Prospective multicenter study of visual outcomes following three different treatments for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion: a study by the Japanese BRVO study group.

Purpose: To evaluate the visual outcomes of three different treatments for macular edema associated with a branch retinal vein occlusion.

Methods: A 1-year, non-randomized study was conducted at 21 ophthalmological institutes in Japan. All of the patients received one of three treatments: medication per-oral (PO), photocoagulation (PC) or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Ocular wavefront aberrations in patients with macular diseases.

Background: There have been reports that by compensating for ocular aberrations using adaptive optical systems it may be possible to improve the resolution of clinical retinal imaging systems beyond what is now possible. To develop such a system to observe eyes with retinal disease, understanding of ocular wavefront aberrations in individuals with retinal disease is required.

Methods: Eighty-two eyes of 66 patients with macular disease (epiretinal membrane, macular edema, macular hole, etc.

Macular autofluorescence in eyes with cystoid macula edema, detected with 488 nm-excitation but not with 580 nm-excitation.

Background: Fundus autofluorescence (AF) derives from lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Because lipofuscin is a by-product of phagocytosis of photoreceptors by RPE, AF imaging is expected to describe some functional aspect of the retina. In this study we report distribution of AF in patients showing macular edema.

Photoreceptor images of normal eyes and of eyes with macular dystrophy obtained in vivo with an adaptive optics fundus camera.

Purpose: To report on images of the human photoreceptor mosaic acquired in vivo with a newly developed, compact adaptive optics (AO) fundus camera.

Methods: The photoreceptors of two normal subjects and a patient with macular dystrophy were examined by using an AO fundus camera equipped with a liquid crystal phase modulator. In the eye with macular dystrophy, the fixation point in the AO images was identified using scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) microperimetric image superimposed on a color fundus photograph.

Adaptive optics fundus camera to examine localized changes in the photoreceptor layer of the fovea.

Purpose: To examine highly localized photoreceptor disruptions in the fovea by a high-resolution adaptive optics (AO) fundus camera combined with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD OCT).

Design: Observational case series.

Participants: Three eyes of 3 patients who showed dark foveal spots by slit-lamp biomicroscopy.

Serial measurements of higher-order aberrations after blinking in patients with dry eye.

Purpose: To study the sequential postblink changes in ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in patients with dry eye.

Methods: A wavefront sensor was used to measure HOAs sequentially for 30 seconds in 20 eyes of 20 patients with dry eye. The 20 eyes were classified into two groups, with or without superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK) in the central cornea.

In vivo measurements of cone photoreceptor spacing in myopic eyes from images obtained by an adaptive optics fundus camera.

Purpose: To determine the cone spacing in normal and myopic eyes from the images obtained by an adaptive optics (AO) fundus camera.

Methods: Nineteen eyes of 19 healthy volunteers with a mean +/- SD spherical equivalent refractive error of -3.7 +/- 3.

Magnitude and orientation of Zernike terms in patients with keratoconus.

Purpose: To measure the magnitude and orientation of the Zernike terms in keratoconic eyes, with and without rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses.

Methods: A total of 76 eyes with keratoconus, 58 eyes with keratoconus suspect, and 105 normal eyes were studied. To determine the effect of RGP lenses, 19 eyes with keratoconus, 9 eyes with keratoconus suspect, and 17 normal eyes, with and without an RGP lenses, were compared.

Automated keratoconus detection using height data of anterior and posterior corneal surfaces.

Purpose: To develop a keratoconus detection algorithm using the corneal topographic data of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces.

Methods: Topographic measurements of the cornea were made with a slit-scanning corneal topographer. We examined 120 subjects (165 eyes); keratoconus patients and keratoconus suspect patients comprised the keratoconus group, and post-photorefractive keratectomy patients, with-the-rule astigmatism patients, and controls without disease comprised the nonkeratoconus group.

Intensity analysis of Hartmann-Shack images in cataractous, keratoconic, and normal eyes to investigate light scattering.

Purpose: A clinical investigation of novel methods for evaluating light scattering using a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer.

Methods: Aberrometry was performed on normal eyes (n=7; patient age, 26.7+/-2.

Serial measurements of higher-order aberrations after blinking in normal subjects.

