METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. 1332 participants aged ≥ 55 years were selected by random sampling from the parliamentary electoral register. Only 1274 participants completed the frailty assessment and 1278 participants completed the contrast sensitivity assessment. Impaired vision was defined as a Snellen visual acuity of worse than 6/12 in the better eye. Poor contrast sensitivity was defined as a score on the Pelli Robson chart of lower than 1.65. Frailty was defined with the Fried's phenotype criteria. Inter-group comparisons were determined with the independent T-test for continuous variables and the Pearson's Chi-squared test for categorical variables. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the cross-sectional association between frailty and visual function.

METHODS: The authors conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective clinical trial. The susceptibility to scar development varied among patients; therefore, sternal wounds were divided into the upper half and the lower half. Two types of coded gel prepared by an independent pharmacist were used on either half. Thus, selection and assessment biases and confounders were eliminated.

RESULTS: One hundred wounds in 50 patients were randomized into two arms, 50 control and 50 silicone gels. The median age was 61 years and there were 34 men and 16 women. Ethnic distribution was 28 Malays, 18 Chinese, and four Indians. No side effect caused by the silicone gel was noted. Ninety-eight percent of patients had moderate to good compliance. The incidence of sternotomy scar was 94 percent. At the third month postoperatively, the silicone gel wounds were scored lower when compared with the control wounds. The differences were statistically significant in all parameters, including pigmentation (p = 0.02), vascularity (p = 0.001), pliability (p = 0.001), height (p = 0.001), pain (p = 0.001), and itchiness (p = 0.02).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, including 24-hour ocular perfusion pressure and risk of progression in patients with baseline central VF defect, as compared with those with peripheral VF defect in NTG.

DESIGN: This was a prospective, longitudinal study.

METHODS: A total of 65 NTG patients who completed 5 years of follow-up were included in this study. All the enrolled patients underwent baseline 24-hour intraocular pressure and blood pressure monitoring via 2-hourly measurements in their habitual position and had ≥5 reliable VF tests during the 5-year follow-up. Patients were assigned to two groups on the basis of VF defect locations at baseline, the central 10 degrees, and the peripheral 10- to 24-degree area. Modified Anderson criteria were used to assess global VF progression over 5 years. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare the elapsed time of confirmed VF progression in the two groups. Hazard ratios for the association between clinical risk factors and VF progression were obtained by using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the patients with baseline central and peripheral VF defects in terms of demography, clinical, ocular and systemic hemodynamic factors. Eyes with baseline defects involving the central fields progressed faster (difference: βcentral=-0.78 dB/y, 95% confidence interval=-0.22 to -1.33, P=0.007) and have 3.56 times higher hazard of progressing (95% confidence interval=1.17-10.82, P=0.025) than those with only peripheral defects.

DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal study.

METHODS: Sixty-five NTG patients who were followed up for 5 years are included in this study. All the enrolled patients underwent baseline 24-h IOP and BP monitoring via 2-hourly measurements in their habitual position and were followed up for over 5 years with reliable VF tests. Modified Anderson criteria were used to assess VF progression. Univariable and multivariable analyses using Cox's proportional hazards model were used to identify the systemic and clinical risk factors that predict progression. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to compare the time elapsed to confirmed VF progression in the presence or absence of each potential risk factor.

RESULTS: At 5-year follow-up, 35.4% of the enrolled patients demonstrated visual field progression. There were statistically significant differences in the mean diastolic blood pressure (p  43.7 mmHg (log rank = 0.018).

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 30 severe glaucoma patients, 30 mild glaucoma patients and 30 age-matched controls were recruited. All subjects underwent standard automated perimetry, RNFL analysis and 3 T MRI examinations. Glaucoma patients were classified according to the Hodapp-Anderson-Parish classification. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to correlate ON volume with RNFL, and receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of ON volume in detecting glaucoma severity.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 28-year-old gentleman with body mass index of 34.3 was referred to us for management of double vision of 2 weeks duration. His symptom started after a brief episode of upper respiratory tract infection. His best corrected visual acuity was 6/6 OU. He had bilateral sixth nerve palsy worse on the left eye and bilateral hypometric saccade. His deep tendon reflexes were found to be hyporeflexic in all four limbs. No sensory or motor power deficit was detected, and his gait was normal. Plantar reflexes were downwards bilaterally and cerebellar examination was normal. Both optic discs developed hyperaemia and swelling. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain was normal and lumbar puncture revealed an opening pressure of 50 cmH2O. Anti-GQ1b IgG and anti-GT1a IgG antibody were tested positive.