New technique may help diagnose eye diseases

June 28, 2010

A new non-invasive technique has been developed by researchers at Harvard Medical School that may help detect eye diseases in their early stages, ScienceDaily.com reports.

A condition called uveitis, which is the inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, is the most common form of eye disease in the United States. It accounts for 10 percent of visual loss cases but, if the condition is caught early enough, treatment can be administered which may help prevent irreversible tissue damage.

When the condition develops, white blood cells become concentrated in the affected area of the eye. Researchers used microspheres that bond with a particular molecule found in white blood cells. Once the areas have been identified with the microsphere, treatment can be administered with anti-inflammatory drugs.

"Our imaging approach detects the earliest signs of disease, even prior to the occurrence of clinical symptoms, such as leakage, pain, or vision deterioration," Dr Ali Hafezi-Moghadam, lead researcher, told the news source.

Researchers hope to take this research tool and begin to use it at the clinical level to help treat patients who may suffer from this eye condition.