Ocular toxoplasmosis related macular traction: A case report and review of the literature.

This is a case of toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis which has resulted in the formation of vitreomacular traction upon resolution which is rarely associated with ocular toxoplasmosis. A 39-year-old male came with an active toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis. Best-corrected visual acuity, full ophthalmic slitlamp examination, colour fundus photography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and fluorescein angiography were performed. Presumed ocular toxoplasmosis diagnosis was supported by serological tests. The patient was treated medically for 45 days and on his follow up he developed macular traction which was shown in SD-OCT with a good visual acuity. Vitreoretinal traction is a rare complication of ocular toxoplasmosis and ranges from mild to severe traction which might require surgery. We suggest a close follow up for patients with toxoplasmosis retinochoroiditis and early recognition could avoid exposing patients to surgery.

Transition to Ophthalmology Residency Program and the Role of Basic Science Course.

BACKGROUND: Residency training is a difficult and a highly stressful task, especially at the beginning of the training. The aim of this study is to assess the roles of the Basic Science Course (BSC) and independent preparation on the transition to ophthalmology residency in Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among ophthalmology program residents. The questionnaire was administered to 100 residents. Responses were analyzed for association using univariate analysis. RESULTS: Nearly 88% of residents were satisfied with their knowledge exposure during the BSC, while 67% thought that the majority of the BSC was dedicated to theoretical lectures. Surgical exposure was limited to attending surgeries for 38% of residents before joining residency programs, and 91% thought that there was little time dedicated for hands-on surgical skills training during the BSC, while only 11% thought that their surgical exposure was beneficial. Almost half of the beginning residents were accompanied by senior colleagues during their initial calls. More than 50% of residents felt that their transition to ophthalmology residency was more stressful than the transition to internship. CONCLUSION: The knowledge exposure from the BSC was helpful to facilitate the transition to ophthalmology residency program, especially for the ones who prepared well before. Improvement in surgical skills training should be aimed to further facilitate transition to ophthalmology residency program.