Cornea (Wills Eye Institute Atlas Series)

Preface

T he main objective of basic ophthalmic education is to train the user to discover the full history of the patient’s illness, rec ognize the abnormal physical signs, make a diagnosis, and suggest appropriate methods of treatment. The aim of higher training is to amplify these capabilities in breadth and depth through practical experience and sub specialty training. During case presentations and even clinical examinations, it is common to encounter trainees making the wrong diag nosis and arriving at the wrong treatment plan. There are two primary reasons for this error. First, they may fail to detect all the abnormal signs, and second, they are unable to integrate and interpret the facts that are collected. The first step in the management of any condition is making a correct diagnosis. One must be able to detect all the abnormal signs and know what one is observing. The goal of this book is to use color photo graphs of the important corneal, anterior seg ment, and external diseases with outline-form text to succinctly illustrate and describe these conditions. This atlas is intended not only for ophthalmic residents and cornea fellows but also for practicing physicians. Each sec tion covers the clinical features of important cornea and external eye diseases, differential

diagnoses, diagnostic tests, and treatment op tions. In addition to providing practical infor mation on the approach to and management of each condition, this book aids recognition of clinical signs by including a selection of clas sic photographs. In the field of cornea, the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” is woefully inadequate because not even a thou sand words can substitute for a good picture of a condition. It is hoped that the extensive use of color photographs throughout this af fordable atlas, augmented by hundreds of ad ditional photos online, will have a great impact on the memory and facilitate learning. To emphasize the importance of sign rec ognition and the powers of observation, the following quotations may serve as useful re minders for all of us: Credit must be given to observation rather than theories, and to theories only in so far as they are confirmed by the observed facts. Aristotle The more I see, the more I see there is to see. John Sebastian

Christopher J. Rapuano Editor

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