Ophthalmology Flashcards
Macular degeneration - Dry macular degeneration
characterized by Drusen - yellow round spots in Bruch’s membrane
W et (exudative, neovascular) macular degeneration:
characterized by choroidal
neovascularisation. Leakage of serous fluid and blood can subsequently result in a rapid loss of vision. Carries worst prognosis
Risk factors - Macular degeneration
Age: most patients are over 60 years of age
* Family history
* Smoking
* More common in caucasians
* ♀sex
* High cumulative sunlight exposure
Features Macular degeneration
- ↓ visual acuity: ‘blurred’, ‘distorted’ vision, central vision is affected first
- Central scotomas
- Fundoscopy: drusen, pigmentary changes
Dry macular degeneration -
no current medical treatments
Wet macular degeneration treatment
Photocoagulation
* Photodynamic therapy
* anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments: intravitreal ranibizumab
Sudden Painless Loss of Vision:
The most common causes of a sudden painless loss of vision are as follows:
* Ischemic optic neuropathy (e.g. Temporal arteritis or atherosclerosis)
* Occlusion of central retinal vein
* Occlusion of central retinal artery
* Vitreous hemorrhage
* Retinal detachment
Amaurosis fugax
classically described as a transient monocular vision loss that appears as a “curtain coming down vertically into the field of vision in one eye”. Sometimes it occurs as episodes, caused by epsilateral carotid artery diease.
Ischemic optic neuropathy
May be due to arteritis (e.g. Temporal arteritis) or atherosclerosis (e.g. HTN, DM, old patient)
* Due to occlusion of the short posterior ciliary arteries, causing damage to the optic nerve
* Altitudinal field defects are seen → loss of vision above or below the horizontal level
Central retinal vein occlusion
Incidence ↑ with age, more common than arterial occlusion
* Causes: glaucoma, polycythemia, hypertension
central retinal Artery occlusion
Due to thromboembolism (from
atherosclerosis) or arteritis (e.g. Temporal
arteritis)
* Features include Afferent pupillary defect,
‘cherry red’ spot on a pale retin
Vitreous hemorrhage
Causes: diabetes, bleeding disorders
* Features may include sudden visual loss,
dark spots
Retinal detachment symtoms
Features of vitreous detachment, which may precede retinal detachment, include flashes of light or floaters (see below)
Posterior vitreous detachment
Flashes of light (photopsia) - in the peripheral field of vision
* Floaters, often on the temporal side of the central vision
Retinal detachment
Dense shadow that starts peripherally progresses towards the central vision
* A veil or curtain over the field of vision
* Straight lines appear curved (positive Amsler grid test)
* Central visual loss
Relative afferent pupillary defect
Causes
* Retina: detachment
* Optic nerve: optic neuritis e.g. Multiple sclerosis
Pathway of pupillary light reflex
* Afferent: retina → optic nerve → lateral geniculate body → midbrain
* Efferent: edinger-westphal nucleus (midbrain) → oculomotor nerve
auses of Mydriasis (large pupil)
- Third nerve palsy
- Holmes-adie pupil
- Traumatic iridoplegia
- Pheochromocytoma
- Congenital
Drug causes of mydriasis - Topical mydriatics: tropicamide, atropine
- Sympathomimetic drugs: amphetamines
- Anticholinergic drugs: tricyclic antidepressants
Holmes-ADIe pupil
Overview
* Unilateral in 80% of cases
* Dilated pupil
* Once the pupil has constricted it remains small for an
abnormally long time
* Slowly reactive to accommodation but very poorly (if at all)
to light Holmes-Adie syndrome
* Association of Holmes-Adie pupil with absent ankle/knee reflexes
Angioid retinal streaks are seen on fundoscopy as irregular dark red streaks radiating from
the optic nerve head.
he elastic layer of Bruch’s membrane is characteristically thickened and calcified
Causes
* Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
* Ehler-danlos syndrome
* Paget’s disease
* Sickle-cell anemia
* Acromegaly
Optic atrophy
pale, well demarcated disc on fundoscopy. It is usually bilateral and causes a gradual loss of vision*. Causes may be acquired or congenital
Optic atrophy causes
Acquired causes
* Multiple sclerosis
* papilledema (longstanding)
* raised intraocular pressure (e.g. glaucoma, tumour)
* retinal damage (e.g. choroiditis, retinitis pigmentosa)
* ischemia
* toxins: tobacco amblyopia, quinine, methanol, arsenic, lead
* nutritional: vitamin B1, B2, B6 and B12 deficiency
Congenital causes
* Friedreich’s ataxia
* Mitochondrial disorders e.g. Leber’s optic atrophy
* DIDMOAD - the association of cranial Diabetes Insipidus,
Diabetes Mellitus, Optic Atrophy and Deafness (also known as Wolfram’s syndrome)
Cataract: cause s
- Age related
- UV light
Systemic - DM
- Steroids
- Infection (congenital rubella)
- Metabolic (hypocalcemia,
galactosemia) - Myotonic dystrophy, Down’s
syndrome
Ocular - Trauma
- Uveitis
- High myopia
- Topical steroids
Retinitis pigmentosa
rimarily affects the peripheral retina resulting in tunnel vision
Features
* Night blindness is often the initial sign
* Funnel vision (the preferred term for tunnel vision)