To review the published literature to summarize and evaluate the effectiveness of visual function tests in diagnosing glaucoma and in monitoring progression.
Literature searches of the PubMed and ...Cochrane Library databases were conducted last on May 7, 2010, and were restricted to citations published on or after January 1, 1994. The search yielded 1063 unique citations. The first author reviewed the titles and abstracts of these articles and selected 185 of possible clinical relevance for further review. The panel members reviewed the full text of these articles and determined that 85 met inclusion criteria. They conducted data abstraction of the 85 studies, and the panel methodologist assigned a level of evidence to each of the selected articles. One study was rated as level I evidence. The remaining articles were classified broadly as providing level II evidence. Studies deemed to provide level III evidence were not included in the assessment.
Standard white-on-white automated perimetry remains the most commonly performed test for assessing the visual field, with the Swedish interactive threshold algorithm (SITA) largely replacing full-threshold testing strategies. Frequency-doubling technology and its refinement into Matrix perimetry, as well as short-wavelength automated perimetry, now available with SITA, have been evaluated extensively. Machine learning classifiers seem to be ready for incorporation into software to help distinguish glaucomatous from nonglaucomatous fields. Other technologies, such as multifocal visual-evoked potential and electroretinography, which were designed as objective measures of visual function, provide testing free of patient input, but issues prevent their adoption for glaucoma management.
Advances in technology and analytic tools over the past decade have provided us with more rapid and varied ways of assessing visual function in glaucoma, but they have yet to produce definitive guidance on the diagnosis of glaucoma or its progression over time. Further research on an objective measure of visual function is needed.
IMPORTANCE While medication efficacy is well documented in clinical trials, less is known of medication effectiveness in real-world clinical settings. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of ...intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medications in patients with open-angle glaucoma. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective, multicenter, interventional cohort from the prerandomization phase of a randomized clinical trial at multiple ophthalmology clinics. A total of 603 patients (603 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma who were using up to 3 glaucoma medications were included. INTERVENTIONS One IOP measurement was made while the patient was using his or her usual medications to lower IOP (ON IOP). Eligible participants underwent washout of all IOP-lowering drops, and the diurnal IOP was measured 2 to 4 weeks later (OFF IOP). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Difference between OFF IOP and ON IOP. The hypothesis was formulated after data collection. RESULTS The mean (SD) ON IOPs for participants using 0 (n = 102), 1 (n = 272), 2 (n = 147), or 3 (n = 82) medications were 24.2 (3.2), 17.5 (3.2), 17.2 (3.1), and 17.2 (3.1) mm Hg, respectively. Patients not using medication had a mean (SD) IOP decrease of 0.2 (2.8) mm Hg at the OFF visit. Patients using 1, 2, and 3 medications had mean (SD) IOP increases of 5.4 (3.0), 6.9 (3.3), and 9.0 (3.8) mm Hg, respectively, at the OFF visit. The percentages of patients with less than a 25% increase in IOP were 38%, 21%, and 13% for those using 1, 2, and 3 medications, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Discontinuation of 1, 2, and 3 medications was associated with a clinically significant increase in IOP, although with smaller effects for the second and third medications compared with the first medication. A substantial proportion of patients showed only small changes in IOP after medication washout, suggesting either that they were not using the medication effectively or that the medication itself, although used properly, was not lowering the IOP. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01085357.
Glaucoma screening in the real world Maul, Eugenio A; Jampel, Henry D
Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.),
09/2010, Letnik:
117, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Sturge-Weber syndrome is a neurocutaneous disorder associated with epilepsy, glaucoma, cognitive impairments, and a port-wine birthmark. Although individuals with Sturge-Weber syndrome are vulnerable ...to known risk factors for suicide, including chronic illness and physical differences (port-wine birthmark), frequency of suicidal ideation and attempts, and the clinical factors associated with suicide risk, in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome is unknown.
