The anterior segment of the eye usually refers to the cornea, iris, and lens. Most of the anterior segment conditions can be diagnosed clinically with a slit lamp.
However, even without a slit lamp, many anterior segment signs can be picked up using a torch together with close observation alone. This is particularly important as many potentially blinding conditions are caused by systemic diseases and it is important to pick these signs up early.
A number of systemic conditions can cause corneal problems. Rheumatological conditions, in particularly rheumatoid arthritis, can cause a peripheral thinning of the cornea called peripheral ulcerative keratitis. If untreated, this can lead to perforation of the cornea and loss of integrity of the globe. Other examples include systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegener’s granulomatosis and polyarteritis nodosa….
When is it true optic disc edema? The optic nerve head consists of a bundle of densely packed axons from 1.2 million retinal ganglion cells and also encases the central retinal artery and vein. Thus, true optic disc swelling should have both mechanical and vascular signs present. The above photo (Figure 1) illustrates a typical…
Dr Jennifer Shum Introduction Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and their axons, leading to characteristic optic nerve structural damage and visual field deficits. It is the second leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Risk factors A high intraocular pressure (IOP) is the strongest risk…
Inflammation of the iris – iritis, also referred to as anterior uveitis, can be associated with a number of systemic conditions, the most common being the sero-negative spondyloarthropathies. In uveitis, the signs include ciliary injection, anterior chamber cells, keratitic precipitates on the posterior surface of cornea, and posterior synechiae (adhesion between the lens and iris,…
Subtitles in English for this video can be displayed by clicking on (first button on the bottom right hand corner of the video). The cover and uncover tests help to further classify concomitant squints. These tests are not for patients with incomitant squints. Comitant squints that are present at all times of the day are called…
Subtitles in English for this video can be displayed by clicking on (first button on the bottom right hand corner of the video). The size of the pupillary aperture at any point in time is dependent on a balance between sympathetic tone, parasympathetic tone, the light reflex and the near reflex. The light reflex is an…