Eye Diseases Commons^™

There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living With And Serving Those With Macular Degeneration And Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Book Review: Perski T, There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living with and Serving Those with Macular Degeneration and Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Inicio Press, 2025. 306 pages, Paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-998315-48-2, Kindle $9.99 ISBN 978–1– 998315– 49–9

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (Pps, Elmiron) Maculopathy Demonstrates The Importance Of Coordinated Care From A Low Vision Perspective, Charlotte I. Spada Od, Stephanie Schmiedecke Barbieri Od, Patricia Sanchez Diaz Dvm, Phd, Jeffrey Rabin Od, Phd

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS, Elmiron®) is a widely used medication to reduce pain caused by interstitial cystitis, a bladder disorder most often affecting females. PPS maculopathy is a novel form of toxic retinal disease often not recognized or mistaken for other retinal conditions such as macular degeneration due to the initial similarities on fundus exam. However, when visualized using fundus autofluorescence, affected eyes show characteristic hyper/hypo-autofluorescent patterns.

Case report: A patient taking PPS for 10 years presented with macular changes and complaints of blurry vision and nyctalopia. Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and genetic testing were performed including fundus autofluorescence and …

Welch Allyn Panoptic Fundoscopic Training For Internal Medicine Residents, Vinh Ngo, Huy Vuong, Oscar Garcia

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Pre-Training Patients Using A Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation On Visual Field Reliability In First-Time Test Takers, Lillian M. Centlivre B.S., Derek Zahnleuter B.S., Rahul Babu B.S., Chaesik Kim, Kaitlin Ziadeh Md, Hanna Simmons Md, Vivian Rajeswaren Md, Aleskey Parker Williams Do, Jacob Im Md, Aleksey Mishulin Md, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi Md, Hassan Tokko

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: Effect of Pre-Training Patients Using a Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation on Visual Field Reliability in First-Time Test Takers

Authors: Lillian Centlivre BS, Derek Zahnleuter BS, Rahul Babu BS, Chaesik Kim BSEE, Kaitlin Ziadeh MD, Hanna Simmons MD, Vivian Rajeswaren MD, Aleksey Parker Williams DO, Jacob Im MD, Aleksey Mishulin MD, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi MD, Hassan Tokko MD

Background: Visual field (VF) testing is essential for detecting glaucoma, but reliability is limited by patient inexperience and poor fixation. Prior studies report VF test reliability around 59%, primarily attributed to increased fixation loss (FL). Other studies note 75.9% reliability using training videos …

Eye On The Prize: Expanding Student Awareness Of Optometry As A Profession, Lorena Flores-Hernandez

MedEd Teaching Certificate Program

The proposed Doctor of Optometry program at UTRGV has the potential to positively enhance the ocular health of our communities. Implementing an outreach program highlighting a career path in optometry will be essential for the future of eyecare in the Rio Grande Valley.

According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the optometric workforce is projected to grow over the next decade. The increased demand for optometrists is related to multiple factors including an aging population with chronic diseases and a nationwide shortage of ophthalmology practitioners.

Nationally, the Optometry Gives Me Life campaign, launched by the Association of …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

Best Screening: Introducing The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid To Nicus In Tennessee, Gabrielle Sledge

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is an early intervention agency that serves children ages 0-5 with visual impairments across Tennessee. BEST serves over 200 children and families across the state offering early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The purpose of this project was to assist in the implementation of an early identification initiative (BEST Screening) using the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a newborn vision screening shown to identify neurological risk for visual impairments. The long-term goal of this program is to promote the screening and early identification …

Evaluation Of Novel Therapeutic Agents For The Treatment Of Chronic Dry Eyes, Lilian Huynh, Evonie Villarete, Surajit Dey

Annual Research Symposium

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular condition, where disrupted tear film stability and ocular surface inflammation affected between 5% to 34% of the worldwide population in 2015 and posed a challenge to conventional ophthalmic treatments. Recent advances have led to potential novel therapeutics aiming to alleviate symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

Dentofacial Effects Of Radiotherapy On Pediatric Population With Retinoblastoma, Kristi Truong

Annual Research Symposium

This literature review investigates the dentofacial consequences of radiotherapy in young patients with retinoblastoma by referencing current research. In addition, the management and rehabilitation of the dentofacial abnormalities, highlighting orthodontic, surgical, and prosthetic approaches, is examined. By understanding the changes of dentofacial development due to retinoblastoma treatment, effective management techniques can be implemented to resolve significant issues, relating to dental and skeletal relationship and facial appearance.

