AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY FRANK
W.
NEWELL,
Editor-in-Chief
233 East Ontario St., Chicago, Illinois 60611 EDITORIAL BOARD Mathea R. Allansmith, Boston DuPont Guerry HI, Richmond G. Richard O'Connor, San Francisco Douglas R. Anderson, Miami Paul Henkind, Bronx Arnall Patz, Baltimore Crowell Beard,- San Jose Robert W. Hollenhorst, Rochester Steven M. Podos, New York Bernard Becker, St. Louis Herbert E. Kaufman, New Orleans Albert M. Potts, Louisville Benjamin F. Boyd, Panama Arthur H. Keeney, Louisville Algernon B. Reese, New York Charles J. Campbell, New York Bertha A. Klien, Tucson Robert D. Reinecke, Albany Ronald E. Carr, New York ?arl Kupfer .BefWa Marvin L. Sears, New Haven Thomas Chalkley, Chicago ] a m e s % Lebensohn Chicago Davjd shoch m „, „ s Irving H. Leopold, Irvme „ „ „ . „s „ r¥ ~ , , E S p i v e y San Fran Claes H. Dohlman, Boston :„ ' ™™t A E d w a r d M a u m e n e e j Baltimore ^ f Br Sir Stewart Duke-Elder,t London i r e n e JJ. Maumenee, Baltimore adley R. Straatsma, Los Angeles Fred Ederer, Bethesda Edward W. D. Norton, Miami Gunter K. von Noorden, Houston ^Deceased March 27, 1978.
Published
monthly by the Ophthalmic
Publishing
Company
233 East Ontario St., Chicago, Illinois 60611 Directors: A. EDWARD MAUMENEE, President; DAVFD SHOCH, Vice President; FRANK W. NEWELL,
Secretary and Treasurer; EDWARD W. D. NORTON, BRUCE E. SPIVEY, BRADLEY R. STRAATSMA
ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN VISION AND OPHTHALMOLOGY—50TH YEAR This spring the Association for Re search in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) will celebrate its 50th anniver sary. The formal celebration will take place during the Annual Spring Meeting at Sarasota, Florida, from April 30 to May 5. More than 1,500 clinical and basic scientists interested in one or another facet of visual science will gather to hear more than 900 scientific papers and pres entations. What a far cry from the incep tion and inital years of the Association. Founded in 1928 by Conrad Berens, M.D., a prominent New York clinician interested in the scientific basis of oph thalmology, the Association was original ly called the Association for Research in Ophthalmology (ARO). Initially, the membership was small, composed exclu sively of ophthalmologists, only a few of whom had scientific expertise. The first few meetings lasted a half a day each and were an extension of the American Medi cal Association meetings. The scientific program dealt with assigned topics and
discussion was limited. The meetings ac curately reflected the limited scope of ophthalmic science in the United States. On a number of occasions doubts were raised about the viability of the Associa tion. Nonetheless, Dr. Berens and a small coterie of colleagues struggled to enlarge the scope of the Association and increase its membership. Little was accomplished until the termination of World War II. The war had spurred research efforts in many directions including the visual sci ences, and this impetus was sustained and magnified in the succeeding decade. Thus a larger group of individuals was available to join ARO and provide a firm scientific base for its efforts. Without question the growth and vitality of the Association accurately reflected the marked interest in the scientific aspects of visual science and the explosive increase in manpower and institutions involved in studying the ocular apparatus in health and disease. Presently, ARVO has more than 2,200 active members drawn from all parts of the world. Ophthalmologists comprise the largest single group of members, but
571
572
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
