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2025 Annual Meeting Abstracts

Updated:  5/16/2025

As a reminder . . .  New Club members are expected to give a talk at one of their first two annual meetings!

View the abstracts submitted so far

Overview Schedule for the week (coming soon!)

View the Detailed Schedule for general sessions  -- will be added later

Submit an Abstract using our electronic portal.

Deadline to submit is June 27th.
Lectures typically are 15 minutes each -- 7 minutes for the talk and 7 minutes for discussion.

CLICK HERE to download and submit the CME conflict of interest form (PDF file) 
         Email to:  [email protected]  or fax to:  847-680-1682

Please note . . .  ALL speakers giving a talk that will receive CME credit must submit the conflict of interest disclosure.  We greatly appreciate receiving these forms AT THE SAME TIME as your abstract submission.  Please complete both pages and return to the AESC office.

Go back to the main meeting page

Named Lectures

 

36th Ruedemann Lecture

J. James Rowsey, MD
Private Practice - Cornea and Comprehensive Ophthalmology
Largo, FL

 
 

21st Jerry & Donna Knauer AESC Foundation Lecture

Sally L. Baxter, MD, MSc
Associate Professor
Division Chief for Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science
Board Certification in Ophthalmology
Board Certification in Clinical Informatics
University of California - San Diego Shiley Eye Institute
San Diego, CA

  
Special OMIC Presentation

 
We are offering an OMIC Risk Management Presentation which will qualify members who are insured by OMIC for the full 10% premium discount.  More information about this will be available closer to the meeting date.

General Session Program

 
Typical Format for Talks -- We generally organized the talks into 15-minute segments with 7 minutes for a lecture and 7 minutes for discussion and questions.  This is a great time to try out new ideas or concepts, or to seek observations and reactions from your fellow Club members.  The AESC meeting is not the place for a usual "canned" lecture!  If you have an idea for a mini-symposium or a panel discussion, we certainly can devote an entire segment to that.

The following abstracts have been submitted for the summer 2025 AESC meeting.  Abstracts will be posted here as they are submitted.  Check the bottom of the page to see when this this information was last updated.

+ = New member, first meeting

Sample Name -- "How to Offer X-Ray Vision to your Patients"

  • Summary:  A multi-year study of the effects of x-ray vision will be presented.
  • Educational objectives:  Describe the benefits and risks resulting from adding x-ray vision for patients, as well as new technologies available to the ophthalmologist.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   YES
  • Notes:   Will moderate discussion about super heroes

Submitted Talks

Updated:  5.16.2025

Berry, Jesse -- "Safety Assessment of Aqueous Humor Liquid Biopsy in Retinoblastoma: A Multicenter Study of 1,203 Procedures"
 
  • Summary:  Purpose: To evaluate the safety profile of aqueous humor (AH) liquid biopsy in pediatric patients with retinoblastoma (RB) and RB-simulating lesions through a multicenter analysis of paracentesis procedures.Methods: retrospective review of medical recordsResults: A total of 1,203 paracentesis procedures were performed on 484 eyes of 425 pediatric patients, including 352 patients with RB and 73 with RB-simulating lesions; 1 mild complication was identified, representing an overall complication rate of 0.08%.Conclusion: No moderate or severe complications, including vision, eye loss, extraocular tumor spread, or death were observed at a median follow-up of 16 months. The procedure demonstrated an excellent safety profile across multiple centers, with no permanent adverse outcomes
  • Educational objectives:  The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety profile of aqueous humor (AH) liquid biopsy in pediatric patients with retinoblastoma (RB) and RB-simulating lesions through a multicenter analysis of paracentesis procedures; this analysis demonstrated AH liquid biopsy via anterior chamber paracentesis is a safe and well-tolerated procedure in pediatric patients with RB when performed by trained ocular surgeons under general anesthesia.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   
Chen, John -- "Pocket Steroids for MOGAD Relapses: A Prospective Study"
 
  • Summary:  Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is a distinct demyelinating disorder with optic neuritis (ON) as a prominent clinical feature. Several retrospective studies have suggested that early steroids may lead to better visual outcomes, but this has not been evaluated prospectively. Between 7/1/2020 and 1/1/2025, MOGAD patients were recruited into a prospective study evaluating the use of hyperacute high dose steroids for relapses in MOGAD. If a patient developed eye pain or vision loss concerning for relapse, they were instructed to self-administer oral (PO) 1250 mg prednisone daily for 3 days, ideally within 12 hours of symptom onset, followed by 50mg of PO prednisone daily for 11 days. 115 MOGAD patients have been enrolled with a median age of 44.5 (range 11-81); 59% were female. The median follow-up was 1.75 years (range 0-4.4 years) with 70 having ≥1 year of follow-up. There was a total of 14 ON relapses confirmed on MRI and/or OCT, which all had complete recovery after PO prednisone (median time to treatment<1 day). There were an additional 10 possible ON attacks with eye pain only, which resolved without vision loss after hyperacute PO prednisone treatment. One patient had confirmed mild ON that improved spontaneously without steroids. This prospective study suggests that hyperacute high dose steroid treatment, “Pocket steroids”, may reduce the risk of developing permanent deficits from MOGAD relapses. This data is promising and supports a future multicenter prospective randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to confirm these findings.
  • Educational objectives:  Physicians should recognize that prompt steroid treatment of MOGAD optic neuritis is associated with better outcomes.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   
Chiu, Cynthia -- "The man who had endophthalmitis 7 times"

