Paramacular coloboma.

Background: Paramacular coloboma (plural: colobomata) is a solitary oval football or torpedo-shaped chorioretinal lesion located temporal to the fovea in one or both eyes. Previous case reports have speculated varying etiology, but few have justified its pathognomonic shape and location. We believe it to be congenital in nature and caused by incomplete differentiation of the arcuate bundles along the horizontal raphe in development of the macular architecture.

Ocular and systemic findings and their correlation with hemodynamically significant carotid artery stenosis: a retrospective study.

Background: Optometrists often encounter patients with ocular signs and/or symptoms suggestive of carotid artery disease, but criteria for eye care practitioners concerning when to order carotid studies are not well established. A retrospective study in an optometry clinic was performed to determine if certain ocular findings and associated systemic risk factors were associated with hemodynamically significant carotid artery stenosis (HSCAS).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients examined in the optometry clinic at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center from January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1999 to identify all patients who had carotid studies ordered.

Juxtapapillary capillary hemangioblastoma.

Background: Juxtapapillary capillary hemangioblastomas are vascular lesions that occur on the optic nerve head or immediately adjacent to the optic disc. Although juxtapapillary capillary hemangioblastomas may appear as an isolated clinical finding, they are more likely to be a precursor to the diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. When associated with VHL, the ocular complications from hemangioblastoma are generally greater, and subsequently the prognosis is poorer than for isolated entities.