The optic nerve belongs to the central nervous system (CNS). Because of the lack of neurotrophic factors in the microenvironment of the CNS and the presence of myelin and glial scar-related inhibitory molecules, and the inherent low renewal potentials of CNS neurons comparing to the peripheral nerve system, it is difficult to spontaneously regenerate the optic nerve after injury. Protecting damaged retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), supplementing neurotrophic factor, antagonizing axon regeneration inhibitory factor, and regulating the inherent regeneration potential of RGCs can effectively promote the regeneration and repair of optic nerve. Basic research has made important progress, including the restoration of visual function, but there are still a lot of unsolved problems in clinical translation of these achievements, so far there is no ideal method of treatment of optic nerve injury. Therefore, it is rather urgent to strengthen the cooperation between basic and clinical research, to promote the transformation of basic research to the clinical applications as soon as possible, which will change the unsatisfactory clinical application status.
Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) relies primarily on the presence of accumulated lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium (PRE) cells. It has emerged as a valuable tool to detect and evaluate the viability and structural changes of the RPE in live. As a noninvasive, repeatable, simple and efficient means of detection, FAF imaging can provide information of RPE structure and function to assistant the diagnosis of many retinal diseases with other conventional fundus imaging technologies. With quantitative analysis and complementary analysis with other fundus imaging technologies, the FAF features of different retinal diseases will be further understood. This knowledge will not only extend the reasonable and unique clinical applications of FAF, but also will contribute to the understanding the pathogenesis and improving the treatment of many retinal diseases.
With the renovations of modern retinal imaging modality, such as video ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiograph and spectral domain optical coherence tomography, it is possible to get high resolution and reproducible in vivo imaging of retina from neonates to improve the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric retinal disease. Now we have a better tool to investigate the early development of human retina, the pathogenesis and progression of pediatric retinal diseases, and to monitor the treatment efficacy and prognosis of these diseases. To expand these technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric retinal disease, we need simple, safe, comprehensive and objective applications which can only be achieved through multi-disciplinary cooperation.
Surgical treatments for macular hole and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment are the most common and principle procedures for vitreoretinal specialists. The surgical success rate reached 95.0% and above for vitrectomy, macular surgeries with ILM peeling, or local/total scleral buckling. However, the postoperative visual function recovery is nowhere near good enough. Specialists must pay more attention to the visual function recovery of those patients. Postoperative macular anatomical and functional rehabilitation for macular hole and scleral buckling procedures need a long period of time. At present, the postoperative visual acuity for macular hole depends on many factors, such as macular hole closure conditions, surgical procedures, microsurgical invasive ways, skills of membrane peeling, usage of dye staining, and tamponade material choice. It also depends on residual subretinal fluid under macular area for patients received scleral buckling. It is important for us to investigate these factors affecting recovery of macular anatomy and function, and thus develop some drugs to improve the macular function recovery.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading causes of blindness in workingaged people, of which diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) are the two main causes of visionthreatening. Through the regular screening of patients with diabetes, the risk factors of DR can be identified and proper interventions can prevent the incidence of DR. Timely retinal laser photocoagulation and application of the reninangiotensin system inhibitors (candesartan or fibrates), lipidlowering drug fenofibrate can inhibit DR progress. Macula local and (or) grid pattern photocoagulation or in combination with bevacizumab intravitreal injection can effectively relief DME. In regard to late PDR, vitrectomy could restore or retain useful vision, importantly, minimally invasive 23G vitrectomy and preoperative bevacizumab intravitreal injection greatly improved the surgical outcomes. However DR pathogenesis is not entirely clear. Also there is a lack of effective and feasible DR screening strategy in China. Furthermore existing evidencebased data of medical and surgical treatment of DR is insufficient. Therefore, the DR prevention and treatment is still a long way to go in China.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs have become the firstline medications for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Its efficacy and safety have been confirmed by evidence-based medicine and a large number of clinical studies. However there are several issues need to be discussed before reaching a consensus for the clinical application of anti-VEGF drugs. These issues include, but not limited to the individual treatment regimen for different CNV lesions, the best anti-VEGF drug regimen, the indications and schemes of combination therapy, the factors affecting the efficacy, the potential risks of systemic and local deliveries. How to establish a reasonable personalized regimen of anti-VEGF drugs is the 1st issue need to be explored. Ranibizumab will come into China market soon. We need utilize the existing evidence-based medical research findings; take our advantages of rich resources of patients to investigate those issues to further promote the anti-VEGF applications in China.
