Ophthalmology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Injectable Fluocinolone Acetonide Long-Acting Implant for Noninfectious Intermediate Uveitis, Posterior Uveitis, and Panuveitis: Two-Year Results.
To determine the effect of an injectable fluocinolone acetonide implant (FAi) in eyes with noninfectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, or panuveitis. ⋯ It is feasible to place a long-acting FAi in an outpatient setting, without prolonged adverse events attributed to the implant injection procedure. The FAi effectively controlled intraocular inflammation in all eyes in the study, and at the last follow-up, all implanted eyes demonstrated an improvement in visual acuity. Elevated IOP that occurred in 18% of FAi-implanted eyes was managed by standard means. The FAi implant is a promising approach for patients with noninfectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, or panuveitis who do not respond to, or are intolerant to, conventional therapy.
-
Historical Article
The Evolution of the American Board of Ophthalmology Written Qualifying Examination.
Since the inception of board certification in ophthalmology in 1916, a written assessment of candidates' knowledge base has been an integral part of the certification process. Although the committee structure and technique for writing examination questions has evolved over the past 100 years, the written qualifying examination remains an essential tool for assessing the competency of physicians entering the workforce. To develop a fair and valid examination, the American Board of Ophthalmology builds examination questions using evidence-based, peer-reviewed literature and adheres to accepted psychometric assessment standards.
-
To evaluate trends in the prevalence of women authors in ophthalmology in recent years. ⋯ Despite an overall increase in the contribution of women to the field of ophthalmology, contributions to articles published in subspecialty ophthalmology journals and the proportion of women listed as last authors on overall articles published in ophthalmology journals are still low.
-
To validate the Ocular Pain Assessment Survey (OPAS), specifically designed to measure ocular pain and quality of life for use by eye care practitioners and researchers. ⋯ The OPAS is a valid, reliable, and responsive tool with strong psychometric and diagnostic properties in the multidimensional quantification of corneal and ocular surface pain intensity, and QoL.
-
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Results at 2 Years after Gene Therapy for RPE65-Deficient Leber Congenital Amaurosis and Severe Early-Childhood-Onset Retinal Dystrophy.
To provide an initial assessment of the safety of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector expressing RPE65 (rAAV2-CB-hRPE65) in adults and children with retinal degeneration caused by RPE65 mutations. ⋯ Treatment with rAAV2-CB-hRPE65 was not associated with serious adverse events, and improvement in 1 or more measures of visual function was observed in 9 of 12 patients. The greatest improvements in visual acuity were observed in younger patients with better baseline visual acuity. Evaluation of more patients and a longer duration of follow-up will be needed to determine the rate of uncommon or rare side effects or safety concerns.