Vitrectomy decreases the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new research study. There is no published evidence that a vitrectomy hastens the progression of AMD. Intraocular surgery is known however to incite significant inflammation and breakdown of the blood–ocular barrier, which may last from weeks to...

A new study finds that myopic maculopathy tends to progress in approximately 40% of highly myopic eyes, and the pattern of progression affects the visual prognosis. It is suggested that preventive therapy targeting posterior staphyloma should be considered to prevent the visual impairment caused by the progression of myopic maculopathy....

Interferon γ–inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and eotaxin may be early biomarkers in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study. Chronic inflammation consists of a series of biological responses to harmful stimuli that include activation of subsets of immune cells, which are recruited to inflamed areas, angiogenesis and...

Commercially available devices for measuring macular pigment are not precise enough to detect the increase in pigment that normally occurs following lutein supplementation, according to a new study. Twenty-four studies have investigated the repeatability of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) measurements using heterochromatic flicker...

The ability of anti-VEGF therapy to stop fluid accumulation in the macula after neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been proven in clinical studies, but no clear answers are yet available on the appropriate endpoint of therapy. Despite success in treating leakage from new blood vessels, anti-VEGF therapy...

A series of 5 cases of severe intraocular inflammation that developed after an intravitreal injection of Avastin (bevacizumab) is reported. Avastin (bevacizumab) is approved for intravenous administration for the treatment of metastatic colon cancer. In ophthalmology, Avastin has been used widely as an off-label treatment for ocular disorders...

A convergence of scientific and clinical observations and new technologies paved the way for a hallmark genetic discovery that changed the course of AMD research. Four articles published early in 2005 demonstrated an association between AMD and common variants (or polymorphisms) in the complement factor H gene (CFH) on human chromosome 1q31, a...

Female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) decreases the risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), especially in women who are positive for the ARMS2 genetic polymorphism. It has been reported that hormone replacement therapy decreases the risk of late-stage AMD. It is not clear how female hormones mediate this effect, but...

Radiation therapy, when used to treat patients requiring chronic anti-VEGF therapy, may reduce the burden of treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). According to results from a study presented by Dr Pravin Dugel at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology,...

A normal view of the world has been simulated for millennia as a clear image over an entire scene. However, the potential for sharp visual acuity is not constant across the retina. Truly crisp vision is obtained only from central fovea, comprising about 1° of the central field. What we actually see during fixation is a small island of clarity...