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 major role of the central nervous system is in visual perception and co-ordination of eye movement. Hence, disorders of the central nervous system may present with visual signs including: drop in visual acuity, constriction of visual field and binocular diplopia. The neuro-ophthalmic examination involves assessment of both anatomical and functional elements of the visual…
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…
Different parts of the retina are particularly sensitive to certain hues. The majority of nerve fibres of the anterior visual pathways (optic nerve, optic chiasm and optic tract) serve our central vision, which is particularly sensitive to red and green light. Hence, diseases of the optic nerve (optic neuropathies) will cause red-green colour desaturation. Technique…
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….
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…
Introduction Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes and remains the leading cause of blindness in people less than 65 years old worldwide. It affects 30-40% of patients with diabetes and is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening vascular complications, including acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure and stroke. Risk Factors that…