SA Ophthalmology Flashcards
What do the following terms refer to:
- blephar
- cor
- cycl
- dacryo
- hyal
- kerat
- papilla
- phak
- blephar- = lid
- cor- = pupil
- cycl- = ciliary body
- dacryo- = tears
- hyal- = vitreous
- kerat- = cornea
- papilla- = optic disc
- phak- = lens
What is anisocoria?
Unequal pupils
What is blepharospasm?
Sustained closing or excess blinking of the eye, usually implying pain and hence a variety of possible causes
What is buphthalmos?
“Ox eye”; an enlarged eye due to sustained glaucoma
What is chemosis?
Oedema of the conjunctiva
What is ectropion?
Outward rolling of the lid margin causing conjunctival exposure
What is entropion?
Inward rolling of the lid margin causing trichiasis (skin hairs abrading the eye)
What is endophthalmitis?
Inflammation of all of the interior of the eye, usually implying infection and a poor prognosis
What is enophthalmos?
Abnormally deep position of the eye in the orbit
What is epiphora?
Strictly: poor tear drainage leading to overflow but often used non-specifically for tear overflow of any cause
Where is the equator of the eye?
The area roughly over the ciliary body ie oriented vertically, not horizontally
What is exophthalmos?
Abnormal protrusion of the eye, either acquired or as a “normal” feature in some breeds e.g. Pekes (also called proptosis)
What is hyphaema?
Blood in the anterior chamber
What is hypopyon?
Pus in the anterior chamber, either either settling as a fluid line or in animals more usually as an irregular mass
What is lagophthalmos?
“Rabbit eye”. Used to indicate an abnormally prominent eye such that the lids cannot close properly. The term is also used for neurological problems where the lids are not protecting the eye but where the globe is actually of normal size. Such an eye is at risk of “exposure keratitis”
What is microphthalmia?
An abnormally small eye, may be small but normal or accompanied by other ocular defects
What is miosis?
Abnormal constriction of pupil
What is mydriasis?
Abnormal dilation of pupil
What is panophthalmitis?
Inflammation of all parts of the eye (serious condition)
What is phthisis bulbi?
Shrunken soft “end stage” eye due to severe irreversible damage
Where are the poles of the eye?
Since the equator is vertical the poles of the eye are anterior and posterior and not North and South as in the Earth
What is ptosis?
Drooping of upper lid
What is staphyloma?
A defect in the coat of the eye which becomes lined with uveal tissue
What is synechiae?
Adhesion of the iris to adjacent tissues following inflammation
What is trichiasis?
Skin hairs in contact with the eye e.g. in entropion
Are systemic or topical drugs usually the first choice for treating eyes?
- Topical: always achieves higher concentrations on the ocular surface and in the anterior chamber than systemic medication.
- Oral medication is only used in the presence of a severe intraocular problem (inflammation/infection/if the posterior segment is involved where drops do not penetrate).
Compare eye drops to ointments
- Drops: better availability and do not affect vision but last a relatively short time
- Ointments: last longer on the ocular surface but human patients complain of smeary vision
Describe chloramphenicol
- Antibiotic
- Widely used for ocular surface infections as penetrates the eye well
- Doesn’t act against pseudomonas species, so is not usually recommended for corneal ulcers if they may be infected
Describe fusidic acid
- Antibiotic
- Effective against Staph spp (which cause most non-specific conjunctivitis in dogs)
- Not suitable for corneal ulcers
Describe gentamycin
- Antibiotic
- Very good broad-spectrum inc gram -ves (eg pseudomonas)
Describe Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin
-Very broad-specturm antibiotics
Which corticosteroids are most commonly used to treat inflammatory eye conditions?
- Betamethasone
- Dexamethasone
- Prednisolone acetate
When should steroids not be used?
To treat corneal ulcers (except for rare conditions)
What is Maxitrol?
- Antibiotic/steroid combination
- Useful for symptomatic treatment of dry eye
What is cyclosporin used for?
