
	
	
		<img src="Brooks.jpg" />
		
		<h2>Top-Eight of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College 
		of Ophthalmologists Annual Conference</h2>
		<h2 class="MR">November 14-18, 2004, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia</h2>
		
	
	
		
		<h4>Anne Brooks</h4>
		<p>At the conference of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of 
		Ophthalmologists, Jack Cioffi spoke on structure-function in glaucoma and 
		the progression from structural change to functional change, and the differing 
		methods of measurement from macro to subcellular imaging. Stuart Graham 
		gave the Ida Mann lecture: Glaucoma diagnosis - Man versus Machine. </p>
		<ul>
			<li>&nbsp;Use of intraoperative transconjunctival mitomycin-C in needling 
			revisions of failing filtered blebs enhances the outcome. </li>
			<li>Adjunctive anti-TGF <font face="Symbol">b</font>2 human monoclonal 
			antibody as an anti-scarring agent for phacotrabeculectomy: 3-year results 
			showed it was safe, but its effect was marginal on intraocular pressure, 
			and disappointing. </li>
			<li>Trabeculectomy with 90-second exposure to 5-FU was as effective 
			as 5 minutes with fewer side effects.</li>
			<li>The comparison of intraocular pressure by Pascal Dynamic Contour 
			Tonometry (PDCT) and Goldmann's applanation tonometry. PDCT is independent 
			of central corneal thickness.</li>
			<li>Optic disc analysis: comparison between a 60D-lens graticule, computer 
			measurement from fundus slides and a Z-screen stereoscopic assessment. 
			Computer analysis and measurements of optic disc landmarks was a reliable 
			research. </li>
			<li>IOP and cerebrospinal fluid pressure effects upon retinal arteriolar 
			blood flow. Peak retinal blood flow occurred at equivalent IOP of 10 
			mmHg, with relative preservation of flow at higher IOP until greater 
			than 25 mmHg. A surprising fall in flow to IOP less than 12 mmHg may 
			be due to lamina cribrosa movement and venous compression, raising implications 
			regarding the aetiology of central retinal vein occlusion. </li>
			<li>It was suggested that a protocol to facilitate interpretation of 
			frequency doubling perimetry visual fields, that considers only nasal 
			step field loss as significant, may have an acceptable degree of accuracy.
			</li>
			<li>Neuroprotective <font face="Symbol">a</font>2 agonists have their 
			target on the retinal ganglion cell in human and rat eyes. However in 
			discussion a question was raised by the audience as to the role of amacrine 
			cells. </li>
		</ul>