PACES MRCP UK - Where MRCPians Meet Since 2006

MRCP is well establised as an entry exam for advanced specialist training in many countries including Malaysia. It consists of 3 paper i.e. Part1, Part2(written tests) and PACES. PACES in full means Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills. It is the third part and the candidate is assessed by fellows of RCP. I passed my PACES in 2005. I am glad that many seniors had guided me throughout my preparation for PACES and I wish to share my experiences with PACES candidates via this blog.


Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Optic atrophy


Look for:

  • in young patient, mention you like to examine the eyes for internuclear ophthalmoplegia and cerebellar sign for multiple sclerosis
  • Signs of Cushing's syndrome in SLE pts on steroid
  • in old patient, look for evidence of vascular diseases such as prominent temporal artery (or old scar indicating temporal artery biopsy) and carotid bruit

  • (or endarterectomy scar)


Congenital

If congenital, it is usually hereditary with an onset of deterioration in childhood and may be accompanied by nystagmus. Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, (LHON) or Leber Optic Atrophy is hereditary, but typically has its onset in 20-30 year old males. This is due to a mutation of the mitochondrial genome and hence is passed exclusively through the mothers. Dominant optic atrophy or Kjer's optic neuropathy has autosomal dominant inheritance. It usually presents in early childhood. There are numerous less common genetically related syndromes.[2]

Alternatively, congenital optic atrophy can be caused by a lack of oxygen during pregnancy, labour or in the early days of a child's life. Some drugs taken during pregnancy are also associated with optic atrophy.

Acquired

The acquired type of optic atrophy may be due to blood supply changes in the eye or optic nerve (anterior ischemic optic neuropathy or posterior ischemic optic neuropathy), may be secondary to inflammation or swelling within the optic nerve (optic neuritis), may be a result of pressure against the optic nerve (such as from a tumour), or may be related to metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes mellitus), trauma, glaucoma, or toxicity (caused by methanol, tobacco, or other poisons). It is also seen in vitamin B12 deficiency and Paget's disease of the bone.

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3 Comments:

At 7/31/2008 02:50:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

it has been a very long time since we read such an informative thread hopping to be followed by similar ones

 
At 1/21/2010 05:45:00 PM, Anonymous Medical Supplies said...

While people may have different views still good things should always be appreciated. Yours is a nice blog. Liked it!!!

 
At 3/07/2010 10:18:00 PM, Blogger shashank said...

Here is a link to more information about the genetics of Optic Atrophy Type 1 that was prepared by our genetic counselor and which has links to some useful resources for those dealing with this condition: http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Optic_Atrophy_Type_1/784. There is also a phone number listed if you need to speak to a genetic counselor by phone. I hope it helps. Thanks, AccessDNA

 

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