Demographics of Ophthalmology and Optometry Practices and Changes in Utilization Patterns of Procedures and Services Following Private Equity Acquisition.

Purpose: To characterize private equity (PE) acquisition of ophthalmology and optometry practices and compare procedural utilization before and after acquisition.

Methods: Ophthalmologists and optometrists in practices acquired from 2012 to 2016 were identified and characterized using an internet archive with an additional search in 2017 to characterize doctor turnover. United States Census Bureau and Internal Revenue Service Data were used to determine population health insurance and adjusted gross income (AGI).

Efficacy, Safety, and Recurrence in Older Thyroid Eye Disease Patients Undergoing Teprotumumab Treatment.

Increasing life expectancy and an aging population have preserved quality of life decisions into older adulthood, defined by some clinical standards as greater than 75 years of age. While teprotumumab may represent a breakthrough in the treatment of thyroid eye disease, the teprotumumab phase III trial included only 2 patients aged over 75. Four female patients between the ages of 78 and 86-of whom 3 completed 8 infusions and 1 completed 7 infusions before discontinuation-were included in our study with a mean initial Clinical Activity Score score of 5.

Frequency analyses of postural sway demonstrate the use of sounds for balance given vestibular loss.

Purpose: To investigate how adults with unilateral vestibular hypofunction and healthy controls incorporate visual and auditory cues for postural control in an abstract visual environment.

Methods: Participants stood on foam wearing the HTC Vive, observing an immersive 3-wall display of 'stars' that were either static or dynamic (moving front to back at 32 mm, 0.2 Hz) with no sound, static white noise, or moving white noise played via headphones.

Radiographic and visual response to the type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in children with relapsed/refractory optic pathway glioma in the FIREFLY-1 trial.

Background: Due to their anatomical locations, optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) can rarely be cured by resection. Given the importance of preserving visual function, we analyzed radiological and visual acuity (VA) outcomes for the type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in the OPG subgroup of the phase 2 FIREFLY-1 trial.

Methods: FIREFLY-1 investigated the efficacy (arm 1, n=77), safety, and tolerability (arms 1/2) of tovorafenib (420 mg/m2 once weekly; 600 mg maximum) in patients with BRAF-altered relapsed/refractory pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG).

Botulinum Toxin Treatment in Thyroid Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Thyroid eye disease-related retraction and strabismus treatment is complicated by the activity level of the disease. Botulinum toxin injection can provide relief of symptoms in lieu of, or while waiting for surgery, radiation, or alternative medications. This study reviews techniques, outcomes, and effectiveness of botulinum toxin usage in thyroid eye disease.

Orbital Intraosseous Abscess After Lateral Bony Orbital Decompression.

A 66-year-old woman status post bony lateral orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease presented with recurrent episodes of left lateral canthal edema and erythema, despite repeated courses of oral antibiotics, titanium hardware removal, and repeated exploratory orbitotomies with debridement and curettage. MRI later revealed an intraosseous fluid collection in the left greater sphenoid wing. Another exploratory orbitotomy was performed and an intraosseous abscess was identified.

"Bringing greater research fluency into our educational vision": A qualitative research study on improving Traditional Chinese Medicine research education.

The main objective of this qualitative analysis is to increase the quality of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) research education. Subject matter experts and stakeholders were sent a list of possible topics to include in a research course and were asked to comment on it, add or subtract topics, and suggest appropriate research papers to use, lessons learned in their topic areas and possible stand-alone topics for inclusion in other courses. Their feedback was used to revise the topic list, create a list of foundational research papers to include in a research course and devise a list of stand-alone topics that could be included in the general TCM research curriculum.

Surgeon Adoption of Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery in the United States from 2018 to 2022: Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery.

Purpose: To assess 5-years trends in the rate of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) and surgeon characteristics associated with performing ISBCS.

Setting: 100% Medicare Fee-for-service beneficiaries from 2018-2022.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

STABLE trial of spectacle provision and driving safety among myopic motorcycle users in Vietnam: study protocol for a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial.

Background: Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death globally for people aged 5-29 years, with 90% of mortality occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The STABLE (Slashing Two-wheeled Accidents by Leveraging Eyecare) trial was designed to determine whether providing spectacles could reduce risk among young myopic motorcycle users in Vietnam.

Methods: This investigator-masked, stepped-wedge, cluster randomised naturalistic driving trial will recruit 625 students aged 18-23 years, driving ≥ 50 km/week, with ≥ 1-year driving experience and using motorcycles as their primary means of transport, in 25 clusters of 25 students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Metastatic conjunctival melanoma: a multicentre international study.

Background: To reveal clinical findings related to metastatic conjunctival melanoma.

Methods: 10 ophthalmic oncology centres (9 countries and 4 continents) shared data to create a large clinical case series. The main outcome measures were the incidence and cumulative risk of systemic metastasis, study mortality rates and Kaplan-Meier patient mortality after developing conjunctival melanoma metastasis.

