I'm on something called the Optometry Advisory Board for my company (fancy title for getting to help out by acting as a bridge between the company optometrists and our management people), and one of my responsibilities is to contribute to our optometry newsletter. Mostly I write about interesting eye-related things in the news, so that's what the next couple of articles are going to be about. Hope you enjoy!
This first one's about a guy with a cool-looking cataract :):
Have you ever seen a patient with stars in their eyes? Check out the photo of an Austrian man who was punched in the eye, causing a star-shaped cataract. As reported in the New England Journal of medicine, the 55-year-old man noticed worsening vision over a six-month period. Upon examination, the patient was found to have lens opacification in the shape of a star. The patient was punched in the affected eye nine months earlier.
Most often, cataracts like these are caused by being punched or hit by a ball during a sporting activity. Injuries from air bags or steering wheels can also cause a similar appearance. Very rarely, infrared energy or electric shock can cause a stellate cataract.
In many cases, the cataract looks like a cloud, but sometimes a distinct star pattern is formed.
Four times more males than females experience ocular trauma, and the average age for occurrence of ocular trauma is 28.
As optometrists, we should always stress the importance of proper eye protection to our patients.
SPECIAL NOTE TO MY OPTIMIST OPTOMETRIST FANS: The moral of this story is that even something bad (being punched in the eye, in this case) can lead to something beautiful (that was a pretty nice looking cataract, right?). Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!
References:
1. emedicine.com, “Traumatic Cataract Clinical Presentation”:
Robert H Graham, MD Consultant, Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
2. “Punch Leaves Man With Star-Shaped Cataract,”By Karen Rowan, MyHealthNewsDaily Managing Editor
LiveScience.com – Wed, Apr 3, 2013
Photo from New England Journal of Medicine, April 2013
I appreciate the info! I've just moved to Canada, and I need to find a optometrists in Calgary, and I found this to be very helpful in helping me make a selection. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is cool looking. I mean, bummer for the guy and I hope that some optometry can help him out, but cool.
ReplyDeleteThat is way cool to look at and see what the end result is after an eye surgery. I hope that I never have to get eye surgery though because that would not be fun nor pleasant. I know that there is this site called http://www.optiko.ca/en/what_is_an_optometrist.html that has a great optometrist that can help you out if you are in need. They are really good and they come highly recommended. I know that they have very skilled surgeons and they really know what they are doing and get the job done right and the first time.
ReplyDeleteMy mother has been going to an eye doctor for cataracts recently. I'll be sure to share this with her; she'll love this silver lining to the condition.
ReplyDeleteRoxanne Rook | www.opticatropical.com
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ReplyDeleteWow, that is one of the craziest looking cataracts that I have ever seen. I have really never understood what exactly causes the cataract to appear so visible from the outside. Is it more of a bacteria growing in your eye, or is it some sort of mutation in the proteins causing your vision to become opaque and clouded over? http://www.midamericavision.net/optometry
ReplyDeleteCataracts are definitely stellar! That star shaped one was crazy!! I have had eye problems my whole life but I can't imagine having something like that!!! Cataracts is a perfect example why people need a legitimately good eye doctor.
ReplyDelete-Jesse White| http://www.midamericavision.net/optometry
This is a great post. It’s Very informative and well writing.
ReplyDeleteEye Doctors
This is an interesting post about cataracts. I always thought that only old people develop cataracts, but I had no idea that you could get them just by being punched in the eye. This guy's cataract is a really cool shape. What shape do cataracts mostly develop int o? http://www.drmayers.com/?page_id=19
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