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.
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…
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…
When is it optic atrophy? The optic nerve comprises of 1.2 million myelinated axons. Once damaged, the axons do not regenerate (behaves more like a white matter tract than a true peripheral nerve). Thus optic atrophy is the common morphological endpoint of any optic neuropathy. Clinically, the neuro-retinal rim of the optic disc (the area…
Ageing is the most common cause of cataracts (Figure 1), but a number of systemic conditions are also associated with development of cataracts, e.g. myotonic dystrophy (Christmas tree cataract, Figure 2), medications (such as anti-psychotics causing stellate cataract) and Wilson’s disease (sunflower cataract). Figure 1. Nuclear sclerosis cataract – this is the most common form…
Introduction The fundus exam offers a unique opportunity to assess the state of a patient’s blood vessels. Systemic hypertension results in chronic changes, known as arteriosclerosis, which vary in severity according to long-term blood pressure control. A fundus examination is therefore an important exam for risk stratification of a patient’s overall vascular risk profile. Fundus…
Subtitles in English for this video can be displayed by clicking on (first button on the bottom right hand corner of the video). The confrontation test is a quick screening test for gross visual field defects that can be done at the bedside. Spectacles should not be worn during the test as they may cause spurious…