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With anterior lens luxation, the lens pushes into the iris or actually enters the anterior chamber of the eye. This can cause glaucoma, uveitis, or damage to the cornea. Uveitis (inflammation of the eye) causes the pupil to constrict (miosis) and trap the lens in the anterior chamber, leading to an obstruction of outflow of aqueous humour and subsequent increase in ocular pressure (glaucoma). Better prognosis is valued in lens replacement surgery (retained vision and normal intraocular pressure) when it is performed before the onset of secondary glaucoma. Glaucoma secondary to anterior lens luxation is less common in cats than dogs due to their naturally deeper anterior chamber and the liquification of the vitreous humour secondary to chronic inflammation. Anterior lens luxation is considered to be an ophthalmological emergency.
Lens subluxation is also seen in dogs and is characterized by a partial displacement of the lens. It can be recognized by trembling of the iris (iridodonesis) or lens (phacodonesis) and the presence of an aphakic crescent (an area of the pupil where the lens is absent). Other signs of lens subluxation include mild conjunctival redness, vitreous humour degeneration, prolapse of the vitreous into the anterior chamber, and an increase or decrease of anterior chamber depth. Removal of the lens before it completely luxates into the anterior chamber may prevent secondary glaucoma. A nonsurgical alternative involves the use of a miotic to constrict the pupil and prevent the lens from luxating into the anterior chamber.
Corectopia is the displacement of the eye's pupil from its normal, central position. It may be associated with high myopia or ectopia lentis, among other conditions. Medical or surgical intervention may be indicated for the treatment of corectopia in some cases.
Open-angle glaucoma is painless and does not have acute attacks, thus the lack of clear symptoms make screening via regular eye check-ups important. The only signs are gradually progressive visual field loss, and optic nerve changes (increased cup-to-disc ratio on fundoscopic examination).
About 10% of people with closed angles present with acute angle closure characterized by sudden ocular pain, seeing halos around lights, red eye, very high intraocular pressure (>30 mmHg), nausea and vomiting, suddenly decreased vision, and a fixed, mid-dilated pupil. It is also associated with an oval pupil in some cases. Acute angle closure is an emergency.
Opaque specks may occur in the lens in glaucoma, known as glaukomflecken.
Persistent tunica vasculosa lentis is a congenital ocular anomaly. It is a form of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV).
It is a developmental disorder of the vitreous. It is usually unilateral and first noticed in the neonatal period. It may be associated with micropthalmos, cataracts, and increased intraocular pressure. Elongated ciliary processes are visible through the dilated pupil. A USG B-scan confirms diagnosis in the presence of a cataract.
The primary vitreous used in formation of the eye during fetal development remains in the eye upon birth and is hazy and scarred. The symptoms are leukocoria, strabismus, nystagmus and blurred vision, blindness.
Leukocoria (also leukokoria or white pupillary reflex) is an abnormal white reflection from the retina of the eye. Leukocoria resembles eyeshine, but leukocoria can occur in humans and other animals that lack eyeshine because their retina lacks a "tapetum lucidum".
Leukocoria is a medical sign for a number of conditions, including Coats disease, congenital cataract, corneal scarring, melanoma of the ciliary body, Norrie disease, ocular toxocariasis, persistence of the tunica vasculosa lentis (PFV/PHPV), retinoblastoma, and retrolental fibroplasia.
Because of the potentially life-threatening nature of retinoblastoma, a cancer, that condition is usually considered in the evaluation of leukocoria. In some rare cases (1%) the leukocoria is caused by Coats' disease (leaking retinal vessels).
Absolute glaucoma (H44.5) is the end stage of all types of glaucoma. The eye has no vision, absence of pupillary light reflex and pupillary response, and has a stony appearance. Severe pain is present in the eye. The treatment of absolute glaucoma is a destructive procedure like cyclocryoapplication, cyclophotocoagulation, or injection of 99% alcohol.
Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), also known as Persistent Fetal Vasculature (PFV), is a rare congenital developmental anomaly of the eye that results
following failure of the embryological, primary vitreous and hyaloid vasculature to regress. It can be present in three forms: purely anterior (persistent tunica vasculosa lentis and persistent posterior fetal fibrovascular sheath of the lens), purely posterior (falciform retinal septum and ablatio falcicormis congenita) and a combination of both. Most examples of PHPV are unilateral and non-hereditary. When bilateral, PHPV may follow an autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
Photophobia is a symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light. As a medical symptom, photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure or by presence of actual physical sensitivity of the eyes, though the term is sometimes additionally applied to abnormal or irrational fear of light such as heliophobia. The term "photophobia" comes from the Greek φῶς ("phōs"), meaning "light", and φόβος ("phóbos"), meaning "fear". Photophobia is a common symptom of visual snow.
