Anti-VEGFs made Easy for the Postgraduates
The retina is a highly metabolic tissue and needs a constant high supply of oxygen. Insult to either choroidal or retinal vasculature can lead to a hypoxic state. Throughout the years, neovascularization has been seen to occur in areas neighboring such hypoxic areas. In 1989, this hypoxia-inducible and diffusible factor was discovered to be Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), initially coin...Read More
Ten Pearls for Treating A Case of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Introduction Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding retinal vasoproliferative disorder affecting premature and low birth weight infants. With improving survival of preterm infants with lower birth weights and gestational ages, ROP is reaching epidemic proportions in many middle- income countries.1 Although a majority of infants would develop a mild self-limiting disease, some c...Read More
Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Comprehensive Review
Introduction: The clinical entity of Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) has been known since 1878 (1), and it is a common visually disabling disorder that may cause significant ocular morbidity. It commonly affects men and women equally and occurs predominantly in persons over the age of 65 years (2-4). Associated systemic vascular disease, including hypertension and diabetes, are present in th...Read More
Ten Clinical Signs A Postgraduate Must Look For While Examining the Fundus
1. Red Dots! : Microaneurysms Seen in Diabetic Retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, hypertensive retinopathy, radiation retinopathy. Microaneurysms are usually the first ophthalmoscopically detectable sign of diabetic retinopathy. They are focal saccular outpouchings of the capillary wall due to pericyte loss. Arise from the deep part of the inner retinal capillary plexus, and are present in the ...Read More
Ten Points One Must Know on Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS)
TASS is an uncommon, non-infectious condition causing severe inflammation of the anterior segment structures without vitreous involvement [1],[2],[5]. The name TASS was coined by Monson and colleagues in 1992 [1],[3]. It is usually associated with phacoemulsification surgery but can also happen after procedures like penetrating keratoplasty, descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, d...Read More
How to Quickly Read a Macular OCT Scan?
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a quick, non-invasive, reproducible, and optical analog of ultrasound imaging which is as good as in vivo viewing of individual retinal layers histologically. In today’s practice, OCT is indisputably an essential diagnostic tool for every retinal surgeon. And so correct interpretation of OCT scans helps us in understanding the disease pathologically which in t...Read More
Ten Things You Should Know about Brolucizumab
1. Brolucizumab is a humanized, single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody with a molecular mass of approximately 26 kDa that inhibits VEGF-A.[1] (An scFv is an autonomous binding agent that is no longer dependent on a heavy molecular support structure but still retains the full binding capacity to its target). Mechanism of Action of Brolucizumab Unique Properties of Brolucizumab 2. The pharma...Read More
A 60-year male presented with C/O diminution of vision in the Right Eye. The patient is not a known case of any known systemic illness, although gives a vague c/o chest pain and the occasional headache. Examination revealed a vision of 4/60 with an IOP of 16mmHg as measured by GAT. The right Eye reveals the unremarkable anterior segment with minimal lenticular changes. Vitreous cavity quiet with f...Read More
Retina Case Presentation in Practical Exam: 10 Tips
DNB practical exam is a time-bound test of knowledge, presentation skills, swiftness and presence of mind. In the exam, a candidate usually gets 4 long cases with 20 mins per case (a whole 2 minutes more than you can take to write each answer in the theory exam). That usually includes 2 anterior and 2 posterior segment cases. Although 2 posterior segment cases may seem like a daunting task, there ...Read More
Ocular Oncology Basics: Diagnosis of Intraocular Malignancies
“Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future.” Hippocrates In this section, I will deal with various diagnostic methods which are common in practice for the diagnosis of mainly Intraocular malignancies. Diagnostic modalities used for extraocular malignancies will be considered in the respective chapters. 1.History Even though the twenty-first century has seen a boom in the diagnost...Read More