Advancing Glaucoma Treatment During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Contemporary Management Strategies and Prospective Therapeutic Developments.

The management of glaucoma in pregnancy and breastfeeding requires a careful evaluation of treatment choices to guarantee the well-being of both the mother and the developing fetus. This review explores the intricacies of controlling glaucoma in pregnant and breastfeeding women, including a comprehensive overview of existing glaucoma treatment methods, clinical guidelines, and future therapeutic approaches. The efficacy and safety profiles of traditional treatment approaches, such as topical and systemic medicines and surgical treatments, are evaluated specifically about their use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Management of COVID-19 in Ophthalmology.

From its outbreak in early 2020, the new SARS-CoV-2 infection has deeply affected the entire eye care system for several reasons. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, ophthalmologists were among the "high-risk category" for contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection based on the notion that the eye was suspected to be a site of inoculation, infection, and transmission. Clinical ophthalmologists have been required to learn and promptly recognize the ocular manifestations associated with the COVID-19 disease, with its treatments and vaccinations.

The Treatment of Diabetic Retinal Edema with Intravitreal Steroids: How and When.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide. It is defined as the diabetes-related accumulation of fluid, proteins, and lipids, with retinal thickening, within the macular area. DME affects a significant proportion of individuals with diabetes, with the prevalence increasing with disease duration and severity.

Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NA-AION): A Comprehensive Overview.

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) represents one of the most important causes of blindness or severely impaired vision in middle-aged and elderly people. Unilateral optic disc edema and abrupt, painless vision loss are its defining features. It is commonly assumed that NA-AION is caused by an ischemic infarction of the optic nerve head, and, although the exact pathogenesis is still unknown, several risk factors and comorbidities associated with its development have been found.

Considerations of COVID-19 in Ophthalmology.

Since its emergence in early 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 infection has had a significant impact on the entire eye care system. Ophthalmologists have been categorized as a high-risk group for contracting the virus due to the belief that the eye may be a site of inoculation and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a result, clinical ophthalmologists, optometrists, and eyecare professionals have had to familiarize themselves with the ocular manifestations of COVID-19, as well as its treatments and vaccines.

Pharmaceutical Approaches to Normal Tension Glaucoma.

Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is defined as a subtype of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in which the intraocular pressure (IOP) values are constantly within the statistically normal range without treatment and represents approximately the 30-40% of all glaucomatous cases. The pathophysiology of this condition is multifactorial and is still not completely well known. Several theories have been proposed to explain the onset and progression of this disease, which can be divided into IOP-dependent and IOP-independent factors, suggesting different therapeutic strategies.

It Is All about Pressure.

Glaucoma is an ocular disease caused by elevated intraocular pressure that leads to progressive optic neuropathy [...

The influence of COVID-19 lockdowns on presentation with spontaneous posterior vitreous detachment to the emergency department in Italy.

The purpose of the study was to analyze the frequency of the spontaneous posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in patients admitted to an Emergency Eye Department in Italy (EED) during the COVID-19 pandemic national lockdown in 2020 compared with the similar time period in 2019. In this retrospective observational study, patient records for ophthalmology EED patients in the month of April 2020 during the COVID-19 Italian national lockdown, were compared with those for an equivalent one-month period in 2019. Diagnoses, gender, and age were assessed.

How to Measure Intraocular Pressure: An Updated Review of Various Tonometers.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is an important measurement that needs to be taken during ophthalmic examinations, especially in ocular hypertension subjects, glaucoma patients and in patients with risk factors for developing glaucoma. The gold standard technique in measuring IOP is still Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT); however, this procedure requires local anesthetics, can be difficult in patients with scarce compliance, surgical patients and children, and is influenced by several corneal parameters. Numerous tonometers have been proposed in the past to address the problems related to GAT.

The impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on ophthalmic emergency in Italy: A multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess ocular pathologies admitted to Italian Emergency Eye Departments (EEDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic national lockdown in 2020 in comparison with the same period in 2019.

Methods: Electronic records of all patients presenting at EEDs of two tertiary-care Eye Centers during the COVID-19 national lockdown in Italy (March 10-May 3, 2020) were compared with the equivalent period in 2019. Main outcomes were patient age, gender, and diagnoses.

Adipose Derived Stem Cells for Corneal Wound Healing after Laser Induced Corneal Lesions in Mice.

The aim of our study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of topical adipose derived stem cell (ADSC) treatment in laser induced corneal wounds in mice by comparing epithelial repair, inflammation, and histological analysis between treatment arms. Corneal lesions were performed on both eyes of 40 mice by laser induced photorefractive keratectomy. All eyes were treated with topical azythromycin bid for three days.

Corneal Deformation Parameters Provided by the Corvis-ST Pachy-Tonometer in Healthy Subjects and Glaucoma Patients.

Purpose: To evaluate precision and accuracy of Corvis-ST, a new noncontact tonometer equipped with a high-speed Scheimpflug technology, which measures intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), and corneal deformation parameters (CDPs). Relationships among IOP, CCT, and CDPs were also assessed.

