https://medicalxpress.com/ophthalmology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Ophthalmology Integration of smartphone-based imaging and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics provides an effective strategy for screening for rare ocular malignancies, according to a study published online June 4 in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-smartphone-based-screening-ocular-surface.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:00:08 EDT news701612786 One-third of the world's population is infected with the Toxoplasma parasite, which can cause ocular toxoplasmosis, an eye infection that can damage the retina and result in permanent vision loss. Although often seen as an unavoidable part of everyday human-animal interaction, toxoplasmosis is preventable and controllable. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-global-threat-toxoplasmosis.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:09 EDT news701596009 The retina of the human eye contains 6–7 million cone cells. These cells contain light-sensitive proteins known as cone opsins. They enable us to perceive our surroundings in detail in daylight. They allow us to see the world in thousands of colors: red strawberries, green leaves, the blue sky. They also enable us to see all the objects around us clearly. And they allow us to perceive fast movements, such as the rush of a train or the flight of a dragonfly. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-3d-views-human-cone-opsins.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:07 EDT news701596014 A new collaborative study by Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center marks a significant advance toward noninvasive blood testing, one of the most significant unmet needs in the market. The researchers have developed an artificial intelligence–based system capable of assessing hemoglobin levels and red blood cell counts using a short video recording of the blood vessels in the eye's conjunctiva, the transparent membrane covering the white part of the eye, without the need for a needle prick or blood draw. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-video-tiny-vessels-eye-ai.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:00:09 EDT news701598662 Very preterm infants face up to a 50% higher risk of developmental challenges affecting movement, learning, language and behavior. Today, many of those challenges are not fully recognized until later in infancy or early childhood. Doctors have lacked reliable tools to identify which infants are most vulnerable during the early neonatal period, when timely intervention could have the greatest impact. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-simple-eye-scan-preterm-infants.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:00:30 EDT news701531942 Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become one of the foundations of modern ophthalmology. A patient sits in front of the device and focuses on a target, and moments later the physician can see a detailed cross-section of the retina, layer by layer, without any physical contact with the eye. It is one of the most significant advances in ophthalmology over the past three decades. OCT enables clinicians to detect glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and macular edema before a patient experiences noticeable vision loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-optical-noise-method-sharper-image.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:20:07 EDT news701516752 Every sunrise and sunset sends the body a signal, keeping the circadian clock running on a roughly 24-hour cycle. This clock evolved so organisms could adapt to Earth's daily rotation, syncing their biology to the pattern of day and night. Artificial lighting has freed human societies from relying on the sun to go about daily life, extending activity well into the night, but this convenience comes with a trade-off. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-exposure-bright-evening-linked-higher.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:20:03 EDT news701516478 Incorporation of an artificial intelligence-based-optical coherence tomography (AI-OCT) system as a secondary screening tool is noninferior to standard practice and can reduce unnecessary diabetic macular edema (DME) referrals, according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-oct-based-noninferior-secondary.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:40:03 EDT news701447612 Many conditions that cause vision loss share a common feature: the gradual breakdown of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye. Although scientists know some of the structural changes that ensue as this damage progresses, less is understood about the molecular signals that shape how the retina copes with disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-erucamide-molecule-eye-response-retinal.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:40:06 EDT news701360308 For patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection followed by a dexamethasone (DEX) intravitreal implant demonstrates noninferior efficacy and comparable safety to a conventional treatment regimen, according to a study published in the June issue of Eye Discovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-treatment-regimen-diabetic-macular-edema.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:20:05 EDT news701362561 The eye disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can make infants permanently blind if they are not treated. But there are big differences in how often Norwegian hospitals actually provide this treatment. "These differences between the hospitals are inexplicable," says Dordi Austeng. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mystery-eye-disease-infants.html Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news700822134 Using a massage gun on or around the eyes risks major tearing and bruising to the retina—the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye—doctors warn in the online journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a young man who had used one of these devices. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-massage-gun-onaround-eyes-major.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700989541 The cornea—the clear, dome-shaped outer layer of the eye—contains more nerves per surface area than any other tissue in the human body. Its nerve density is 300–600 times that of the skin. These nerves are vital for preserving eye health, sending pain signals to let you know if your eye is at risk of damage from bright light or a foreign object—and reminding you to continuously blink to prevent your eyes from drying out. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-schwann-cells-approach-corneal-injury.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:00:06 EDT news700914644 Often called "the window to the soul," the eyes may also offer clues about something less poetic but just as important: the health of the brain. A new study of tens of thousands of patients has revealed that cheap, simple and common photographs of the retina at the back of the eye can accurately predict many of the most common risk factors associated with developing Alzheimer's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-retinal-alzheimer-disease-factors.