Personalized follow-up increases return rate at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes: results of a randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of using personalized follow-up, as compared to reminder letters, in increasing return rates at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes, and to identify factors predictive of the patient's likelihood of returning for annual follow-up exams.

Research Design And Methods: All patients attending free community-based retinopathy screening clinics who were advised to return in one year for another diabetes eye evaluation (DEE) were randomized to standard or personalized follow-up interventions. Patients in the standard follow-up group received reminder letters a month before it was time to return for their next annual DEE.

Conducting community-based, culturally specific, eye disease screening clinics for urban African Americans with diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the need for, and efficacy of, community-based culturally specific eye disease screening clinics for urban African Americans with diabetes. The study employed a variety of culturally specific methods in the design and performance of 43 community-based eye disease screening clinics in southeastern Michigan. One thousand, thirty-seven subjects were recruited for the study.

Glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency leads to increased nuclear light scattering, membrane damage, and cataract formation in gene-knockout mice.

Purpose: Previous in vitro studies with transgenic and gene-knockout mice have shown that lenses with elevated levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX)-1 activity are able to resist the cytotoxic effect of H(2)O(2), compared with normal lenses and lenses from GPX-1-deficient animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional role of this enzyme in antioxidant mechanisms of lens in vivo by comparing lens changes of gene-knockout mice with age-matched control animals.

Methods: In vivo lens changes were monitored by slit lamp biomicroscopy, and enucleated lenses were examined under a stereomicroscope in gene-knockout animals and age-matched control animals ranging in age from 3 weeks to 18 months.

The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study: interim quality of life findings after initial medical or surgical treatment of glaucoma.

Objective: To present interim quality of life (QOL) findings in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) using all available follow-up through 5 years from treatment initiation.

Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial.

Participants: Six hundred seven newly diagnosed patients with open-angle glaucoma from 14 clinical centers.

Interim clinical outcomes in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study comparing initial treatment randomized to medications or surgery.

Purpose: To report interim outcome data, using all available follow-up through 5 years after treatment initiation, in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS).

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Participants: Six hundred seven newly diagnosed glaucoma patients.

Refractive stabilization after temporal phacoemulsification with foldable acrylic intraocular lens implantation.

Purpose: To determine the rate of stabilization of refractive error after temporal small incision phacoemulsification with insertion of an acrylic foldable intraocular lens (IOL) (AcrySof MA30).

Setting: A university hospital anterior segment referral practice.

Methods: The records of 100 consecutive patients with good visual potential having phacoemulsification with acrylic IOL implantation who had good visual acuity on the first postoperative day were reviewed.

Quality of life in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients : The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study.

Objective: The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) was designed to determine whether patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma are better treated initially by medicine or immediate filtering surgery. This paper describes the quality-of-life (QOL) measurement approach, instruments included, and the CIGTS participants' QOL findings at the time of diagnosis.

Design: Baseline results from a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Visual field results after vitreous surgery in a case series of patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Background And Objective: Visual field loss is a complication of vitrectomy and a concern for patients with glaucoma. Our objective was to determine whether vitrectomy is associated with new field defects in patients with glaucoma.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective case series involved 7 eyes of 7 patients, who had open-angle glaucoma and underwent vitrectomy for macular hole (2) or epiretinal membrane (5).

Brain biopsy in primary angiitis of the central nervous system.

To determine the yield of brain biopsy and the predictive value of clinical features and ancillary studies, we retrospectively analyzed hospital chart data from 61 consecutive patients suspected of having primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS). Biopsies disclosed PACNS in 22 (36%), alternative diagnoses in 24 (39%), and no diagnosis in 15 (25%). Clinical indicators and angiography were not useful predictors of PACNS.

Age related macular degeneration in monozygotic twins and their spouses in Iceland.

Purpose: To examine the importance of genetic factors in age-related macular degeneration by using a twin study to compare the concordance of age-related macular degeneration in monozygotic twin pairs and their spouses.

Methods: This was a prospective study that included 50 twin pairs and 47 spouses. Zygosity was determined by genetic laboratory testing.

Chronic open-angle glaucoma and associated ophthalmic findings in monozygotic twins and their spouses in Iceland.

Purpose: To determine the concordance of glaucoma and ocular parameters in monozygotic twins and their spouses.

