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Understanding spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS): what do we know?

Introduction Formerly known as visual impairment and intracranial pressure syndrome (VIIP), space-related neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is defined by a collection of ophthalmic and neurological findings in astronauts after long-term spaceflight [1]. Changes in the eyeball, such as hyperopic shift, during...

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,...

Retinal prosthetics: science fiction or a vision for the future?

“Is it a fact – or have I dreamt it – that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?” – Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House...

Harry Moss Traquair: Edinburgh Ophthalmologist and Father Figure of Perimetry

It is a unique honour bestowed upon only a few clinicians, that their name becomes for evermore associated with the subject of their particular expertise and knowledge. Such an individual is undoubtedly Harry Moss Traquair, an Edinburgh-based ophthalmologist, who in...

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...

The work of BIPOSA

The British and Irish Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association (BIPOSA) was set up in 2008 to merge two streams of ophthalmology, namely the practice of paediatric ophthalmology and the practice of strabismus (to include refracting in children, and strabismus in...

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: a clinician’s perspective

Introduction Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). The term herpes is derived from a Greek work, herpein, which means ‘creeping’ and the word zoster means a belt or a girdle...

Are we short-sighted about myopia?

Worldwide prevalence of myopia has increased rapidly in recent years and has now reached epidemic levels, particularly in South-East Asia where prevalence is around 80% [1-4]. Myopia prevalence is also increasing in the United States and Europe where it is...