At a glance
- Harminder S Dua,
- Arun D Singh, Editors-in-Chief
Topical interferon alpha 2b for OSSN
Galor et al compared the effectiveness and side-effect profile of two doses of interferon α2b (IFNa2b) eye-drops (1 million IU/ml vs 3 million IU/ml) in the treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). In a retrospective case series of 33 eyes with conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 21 eyes were treated with 1 million IU/ml of topical IFN-a2b; 12 eyes with CIN were treated with 3 million IU/ml. Topical therapy eliminated disease in 81% of eyes in the 1 million IU/ml group versus 92%, in the 3 million IU/ml group (p=0.41). Topical therapy was well tolerated. The mean time to tumour resolution was about 12 weeks. After a median follow-up of 24 months, three recurrences were observed. Two eyes with squamous cell carcinoma did not respond to interferon therapy. The authors conclude that, there were no significant differences in the effectiveness between the two dose formulations of IFN-a2b. See page 551
Phacoemulsification skills training and assessment
Spiteri et al review …