ARVO is open to all professionals with an interest in the eye and vision. The pur pose of ARVO is to serve as a forum for the dissemination of scientific informa tion. This is accomplished at the annual spring meeting in Florida, and at the four regional meetings generally held in the fall. Presentations are selected by scien tific committees composed of members from the various research sections of ARVO. This year there are ten research sections: Anatomy and Pathology; Bio chemistry; Cornea; Electrophysiology; Glaucoma; Immunology and Microbiolo gy; Oculomotor Physiology; Physiology and Pharmocology; Retina; and Visual Psychophysics. Additionally, ARVO pub lishes a high quality research journal, "Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science," which publishes meritorious papers in the visual sciences. The organizational structure of ARVO is simple and democratic. Each of the scien tific research sections selects a member of the Board of Trustees. Each trustee serves for five years. The president and vicepresident are selected from the senior trustees. The secretary-treasurer and the editor-in-chief of "Investigative Ophthal mology and Visual Science" each are elected by the membership for a five-year term. All the members have input into both the structure and function of ARVO. Because of its devotion to honest, highquality research, the Association has risen to occupy a high position in Amer ican and international science. Its strong est efforts are always directed toward the manner in which it conducts its meetings for the benefit of ophthalmology and the visual sciences. American ophthalmology can be partic ularly proud of an organization that is unquestionably the leading scientific association in the world devoted to the scientific aspects of the visual apparatus. No one who has ever gone to the meetings
APRIL, 1978
has come away without being impressed and enlightened. The Annual Spring Meeting, aside from being in a lovely setting, provides a most exciting program of interest to every ophthalmologist. PAUL HENDKIND
T H E P H E N Y L E P H R I N E SAGA— A DRUG DILEMMA For years, ophthalmologists have used phenylephrine in 10% concentration as a primary or enhancing agent for the dilata tion of the pupil. More dilute concentra tions have been topically applied in many preparations for their vasoconstrictive properties. The company that provides the 10% concentration has clearly warned that cer tain precautions must be taken to avoid or reduce the incidence of side effects. Their product package insert, which is also published in the "Physicians' Desk Ref erence" (PDR), specifies that phenyleph rine may be contraindicated in patients with hypertension or ventricular tachy cardia, and should be used only with extreme caution in elderly patients, and patients with hyperthyroidism, bradycardia, partial heart block, myocardial disease, or severe arteriosclerosis. In obstetrics particularly, one may encounter severe persistent hypertension, or even rupture of a cerebral blood vessel during the postpartum period. The pressor response is markedly po tentiated in patients receiving a monomine oxidase inhibitor. This pressor re sponse may be potentiated by tricyclic antidepressants. Should an excessive in crease of blood pressure occur it may immediately be relieved by an alphaadrenergic blocking agent such as phentolamine. The conclusions of the paper, "Possible adverse effects from topical oc ular 10% phenylephine," published in this issue of THE JOURNAL, will confirm
W.
NEWELL,
Editor-in-Chief
233 East Ontario St., Chicago, Illinois 60611 EDITORIAL BOARD Mathea R. Allansmith, Boston DuPont Guerry HI, Richmond G. Richard O'Connor, San Francisco Douglas R. Anderson, Miami Paul Henkind, Bronx Arnall Patz, Baltimore Crowell Beard,- San Jose Robert W. Hollenhorst, Rochester Steven M. Podos, New York Bernard Becker, St. Louis Herbert E. Kaufman, New Orleans Albert M. Potts, Louisville Benjamin F. Boyd, Panama Arthur H. Keeney, Louisville Algernon B. Reese, New York Charles J. Campbell, New York Bertha A. Klien, Tucson Robert D. Reinecke, Albany Ronald E. Carr, New York ?arl Kupfer .BefWa Marvin L. Sears, New Haven Thomas Chalkley, Chicago ] a m e s % Lebensohn Chicago Davjd shoch m „, „ s Irving H. Leopold, Irvme „ „ „ . „s „ r¥ ~ , , E S p i v e y San Fran Claes H. Dohlman, Boston :„ ' ™™t A E d w a r d M a u m e n e e j Baltimore ^ f Br Sir Stewart Duke-Elder,t London i r e n e JJ. Maumenee, Baltimore adley R. Straatsma, Los Angeles Fred Ederer, Bethesda Edward W. D. Norton, Miami Gunter K. von Noorden, Houston ^Deceased March 27, 1978.
