Ophthalmologe最新文献

Background: Intravitreal drug delivery belongs to the most common medical procedures, with approximately 1.5 million treatments per year in Germany. However, for this enormous challenge to provision of proper care, there is a lack of empirical data regarding the treatment process and its clinical and subjective effect.

Materials and methods: This publication presents the development and structure of the Hamburg register for intravitreal therapies (QIVOM). Patients undergoing intravitreal injection therapy were invited to join the register study. Patients were recruited from the Hamburg eye clinics in Heidberg-Nord and Barmbek as well as from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). Both subjective patient-reported information about the perception of their eye disease and its treatment as well as medical parameters were stored in a central electronic database.

Results: Of the first 162 study patients (aged 41-95 years), 64% suffered from wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), 22% had a retinal vein occlusion, and 11% a diabetic macula edema. Disease severity and subjective impairment were heterogenous. Among these patients, 31.8% had a visual acuity above 10/20 on the treated eye compared to 79.1% on the other eye. The reduced ability to read was the most relevant limitation for more than one third of patients. However, 62% were able to drive a vehicle. An improvement of vision through intravitreal therapy was experienced by 45%.

Conclusion: Collection of patient-reported as well as treatment-related data comprises the advantage of the newly created register. This extension of the data basis should deliver new findings in the future and contribute to quality assurance in intravitreal care.

Despite the serious health consequences of UV radiation, protection against UV radiation is even now still not a matter of course. The population has a largely realistic view of UV radiation-related health risks but this does not seem to instigate a change in personal risk assessments and towards an adequate UV protection behavior. This is not least due to the partly contradictory statements and recommendations regarding the positive and negative health effects, also from the scientific community. A harmonization as well as a collation of the statements and activities of individual players in UV protection related to the prevention of UV-related diseases gives the key messages the necessary strength to make UV protection a matter of course in society. To this end, the UV Protection Alliance was initiated by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). This article reports on the UV Protection Alliance, presents the partners in the Alliance, the goals of the UV Protection Alliance, previous results of work by the Alliance and actions and interventions of the Alliance partners. The public impact of the UV Protection Alliance is explained and an outlook is given on future tasks of the Alliance.

Background: The question of whether refractive or topographic changes are to be expected after eye muscle surgery is largely unanswered.

Materials and methods: Results of pre- and postoperative objective refraction, Pentacam (Oculus, Menlo Park, CA, USA), and visual acuity tests of 229 eyes are included in the present analysis. The examinations took place preoperatively, on the first postoperative day, and after 3 months.

Results: After surgery on one or two extraocular recti muscle, there are significant changes in the cylinder (p < 0.001) on the first postoperative day, although values returned to normal after 3 months. Similar changes also appeared in combined operations of extraocular and oblique muscles.

Conclusion: The authors postulate that extensive patient education with regard to temporary changes in the cylinder is necessary, particularly when the extraocular muscles are involved, and that additional refraction and topography control can be useful postoperatively if visual rehabilitation is inadequate.

Background: Pivotal clinical trials have proven brolucizumab to be a potent intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drug in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Therefore, it seems to be a promising drug also in patients with recalcitrant nAMD. This article presents the results of patients who were switched to brolucizumab due to persistent fluid under previous anti-VEGF treatment.

Methods: In this study 21 eyes were retrospectively analyzed in which treatment was switched to brolucizumab due to persistent intraretinal (IRF), subretinal (SRF) and/or sub-retinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE fluid) fluid despite long-term anti-VEGF treatment. Functional and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) data were investigated at diagnosis of nAMD (I), at switch to brolucizumab (II), 4 weeks after upload of brolucizumab (III) and at first reactivation of macular neovascularization (MNV, IV).

Results: There were no significant changes in fluid distribution between (I) and (II). After upload of brolucizumab (III) a significant reduction of central subfield retinal thickness (CSRT, p = 0.0001), SRF (p = 0.004) and sub-RPE fluid (p = 0.04), but no visual acuity improvement (p = 0.56) were observed.

Conclusion: Intravitreal brolucizumab treatment can achieve significant reductions particularly of SRF and sub-RPE in patients refractory to previous anti-VEGF treatment. Future studies should further investigate the effects of brolucizumab in patients with recalcitrant nAMD.

Purpose: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) often affects both eyes. This study compared real-life outcomes of the first affected eye (1st eye) and the last affected eye (2nd eye) after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment.

Material and methods: For this retrospective monocenter study 3217 eyes from 2793 patients with nAMD were identified, who received at least 3 anti-VEGF injections between 2006 and 2014 at the University Eye Hospital of Munich. Included in the study were patients with bilateral nAMD when the 1st and 2nd eyes were not previously treated and there was a strict adherence with continuous follow-up for at least 5 years. Corrected visual acuity, number of intravitreal injections and visits as well as central macular thickness were compared.

Results: A total of 72 eyes of 36 patients were included in this analysis. Before anti-VEGF therapy, the group of 2nd eyes showed significantly better mean visual acuity than the 1st eyes (p < 0.001). This difference in visual acuity between 1st and 2nd eyes was noted at all time points throughout the follow-up period (p < 0.05). The mean number of cumulative injections was higher in the group of 2nd eyes (p = 0.04) with a comparable number of visits between both groups. In more than half of all patients the 2nd eye became affected by nAMD within 12 months following treatment initiation of the 1st eye and the majority (83%) followed within 3 years.

Conclusion: In unilateral nAMD, regular monitoring of the fellow eye is essential to avoid severe bilateral vision loss. Early diagnosis with rapid initiation of treatment can preserve visual acuity and quality of life.

Background: By identifying diseases of the anterior segment of the eye associated with exposure to UV light, recommendations for action can be derived.

Aim: After reading this review, the reader should be familiar with UV light-associated diseases of the anterior segment of the eye.

Method: Using a selective literature search, UV light-associated diseases of the anterior segment of the eye were identified and protective mechanisms are described.

Results: The UV light-associated lesions of the anterior segment of the eye include basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, malignant melanoma of the eyelids and conjunctiva, pterygium, keratoconjunctivitis photoelectrica and climatic droplet keratopathy as well as cortical cataract.

Conclusion: Eyeglasses for filtering UV light, sunglasses and special safety glasses, such as welding helmets and wearing headgear protect against UV light exposure to the anterior segment of the eye and the associated diseases.

Intravitreal injection (IVI) of drugs for treatment of various macular diseases is now one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide. As mostly chronic diseases are treated, the indications for treatment often mean a continuous treatment over years with a corresponding effort regarding spatial, personnel and financial resources. The diagnosis and indications for treatment are nowadays mainly made by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The ability to clinically assess and evaluate a fluorescence angiography is less practiced, although these are still a component of the indications for intravitreal injections. Therefore, it can happen that despite all diligence patients may receive anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment, sometimes permanently, based on a misinterpretation of the macular diagnosis or disease activity and these indications, once made, are rarely questioned or retracted. Therefore, the aim of this manuscript is to point out possible and typical misinterpretations in the indications or continuation of IVI treatment with anti-VEGF by means of case studies and to sensitize for differential diagnoses.