Materials And Methods: This prospective, randomized study included 1 eye of 164 subjects (79 controls and 85 glaucoma patients), which underwent IOP measurements taken 3 times with Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and Corvis-ST in random order.

Postkeratoplasty Anterior and Posterior Corneal Surface Wavefront Analysis: Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty versus Penetrating Keratoplasty.

Purpose. To compare the higher-order aberrations (HOAs) due to the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces in patients that underwent either Descemet-stripping-automated-endothelial-keratoplasty (DSAEK) or penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for endothelial dysfunction and age-matched controls. Methods.

Repeatability and accuracy of applanation resonance tonometry in healthy subjects and patients with glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the repeatability and accuracy of the applanation resonance tonometer (ART) used in the automatic servo-controlled version, and to evaluate the influence of central corneal thickness (CCT) on the ART intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, single-centre study included one eye of 153 subjects (35 healthy volunteers and 118 patients with glaucoma). All participants underwent ultrasonic CCT measurement, followed by IOP evaluation with Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and ART in random order.

Higher order aberrations after keratoplasty for keratoconus.

Purpose: To compare higher order aberrations (HOAs) caused by the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces after conventional penetrating keratoplasty (PK), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), and automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty (ALTK) in patients undergoing corneal transplantation for keratoconus (KC).

Methods: This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study included one eye of the following subjects: 40 patients with KC, 23 KC patients after PK, 17 KC patients after DALK, 18 KC patients after ALTK, and 38 healthy controls. All underwent imaging with a rotating Scheimpflug camera (at least 6 months after complete suture removal in grafted subjects) to assess the HOAs from the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces within the central 4-mm and 6-mm zones.

Human adipose-derived stem cells for the treatment of chemically burned rat cornea: preliminary results.

Purpose: Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) are multipotent, safe, non-immunogenic and can differentiate into functional keratocytes in situ. The topical use of ADSC derived from human processed lipoaspirate was investigated for treating injured rat cornea.

Methods: A total of 19 rats were used.

In vivo analysis of conjunctiva in canaloplasty for glaucoma.

Aim: To assess the epithelial features of the bulbar conjunctiva using in vivo confocal microscopy in patients with glaucoma undergoing canaloplasty.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with glaucoma were enrolled. Canaloplasty was considered successful if the preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was reduced by one-third.

Learning effect and test-retest variability of pulsar perimetry.

Purpose: To assess Pulsar Perimetry learning effect and test-retest variability (TRV) in normal (NORM), ocular hypertension (OHT), glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON), and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study included 43 NORM, 38 OHT, 33 GON, and 36 POAG patients. All patients underwent standard automated perimetry and Pulsar Contrast Perimetry using white stimuli modulated in phase and counterphase at 30 Hz (CP-T30W test).

Comparison between laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy and noncontact specular microscopy in assessing corneal endothelial cell density and central corneal thickness.

Purpose: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) and endothelial cell density (ECD) with laser scanning confocal microscope Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) II Rostock Corneal Module and noncontact specular microscope Tomey EM-3000 and to assess intra- and interobserver agreement in normal corneas.

Methods: This prospective study included 48 normals (69.6 ± 7.

Optic disc damage staging system.

Purpose: To evaluate the optic disc damage staging system (ODDSS); a new clinical method of optic disc (OD) classification based on OD size, neural rim (NR) loss severity and localization. Accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability were studied. Agreement of ODDSS with the Heidelberg-Retina-Tomograph (HRT) results was evaluated.

Short-term effect of intravitreal injection of Ranibizumab (Lucentis) on intraocular pressure.

Purpose: To investigate short-term effect on intraocular pressure (IOP) after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (Lucentis) (IVIL).

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included 1 eye of 54 patients (64+/-12 y) with wet age-related macular degeneration treated with IVIL. IOP measurements with TonoPen were taken: immediately before and 5 seconds, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 1 day after IVIL.

Pulsar perimetry in the diagnosis of early glaucoma.

Purpose: To assess the ability of Pulsar perimetry (Pulsar) in detecting early glaucomatous visual field (VF) damage in comparison with Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT), Scanning Laser Polarimetry (SLP, GDx VCC), and Heidelberg Retina Tomography (HRT).

Design: Prospective observational cross-sectional case study.

Methods: This multicenter study included: 87 ocular hypertensives (OHT); 67 glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) patients; 75 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients; and 90 normals.

Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness analysis with scanning laser polarimetry (GDx VCC) in normal children.

Purpose: To assess the use of scanning laser polarimeter with variable corneal compensation (GDx VCC) in children; to compare GDx VCC parameters between normal children and adults; and, to evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness variation with age in normals.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-eight normal children (mean age 8.5+/-2.

Rarebit perimetry in normal subjects: test-retest variability, learning effect, normative range, influence of optical defocus, and cataract extraction.

Purpose: To study normative ranges, learning effect (LE), test-retest variability (TRV), and influence of blur and cataract in normal subjects by using rarebit perimetry (RBP).

Methods: Seventy-five normal subjects underwent visual field (VF) testing with standard automated perimetry (SAP) and RBP. LE and TRV for RBP were assessed in repeated examinations conducted on four different days.