  • Summary:  A case report of a 93 year-old patient who developed bilateral recurrent endophthalmitis with Enterococcus faecalis. The talk will detail the patient's seven episodes of endophthalmitis involving both eyes, and analysis of this unusual case.
  • Educational objectives:  To help practicing ophthalmologists recognize the risk factors for surgical infection in elderly patients.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  Not Wednesday or Thursday.  Will be there Monday and Tuesday.
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   Interested in leading/moderating pediatric retina, general surgical retina or uveitis discussions
Coney, Joseph -- "Escape from the Zoo: Zebras in Cleveland"

  • Summary:  This case presentation discusses a 54-year-old male patient with a history of recent unilateral vision loss. The patient experienced subacute, painless vision loss over the past 2-3 weeks, preceded by mild viral symptoms. The diagnosis was Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis (DUSN) secondary to a nematode, and the patient was treated with oral albendazole and prednisone.  Definitive treatment with laser at the slit lamp was placed over 2 office visits.  The patient showed stable visual acuity after treatment and follow-up visits.
  • Educational objectives:  This addresses the diagnosis and treatment of an incredibly rare "unicorn" condition that many ophthalmologists can practice over their lifetimes without seeing.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   Willing to serve as a moderator
+ Dedania, Vaidehi -- "Jet Stream in the vitreous"

  • Summary:  A 3-week old female (46XX) born at 39.2 weeks was evaluated for ocular manifestations of Aicardi syndrome. MRI Brain demonstrated agenesis of the corpus collosum and choroid plexus abnormalities. The patient had refractory infantile spasms. On initial dilated fundus examination optic nerve colobomas and chorioretinal lacunae were noted in both eyes. On examination in clinic 2 months later, a shallow retinal detachment was noted in the right eye. Examination under anesthesia demonstrated rapid leakage of fluorescein through the optic nerve coloboma, starting 7 seconds after fluorescein injection, supporting the diagnosis of an exudative retinal detachment.
  • Educational objectives:  There is a gap in knowledge understanding the etiology of exudative retinal detachment in some patients with a chorioretinal coloboma.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  Not on Thursday (8/7)
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   YES
  • Notes:   Interested in leading/moderating pediatric retina, general surgical retina or uveitis discussions
 DelMonte, Derek-- "In-office Ophthalmic Surgery: The way of the future?"
 
  • Summary: In-office ophthalmic surgery is gaining traction as the potential future of outpatient cataract surgery. While defined as a "Class-A" surgical suite, these surgical locations offer significant advantages over traditional Hospital ORs and ASCs, however also come with unique challenges. I hope to lay out these unique pros and cons as we discuss the viability of In-office cataract surgery.
  • Educational objectives:  In-office surgery is just beginning to gain traction and many still do not know the advantages and disadvantages over traditional ASCs and whether this is something worth pursuing in their practice.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   Yes
  • Notes:   
 Estopinal, Chris-- "Zoster Eye Disease Study"
 
  • Summary: We will review the results of the Zoster Eye Disease Study, which aimed to determine whether suppressive valacyclovir compared with placebo delays the occurrence of new or worsening stromal keratitis, endothelial keratitis, iritis, or dendriform epithelial keratitis during 12 months of treatment and if treatment benefit persisted at 18 months. The primary outcome did not show a benefit of suppressive valacyclovir treatment at 12 months, but secondary study outcomes showed treatment superiority at the 18-month end point and reduced number of multiple episodes of keratitis or iritis at both 12 and 18 months, supporting consideration of 1 year of suppressive valacyclovir treatment for HZO.
  • Educational objectives: We will discuss the role of suppressive valacyclovir treatment for herpes zoster ophthalmicus based on the results of the Zoster Eye Disease Study.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  Would prefer latter half of the meeting. Keith Baratz may participate in the presentation if he can make it, and he'd be there later in the meeting
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   Yes
  • Notes:   
Kishor, Krishna-- "Incidence of Acute Uveitis after Starting a Prostaglandin Analog Compared with Other Classes of Glaucoma Medications"
 
