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Melbourne Eye Vet  |  Dr Anu O'Reilly and Dr Chloe Hardman  |  Animal Eye Specialists
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    • Virtual Tour of Melbourne EyeVet
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    • Chloe Hardman
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    • Gemma Turner
    • The Team
  • Information
    • For Veterinarians >
      • Veterinary Referral
      • Information Resources
    • Veterinary Students
    • For Pet Owners >
      • E-collar help
      • Useful websites and products
      • Hattie's Halo
      • How to give eye drops
      • How to apply ointment
      • Surgery
      • Specialist Anaesthesia
      • Pug Eye Disease
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Breeders >
      • Breed Eye Certification
      • Breed Specific Information
    • HORSES
  • Eye Conditions
    • Canine >
      • Blephartitis
      • Cataracts >
        • Cataract Post Op Care
        • Cataract Post Op Video
      • Cherry Eye
      • Chorioretinitis
      • Conjunctivitis-Dog
      • Corneal endothelial degeneration
      • Corneal laceration and Iris Prolapse
      • Corneal lipidosis
      • Deep and infected ulcers
      • Distichia
      • Dry eye
      • Ectopic Cilia
      • Entropion-Dog
      • Eyelid Tumour
      • Glaucoma-Dog
      • Glaucoma Shunt
      • Horner's Syndrome
      • Iris Cyst
      • Intraocular Silicon Prosthesis
      • Living with a blind pet
      • Anterior Lens Luxation
      • Posterior lens Luxation
      • Pannus
      • Progressive Retinal Atrophy
      • Retrobulbar Disease
      • SARDS - SUDDEN ACQUIRED RETINAL DEGENERATION SYNDROME
      • Sudden Vision Loss
      • Superficial ulcer
      • Uveitis
    • Feline >
      • Conjunctivitis-Cat
      • Corneal Sequestrum
      • Entropion-Cat
      • Feline Herpes - Viral Keratitis
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      • Hypertension
      • Anterior lens Luxation
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      • Glaucoma
      • Corneal Ulcers
      • Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
      • Uveitis
    • Exotics
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    • Mulgrave (Main)
    • Frankston
    • Mornington
    • Essendon
    • Mill Park
    • Geelong
    • Bendigo
    • Narre Warren North ( Horses)
    • Traralgon
    • Wodonga
    • Ballarat
    • Darwin
  • Contact Us
  • Diabetes Australia
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retrobulbar disease

Retrobulbuar disease
 
Retrobular disease encompasses any disease process occuring behind the eye.  Usually the eye itself is normal and visual.   
Clinical signs
  • Prominent eye – the eye gets pushed outwards and turned on an angle
  • Difficulty in closing the eyelids – resulting in the cornea drying out                                          
  • Pain – on opening the mouth, commonly associated with an abscess
  • Discharge – watery to mucky due to inflammation
  • Third eyelid elevated – caused by pressure from behind the eye

Causes
  • Bacterial infection or abscessation – foreign bodies in young animals and dental disease in older animals
  • Fungal infection behind the eye – not common
  • Extraocular myositis in dogs
  • Tumours behind the eye – more common in older patients.
  • Haemorrhage behind the eye – trauma or dental extraction
  • Cellulitis – inflammation behind the eye

Diagnostic tests
It is difficult to diagnose retrobulbar disease because you cannot see behind the eye.  Often multiple modes of imaging are used.
  1. Ultrasound +/- fine needle aspirate or biopsy under general anaesthesia
  2. X-ray of the head +/- x-rays of the chest and abdomen
  3. CT scan of the head
  4. MRI scan of the head
  5. Surgical exploration of the orbit (behind the eye)

Emergency Treatment
If the cornea is at risk of damage because the eye is pushed out, we need to stabilise this urgently.  A short acting anaesthetic can be done and sutures placed in the eyelids to close the eyelids down and protect the cornea.  Given the patient is already under anaesthetic, we can use this opportunity to ultrasound behind the eye and attempt to take a sample.
 
Medical therapy
If the cornea is not at risk of exposure some patients may benefit from a medication trial.  In this situation we can use broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications for 7-10 days to see if the eye improves.  If there is no improvement we need to investigate further.
 
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact 
us on 03
9545 0103.

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