- Anti-inflammatory
- Stimulates tear production
- Useful for dry eye and inflammatory conditions eg pannus and 3rd eyelid inflammation in the dog, and eosinophilic keratitis in the cat
When are NSAIDs typically used?
When should they be avoided?
- Mostly pre-cataract surgery
- Don’t use on corneal ulcers
What are mydriatics?
- Dilate the pupil
- Indicated for treatment of uveitis and for lens and fundus examination
What kind of drug is atropine?
When is it used?
- Mydriatic (dilates the pupil)
- Used for treatment of uveitis only, but should be given to effect
- Very long lasting in non-inflamed eye so not used for examination
- Bitter taste
What kind of drug is tropicamide?
- Mydriatic (dilates the pupil)
- Lasts 4-6 hrs
- Aids fundus and lens examination
Which drugs are used to treat glaucoma?
- Dorzolamide and brinzolamide: topical carbonic anhydyrase inhibitors
- Latanoprost and travoprost: topical tx
What are lubricants used for?
Useful for dry eye but also useful in situations where the cornea needs to be protected and/or eye made more comfortable eg corneal ulcers/exposure problems
Give some examples of lubricants
- Lubrithal gel (4-6 times daily)
- Lacrilube ointment (longer duration than gel/drops)
- Artelac gel with added lipid
- Hycare gel
Which muscle encircles the lid margin and acts to close the eye?
What is it innervated by?
- Orbicularis oculi
- Innervated by facial nerve (CNVII)
Which muscles raise the upper eyelid?
- Levator palpebrae superioris (occulomotor nerve, CNIII)
- Muller’s muscle (smooth muscle, sympathetic innervation)
Where do the tarsal/Meibomian glands lie?
What is their function?
- Lie at right angles to the lid margin (30 in each lid)
- Release lipid onto the pre-corneal tear film
What is the tarsal plate?
- A fibrous plate which stiffens and stabilises the lid margins in the terminal 4-5mm
- Tarsal glands found here
Do animals have eyelashes?
Only on upper lid
Do eyelids heal well?
- Yes as they have a very good blood supply
- Also therefore resist infection and necrosis
Which sutures should you use around the eye?
- Absorbable
- 5/0 (dogs) or 6/0 (cats) vicryl or Polysorb for skin closures
How much hair should you clip for the following procedures:
- Enucleation
- Lid surgery
- Intraocular, cornea, 3rd eyelid surgery
- Enucleation: standard, playing card-sized area
- Lid surgery: minimal, surgical field only
- Intraocular, cornea, 3rd eyelid surgery: none (cover eye surface with gel and flush after surgery)
How do you prepare the surface of the eye before surgery?
Non-lathering aqueous povidone-iodine at a dilution of 1:50
Give 4 principles of good eyelid surgery
- Knots must never touch the eye
- Hairs must never touch the eye
- The cornea must be protected without exposure problems eg inability to blink
- Aim for good anatomical and aesthetic reconstruction
What is distichiasis?
- The growth of hairs from the tarsal gland openings on the lid margin -> can irritate the cornea
- Very common
- Congenital
How could you determine whether or not distichiasis hairs are irritating the dog?
Look for excess tear production and an increased blink rate
What are the treatment options for distichiasis?
- Plucking (waste of time)
- Electrolysis
- Cryo
- Tarsoconjunctival resection
Which dog breed is more prone to irritating distichiasis?
Weirmeraners
What are conjunctival (ectopic) cilia?
- Hairs which emerge through the conjunctival surface (a few mm from the lid margin) and impinge directly on the cornea
- More painful than distichiasis, less common
- Young dogs with painful eye and no obvious cause
- Often Bulldogs
Give the clinical signs of conjunctival (ectopic) cilia
- Often severe blepharospasm with refusal to open eye
- Pain
- Lacrimation
- May be a shallow corneal ulcer located opposite lesion
- Cilia are often difficult to see; cause problems as soon as they emerge through conjunctiva so are merely tiny dark stubs
Conjunctival (ectopic) cilia occur mostly on which lid?