Neurological causes for photophobia include:
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Chiari malformation
- Occipital Neuralgia
- Dyslexia
- Encephalitis including Myalgic encephalomyelitis aka Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Meningitis
- Trigeminal disturbance causes central sensitization (hence, multiple other associated hypersensitivities. Causes can be bad bite, infected tooth, etc.
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Tumor of the posterior cranial fossa
Pathological nystagmus is characterized by "excessive drifts of stationary retinal images that degrades vision and may produce illusory motion of the seen world: oscillopsia (an exception is congenital nystagmus)".
When nystagmus occurs without fulfilling its normal function, it is pathologic (deviating from the healthy or normal condition). Pathological nystagmus is the result of damage to one or more components of the vestibular system, including the semicircular canals, otolith organs, and the vestibulocerebellum.
Pathological nystagmus generally causes a degree of vision impairment, although the severity of such impairment varies widely. Also, many blind people have nystagmus, which is one reason that some wear dark glasses.
Physiological nystagmus is a form of involuntary eye movement that is part of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), characterized by alternating smooth pursuit in one direction and saccadic movement in the other direction.
On photographs taken using a flash, instead of the familiar red-eye effect, leukocoria can cause a bright white reflection in an affected eye. Leukocoria may appear also in low indirect light, similar to eyeshine.
Leukocoria can be detected by a routine eye exam (see Ophthalmoscopy). For screening purposes, the red reflex test is used. In this test, when a light is shone briefly through the pupil, an orange red reflection is normal. A white reflection is leukocoria.
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) ( ) is a genetic disorder affecting the growth and development of blood vessels in the retina of the eye. This disease can lead to visual impairment and sometimes complete blindness in one or both eyes. FEVR is characterized by exudative leakage and hemorrhage of the blood vessels in the retina, along with incomplete vascularization of the peripheral retina. The disease process can lead to retinal folds, tears, and detachments.
Weill–Marchesani syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by short stature; an unusually short, broad head (brachycephaly) and other facial abnormalities; hand defects, including unusually short fingers (brachydactyly); and distinctive eye (ocular) abnormalities. It was named after ophthalmologists Georges Weill (1866-1952) and Oswald Marchesani (1900-1952) who first described it in 1932 and 1939, respectively.
The eye manifestations typically include unusually small, round lenses of the eyes (spherophakia), which may be prone to dislocating (ectopia lentis), as well as other ocular defects. Due to such abnormalities, affected individuals may have varying degrees of visual impairment, ranging from nearsightedness myopia to blindness. Researchers suggest that Weill–Marchesani syndrome may have autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant inheritance.
FEVR is, as its name suggests,
familial and can be inherited in an
autosomal dominant, autosomal
recessive or X-linked recessive pattern.1-3 It is caused by mutations in
FZD4, LRP5, TSPAN12 and NDP
genes, which impact the wingless/
integrated (Wnt) receptor signaling
pathway. 3 Disruption of this path
way leads to abnormalities of vascu-
lar growth in the peripheral retina. 2,3
It is typically bilateral, but asymmetric, with varying degrees of
progression over the individual’s
lifetime. Age of onset varies, and
visual outcome can be strongly
influenced by this factor. Patients
with onset before age three have a
more guarded long-term prognosis
whereas those with later onset are
more likely to have asymmetric
presentation with deterioration of
vision in one eye only. 2-3 However,
because FEVR is a lifelong disease,
these patients are at risk even as
adults.2 Ocular findings and useful
vision typically remain stable if the
patient does not have deterioration
before age 20.2,4 Due to the variability and unpredictability of the
disease course, patients with FEVR
should be followed throughout
their lifetime.
Clinical presentation can vary
greatly. In mild variations, patients
may experience peripheral vascular
changes, such as peripheral avascular zone, vitreoretinal adhesions,
arteriovenous anastomoses and a
V-shaped area of retinochoroidal
degeneration. 4 Severe forms may
present with neovascularization,
subretinal and intraretinal hemorrhages and exudation. 4 Neovascularization is a poor prognostic
indicator and can lead to retinal
folds, macular ectopia and tractional retinal detachment. 2,4 Widefield FA has been crucial in
helping to understand this disease,
as well as helping to confirm the
diagnosis. An abrupt cessation
of the retinal capillary network
in a scalloped edge posterior to
fibrovascular proliferations can
be made using FA.2,3,5 Patients can
also show delayed transit filling on
FA as well as delayed/patchy choroidal filling, bulbous vascular terminals, capillary dropout, venous/venous shunting and abnormal
branching patterns. 2,3,5 The staging of FEVR is similar
to that of retinopathy of prematurity. The first two stages involve an
avascular retinal periphery with or
without extraretinal vascularization (stage 1 and 2, respectively). 4 Stages three through five delineate
levels of retinal detachment; stage 3
is subtotal without foveal involvement, stage 4 is subtotal with foveal
involvement and stage 5 is a total
detachment, open or closed funnel.4
Because there was neovascularization in the absence of retinal detachment, our patient was
considered to have
stage 2.
