The terms “hamartoma,” “choristoma,” “phacoma (mother spot),” and “nevus” are used to describe benign developmental tumors or placoid lesions. Stedman’s Medical Dictionary defines a hamartoma as: “a focal malformation that…
Diseases affecting primarily the vitreous and vitreoretinal interface are associated with a variety of macular lesions causing loss of central vision. These lesions may be detected ophthalmoscopically and biomicroscopically and…
Berlin’s Edema (Commotio Retinae) After a blunt contusion to the front of the eye, a patient may experience acute visual loss caused by Berlin’s edema (commotio retinae). In this condition…
Medications or other substances that find their way into the eye may cause visual dysfunction by virtue of a toxic effect on the sensory retina, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE),…
Diseases primarily involving the choroid cause loss of retinal function in the macular region principally by three mechanisms: (1) reduction of blood flow within the choriocapillaris; (2) increased permeability of…
Pathophysiologic and Histopathologic Bases for Interpretation of Fluorescein Angiography The anatomy and physiology of the choroid and retina and their relationship to the normal fluorescein angiographic findings were presented in…
Chorioretinal Folds Any condition causing a reduction in the area of the inner surface of the sclera (scleral thickening or scleral shrinkage) will cause the inner portion of the choroid,…
Anatomic Subdivisions The retina is a delicate transparent tissue of maximal thickness (approximately 0.55 mm) at the foveal margin and minimal thickness (0.13 mm) at the umbo. Anatomically the macula…
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS If there is no internal flow block and intraocular pressure (IOP) remains too high despite maximally tolerated medical therapy, surgery to relieve outflow block is needed. Such procedures…
Glaucoma filtering surgery is fraught with various complications for the simple reason that it is designed to interrupt the integrity of the globe. In all other intraocular procedures, ophthalmologists try…
