The Discolored Eye

During the “meet the specialist” session, cases will be discussed interactively, on the basis of projected slides showing ophthalmic signs and eye diseases.

The basis of the diagnostic process is divided into three parts:

1. Collection of findings (ophthalmic examination)
2. Interpretation of the signs (differential diagnosis)
3. Plan

1. Concerning the findings, three main issues are of importance:

• Exact location
• Color
• Increase (any swelling or proliferation) or decrease (e.g., degenerative or ulcerative disease)

Findings are of course collected during the ophthalmic examination.

2. For the interpretation of the findings, it is important to follow a structured process. It may be helpful to use a personalized checklist, which contains all or most groups of diseases. This will prevent a whole group from being “forgotten”. An example of such a checklist may be as follows:

• Congenital/hereditary
• Trauma (blunt, perforative, foreign body)
• Alimentary (including deficiency, intoxication) • Physical (electricity, radiation, etcetera)
• Metabolic
• Inflammatory
• Degenerative
• Neoplastic  [...]