Final Exam - Conjunctiva & Lacrimal System Flashcards
what are the 3 main red eye conditions?
keratoconjunctivitis, uveitis, & glaucoma
what is chemosis?
edema of the conjunctiva
what is conjunctival hyperemia?
term used to describe congestion of the superficial vessels of the conjunctiva
a predominant finding of conjunctival hyperemia suggests what?
superficial disease, such as: tear film disorders (KCS), primary conjunctivitis, eyelid disorders causing secondary conjunctivitis, & a response to superficial corneal ulceration
what are conjunctival lymphoid follicles?
response to non-specific antigenic stimulation
presence of cinjunctival lymphoid follicles anywhere but the bulbar surface of the 3rd eyelid is consistent with a diagnosis of what?
conjunctivitis
what is the conjunctival fornix?
area where the palpebral conjunctiva meets the bulbar conjunctiva
what is conjunctivitis?
inflammation exclusive to the conjunctiva
what type of conjunctivitis is most common in dogs? what about cats?
dogs - allergic conjunctivitis cats - infectious conjunctivitis
what is episcleral injection?
congestion of deep conjunctival vessels known as episcleral vessels
the presence of episcleral injection suggests what?
presence of deeper diseases such as: uveitis, glaucoma, & deep/complicated corneal ulcers
what is epiphora? what is it a common response to?
abnormal overproduction of tears, normal response to ocular irritation
what are ghost vessels? what do they mean?
non-perfused corneal blood vessels - provide evidence of previous keratitis
what are goblet cells? what pathology do they contribute to?
cells present within conjunctival epithelium & produce the inner most mucous layer of the 3 layers of the tear film - in conjunctivitis, will overproduce mucus causing mucoid discharge
what is keratitis?
inflammation of the cornea
what is the most common clinical sign of keratitis? what other signs are seen?
neovascularization is the most common - others include corneal pigmentation, corneal fibrosis, corneal ulceration, & white blood cell infiltration
why is mucopurulent discharge most commonly found in patients with KCS?
due to the loss of the aqueous portion of the tear film which then causes mucus overproduction, bacterial overgrowth, & subsequent white blood cell recruitment
what is symblepharon?
permanent adhesion between the conjunctiva & the cornea
what are the 5 landmarks of the conjunctiva you should be able to recognize?
- palpebral conjunctiva
- conjunctival fornix
- palpebral surface (3rd eyelid conjunctiva)
- bulbar surface (3rd eyelid conjunctiva)
- bulbar conjunctiva
T/F: isolated, prominent, j-shaped episcleral vessels are most often normal variants seen on the conjunctiva
TRUE
what makes conjunctival pigment normal? what makes it abnormal?
normal - is it is an isolated finding abnormal - scleral pigment often
abnormal that is associated with pigment proliferation (ocular melanosis & neoplasias) or scleral thinning
T/F: conjunctival biopsy can be performed with topical anesthetic alone
TRUE
what cells may be seen on epithelial cytology from a dog with conjunctivitis from allergies? what about an infectious/inflammatory cause?
allergic - eosinophils
infectious/inflammatory - neutrophils
T/F: the presence of epiphora is always abnormal, but it is not specific for any one disease & just indicates ocular irritation/pain
TRUE