Upper
How do you treat conjunctival (ectopic) cilia?
- Excise a deep wedge from the conjunctival surface around the cilium (electrolysis can also be used)
- No suturing needed
- Any ulcer should heal spontaneously
Entropion typically affects which dogs?
- Gundogs and larger breeds
- Assumed to be inherited
- Typically young dogs
Give the clinical signs of entropion
- Pain and watering of the eye (typically lateral lower lid)
- Corneal damage and ulceration can occur
When can entropion be secondary?
Can be secondary to pain -> retraction of globe -> entropion
How do you treat entropion?
- Dog must be conscious to evaluate how much tissue to remove
- Use your finger to support the lid from inside
- Incise 2mm from the lid margin and remove a strip of skin and underlying orbicularis muscle
- Suture closed starting with mid-point to give even closure
Should you perform entropion surgery in young pups?
- No as it is difficult to judge the correction required
- Use a temporary holding procedure eg ‘tacking sutures’ which last a few weeks and relieve pain. Can also use skin staples
- Surgery can be performed when dog is nearing adult size (4-5 months)
Give some negative features of the eyelids of Shar peis
- Downward angle to upper lid lashes
- Entropion from very young age
- 360 degree entropion
Upper lid trichiasis/entropion affects which breed?
- Middle aged cocker spaniels
- Laxity of upper lid lashes -> turn downwards and abrade the eye -> discomfort, tear-straining
Which dogs are affected by medial entropion?
- Smaller/toy breeds
- Displaces the lower nasolacrimal duct opening -> poor tear drainage
Which dogs are affected by lateral canthus entropion?
- Breeds with broad heads eg Rottweilers
- Lateral canthal ligament insertion is too deep -> lateral canthus turns in -> entropion of lateral lower and upper lids
How do you treat upper lid trichiasis/entropion?
-Stades procedure: excise skin adjacent to lid margin and leave to granulate
What may occur as a result of ectropion?
- Conjunctivitis (through exposure)
- Poor tear drainage certainly occurs
What do most cases of ectropion result from?
Lid is too long
How can you treat ectropion?
Simple wedge excision to shorten the lid (where necessary or requested which is not often)
What is the most common eyelid tumour in the dog?
- Sebaceous epithelioma
- Arises from the tarsal/Meibomian glands and grows as a well-defined mass
- Benign, low metastsic risk
How do you treat a sebaceous epithelioma?
Local excision usually curative as low metastatic risk
What % of the eyelid can be removed before distortion occurs?
30-40%
When suturing the eyelid, where should you place the sutures?
- Holds best in the tarsal plate
- Knots must never contact the cornea
Which suture method is best for lid margin closure?
Figure of eight (takes the first knot away from the lid margin)
Which surgical procedures can you carry out on brachycephalics to reduce the incidence of corneal damage?
- Facial fold removal
- Medial entropion surgery
- Shortening the palpebral aperture (improves lid cover)
Do dogs scratch their eyes when they have eye pain/irritation?
No- likely to be a dermatological problem in the peri-ocular skin
Why is the deep surface of the nictitating membrance red and roughened?
Due to presence of numerous lymphoid follicles
What are the functions of the 3rd eyelid?
- Immunological
- Secretory
- Surface protection
- Tear film distribution
How can you protrude the 3rd eyelid?
Apply gentle pressure to the globe through the upper lid
How can you examine the deep surface of the 3rd eyelid?
- Local anaesthetic drops, pick up leading edge with forceps
- May need sedation/anaesthetic
Give some common differential diagnoses for prominence of the 3rd eyelid
- Non-pigmentation of the leading edge
- Prolapse of the gland (‘cherry eye’)
- Folding/kinking of the cartilage
- Plasma cell infiltration (GSD)
- Retrobulbar swellings
- Any condition causing pain and retraction of the globe
- Loss of retrobulbar fat
- Horner’s syndrome
What is the most likely reason ‘cherry eye’ occurs?
