ABSTRACT.Purpose: To evaluate the influence of the needle size used for intravitreal (IVT) injections on patients' pain experience in a randomized, double-armed, singleblinded, clinical trial. Methods: Patients included were randomized to have an IVT injection performed with a 27-gauge needle (group 1) or with a 30-gauge needle (group 2). The topical anaesthesia before the injection was standardized. Immediately after the injection, patients were asked to grade their pain using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Wong-Baker FACES scale. The main outcome measure was the pain score assessment. Cofactors analysed were patients' demographics (age and gender) and clinical characteristics (such as the number of previous IVT injections). In addition, scaled surgeon's questionnaires to assess the IVT injection procedure were evaluated. For statistical analysis, a regression model was used. Results: The data of 208 patients (group 1: 104 patients; group 2: 104 patients) were analysed. There was no significant difference in the VAS pain scores (p > 0.18) and in the Wong-Baker pain scores (p > 0.59) between both treatment groups. Gender (p = 0.0288) and the number of previous IVT injections (p = 0.0028) significantly influenced the VAS pain scores (p < 0.05). Female patients and patients with a history of previous IVT injections had higher pain scores. The surgeon's questionnaire showed an overall preference towards the use of a 30-gauge needle for IVT injections. Conclusion: The use of a 30-gauge needle for IVT injections showed no significant effect in pain relief compared to the use of a 27-gauge needle. However, a 30-gauge needle was preferred by all surgeons.

The 3D 1060-nm OCT choroidal maps over a large field of view offer noninvasive visualization for demonstrating local thickening correlation with RPD within each eye and overall thinning owing to AMD severity and RPD. This choroidal thinning was most striking in Sattler's layer, suggesting a choroidopathy of this vascular layer.

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The yellow-tinted IOLs were equivalent to the clear IOLs in postoperative contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, and color perception under photopic conditions. Patients with yellow-tinted IOLs made statistically significantly more mistakes in the blue range under dim light than patients with clear IOLs.

ABSTRACT.Purpose: Previous studies have indicated that the immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of the AMD. Increased visceral fat, in addition, has a proinflammatory effect on the organism by producing or influencing different kinds of inflammatory factors. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship of body fat distribution in patients with age-related macula degeneration in comparison to a control group in the Austrian population. Methods: In this case-control study, body weight and height, and body mass index (BMI) were measured for each subject in 54 patients with exudative AMD and compared to 46 gender-and age-matched healthy control subjects. Body composition and abdominal fat areas were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Data on age, gender distribution, smoking history and systemic diseases, respectively, were compared. The inflammatory markers CRP, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), leptin, amyloid A, amyloid beta and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed by ELISA (R&D). Results: DEXA revealed central-abdominal-to-total body fat ratio of 0.073 +/ À 0.011 in AMD patients compared to 0.061 +/À 0.013 in the controls (p <0.001; d = 0.98). The calculation of BMI has provided a significant result (p =0.045). U-test results for Aß1-42, IL-6, SAA and CRP each were significant (p < 0.05), with higher values in AMD patients. Leptin, TNF-alpha and Aß1-40 showed no significant differences between the groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that abdominal fat distribution is significantly associated with age-related macular degeneration. Analysis of patients with exudative AMD revealed higher levels of CRP, amyloid ß1-42, IL-6 and amyloid alpha.