Peel Back the Layers

An epiretinal membrane (ERM) is a fine layer of tissue that forms on the surface of the retina. Because it has contractile properties, the underlying retina can reshape, leading to visual symptoms of blurred vision, metamorphopsia, macropsia or monocular diplopia that do not always improve with refraction. Once an ERM is diagnosed, questions of management and when to refer for retinal surgery are of utmost importance. 

Playing the Field

Q: A patient complains of vision loss OS and a headache for the past month. Where do I go from here?

Where are All the Characters?

Have you ever thought about what makes you special? Or have you fallen into the trap of conformity that comes from the uniformity of your schooling and continuing education? Back in the day, each optometry school had a personality and was staffed by personalities; you could almost tell which school ODs attended by their knowledge and application of it. 

 

The Canary in the Coalmine

The last 20 years have provided myriad contact lens innovations, including daily disposal modalities, silicone hydrogel technology and water gradient contact lenses, hyaluronic acid for tear retention and new preservative-free solutions. And yet the contact lens dropout rate has not changed. Many of these patients want to stay in contact lenses, but we’re missing the early signs of ocular surface diseases such as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), blepharitis and dry eye disease (DED) that are thwarting comfort.