touchREVIEWS in Ophthalmology – Volume 16, Issue 2

Welcome to the winter edition of touchREVIEWS in Ophthalmology, which features relevant topics from across the specialty. This edition contains a wide range of articles evaluating current practice and research, as well as innovations that directly affect ophthalmologists. The surgical correction of astigmatism is challenging. In an editorial, Alpins and Stamatelatos describe the vector planning approach, […]

Excess corneal astigmatism can cause visual aberrations, resulting in symptoms of glare, starbursts and halos. Astigmatism has long been difficult to correct with refractive laser surgery. The challenge has been to maximally reduce both corneal and refractive astigmatism while ensuring that any remaining corneal astigmatism is regular, symmetrical and orthogonal, with a typical ‘bow-tie’ topography.1 However, […]

Presbyopia is a progressive, age-related condition that reduces the eye’s ability to focus on near objects, due to gradual lens thickening and decline in its elasticity and accommodative capacity, and represents the first stage of the dysfunctional lens syndrome.1–3 Presbyopia typically affects individuals aged >40 years and is highly prevalent, affecting nearly 2 billion people worldwide […]

We have all heard the old adage ‘try it before you buy it’ in reference to big purchases or life decisions. Current USA housing market crisis aside, it has always been common practice to first walk through a house before buying it and, while it would be unusual to request a night to sleep in […]

Neurotrophic keratitis (NK), also referred to as neurotrophic keratopathy, is a rare disease characterized by trigeminal nerve dysfunction, leading to a reduction or loss of corneal sensation and subsequent degenerative changes in the cornea.1 Deterioration starts when spontaneous breakdown of epithelial cells and impaired surface-healing mechanisms increase susceptibility to corneal ulceration. Progressive thinning of these damaged […]

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic, unicellular, free-living protist with at least 25 species and 23 genotypes so far identified (on 18S rRNA sequencing).1 Organisms have a two-stage life cycle: metabolically active trophozoites and quiescent double-walled cysts. Both trophozoites and cysts are small, usually 15–50 µm in length for trophozoites and 5–30 µm for cysts.2 Exposure to stress results in […]

Despite the introduction of several new microinvasive glaucoma operations in recent years, traditional glaucoma surgeries – trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage device implantation (GDI) – remain commonly performed incisional procedures for the management of various types of glaucoma.1,2 This article focuses on the medical and surgical management of blebs following traditional glaucoma surgery – trabeculectomy and tube […]

The subspecialty of the retina has been transformed by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medications over the last two decades.1 These include bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genetech, San Francisco, CA, USA), ranibizumab (Lucentis®, Genentech, San Francisco, CA, USA), aflibercept (Eylea®, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA), brolicizumab (Beovu®, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) and faricimab (Vabsymo™, Genentech, San Francisco, CA, USA), […]

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medium-to-large vessel vasculitis that affects branches of the thoracic aorta, including the carotid artery.1–4 The most feared ophthalmic complication is blindness (seen in up to ~25% of cases) due to arteritic ischaemic optic neuropathy involving ophthalmic artery circulation (e.g. retinal, choroidal or optic nerve). GCA may also lead to serious […]

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) associated with macular oedema are some of the leading causes of visual impairment and loss worldwide.1–3 The pathogenesis of these diseases is largely driven by the family of pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) molecules, which are upregulated in response to vascular […]

Biologics have redefined the outcomes of retinal pathologies by targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Anti-VEGF therapy has prevented millions of people from going blind due to retinal vascular pathologies.1 Apart from preventing morbidity, it has a widespread financial benefit for patients, and the benefits seem to be huge compared with the cost […]

The successful management of glaucoma is still a challenge, especially in low-resource countries, where treatment options are limited. Awareness about glaucoma is often low in the general population and even amongst patients with glaucoma themselves.1–3 More than 50% of patients present to the clinic when the disease has reached an advanced stage.4–6 The goal of glaucoma treatment […]