The embryology of the eye
Nobody claims to like embryology. At least nobody I know. It has been a neglected part of the curriculum since time immemorial and a vicious cycle occurs in which those with an incomplete understanding fail to appreciate the inherent beauty...
Preventing refractive surprises by real time biometry during cataract surgery
A few months ago a retired lady presented for second eye cataract surgery. I noted on the pre-op ward round that the outcome of her first eye’s surgery looked like a refractive surprise as her spherical equivalent in that eye...
Virtual reality for the ophthalmic trainee
If you believe the tech blogs 2015 is the year of virtual reality. Industry experts believe this will be due to the potential commercial release of the poster boy of this new revolution, the Oculus Rift. This is a headset...
On the wrong track
A 65-year-old very high myope lady presented with sudden blurred vision down to count fingers to her right eye after a short and sharp pain. She also described seeing a black swirly line and as all these symptoms were exactly...
Lines, dots, spots and rings in ophthalmology: understanding eponyms
Eponymous names are familiar to all who have undergone undergraduate and postgraduate training in medicine. The ability to name a few allows one to stand out among your peers and rare, or not so rare, eponymous syndromes are a favourite...
The management of retinal vein occlusions: a summary
Retinal vein occlusions (RVO) are the most common cause of visual loss from retinal vascular disease second to diabetic retinopathy. Vision is lost due to ischaemia, macular oedema and / or haemorrhage which ultimately effects a patient’s quality of life...
“I can’t see nothing out of that eye, you ....!”
This is exactly the call you don’t want to receive at 11 at night. The A&E colleague phoned to inform me about a young man who was kicked several times in the face and could not see out of one...
A European ophthalmology perspective
Europe: from the Greek eurus: broad, wide, and ops: eye, face, sight. Thus Europe = the far-sighted (lady). For my first contribution to this column – as the successor of Jonathan Park, whose witty observations and entertaining style many of...
Fusarium keratitis in a patient with alcohol dependence
Treatment of fungal keratitis secondary to the Fusarium species remains a challenge. Although relatively more common in warmer climates, this corneal infection is rare in the UK. Most cases have been reported in farmers and are often preceded by trauma....