Eye growth and refractive state can be manipulated by altering peripheral retinal defocus. Imposing peripheral hyperopic defocus produces axial myopia, whereas peripheral myopic defocus produces axial hyperopia. The effects are smaller than using single-vision contact lenses that impose full-field defocus, but support the use of bifocal or multifocal contact lenses as an effective treatment for myopia control.

Imposing hyperopic and myopic defocus simultaneously using concentric contact lenses resulted in relatively smaller and less myopic eyes, despite treated eyes being exposed to a greater percentage of negative defocus. Exposing the retina to combined dioptric powers with multifocal lenses that include positive defocus might be an effective treatment to control myopia development or progression.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of interrupting negative lens wear for short periods early or late during the development of lens-induced myopia in marmosets. Sixteen marmosets were reared with a −5D contact lens on their right eye (plano on contralateral eye) for 8 weeks. Eight marmosets had lenses removed for 30 mins twice/day during the first four weeks (early interruption) and eight during the last four weeks (late interruption). Data were compared to treated controls that wore lenses continuously (N = 12) and untreated controls (N = 10). Interocular differences (IOD) in vitreous chamber (VC) depth and central and peripheral mean spherical refractive error (MSE) were measured at baseline and after four (T 4 ) and eight (T 8 ) weeks of treatment. Visual experience during the interruptions was monitored by measuring refraction while marmosets were seated at the center of a 1 m radius viewing cylinder. At T 4 the eyes that were interrupted early were not different from untreated controls (p = 0.10) and at T 8 had grown less and were less myopic than those interrupted later (IOD change from baseline, VC: +0.07 ± 0.04 mm vs +0.20 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.05; MSE: −1.59 ± 0.26D vs −2.63 ± 0.60D, p = 0.13). Eyes interrupted later were not different from treated controls (MSE, p = 0.99; VC, p = 0.60) and grew at the same rate as during the first four weeks of uninterrupted lens wear (T 4 − T 0 : 3.67 ± 1.1 µm/day, T 8 − T 4 : 3.56 ± 1.3 µm/day p = 0.96). Peripheral refraction was a predictive factor for the amount of myopia developed only when the interruption was not effective. In summary, interrupting hyperopic defocus with short periods of myopic defocus before compensation occurs prevents axial myopia from developing. After myopia develops, interruption is less effective.

Purpose To identify factors associated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) presentation and two-year outcome in 479 intermediate, posterior, and panuveitic eyes. Design Cohort study using randomized controlled trial data Methods Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial masked BCVA measurements at baseline and 2 years’ follow-up used gold standard methods. Twenty-three clinical centers documented characteristics per protocol, which were evaluated as potential predictive factors for baseline BCVA and two-year change in BCVA. Results Baseline factors significantly associated with reduced BCVA included: age ≥50 vs. <50 years; posterior vs. intermediate uveitis; uveitis duration >10 vs. <6 years; anterior chamber (AC) flare > grade 0; cataract; macular thickening; and exudative retinal detachment. Over two years, eyes better than 20/50 and 20/50 or worse at baseline improved, on average, by 1 letter (p=0.52) and 10 letters (p<0.001) respectively. Both treatment groups and all sites of uveitis improved similarly. Factors associated with improved BCVA included resolution of active AC cells, of macular thickening, and cataract surgery in an initially cataractous eye. Factors associated with worsening BCVA included longer duration of uveitis (6–10 or >10 vs. <6 years), incident AC flare, cataract at both baseline and follow-up, pseudophakia at baseline, persistence or incidence of vitreous haze, and incidence of macular thickening. Conclusions Intermediate, posterior and panuveitis have a similarly favorable prognosis with both systemic and fluocinolone acetonide implant treatment. Eyes with more prolonged/severe inflammatory damage and/or inflammatory findings initially or during follow-up have a worse visual acuity prognosis. The results indicate the value of implementing best practices in managing inflammation.

Purpose To describe fluocinolone acetonide implant dissociations in the Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial. Design Randomized clinical trial with extended follow-up. Methods Review of data collected on the first implant in the eye(s) of participants. Dissociation was defined as the drug pellet no longer being affixed to the strut and categorized as spontaneous or surgically-related. Results 250 eyes (146 patients) had at least one implant placed. Median time follow-up time after implant placement was 6 years (range 0.5 to 9.2). Thirty-four dissociations were reported in 30 participants. There were 22 spontaneous events in 22 participants; 6-year cumulative risk of a spontaneous dissociation was 4.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.4%–9.1%). The earliest event occurred 4.8 years after placement. Nine of 22 eyes with data had a decline in visual acuity ≥5 letters temporally related to the dissociation. 39 implant removal surgeries were performed, 33 with replacement. Twelve dissociations were noted during implant removal surgeries in 10 participants (26%, 95% CI 15%–48%); 5 of these eyes had a decline in visual acuity ≥5 letters after surgery. The time from implant placement to removal surgery was longer for the surgeries at which dissociated implants were identified than for those without one (5.7 vs 3.7 years, p < 0.001). Overall, visual acuity declined 15 or more letters from pre-implant values in 22% of affected eyes; declines were frequently associated with complications of uveitis or it’s treatment. Conclusion There is an increasing risk of dissociation of Retisert implants during follow-up, the risk is greater with removal/exchange surgeries, but both the risk of spontaneous and surgically related events increase with longevity of the implants. In 22% of affected eyes visual acuity declined by 15 letters. In the context of eyes with moderate to severe uveitis for years, this rate is not unexpected.