View clinical trials related to Eye Diseases.
Filter by:This study offers evaluation and treatment for patients with inherited (genetic) eye diseases. The protocol is not designed to test new treatments; rather, patients will receive current standard of care treatments. The purpose of the study is twofold: 1) to allow National Eye (NEI) Institute physicians to increase their knowledge of various genetic eye diseases, identify possible new avenues of research in this area, and maintain their clinical skills; and 2) to establish a pool of patients who may be eligible for new studies as they are developed. (Participants in this protocol will not be required to join a new study; the decision will be voluntary.) Children and adults with genetic eye diseases may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical and family history, thorough eye examination and blood test. The eye examination includes measurements of eye pressure and visual acuity (ability to see the vision chart) and dilation of the pupils with eye drops to examine the lens and retina (back part of the eye). Patients may also undergo additional diagnostic tests needed to determine eligibility for other NEI studies, including routine laboratory testing, imaging, questionnaires, a physical examination, and other standard and specialized tests and procedures as needed. In addition, patients will have special photographs taken of the eye to document the clarity or opacity of the eye lens. They will also undergo a procedure called electroretinography to assess the eye's response to bright lights. For this procedure, the eye is numbed with anesthetic drops and a contact lens is placed in the eye. The patient looks inside a large, hollow sphere and sees flashes of light, first in darkness and then in light. The contact lenses sense small electrical signals generated by the retina. Patients who need medical care will be given appropriate standard medical treatment. Those who are found eligible for a research study will be recommended for participation in that study and taken off this one. Participants will be followed at least 3 years. Follow-up visits are scheduled according to the standard of care for the individual patient's eye problem. Patients in this protocol will probably have 1 to 3 follow-up visits per year.
This study offers evaluation and treatment for patients with pediatric eye diseases, particularly amblyopia and strabismus. The protocol is not designed to test new treatments; rather, patients will receive current standard of care treatments. The purpose of the study is twofold: 1) to allow National Eye Institute physicians to increase their knowledge of inflammatory eye conditions and identify possible new avenues of research in this area; and 2) to establish a pool of patients who may be eligible for new studies as they are developed. (Participants in this protocol will not be required to join a new study; the decision will be voluntary.) Patients age 6 months and older with pediatric eye diseases, including amblyopia, strabismus, cataracts, glaucoma, and developmental abnormalities may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, eye examination, and diagnostic procedures that may include routine laboratory testing, X-rays, questionnaires, physical examination, and other standard or specialized tests or procedures as needed. The eye examination includes measurements of eye pressure and visual acuity (ability to see the vision chart), examination of the pupils and eye movements, and dilation of the pupils to examine the lens and retina. In addition, patients will undergo a procedure to record eye movements called oculography, in which special detectors measure infrared light reflected off the patient's eyes while he or she watches lights on a computer screen. Participants will be followed for at least 3 years. Visits will be scheduled from 1 to 6 times a year, according to the standard of care for the individual patient's eye problem. Vision will be checked at each visit, and some of the screening tests described above may be repeated to follow the progress of disease and evaluate the response to treatment.
This study offers evaluation and treatment for patients with inflammatory eye diseases, such as uveitis. The protocol is not designed to test new treatments; rather, patients will receive current standard of care treatments. The purpose of the study is twofold: 1) to allow National Eye Institute physicians to increase their knowledge of inflammatory eye conditions and identify new avenues of possible research in this area; and 2) to establish a pool of patients who may be eligible for new studies as they are developed. (Participants in this protocol will not be required to join a new study; the decision will be voluntary.) Children and adults with uveitis and other inflammatory eye diseases may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, brief physical examination, thorough eye examination and blood tests. The eye examination includes measurements of visual acuity (ability to see the vision chart), eye pressure and dilation of the pupils to examine the lens and retina (back part of the eye). Patients may also undergo the following procedures: 1. Fundus photography - Special photographs of the inside of the eye to help evaluate the status of the retina and evaluate changes that may occur in the future. From 2 to 20 pictures may be taken, depending on the eye condition. The camera flashes a bright light into the eye for each picture. 2. Fluorescein angiography - Procedure to evaluate the eye's blood vessels. A yellow dye injected into an arm vein travels to the blood vessels in the eyes. Pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. Participants will be followed at least 3 years. Follow-up visits are scheduled according to the standard of care for the individual patient's eye problem. Vision will be checked at each visit, and some of the screening tests described above may be repeated to follow the progress of disease and evaluate the response to treatment.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the effects of 20 Gy of external-beam radiotherapy to 1 orbit vs. the untreated orbit at 3 and 6 months after therapy in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. II. Evaluate whether 20 Gy of external-beam radiotherapy delivered to the second orbit 6 months later in the course of the disease produces effects of equal magnitude to those observed when the first orbit was treated. III. Relate the magnitude of treatment effects to the time since onset of eye symptoms. IV. Evaluate whether characteristics of radiation retinopathy are present 3 years after orbital radiotherapy.
