BJO at a glance
RISK OF GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH ONCHOCERCIASIS
Onchocerciasis is a microfilarial disease that causes ocular disease and blindness. The question of whether it is associated with glaucoma remains contentious. Egbert and co-workers studied a group of patients in Ghana and found that glaucoma was seen in 10.6% of those with onchocerciasis and 2.6% of those with cataracts and no onchocerciasis evident. This association of glaucoma with onchocerciasis adds one more imperative to the move to eradicate onchocerciasis by continuation of vector control programmes and drug treatment with ivermectin. See p 796
RETINAL DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH SILICONE OIL
Silicone oil has been used in the management of complicated retinal detachment surgery. It provides prolonged intraocular tamponade. Unexplained visual loss is a complication following silicone oil removal that is infrequently reported. In a study by Cazabon and co-workers of three patients with unexplained visual loss following the removal of silicone oil multifocal electroretinography indicated selective damage to the …
