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Diabetic Retinopathy Network laser training programme

The VISION 2020 Diabetic Retinopathy Network (DR-NET) was established in 2014 to tackle the increasing burden of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in developing countries [1]. By forming a network of long-term LINK capacity-building partnerships, learning and best practice can...

VISION 2020 LINKS: COECSA Fellowship examination goes from strength to strength

Eye health problems and access to diagnosis and treatment is an important issue throughout low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and particularly on the African continent, where quality of life is drastically affected by poor vision, blindness and deteriorating eye health,...

The VISION 2020 LINKS Programme: Cascading leadership training in Calabar, Nigeria

The VISION 2020 LINKS Programme has initiated ‘LEAD FORWARD’, an innovative leadership development project incorporating a commitment to cascade training and participate in achievable quality or service improvement projects. The project provides opportunities to apply leadership skills in practice as...

Retinoblastoma – the challenges of a rare cancer and the role of international partnerships

Introduction: the global challenge The global burden of retinoblastoma (Rb) is one in 15,000-18,000 live births, which equates to 8000 new cases worldwide each year. The global disparities in Rb outcome represent a paradigm of health inequality worldwide [1]. In...

The ROP Network: a south-south collaboration to improve care for premature babies

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of the immature preterm retina and a leading cause of preventable, irreversible blindness in children. There are 15 million preterm births annually, and over 32,000 neonates became blind from ROP in 2010 [1]....

Recurrent unilateral preseptal cellulitis secondary to herpes simplex virus infection

Introduction Periorbital (sometimes called preseptal cellulitis) is a common condition which on its own is not normally an ophthalmic or surgical emergency, however it has the potential to cause severe and serious morbidity in cases where the infection has crossed...

The Leicester Grading System for Foveal Hypoplasia

The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit have published the first medical grading system named after the city of Leicester. Infantile nystagmus is characterised by constant and involuntary eye movements and affects 24 per 10,000 people [1]. Onset is usually...

Comparison of two interferon gamma release assays (IGRA) for tuberculous uveitis

In this prospective cohort study the authors compared QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and T-SPOT.TB to evaluate their diagnostic accuracy. They enrolled 120 consecutive new uveitis presentations over a two year period in a tertiary centre. The majority were Chinese (61.3%), followed...

Immunoglobulin G4-related ophthalmic disease – what is it? (Part 1)

Part 1: Epidemiology, classification, radiology, histopathology and associations (see Part 2 here) In this two-part series, Li Yen Goh reviews IgG4 disease and reminds us of diagnostic challenges faced. Introduction Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) disease is a recently recognised idiopathic systemic...

Ophthalmology in the developing world

After the second year of medical school, I spent my summer vacation working as a volunteer for a small Italian non-government organisation (NGO), named HEALTH-AID. As part of my volunteering experience, I joined a team of European doctors, medical students...

The ocular manifestations of COVID-19: an overview of current literature

Although respiratory symptoms are the most frequent manifestation of COVID-19, multi-organ involvement has been demonstrated, including ocular manifestations. The author investigates how the eye can be affected. The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a significant public...

Understanding and confronting bacterial endophthalmitis

Abdus Samad Ansari highlights the importance of early recognition of this condition using an unusual presentation. Endophthalmitis is a medical emergency with devastating consequences. Despite adequate treatment, severe cases frequently result in permanent blindness. Endophthalmitis involves inflammation of both the...