News

News from The American Academy of Ophthalmology

• Certain Retinal Features on OCT May Predict Progression to Advanced AMD
  In a population-based study, the odds of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression were significantly increased in patients with incomplete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy or acquired vitelliform lesions.
• Week in Review: Burden of Dual Hearing and Vision Impairment, Undiagnosed AMD in an Underserved Population
  Dual hearing and vision impairment adds a layer of difficulty in achieving optimal vision-related outcomes, and people with lower socioeconomic status may be more likely to have undiagnosed AMD.
• Vitamin D Levels May Correlate With Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy Risk After RRD
  A review of Veterans Affairs healthcare data found an increased risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair with decreasing serum vitamin D levels.
• Weekly Journal Update — March 18, 2026
  Topical treatment for advanced dry eye disease, levodopa and lower nAMD risk, slow cyclophotocoagulation vs micropulse laser surgery for IOP control, flavoprotein fluorescence imaging for optic disc drusen, strabismus surgery in adults with comitant exotropia.
• A Case Series Reveals Features and Outcomes of Ballpoint Pen–Related Penetrating Injuries
  A systematic literature review was conducted to compile a case series focusing on trauma with a ballpoint pen that involved both transorbital and intracranial injury.
• Ocular Adverse Events Appear to Be Rare in Children Treated With MEK Inhibitors
  A multicenter retrospective cohort study found a low rate of long-term ocular adverse events in children given mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MEK) inhibitors for cancer treatment.
• Severe Sleep Apnea May Be Associated With Damage to the Limbal Epithelium
  Patients with prolonged hypoxia due to severe obstructive sleep apnea were found to have a significantly thinner limbal epithelium compared with patients with no sleep apnea or milder disease.
• Delphi Panel Develops Systemic Surveillance Guidelines for Uveal Melanoma
  A multidisciplinary group created consensus-based guidelines for systemic monitoring in patients with intermediate- or high-risk uveal melanoma, a malignancy with a high rate of metastasis.
• Week in Review: Reimagining Ophthalmic Education, Personalized Coaching Programs for Improving Glaucoma Medication Adherence
  A survey of ophthalmologists-in-training finds dissatisfaction with their ophthalmic education, and one aid to glaucoma medication adherence may be an individualized training program.
• High-Risk HPV May Be an Etiologic Factor in Lacrimal Sac SCC Development
  High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is a known factor in certain head and neck cancers, and this small retrospective analysis found associations between HR-HPV and lacrimal sac squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).