The latest research from AOA members
Whether remote or in-person, Optometry’s Meeting® offers ways for you to engage in the latest optometric research and important scientific discourse.
The ePoster Virtual Event, June 7-8, supported by Janssen, is a national forum for clinicians, students and faculty to share interesting cases and research, newly reconfigured to enhance visibility and participation—and featuring an all-time record number of poster submissions. Available on the AOA’s EyeLearn Professional Development Hub before Optometry’s Meeting, the ePoster Virtual Event will feature 122 poster and abstract presentations. Consult the schedule to see which of the eight, 50-minute virtual courses you would like to attend. There is no cost for these interactive sessions, but enrollment within the AOA’s EyeLearn is required.
Offered in person at Optometry’s Meeting in Chicago, from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, June 18, the Top 5 Poster Session is a live, interactive course that spotlights select posters and abstracts and is available for AOA CE hours. Following the Top 5 Poster Session will be a networking event, 3-4 p.m., with light food and drinks, for attendees and presenters to connect further on these important abstracts. Optometry’s Meeting registration is required to attend these in-person events.
Top 5 poster abstracts of 2022
Here are the top five poster abstracts of 2022, as selected by the AOA’s Poster Committee members.
Bilateral Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A Case Report Exemplifying Minimizing Visual Morbidity
Author: Scott Hauswirth, O.D.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but potentially visually devastating condition that has a high predilection for contact lens wearers. Typically, it presents as a unilateral condition but rarely may present as a bilateral condition. Early diagnosis is a critical step to preventing visual morbidity though it does not guarantee such. We present a case of a young patient who developed bilateral keratitis following storage of her contacts in tap water. She presented to our office 11 days following onset of symptoms. Clinical presentation was consistent with early Acanthamoeba infection, and confocal microscopy confirmed diagnosis the day of presentation. She was placed on topical compounded chlorhexidine drops 0.02% q1h OU as well as Neomycin QID OU. Subsequent visits showed initial worsening of symptoms, visual acuity, and clinical signs in both eyes, followed by gradual improvement in all metrics, and by 12 weeks best corrected vision had returned to 20/20 in both eyes. In this case, early diagnosis and appropriate intervention led to an excellent outcome.
Effect of OC-01 (Varenicline Solution) Nasal Spray Compared to Vehicle Control on Dry Eye Disease Sign Outcomes by Baseline Subgroup Characteristics
Author: Leslie O'Dell, O.D.
Co-authors: Andrea Gibson, Gretchen Blemker, O.D., Laura Hendrix
Dry eye disease (DED) patients present with a broad range of clinical signs and symptoms at baseline (BL), including abnormal spectrum of Schirmer's Test Score (STS) and Eye Dryness Score (EDS) severity. OC-01 (varenicline solution) nasal spray (VNS) is a cholinergic agonist believed to pharmacologically neuro-activate the trigeminal parasympathetic pathway and increase basal tear production. To determine the effect of baseline signs and symptoms on the efficacy of OC-01 VNS, integrated data from ONSET-1 and ONSET-2 clinical trials were analyzed to determine the irrelevance on sign outcomes in DED subjects.
Misdiagnosis of Meningioma
Author: Christopher Lowe, O.D.
Meningiomas are tumors that form from the meningeal layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord. While most are benign, they can still affect the function of surrounding neural structures, including the visual pathway. Because meningiomas (and other compressive lesions) are uncommon, clinicians may fail to recognize subtle findings that could help make the correct diagnosis, particularly if some findings overlap with more common diagnoses. This case is an example of a missed diagnosis and reviews the signs and symptoms that should prompt the clinician to order neuroimaging to discover potential compressive lesions.
The Effects of Long-Haul COVID-19 on Vision; Similarities to Post-Concussion Vision Symptoms and Findings
Author: Lynn Greenspan, O.D., Ph.D.
COVID-19 symptoms and findings may linger and has been given the terminology "long COVID." "COVID long-haulers" may suffer with persistent symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction (or brain fog), and fatigue. While these are the most common symptoms, there have been more than 200 other symptoms reported. Chest pain, speech difficulty, anxiety or depression, muscle aches, fever, and persistent loss of smell and loss of taste are some other symptoms. There is prior information about patients who have recovered from SARS who have gone on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, which worsens with physical or mental activity, and doesn't improve with rest. The same may be true for people who have long-haul COVID-19. The Mayo Clinic reports that while long-haul COVID damages primarily the lungs, it can also damage the heart, kidneys and the brain. In this sense, brain injury from COVID-19 can result in post-brain injury vision symptoms and findings as well. Of the 58.9 million Americans who have reported having COVID, according to The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, about 11.1 million Americans are living with long COVID-19 symptoms. The numbers continue to rise during the new Omicron variant. Over the past year, a new clinic has been established within our local rehabilitation hospital in order to address the medical rehabilitation needs of COVID long-haul patients. Patients have been referred for vision evaluation and treatment. In this case series, six long-haul patients are presented, including vision symptoms and findings. Treatments and therapies are discussed. An interesting comparison is made to post-concussion patient symptoms and findings. Optometry as a profession will be seeing this population grow in their practices over the next several years and we should prepare ourselves for the visual needs of long-haul COVID patients.
Thermal Pulsation System in the Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Post-hoc Analysis of a 12-month, Randomized, Multicenter Study
Author: Shane Kannarr, O.D.
Co-authors: David Kading, O.D., Gina Wesley, O.D., Katherine Bickle, O.D., Colton Heinrich, O.D., Jason Miller, O.D., Sruthi Srinivasan, O.D.
To demonstrate the efficacy of iLux in change from baseline in meibomian gland score (MGS) at 12 months post single treatment in meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) subjects with evaporative dry eye disease (EDE).
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