gigayak

[gigayak]

Eyes on the Mic

My Latest Ophthalmology Podcast Discoveries

As eye health professionals — whether ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses, or in other vital roles — staying current is paramount. Textbooks and journals are essential, but let’s be honest, absorbing information on the move is incredibly efficient. For me, listening to podcasts is perfect whether I’m commuting, jogging, or even tackling some kitchen prep (rutabaga, anyone?).

While AI tools like Google’s NotebookLM are becoming game-changers for processing information, even generating podcast-like summaries (see my experiment here), there’s still something irreplaceable about listening to real-life hosts sharing their expertise and engaging in discussion.

Building on my previous list of eye and vision podcasts, here are some newer additions I’ve been tuning into:

Two Peas in a Pod: Hosted by senior trainees Megan Wood and Zhi Cheng, this UK-based podcast is fantastic for trainees, offering concise summaries of common conditions — perfect for exam revision.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0NGqhQYlHshJ2ZK7rXiudQ 

2. Immunobuddies: My friends Drs. Anna Olsson Brown, Ricky Frazer, and I recently collaborated on a crucial three-part series exploring the ocular manifestations of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events (irAEs). We delve into systemic links, ocular toxicities (thyroid/rheum), investigations, management, and fostering oncology-ophthalmology collaboration. Catch up on nearly 140 episodes!

Episode 136: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2128662/episodes/16260351

Episode 137: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2128662/episodes/16261498

Episode 138: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2128662/episodes/16261556

(Previous Ophthalmic irAE episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2128662/episodes/12513608)

3. AAO Podcast — Can ChatGPT Think Like an Ophthalmologist?: A thought-provoking episode from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Edmund Tsui discusses with Drs. Jimmy S. Chen and David B. Granet their Ophthalmology Science article analysing ChatGPT’s diagnostic accuracy and whether clinicians can differentiate AI from human responses.

Listen here: https://www.aao.org/education/audio/can-chatgpt-think-like-ophthalmologist

4. The Neurotransmitters: While broader neurology, this podcast from the American Academy of Neurology frequently delves into neuro-ophthalmology. Check out their recent episode featuring Dr. Manasa Gunturu.

Explore episodes: https://www.theneurotransmitters.com/podcast

5. Outlier’s Insights: Hosted by Gok Ratnarajan, Paul Singh, and Ben LaHood, this podcast features engaging discussions with top ophthalmology experts. I particularly enjoyed the insights from David Lockington and the inspirations shared by Peng Khaw.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Z6PFzWhJEy6Rv1vLc2ihB 

6. Just Out: EyeConnect Podcast: Keep an ear out for this new podcast launching via the Scope Connect education portal. Looks promising for eye care professionals.

Learn more: https://scope-connect.com/event/introducing-eyeconnect-a-new-podcast-for-eye-care-professionals/

Rheum for Improvement: Although primarily rheumatology-focused, this podcast with Lucy Davies often touches on overlapping areas relevant to ophthalmology, particularly uveitis and inflammatory eye disease. Check out discussions on conditions like spondyloarthritis.

What Are Your Essential Listens?

This list is constantly evolving, Previous 2024 podcast summary here: https://t.co/9UOuj0su7w

[gigayak]

🔎Eye Spy: Unveiling Systemic Secrets

The eyes aren't just windows to the soul, they're a window to our overall health! Thanks to Optometry Today for inviting me as a Medical Ophthalmologist to talk about Oculomics - the revolutionary field using eye exams to detect systemic diseases decades early.

Optometrists are key to this, with their unique skills and patient access.

Learn how eye tests can reveal signs of conditions like cardiovascular disease, and how AI is accelerating research in this exciting new era of healthcare:

https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/videos/2024/12/10/oculomics-a-window-to-overall-health

[gigayak]

Did you know misinformation is considered the biggest global risk in 2025 (Global Risks Report 2025)?! 😱

That's why I'm part of FIDES a group of 1000+ healthcare professionals sharing evidence-based health information 💪

  It's been amazing to watch this grow - clinicians becoming trusted voices, and for patients and the public to become more empowered to make informed decisions about their health.   45+ campaigns in 62 countries, tackling everything from  mental health to malaria.  

Even with the US leaving the WHO, our US docs are staying with us! It's been a pleasure to learn from you all 🇺🇸❤️  

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Up, up and away – clearing the clouds: Bringing clarity to Uveitis Diagnosis with AI

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Axial SpA and Uveitis podcast

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NotebookLM and the AI podcast - applied to the History of Uveitis!

