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Strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes that is most often diagnosed in pediatric patients, does not impact an individual’s personality or intelligence, but a study has found that animated movies often tend to use the condition to signify a clumsy, dopey or villainous character, according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Michael Puente, MD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology who focuses on pediatric ocular health, pointed out that when animators are determining just what a character is going to look like, they have to decide on every little detail of that character's appearance, and so it's not by chance that an animated character happens to have strabismus. https://ow.ly/awOi50UfSCq

A recent study found that orthokeratology lenses, which are worn overnight to reshape the cornea to improve vision and eliminate the need for correction during the day, were associated with an incidence rate of microbial keratitis similar to both that seen with the use of daily wear contact lenses and results reported in previous studies, according to first author Takahiro Hiraoka, MD, PhD, and colleagues. He is from the Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. The research team conducted a retrospective multicentre study to determine the incidence of microbial keratitis among Japanese patients wearing orthokeratology lenses, referred to as ortho-k lenses. Read More: https://ow.ly/oJMJ50UfS3R

A newly published study found that use of tobacco and alcohol did not significantly affect the rate of change of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), while a high body mass index (BMI) was associated with slower structural changes in the visual fields, according to Asmaa A. Youssif, MD, from the Duke Eye Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, and the Department of Ophthalmology, Assiut University Faculty of Medicine, Assiut, Egypt. Youssif and colleagues explained that while studies of obesity and tobacco and alcohol consumption showed that many chronic diseases are affected by the factors being studied, none had mentioned an effect on glaucoma progression. Read More: https://ow.ly/hTlL50UgENv

In a study, a team of Korean researchers developed an AI model using OCT images to predict neovascular AMD treatment outcomes after anti-VEGF injections. The model highlights AI’s potential in personalized ophthalmic care. https://ow.ly/roy050UfSPt

More than one-third of the world’s children were myopic in 2023, with that number expected to rise to nearly 40% by 2050, according to a new report. The study, by a group of researchers in China, showed that there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents in the past 3 decades—from 24% in 1990 to almost 36% in 2023—according to the paper, which was published this week in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The researchers noted that it is anticipated that the global incidence of myopia will exceed 740 million cases by 2050. Daniel Cyr, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Stony Brook Medicine and an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Stony Brook University in New York, told Ophthalmology Times that he is seeing an increase in pediatric myopia at his clinic. Read More: https://ow.ly/pMfP50UgJPe

The first patient has been successfully dosed in the phase I/IIa clinical trial of ABI-110, Avirmax Biopharma's first gene therapy drug for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) including polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). In the press release, Shawn Liu, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Avirmax Biopharma Inc. highlighted this step forward, saying, "We are thrilled to announce this significant milestone in the clinical investigation of ABI-110. ABI-110 has the potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape for Wet AMD and PCV." Read More: https://ow.ly/mqao50UfRSK

In a study, investigators retrospectively reviewed the presence and amount of small HRF in the eyes of patients with different macular atrophic phenotypes. This included bilateral geographic atrophy (GA); unilateral GA and macular new vessels (MNV) in the fellow eye; and extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen (EMAP), a rare and aggressive variant of atrophic AMD. The investigators defined HRF as “isolated punctiform elements of small dimensions, 30 μm or smaller, with intermediate reflectivity (similar to that of the nerve fiber layer) and without a shadow cone.” The foci were measured on near-infrared reflectance (NIR) and blue wavelength fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images. The HRF were manually identified, counted, and analyzed to identify correlations with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), GA lesion size, some GA features (multifocal vs unifocal GA; presence vs absence of foveal sparing), and central retinal thickness (CRT), according to the investigators. Read More: https://ow.ly/KQON50UgCVy

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for you—the ophthalmology community driving innovation and improving lives. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday! 🍁

Providers in cardiology, neurology, oncology, and other fields have also found useful ways to integrate OCT imaging into their practices, underscoring a growing trend of cross-disciplinary innovation. Perimeter Medical Imaging AI is another entity aiming to transform the traditional usage of OCT. A medical technology company formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Perimeter has been leveraging the technology to improve breast cancer surgeries and reduce the number of patients requiring repeat surgery. Andrew Berkeley, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Perimeter, sat down with Ophthalmology Times to discuss how the company is leveraging OCT technology in the operating room during breast-conserving surgeries, also known as lumpectomies. Read More: https://ow.ly/rOUP50UgNoG