Methods: This was a prospective study that included 50 twin pairs 55 years of age or older and 47 of their spouses. Zygosity was determined by genetic laboratory testing.

The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study: study design, methods, and baseline characteristics of enrolled patients.

Objective: The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) is a randomized, controlled clinical trial designed to determine whether patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma (primary, pigmentary, or pseudoexfoliative) are better treated by initial treatment with medications or by immediate filtration surgery.

Design: Randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Participants: A total of 607 patients with open-angle glaucoma were enrolled.

The utility of culturing corneal ulcers in a tertiary referral center versus a general ophthalmology clinic.

Objective: The purpose of the study is to compare the utility of culturing corneal ulcers in a tertiary referral clinic and a general ophthalmology clinic.

Design: A retrospective review of medical and microbiologic records was performed.

Participants: One hundred fifty-seven patients with corneal ulcers were included in the study.

Transconjunctival mitomycin C as an adjunct to conventional glaucoma filtration surgery in rabbits.

Purpose: Subconjunctival mitomycin C has been used in glaucoma filtration surgery with success. A prospective, randomized, masked, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate whether single transconjunctival mitomycin C applied either preoperatively or postoperatively would enhance the success of filtration surgery in rabbits.

Methods: Two groups of 5 rabbits were studied.

Treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis with a sustained-release ganciclovir implant. The Ganciclovir Implant Study Group.

Background: Sustained-release, intraocular implants that deliver ganciclovir are an alternative method for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Methods: We conducted a randomized study of 188 patients with AIDS and newly diagnosed cytomegalovirus retinitis. The patients were randomly assigned to treatment with an implant delivering 1 microg of ganciclovir per hour, an implant delivering 2 microg of ganciclovir per hour, or intravenous ganciclovir.

Assessment of health-related quality of life after corneal transplantation.

Purpose: To determine the extent to which commonly used clinical measures of corneal transplantation outcome are related to aspects of visual function and health-related quality of life.

Methods: In a cross-sectional validation study, ophthalmic examination information was collected by chart review of, and health-related quality of life information was collected by telephone contact with, patients (n = 77) undergoing routine follow-up examinations at least 1 year after corneal transplantation. A questionnaire that included the VF-14 and SF-36 instruments was completed for each participant.

Bleb-related endophthalmitis after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C.

Purpose: To determine whether filtering blebs resulting from adjunctive use of mitomycin C (MMC) leads to an increased risk of endophthalmitis.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 232 consecutive trabeculectomies performed at the W. K.

Evaluation of levator muscle integrity in ptosis with levator force measurement.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of the force the levator muscle can generate as a diagnostic tool for ascertaining the cause of ptosis.

Methods: A total of 187 patients with ptosis were evaluated clinically, their levator force was measured, and each ptotic eyelid subsequently had surgical correction. At each step, patients received a diagnosis of congenital or acquired (history- dependent) aponeurotic, myogenic, neurogenic, or mechanical ptosis.

Mitomycin C versus 5-fluorouracil in high-risk glaucoma filtering surgery. Extended follow-up.

Purpose: To compare the outcome of filtering surgery in high-risk patients using intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) versus postoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, the use of postoperative subconjunctival injections of 5-FU in 19 eyes of 19 patients was compared with a single intraoperative application of MMC in 20 eyes of 20 patients. All eyes were at high risk for failure of glaucoma filtering surgery.

Topical fibronectin ophthalmic solution in the treatment of persistent defects of the corneal epithelium. Chiron Vision Fibronectin Study Group.

Purpose: We sought to evaluate the efficacy of topical fibronectin ophthalmic solution, containing 3.5 mg/ml of human fibronectin, in the treatment of persistent epithelial defects of the cornea.

Methods: In a double-masked, randomized clinical trial, patients with a persistent, corneal epithelial defect of at least 14 days in duration, and at least 2 mm in width along the larger axis, were sought from the practices of 38 clinical investigators.

Antiviral therapy after penetrating keratoplasty for herpes simplex keratitis.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of prophylactic topical antiviral therapy after penetrating keratoplasty for herpes simplex keratitis in the postoperative period and during the treatment of allograft rejection episodes with topical steroids. We used these data to make predictions of the sample size required to perform a prospective study of prophylactic oral acyclovir in the postoperative period.

Design: Retrospective review.