Published
monthly by the Ophthalmic
Publishing
Company
233 East Ontario St., Chicago, Illinois 60611 Directors: A. EDWARD MAUMENEE, President; DAVFD SHOCH, Vice President; FRANK W. NEWELL,
Secretary and Treasurer; EDWARD W. D. NORTON, BRUCE E. SPIVEY, BRADLEY R. STRAATSMA
ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN VISION AND OPHTHALMOLOGY—50TH YEAR This spring the Association for Re search in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) will celebrate its 50th anniver sary. The formal celebration will take place during the Annual Spring Meeting at Sarasota, Florida, from April 30 to May 5. More than 1,500 clinical and basic scientists interested in one or another facet of visual science will gather to hear more than 900 scientific papers and pres entations. What a far cry from the incep tion and inital years of the Association. Founded in 1928 by Conrad Berens, M.D., a prominent New York clinician interested in the scientific basis of oph thalmology, the Association was original ly called the Association for Research in Ophthalmology (ARO). Initially, the membership was small, composed exclu sively of ophthalmologists, only a few of whom had scientific expertise. The first few meetings lasted a half a day each and were an extension of the American Medi cal Association meetings. The scientific program dealt with assigned topics and
discussion was limited. The meetings ac curately reflected the limited scope of ophthalmic science in the United States. On a number of occasions doubts were raised about the viability of the Associa tion. Nonetheless, Dr. Berens and a small coterie of colleagues struggled to enlarge the scope of the Association and increase its membership. Little was accomplished until the termination of World War II. The war had spurred research efforts in many directions including the visual sci ences, and this impetus was sustained and magnified in the succeeding decade. Thus a larger group of individuals was available to join ARO and provide a firm scientific base for its efforts. Without question the growth and vitality of the Association accurately reflected the marked interest in the scientific aspects of visual science and the explosive increase in manpower and institutions involved in studying the ocular apparatus in health and disease. Presently, ARVO has more than 2,200 active members drawn from all parts of the world. Ophthalmologists comprise the largest single group of members, but
571
572
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
ARVO is open to all professionals with an interest in the eye and vision. The pur pose of ARVO is to serve as a forum for the dissemination of scientific informa tion. This is accomplished at the annual spring meeting in Florida, and at the four regional meetings generally held in the fall. Presentations are selected by scien tific committees composed of members from the various research sections of ARVO. This year there are ten research sections: Anatomy and Pathology; Bio chemistry; Cornea; Electrophysiology; Glaucoma; Immunology and Microbiolo gy; Oculomotor Physiology; Physiology and Pharmocology; Retina; and Visual Psychophysics. Additionally, ARVO pub lishes a high quality research journal, "Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science," which publishes meritorious papers in the visual sciences. The organizational structure of ARVO is simple and democratic. Each of the scien tific research sections selects a member of the Board of Trustees. Each trustee serves for five years. The president and vicepresident are selected from the senior trustees. The secretary-treasurer and the editor-in-chief of "Investigative Ophthal mology and Visual Science" each are elected by the membership for a five-year term. All the members have input into both the structure and function of ARVO. Because of its devotion to honest, highquality research, the Association has risen to occupy a high position in Amer ican and international science. Its strong est efforts are always directed toward the manner in which it conducts its meetings for the benefit of ophthalmology and the visual sciences. American ophthalmology can be partic ularly proud of an organization that is unquestionably the leading scientific association in the world devoted to the scientific aspects of the visual apparatus. No one who has ever gone to the meetings
APRIL, 1978
has come away without being impressed and enlightened. The Annual Spring Meeting, aside from being in a lovely setting, provides a most exciting program of interest to every ophthalmologist. PAUL HENDKIND
T H E P H E N Y L E P H R I N E SAGA— A DRUG DILEMMA For years, ophthalmologists have used phenylephrine in 10% concentration as a primary or enhancing agent for the dilata tion of the pupil. More dilute concentra tions have been topically applied in many preparations for their vasoconstrictive properties. The company that provides the 10% concentration has clearly warned that cer tain precautions must be taken to avoid or reduce the incidence of side effects. Their product package insert, which is also published in the "Physicians' Desk Ref erence" (PDR), specifies that phenyleph rine may be contraindicated in patients with hypertension or ventricular tachy cardia, and should be used only with extreme caution in elderly patients, and patients with hyperthyroidism, bradycardia, partial heart block, myocardial disease, or severe arteriosclerosis. In obstetrics particularly, one may encounter severe persistent hypertension, or even rupture of a cerebral blood vessel during the postpartum period. The pressor response is markedly po tentiated in patients receiving a monomine oxidase inhibitor. This pressor re sponse may be potentiated by tricyclic antidepressants. Should an excessive in crease of blood pressure occur it may immediately be relieved by an alphaadrenergic blocking agent such as phentolamine. The conclusions of the paper, "Possible adverse effects from topical oc ular 10% phenylephine," published in this issue of THE JOURNAL, will confirm
