Ophthalmology AS Flashcards
What is an afferent defect?
No direct response but intact consensual response
Cannot initiate consensual response in contralateral eye
Dilatation on moving light from normal to abnormal eye.
Due to a total CN II lesion.
What is a relative afferent pupillary defect?
Marcus-Gunn Pupil
Features
- Minor constriction to direct light
- Dilatation on moving light from normal to abnormal eye
- RAPD = Marcus Gunn Pupil
Damage to the affect pathway (retina or optic nerve). Due to consensual pupillary relaxation response form healthy eye.
Due to:
optic neuritis
Optic atrophy
retinal disease
Afferent: retina → optic nerve → lateral geniculate body → midbrain
efferent: Edinger-Westphal nucleus (midbrain) → oculomotor nerve
What is the efferent defect?
Features
- Dilated pupil does not react to light
- Initiate consensual response in contralateral pupil
- Ophthalmoplegia + ptosis
What is the cause of an efferent defect?
3rd nerve palsy
- The pupil is often spared in a vascular lesion as pupillary fibres run in the periphery.
Differential for a fixed dilated pupil?
Mydriatics - tropicamide
Iris Truma
Acute Glaucoma
CN3 Compression: tumour, coning.
Features of Holmes- Adie Pupil?
Young women with sudden blurring of near vision.
Initially unilateral and then bilateral pupil dilatation
Dilated pupil has no response to light and sluggish response to accommodation
- A tonic pupil
Investigations
- Iris shows spontaneous wormy movements on slit-lamp examination
- Iris streaming
Cause of a holmes-adie pupil?
Damage to postganglionic parasympathetic fibres
- Idiopathic: may have viral origin
Holmes-Adie Syndrome?
Tonic pupil + absent knee/ankle jerks + decreased BP.
Horner’s syndrome features?
Damage to sympathetic nerves
Ptosis: partial
Enophthalmos
Anhydrosis
Small pupil
Ptosis + constricted pupil = Horner’s
Causes of horner’s syndrome?
Distinguishing cause
- Heterochromia (difference in iris colour) in congenital Horner’s.
- Anhidrosis
Central = Anhidrosis in face, arm and trunk.
- Syringomyelia
- MS
- Wallenberg’s Lateral Medullary Syndrome
- Tumour
- Encephalitis
Pre-ganglionic - Anhidrosis of face
- Pancoast tumour: T1 nerve root lesion. Presents with shoulder and arm pain due to Brachial plexus invasion. Check smokign history.
- Trauma: CVA insertion or CEA
- Thyroidectomy
- Cervical rib
Post-ganglionic
- Cavernous sinus thrombosis
- Usually 2ndry to spreading facial infeciton via the ophthalmic vein
- CN 3, 4, 5, 6 palsies.
- Cluster headache
- Carotid artery dissection
What is an Argyll robertson pupil?
Features
- Small, irregular pupils
- Accommodate but doesn’t react to light. Prostitute.
- Atrophied and depigmented iris
Caused by
- DM
- Quaternary Syphilis
What are the features of optic atrophy?
Decreased acuity Decreased colour vision Central scotoma Pale optic disc RAPD
Causes of Optic atrophy?
MS and glaucoma most common.
Congenital: Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy
Hereditary motor + Sensory neuropathy
Friedrich’s ataxia
retinitis pigmentosa
- EtOH
- Ethambutol
- Lead
- B12 deficiency
Compression
- Neoplasia: optic glioma, pituitary adenoma
- Glaucoma
- Paget’s
Vascular: DM, GCA Inflammatory: MS, Devic's Sarcoid/other granulomatous Infection: herpes zoster Oedema: papilloedema Neoplastic infiltration: lymphoma, leukaemia
Visual history - Red eye history, exam and differential?
Vision
- Blurred
- Distorted
- Diplopia
- Field defect/Scotoma
- Floaters
Sensation
- Irritation
- Pain
- Itching
- Photophobia
- FB
Appearance
- Red? Distribution
- Lump
- Puffy lids
Discharge
- Watery
- Sticky
- Stringy
Key examination questions for red eye?
Inspect from anterior to posterior Is acuity affected Is the globe painful Pupil size and reactivity Cornea: intact, cloudy? Use florescein
Signs of serious disease in red eye?
Photophobia
Poor vision
Corneal fluorescein staining
Abnormal pupil
What are the differentials for the eyelid?
Mechanical - ectropion (lower eyelid sags) , entropion (sages inwards) , trichiasis (eyelashes rubbing eyes)
Inflammation - Blepharitis, Chalazion (blockage of mebobian gland)
Infection
- Preseptal cellulitis
- Orbital cellulitis
What are the differentials for conjunctiva?
Mechanical - Sub conjunctival haemorrhage
Inflammation - allergic conjunctivitis
Infection - Conjunctivitis
What are the differentials for the sclera
Mechanical - Perforation
Inflammation - chemical burn, episcleritis, scleritis
Infection
What are the differnetials for the cornea?
Foreign body
Abrasion
Keratitis - infection
What are the differentials for anterior chamber?
Acute Glacuoma
Iritis/Uveitis
Endophthalmitis
How does acute glaucoma present?
- Very painful
- NO photophobia
- Decreased acuity - loss of peripheral vision first.
- Hazy/cloudy cornea
- Pupil is large
- very increased IOP
Systemic upset may be seen, such as nausea, vomiting and abdo pain.
How does anterior uveitis present?
Painful photophobia Decreased acuity normal cornea small pupil Normal IOP
How does conjunctivitis present?
- a little pain
- Photophobia
- Normal acuity
- normal cornea
- normal pupil
- normal IOP