As a part of routine hospital practice, all outpatients aged eight years and older underwent suicide risk screening during nursing triage using a standardized suicide screening tool. Suicide risk screening results, demographic variables, and medical history (as available) for patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (N = 34; median age = 15.5; range = 8 to 47 years, 44% male) and other neurological conditions seen at the same institution (N = 369; median age = 14; range = 8 to 78 years, 66% male) were used for retrospective within- and between-group analysis.
In the combined sample of Sturge-Weber syndrome and neurologically involved patients, a positive suicide risk screen was related to Sturge-Weber syndrome diagnosis (P = 0.043); analysis by sex showed increased risk of Sturge-Weber syndrome diagnosis in males (P = 0.008), but not in females. Within the Sturge-Weber syndrome group, use of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (P = 0.019) was related to a positive risk screen.
People with Sturge-Weber syndrome may be at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors than those with other neurological conditions. Further study of suicide risk in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome is needed.
To evaluate the current published literature on the use of optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurement devices in diagnosing open-angle glaucoma and detecting progression.
...A search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted on February 15, 2006 in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for the period January 2003 to February 2006. The search was limited to studies of adults in English-language journals and yielded 442 citations. The panel reviewed the abstracts of these articles and selected 159 articles of possible clinical relevance for review. Of these 159 full-text articles, 82 were determined to be relevant for the first author and methodologist to review and rate according to the quality of evidence.
There were no studies classified as having the highest level of evidence (level I). The ONH and RNFL imaging instruments reviewed in this assessment were determined to be highly effective in distinguishing eyes with glaucomatous visual field (VF) loss from normal eyes without VF loss, based on level II evidence. In addition, some studies demonstrated that parameters from ONH or RNFL imaging predicted the development of VF defects among glaucoma suspects. Studies on detecting glaucoma progression showed that although there was often agreement on progression between the structural and functional (VF) tests, a significant proportion of glaucoma patients progressed by either the structural or the functional test alone.
The ONH and RNFL imaging devices provide quantitative information for the clinician. Based on studies that have compared the various available technologies directly, there is no single imaging device that outperforms the others in distinguishing patients with glaucoma from controls. Ongoing advances in imaging and related software, as well as the impracticalities associated with obtaining and assessing optic nerve stereophotographs, have made imaging increasingly important in many practice settings. The information obtained from imaging devices is useful in clinical practice when analyzed in conjunction with other relevant parameters that define glaucoma diagnosis and progression.
Laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) is routinely used to treat open-angle glaucoma; hence, understanding variations in its use over time and region is important.
To determine trends over time and the ...regional variation in the performance of LTP.
Database analysis of a 5% random sample of all Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older with continuous Part B (medical insurance) coverage and no enrollment in a health maintenance organization for each year from 2002 through 2009.
We counted unique claims with a Current Procedural Terminology code of 65855 (LTP) submitted by ophthalmologists, optometrists, ambulatory surgery centers, or outpatient hospitals by region for each year. We examined trends over time and regional variation in LTP rates in 9 large geographic regions.
Rate of LTP per 10,000 Medicare beneficiary person-years and per 10,000 diagnosed open-angle glaucoma (OAG) person-years.
The LTP rates per 10,000 Medicare beneficiary person-years were 36.3, 60.1, and 53.5 for 2002, 2006, and 2009, respectively. The 65.6% increase between 2002 and 2006 and the 11.0% decrease between 2006 and 2009 were statistically significant (tests for linear trend, P = .009 and P < .001, respectively). Similarly, the LTP rate among Medicare beneficiaries with OAG increased from 507.9 per 10,000 person-years in 2002 to 824.3 per 10,000 person-years in 2006 (62.3% increase; P = .009) and then decreased to 741 per 10,000 person-years by 2009 (10.1% decrease; P = .004). The rates per 10,000 OAG person-years differed significantly by region, ranging from 314 in the East South-Central region to 607 in the East North-Central region in 2002 (93.2% higher; P < .001). A similar range of variation was observed in subsequent years.