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Dogmatic ideas in medicine and uveitis - from the Behçet's UK Q & A

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Behçet's Disease and the Eye: Understanding the Impact on Vision and Health

A talk delivered at the Behçet's UK 2024 conference entitled "Behçet's and the Eye" https://behcetsuk.org/conference/2024conf/

Dr Ghadiri explores  thecomplexrelationship between Behçet's disease and ocular health. The presentation highlighted the systemic nature of Behçet's disease, with a focus on how it manifests in the eyes, particularly in the form of uveitis and retinal vasculitis. Dr. Ghadiri discussed the challenges of early diagnosis, the importance of multidisciplinary care, and the latest advancements in treatment strategies to prevent vision loss and preserve quality of life. The talk emphasized the critical role of ongoing research and patient-centered approaches in managing this rare but impactful condition.

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Uveitis Through the Ages...

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Marty's Eyes to Modern Medicines: The Future of Thyroid Eye Disease:

Marty Feldman's iconic eyes were a result of his Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves' ophthalmopathy) and a strabismus which was not corrected properly. Thyroid Eye Disease represents a spectrum of inflammation:

 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-018-0302-1 

 Our understanding of Thyroid Eye Disease has been slowly increasing over the decades since his roles, but we still don't have a magic bullet to manage this complex condition which affects our patients in so many different ways. Future treatments will likely move beyond current anti-inflammatory and surgical interventions, and towards more personalized, targeted therapies, including new biologic treatments. 

[gigayak]

Ordering specific test in Uveitis – Avoiding a scattershot approach

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Ordering specific investigations in uveitis involves a systematic approach to identify the underlying cause and guide appropriate treatment, with the initial evaluation typically including a comprehensive eye examination, detailed medical history, and assessment of symptoms, carefully analysing risk factors and clues to diagnosis.

This short discouraging the blunderbuss approach to ordering tests and taking into account both sensitivity (how well the presence of a disease is predicted by a test) and specificity (how well the absence of a disease is predicted by a test), targeting a golden ratio of minimal amount of tests for maximum amount of data (The analogous blunderbuss was a a 17th- century large-bored gun firing balls or slugs which scattered projectiles in a broad range but lacked subtlety and precision).

Specific investigations may be ordered based on the clinical presentation and suspected aetiology of uveitis. Common tests include blood work to assess for infectious or autoimmune diseases, such as full blood count (FBC/CBC), inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), organ profile (LFT, U+E), Chest X-ray to look for TB or Sarcoidosis, Syphillis.

Other tests depend on the outcome of targeted history and examination, and include Serum ACE, Toxoplasma and Toxocara antibodies, HLA-A29, ANCA, ANA, Mantoux Test, Interferon Gamma Release Assay, Fundus Fluorescein Angiography, Indocyanine Green Angiography, Electrophysiology, CT Chest, CT Abdo/Pelvis, MRI Brain, Lumbar Puncture for CSF Studies, Conjunctival biopsies, Anterior chamber tap,  Biopsy of vitreous/choroid - In infectious uveitis cases, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of ocular fluids or serological tests for specific pathogens may be necessary

Sometimes doing routine immunological tests doesn’t really help as there are often weak positive anti-nuclear and other antibodies found in Uveitis which are not really interpretable, so

Tailor Those Investigations!

Featuring Pirates of the Caribbean’s Marty, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Mantis, Shawshank Redemption’s Warden Samuel Norton, the lab scene from Jurassic Park’s Isla Nublar, and the classic Knightmare CITV series (1987-1994) "Ooh, nasty!"

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Be like Detective Pikachu, but don't forget Shin Chan! Anterior Uveitis & Axial SpA - HLA-B27 Testing, Features, Support? · • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • · The most common type of Uveitis (inflammation in the eye) is anterior uveitis, or iritis, and almost 50% of patients with this condition test positive for the genetic marker HLA-B27. Having a positive result could potentially help establish the diagnosis, guide treatment, and provide information about prognosis. It can help avoid unnecessary diagnostic workup too. But it's a grey area as both false negatives and false positives can happen. Asking questions is key and results should be interpreted in the context of the full clinical picture.

[gigayak]

Unlocking Uveitis mysteries - History, Examination, or Lab Tests?(Pingu X Indiana Jones X Fast Show)

All three of history, examination and lab tests have important roles to play in diagnosing Uveitis. 

This short (featuring a league of extraordinary defectors including Pingu, the Fast Show tailor, Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes) focuses on the importance of uncovering the patient's history to identify potential underlying triggers or associated diseases

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Don't let this be a cat-astrophe 

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Uveitis may be a little like the Forgotten Realms, but we can get to grips with the rules of the game and choose the right tests for both Uveitis and Baldur's Gate 3

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I, Healer?

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What are Medical Ophthalmologists?