Dr Nima's Eye Pod

Cancer drugs can save lives - but sometimes the eye gets caught in the crossfire. In this short video, I discuss how modern cancer treatments, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immuno-oncology therapies, can activate the immune system to fight cancer, but occasionally trigger inflammation in the eye. As a uveitis specialist, I’m seeing this become increasingly relevant. Eye probl...

🚨 NEW HEALTH ALERT: Do you prep raw seafood at home? 🦐🐟A virus known as CMNV, which has historically only affected aquatic life like farmed shrimp and fish, has officially jumped to humans. It is causing a brand-new, treatment-resistant eye disease called POH-VAU (Persistent Ocular Hypertensive Viral Anterior Uveitis).Why does this matter? Because it reminds us that the eye can sometimes be an...

Anterior uveitis can be an early indicator of Axial SpA, a systemic rheumatic disease. Timely diagnosis is key to managing Axial SpA and preventing long-term complications. The key acronym is SPINE:Symptoms starting slowlyPain in the lower backImproves with movementNight time wakingEarly onset (under 40)This video accompanied the fantastic audit by @livuni medical student Timothy Boey. We were inc...

🔎Eye Spy: Unveiling Systemic SecretsThe eyes aren't just windows to the soul, they're a window to our overall health! Thanks to #Optometry Today for inviting me as a Medical Ophthalmologist to talk about #Oculomics - the revolutionary field using eye exams to detect systemic diseases decades early. Optometrists are key to this, with their unique skills and patient access. Learn how eye tests can...

Up, up and away – clearing the clouds… Bringing clarity to Uveitis Diagnosis with AI: It’s a pleasure to share this joint Nature EYE editorial with Peter Thomas in which we survey  how artificial neural networks (ANNs) might be used to enhance the diagnosis of uveitis, a significant cause of vision loss worldwide: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-024-03588-y The Challenge: Uveitis, an intrao...

Repost of the NASS Rheum for Improvement Podcast from last year - hosted by Lucy Davies and featuring Rheumatology Professor Karl Gaffney and myself as we discussed acute anterior uveitis 👁️(inflammation in the front of the eye) in the context of Axial SpA (aka AS or Ankylosing Spondylitis) - a type of inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting the spine & sacroiliac joints and linked to HLAB2...

NotebookLM can be a game-changing tool for learning... It's like having a virtual research assistant that can analyze documents, summarize key facts, explain complex ideas, and brainstorm new connections – all based on your uploaded sources. I think the potential is for turning a dense research paper or a collection of lecture notes into a digestible podcast. NotebookLM's "Audio Overview" feature...

Full Behçet's Uveitis Video here: https://youtu.be/KHlZ7aElCJU Medicine, while grounded in evidence, has historically been shaped by traditions and assumptions that sometimes do not withstand scrutiny in light of new data, technologies, or even insights"You can't have XYZ in this disease". Questioning entrenched beliefs encourages critical thinking and a willingness to adapt practices based on eme...

A talk delivered at the Behçet's UK 2024 conference entitled "Behçet's and the Eye" https://behcetsuk.org/conference/2024conf/ Dr Ghadiri explores thecomplex relationship between Behçet's disease and ocular health. The presentation highlighted the systemic nature of Behçet's disease, with a focus on how it manifests in the eyes, particularly in the form of uveitis and retinal vasculitis. Dr. Ghadi...

Article here: https://rdcu.be/d2qnf This editorial in EYE outlines the captivating history of Uveitis (inflammation in the eye), the understanding and management of which having evolved alongside advancements in medicine. From early  descriptions in ancient Egyptian papyri, to the primogenitors of  modern medicine laying the foundation of the link between eye inflammation to systemic disease, to i...

Marty Feldman's iconic eyes were a result of his Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves' ophthalmopathy) and a strabismus which was not corrected properly. Thyroid Eye Disease represents a spectrum of inflammation: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-018-0302-1 Our understanding of Thyroid Eye Disease has been slowly increasing over the decades since his roles, but we still don't have a magic bullet to ma...

Marty Feldman's iconic eyes were a result of his  thyroid  Eye Disease (Graves' ophthalmopathy) and a strabismus which was not corrected properly. Thyroid Eye Disease represents a spectrum of inflammation: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-018-0302-1 Our understanding of Thyroid Eye Disease has been slowly increasing over the decades since his roles, but we still don't have a magic bullet to...

