Down syndrome is a trisomy of chromosome 21, which can cause multiple organ abnormalities. Screening of affected children by a paediatrician and a nurse should also be started as part of age-related examinations. However, even in the absence of symptoms or complaints, an ophthalmological examination by an ophthalmologist is still indicated in the first 6 months of life. Patients should be screened annually up to the age of 5 and then biannually. Strabismus, significant refractive error, or any abnormalities of the anterior and posterior segments must be recognised in time. This expertise and regular screening enable earlier detection and potential treatment, improving the quality of vision and life for these patients.

Foreword to Horváth Hajnalka dr., Knézy Krisztina dr., Szigeti Andrea dr., Nagy Zoltán Zsolt dr.: Spectacles with D.I.M.S. technology to slow down myopia progression

Purpose: To evaluate myopia progression in children who wore Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) lenses for a 1-year period. Methods: In our study, we included 12 myopic children (aged between 4 and 16 years, mean age: 10.58±3.4 years) wearing spectacle lenses based on DIMS technology (MiYOSMART, Hoya). The one-year changes of spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length (AL) were adopted to assess the myopia progression and compared to the literature data. The subjective experiences of children wearing DIMS lenses were also recorded. Results: Five boys and seven girls were included in our study. The baseline SE was –4.24 ±1.92 dioptres (D) (min.: –1.50 D, max.: –7.00 D). Average myopic progression (SE) over 1 year was –0.34±0.3 D. In the 1-year sub-dataset, 33.33% of our patients showed no more than 0.25 D progression in myopia. The average AL elongation was 0.1±0.06 mm (min.: 0.02 mm, max.: 0.26 mm). In our study, the one-year progression of myopia in children wearing DIMS lenses was almost identical to the European results (which were significantly lower compared to patients wearing single-focus lenses). All children managed to get used to the new spectacle lenses within a few days. Conclusions: The DIMS technology appears to be a promising, non-invasive therapeutic option to slow myopia progression.

Pathological myopia is one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide, especially among young people of working age. Choroidal neovascularization is one of the most important causes of visual impairment in pathological myopia. The purpose of our announcement is to present a case of choroidal neovascularization developing in pathological myopia, to review the disease and to summarise the therapy methods.

Purpose: Presentation of the obtained results and assessment of the recurrence rate of the pterygium surgeries (done with conjunctival autograft fixation by tissue glue) performed by the same surgeon (G. A. Gy.) at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Szeged between February 2020 and December 2022. Patient and method: Surgery was performed on 84 eyes of 74 patients due to primary or recurrent pterygium. The surgeries were based on the ,,cut and paste” technique, but some surgical steps were modified with elements of various modern techniques (,,P.E.R.F.E.C.T for Pterygum”, ,,Novel Unassisted Pterygium Excision”, ,,Donor Graft Harvesting with Air for Pterygium”, ,,Sandwich Fibrin Glue Technique”) to reduce surgical time and increase surgical performance. After the surgical removal of the pterygium, the bare sclera was covered with graft excised from the superior or superotemporal bulbar conjunctiva, which was then fixed with Tisseel Lyo (Baxter, Austria) fibrin glue. The follow-up period was 1-34 months. Results: The fixation of the conjunctival autograft was successful in all cases. Among the postoperative complications, the following was observed: graft retraction followed by incorrigible graft migration (1/84). Follow-up period was longer than 1 year in 50 eyes (mean: 19.12 months, endpoints: 12-34 months), no recurrence was observed in this group. For the other 34 operated eyes, the follow-up was less than 1 year (mean: 4.29 months, endpoints: 1-9 months), partial recurrence was observed in 2 patients in this group (in both cases, they had previously been operated several times with bare-sclera technique). Conclusion: Fixing the conjunctival autograft with fibrin glue during pterygium surgery has been shown to be a very effective technique, given the short duration of surgery, the minimal pain in the postoperative period and the very low recurrence rate. For all these reasons, we consider this long-known, effective ,,cut and paste” technique to be an excellent solution, both in primary pterygium and also in recurrent cases, and the modification of this great technique with modern features can provide an outstanding level of efficiency.

Since the start of the Hungarian space program the short and long term ophthalmologic changes among astronauts came into the front line. To modellize the changes of the eye which might affect the sight during space flight is of utmost importance. SANS syndrome (Spaceflight Associated Neuro-opthalmic Syndrome) might summarize the eye changes. They include papillary edema, flattening of the posterior wall of the eye with hypermetropization, fold in the retina and choroid, thickening of the nerve fiber layer, cotton wool spots within the retina. Space flight is differentiated according to the time. If it is shorter than 6 months it is called SDSF (Short Duration Space flight), if it is longer than 6 months LDSF (Long Duration Space Flight). According to studies severe visual problems are usually not encountered during space flight. Usually optic disc edema resolving within 6 months, hyperopic shift might stay longer, although it can be corrected with spectacles. The „Head Down Tilt Bend Test” (HDTBT) is the most suitable to modelize the effect of microgravity among Earth circumstances. During this the head of the patient is placed 6 degree lower in supine position. The exact pathomechanism of SANS should be further examined, with special focus on LDSF ophthalmic consequences.