Common Conditions of the eye Flashcards
what can blunt trauma do to the eye cause
blow out fracture
how does a blow out fracture occur
rim is strong (as are lateral and superior walls) –can withstand force (don’t usually fracture) – but rest of walls are thin- can easily fracture – leading to herniation of contents into surrounding sinuses – “blown out fracture
what causes a tear drop sign x-ray
Orbital floor fracture – herniation into maxillary sinus
how does an orbital floor fracture cause abnormal eye movement
muscles tethered due to herniation - not paralysis of muscles due to nerve damage
how does a blow out fracture cause abnormal eye movement
can cause damage to CNIII from infraorbital foramen - also reduced sensation to this area
what does increased orbital fat cause
hypertrophied orbital fat in certain conditions (e.g. thyroid diseases) lead to staring appearance - scleral show (sclera can be seen above and below cornea)
what can cause infection of the cavernous sinus
popping pimples in the “danger zone” of the face - infection picked up by emissary veins - leads to infection of the cavernous sinus
what can infection of the cavernous sinus lead to
cavernous sinus thrombosis - can spread infection directly to the brain
how can cavernous sinus infection cause eye symptoms
venous drainage of the orbit is into the cavernous sinus - infection of the cavernous sinus compromises venous drainage - leads to engorged tortuous veins and engorged and swollen optic disc
why can some patients not move their eye when they have infection of the cavernous sinus
infection causes swelling of eye - can affect nerves
what is a coloboma
hole in one of the structures of the eye - iris, retina, choroid or optic disc
what embryological abnormality leads to a coloboma forming
when the choroidal fissure doesn’t fuse
what is retinal detachment
when the inner 9 layers of the retina detach from the external 10th layer (pigment epithelial layer)
what embryological feature can cause retinal detachment
coloboma
how can blunt trauma to the eye cause retinal detachment
trauma causes peripheral retina to tear - vitreous gel liquifies - liquid vitreous pushes through the retinal tear and detaches it
what are the conjunctiva of the eye
a thin vascular membrane that covers the inner surface of the eyelids and loops back over the sclera - DOES NOT COVER THE CORNEA
what is conjunctivitis
self limiting bacterial or viral infection of the conjunctiva
what are symptoms of conjunctivitis
red, watering eyes, + discharge - blurred vision but no loss of vision as long as infection does not spread to cornea
how can you treat conjunctivitis
antibiotic eye drops if likely to be bacterial
what might cause the appearance of a drooping eyelid (ptosis)
CNIII dystrophy or paralysis - levator palpebrae superioris affected
what might cause the inability to close the eyelid
if on right side - left facial nerve paralysis
might see mouth drooping too
what are the two types of stye that can occur
external - hordeolum external
internal - hordeolum internum
what causes an external stye
occurs due to infection of hair follicle of the eyelash – sebaceous gland
what causes an internal stye
occurs due to blockage and infection of the meibomian glands