The H. Stanley Thompson Neuro-Ophthalmology Service
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Front Row: Drs. Chris Johnson, Jacinthe Rouleau, Andrew Lee |
Back Row: Drs. Reid Longmuir, Michael Wall, Randy Kardon and Stan Thompson |
Neuro-ophthalmology Team February 2007 |
When a patient has a disease or injury in the eyeball itself, an ophthalmologist
can look at the cornea and the lens, or into the eye at the retina and
see an abnormality inside the eye, but if the problem is behind the
eye in the optic nerve or in some of the visual pathways in the brain
- it is harder to be sure what is going on. So the general health of
the whole person needs to be considered.
At the UIHC these patients are sent to the neuro-ophthalmologists,
so they can use some of their special tests and special skills. A neuro-ophthalmologist
can be an ophthalmologist or a neurologist by training. After taking
a residency and becoming Board Certified in one of these two specialty
areas, they take a fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology (1 or 2 years)
before starting to practice neuro-ophthalmology.
Types of Patients seen in the Neuro-ophthalmology
Clinic
- patients who suddenly lose part of their side vision;
- patients who get double vision;
- patients with unequal pupils;
- patients whose vision goes suddenly out of focus;
- patients with strokes;
- patients with brain tumors;
- and any other patients with unusual visual problems that are hard
to sort out.
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