Get up to speed on the basis and manifestations of neuropathic as well as neurotrophic changes.
Over the last few years, there have been radical changes in the treatments for corneal endothelial disease that have impacted the care optometrists provide to their patients. As our treatments evolve and become more effective for Fuchs’ dystrophy and other forms of endothelial dysfunction, intervention often occurs much earlier in the disease process. For instance, we sometimes perform Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) for patients with 20/20 vision in a dark room assessed with our typical high contrast Snellen charts.
If you are like me and regularly find yourself evaluating topographical maps, you have probably had a variety of thoughts. When starting out in an academic setting, you might have asked yourself: What do these values mean? Which numbers should I pay the most attention to? How do I diagnose conditions based on these maps? Which patients need to have a scan performed on their corneas? Eventually in practice, you may be wondering: Which instrument is worth the money? Which data is reliable, and which is misleading? Now that I have the basics, where can I take this data further in my patient care? This article will answer questions that help distinguish how to best use these devices or read the data.
A wide array of corneal conditions are encountered on a daily basis in most optometric practices and appropriate diagnosis and management are vital to ensure good vision and promote ocular health. While many can be managed by practicing OD in their offices, a variety will require surgical intervention or at least a consult with a cornea or oculoplastics subspecialist.
Let’s dive into both worlds and explore new treatments.
The decision to upgrade retinal imaging technology is giving one eyecare provider more opportunity
to uncover pathology.
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