New QEH test can pick up diseases through eye exam

Diabetes and sickle cell disease can now be detected by a new test at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s eye clinic to help detect diseases that also can affect the retina — the back of the eye — and prevent diabetic blindness.

The test, the Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA) was performed for the first time at the QEH on Tuesday.

Dr Charles Pierce, a consultant medical retinal specialist, led a team conducting the procedure which provides another level of diagnosis for patients, along with more information about any disease affecting the back of the eye, he said.

“It’s a fairly simple procedure,” Dr Pierce explained. “We inject dye into the arm. And then we take a series of photographs of the back of the eye, where you can see the details of the blood vessels, exactly how the blood is flowing and if we see any abnormal blood vessels we can start treatment at that point.”

Dr Pierce said the test could prove critical in saving the eyesight of patients with diabetic eye disease, saying the test allows for earlier detection, intervention and treatment. The FFA test can also detect retinal vein occlusion –blockage of the veins supplying blood to the retina, which is often linked to diabetes.

As the diabetic population continues to grow here, the retinal ophthalmologist gave an assurance the hospital’s Lons Eye Care Centre can respond to the increasing demand for this test.

Specifically for diabetics, Dr. Pierce advised patients to have the back of their eyes checked annually, as symptoms of eye disease do not appear in most cases until the late stages.

With the test, the QEH eye clinic can now cover all of the subspecialties in ophthalmology, allowing doctors to diagnose from the most common to the rarest eye diseases.

(BT/QEH)