Sampaolesi line is a sign which may be observed during a clinical eye examination. During gonioscopy (where the structures of the eye's anterior segment are examined), if an abundance of brown pigment is seen at or anterior to Schwalbe's line, a Sampaolesi line is said to be present. [1] [2] [3] The presence of a Sampaolesi line can signify pigment dispersion syndrome or pseudoexfoliation syndrome. [4] [5]
Gonioscopy is performed during eye examinations, which involves placing a mirrored lens on the patient's cornea in order to visualise the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye. [6]
In humans and most mammals and birds, the iris is a thin, annular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil, thus the amount of light reaching the retina. Eye color is defined by that of the iris. In optical terms, the pupil is the eye's aperture, while the iris is the diaphragm.
Kayser–Fleischer rings are dark rings that appear to encircle the iris of the eye. They are due to copper deposition in part of the cornea as a result of particular liver diseases. They are named after German ophthalmologists Bernhard Kayser and Bruno Fleischer who first described them in 1902 and 1903. Initially thought to be due to the accumulation of silver, they were first demonstrated to contain copper in 1934.
Ocular synechia is an eye condition where the iris adheres to either the cornea or lens. Synechiae can be caused by ocular trauma, iritis or iridocyclitis and may lead to certain types of glaucoma. It is sometimes visible on careful examination but usually more easily through an ophthalmoscope or slit-lamp.
An eye examination is a series of tests performed to assess vision and ability to focus on and discern objects. It also includes other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes. Eye examinations are primarily performed by an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or an orthoptist. Health care professionals often recommend that all people should have periodic and thorough eye examinations as part of routine primary care, especially since many eye diseases are asymptomatic.
A slit lamp is an instrument consisting of a high-intensity light source that can be focused to shine a thin sheet of light into the eye. It is used in conjunction with a biomicroscope. The lamp facilitates an examination of the anterior segment and posterior segment of the human eye, which includes the eyelid, sclera, conjunctiva, iris, natural crystalline lens, and cornea. The binocular slit-lamp examination provides a stereoscopic magnified view of the eye structures in detail, enabling anatomical diagnoses to be made for a variety of eye conditions. A second, hand-held lens is used to examine the retina.
A red eye is an eye that appears red due to illness or injury. It is usually injection and prominence of the superficial blood vessels of the conjunctiva, which may be caused by disorders of these or adjacent structures. Conjunctivitis and subconjunctival hemorrhage are two of the less serious but more common causes.
Ocular melanosis (OM) is a blue-gray and/or brown lesion of the conjunctiva that can be separated into benign conjunctival epithelial melanosis (BCEM) and primary acquired melanosis (PAM), of which the latter is considered a risk factor for uveal melanoma. The disease is caused by an increase of melanocytes in the iris, choroid, and surrounding structures. Overproduction of pigment by these cells can block the trabecular meshwork through which fluid drains from the eye. The increased fluid in the eye leads to increased pressure, which can lead to glaucoma. In humans, this is sometimes known as pigment dispersion syndrome.
Scleritis is a serious inflammatory disease that affects the white outer coating of the eye, known as the sclera. The disease is often contracted through association with other diseases of the body, such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis or rheumatoid arthritis. There are three types of scleritis: diffuse scleritis, nodular scleritis, and necrotizing scleritis. Scleritis may be the first symptom of onset of connective tissue disease.
The anterior chamber (AC) is the aqueous humor-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium. Hyphema, anterior uveitis and glaucoma are three main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood fills the anterior chamber as a result of a hemorrhage, most commonly after a blunt eye injury. Anterior uveitis is an inflammatory process affecting the iris and ciliary body, with resulting inflammatory signs in the anterior chamber. In glaucoma, blockage of the trabecular meshwork prevents the normal outflow of aqueous humour, resulting in increased intraocular pressure, progressive damage to the optic nerve head, and eventually blindness.