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:03 EDT news700846621 Premature infants of mothers with asthma may be more likely to need treatment for a serious and potentially vision-threatening eye condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to research conducted by alumni and faculty of the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-maternal-asthma-heighten-retinopathy-prematurity.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:20:01 EDT news700717741 As temperatures rise and people head to the pool or large bodies of water to cool off, Emma Stahr, OD, an instructor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology and a pediatric optometrist at Children's Hospital Colorado, prepares to see children and teens experiencing adverse effects that can stem from water activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-eyes-safe-qa-pediatric-optometrist.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:00:01 EDT news700717141 In a study exploring how an AI-assisted diagnostic tool shaped care for underserved populations at multiple community-based primary care sites, investigators at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, found that African American patients with diabetes were more likely to receive a diabetic eye exam referral if screened by an AI tool. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-tool-shown-eye-disparities.html Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news700233493 A new understanding of retinal cell development may help pave the way for future retina transplants, which could restore sight to people whose conditions currently have no effective treatments, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their findings were published today in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-retinal-cell-subgroups-effective-transplants.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:40:04 EDT news700489381 Low-concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dose-atropine-eye-safe-effective.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700388342 Eye surgery today is safer than ever, yet ophthalmologists must remain watchful for a rare but serious complication that can threaten sight within days: a bacterial eye infection called endophthalmitis. Now, clinician-scientists at the University of Utah's John A. Moran Eye Center have identified which types of endophthalmitis pose the greatest danger—findings that could help deliver faster, more personalized treatment to improve a patient's chances of recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-eye-infections-pose-greatest-threat.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:20:04 EDT news700304582 Reading seems like a straightforward process. The eyes scan the words, and the brain turns them into meaning. But it's not always that simple. Readers regularly skip words, sometimes without realizing it. New research from USF shows how the brain still processes those skipped words using peripheral vision, even as the eyes move past them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-peripheral-vision-readers-words-milliseconds.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:20:06 EDT news700232024 The rods and cones in your eyes are responsible for helping you see, but what is responsible for helping them? Retinal pigment epithelium cells are their caretakers, but environmental, genetic and aging factors can strain them and make them less effective. This is known as age-related macular degeneration—a leading cause of blindness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-lab-grown-aging-eye-reveals.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:20:01 EDT news700029566 Non-invasive eye scans allow doctors a zoomed-in, three-dimensional look beneath the eye's surface without causing discomfort or pain to the patient. Used routinely in clinics worldwide, the scans produce detailed views of individual layers of the eye's interior to help diagnose conditions that threaten vision. But with that level of precision comes a flood of data—hundreds of images per scan that physicians have to review manually, a time-consuming process that is vulnerable to human error. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-tools-eye-doctors-retinal.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:00:02 EDT news699881657 An AI-assisted model based on 71 different blood proteins could help doctors better predict retinal degeneration in diabetic patients before symptoms occur, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine by Huangdong Li from the Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-blood-proteins-flag-diabetic-retinal.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:01 EDT news699546421 A study led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center helps explain why uveal melanoma, the most common form of eye cancer, often spreads to the liver. The uvea is the middle layer of the eye, including the iris. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-eye-cancer-liver.html Fri, 29 May 2026 08:40:01 EDT news699262322 An international team led by University of Manchester scientists has created the most detailed picture yet of how genetic differences shape the way the human eye works. The breakthrough could help explain why millions of people develop sight-threatening conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as rarer inherited eye diseases. The research is published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-genetic-human-eye-reveals-clues.html Tue, 26 May 2026 08:20:03 EDT news699001502 A history of atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with an increased risk for retinal detachment (RD), according to a study published in Ophthalmology Retina. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-atopic-dermatitis-linked-retinal-detachment.html Mon, 25 May 2026 21:40:05 EDT news698914501 A new study has identified hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 (HAVCR1) as a biomarker that could make it easier to diagnose rare but aggressive forms of brain and eye cancer earlier and with fewer invasive tests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-treatment-rare-brain-spinal-cord.html Fri, 22 May 2026 19:40:02 EDT news698677286 Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Okayama University in Japan have developed and tested in mice a promising new eye drop formulation for treating dry eye disease. The team reports in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science that the treatment significantly reduced typical dry eye characteristics, such as inflammation, damage to the eye surface and loss of goblet cells, which produce factors that help stabilize tears and lubricate the eye. The findings support conducting human studies to assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment that could potentially benefit millions of people with dry eye disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-eye-dry-disease.html Thu, 21 May 2026 10:20:02 EDT news698576762 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among aging people globally. Around one in seven Australians over the age of 50 have some signs of AMD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-static-people-common-degenerative-disease.html Mon, 18 May 2026 14:20:09 EDT news698332117