. Purpose:  Retinal vessel responses to flickering light are different in various systemic and ocular diseases and can be improved after successful therapy. We investigated retinal vessel response to flickering light in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) patients before and after treatment with a single intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) injection. Methods:  In 10 patients with exudative AMD [age: median (1.quartile; 3.quartile) 76.0 (73.5; 80.0) years], retinal vessel reactions were examined by Dynamic Vessel Analyser (DVA) before and 3 months after a single intravitreal application of bevacizumab (1.25 mg). A baseline measurement was followed by three consecutive monochromatic flicker stimulations (530–600 nm, 12.5 Hz, 20 seconds). Temporal retinal vessel reaction was analysed and compared with the reaction in healthy controls. Results:  Mean arterial dilation at the end of flicker was not different in all groups. For veins this parameter amounted to: pre‐treatment, 2.6 (1.7; 3.9)%; post‐treatment, 2.9 (2.4; 4.0)%; control, 4.3 (3.2; 5.7)%; significant: pre‐treatment – control (Dunnett’s procedure, p < 0.05). Maximal dilation occurred in arteries at: pre‐treatment, 17.5 (14.8; 32.5) seconds; post‐treatment, 18.0 (16.6; 30.6) seconds; control, 14.5 (10.8; 17.3) seconds. Both AMD groups were slower (p < 0.05): in veins at 17.0 (14.5; 20.0) seconds, 12.8 (8.6; 14.8) seconds and 18.5 (17.1; 19.9) seconds, respectively; significant post‐treatment – control (p < 0.05). In the post‐treatment AMD group arterial constriction after stimulation occurred more slowly compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion:  Dynamic retinal arterial and venous reactions to flickering light are altered in AMD compared with controls. Three months after a single injection of a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, the investigated retinal dynamic vascular parameters were not altered in our study.

In Gaucher disease, sphingolipid glucosylceramide is accumulated in cells of the reticulo-endothelial system. This leads to the formation of "Gaucher cells," which are enlarged macrophages. In the eye, circumscript preretinal deposits are a pathognomonic feature. We describe the case of a 23-year-old woman with no subjective complaints but a reduced ERG response, leading to the suspicion that in addition to circumscript deposition diffuse accumulation of metabolic endproducts might be present in the retina in Gaucher patients.

Purpose. Image analysis by the retinal vessel analyzer (RVA) observes retinal vessels in their dynamic state online noninvasively along a chosen vessel segment. It has been found that high-frequency diameter changes in the retinal artery blood column along the vessel increase significantly in anamnestically healthy volunteers with increasing age and in patients with glaucoma during vascular dilation. This study was undertaken to investigate whether longitudinal sections of the retinal artery blood column are altered in systemic hypertension. Methods. Retinal arteries of 15 untreated patients with essential arterial hypertension (age, 50.9 +/- 11.9 years) and of 15 age-matched anamnestically healthy volunteers were examined by RVA. After baseline assessment, a monochromatic luminance flicker (530-600 nm; 12.5 Hz; 20 s) was applied to evoke retinal vasodilation. Differences in amplitude and frequency of spatial artery blood column diameter change along segments (longitudinal arterial profiles) of 1 mm in length were measured and analyzed using Fourier transformation. Results. In the control group, average reduced power spectra (ARPS) of longitudinal arterial profiles did not differ when arteries changed from constriction to dilation. In the systemic hypertension group, ARPS during constriction, baseline, and restoration were identical and differed from ARPS during dilation (P < 0.05). Longitudinal arterial profiles in both groups showed significant dissimilitude at baseline and restoration (P < 0.05). Conclusions. The retinal artery blood column demonstrates microstructural alterations in systemic hypertension and is less irregular along the vessel axis during vessel dilation. These microstructural changes may be an indication of alterations in vessel wall rigidity, vascular endothelial function, and smooth muscle cells in this disease, leading to impaired perfusion and regulation.

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Purpose Efficacy, tolerability and safety of the novel preservative‐free prostaglandin tafluprost 0.0015% were investigated. Methods Data were collected in a non‐interventional prospective multi‐center observational open label study. IOP readings were recorded for each eye at baseline (prior therapy or untreated) and 12 weeks after changing or initiating treatment with preservative‐free tafluprost. Change in IOP was evaluated over the study period for all patients and for specific pre‐treatment subgroups. Local comfort was measured using a 5 step scale. All adverse events were recorded. Results Data from 2123 patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were eligible for the final evaluation. In all patients preservative‐free tafluprost lowered IOP from 19.5+4.4 mmHg at baseline to 16.4+2.9 mmHg after 12 weeks. Preservative‐free tafluprost also lowered IOP significantly in all monotherapy‐subgroups: Naϊve patients (N=440): 22.6+3.9 mmHg to 16.7+2.7mmHg; betablockers (N=307): 20.3+3.5 mmHg (baseline) to 16.7+2.6 mmHg (week 12); CAI’s (N=158): 19.0+3.6 mmHg to 16.0+2.6 mmHg; PG’s (N=447): 16.8+2.9 mmHg to 15.8+2.6 mmHg. Local comfort was rated as 'very good' or 'good' by 85.6% of patients at the final visit. Only few adverse events occurred during the treatment period. Conclusion Preservative‐free tafluprost was effective, well tolerated and safe in a broad patient population. Local comfort and patient satisfaction improved after change of medical treatment in the vast majority of patients. Commercial interest