Problem solving - Red eye + CS Flashcards
What are the 3 main steps in working through a red eye case?
- where, what, how
- work-up
- treatment plan
Where might you see redness in the eye?
- eyelids
- conjunctiva/ episclera/ sclera
- third eyelid
- cornea
- anterior chamber
- anterior uvea
- posterior uvea and retina with funduscopy
- retrobullar area (cannot see directly)
What is the uvea?
3 parts:
ANTERIOR: iris and ciliary body
POSTERIOR: choroid
What should you consider for how you get a red eye?
- whole eye and adnexa
- from outside to inside
What are the 3 most important things to consider for how you get a red eye?
- what structures are in the tissue i am thinking of?
- how would each tissue respond to insult?
- how would changes in one tissue affect the other tissues around it?
What could cause a red eyelid?
- skin, meibomian glands, conjunctiva
- hyperaemia/ swelling/ ulcers/ crusts/ loss of hair
- dermatitis (various causes)
- Meibomian gland (infxn, neoplasia, granuloma)
What are eyelids intimately associated with? 2
- cornea
- tear film
(problem could be loss of protective effect, loss of oily part of tear film from meibomian glands, contact problem). Leads to: - ulcers
- epiphora
- hyperaemia
- vascularisation
What is the conjunctiva?
Mucous membrane lining the eyelids, TE, sclera. Ends at the limbus where the ‘white’ meets the cornea = the corneoscleral junction
Describe conjunctival BVs
- dichotomous branching
- very sensitive to surface irritation
- dilatation of BVs and separation of ECs –> hyperemia and oedema (chemosis)
- show with superficial dz
- caution: possibly also episcleral BVs
When do episcleral BVs show prominently?
- these are deep BVs
- show with intraocular dz
- caution: possibly also conjunctival BVs
What is the episclera?
- CT under the conjunctiva
- up to limbus
- different looking BVs with no dichotomous branching, larger, meander (curves), signal intraocular disease mostly (glaucoma and uveitis) or sometimes severe/ chronic surface irritation
What is the sclera?
- the true white of the eye
- fibrous tunic
- continuous with cornea via limbus
- collagen fibres and fibroblasts
- Emisaria (= holes for BVs and nn)
How can you get redness in the TE?
- same as for the conjunctiva
- many lymphoid follicles in bulbar side (also palpebral side, very prominent in young animals and allergies, accompanied by hyperaemia). Can –> follicular conjunctivitis
- T-shaped cartilage core (holds TE against eye, can curl and cause an outward fold)
- contains lacrimal gland (30% tear film aqueous part), can prolapse + inflammation –> cherry eye)
- BVs are dichotomous and branching (n.b. TE doesn’t have episcleral BVs).
List the 4 corneal layers
EXTERNAL:
epithelium
stroma (thickest part, hydrophilic so uptakes fluorescein)
descemet’s membrane
endothelium (contacts air, eyelids, tears, bacteria/dust)
INTERNAL
Define descemetocoele
where descemet’s membrane doesn’t uptake stain due to a herniation in it, usually corneal wound or deep ulceraiton
Outline corneal oedema pathophysiology
stroma portion is hydrophilic so if there is a problem with epithelium, stroma will swell. It is essentially stromal overhydration.
How does the stroma stay relatively dehydrated?
Though action of:
- epithelium
- endothelium (which actively pumps fluid back into the AC)
3 main methods of damage to cornea
- loss of epithelium
- damage to endothelium
- vascularisation (leakage) of stroma
Structures that define the AC
iris, lens, cornea (endothelium), conjunctiva, ICA
What fills the AC?
Aqueous humor
Outline flow of A.H.
from CB, into posterior chamber, through pupil to AC then out at ICA.
Name 2 dz affecting the AC
- Glaucoma (ICA closure/ clogging of the ICA -> decreases uveoscleral outflow and increases IOP)
- Uveitis : increases uveoscleral outflow and decreases IOP
Name the 2 parts of the anterior uvea
CB and iris
What is the posterior uvea?
choroid
Outline uvea structure?
mesh of blood vessels, pigmented
Other structures in the uvea
ANTERIOR - mm (constricotr, dilator and CB mm) - anterior blood ocular barrier (separates blood and aquoeous) POSTERIOR - tapetum lucidum
What happens if the blood ocular barrier (BOB) of the uvea is broken?
you can have recurrent uveal / eye problem for the rest of your life.
What happens if the uveal epithelium separates?
- leakage into AC of keratic precipitates, hypopion, hyphema, fibrosis
- leakage around lens known as ‘snow banking’
What is adhesion of iris to anterior lens?
posterior synechiae