Approach to Red Eye for Primary Care Practitioners.

A red eye is a common presenting complaint in the primary care setting. Redness of the eye indicates the presence of ocular inflammation, and most commonly represents benign conditions that can be readily treated by the primary care provider. However, there are emergent conditions that can present as a red eye.

Ophthalmoscopic findings in malignant hypertension.

Malignant hypertension may present with retinopathy, choroidopathy, and optic neuropathy. Flame-shaped retinal hemorrhages, an early finding, are due to smooth muscle necrosis and bleeding along the nerve fiber layer. Cotton-wool spots, or cytoid bodies, are not exudates, but rather are retinal infarcts.