1,721,072 research outputs found

    Screening for diabetic retinopathy: 1 and 3 nonmydriatic 45-degree digital fundus photographs vs 7 standard early treatment diabetic retinopathy study fields.

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    Am J Ophthalmol. 2009 Jul;148(1):111-8. Epub 2009 May 5. Screening for diabetic retinopathy: 1 and 3 nonmydriatic 45-degree digital fundus photographs vs 7 standard early treatment diabetic retinopathy study fields. Vujosevic S, Benetti E, Massignan F, Pilotto E, Varano M, Cavarzeran F, Avogaro A, Midena E. Source Fondazione G.B. Bietti per l'Oftalmologia, IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientificio), Roma, Italy. Abstract PURPOSE: To evaluate if simple- or multiple-field digital color nonmydriatic (NM) retinal images can replace 7 standard stereoscopic fundus photographs in the screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR). DESIGN: Prospective, masked, comparative case series. METHODS: One hundred and eight eyes of 55 diabetics were studied to determine single lesions and to grade clinical levels of DR and diabetic macular edema (DME) using both 1 and 3 NM digital color retinal images compared with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) 7 standard 35-mm stereoscopic color fundus photographs (7F-ETDRS). All eyes underwent NM 45-degree field images of 1 central field (1F-NM), NM 45-degree field images of 3 fields (3F-NM), and, after pupil dilatation, 30-degree 7F-ETDRS photography. Images were analyzed by 2 independent, masked retinal specialists (S.V. and E.B.), lesion-by-lesion according to the ETDRS protocol and for clinical severity level of DR and DME according to the international classification of DR. RESULTS: Using 7F-ETDRS as the gold standard, agreement was substantial for grading clinical levels of DR and DME (kappa = 0.69 and kappa = 0.75) vs 3F-NM; moderate for DR level (kappa = 0.56) and substantial for DME (kappa = 0.66) vs 1F-NM; almost perfect for detecting presence or absence of DR (kappa = 0.88) vs both 1F-NM and 3F-NM; and almost perfect for presence or absence of DME (kappa = 0.97) vs 3F-NM and substantial (kappa = 0.75) vs 1F-NM. Sensitivity and specificity for detecting referable levels of DR were 82% and 92%, respectively, for 3F-NM and 71% and 96%, respectively, for 1F-NM. CONCLUSIONS: Three color 45-degree NM fundus fields may be an effective tool in a screening setting to determine critical levels of DR and DME for prompt specialist referral. One central 45-degree image is sufficient to determine absence or presence of DR and DME, but not for grading it

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, and cardiovascular risk: the importance of a long-term perspective and a multidisciplinary approach to optimal intravitreal therapy

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    Diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular edema (DME), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) resulting from vascular damage from persistently elevated blood glucose levels are among the serious secondary pathologies associated with long-standing diabetes mellitus. The established link between DR and CVD suggests the need for appropriate and early management of patients with diabetes to minimize CV risk. This is of particular importance in patients with recent, or a history of, major CV events. Early management of DR is a complex task that requires comprehensive evaluation and a multidisciplinary approach to manage complications, risk factors, and interactions between different aspects of the disease. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have become an important therapeutic modality in ophthalmology. However, their use is contraindicated in patients with DR and/or DME with a CV event in the previous 3 months. In patients with DME, corticosteroids target the multifaceted inflammatory pathways involved in the pathogenesis of DR, with a broader spectrum of action than anti-VEGF agents. In this context, recent guidelines suggest the use of corticosteroids, and in particular dexamethasone intravitreal implant, as a well-tolerated and efficacious first-line treatment in patients with high CV risk, such as a history of or recent major CV events. This review focuses on the subset of diabetic patients with a prior CV event, DR, and DME and discusses the need for a holistic approach in evaluating the optimal therapeutic choice for the care of the individual patient, supported by real-world clinical experience on long-term dexamethasone intravitreal implant therapy
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