Our ultrastructural comparison of the morphological changes after low power ALT and SLT in patients demonstrated that both lasers caused splitting and fragmentation of the trabecular beams of the trabecular meshwork, but the extent of the damage was smaller and the preservation of long-spacing collagen better after SLT than after ALT.

In eyes with suspect glaucoma, important decrease in PhNR amplitude is associated with small changes in peripapillary retinal and macular NFL thicknesses. These findings suggest that PhNR may be a useful and sensitive test in eyes with diagnostic dilemma, although further follow-up of such eyes is required for definitive confirmation.

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons. Lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) is currently the only proven treatment strategy for glaucoma. However, some patients show progressive loss of visual field and quality of life despite controlled IOP which indicates that other factors are implicated in glaucoma. Therefore, approaches that could prevent or decrease the rate of progression and do not rely on IOP lowering have gained much attention. Effective neuroprotection has been reported in animal models of glaucoma, but till now, no neuroprotective agents have been clinically approved. The present update provides an overview of currently available IOP-lowering medications. Moreover, potential new treatment targets for IOP-lowering and neuroprotective therapy are discussed. Finally, future trends in glaucoma therapy are addressed, including sustained drug delivery systems and progress toward personalized medicine.

Purpose. To investigate the influence of inflammatory molecules in the aqueous humour and on the ocular surface on the outcome of glaucoma surgery. Methods. Thirty patients who needed antiglaucomatous surgery were included. The interleukin- (IL-) 8, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) α; and IL-12 were determined from aqueous humour preoperatively and the imprints of conjunctiva were analysed for expression of human leukocyte antigen- (HLA-)-DR after surgery by flow cytometry. The success of trabeculectomy was defined as intraocular pressure less than 21 mmHg without antiglaucoma medication. Results. Eyes with trabeculectomy failure at 3 months showed significantly higher TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the aqueous than eyes with successful surgery. Increased expression of HLA-DR on epithelial cells and antigen-presenting cells was not associated with the trabeculectomy outcome. Conclusions. Higher preoperative levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in aqueous humour may contribute to the development of inflammatory milieu and were associated with worse outcome of glaucoma surgery.