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It’s not always GCA

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune mediated granulomatous inflammatory disease that affects muscular middle or large sized arteries. It is considered as a continuation of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) when the severity of the disease has increased. It is the...

Cavernous sinus syndrome

Anatomically the cavernous sinus is a plexus of multiple veins that are connected and within this plexus there are several important vascular and neurological structures. These include cranial nerves III, IV, V1 (and sometimes V2), VI as well as the...

How to nearly (but not quite) get into ST1 ophthalmology training – some reflections

Ophthalmology is often considered to be an elite, highly competitive specialty, with little room for failure. Candidates and trainees tend to cultivate a certain urbane and confident style, and the bottleneck at ST1 can feel rather intense. The majority of...

Supranuclear ocular motility disorders

Figure 1: Bilateral INO Introduction Complex ocular motility disorders are a diagnostic challenge. These patients come with very complex ocular motility presentations and require a careful and detailed assessment in order to find the correct diagnosis and arrange appropriate investigations....

The results of the last survey Aug21

We are often referred patients noted to have an optic disc haemorrhage (ODH) without any other features of pathology. How we manage these patients can have a significant impact on our struggling capacity. The significance in glaucoma and, in particular,...

The results of the last survey Oct22

I thank everyone for their time in responding to this edition’s survey questions. The first question relates to an issue I have previously discussed around consent for second eye cataract surgery. I touch on this point again for two reasons....

The results of the last survey Feb25

*Please be aware that this data does not form part of a peer reviewed research study. The information therein should not be relied upon for clinical purposes but instead used as a guide for clinical practice and reflection. The sample...

The results of the last survey Jun25

The first question refers to whether we check blood glucose levels prior to cataract surgery. Almost three quarters of you do which was interesting. We know that poor glycaemic control (manifesting as a raised HbA1c) has implications for wound healing...

Recurrent unilateral preseptal cellulitis secondary to herpes simplex virus infection

Introduction Periorbital (sometimes called preseptal cellulitis) is a common condition which on its own is not normally an ophthalmic or surgical emergency, however it has the potential to cause severe and serious morbidity in cases where the infection has crossed...

Trans-sinus endoscopic removal of retrobulbar air gun pellet within the orbital apex

Injuries to the eye have been widely reported in medical literature due to a variety of mechanisms causing significant morbidity and occasional unexpected mortality for the patient [1]. It is often wrongly assumed that air gun pellets lack this potential....

“We try our best”, but we should still be open and transparent

In a recent discussion with colleagues, someone recognised that many, when asked what they do, say, “I am a doctor”. Rather than “I work as a doctor”. This sense of belonging, pride and duty comes with responsibility. Becoming a surgeon,...