Reference Library
What is the Reference Library?
Keeping current with the retina literature is, for most, an ongoing, futile effort. New journals are constantly being introduced, and existing journals keep getting thicker and thicker. Researching a topic on PubMed doesn’t allow you to spot key references or quickly digest what’s new globally on a topic of interest. And remembering what you’ve read a few weeks later (or even after you’ve turned the page to the next article) is a struggle.
To address these concerns, we pull key clinical references from 24 major ophthalmic and retinal journals each month (click here for the journal list). Although we can’t provide the journal article PDF due to copyright issues, we provide a single-line citation with a brief summary of the article’s main points. Our goal is to capture all major clinically relevant references.
Please contact us if we’re missing any key references or if any reference is mis-summarized or cited.
Want to Automatically Receive Our Monthly Journal Article Summaries?
That’s easy! Just subscribe to the Retina World Congress’s monthly email blast here.
How is the Reference Library integrated into the Image Library?
At the top of most Image Library folders is a ___References Word document containing the annotated bibliography for that topic. Every month, we file key articles into the appropriate Retina Rocks folder(s) and update this file. Key articles are located at the top of the list. This allows for a rapid snapshot and review of the literature while also looking through our multimedia images. Some seemingly unrelated references are included in each folder to aid in differential diagnosis or to learn about similar findings in other disorders.
Key Retina Journal Articles of the Month
Here is the current month's snapshot of key retina journal articles
Monthly Archives
Topographic Features in Retinopathy of Prematurity With en Face Ultra-Widefield OCT
Ophthalmol Retina. 2026 Jan;10(1):88-94. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2025.07.003.
ROP en face UWF-OCT – Describes 2 techniques to visualize vascular pathology and associated topographic changes.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Sympathetic Ophthalmia Following Open Globe Injuries: A Population-Based Analysis
Am J Ophthalmol. 2026 Feb:282:338-344. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.11.021.
Sympathetic ophthalmia following open globe injuries 10-year incidence is 1 in 555. Most present within 1 year of injury. Enucleation within 1 month of injury didn’t lower the risk. Retrospective, TriNetX database.
Natural History Of Tractional Lamellar Macular Hole
Retina. 2026 Jan 1;46(1):93-97. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004659.
Tractional lamellar macular holes maintain stable VA over long-term FU without needing surgery. Retrospective, 63 eyes.
Analysis of Aqueous Interleukin-6 in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Prospective, Controlled Trial of 328 Eyes
Ophthalmol Retina. 2026 Jan;10(1):81-87. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2025.06.014.
Increased Interleukin-6 (IL-6) aqueous levels associated with DR severity and DME. Prospective, 328 eyes.
Concentric macular rings and OCT corrugations in foveal hypoplasia: proof of concept for an optical interference mechanism
Int J Retina Vitreous. 2025 Dec 29;11(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s40942-025-00755-5.
Concentric macular rings and OCT corrugations are imaging artifacts in foveal hypoplasia. Retrospective, 3 patients.
Endogenous endophthalmitis in a tertiary referral centre: a 14-year case series with comparative perspective
Eye (Lond). 2026 Jan;40(1):123-133. doi: 10.1038/s41433-025-04121-5.
Endogenous endophthalmitis case series: Malignancies with immunosuppression are common; most cases are unilateral; blood cultures are positive in 66%. 22% were asymptomatic. Retrospective, 27 patients.
Angular Sign Of Henle Fiber Layer Hyperreflectivity In Contusion Maculopathy: A Multimodal Imaging Analysis
Retina. 2026 Jan 1;46(1):25-33. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004637.
Contusion maculopathy – Angular sign of Henle fiber layer hyperreflectivity with multimodal imaging. Sarraf, Retrospective, 11 eyes.
Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections and risks of stroke in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration-A registry-based cohort study
Acta Ophthalmol. 2026 Feb;104(1):98-105. doi: 10.1111/aos.17534.
CVA with nAMD anti-VEGF developed in 2.9% of patients within 90 days of injection. Risk ratio 1.27 vs. in non-users. Retrospective, Swedish national registries.
Reduction Of Scleral Thickness With Topical Fluorometholone In Management Of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Complicated By Posterior Cystoid Degeneration
Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2026 Jan 1;20(1):17-23. doi: 10.1097/ICB.0000000000001698.
Chronic ICSC with CME: Topical FML improved fluid with reduced scleral thickness. Prospective, 5 eyes.
Symptomatic Migration Of Silicone Oil To The Ventricular System
Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2026 Jan 1;20(1):32-38. doi: 10.1097/ICB.0000000000001678.
Case of symptomatic HAs from silicone oil migration into the ventricular system. With literature review.
Are the SUN Criteria Sufficient for Tubercular Uveitis? Findings From a Multinational Registry Study
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026 Jan 5;67(1):2. doi: 10.1167/iovs.67.1.2.
TB uveitis SUN criteria diagnosed only 16% of clinician-diagnosed TBU. Criteria low sensitivity in the real world. Retrospective registry, 327 patients.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Sympathetic Ophthalmia Following Open Globe Injuries: A Population-Based Analysis
Am J Ophthalmol. 2026 Feb:282:338-344. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.11.021.
Sympathetic ophthalmia following open globe injuries 10-year incidence 1 in 555. Most present within 1 year of injury. Enucleation within 1 month of injury didn’t lower the risk. Retrospective, TriNetX database.
A narrative review of the psychological impact of intravitreal injections
Surv Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan-Feb;71(1):179-188. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2025.08.017.
Review Psychological impact of intravitreal injections: Anxiety is multi-factorial including lack of education about procedure, familiarity with injections, and pain.
Clinical And Demographic Risk Factors Associated With Recurrent And Fellow Eye Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments
Retina. 2026 Jan 1;46(1):41-52. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004641.
Recurrent and fellow eye RRD: Recurrent RD in 21%. Increased risk with pneumatic and increased RD extent. Usually within 90 days post-op. Retrospective, Toronto, 794 patients.
Intraretinal Fluid Resolution in Macular Hole Surgery without Face-Down Position
Ophthalmol Retina. 2026 Jan;10(1):111-113. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2025.09.006.
By 24 hours, similar hole-closure rates on OCT in patients following PPV MH repair with or without face-down positioning. Prospective, 20 eyes.
Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging Of The Optic Pit Complex
Retina. 2026 Jan 1;46(1):15-24. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004662.
Optic pit complex SS-OCT (DREAM). Spaide, 16 patients.
Clinical and Organizational Determinants of a Frequently Delayed Diagnosis of Ocular Syphilis in a French Referral Center
Am J Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan:281:674-684. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.10.011.
Ocular syphilis diagnosis is often delayed, despite private practice ophthalmologists being first to see the patient. Dx usually not made by tertiary care specialists. Retrospective, French, 72 patients.
Intraocular inflammation following aflibercept 8 mg: real-world data from a multicentre retrospective observational study
Int J Retina Vitreous. 2025 Dec 8;12(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40942-025-00768-0.
Eylea HD IOI in 1.4%. Presented average 2 days post-injection. Some were fulminant and resembled infectious endophthalmitis. Retrospective, real-world, 12 eyes.
NICE guidelines reaffirm the key role of laser for treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema
Eye (Lond). 2026 Jan;40(1):3-6. doi: 10.1038/s41433-025-04129-x.
Editorial: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reaffirms key role of thermal laser for PDR and DME.
Is Geographic Atrophy a Peripheral Retinal Disease?
Ophthalmol Retina. 2026 Jan;10(1):1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2025.10.002.
Editorial: Is GA a peripheral retinal disease?