Ordering specific investigations in uveitis involves a systematic approach to identify the underlying cause and guide appropriate treatment, with the initial evaluation typically including a comprehensive eye examination, detailed medical history, and assessment of symptoms, carefully analysing risk factors and clues to diagnosis. This short discouraging the blunderbuss approach to ordering tests...

The most common type of Uveitis (inflammation in the eye) is anterior uveitis, or iritis, and almost 50% of patients with this condition test positive for the genetic marker HLA-B27. Having a positive result could potentially help establish the diagnosis, guide treatment, and provide information about prognosis. It can help avoid unnecessary diagnostic workup too. But it's a grey area as both fals...

All three of history, examination and lab tests have important roles to play in diagnosing Uveitis. This short (featuring a league of extraordinary defectors including Pingu, the Fast Show tailor, Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes) focuses on the importance of uncovering the patient's history to identify potential underlying triggers or associated diseases, such as recent illnesses, medication use...

Don't let this be a cat-astrophe Ocular toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, and it primarily affects the eyes. One of the key questions surrounding its transmission is how someone can contract this condition. Toxoplasma gondii is commonly found in the environment, and one of the main sources of transmission is through exposure to infected cat feces. Cats are the...

Whether cleric or barbarian, it feels like the rules of the game can be stacked against you in Ocular Inflammation. Join me for sixty seconds which covers the two cardinal laws and six rules in Uveitis, with a cheeky nod to the Forgotten Realms and Baldur's Gate 3, together with a bit of Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Elder Scrolls thrown in. Don't let Uveitis cast Darkness on the journey and drain those...

Are we at risk of becoming robots? Or being controlled by robotic thinking? The practice of medicine requires nuanced, individualized thinking to properly diagnose and treat patients. While technology like artificial intelligence holds great promise for improving healthcare, we must be wary of allowing "straight-line" or automated thinking to override a physician's professional judgement. As philo...

What are Medical Ophthalmologists? Is it possible to summarize the ethos/approach, and the history, of my speciality in less than a minute for a short-form video? You be the judge, as I attempt to aphoristically cover my speciality of Medical Ophthalmology (or Ophthalmic Medicine)...

Christopher Nolan describes an "Oppenheimer moment" in artificial intelligence (AI). He draws parallels between the moral dilemmas posed by AI and the challenges faced by Oppenheimer’s work on the atom. We are at a critical watershed of excitement about the possibilities that AI provide and the potential for catastrophe. I've written about my impressions of the new Oppenheimer film, thoughts about...

Is there a God for eye diseases? Why yes there is: Xipe Totec "Our Lord the Flayed One" is an Aztec deity who represnts the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Often depicted with eyes ablaze, he embodies the essence of ocular afflictions and their remedies. It was believed that Xipe Totec both inflicts and heals eye infections, wielding the ability to bring both suffering and relief to mortals. Lis...

Fungi have taken root in some of our most entertaining and evocative fiction. Check out my blogpiece for examples of malevolent and magnificent mushrooms: https://medium.com/doctoryak/fabulous-fungi-in-fiction-3af2ac9440c5 But is there any evidence of their therapeutic use in eye health? There may be... Can hallucinogenic mushrooms aid colour vision? https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/science-and-vision/re...

At the UK Ophthalmology Congress 2023, I donned a headset and was transported to experience different types of loss of vision and visual field defects. This is part of TheEyesHaveIt campaign to raise awareness of visual impairment A Call to Action: This is part of a campaign to take action and address the need for proper care and support for individuals experiencing sight loss. The campaign aims t...

In the realm of patient diagnosis, Occam's Razor and Hickam's Dictum engage in a captivating clash of philosophies. Occam's Razor, the epitome of simplicity, urges doctors to embrace the most straightforward explanation. It advocates for the elimination of unnecessary assumptions and complexities, favoring the path that requires the fewest leaps of logic. Armed with Occam's Razor, physicians metic...

The Answer Involves grapes! And just like the grape's outer skin protects the juicy flesh inside, the iris acts as a protective barrier for the delicate structures within the eye. The ciliary body, resembling the fibers and pulp of a grape, plays a crucial role in producing aqueous humor, the fluid that nourishes the eye. Finally, the choroid, comparable to the grape's vascular network, provides o...