Computer modeling of bevacizumab drug distribution after intravitreal injection in rabbit and human eyes.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that causes loss of central vision and has no cure. Wet AMD is the late neovascular form treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. VEGF is the critical driver of wet AMD.

Feasibility and Patient Experience of a Pilot Artificial Intelligence-Based Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program in Northern Ontario.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, implementation, and patient experience of autonomous artificial intelligence-based diabetic retinopathy detection models.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study where consenting adult participants previously diagnosed with diabetes were screened for diabetic retinopathy using retinal imaging with autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) interpretation at their routine primary care appointment from December 2022 through October 2023 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Demographic (age, sex, race) and clinical (type and duration of diabetes, last reported eye exam) data were collected using a data collection form.

THERAPEUTIC REFRACTIVE VITRECTOMY (TRV) FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF VITREOUS FLOATERS AND OPACITIES (VFO) ASSESSED BY THE STANDARDIZED AND KINETIC ANATOMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL TESTING OF VITREOUS FLOATERS AND OPACITIES (SK VFO TEST).

Purpose: Propose new terminology and evaluate the effectiveness of Therapeutic Refractive Vitrectomy (TRV) for selective removal of vitreous floaters and opacities (VFO) utilizing Standardized Kinetic Anatomical Functional Testing of VFO (SK VFO Test) and new ultra widefield (UWF) OCT imaging techniques.

Methods: Retrospective analysis. Twenty eyes underwent TRV for symptomatic VFO.

Weather Patterns, Patient, and Appointment Characteristics Associated with Cancellations and No-Shows in a Glaucoma Clinic.

Purpose: To identify factors that are associated with no-shows and cancellations in a glaucoma clinic.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of patients seen at a glaucoma clinic over a two-year period (6/2017-5/2019). Demographics and clinic information were recorded from the electronic medical record.

IFN-γ-producing T1 cells and dysfunctional regulatory T cells contribute to the pathogenesis of Sjögren's disease.

Sjögren's disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by progressive salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction, inflammation, and destruction, as well as extraglandular manifestations. SjD is associated with autoreactive B and T cells, but its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. Abnormalities in regulatory T (T) cells occur in several autoimmune diseases, but their role in SjD is ambiguous.

Consensus Recommendations for Studies of Outflow Facility and Intraocular Pressure Regulation Using Ex Vivo Perfusion Approaches.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation is the primary risk factor and currently the main treatable factor for progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. In addition to direct clinical and living animal in vivo studies, ex vivo perfusion of anterior segments and whole eyes is a key technique for studying conventional outflow function as it is responsible for IOP regulation. We present well-tested experimental details, protocols, considerations, advantages, and limitations of several ex vivo model systems for studying IOP regulation.

Association between the Amplification Parameters of the α-Synuclein Seed Amplification Assay and Clinical and Genetic Subtypes of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: α-Synuclein seed amplification assay on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-αSyn-SAA) has shown high accuracy for Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosis. The analysis of CSF-αSyn-SAA parameters may provide useful insight to dissect the heterogeneity of synucleinopathies.

Objective: To assess differences in CSF-αSyn-SAA amplification parameters in participants with PD stratified by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), dysautonomia, GBA, and LRRK2 variants.

Epidemiology and Management of Moderate to Severe Thyroid Eye Disease in the United States: Analysis of a Healthcare Claims Database.

Objective: To estimate the incidence, prevalence, patient characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns of moderate to severe thyroid eye disease (TED) in the United States.

Design: Retrospective review of medical and prescription claims data from the Inovalon deidentified claims database.

Patients: Patients with moderate to severe TED were identified based on specific and sensitive definitions using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes selected by a group of TED specialists.

Racial and Gender Disparities for Glaucoma Treatment Rates in Upstate New York.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness around the world. Black individuals are two times more likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma compared to White individuals. In 2019, the prevalence of glaucoma in Monroe County was highest amongst older individuals aged 85 and non-Hispanic Blacks.

Progressive Keratoconus Treatment with Transepithelial Two-Step Phototherapeutic Keratectomy Combined with Corneal Crosslinking (CXL): Clinical Outcomes and Postoperative Management Including Potential Complications of the Modified Athens Protocol Designed for US-Approved Excimer Laser Specifications.

To report a novel application within the USA of excimer ablation for the normalization of central corneal refractive irregularity, combined with higher fluence CXL in the effective management and visual rehabilitation of progressive keratoconus. 17 consecutive cases with progressive keratoconus were treated with corneal surface excimer laser ablation normalization using topography-guided (Contura) myopic ablation for customized corneal re-shaping with a 6 mm optical zone. The epithelial removal was accounted for by adding a -2.

Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin for bilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse.

Objective: To describe the procedure and outcome of electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin as a first-line treatment for bilateral ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in the eye of a horse.

Animal Studied: A client-owned 5-year-old Haflinger gelding with limbal-conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma.

Procedures: During general and local anesthesia, injection of bleomycin in the ocular tumor was followed by electroporation, applied with a 15 mm needle electrode, needles held parallel to the ocular surface.