Appropriate classification and staging is the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic macular hole (IMH). According to the appearance of vitreous and retina determined by optical coherence tomography, IMH can be classified as primary or secondary IMH, and IMH with or without vitreous attachment; Vitreous attachment can be further classified as vitreomacular adhesion or vitreomacular traction. According to the measured horizontal diameter, IMH can be classified as large, middle and small IMH. This new classification system and comprehensive parameters improve the traditional Ⅳ-stage theory, with a better description of the occurrence and development of IMH process. It should be used as the general principal to guide IMH classification, evaluation of surgical indications, selection of operative method, and estimation of surgical outcome. Ganglion cell damage caused by internal limiting membranes (ILM) peeling is the major concern in the IMH vitreoretinal surgery. For complicated and large IMH, inverted ILM flapping can improve the closure rate; ILM peeling and postoperative face-down posture are not necessary for IMH less than 250um in diameter. The current vitreoretinal surgery trend to treat IMH is personalized surgical treatment, following the existing evidence-based medical evidence, and based on the new classification information, ocular and systemic features of each patient.
The hallmark of the recent latest advances in diagnostic fundus imaging technology is combination of complex hierarchical levels and depths, as well as wide-angle imaging, ultra-wide imaging. The clinical application of wide-angle and ultra-wide imaging, not only can reevaluate the role of the peripheral retina, the classification types and treatment modalities of central retinal vein occlusion, and enhance the reliability of diabetic retinopathy screening, improve the classification and therapeutic decision of diabetic retinopathy, and but also can help guide and improve laser photocoagulation. However we must clearly recognize that the dominant role of ophthalmologists in the diagnosis of ocular fundus diseases cannot be replaced by any advanced fundus imaging technology including wide-angle imaging. We emphasize to use the three factors of cognitive performance (technology, knowledge and thinking) to improve the diagnosis of ocular fundus diseases in China.
Pathological myopic macular retinoschisis can be classified into 4 types based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images: outer layer retinoschisis, outer + middle layer retinoschisis, outer + inner layer retinoschisis and multilayer retinoschisis. Currently vitrectomy is the major option to treat this condition as it can remove the posterior vitreous cortex completely and peel the internal limiting membrane (ILM) around the posterior vessels arch. Vitrectomy benefits the visual function significantly for outer layer retinoschisis with foveal detachment, but has no or very little effects on multilayer retinoschisis. The appropriate starting site for removal of posterior cortex and ILM should be the site without inner layer retinoschisis. The knowledge and understanding of the OCT classification of pathological myopic macular retinoschisis is important for us to chose correct operation methods and determine the prognosis after treatment.
Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most serious eye disease that causes blindness, disability and death in infant. Loss of tumor suppressor gene RB1 leads to tumorigenesis of RB. With continuous innovation and development of new methods, the management of retinoblastoma has experienced a dramatic change from enucleation, external radiotherapy, intravenous chemotherapy, to intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with local treatment, enabling a more favorable outcome for survival, salvage and vision. However, the pathogenesis of RB is unclear in many aspects, the rate of eyeball removal in children with advanced RB remains high, and the innovation of new treatment are needed to be further promoted. Therefore, the key to improve the overall treatment level of RB is to pay attention to the study on pathogenesis, early diagnosis and treatment, as well as strengthen multi-center clinical trials and translational medicine research.