Purpose: To investigate sequential changes in the optical quality of normal eyes associated with blinking.

Methods: Ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) were measured sequentially by using a wavefront sensor for 30 seconds in 20 eyes of 20 normal subjects. During the measurement, subjects were forced to blink every 10 seconds.

Intravitreal toxicity of the kenalog vehicle (benzyl alcohol) in rabbits.

Purpose: To test the toxicity of intravitreal injections of benzyl alcohol.

Methods: Nine New Zealand rabbits were injected with either a control or a test article at elevating concentrations. The test article was benzyl alcohol calculated to give final injected concentrations of 0.

Wavefront analysis of eyes with cataracts in patients with monocular triplopia.

Purpose: To determine whether wavefront analysis using a Hartmann-Shack (H-S) aberrometer can reveal the cause of monocular triplopia in eyes with mild cataracts.

Methods: Six patients (nine eyes; age range 38-58 years; average 49.8 +/- 6.

Effect of subthreshold infrared laser treatment for drusen regression on macular autofluorescence in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Subthreshold laser therapy has been shown to cause drusen reduction. Using this method, visible laser burns are not created in the retina; presumably, the energy is absorbed by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and stimulates reabsorption of drusen material, sparing photoreceptors from destruction. We hypothesized that autofluorescence (AF) changes would be visible after such treatment and might be sensitive to quantify RPE changes.

Intraocular properties of urokinase-derived antiangiogenic A6 peptide in rabbits.

To investigate the intraocular properties of an antiangiogenic peptide, A6, a total of 70 New Zealand rabbit eyes were used. For the toxicity study, 0.05 mL of 0.

Characterization of a novel intraocular drug-delivery system using crystalline lipid antiviral prodrugs of ganciclovir and cyclic cidofovir.

Purpose: In an earlier study, a novel intraocular drug-delivery system was reported in which hexadecyloxypropyl-phospho-ganciclovir (HDP-P-GCV) was used as a prototype. The hypothesis was that many biologically effective compounds could be modified to crystalline lipid prodrugs and could be delivered directly into the vitreous in a long-lasting, slow-release form. This study was undertaken to characterize this new drug-delivery system further, by using small particles of HDP-P-GCV and hexadecyloxypropyl-cyclic cidofovir (HDP-cCDV).

Foveal sensitivity and fixation stability before and after macular translocation with 360-degree retinotomy.

Purpose: To evaluate the functional changes of the fovea by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) fundus perimetry after macular translocation with 360-degree retinotomy, and to determine whether the preoperative macular function estimated by the sensitivity of the fovea and the stability of fixation can predict visual acuity after the surgery.

Methods: Macular translocation with 360-degree retinotomy and simultaneous torsional muscle surgery were performed on 25 eyes of 25 patients with choroidal neovascularization. The index of foveal sensitivity (Isens) and the index of fixation stability (Ifix) before and after surgery were calculated from the microperimetric data.

Valganciclovir therapy for immune recovery uveitis complicated by macular edema.

Purpose: To determine whether treatment with valganciclovir will improve visual acuity in eyes with immune recovery uveitis complicated by macular edema.

Design: Prospective open label controlled Phase II drug study.

Methods: Five patients with chronic macular edema as a result of immune recovery uveitis were studied.

Inhibition of choroidal neovascularization in rats by the urokinase-derived peptide A6.

Purpose: To evaluate the inhibitory effects of a urokinase-derived octapeptide A6 on laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

Methods: In the first arm of the study, subcutaneous injection of A6 (200 mg/kg per day) into the right eyes in 20 rats and phosphate-buffered saline in 20 control rats was started 1 day before laser injury. Angiography was performed at week 2.

Fourier analysis of corneal astigmatic changes following photorefractive keratectomy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the corneal irregular astigmatism following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia. The corneal topography of 30 eyes of 26 patients was measured with the TMS-1 videokeratoscope before and 1 month after PRK. Axial dioptric data were decomposed into four components; A0 (Sphericity), C1 x 2 (Asymmetry), C2 x 2 (Regular astigmatism), and C3 (higher-order irregularity) for the central 3 and 6 mm zone by Fourier series harmonic analysis.