This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a sustained-release cyclosporin implant to treat uveitis, a sight-threatening eye inflammation caused by an immune system abnormality. Previous studies in humans have shown that, taken by mouth, the drug cyclosporin is effective in treating chronic uveitis. Uveitis may require long-term treatment with potent immune-suppressing drugs, such as cyclosporin, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, azathioprine or steroids. Taken systemically (by mouth or injection), however, these drugs can do serious damage to the kidneys, liver or lungs, and can raise blood pressure and lower blood cell counts. Because of this, some patients cannot or will not use these medicines. This small pilot study will evaluate the safety, and to some extent effectiveness, of cyclosporin delivered directly into the eye, to try to prevent harmful side effects. In animal studies, sustained-release cyclosporin implants did not cause the severe side effects seen with systemic use of the drug. Some animals developed opacity of the lens and slowed retinal responses, both of which reversed when the drug was stopped. Earlier animal studies of cyclosporin injected directly into the eye reduced inflammation that had been produced experimentally. Patients with uveitis who have active inflammation and poor vision are eligible to participate in this study. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group will receive a 1-mg implant that releases 0.8 micrograms of drug each day; the second group will receive a 2-mg implant that delivers 1.4 micrograms of drug a day. Before surgery, patients will have a medical history, basic physical examination, and complete eye examination, including special tests called electroretinogram and fluorescein angiography. An electroretinogram measures the electrical responses generated in the retina in the back of the eye. Fluorescein angiography uses a special camera to photograph the retina, showing the condition of the blood vessels in the eye. The surgical procedure to place the implant takes about 1.5 hours and may be done under either local or general anesthesia. Patients will stay in the hospital overnight. After discharge from the hospital, they will return for follow-up visits 1 and 2 weeks after surgery, then once a month for 6 months, and then every 3 months until the implant is depleted of drug or removed. During these follow-up visits, eye examinations will be repeated to evaluate the effects of the implant on the eye. Repeat blood tests will measure the amount of cyclosporin in the blood and the drug's effect on the kidneys. When the implant runs out of drug (between 2 and 3 years), it may be removed or left in place.
This screening protocol is designed to help recruit patients for National Eye Institute (NEI) studies on inherited eye diseases. Patients must meet specific requirements of a research study, and this protocol serves as a first step for admitting patients to an appropriate program. Candidates will undergo a medical history, physical examination, eye examination and blood test. The eye examination includes measurement of eye pressure and dilation of the pupils to fully examine the lens, vitreous and retina. Specialized tests will be done only if needed to determine eligibility for a specific study in NEI's Ophthalmic Genetics Clinic. These include routine laboratory tests, non-invasive imaging, questionnaires and other standard tests, as well as specialized tests and procedures where needed, including genetic testing. Photographs of the eye may be taken. Patients will be asked questions about family history, especially relating to eye disease or cataracts, and a family tree will be drawn. A blood sample will also be drawn. When the screening is completed, patients will be informed of their options to participate in a study. Patients who are ineligible for a current study will be informed of alternative treatments or options. No treatment is offered under this protocol.
The purpose of this investigation is to better understand the inflammatory process that occurs in uveitis (eye inflammation) through study of eye tissues. Patients with uveitis sometimes develop cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) or clouding of the vitreous-the gel-like material behind the lens-that can impair eyesight. Those who require cataract surgery or vitrectomy are eligible for this study. Samples of eye tissue and fluid normally removed during standard surgical procedures for these conditions will be given to researchers instead of discarded, as is usually done. Before surgery, patients will undergo routine preoperative tests, including chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, blood tests and urinalysis. They will also have an eye examination and photographs taken of the retina. Other tests that may be performed include fluorescein angiography to evaluate the blood vessels of the retina; ultrasound to examine the back of the eye; and a gallium scan to evaluate inflammation. Immune cells in the blood and eye tissue will be compared and categorized by disease. The eye fluid will be examined for substances involved in the inflammatory process. These studies may provide information that will lead to improved methods of diagnosis and treatment.