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A closed angle seldom comes alone

Case report An 89-year-old lady with dementia was referred to me out of hours by her GP with a few days history of an angry looking left eye for suspected elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). I discovered that this lady first...

Simulation in ophthalmology: a pedagogic viewpoint

The advent of simulation technology has enhanced modern medical training. The first utilisation of simulation was in 1929 where Edward Link used this concept to develop a mechanical flight simulator [1]. Industries such as aviation, nuclear power and the military...

A log in the eye

"My friend wanted to show how far he could throw that log. So, he helicoptered it over his head, faster and faster and when he let go, it hit my eye at full speed,” a young lady of 19 years...

Take this waltz

My last weekend on-call was the busiest I can remember for a very long time. We were just completely swamped with patients. The weather was not too good that Saturday and it felt like every second inhabitant of our ocean...

A tale of two membranes

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness... I am fortunate to work on a vitreoretinal firm at the moment and only a few...

Anisometropia following cataract surgery and its non-surgical treatment

The desired result of cataract surgery is improved visual acuity without the use of spectacles. In practice most patients following initial cataract extraction are likely to be symptomatic of anisometropia giving rise to prismatic effects (anisophoria) and unequal retinal image...

“I can’t see nothing out of that eye, you ....!”

This is exactly the call you don’t want to receive at 11 at night. The A&E colleague phoned to inform me about a young man who was kicked several times in the face and could not see out of one...

Ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid: the importance of early detection and treatment

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune blistering disorder that is characterised by subepithelial bullae. The ocular manifestation of MMP, ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OMMP), is a sight-threatening condition characterised by conjunctival cicatricial changes associated with corneal vascularisation and scarring....

Fusarium keratitis in a patient with alcohol dependence

Treatment of fungal keratitis secondary to the Fusarium species remains a challenge. Although relatively more common in warmer climates, this corneal infection is rare in the UK. Most cases have been reported in farmers and are often preceded by trauma....

How to pass FRCOphth Part 1 on the first attempt

Studying for this exam makes one wonder how there is so much to know about such a small organ. The FRCOphth Part 1 examination is notorious for its low pass rate, with only 20–40% of candidates succeeding at each sitting....

Obtaining US clinical experience in ophthalmology as a UK medical student or junior doctor

Medical students or junior doctors in the UK may be interested in gaining US clinical experience for many reasons. Unfortunately, many trainees do not know how to arrange these and there is a common misconception that it is difficult to...

Making the most of your foundation year rotation in ophthalmology

Ophthalmology continues to be a highly desirable speciality in the UK; however, medical students usually encounter only minimal exposure, generally ranging from one to two weeks, during their studies [1]. Nevertheless, eye-related conditions represent a considerable share of presentations in...