Due to a weakness of the ligament stabilising the deep part of the membrane within the orbit
What is ‘cherry eye’?
Prolapse of the third eyelid gland (nictitans gland)
Which dog breeds are more prone to ‘cherry eye’?
Bulldogs, beagles, some giant breeds
How do you treat ‘cherry eye’?
Pocket technique:
-Gland is buried (but preserved) in a fold of conjunctiva and sub-conjunctival tissue
-Quite expensive
Excision of gland:
-Lose 30% of tear capacity so is not recommended
Kinking of the 3rd eyelid typically occurs in which dogs?
Young dogs of larger or giant breeds
Give the clinical signs of kinking of the 3rd eyelid
Variable degree of prominence of 3rd eyelid, often with conjunctivitis and ocular discharge
How do you treat kinking of the third eyelid?
Only need to remove the kinked portion of cartilage, leaving the remaining cartilage in 2 pieces
Plasma cell infiltration of the 3rd eyelid affects which breed?
- GSD
- Immune-mediated inflammation of the 3rd eyelid
What are the clinical signs of plasma cell infiltration of the 3rd eyelid?
- Depigmentation of the leading edge
- Membrane becomes strikingly red and inflamed with a rough surface
- May be distinct follicle-like structures on the surface
How do you treat plasma cell infiltration of the 3rd eyelid?
- Steroids: unpredictable
- Ciclosporin: lifelong treatment
Give the clinical signs of Horner’s syndrome
Disruption to sympathetic supply
- Ptosis (drooping of upper lid)
- Enophthalmos (abnormally deep position of eye in orbit)
- Miosis (pupil constriction)
- Protrusion of 3rd eyelid)
Horner’s syndrome is recognised as idiopathic in which breed?
Older Golden Retrievers
Usually spontaneous improvement over a few months
What is the only reason you’d excise the entire nictitating membrane or leading edge?
Neoplasia
Which cells does the conjunctiva contain?
Goblet cells - contribute to the mucus fraction of the tear film
How would you recognise conjunctivitis?
Diffuse redness on all surfaces
How would you distinguish bacterial infection from normal mucus?
- Bacterial infection: causes a purulent, yellow-green discharge which adheres to lid margins
- Normal mucus: is off-white when fresh, and darkens to grey/brown when exposed to air
How would you distinguish simple conjunctivitis from something more severe?
Check the cornea, anterior chamber and pupil as these are not affected in simple conjunctivitis
Which pathogen is the most common cause of non-specific conjunctivitis?
Staph intermedius
How would you treat non-specific conjunctivitis?
- Fusidic acid once daily (antibiotic)
- Or gentamycin/chloramphenicol (broad-spectrum antibiotics)
How would you recognise follicular conjunctivitis?
- Numerous lymphoid follciles appearing as circular raised pink swellings
- Mild/no irritation, no purulent discharge
What are the different layers of the tear film?
- Deep muscous layer (produced by goblet cells of conjunctiva)
- Aqueous layer (produced by lacrimal gland and gland of 3rd eyelid)
- Lipid layer (produced by tarsal glands)
What causes keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)?
- Deficiency in aqueous tear production
- Majority of cases are immune-mediated
- Inflammation of glands -> reduced secretion -> progressive fibrosis and atrophy
- Other causes: sulphonamides, trauma, distemper
Give the clinical signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)
- Loss of corneal reflex
- Corneal ulceration (not often in chronic cases)
- Superficial keratitis with oedema and neo-vascularisation
- Corneal pigmentation
- Diffuse conjunctivitis
- Mucopurulent ocular discharge (green/yellow)
Which dog breeds are more prone to keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)?
- WHWT
- English cocker spaniel
- Brachycephalics esp bulldogs but including CKCS
How can you diagnose keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)?
- Clinical signs
- Schirmer tear test strips (measure tear flow for > 1 min)
What value for the Schirmer tear test would indicate keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)?
