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A study on the role of CFH, HTRA and IL-8 gene polymorphism in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) development has been conducted. At the first stage of the study genetic testing was done in 69 patients with exudative AMD and 370 random Moscow citizens without the disease. The goal of the second stage was to determine the influence of gene polymorphism on patient's response to endovitreal ranibizumab treatment. For that, visual acuity and foveal thickness were assessed before and after ranibizumab injections in 120 patients with wet AMD. All patients were genotyped for the genes of interest. The results showed that the presence of homozygous 402H polymorphism in CFH gene, as well as homozygous (-625)A mutation in HTRA1 gene, determines certain clinical presentations. Moreover, visual acuity below 0.1 and presence of 402H, (-625)A and (-251)A alleles in both copies of all three genes (CFH, HTRA and IL-8) are negative predictors of disease severity and antiangiogenic treatment response.

In recent decades the problem of low vision and blindness in elderly people became major and socially significant issue. The number of patients having age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in association with glaucoma grows all over the world that attaches medical and social value to this problem. 102 patients with AMD were under follow-up, 7 of them had primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Three consecutive injections of ranibizumab resulted in visual acuity increase from 0.21 +/- 0.17 till 0.37 +/- 0.12. The mean retinal thickness in foveal zone decreased from 289.36 +/- 88.73 till 230.47 +/- 88.02 microm. Ocular hypertension within 12 hours after procedure was observed in 13 (12.7%) of 102 patients. In all cases intraocular pressure (IOP) returned to preoperative values in 3 days after hypotensive medical treatment. In one case trabeculectomy was performed simultaneously with ranibizumab intravitreal injection, the next two injections were performed in a month intervals. So the problem of IOP increase after intravitreal injections remains unsolved. Glaucoma is not an absolute contraindication to intravitreal injections in treatment of exudative AMD although patients with associated conditions need individual approach in terms of both IOP compensation and number of ranibizumab injections.

A hundred and seventeen (143 eyes) patients with different types of retinal detachment were examined. The patients were treated by laser coagulation on a LAHTA device (Milon). The clinical findings indicated the efficiency of retinal laser coagulation as an independent treatment for retinal rhegmatogenous detachment and indications for laser coagulation were defined in the following types of retinal detachment: subclinical local retinal detachment; fresh mobile retinal detachment (Stages A and B); non-mobile retinal detachment occupying not more than one quadrant, and partially self-circumscribed retinal detachment (Stages B and C1) taking up the lower quadrants. The benefits of this method are noninvasiveness and high functional results, which enables laser coagulation to be regarded as an independent effective treatment for the above types of retinal detachment.

The efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) versus drug therapy was evaluated in patients with subretinal neovascular membranes (SNM) in complicated myopia (CM). Photosens (aluminum phthalocyanine) was intravenously injected in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg. The irradiation conditions were as follows: a session was carried out, using a laser at a wavelength of 675 nm, in an exposure light dose of 120 J/cm2. The number of sessions ranged from 3 to 5 a week, depending on the clinical picture of SNM. The total light dose was not greater than 500 J/cm2. Twelve months after drug therapy and a course of PDT, reduced visual acuity was observed in 50% and only 20.8% of cases, respectively. Stabilization or increase of visual functions occurred in the remaining patients receiving a course of PDT.

The purpose of the study was to assess the results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for subretinal neovascular membranes (SNM) in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), by using the Russian drug Photosens. According to the treatment performed, all the patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) 18 patients with the neovascular form of ARMD who received a course of PDT; 2) 14 patients with the same form who had drug therapy. Photosens (aluminum phthalocyanine) was intravenously injected in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg. The irradiation conditions were as follows: a session was carried out, using a laser at a wavelength of 675 nm, in an exposure light dose of 120 J/cm2. The number of sessions ranged from 3 to 5 a week, depending on the clinical picture of SNM. The total light dose was not greater than 500 J/ cm2. PDT showed a higher efficiency, as compared to drug therapy. PDT using Photosens increases and stabilizes visual acuity in 50% of cases, improves retinal functional activity (an increase in the mean value of a b-wave amplitude), and causes positive changes in the morphometric values of the mean neuroepithelial thickness above SNM and in the foveola.

