Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complex multifactorial disease and one of the leading causes of visual impairment worldwide. DR pathogenesis is still not completely understood and, even if studies performed in the past focused on microvascular dysfunction as the main event, growing body of scientific evidence has demonstrated an important role of inflammation and neurodegeneration in the onset and progression of DR. This review summarizes current literature on the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis and progression of DR. In particular, it focuses on clinical inflammatory biomarkers detectable with non-invasive retinal imaging, suggestive of a local inflammatory condition. Current available treatments are applicable only at advanced stages of disease, therefore, there is the need to detect biomarkers of subclinical or early DR that can help in DR management before irreversible damage occurs. A better understanding of inflammatory pathways involved in DR may permit to implement more specific and personalized therapeutic strategies and clinical biomarkers may be a helpful tool in the everyday clinical practice to direct the patient to the most appropriate treatment option.

Abstract: Despite appropriate management of the systemic disease, patients with diabetes may develop severe forms of diabetic retinopathy that require surgery. Non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage (VH), traction retinal detachment involving the macula, combined traction and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, progressive fibrovascular proliferation (PFP) and rubeosis with acute VH represent the main indications for surgery. Vitrectomy techniques and surgical tools have developed dramatically in the last decade in order to help the surgeon succeed in these challenging cases.

Abstract: The Handan Offspring Myopia Study (HOMS) is the first offspring eye study in a Chinese population. The study design is based on another representative study, Handan Eye Study. In this study, we found 1 diopter (D) of generational myopic shift, a weak protective effect of the outdoor activity on myopia, and a modest protective effect of the eye exercises of acupoints on myopia, among the rural children in the northern area.

Abstract: There are many advantages to understanding the genetics of human disease. Genetic markers can be used to calculate the risk of developing a disease, and elucidation of genetic risk factors can pinpoint the molecular aetiology of disease, which can facilitate the development of targeted therapies. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes that has a significant impact on quality of life. It has a clear genetic component, but determination of the genetic risk factors has proven difficult. To date, genome-wide studies for DR have been conducted on relatively small patient cohorts compared to other complex eye diseases and replication of genetic findings has been limited. The disease is highly heterogeneous, confounding attempts to classify patients into appropriate groups for genetic analysis and making direct comparisons between studies challenging. Future studies to determine the genetic causes of DR will need to focus on larger sample sizes, detailed phenotyping and appropriate classification of patients. Global co-operation and meta-analyses combining data from multiple studies will be critical to the discovery of genetic risk loci for DR.

Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of visual loss worldwide. Disease severity is graded from mild non-proliferative DR to proliferative DR. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has become widely accepted as a useful noninvasive technique that provides detailed imaging of the ocular vessels. It is also becoming an increasingly essential tool for both qualitative and quantitative assessment of DR, especially with the advent of wider imaging capabilities. Various angiographic features of DR, such as microaneurysms, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities, neovascularization, and nonperfusion have been comprehensively studied and described using OCTA. Different quantitative OCTA metrics have been introduced, such as vessel density, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, and area of nonperfusion. Current research has been focusing on the application of quantitative OCTA for the diagnosis of DR and treatment monitoring. The primary purpose of this article is to review the use of OCTA, including its challenges, in the diagnosis and management of DR.

Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and remains the single greatest cause of blindness in working age adults around the world. In this article, we review the evolution of pharmacotherapies for both diabetic macular edema (DME) and DR such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors and various steroid formulations, as well as other emerging pharmacotherapies currently in late stage clinical testing for this disease.

Background: In recent years posterior corneal astigmatism and its effect on total corneal astigmatism has been studied, with research showing that this can impact total astigmatism. This study aims to ascertain if there is significant change in the posterior corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery and its impact on the total astigmatism.

Methods: Analysis of 76 eyes that underwent cataract surgery with monofocal intraocular lens implantation. Corneal topography was performed with Pentacam (OCULUS^?) pre- and post-operatively. Total corneal astigmatism was calculated with the algorithm of vergence tracing. We compared preoperative and postoperative changes in the magnitude and axis differences of anterior corneal curvature astigmatism, posterior corneal curvature astigmatism and the calculated total corneal astigmatism. We calculated the correlation between the total preoperative astigmatism and the difference between total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism.

Results: The mean preoperative and postoperative posterior astigmatism was 0.31±0.02 D, showing no significant differences before and after surgery (P=0.989). Statistically significant differences between the calculated total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism were registered preoperatively and postoperatively in the with-the-rule anterior (WTR) corneal astigmatism (P=0.004, P<0.0001); against-the-rule (ATR) anterior corneal astigmatism (P<0.0001, P<0.0001) and in the oblique (P=0.026, P=0.019) subgroups. The posterior corneal astigmatism and the total corneal astigmatism correlated positively with the differences between the total corneal and anterior corneal astigmatism (R=0.378, P=0.001).

Conclusions: There were statistically significant differences between the magnitude of the total astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism, underlining the impact of posterior corneal astigmatism. A positive correlation between the preoperative posterior astigmatism and the difference between the total corneal and the anterior corneal astigmatism suggests a specially relevant role of posterior corneal astigmatism when evaluating patients with higher degrees of astigmatism.