EUROPEAN OPHTHALMIC REVIEW – VOLUME 6 ISSUE 3 – AUTUMN 2012

The importance of intraocular pressure (IOP) as a predictive factor for the onset and progression of glaucoma has been unquestionably established. At the current time, IOP actually can only be ‘estimated’ in vivo and our measurement estimates are subject to variability related not only to inherent inaccuracy of commonly available tonometric measurement devices, but also […]

Abstract An individuals’ reaction to a specific drug is influenced by various factors including environmental, systemic and genetic factors. In most cases the reactions of a group of individuals are of the Gaussian type with non- to low responders at the lower end of the curve and high- to ultra-high responders at the upper end […]

Endophthalmitis is a severe inflammation of the interior of the eye caused by the introduction of contaminating micro-organisms following trauma, surgery or haematogenous spread from a distant infection site. Despite appropriate therapeutic intervention, bacterial endophthalmitis frequently results in visual loss, if not loss of the eye itself. The two types of endophthalmitis are endogenous (metastatic) […]

Dry eye disease (DED) is thought to affect upwards of 30–40 million people within the US.1 Officially, the definition and classification of dry eye was updated in 2007 during the Tear Film and Ocular Surface (TFOS) Dry Eye WorkShop (DEWS).2 ‘Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in […]

There are many options to treat corneal astigmatism in patients undergoing cataract surgery. This refractive error is found in 15–29 % of prospective cataract patients.1–3 Astigmatic keratotomy at the time of surgery is one option, but although a powerful tool, such corneal relaxing incision has limited predictability and may result in overcorrection – especially in […]

During ophthalmic surgery, surgical trauma causes activation of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) COX-1 and COX-2, which metabolise arachidonic acid to prostaglandins (PGs). PGs are mediators of the inflammatory response, and increased production of these molecules can result in discomfort, pain and ocular inflammation. As inhibitors of PGs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often employed by ophthalmic surgeons […]

Cataract surgery is an invasive procedure involving an incision and manipulation of ocular tissue, leading to intraocular inflammation. The latter is characterised by redness, swelling, and/or pain. Inflammation arises from the release of prostaglandins (PGs). Activation of phospholipase A2, following tissue injury during surgery, breaks down cell membrane phospholipids to arachidonic acid. This is then […]

Abstract Cystoid macular oedema (CMO) is a primary cause of reduced vision after cataract surgery even after uneventful surgery. The incidence of clinical CMO following modern cataract surgery is 1.0–2.0 % but the high number of surgeries performed worldwide makes this entity an important problem. Pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and intra-operative complications increase the risk […]

One of the earliest recorded descriptions of thermal energy effect on ocular tissue in general and the retina in particular is ascribed to the Greek scholar and philosopher Plato,1 who admonished of the deleterious impact of gazing directly at a solar eclipse. However, it was not until the 17th century AD that the first scientific-like […]

Angiogenesis and its Importance in Health and Disease The formation of new blood vessels, commonly called ‘angiogenesis’, comprises several processes that include vasculogenesis, where stem cells or angioblasts differentiate into blood vessels and which occurs in developing, initially avascular embryos and to a certain extent in adults;1 and angiogenesis per se, where new blood vessels […]