Retinopathy of prematurity in Germany over 13 years: incidences, treatment preferences and effects of national guideline changes.

Objective: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading yet avoidable cause of childhood blindness. Screening for ROP is highly effective in preventing blindness secondary to ROP. We provide epidemiological data on ROP screening and treatment in Germany since 2010 and evaluate the effects of recently adopted as well as potential future screening guideline adaptations.

[Macular hole: Differential diagnosis, treatment options and new guideline recommendations].

Full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) usually result in a pronounced reduction of visual acuity and represent one of the most frequent indications for retinal surgery. If diagnosed and treatment is initiated at an early stage, surgery has a high success rate with respect to both hole closure and improvement of visual acuity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based staging and sizing enables an estimation of the surgical outcome.

Piloting Rasch model scoring of the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire in uveitis.

Introduction: The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ) is a common patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) in uveitis trials. Its psychometric properties using state-of-the-art scoring based on Rasch models, a latent trait model that improves accuracy of PROMs assessment, has not yet been investigated.

Methods: The study participants were recruited online from uveitis patient organizations, where individuals self-reported their uveitis diagnosis and visual acuity level.

Outcomes of short- versus long-acting gas tamponades in vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Background: In vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, long-acting gas tamponades (LGT) such as C3F8 or C2F6 may improve surgical success rate due to their prolonged effect compared to a short-acting gas tamponade (SGT) with SF6. On the other hand, SGT allow a significantly faster visual rehabilitation after surgery and may reduce the risk of gas-related complications. As comparative data in retinal detachment surgery is limited, we assessed the outcomes of vitrectomies using either LGT or SGT.

[Late sequelae of retinopathy of prematurity in infancy].

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the most frequent causes of severe visual impairment or blindness in childhood and can lead to severe late complications in children even after the initial disease has resolved.

Purpose: The present study summarizes possible late effects in childhood after treated and untreated ROP. A special focus is on the development of myopia, retinal detachment, as well as neurological and pulmonary development after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment.

Prevalence and Incidence of Registered Severe Visual Impairment and Blindness Due to Uveitis in Germany.

Purpose: To assess prevalence and incidence of severe visual impairment (VI) and blindness due to uveitis in Northrhine, Germany.

Methods:  A random sample of 5088 out of 20 390 cases of the blindness registry in Northrhine was evaluated. The number of cases of severe VI and blindness were projected up to the year 2030.

[Retinopathy of Prematurity - Update on Classification, Screening, and Therapy].

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness. This proliferative retinal vascular disease affects only prematurely born infants. Major risk factors include low gestational age and prolonged postnatal oxygen supplementation.

Incidence, progression and risk factors of age-related macular degeneration in 35-95-year-old individuals from three jointly designed German cohort studies.

Objective: To estimate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) incidence/progression across a wide age range.

Methods And Analysis: AMD at baseline and follow-up (colour fundus imaging, Three Continent AMD Consortium Severity Scale, 3CACSS, clinical classification, CC) was assessed for 1513 individuals aged 35-95 years at baseline from three jointly designed population-based cohorts in Germany: Kooperative Gesundheitsforschung in der Region Augsburg (KORA-Fit, KORA-FF4) and Altersbezogene Untersuchungen zur Gesundheit der Universität Regensburg (AugUR) with 18-year, 14-year or 3-year follow-up, respectively. Baseline assessment included lifestyle, metabolic and genetic markers.

[The Treatment Exit Options for Uveitis (TOFU) Registry: Involving Patients in the Generation of Evidence].

Uveitis comprises a group of rare diseases characterised by intraocular inflammation which may cause vision impairment and blindness and mostly affects people of working age. Non-infectious uveitis involving the posterior pole or the entire eye is often treated with different immunomodulating or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). However, the evidence on long-term management strategies and reduction/termination of treatment is limited.

Structural Endpoints and Outcome Measures in Uveitis.

Most uveitis entities are rare diseases but, taken together, are responsible for 5-10% of worldwide visual impairment which largely affects persons of working age. As with many rare diseases, there is a lack of high-level evidence regarding its clinical management, partly due to a dearth of reliable and objective quantitative endpoints for clinical trials. This review provides an overview of available structural outcome measures for uveitis disease activity and damage in an anatomical order from the anterior to the posterior segment of the eye.

