Elena Prokofyeva

Epidemiology of Major Eye Diseases Leading to Blindness in Europe: A Literature Review.

The objective of this work was to study the epidemiology of major eye diseases leading to blindness in Europe through a systematic literature review. The literature search was performed using the Medline database (PubMed), with MeSH and free text search terms. Inclusion criteria for the studies were: (a) performed on a healthy population of Caucasian origin aged between 50 and 75 years; (b) diagnosed by ophthalmological examination in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases 10; (c) contained a detailed description of the sampling and diagnostic procedures and data resources; (d) sample size >500, and (e) published between 1990 and 2008. The results of 57 studies on the prevalence and incidence of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are reported, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of these diseases in Europe from an epidemiological perspective.

Cataract prevalence and prevention in Europe: a literature review.

This literature review is aimed at the evaluation of the potential for cataract prevention in Europe. It was performed using PubMed with Mesh and free‐text terms. Studies included were (i) performed on a population of Caucasian origin at an age range of 40–95 years, (ii) cataract was clinically verified, (iii) drug record of prescriptions, their indication, a record of every diagnosis, dosage and quantity of prescribed medicine were available, (iv) sample size >300 and (v) published between 1990 and 2009. The results of 29 articles were reviewed. Former [3.75 (2.26–6.21)] or current smoking [2.34 (1.07–5.15)], diabetes of duration >10 years [2.72 (1.72–4.28)], asthma or chronic bronchitis [2.04 (1.04–3.81)], and cardiovascular disease [1.96 (1.22–3.14)] increased the risk of cataract. Cataract was more common in patients taking chlorpromazine during ≥90 days with a dosage ≥300 mg [8.8 (3.1–25.1)] and corticosteroids >5 years [3.25 (1.39–7.58)] in a daily dose >1600 mg [1.69 (1.17–2.43)]. Intake of a multivitamin/mineral formulation [2.00 (1.35–2.98)] or corticosteroids [2.12 (1.93–2.33)] also increased the risk of cataract. Corticosteroids applied orally [3.25 (1.39–7.58)], parenteral [1.56 (1.34–1.82)] or inhalational [1.58 (1.46–1.71)] lead to cataract more frequently than those applied topically: nasal [1.33 (1.21–1.45)], ear [1.31 (1.19–1.45)] or skin [1.43 (1.36–1.50)]. Outpatient cataract surgery was negatively associated with total cataract surgery costs, and chlorpromazine, corticosteroids and multivitamin/mineral formation increase the risk of posterior subcapsular cataract dependent on dose, treatment application and duration. This review presented a comprehensive overview of specific and general cataract risk factors and an update on most recent experimental studies and randomized control trials directed at cataract prevention.

Early Visual Symptom Patterns in Inherited Retinal Dystrophies

The present retrospective study compared initial visual symptom patterns in inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD) on the basis of records of 544 patients diagnosed with a wide variety of IRD at the Tuebingen University Eye Hospital from 2005 to 2008. Age at first onset of symptoms was noted, and the following clinical data were analyzed: visual acuity (VA), night vision disturbances, photophobia, onset of visual field defects, best corrected VA, and types of visual field defects. Median age at visual symptom onset was defined with 25th and 75th percentiles and compared in 15 IRD types. The main trends in VA changes in retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophies were identified. This study was the first to combine disease history and clinical data analysis in such a wide variety of IRD. It showed that patterns of initial symptoms in IRD can provide extra clues for early differential diagnosis and inclusion of IRD patients in clinical trials.

Visual acuity changes in cone and cone-rod dystrophies

Citation information: Prokofyeva E, Troeger E, Bernd A & Zrenner E. Visual acuity changes in cone and cone‐rod dystrophies. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011. doi: 10.1111/j.1475‐1313.2011.00883.x

The Special Electrophysiological Signs of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies

The study aim was to analyze the electrophysiological signs of inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD). Full-field and multifocal (mf) electroretinography (ERG) was analysed in three groups: 21 normal subjects, 21 randomly selected IRD patients, and 21 patients randomly selected from each of eleven IRD groups. As a result, median, 5-95 and 25-75 interquantile intervals of each full-field and mfERG parameter were estimated for each of the above mentioned groups and compared using a Kruskal-Wallis test. Quantitative and qualitative criteria defined in this study will improve the precision of differential diagnosis, the detection of IRD severity, and the efficacy of treatment. The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of ERG values, established in this study, can be further applied to the creation of software that will allow the automatic classification of the recording into a specific disease and degree of severity.

Contents Vol. 47, 2012

J. Alio, Alicante D. Balasubramanian, Hyderabad A. Bialasiewicz, Doha D. Borchman, Louisville, Ky. Y. de Kozak, Paris D. Goldblum, Basel N. Ibaraki, Shimotsuke-City J. Jonas, Mannheim J.F. Koretz, Troy, N.Y. B.R. Masters, Cambridge, Mass. N. Osborne, Oxford K. Sasaki, Uchinada J. Smith, Portland, Oreg. J. Sparrow, Bristol P. Söderberg, Uppsala J. Trevithick, London, Ont. R. Truscott, Sydney K. Tsubota, Tokyo S. Uga, Sagamihara Journal for Translational and Clinical Research