10-15mm= moderate dry eye
<10mm= moderate to severe dry eye
(Minimum for normal eye=15mm)
How would you medically manage dry eye?
- Ciclosporin bid (tear stimulant; reduce cautiously after a length of time)
- Lubricants eg Lubrithal 4-6x daily (tear film replacement)
How many nasolacrimal puncta are there?
2 on each eye, visible as fine slits situated inside the lids near the medial canthus
How can you diagnose and investigate tear drainage problems?
- Rule out causes of painful lacrimation
- Check for entropian and 2 normal nasolacrimal puncta
- Check for discharge or foreign bodies
- Instil 1 drop of fluorescein into both eyes, flush with saline and time the flow to the nares
- Normal time=3-4 mins (can be seconds in some dogs)
Why may a fluorescein flush test be negative in brachycephalics?
Have caudal drainage into the pharynx
Which breeds are more prone to congenital micropuncta and imperforate puncta?
Golden retrievers and cocker spaniels
What are the clinical signs of tear drainage problems?
Tear overflow without pain
What is dacryocystitis?
- Infection and inflammation of the tear duct as a result of a foreign body which may be visible at the punctum
- Quite rare
- May be the primary cause of a persistent unilateral conjunctivitis
How can you treat epiphora (tear overflow) due to permanent naso-lacrimal duct obstruction?
- Bypass surgery to the nose or mouth
- Difficult, rarely justified
What are the 4 layers of the cornea?
- Outer epithelium
- Collagenous stroma (fine collagen fibrils arranged in lamellae -> transparent appearance)
- Descemet’s membrane (acellular)
- Endothelium (pumps fluid out of cornea into aqueous)
Which cranial nerve innervates the cornea?
Ophthalmic branch of trigeminal
How does the cornea obtain its nutrition?
- Avascular
- From the tear film, perilumbar capillaries and aqueous
Why is the normal cornea transparent?
- No keratin
- No pigment
- Avascular
- Precise arrangement of collagen fibrils in stroma
Which factors can disturb the lamellar arrangement of the collagen fibris in the stroma?
What does this result in?
- Oedema
- Inflammatory tissue
- Scar tissue
- Other infiltrates (eg lipid, calcium)
- Results in opacity of cornea
What is a corneal ulcer?
A full-thickness defect in the epithelium
Why should corneal ulcers always be taken seriously?
- Very painful
- Potential for deeper progression and full-thickness perforation
How do you diagnose a corneal ulcer?
- Fluorescein (stains the stroma green)
- The flush with saline
What are the clinical signs of a corneal ulcer?
- Redness
- Pain
- Lacrimation
- Photophobia
- May not all appear as a deep crater (if quite superficial)
What does a clear, non-fluorescein-staining area in the centre of a positively staining cornea represent?
- Descemet’s membrane
- Check for perforation (the anterior chamber collapses to a potential space between the iris and cornea)
How do melting uclers occur?
- Enzymatic breakdown of corneal stroma -> proteolysis
- Proteolyrtc enzymes may be released by gram -ve bacteria (eg pseudomonas), inflammatory cells, corneal cells
How do corneal ulcers heal?
From the outside in
Why may a corneal ulcer be fluorescin-negative?
- Down to Descemet’s membrane
- Already healed
Give some primary causes of a corneal ulcer
- Factors causing direct mechanical damage (trauma, foreign body, entropion etc)
- Factors contributing to an unhealthy superficial corneal environment (KCS, any cause of corneal exposure)
- Inherent corneal defects (indolent ulcers, chronic corneal oedema)
- Unknown/multifactorial (brachycephalics)
Why is chloramphenicol not used to treat corneal ulcers?
-Not active against gram -ves (which can infect deeper ulcers -> melting)
Which antibiotics can you use to treat a corneal ulcer?
Gentamycin, fluoroquinalones
Why is Isathal (fusidic acid) not used to treat corneal ulcers?
Active against staphs only (gram -ves are what cause deeper infection)