Ophthalmology

Hyperreflective foci indicate progression risk in cases of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and are partially attributable to ectopic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In this study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, the authors hypothesized that ectopic RPE is molecularly distinct from in-layer RPE cells and has a cross-retinal course that follows Müller glia.  The...

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a new, non-invasive imaging technique used to evaluate retinal and choroidal microvasculature. This cross-sectional study, published in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery, sought to determine OCT-A’s diagnostic accuracy in assessing the morphological features and clinical activity of macular neovascularization (MNV) in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  The researchers’ study...

Deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence, is being studied for its potential to screen for and diagnose age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The use of deep learning for image recognition is promising, as it can allow for more accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment. This article, published in Seminars in Ophthalmology, analyzed the accuracy of deep...

Patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) require ongoing anti-VEGF treatments, which must be administered at an optimal frequency for their condition. This study, published in Translational Vision Science & Technology, sought to provide a probabilistic forecast for anti-VEGF treatment frequency using volumetric spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).  The researchers used SD-OCT volume scans in conjunction...

Among the available biomarkers for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is delayed dark-adapted vision recovery. However, its use is burdensome for both patients and examiners. This study, published in Eye and Brain, sought to determine the utility of a novel portable system in measuring dark-adapted visual evoked potentials (DAVEP), a metric for delayed dark-adapted vision recovery. The...

Although the clinical efficacy of anti-VEGF treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration has been established, real-life results may differ, particularly due to the difficulty of managing treatment over time. This retrospective cohort study, published in BMC Ophthalmology, describes and analyzes real-life data from patients treated with anti-VEGFs, and compares them to data from previous clinical trials...

The gold standard treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) involves repeated administration of anti-VEGF intravitreal injections. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many patients worldwide have been unable to receive treatment due to lockdowns or other measures and restrictions. This study, published in Ophthalmology and Therapy, focuses on the effects of delayed treatment of...

Targeting VEGF and the VEGFR2 receptor are promising treatment modalities for wet age-related macular degeneration. This study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, used the peptide KAI to interfere with VEGFR2 trafficking. The study sought to determine how efficacious this peptide is in the mouse model of choroidal neovascularization. Surface plasmon resonance was used to...

Both ranibizumab and aflibercept are used as anti-VEGF agents to treat wet AMD. This cross-sectional study, published in Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, evaluated wet AMD outcomes after 12 months in patients who switched from ranibizumab to aflibercept, regardless of previous drug response.  The researchers tested visual acuity, treatment frequency, and retinal morphology after...