A wide range of health conditions and life-threatening diseases can present with signs and symptoms that can be detected during an ocular exam. Recognizing them and understanding how to get your patients the care they need was the focus of the lecture, “Life-Threatening Eye Signs and Symptoms That Can’t Be Missed!” It took place yesterday, 1:30 pm, and was delivered by Joseph P. Shovlin, OD, FAAO. 

“When you think things don’t look right or patient symptoms just don’t make sense, move upon that motivating impulse, for you might just save a life,” said Dr. Shovlin of his lecture. “You might be wrong, but you can never be faulted for ordering seemingly appropriate tests or making a referral to specialties that make sense.”

Real cases
During his lecture, Dr. Shovlin shared case reports to explain the ocular symptoms and signs to watch for to evaluate patients for a range of metabolic disorders, immunologic and inflammatory conditions, and infectious diseases. The lecture included clinical examples of ocular symptoms for a wide range of conditions, including Fabry disease (pictured), multiple myeloma, branch retinal artery occlusion that can be associated with plasma donation, and lymphoma, among others. 

He noted that these symptoms can emerge as corneal or other anterior segment lesions, neurologic or vascular etiologies, or pigmented lesions.

Highlighting specifics
Dr. Shovlin also discussed how systemic metabolic abnormalities can lead to abnormal substance buildup in the cornea; immunologic and inflammatory conditions often exhibit in and around the eyes; and how infectious diseases often appear as non-specific signs and symptoms, like phlyctenulosis and interstitial keratitis. OM