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Step-by-step guide to mastering skills with the Goldmann applanation tonometer

Ophthalmology is a highly specialised field that requires proficiency in various diagnostic skills for numerous conditions. Entrants into ophthalmology at ST1 often possess minimal to no ophthalmic experience beyond what they learned in medical school. Consequently, they may face significant...

Acanthaemoeba keratitis

In the second of this series I describe a case of Acanthaemoeba keratitis (AK) that was misdiagnosed for a prolonged period which resulted in a devastating outcome. This is one of half a dozen similar medico-legal cases I have dealt...

Hydroxychloroquine toxicity

Being the subject of litigation is stressful and upsetting. Having to look back over your previous decisions and justify the care you delivered in good faith can be difficult. Sadly, we all live with the Sword of Damocles above us...

The results of the last survey Aug 2019

Thank you once again for participating in the survey. Some fascinating results once again. Almost one in five of us do not cancel cataract surgery on the day if the blood pressure (BP) is high, which I am surprised about....

The results of the last survey Dec21

Consent is a hot topic at the moment and the publication of the GMC Guidance on Consent [1] has rightfully refocussed our attention on it. Consent practices vary wildly and have been the subject of many of these surveys. Once...

The results of the last survey Apr22

The answer to the first question was interesting in that it seems an increasing number of units are doing same-sitting bilateral cataract surgery. It is becoming accepted practice and mainstream. Immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) involves performing phacoemulsification with...

If looks could kill – kohl and the eye

Simerdip Kaur takes a look at the latest ophthalmology-related news stories and asks which are based on facts and which are ‘fake news’. Headline: If looks could kill – kohl and the eye Human fascination with beautification can be traced...

Disseminated cutaneous zoster – a masquerade

Reactivation of varicella zoster infection in the elderly commonly presents to ophthalmologists as herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), affecting the Va trigeminal dermatome. In patients with impaired immunity, zoster infection occurs with increased severity and may be complicated by visceral and...

Fundus photography in Malawi – setting up a screening programmefor diabetic retinopathy

We present the case of a 53-year-old lady who presented to the diabetes outpatient clinic at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), Lilongwe, Malawi. She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus six years ago, for which she takes metformin orally. She...

Cyanoacrylate nail glue accidentally instilled into the eye instead of eye drops

Three hundred thousand cataract operations take place each year in the UK alone and each patient will receive a four week course of drops in order to cover them for any postoperative inflammation or infection. Accidental instillation of cyanoacrylate glue...

A single intravitreal bevacizumab in the treatment of breast carcinoma related choroidal metastasis

Case report Choroidal metastasis represents a common form of intraocular malignancies occurring in up to 10% of patients with systemic metastasis [1]. The most common primary sites of ocular metastasis are breast carcinoma in women and lung carcinoma in men,...

Ocular Dirofilariasis: a diagnosis on the rise?

Dirofilaria repens is one of 40 species of Dirofilaria. It is a zoonotic filarial nematode that commonly impacts dogs, however, human infection can occur through affected organs like skin, lung and eyes [1]. Although, there have been case reports of...