Gonioscopy is using a goniolens together with a slit lamp or operating microscope to view the iridocorneal angle, or the anatomical angle formed between the eye's cornea and iris. Its use is important in diagnosing and monitoring various eye conditions associated with glaucoma.
Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) is an eye disorder that can lead to a form of glaucoma known as pigmentary glaucoma. It takes place when pigment cells slough off from the back of the iris and float around in the aqueous humor. Over time, these pigment cells can accumulate in the anterior chamber in such a way that they begin to clog the trabecular meshwork, which can in turn prevent the aqueous humour from draining and therefore increases the pressure inside the eye. A common finding in PDS are central, vertical corneal endothelial pigment deposits, known as Krukenberg spindle. With PDS, the intraocular pressure tends to spike at times and then can return to normal. Exercise has been shown to contribute to spikes in pressure as well. When the pressure is great enough to cause damage to the optic nerve, this is called pigmentary glaucoma. As with all types of glaucoma, when damage happens to the optic nerve fibers, the vision loss that occurs is irreversible and painless.
Punctate epithelial erosions are a pathology affecting the cornea.
Toxic anterior segment syndrome is an acute, sterile anterior segment inflammation following generally uneventful cataract and anterior segment surgery.
Band keratopathy is a corneal disease derived from the appearance of calcium on the central cornea. This is an example of metastatic calcification, which by definition, occurs in the presence of hypercalcemia.
Pseudoexfoliation syndrome, often abbreviated as PEX and sometimes as PES or PXS, is an aging-related systemic disease manifesting itself primarily in the eyes which is characterized by the accumulation of microscopic granular amyloid-like protein fibers. Its cause is unknown, although there is speculation that there may be a genetic basis. It is more prevalent in women than men, and in persons past the age of seventy. Its prevalence in different human populations varies; for example, it is prevalent in Scandinavia. The buildup of protein clumps can block normal drainage of the eye fluid called the aqueous humor and can cause, in turn, a buildup of pressure leading to glaucoma and loss of vision. As worldwide populations become older because of shifts in demography, PEX may become a matter of greater concern.
Epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD), is a disorder of the eye that can cause pain and dryness.
OCT Biomicroscopy is the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in place of slit lamp biomicroscopy to examine the transparent axial tissues of the eye. Traditionally, ophthalmic biomicroscopy has been completed with a slit lamp biomicroscope that uses slit beam illumination and an optical microscope to enable stereoscopic, magnified, cross-sectional views of transparent tissues in the eye, with or without the aid of an additional lens. Like slit lamp biomicroscopy, OCT does not penetrate opaque tissues well but enables detailed, cross-sectional views of transparent tissues, often with greater detail than is possible with a slit lamp. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) is much better at imaging through opaque tissues since it uses high energy sound waves. Because of its limited depth of penetration, UBM's main use within ophthalmology has been to visualize anterior structures such as the angle and ciliary body. Both ultrasound and OCT biomicroscopy produce an objective image of ocular tissues from which measurements can be made. Unlike UBM, OCT biomicroscopy can image tissues with high axial resolution as far posteriorly as the choroid.
The Van Herick technique is an eye examination method used to determine the size of the anterior chamber angle of the eye.
Uveitis–Glaucoma–Hyphaema (UGH) syndrome also known as Ellingson syndrome is a complication of cataract surgery, caused by intraocular lens subluxation or dislocation. The chafing of mispositioned intraocular lens over iris, ciliary body or iridocorneal angle cause elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) anterior uveitis and hyphema. It is most commonly caused by anterior chamber IOLs and sulcus IOLs but, the condition can be seen with any type of IOL, including posterior chamber lenses and cosmetic iris implants.
Ghost cell glaucoma (GCG) is a type of secondary glaucoma occurs due to long standing vitreous hemorrhage. The rigid and less pliable degenerated red blood cells block the trabecular meshwork and increase the pressure inside eyes.