Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD), previously known as de Morsier syndrome, is a rare congenital disorder that is characterized by a triad of optic nerve hypoplasia, pituitary hormone dysfunction and midline brain abnormalities (typically agenesis or hypoplasia of septum pellucidum and/or corpus callosum).
Optic neuritis is a common cause of sudden visual loss and is often associated with demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. This case report highlights an unusual presentation of bilateral optic neuritis in a young patient with atypical clinical features, emphasizing the diagnostic challenges, the disease's underlying pathophysiology, and the importance of appropriate investigation and management.
Fungal keratitis (FK) is an infection of the cornea caused mainly by Fusarium, Aspergillus, or Candida species. It remains a leading cause of corneal blindness in tropical regions and is increasingly reported in temperate countries due to contact-lens wear and corticosteroid misuse. This review summarises the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, and evidence-based management of FK, highlighting current best practice derived from recent clinical trials and reviews. Early recognition, prompt microbiological testing, and initiation of topical antifungal therapy are vital to preserve vision.
Orbital tumours comprise a heterogeneous group of benign and malignant lesions that may be primary, secondary, or metastatic. Because of the orbit’s compact anatomy, small masses can cause proptosis, diplopia, or visual loss. This educational overview summarises classification, presentation, investigation, and management for students and junior clinicians. Maintaining a high index of suspicion and referring early to an ophthalmic oncology or oculoplastic centre helps preserve vision and, in malignant disease, can be lifesaving.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping modern medicine, with ophthalmology standing at the forefront of this technological revolution. AI refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks traditionally requiring human intellect such as learning, problem solving and decision making. With the development of deep learning, advanced neural networks can learn complex patterns from large datasets without step-by-step programming. AI systems have reached impressive levels of accuracy in analysing and processing complex datasets and images. Ophthalmology is particularly well suited to benefit from AI, due to its reliance on high-resolution imaging for diagnosis and treatment planning. Fundus photographs, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiography generate large amounts of visual data for pattern recognition by machine learning algorithms.
“Pink eye” is a common ophthalmic presentation across patients of all age groups, however, can indicate a serious infection in neonates. Ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) is a conjunctivitis which presents within the first 28 days of life. ON typically manifests in the neonate due to the incidence of a maternal sexually transmitted infection (STI). Early recognition and treatment of ON is essential, as the infection can lead to blindness in the affected neonate.
As a Foundation Year 2 Doctor aspiring to continue training in Ophthalmology, passing the FRCOphth Part 1 examination is a rewarding and achievable milestone with the right preparation. Not only does it contribute valuable points to the inevitable portfolio, but the content itself covers the fascinating fundamentals of ophthalmic science - material that, dare I say, you might actually enjoy learning as a budding ophthalmologist.