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Purpose: To compare safety of wound hydration to anterior chamber air tamponade for securing watertight closure of clear corneal incisions, during uneventful cataract surgery. Methods: Prospective, comparative case-control series. Patients undergoing phacoemulsification were assigned to receive either anterior chamber air bubble (Group A) or intrastromal wound hydration with balanced salt solution (Group B) at the end of the procedure. Two high-volume surgeons operated equal number of cases in each group employing identical surgical technique, except for corneal side incision management. Patients were assessed pre- and postoperatively at day 1, day 4, day 9, and day 30 after surgery. Results: One hundred eyes of 100 patients were enrolled, of which 2 were lost to follow-up. The two groups were comparable in terms of preoperative risk factor assessment, baseline central corneal thickness (CCT), preoperative endothelial cell density, as well as cumulative dissipated energy and duration of phacoemulsification (p > 0.05). Mean CCT and best-corrected visual acuity were better in Group B on the first postoperative day, but did not differ between the two groups at all other timepoints. Surgically induced astigmatism was comparable in the two groups (p > 0.05). Endothelial cell density loss at 1 month postoperatively was greater in Group A (34.06%) compared to Group B (16.45%). Conclusions: Wound sealing with intrastromal hydration proved to be safer than air tamponade in terms of preserving endothelial cell density and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess if conversion of decimal visual acuity (VA) to logMAR is reliable for clinical and research purposes. Methods: Right eye VA of 74 consecutive patients was measured with 5 min interval, using (a) the ETDRS chart (VAlog), (b) a decimal chart at 6 m (VA6m), and (c) a decimal chart at 4 m (VA4m). VA was the smallest line whereby four of five optotypes were correctly identified. Decimal scores were converted to logMAR using the formula logMAR = −log(decimal acuity). The agreement between VAlog, VA4m, and VA6m was assessed by the Bland-Altman method. Results: Linear regression analysis of the difference between VAlog and VA6m or VA4m showed a significant slope (p = 0.001), with greater disagreement at higher VA values, i.e., poorer acuity. There was considerable lack of agreement, with discrepancies of up to 0.2 logMAR when VA was measured around 0.5 logMAR. Conclusion: Converting decimal VA to logMAR produces overestimation of its true value, especially in lower acuities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Log-scaled crowded charts using standardized testing protocol are essential for precise and reproducible visual acuity (VA) testing regarding amblyopia. Despite common acceptance of these standards, current VA testing clinical practice shows considerable diversity. The purpose of this retrospective literature review was to investigate the methodology of VA measurement and reporting in pediatric ophthalmology literature regarding amblyopia.Methods: We searched PubMed for clinical trials regarding amblyopia, published from January 1994 to July 2016. Primary outcomes included VA measurement methodology, namely use of (a) log-scaled chart, (b) crowded chart, and (c) specified testing protocol. The study design, publication year, and the journal's impact factor were analyzed in relation to the primary outcomes.Results: Out of the 165 initial reports, 150 were included. VA was measured with a log-scaled chart in 65%, with a crowded chart in 57%, and with a specified protocol in 51% of studies. All three criteria were met in 43% of studies and in multivariable logistic model, they were associated with more recent publication year (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.03-1.20) and were more likely to be present in higher impact factor journals (OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.17-1.72) or randomized controlled trials (OR = 3.09, 95%CI = 1.44-6.59).Conclusions: In the last two decades, more than half of clinical trials addressing amblyopia have not followed the recommended methodology for optimal visual acuity assessment. Thus, their measurements may have been contaminated with noise, and their respective results and conclusions may include errors. Adhering to optimal, standardized methodology is key to progress in both clinical and research grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2, -9) and tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1, -2) activity in tear samples of pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and potential correlations with clinical parameters (Schirmer testing, glycosylated hemoglobin-HB) were investigated. Methods: Tear samples from the right eyes of 27 type 1 DM patients and 17 healthy control subjects were included in this study. The MMP gelatinolytic activity was determined by gelatin zymography analysis using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), while MMP and TIMP concentrations (in ng/ml) were quantified in tears of type 1 diabetic patients and healthy controls, with the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: MMP-9, TIMP-1, -2 levels, MMP-9/TIMP-1, and MMP-9/TIMP-2 ratios in the patient group were significantly elevated. There was a significant correlation between TIMP-2 and HB values, as well as between MMP-2 and MMP-9. Conclusions: Significant correlations between TIMP-2 and HB and between Schirmer test results and HB were revealed. Significant increase in tear MMP and TIMP levels in pediatric type 1 diabetic patients may be suggestive of disease progression and localized pathologic remodelling. Further studies are required in order to ascertain whether MMPs and TIMPs could be employed as indicators of early disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that together with retina findings, ChT may represent a new biomarker to measure in these eyes since the choroid plays a major role in photoreceptors' nutrition [[1]]. OCT and OCTA imaging of the macula was performed with RTVue AVANTI (Optovue Inc, CA). Comparisons of baseline characteristics and OCT and OCT angiography imaging parameters in the spontaneously regressed ROP, preterm, and control groups. [Extracted from the article]