Anterior segment imaging: a photographer’s view
My name is Rosalyn Painter and I work within the vision science and ophthalmic imaging team at Bristol Eye Hospital, where we cover all aspects of imaging within the hospital, including fluorescein angiograms, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), slit-lamp...
What’s next in retinal imaging? Faster, deeper and full-on
Fast-evolving technological leaps are opening the way toward clinically useful ocular coherence angiography, generating 3-dimensional microvasculature maps without intravenous dye injection, as well as whole-eye imaging, handheld patient-operated optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices and, for challenging vitreoretinal procedures, integrated intraoperative...
Myasthenia gravis presenting with isolated ptosis: a poorly studied subgroup
Investigation into the cause of one isolated symptom or sign can be challenging if that particular sign may be caused by a variety of pathological processes, affecting different tissues, and presenting to different specialties. Unilateral ptosis is a case in...
Shifting the paradigm of managing patients in medical retina: how real-world data can help us to improve clinical practice
The ophthalmic subspecialty of ‘medical retina’ has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. With the introduction of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Novartis), a specialty formerly dominated by laser-based therapies has been transformed to become, in large part, pharmacotherapy-based. To date, these pharmacotherapies...
Retinopathy of prematurity treatment in the South West of England: long-term outcomes 1997-2008
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a condition that affects the developing retinal vascular system of pre-term babies. If left untreated, ROP can lead to severe visual impairment. The severe visual impairment caused by untreated ROP can be prevented by screening...
Management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in the working-age population. Due to the worsening global epidemic of diabetes, the incidence of morbidity caused by the disease is set to increase [1]. The prevalence of diabetes in the UK...
How to examine the visual system Part 2: Accommodation, pupils, fundoscopy and additional tests
Examining the visual system can be a tricky skill for medical students to master, yet it is a task that is frequently tested in examinations. This is the second of a two-part series of articles, which together aim to improve...
NICE drugs: an update on what’s good to go
Treatment options recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) must be readily available for use in the NHS of England and Wales. This article provides an overview of recent guidance from NICE and summary advice issued...
How to examine the visual system Part 1: visual acuity, visual fields and eye movements
Asking candidates to perform an examination of the visual system, either as part of a full cranial nerve exam or as an individual entity, is a common station in practical examinations during medical school. It is important to practise for...
Treatment of diabetic macular oedema
Diabetic macular oedema (DMO) is a common complication associated with diabetic retinopathy, and the most common cause of visual impairment in diabetes [1]. With predicted rising levels of diabetes (in England by 2025 the estimated population with diabetes will be...
Inherited retinal disorders now the leading cause of blindness
The recent paper in BMJ Open, from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, ‘A comparison of the causes of blindness certifications in England and Wales in working age adults (16-64 years), 1999-2000 with 2009-2010’ concludes that inherited retinal disorders (IRD) such...