2014-2015 Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC): Section 4: Ophthalmic Pathology and Intraocular Tumors

Section 4 presents materials in two parts: Part I, Ophthalmic Pathology; and Part II, Intraocular Tumors: Clinical Aspects. Part I uses a hierarchy that moves from general to specific to help derive a differential diagnosis for a specific tissue. Part II is a compilation of selected clinical aspects of importance to the general ophthalmologist. Following Part II are the American Joint Committee on Cancer 2010 staging forms for ocular and adnexal tumors.

Upon completion of Section 4, readers should be able to:

Describe a structured approach to understanding major ocular conditions based on a hierarchical framework of topography, disease process, general diagnosis and differential diagnosis
Summarize the steps in handling ocular specimens for pathologic study, including obtaining, dissecting, processing, and staining tissues
Identify those ophthalmic lesions that indicate systemic disease and are potentially life threatening