This issue of Acta

Abstract

The illustration on the cover shows bilateral upper lid masses that happen to be encapsulated contact lenses as reported by Perera et al. in this issue of Acta. Stefánsson et al. suggest that ethics rules in medical research have become too strict and should be relaxed in retrospective clinical studies. Professor Morten la Cour in Copenhagen was the 2007 Acta-EVER lecturer and contributes a review paper on the physiology of the retinal pigment epithelium and its role in health and disease. Tarkkanen et al. in Helsinki found no difference in the prevalence of hypertension or ischemic heart disease between patients with primary open angle glaucoma and those with exfoliative glaucoma. However diabetes mellitus was less frequent among the exfoliative glaucoma patients. The same authors also contribute a letter to the editor where they suggest that the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration is similar in patients with primary open angle and exfoliative glaucoma. Saarela and Airaksinen in Oulu suggest that the Heidelberg retina tomograph may be used to detect small changes in optic nerve head and progressive retinal nerve fiber layer defects. Sato et al. in Japan find a strong association between retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and retinal sensitivity, but only when the atrophy of nerve fibers is relatively severe. Gauti Jóhannesson et al. in Umeå find a reasonable correlation and concordance between IOP measurements with Pascal, ICare and Goldman applanation tonometry. The ICare showed significantly dependency on central corneal thickness whereas Goldman applanation tonometry and Pascal tonometry showed significant dependency on corneal curvature. Vuori and Mäntyjärvi in Turku found that an exact correction of myopia is important to prevent false visual field interpretation in patients with tilted disc syndrome. Nakazawa et al. in Japan looked at changes in optic disc deviation and peripapillary crescent in eyes with mild or moderate myopia. They found the optic disc to deviate mostly nasally with the progression of myopia. Yu-Wai-Man et al. in Newcastle found no evidence of auditory dysfunction in 10 patients with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. Puell and Barrio in Madrid suggest that distraction, such as cell phones, may impair a drivers useful visual field, whereas low concentrations of alcohol do not. Weeber and van der Heijde in the Netherlands created a computer model of the deformation of the lens during accommodation. Falck et al. in Oulu found that only one out of 220 persons over 60 years old in Finland was in current need of cataract surgery. This suggests that the supply of cataract surgery is extremely good. Akhtar et al. in United Kingdom, Switcherland and Austria describe the ultrastructural details of collagen fibrils and proteoglycan development in the zebrafish cornea, and suggest that this may be useful in the understanding of human corneal physiology and genetics. Kashiwabuchi et al. in Brazil suggest that penetrating keratoplasty may be useful for difficult cases of acanthamoeba keratitis. Gíavina-Bianchi et al. in Brasil have developed a mouse model for allergic conjunctivitis. Banat et al. in Germany examined light evoked responses from photoreceptor cells and other retinal cells in mouse and bovine retina in vitro. Minnella et al. in Rome found intravitreal bevacizumab to be safe and effective in 15 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and vitreous haemorrhages. Islam et al. in London discuss saccadic Lateropulsion. Malandrini et al. in Italy used confocal microscopy in a patient with recurrent conjunctival neoplacia. I hope the readers enjoy this issue of Acta.