Uveitis in Tumor Patients Treated with Immunological Checkpoint- and Signal Transduction Pathway-Inhibitors.

Purpose: New tumor therapies like immune checkpoint inhibitors and small molecule inhibitors of MEK and BRAF have increased the patient's survival rate but can be burdened with severe side-effects including uveitis. Here, we show the spectrum, treatment, and outcome of uveitis types induced by tumor treatment.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we have included 54 patients from different centers who were developing uveitis under tumor therapy.

[Screening for retinopathy of prematurity-the most important changes in the new German guidelines 2020].

Background: Due to improvements in neonatal care of premature infants and the development of novel treatment options for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the requirements for screening for ROP have changed since publication of the last version of the German ROP screening guideline in 2008. Based on results of recent studies, the guideline has been extensively revised in 2020 and published in an updated version.

Objective: This article summarizes the most important changes in the new guideline.

Treatment Exit Options for Non-infectious Uveitis (TOFU): Study Protocol for a Prospective Clinical Registry.

Purpose: Currently, there is limited evidence regarding clinical management of non-anterior non-infectious uveitis including treatment outcomes of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and their combinations. Treatment guidelines or recommendations on preferred choice of DMARD combinations and reduction and/or discontinuation strategies in quiescent uveitis are lacking. The TOFU (Treatment exit options for non-infectious uveitis) registry aims to document disease courses and to provide recommendations on DMARD treatment exit strategies.

Silicone oil tamponade for persistent macular holes.

Background: A variety of treatment strategies have been proposed for macular holes that persist or recur after surgery, and the debate about the best re-treatment approach is ongoing. To allow for a comparison with alternative surgical therapies, we assessed the anatomical and functional outcome of a temporary tamponade with conventional silicone oil in persistent or recurrent full-thickness macular holes.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated consecutive patients with full-thickness macular holes that persisted or recurred following vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and gas tamponade.

Non-contact smartphone-based fundus imaging compared to conventional fundus imaging: a low-cost alternative for retinopathy of prematurity screening and documentation.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a frequent cause of treatable childhood blindness. The current dependency of telemedicine-based ROP screening on cost-intensive equipment does not meet the needs in economically disadvantaged regions. Smartphone-based fundus imaging (SBFI) allows for affordable and mobile fundus examination and, therefore, could facilitate cost-effective telemedicine-based ROP screening in low-resources settings.

Prevalence and incidence of age-related macular degeneration in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background/aims: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of visual impairment and blindness in Europe. A further increase in the number of affected persons is expected and current European data are needed for healthcare resource planning.

Methods: We performed a systematic review on the prevalence and incidence of AMD based on the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guideline.

Impact of visual impairment on physical activity in early and late age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Modifiable risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) include smoking, nutrition and likely physical activity (PA). Levels of PA, however, are impacted by any visual impairment which makes the assessment of any association with AMD difficult.

Purpose: To assess the impact of visual impairment under both high and low luminance conditions on levels of PA in early and late AMD.

Prevalence, incidence and future projection of diabetic eye disease in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To examine the prevalence and incidence of diabetic eye disease (DED) among individuals with diabetes in Europe, a systematic review to identify all published European prevalence and incidence studies of DED in individuals with diabetes managed in primary health care was performed according to the MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines. The databases Medline, Embase and Web of Science were searched to 2 September 2017. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were performed.

Incidence of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Europe - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To examine the prevalence and incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Europe.

Methods: A systematic review of the prevalence and incidence of RRD in Europe according to the meta-analyses of observational studies in epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines was performed using the databases PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science followed by a meta-analysis of incidence data.

Results: 658 studies were identified, 76 full-text articles were assessed, and 5 studies were eligible for meta-analysis.

Prevalence of Retinal Vein Occlusion in Europe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and incidence of retinal vein occlusions (RVO) in Europe.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and incidence of RVO in Europe according to the Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines was performed in the databases PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. Based on Eurostat data, the total number of affected individuals in the EU was calculated and projected to the year 2050.