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Inherited retinal disorders now the leading cause of blindness

The recent paper in BMJ Open, from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, ‘A comparison of the causes of blindness certifications in England and Wales in working age adults (16-64 years), 1999-2000 with 2009-2010’ concludes that inherited retinal disorders (IRD) such...

A short survey of the views of clinicians on the role of procedure-specific consent forms

Informed consent is an ethical and legal right of every patient [1]. It is essential that patients receive clear, concise and accurate information regarding the risks, benefits and alternatives to a potential intervention. In addition to this, the patient must...

The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (PAEP) Edinburgh 1969-2019

In the early 1960s plans were afoot to create a new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to replace the existing building which dated from 1870, it having replaced an earlier one dating from 1729. It was originally planned to build on the...

Ground-breaking achievements in blindness prevention

One small UK based charity is enabling pioneering research to prevent blindness in low and lower middle income countries. The British Council for Prevention of Blindness (BCPB), established in 1976, funds innovative research and training which seeds the development of...

The COVID-19 ‘frontlines’: a foundation doctor’s perspective

Staring through the fragmented stained glass of the Virgin Mary and her assorted angels, I reflected on the strangeness of the workplace I now found myself working in and the irony of a workforce now working together more enthusiastically than...

Embracing assistive technology in the fight against sight loss

The author shares his own experience of sight loss and explains the vital role assistive technology can play in the lives of visually impaired patients. There is no doubt that sight loss continues to be a clear and present danger,...

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: the essentials

Herpes zoster, also referred to as shingles, is a common infection most typically caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus that lies dormant (sometime for decades) in the dorsal root nerve ganglion following primary chickenpox infection [1]. In 10-20%...

Usher syndrome: an overview

Usher syndrome is the most common hereditary condition that affects both vision and hearing. It is an autosomal recessive condition characterised by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss [1,2]. Usher syndrome is the cause of approximately 10% of...

Profile of a tertiary referral oculoplastics service in the UK

The provision of safe and effective ophthalmic care to large patient populations has always been challenging. Severe restrictions of outpatient clinical activity due to the COVID-19 crisis has compounded this problem, with 26,800 appointments cancelled in our unit in the...

Can e-learning help bridge the ophthalmology teaching gap?

The authors ask whether e-learning can help to address the current lack of ophthalmology teaching in the undergraduate curriculum. Studies among the United Kingdom, Australasian, Canadian and Asian medical schools have found that students on average spent just over a...

Neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy with imaging abnormalities in the occipital lobe – how to counsel the parents

Case A baby boy, with a background of intrauterine growth restriction, was born at 37 weeks and three days gestation via forceps delivery. The baby was born in poor condition, with low heart rate, poor respiratory rate, poor colour and...

Possible COVID-19 related maculopathy

COVID-19 is being investigated as a potential cause for various ocular diseases, with growing evidence of related retinal vascular changes, that vary from isolated cotton wool spots and retinal haemorrhages to retinal vascular occlusions [1.2]. COVID-related macular affection has also...