41. Ophthalmology

CHAPTER 41. Ophthalmology

Rebecca S. McConnico




CORNEAL DISEASE: ULCERATION






I. History: No age, breed, or sex predilection


II. Clinical signs




A. Blepharospasm


B. Epiphora


C. Photophobia


D. Head shy: Difficult to examine the eye


III. Causes




A. Mechanical injuries


B. Entropion (foals)


C. Toxic causes


D. Infectious


E. Chemical insult


F. Decreased tear production


IV. Diagnostic plan




A. Fluorescein-dye staining of the cornea




1. Application of stain requires appropriate restraint


2. Superficial damage will have minimal uptake, whereas more significant deficit will have bright green uptake at the site


B. Culture and cytology


C. Corneal scraping for Gram staining and culture and microscopy to evaluate cytologic makeup and morphology


V. Therapeutic plan




A. Pharmacologic therapy




1. Antibiotics




a. Essential for treatment even if it is not yet infected


b. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy (bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B, or products with gentamicin or chloramphenicol)


2. Antifungals for mycotic infections


B. Remove any mechanical causes (exposure, drying)


C. Debridement and surgery




1. Remove necrotic tissue


2. If desmetocoele is present, perforations is imminent


D. Prognosis: Dependent on rapidity of diagnosis, successful management, owner compliance, and organisms involved

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Apr 6, 2017 | Posted by in GENERAL | Comments Off on 41. Ophthalmology

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