Ophthalmology

A boards-focused triage of the acute red eye: separate the benign causes (viral/allergic conjunctivitis, subconjunctival hemorrhage) from the sight-threatening emergencies (angle-closure glaucoma, bacterial/HSV keratitis, anterior uveitis, scleritis, endophthalmitis) using vision, pain, pupil, injection pattern, and fluorescein — with the exact "next best step" the exam rewards.

A STEP 2 CK-focused lesson on acute vs chronic vision loss, organized by tempo and pain, covering the classic buzzwords, fundus findings, and next-best-step management for CRAO, CRVO, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, amaurosis fugax/GCA, acute angle-closure glaucoma, optic neuritis, and the chronic causes (open-angle glaucoma, cataract, AMD, diabetic retinopathy).

A boards-focused glaucoma lesson contrasting chronic primary open-angle disease (painless peripheral loss, cupping, latanoprost first-line) with acute angle-closure glaucoma (a painful red-eye emergency treated by rapid IOP lowering and definitive laser peripheral iridotomy), including next-best-step vignettes, a comparison table, and drug-mechanism mnemonics.

A Step 2 CK high-yield lesson separating cataracts (cloudy media needing surgery) from refractive errors (clear media corrected by lenses), built around board discriminators — red reflex, pinhole test, "second sight," and leukocoria — with next-best-step decisions and comparison tables.

A board-focused ophthalmology lesson contrasting diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy by findings, stage, and next-best-step management, anchored on classic vignette buzzwords. Covers NPDR/PDR, DME, VEGF-driven neovascularization, the Keith-Wagener-Barker grades, malignant hypertension with correct graded BP-lowering targets, and the ETDRS 4-2-1 rule.

A high-yield Step 2 CK approach to sudden painless monocular vision loss, contrasting retinal detachment, CRAO, and CRVO by buzzwords, fundoscopy, and the next-best-step — including GCA workup and stroke-pathway management for CRAO.

A Step 2 CK walkthrough of uveitis and scleritis: recognizing each painful red eye, tying it to its systemic disease (HLA-B27, sarcoid, RA, GPA), using the phenylephrine test to separate scleritis from episcleritis, and choosing the correct next-best-step management.

A Step 2 CK-focused lesson on distinguishing preseptal (anterior to the orbital septum, benign) from orbital (postseptal, vision- and life-threatening) cellulitis, driving the next-best-step decisions around CT imaging, IV antibiotics with MRSA coverage, and recognizing cavernous sinus thrombosis.