictive factor for development of malignant glaucoma (MG). Design: Retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital. Participants: Cohort of 31 consecutive patients diagnosed with postsurgical MG...
Medical Apps
Clinical and experimental Opthalmology - Free
Eye Handbook - Free
Glaucoma sim - Free
Glaucoma Pro - Free
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