  • Summary: Purpose - To assess rates of uveitis among patients starting topical glaucoma therapy.Methods: Using data from the Sight Outcomes Research Collaborative (SOURCE), we identified glaucoma patients started on topical glaucoma medications: prostaglandin analogues (PGAs), beta-blockers (BBs), alpha agonists (AAs), and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs). We examined the rates of uveitis within 3 months of initiating therapy across glaucoma medications.Results: Out of 67,517 patients (average age 67.3 years, 59% female) with no history of chronic uveitis, only 567 patients (0.87%) developed uveitis within 3 months of initiating the therapy. Uveitis rates for PGA, BB, AA, and CAI users were 0.32%, 1.95%, 1.63%, and 1.68%, respectively. Non-PGA users had a roughly 6-fold higher uveitis risk compared to those starting on PGAs (P<0.001 for all comparisons). Findings were similar in a cohort of patients with chronic uveitis.Conclusions: PGAs showed lower uveitis risk than other therapies, debunking concerns over inflammatory potential.
  • Educational objectives: In patients with glaucoma, topical medications are essential for managing intraocular pressure, but concerns about uveitis as a side effect persist in patients starting on prostaglandin analogs, especially those with a history of chronic uveitis.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   Happy to assist as moderator for anterior segment sessions (Mon or Tues)
 Puente, Michael-- "Four-year outcomes from an eye clinic for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities"
 
  • Summary: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have high rates of ophthalmic disease, yet these patients often face systemic barriers to receiving high-quality eyecare. In 2021, the University of Colorado Department of Ophthalmology created a monthly comprehensive ophthalmology clinic for adults with IDD, staffed by pediatric ophthalmologists and optometrists. In this presentation, we will discuss four years of data and outcomes from this clinic, as well as ongoing opportunities and challenges in caring for this growing patient population in ophthalmology.  Be prepared and motivated to offer high-quality eye care to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities in your community.
  • Educational objectives:  Many patients with intellectual disability struggle to receive high-quality eye care due to systemic barriers to care.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   Yes
  • Notes:   
Tao, Jeremiah -- "Ozempic Face"
 
  • Summary: The use of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists is ever increasing. In addition to treating diabetes, these medications are often taken for aesthetic benefits of weight loss. This talk explores facial changes associated with rapid weight loss and data of facial measurements of a cohort of patients on these medications compared to matched controls.
  • Educational objectives:  This lecture will characterize facial features of rapid weight loss due to GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   Willing to be a moderator or lead a symposium
Tooley, Andrea -- "A Lighthearted Guide to Survival Gardening"
 
  • Summary: In this talk, I will share all my tips and tricks to starting and growing your own garden, food storage, and survival prep for when it all goes down. We'll touch on seed starting, planting, growing, canning, dehydrating, food storage, and more.
  • Educational objectives:  This lecture addresses knowledge gaps in how to grow and store your own food.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   n/a
  • Notes:   Willing to be a moderator.
Villegas, Victor -- "Intravitreal Therapy in Pediatric Patients"
 
  • Summary: Intravitreal injections have become an increasingly valuable tool in the management of pediatric retinal diseases, offering targeted, vision-saving therapies for conditions previously considered difficult to treat. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of pediatric intravitreal injections, emphasizing their growing importance in the field of pediatric ophthalmology. A review of the unique anatomy and developmental differences of the pediatric eye highlights the specialized considerations required for successful intravitreal therapy in this population.We explore the major indications for pediatric intravitreal injections—including retinopathy of prematurity, retinoblastoma, Coats disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, and pediatric macular edema—and discuss the rationale. Practical aspects of the procedure are detailed, including pre-injection evaluation, parental consent, anesthesia options, injection techniques, and post-procedural care. The presentation also addresses the safety profile and potential complications of intravitreal injections in children, offering strategies to minimize risks and manage adverse events. Special attention is given to age-specific challenges, psychological considerations, and ethical and legal factors relevant to treating pediatric patients. Finally, we review recent research, clinical trials, and advancements in technology that are shaping the future of pediatric intravitreal therapy. By synthesizing current evidence and expert practices, this presentation aims to enhance clinical knowledge and inspire continued innovation in the care of visually impaired children through safe and effective intravitreal injection techniques.
  • Educational objectives:  This talk addresses the critical knowledge gap in understanding the unique anatomical, procedural, and safety considerations of intravitreal injections in pediatric patients, which are often underrepresented in ophthalmology training and practice.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  Not Monday or Tuesday
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   
  • Notes:   
Williams, Basil -- "Impact of Geocode-Based Social Drivers of Health on Disease Severity at Presentation and Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy"
 
  • Summary: Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss in working age adults in the United States. With the number of people with diabetes mellitus expected to continue to rise over the next 25 years, the impact of diabetic retinopathy will only continue to progress. In order to stratify the patients with the highest risk, we aimed to evaluate the impact geocode-based deprivation indices like the Area Deprivation Index and Social Vulnerability Index on the severity of diabetic retinopathy at presentation, disease progression, and development of complications. We explored the COSMOS database, which is a de-identified aggregate of patients seen in any health center using the EPIC electronic health record.
  • Educational objectives:  As a community we are trying to understand how to allocate resources to our most vulnerable patients to have the biggest health impact, and this study helps elucidate which patients with diabetic retinopathy are the the highest risk of disease progression.
  • Schedule Restrictions:  None
  • Conflict of interest disclosure received:   Yes
  • Notes:   I am happy to assist on any retina, equity, or ocular oncology topics.

 
Last Updated on Friday, May 16, 2025 02:17 PM
 

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