Diagnosis is made when several characteristic clinical signs are observed. There is no single test to confirm the presence of Weill–Marchesani syndrome. Exploring family history or examining other family members may prove helpful in confirming this diagnosis.
Plus disease can be present as a major complicating factor at any stage. It is characterised by:
- Significant level of vascular dilation and tortuosity observed at the posterior retinal arterioles. This reflects the increase of blood flow through the retina.
- Vitreous haze and anterior chamber haze
- Iris vascular engorgement
- Persistent tunica vasculosa lentis or immature blood vessels growing over the lens which also restrict the dilatation of the pupils.
The most difficult aspect of the differential diagnosis may arise from the similarity of two other diseases:
- Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy which is a genetic disorder that also disrupts the retinal vascularization in full-term infants.
- Persistent fetal vasculature syndrome also known as persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous that can cause a traction retinal detachment difficult to differentiate but typically unilateral.
Crossed dystopia (syn.unilateral fusion cross fused renal ectopia) is a rare form of renal ectopia where both kidneys are on the same side of the spine. In many cases, the two kidneys are fused together, yet retain their own vessels and ureters. The ureter of the lower kidney crosses the midline to enter the bladder on the contralateral side. Both renal pelvis can lie one above each other medial to the renal parenchyma (unilateral long kidney) or the pelvis of the crossed kidney faces laterally (unilateral "S" shaped kidney). Urogram is diagnostic.
The anomaly can be diagnosed through ultrasound of urography, but surgical intervention is only necessary if there are other complications, such as tumors or pyelonephritis.
Patients come to clinical attention early in life (usually at birth or within the first few months), with a firm subcutaneous nodule at bridge of nose, or as a polypoid mass within the nasal cavity, or somewhere along the upper border of the nasal bow. If the patient presents with an intranasal mass, there may be obstruction, chronic rhinosinusitis, or nasal drainage. If there is a concurrent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, then an encephalocele is much more likely.
This lesion is separated into two types based on the anatomic site of presentation:
1. Extranasal (60%): Subcutaneous bridge of nose
2. Intranasal (30%): Superior nasal cavity
3. Mixed (10%): Subcutaneous tissues and nasal cavity (larger lesions)
Nasal glial heterotopia refers to congenital malformations of displaced normal, mature glial tissue, which are no longer in continuity with an intracranial component. This is distinctly different from an encephalocele, which is a herniation of brain tissue and/or leptomeninges, that develops through a defect in the skull, where there is a continuity with the cranial cavity.
In Marfan syndrome, the health of the eye can be affected in many ways but the principal change is partial lens dislocation, where the lens is shifted out of its normal position. This occurs because of weakness in the ciliary zonules, the connective tissue strands which suspend the lens within the eye. The mutations responsible for Marfan syndrome weaken the zonules and cause them to stretch. The inferior zonules are most frequently stretched resulting in the lens shifting upwards and outwards but it can shift in other directions as well. Nearsightedness and blurred vision are common, but farsightedness can also result particularly if the lens is highly subluxated. Subluxation (partial dislocation) of the lens can be detected clinically in 80% of patients by the use of a slit-lamp biomicroscope. If the lens subluxation is subtle then imaging with high-resolution ultrasound biomicroscopy might be used.
Other signs and symptoms affecting the eye include increased length along an axis of the globe, myopia, corneal flatness, strabismus, exotropia, and esotropia.
Most of the readily visible signs are associated with the skeletal system. Many individuals with Marfan syndrome grow to above-average height, and some have disproportionately long, slender limbs with thin, weak wrists and long fingers and toes. Besides affecting height and limb proportions, people with Marfan syndrome may have abnormal lateral curvature of the spine (scoliosis), thoracic lordosis, abnormal indentation (pectus excavatum) or protrusion (pectus carinatum) of the sternum, abnormal joint flexibility, a high-arched palate with crowded teeth and an overbite, flat feet, hammer toes, stooped shoulders, and unexplained stretch marks on the skin. It can also cause pain in the joints, bones and muscles. Some people with Marfan have speech disorders resulting from symptomatic high palates and small jaws. Early osteoarthritis may occur. Other signs include limited range of motion in the hips due to the femoral head protruding into abnormally deep hip sockets.