Vitamin C Contributes To Epigenetic Regulation Of Genes Related To Diabetic Retinopathy In Retinal Endothelial Cells, Elizabeth L. Turner, Jonathon Reynolds, Walker Kay, Marianne Becnel, Matthew Conway, Alexander Kim, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Fellowship Training Among Ophthalmology Residents: A Pilot Study, Craig Czyz, Rahul Kashyap, Laura L. Wayman

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Objective

There has been an increase in ophthalmology fellowship training programs and applicants. The current ophthalmology literature lacks any recent study examining factors influencing residents' decisions to pursue subspecialty fellowship training.

Methods

An anonymous, 16-item survey was distributed to residents from a convenience sample of ophthalmology residency programs by their program directors or administrators.

Results

A total of 72 residents and 9 interns from 9 distinct programs completed the survey. Eighty-two percent of respondents reported they have either applied or will apply for a fellowship position. Gender and race showed no significant association with fellowship application. Respondents perceived that obtaining …

Effects Of Dietary Ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (N-3 Pufa) In Light Sensitivity Of Retinas Of Mice Models To Prevent Retinal Damage, Aaron Eugene Rice

Longitudinal Scholar's Project

Light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) causes photoreceptor cell death in albino mice after exposure to high intensity light for a set period of time (6-24 hours). This causes retinal photoreceptor cell death through apoptosis. From several previous studies, Dr. Mandal’s lab concluded that de novo biosynthesis of ceramide mediates photoreceptor cell death in a LIRD model. Previous studies in Dr. Mandal’s lab has shown that mouse models with higher endogenous ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFA) generates less ceramide upon neuronal injury and prevent neurodegeneration (Mol Neurobio 2021). There are currently not many available effective therapies for retinal degeneration in humans …

Crispr/Cas9 Genome Editing: Future Treatment Of Duane Retraction Syndrome, Muhammad Raihan Zulfikar, Editha Renesteen, Bantari W.K. Wardhani

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Duane Retraction Syndrome (DRS) is characterized by limited eye movement. One of its causes is a mutation in the CHN1, MAFB, or SALL4 gene. Nowadays, the treatment for DRS is limited to glasses, occlusion, and surgery. However, this treatment has not been able to cure the disease’s hereditary issue. Another strategy to be considered for the treatment is CRISPR/Cas9, a tool for performing gene editing with a wide range of applications, including treating genetic diseases. We made sgRNA as a first step in using CRISPR/Cas9 as a treatment for DRS in silico using the CCTop website. By computing sgRNA, conducting …

Outcomes Of Infants With Severe Rop At Risk Of Treatment With Avastin Compared To Laser Surgery, Stephen Doxey

Research Days

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a well-known complication occurring in the most premature infants leading to visual impairment and in the most severe cases associated with retinal detachment and childhood blindness. Factors contributing the development of ROP include chronic hypoxia and disordered vascular genesis primarily through the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. Infants at risk of developing ROP are screened with serial eye exam and treated with either laser surgery or intraocular injects of bevacizumab (Avastin) to prevent progression of ROP and preserve vision. Bevacizumab, an inhibitor of VEGF signaling, may have positive effects on preventing ROP …

Hyperglycemia During The First Three Days Of Life Increases The Risk Of Retinopathy Of Prematurity In Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants, Jihan M. Esmail, Ramasubbareddy Dhanireddy Md

Longitudinal Scholar's Project

Background: The association between hyperglycemia and ROP has been inconsistent in previous studies. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are at high risk for ROP. They also experience hypoglycemia initially and hyperglycemia while receiving IV glucose infusion. The effect of initial hypoglycemia on hyperglycemia associated ROP risk is unknown.

Objective: To study the effect of initial hypoglycemia and subsequent hyperglycemia during the first three days of life on the incidence of ROP and severe ROP in ELBW (birth weight ≤1000g) infants.

Methods: Clinical and demographic data were collected from 227 ELBW infants born during the years 2017-2019 at the Regional …

The Role Of Simulators In Improving Vitreoretinal Surgery Training - A Systematic Review, Taha Muneer Ahmed, Rehman Siddiqui

Medical College Documents

Objective: To conduct an appraisal of current evidence regarding the effectiveness of EyeSi®-based training of vitreoretinal surgery.
Methods: The systematic review was conducted in July 2020, and comprised literature search on Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase for articles regarding simulation training in vitreoretinal surgery. The shortlisted articles were subjected to qualitative analysis. Existing evidence was assessed, and predictions on how outcomes may be applied to improve vitreoretinal surgery training were made. The risk of bias of each study was calculated in line with the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook.
Results: Of the 124 articles identified, 7(5.6%) were shortlisted; 5(71.4%) established …