1. A new perspective on lipid research in age-related macular degeneration. van Leeuwen EM et al. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2018 May 4. pii: S1350-9462(17)30127-1. doi: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.04.006.
There is a need to find new treatment strategies that can prevent or delay the onset or progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Several genes involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism have been studied, but it is not yet fully understood how circulating lipids or local lipid metabolism contribute to the onset of AMD. In this review, the scientific literature is evaluated in this regard and, above all, the possibility of new therapeutic strategies based on lipid homeostasis.
2.Vision-Targeted Health-Related Quality of Life in Adult Survivors of Retinoblastoma. Friedman DN et al. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 26. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.1082.
Adult patients who have been affected and treated for retinoblastoma are at risk for adverse oculo-visual outcomes. For these survivors, limited data on long-term quality of life (HRQoL), particularly related to vision, are available in the literature. This retrospective study of adult retinoblastoma survivors was conducted at 3 academic medical centres in New York and applying a questionnaire model. The results suggest that retinoblastoma-related eye problems are associated with functional outcomes and vision-related HRQoL, particularly in subjects with bilateral disease.
3.Bilateral Keratoconus Induced by Secondary Hypothyroidism After Radioactive Iodine Therapy. Lee R et al. J Refract Surg. 2018 May 1;34(5):351-353. doi: 10.3928/1081597X-20171031-02.
Case report on bilateral, rapidly progressive keratoconus induced by secondary hypothyroidism after radioactive iodine therapy that was subsequently treated with corneal cross-linking. The case provides evidence of the relationship between the development of keratoconus and thyroid gland dysfunction.
4.Ultrasonographic Prenatal Imaging of Fetal Ocular and Orbital Abnormalities. Ondeck CL et al. Surv Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 26. pii: S0039-6257(17)30217-5. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2018.04.006.
Ocular and orbital abnormalities, including congenital cataracts, hypertelorism, hypotelorism, dacryocystocele, orbital/mass tumours and septo-optic dysplasia can be detected prenatally by ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, the ultrasound findings characteristic of these diseases are described.
5.Macular Corneal Dystrophy: A Review. Aggarwal S et al. Surv Ophthalmol. 2018 Mar 28. pii: S0039-6257(17)30101-7. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2018.03.004.
Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) is a corneal stromal dystrophy that leads to progressive vision loss. MCD is an autosomal recessive condition in which there is an abnormality of proteoglycan synthesis. This review starts with imaging techniques, such as confocal microscopy in vivo and OCT of the anterior segment, which are useful to understand the ultra-structural changes of the cornea without the need for tissue biopsies, and goes on to review treatments ranging from penetrating keratoplasty to replace the opacified cornea, to anterior deep lamellar keratoplasty and phototherapeutic keratectomy. In addition, the review mentions more recent and still investigational treatment techniques such as gene targeting and enzyme replacement therapies.
6. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma involving the ocular adnexa. Lee GI et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 29. pii: bjophthalmol-2017-311704. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-311704.
This retrospective, comparative, observational study of 350 patients evaluated the clinical features and treatment outcomes of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) involving the ocular adnexa. The results show that NKTL of the external adnexa is a rare but fatal disease. It is characterised by acute inflammatory signs and must be diagnosed early for optimal management.
7. Retrospective cohort study exploring whether an association exists between spatial distribution of cystoid spaces in cystoid macular oedema secondary to retinitis pigmentosa and response to treatment with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Strong SA et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 29. pii: bjophthalmol-2017-311392. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-311392.
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) are often used as a first step to treat cystoid macular oedema associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP-CMO). This retrospective cohort study explores the hypothesis of an association between the spatial distribution of cystoid spaces in the response of RP-CMO to CAI treatment.
Interestingly, it has been hypothesised that CAIs can reduce the fluid of the outer nuclear layer more effectively than the fluid of the inner nuclear layer, and the explanation could be better access to the basolateral membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium than the neurosensory retina.
8.Adenoviral keratitis: a review of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management. Omari AA et al. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 27. doi: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000485.
Adenoviral keratitis is a common, but troublesome eye infection that weighs heavily on on healthcare systems and patients. The aim of this article is to provide a review of the topic, with an emphasis on current epidemiological and clinical aspects and future strategies for diagnosis and management.
9.The role of the intestinal microbiome in ocular inflammatory disease. Lin P. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2018 May;29(3):261-266. doi: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000465.
This review summarises the findings available in the scientific literature on how alterations in the gut microbiota contribute to the onset of immune-mediated eye diseases and how to potentially target the gut microbiome for therapeutic purposes. Strategies that could be effective for the targeting of the gut microbiota could involve several approaches, including the use of antibiotics, drugs that supplement beneficial bacterial components or target inflammatory bacterial strains, dietary strategies or microbiome transplants.
10. Cataract frequency and subtypes involved in workers assessed for their solar radiation exposure: a systematic review. Modenese A et al. Acta Ophthalmol. 2018 Apr 16. doi: 10.1111/aos.13734.
One of the main factors leading to prolonged exposure to solar radiation is outdoor work. In this article, the authors systematically reviewed the scientific literature of the last 20 years to report on the recent development of research on the risk of cataracts in outdoor workers and the specific subtypes involved, and also studied the methods applied to assess occupational risk. The review confirms the relationship between exposure to long-term exposure to solar radiation and the occurrence of cortical and nuclear cataracts.
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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