The paper shows the capacity of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) in patients with subretinal neovascular membranes. Photosens was used as a photosensitizer (PS) (NIOPIK) in FD. The agent was intravenously injected in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg. To study the kinetics of tissue PS distribution, the authors employed a procedure of local fluorescence spectroscopy using a LESA-01-Biospek spectrometer, which was improved when applying the procedure for visual assessment of a visual fluorescence image. It was ascertained that the results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) should be compulsorily taken into account in processing its parameters. In some cases, PDT may be recommended on days 3, 5, and 7 after administration of an agent. By taking into account the pharmacodynamics of Photosens, 0.5 mg/kg, all patients should keep the light regime for 3 months.

The authors studied the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Photosence, a Russian photosensitizer, in treatment of chorioid neovascularization (CNV) in cases of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and pathological myopia (PM). The subjects were 73 patients with CNV suffering from ARMD and PM. The efficiency of PDT and complex conservative therapy was compared using vision acuity measurement, retinal morphometry, and fluorescent eye ground angiography (FEGA), performed before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months later. The study showed that PDT in patients with CNV, ARMD and PM was more efficient than pharmacotherapy. Vision acuity improved or stabilized, and the parameters of retinal morphometry and FEGA improved as well. The results of the study evidence high efficiency of PDT with Photosence in treatment of CNV with ARMD and PM.

The paper presents the comparative data of retinal tomography in the presence of choroidal neovascularization. In all patients, life-time morphometry of a 6x6-mm central retinal area (at 20 degrees from the point of fixation) was made on a retinal thickness analyzer (Talia, Israel). During the study, the authors analyzed the most significant indices: mean retinal posterior pole thickness; mean retinal paracentral region thickness; mean retinal central region thickness; mean neuroepithelial thickness above the subretinal neovascular membrane (SNM). Statistical analysis showed that the increase in neuroepithelial thickness was directly related to that in the intensity of SNM fluorescence. The mean neuroepithelial thickness above SNM, intra- and subretinal hemorrhages, intraretinal microcysts in patients with age-related macular degeneration and the presence and extent of thinning and fibrotic area permitted evaluation of the magnitude of activity and presumptively the duration of choroidal neovascularization.

The subretinal neovascular membrane (SNM) is a common complication of diseases, such as senile macular degeneration, myopia, pseudohistoplasmic syndrome, and many others. There is no algorithm of treatment for this pathology in today's ophthalmological care; however, many authors have arrived at the conclusion that photodynamic therapy (PDT) plays a major role in solving this difficult problem. Fifteen (18 eyes) patients, including 8 (8 eyes) patients diagnosed as having senile macular degeneration and SNM and 7 (10 eyes) patients diagnosed as having complicated high-grade myopia, and 3 were diagnosed as having bilateral SNM. The Russian agent Photosense, 0.05 mg/kg, was used as a photosensitizer. PDT was performed on day 3 after administration of the agent according to the peak of accumulation and the maximum laser concentration gradient at a wavelength of 675 nm and a light dose of 120 J/cm2. Good functional and angiographic results may be observed after the first 3 months of a prospective controlled open-labeled study of the efficiency of PDT with Photosense; however, longer follow-ups and larger groups of patients are required to make a final assessment of this treatment.

Preliminary investigations, dedicated to the diagnostic application of three-dimension ultrasonic angioreconstruction, confirmed the feasibility of using the above method in ophthalmologic practice in cases of suspected intraocular and orbital neoplasms. 32 patients (37 eyes) with various pathologies of the eye and orbital cavity, including choroidal melanoma, facial angiomatosis, retinal detachment, chronic uveitis etc.) were examined. The results are indicative of that the three-dimension ultrasonic angioreconstruction makes it possible to detect the latent vascular neoplasms, which cannot be defined by the standard visual and ultrasonic examinations, and the dislocation of structural elements of the eyeball tunics. Besides, it provides for evaluating their special localization and their interrelations with the neighboring anatomic elements.

The authors describe 21 cases with resection of the retinal rupture valve with Nd:YAG laser impulse, performed to reduce the vitreoretinal tractions. Resection of the 'dump' rupture valve has been carried out in 10 cases, in the rest 11 the operation has been performed in the presence of a detachment of the retina. Anatomic success (detachment of the valve from the retina) has been achieved in 16 cases. The technique of the surgery is described, as are indications and contraindications to the operation.