Ophthalmology News and Research

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Ophthalmology is the specialized field of medicine that focuses on the health of the eye. It includes the anatomy, physiology and diseases that may affect the eye. Historically, the science of ophthalmology encompassed all aspects of visual function, both in health and in illness. Additionally, ophthalmology also includes animal eyes as ocular function and optic diseases are similar among humans and animals.

Dental diversion plan eases burden in busy EDs

Hospital emergency departments may benefit from having a diversion plan in place to deal with dental patients, say US researchers writing in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

14 Jan 2013

UCSF teams to study new ways to reduce childhood mortality and disease in developing nations

Two UCSF teams have received a total of $16 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study new ways to significantly reduce childhood mortality and disease in developing nations.

11 Jan 2013

RPB honors Mass. Eye and Ear ophthalmologist with Senior Scientific Investigator Award

Reza Dana, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc. of Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, was awarded the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Senior Scientific Investigator Award in the amount of $150,000 to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases.

9 Jan 2013

Risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity identified

Birthweight and gestational age are risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity and should be considered when screening infants for the condition, a study by Turkish researchers shows.

9 Jan 2013

Merck’s resubmission of the NDA for suggammadex sodium injection accepted for review by the FDA

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the resubmission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for sugammadex sodium injection has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Merck expects the FDA’s review to be completed in the first half of 2013.

7 Jan 2013

Local conjunctival metastases ‘may be under-recognized’

Local conjunctival metastases may represent under-recognized lesions arising from the dissemination of primary conjunctival melanoma via local vessels, suggest findings published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

4 Jan 2013

Regenerative medicine: an interview with Christophe Dardel, President of DSM Biomedical

Regenerative medicine is a new, exciting field that is based upon the belief that the human body has the inherent power to heal itself, but in some instances it just needs a little help.

3 Jan 2013

Glaucoma likely to end in visual impairment

Visual impairment at the end of life is highly likely to occur in patients with glaucoma, show Dutch study results.

2 Jan 2013

Abnormally narrow retinal arteries linked to increased risk for glaucoma

A new study finds that certain changes in blood vessels in the eye's retina can be an early warning that a person is at increased risk for glaucoma, an eye disease that slowly robs people of their peripheral vision.

2 Jan 2013

Optic nerve assessment predicts retinoblastoma outcomes

Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy for International Retinoblastoma Staging System stage III retinoblastoma can indicate a patient's likely event-free and overall survival, indicate study results.

22 Dec 2012

Thickening of arterial walls causes branch retinal vein occlusion

Branch retinal vein occlusion - blockage of the blood vessels that channel blood from the retina - is a common eye disease. A type of blood clot in the eye, the disease causes reduced vision, and people with the disease also typically have an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes and other serious conditions. A young scientist from the University of Copenhagen has made a significant contribution to finding the cause of the disease.

21 Dec 2012

Two recent experimental treatments improve visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa

Two recent experimental treatments - one involving skin-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell grafts, the other gene therapy - have been shown to produce long-term improvement in visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), according to the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists who led the studies. At present, there is no cure for RP, the most common form of inherited blindness.

20 Dec 2012

Aspirin use may increase risk of age-related macular degeneration

People who regularly took aspirin 10 years prior to examination had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of a subtype of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

20 Dec 2012

K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital offers comprehensive surgical program

No matter what age you are, surgery can be a scary thing. Knowing you are in good hands, though, can help soothe fears. K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center offers a comprehensive child-friendly, family-oriented program that includes surgical specialties, dentistry, general surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedic surgery and urology.

14 Dec 2012

The argument for vision insurance

Individuals with vision insurance are more likely than those without it to have had recent eye care visits, and to have no difficulty reading printed matter or recognizing their friends from across the street, report US researchers.

12 Dec 2012

Older adults with visually impairing eye disease limit their activities due to fear of falling

A new study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science found that between 40 to 50 percent of older adults with visually impairing eye disease limit their activities due to a fear of falling. Vision scientists warn that this protective strategy puts seniors at risk for social isolation and disability.

12 Dec 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear opens new outpatient surgical center in Longwood/Mission Hill

Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Longwood, a new outpatient surgical center at 800 Huntington Avenue in the Longwood/Mission Hill area of Boston, opened today to patients.

11 Dec 2012

Study finds silent reading difficulties in glaucoma patients

Better strategies are needed to help glaucoma patients cope with difficulty reading. According to a new scientific study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, adults with glaucoma read slower when reading silently for long periods of time and are more likely to have their reading speed decrease over time, possibly a result of reading fatigue.

11 Dec 2012

Optimal detection of glaucoma progression remains unclear

There is poor agreement between visual field testing and scanning laser polarimetry in the detection of glaucoma progression among healthy eyes, eyes with suspicion of glaucoma, and glaucomatous eyes, report US researchers.

7 Dec 2012

Children's eyes at greater risk for permanent damage from sunlight

Anderson Cooper, host of "Anderson Live," was temporarily blinded for 36 hours following a two-hour boat trip in Portugal where the sun damaged and burnt his cornea. Eye health concerns like cataracts, skin cancer of the eyelids and melanoma in the retina can all result from sun-damaged eyes.

7 Dec 2012