Contributor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: A rust ring can occur after a metallic foreign body is left in the eye for a prolonged period of time Issues occur when the rust ring is left as it can epithelialize and become a permanent spot in the patient’s vision An eye burr or Alger brush can…
Read MoreAuthor: Jared Scott, MD Educational Pearls: A hyphema is blood in the anterior chamber of the eye, typically caused by trauma While there is a spectrum of disease, blurred vision and eye pain are common presenting complaints after direct trauma to the eye Hyphema are graded between Grade 1 and Grade 5, depending on the…
Read MoreContributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: The eye is surrounded by relatively inflexible tissues such as the bone of the orbit and the fibrous tissue of the eye. This makes it relatively susceptible to damage from outside compression, which is most common from trauma. This phenomenon is called ocular compartment syndrome (OCS) Look for OCS…
Read MoreAuthor: Dylan Luyten, MD Educational Pearls: 1:500 patients will experience a retinal detachment Consider stroke on your differential (central retinal arterial occlusion) Flashes and floaters are a common complaint with retinal detachments Though patients may report fields of vision loss, visual acuity is often spared Ocular ultrasound is an effective way to diagnosis retinal detachment…
Read MoreAuthor: Erik Verzemnieks, M.D. Educational Pearls: -Common causes of nystagmus: Congenital disorders, CNS diseases (MS, CVA), Intoxication -Drugs associated (ETOH, Ketamine, PCP, SSRI, MDMA, Lithium, Phenytoin, Barbiturates) -If a patient has nystagmus and is intoxicated, consider other drugs and etiologies as potential sources References: Alpert JN. (1978). Downbeat nystagmus due to anticonvulsant toxicity. ?Annals of…
Read MoreAuthor: Erik Verzemnieks, M.D. Educational Pearls Posterior vitreous detachment is the tearing of the lining in the back of of the eye. Patients often present with loss of vision and floaters. Diagnosis can be made with US. This is a benign diagnosis, but 10-15% can progress to retinal detachment , so follow up with ophthalmology…
Read MoreAuthor: Nick Hatch, M.D. Educational Pearls Photic or solar retinitis occurs when you stare at the sun. The refractive power of the lens of the eye concentrates the light of the sun on the retina, stimulating the production of free radicals, damaging photoreceptors. Solar retinitis may present hours-days after light exposure. Patients will present with…
Read MoreRun Time: 3 minutes Author: Jared Scott M.D. Educational Pearls: Patient profile: sustained blunt trauma to the face. On eye exam the left pupil is eccentric pulled to the side and vertically oriented, and there is a large dark space lateral to the iris. This patient has Iridodialysis: localized separation or tearing away from the…
Read MoreRun Time: 3 minutes Author: Eric Miller M.D. Educational Pearls: 6th nerve ocular palsy often presents with diplopia or double-vision. On examination, the pupils are normal and vision is normal, but one eye usually cannot move laterally. There are three nerves that move the eye. The most important is the 3rd cranial nerve that moves…
Read MoreRun Time: 7 minutes Author: Dr. Sam Killian Educational Pearls: Blunt trauma to the face is associated approximately 60% of the time with an orbital fracture – the most common type is called a blowout fracture. The bones of the orbit are softer and weaker – blunt trauma dissipates energy throughout the eyeball complex so…
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