This issue of Acta

Abstract

This issue of Acta celebrates the centennial anniversary of the Swedish Ophthalmological Society and the great contributions of Swedish ophthalmologists and eye researchers to our field of science. The cover illustration shows the centennial jubilee medal of the Swedish Ophthalmological Society with Allvar Gullstrand, the only ophthalmologist ever to receive the Nobel price. The editorial is written by Stefan Seregard, where he looks at Swedish ophthalmology in the present and future. Berndt Ehinger reviews the highlights of Swedish ophthalmology in the twentieth century in a historical article. Ahti Tarkkanen received the 2008 Acta Ophthalmologica honorary award and gold medal and gave an honorary lecture at the Nordic Ophthalmological meeting in Tromsö last summer. He contributes a review article on exfoliation syndrome and concludes that exfoliation syndrome is not related to increase mortality for cardiovascular disease and that complete internal medical examination is not needed in symptom-free patients with exfoliation syndrome in the eye. Bartling et al. in Stockholm describe an algorithm that accurately evaluates optic disc parameters on digital fundus photographs. Spitzer et al. in Germany created a slow release dexamethasone gel and suggest this may be a useful postoperative treatment following glaucoma filtration surgery. Hoevenaars et al. in Maastricht did not find a correlation between the treatment compliance and patients′ knowledge of glaucoma medication. Dietlein et al. in Cologne conclude that older patients have considerable problems in administering eye drops to themselves from single use containers. Kaluzny et al. in Poland and USA found that latanoprost and a combination of pilocarpine and timolol were equally effective in reducing intraocular pressure, but the pilocarpine timolol combination had more ocular side effects. Lee et al. in United Kingdom injected mitomycin into Tenon′s layer during trabeculectomy surgery and found this to be a useful approach. Katsanos et al. in Greece report a correlation between rarebit perimetry and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in glaucoma as measured with ocular coherent tomography. Nielsen et al. in Copenhagen found that some groups of children with developmental delay have an increased risk of ophthalmic disorders. Feucht et al. in Hamburg found that patients with neurofibromatosis 2 have an increased risk of strabismus, refractive errors and nystagmus. Wollensak and Iomdina in Germany and Russia have discovered a method to increase scleral collagen cross-linking and biomechanical strength and suggest that this may have a role in myopia. Biró and Schvöller in Hungary studied visual sensations of patients undergoing cataract surgery and suggest that patients should be informed of this phenomenon. Wakabayashi et al. in Osaka examined fundus autofluorescence in patients with macular holes and found this to reflect anatomic and functional changes in the retina. Hirose et al. in Japan found that systemic corticoid therapy improved blood flow in patients with VKH disease. Wang et al. in Taiwan found that suprachoroidal haemorrhage may occur following intraocular surgery and age-related macular degeneration. Visual acuity and retinal detachment are important prognostic factors in this disorder. Zibrandtsen et al. in Denmark used optical coherence tomography to demonstrate photoreceptor atrophy in acute zonal occult outer retinopathy. Ostri et al. in Copenhagen describe a case of Wegener′s granulomatosis in the orbit. Ikewaki et al. in Japan describe a case of peribulbar fungal abscess and endophthalmitis following subtenon injection of triamcinolone. Birgitta Haargaard interviews Professor Michael Larsen. We also publish a list of some of the most interesting conferences in 2009. This issue of Acta provides a lot of reading material for those interested in glaucoma and exfoliation, with a maintenance dose for those interested in other fields of ophthalmology. Acta celebrates the 100 year history of the Swedish Ophthalmological Society. I wish all readers of Acta a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.