METALLIC FOREIGN BODY

The picture above is of a metallic foreign body in the cornea. Fluorescein dye was placed in the eye so the tears and any abrasions or irregularities glow.

When metal embeds in the cornea, it immediately begins to rust. Within an hour a rust ring will form. So when the doctor takes the foreign body out, a rust ring remains. This also needs to be removed using either a 35 gauge needle or a special "brush".

A defect remains. If the defect is close enough to the visual axis, anti-inflammatory drops should be used in addition to antibiotic drops to reduce scarring. These heal pretty fast.

POSTERIOR SUBCAPSULAR CATARACT

This is a picture of a posterior subcapsular cataract in a young patient who had previously had steroid injections for an inflammation.

EPISLCERITIS

Episcleritis is an inflammation on the white part of the eye. It usually affects young females and may recur. It causes minimal discomfort and no vision loss. It may be bilateral. It usually goes away on it's own after weeks or months but may require a topical steroid or oral non-steroidal antinflammatory for resolution to occur sooner.

MITTENDORF'S DOT

This is a small dot on the back of the lens. It is a remnant of a fetal artery that ran from the back of the eye to the front during development. This artery usually disappears completely but in some people a dot remains. It is of no consequence to the vision .

TRICHIASIS DAMAGE

This is the same patient below. If you magnify this image you'll see damaged epithelial cells from the eyelashes rubbing against the eye.

SCLERAL THINNING & TRICHIASIS

You can see little dark spots on the white part of the eye (between the blood vessels). These dark areas are from "scleral thinning". The sclera is the thickest layer of the eye, separating the inner, dark, choroid layer of the eye from the outer, clear, conjunctiva layer. As we age, the sclera can become thin to the point that you can see the deeper choroid layer. This scleral thinning is of no negative consequence to the eye or vision . There are other types of scleral thinning associated with arthritic-like conditions, but this is not that type.

You can also see eyelashes growing in the eye. These lashes cause irritation to the surface of the eye. I pulled (epilated) these lashes. They tend to grow back however every 3-4 weeks. This "trichiasis" is also somewhat age-related, but other factors can be involved.

GLAUCOMA

These are the optic nerves of a patient with glaucoma. There is very little rim tissue and large cupping in the middle. Glaucoma occurs primarily when high pressure in the eye pinches off the blood supply to nerve tissue, causing permanent damage to that tissue and stealing the vision slowly until complete blindness occurs.