The rate of LTP for Medicare patients with OAG peaked in 2006 and then decreased through 2009. Nearly twice as many LTP procedures per Medicare beneficiary were performed in some regions compared with others throughout the period.
To describe the results of revision surgery for complications of trabeculectomy in a case series from an academic glaucoma service.
Retrospective case series.
A total of 177 eyes of 167 adult ...patients who underwent revision of trabeculectomy at the Wilmer Eye Institute between 1994 and 2007.
Three indications for surgery were identified: hypotony without leak, bleb leak, and bleb dysesthesia. Revision was deemed successful when all of the following were true: the primary indication was eliminated, further intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering surgery was not required, no major complication occurred, and a new bleb-related problem did not develop. Patients with less than 3 months of follow-up were excluded unless failure occurred earlier. Surgical procedures included variations on excision of thin or leaking conjunctiva with advancement.
Change in IOP, change in visual acuity, need for further IOP-lowering surgery, and complications after bleb revision.
Subjects' mean age was 67+/-14 years, 54% were female, and mean follow-up was 2.8+/-2.7 years, with a mean interval from trabeculectomy to revision of 3.5+/-3.7 years. Overall success rate was 63% (112/177), which was slightly higher for leak repair (65%; 64/98) and hypotony (63%; 32/51) than for dysesthesia (57%; 16/28) indications. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, overall cumulative success rates at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after bleb revision were 80%, 75%, 50%, and 41%, respectively. IOP and visual acuity improved significantly in both hypotony and leak groups (P values ranging from 0.004 to <0.0001). Additional IOP-lowering surgery was required in 9%. In multivariate regression analysis adjusting for age, gender, and number of prior surgeries, patients with glaucoma other than primary open-angle glaucoma were twice as likely to have failed bleb revision.
Surgical bleb revision often provides successful resolution of bleb-related complications. Most patients maintain IOP control without need for further IOP-lowering surgery.
Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Retinal ischemia induces intraocular neovascularization, which often leads to glaucoma, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment, presumably by stimulating the release of angiogenic molecules. ...Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an endothelial-cell-specific angiogenic factor whose production is increased by hypoxia.
We measured the concentration of VEGF in 210 specimens of ocular fluid obtained from 164 patients undergoing intraocular surgery, using both radioimmuno-assays and radioreceptor assays. Vitreous proliferative potential was measured with in vitro assays of the growth of retinal endothelial cells and with VEGF-neutralizing antibody.
VEGF was detected in 69 of 136 ocular-fluid samples from patients with diabetic retinopathy, 29 of 38 samples from patients with neovascularization of the iris, and 3 of 4 samples from patients with ischemic occlusion of the central retinal vein, as compared with 2 of 31 samples from patients with no neovascular disorders (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.006, respectively). The mean (+/- SD) VEGF concentration in 70 samples of ocular fluid from patients with active proliferative diabetic retinopathy (3.6 +/- 6.3 ng per milliliter) was higher than that in 25 samples from patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (0.1 +/- 0.1 ng per milliliter, P = 0.008), 41 samples from patients with quiescent proliferative diabetic retinopathy (0.2 +/- 0.6 ng per milliliter, P < 0.001), or 31 samples from nondiabetic patients (0.1 +/- 0.2 ng per milliliter, P = 0.003). Concentrations of VEGF in vitreous fluid (8.8 +/- 9.9 ng per milliliter) were higher than those in aqueous fluid (5.6 +/- 8.6 ng per milliliter, P = 0.033) in all 10 pairs of samples obtained simultaneously from the same patient; VEGF concentrations in vitreous fluid declined after successful laser photocoagulation. VEGF stimulated the growth of retinal endothelial cells in vitro, as did vitreous fluid containing measurable VEGF. Stimulation was inhibited by VEGF-neutralizing antibodies.
Our data suggest that VEGF plays a major part in mediating active intraocular neovascularization in patients with ischemic retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal-vein occlusion.
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