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Made Easy Series: Ready Reckoners for Confusing Eye Topics

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Made Easy Series: Ready Reckoners for Confusing Eye Topics

Last updated: October 2026

Some topics confuse almost every resident and fellow, not because they are hard but because they are usually taught as lists. Each page in this series turns one of them into a few rules you can reason from, a diagram, a one-glance table, the common traps, and flip cards and a quiz to check yourself.

The series

Eye embryologyFour germ-layer rules, the exceptions, a timeline and the anomalies that follow. Orbital anatomyWalls, fissures and foramina, and what passes through each. Visual pathway & fieldsFive rules to predict any field defect from the lesion, with eight classic sites drawn. Pupils & anisocoriaAnisocoria in light and dark, the four drop tests, Horner by neuron and the large pupil. Ocular motility & palsiesMuscle actions from first principles, yoke pairs, the three-step test and nerve palsies. Corneal dystrophiesSorted by layer, with the stain mnemonic, TGFBI hotspots and treatment by depth (IC3D 2024). UveitisSUN terms, granulomatous or not, pattern-based work-up, HLA links and masquerades. Retinal layers & OCTThe three-neuron relay, two blood supplies, lesions by layer and the outer OCT bands. ERG, EOG & VEPOne test per level: ERG waves, negative ERG causes, EOG, PERG and VEP patterns. Clinical opticsVergence, far point, Prentice's rule, accommodation, magnification and handy numbers. LasersTime and colour decide the effect: every ophthalmic laser and procedure in one place.

How to use these pages

  • Before a class or exam: read the rules box and the diagram first. If you can explain the rules aloud, the rest of the page is detail.
  • On a ward round or in clinic: jump straight to the tables; they are written to be read in under a minute.
  • For revision: use the flip cards, then the quiz. For timed practice, try the free mock tests, where each answer links back to the page that explains it.
  • To print: use your browser's print option; the sidebar and navigation are hidden in print.

Coming next

More topics are planned, including nystagmus, glaucoma classification, retinal vascular occlusions and ocular pharmacology. If a topic confuses you, write to [email protected] and it may be the next page.

Related: Start here, Learning dashboard, Clinic desk reference, Free mock tests.

📘 Want more exam-ready material? See Most Commons in Ophthalmology on Kindle, or browse all my books.

Written by Dr. Dhaval Patel, MD (Ophthalmology, AIIMS New Delhi)

Consultant, Cataract & Refractive Surgery — among a small number of AIIMS-trained ophthalmologists practicing in Gujarat. Read full credentials & experience or view his 28 publications on ResearchGate.

📚 Also the author of OKAT Decoded and other high-yield ophthalmology exam-prep books used by residents and PG aspirants.

Looking for an eye specialist in Ahmedabad? Learn about our Eye Department or book a consultation with Dr. Dhaval Patel.

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