Vision of the future: large language models in ophthalmology.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly entering the landscape of medicine in areas from patient interaction to clinical decision-making. This review discusses the evolving role of LLMs in ophthalmology, focusing on their current applications and future potential in enhancing ophthalmic care. RECENT FINDINGS: LLMs in ophthalmology have demonstrated potential in improving patient communication and aiding preliminary diagnostics because of their ability to process complex language and generate human-like domain-specific interactions. However, some studies have shown potential for harm and there have been no prospective real-world studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of LLMs in practice. SUMMARY: While current applications are largely theoretical and require rigorous safety testing before implementation, LLMs exhibit promise in augmenting patient care quality and efficiency. Challenges such as data privacy and user acceptance must be overcome before LLMs can be fully integrated into clinical practice.

Seeing Blue Dots After COVID-19 Infection.

A 12-year-old female individual receives a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and reports bilateral blurry vision, large blue paracentral scotomata, and a migraine without a scintillating scotoma. What would you do next?

Ziv-aflibercept for Better Regulating Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ZEBRA): A Prospective, Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine if ziv-aflibercept is a safe and effective maintenance drug for nAMD. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a randomized, prospective, single-blinded trial. Inclusion criteria were active nAMD, prior anti-VEGF treatment, and BCVA ≤20/200. The treatment group received ziv-aflibercept. The control group continued their existing anti-VEGF regimen. The main outcome measures were BCVA, CFT, and safety. RESULTS: Mean baseline BCVA was 1.58 ± 0.44 logMAR and 1.71 ± 0.39 logMAR in the control (n = 27) and treatment (n = 29) groups, respectively. After 24 months, the mean change in BCVA was 0.11 in the control group (equivalent to a loss of 5 ETDRS letters) and 0.01 logMAR in the treatment group (p = .48). Baseline CFT was 257 ± 33 µm and 247 ± 30 µm in the control and treatment groups, respectively, and after 24 months mean change in CFT was 26 µm and -5 µm (p = .24). There were no ocular or systemic adverse events during the study. CONCLUSION: Ziv-aflibercept is a safe and effective as a maintenance drug for patients with nAMD. It may represent a cost-effective alternative to aflibercept and second-line therapy for eye resistant bevacizumab or ranibizumab.

Intravitreal Ziv-Aflibercept: A Comprehensive Review.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults over the age of 50 in the United States of America. Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is sight-threatening, but can be treated by three currently utilized, intravitreally administered drugs: aflibercept, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab. Ziv-aflibercept is an analogue of aflibercept, containing the same active molecule in a different buffer solution, and its recent availability has prompted numerous pre-clinical and clinical trials addressing its viability for intraocular use, summarized herein. Results: Trial outcomes demonstrate that ziv-aflibercept has a similar safety profile to other indicated drugs with effective maintenance or improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and reduction of retinal fluid or central foveal thickness (CFT). Clinical trials of ziv-aflibercept in other neovascular disorders such as diabetic macular edema (DME) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) have shown similar results. Conclusion: Further prospective, randomized studies of ziv-aflibercept are needed, particularly in eyes with nAMD.