Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A is a key mediator of angiogenesis. The discovery of VEGF-A, like many other major discoveries in medicine, happened partly by observations and partly by chance. Napoleone Ferrara and his team were working on a population of non-hormone-secreting cells from the anterior pituitary of cows. (1) One day Ferrara mixed some isolates from cultures of follicular...Read More
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Ocular involvement in TB has been recognized for a long time and was first described in 17111. The spectrum of tuberculosis (TB)-related uveitis is wide. Its diagnosis still remains a challenge due to the lack of uniformity in the diagnostic criteria along with difficulties encountered in confirming the diagnosis by the laboratory methods available. It is a major concern in countries endemic for T...Read More
The catch phrase ‘Publish or perish’ among the scientific community to mean ‘either publish your research or lose your job’ is a constant threat that hangs like a Damocles’ sword on their heads. ‘Publish or perish’ also signifies the reality and pressures for progress of science in the world of academia that is becoming hugely competitive. In an increasingly connected and globalized world, nobody,...Read More
Corneal Trauma and its Management
Introduction The cornea is prone to a variety of injuries by virtue of its location as the window of the eye. Apart from chemical injuries, physical trauma to the cornea can range from epithelial abrasions to loss of integrity of the stroma. Corneal injuries of this nature can occur in two distinct populations – in young children from play-related activities, and in young adults from due to their ...Read More
Introduction: Syphilis is considered as a great mimicker due to its varied protean manifestations. It was first recognized in Europe in the late 15th century.[1] There have been several hypotheses regarding the origin and spread of syphilis and it is believed that the disease was brought back from the New World by the crew of Christopher Columbus, some of whom likely had syphilis on returning to S...Read More
A New Paradigm for Refractive Surgery: SMILE-Small Incision Lenticule Extraction
Automated lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) was a technique to physically remove a refractive lenticule (the lenticule was merely a disc of corneal tissue) from the cornea after lifting a hinged flap and exposing the stroma. A mechanical microkeratome was used to do both steps of the ALK procedure. In the LASIK procedure, the refractive lenticule was ablated with the excimer laser, while the hinged flap...Read More
Entropion is the turning inward of the eyelid margin. Unlike ectropion, it is symptomatic and injures the ocular surface. The patient seeks medical care early. Ectropion is an eyelid malposition in which the eyelid margin does not oppose the globe. We shall discuss the relevant anatomy and clinical examination for the two entities together. Relevant Anatomy The eyelid can be grossly divided into A...Read More
Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscopy : The Beginner's Guide
The technique of examining the fundus of the eye is called ophthalmoscopy. In direct ophthalmoscopy, a virtual and erect image of the fundus is seen. In indirect ophthalmoscopy, a real and inverted image is formed between the condensing lens and the observer. The advantage of stereopsis (depth perception) and a larger field of view makes indirect ophthalmoscope (IDO) more useful both in retina cli...Read More
Ten Pearls for Corneal Scrapping
The management of microbial keratitis requires corneal scraping material for smear and culture. Scraping is a superficial keratectomy procedure to procure samples from central infiltrates or any infiltrate more than 2 mm in size. Stain/ wet mount gives a rapid clue to the diagnosis to initiate appropriate therapy. Inoculation of the sample on culture media help identify the offending organism and ...Read More
Learn from the Masters: Clinical Highlights in Neuro-ophthalmology
Neuro-ophthalmology is a unique subspecialty of ophthalmology and neurology where there is a complex interaction of neurologic and systemic disorders in the visual system. Neuro-ophthalmic conditions are not only about vision-threatening but sometimes life-threatening too! It needs the most comprehensive examination from ophthalmic, neurologic, and medical viewpoint. The trick lies with a systemat...Read More