NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY UNLOCKED - Rebecca Sinclair MD;Daniel Okoro OD FAAO;Marcus Ellington MD FRCOphth

Neuro-ophthalmology can be one of the most demanding areas of clinical practice, not because the subject is impossible to learn, but because its most important clues are often subtle, its anatomy extends far beyond the eye, and the consequences of a missed diagnosis can be serious. A patient may have normal visual acuity and an apparently normal eye examination while the real pathology lies somewhere along the optic nerve, chiasm, visual pathways, brainstem, or visual cortex.

Neuro-Ophthalmology Unlocked is a practical, clinically focused guide to understanding these presentations and approaching them with a clear, structured method. Rather than treating neuro-ophthalmology as a catalogue of conditions to memorize, the book teaches the reasoning that connects a patient's history and examination findings to an anatomical localization, a differential diagnosis, the appropriate investigations, and a sensible management or referral plan.

At the centre of the book is a principle that runs throughout the chapters: localize the lesion before naming the diagnosis. By learning to ask the right questions, recognize the tempo of a presentation, interpret visual fields and pupillary findings, assess ocular motility systematically, and combine apparently small clinical clues, the reader can approach difficult cases with considerably greater structure and clarity.

The book provides detailed coverage of optic nerve disorders, optic neuritis, ischemic optic neuropathy, compressive and toxic optic neuropathies, optic atrophy, papilloedema and raised intracranial pressure, pupillary abnormalities, third, fourth and sixth nerve palsies, diplopia, nystagmus, internuclear and supranuclear disorders of eye movement, and visual pathway lesions. It also examines the neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of important systemic and neurological diseases, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, thyroid eye disease, intracranial tumours, migraine, infections, inflammatory disorders, and cortical visual impairment.

Particular attention is given to the situations in which clinical judgment matters most. Readers will find practical approaches to neurological red flags, neuro-ophthalmic emergencies, neuroimaging, laboratory and ancillary investigations, referral, multidisciplinary management, visual rehabilitation, and long-term care. Common diagnostic errors are examined directly, including the danger of attributing papilloedema to migraine, overlooking significant pupil abnormalities, assuming that a normal-looking optic disc excludes optic nerve disease, and anchoring too early on an attractive diagnosis.The book is designed to be useful beyond a single reading. Case-based chapters, examination checklists, quick-reference tables, diagnostic frameworks, key-point summaries, and practical algorithms make it suitable both for structured study and for returning to specific topics during clinical practice.

Written for ophthalmologists, optometrists, neurologists, neurosurgery trainees, emergency clinicians, general physicians, and students, Neuro-Ophthalmology Unlocked brings together the anatomical knowledge, examination skills, and clinical reasoning needed to make sense of patients whose visual symptoms may originate far beyond the eye.

If you want to understand not only what a neuro-ophthalmic sign means, but where it points, what it could represent, and what deserves attention next, this book provides a practical framework for doing exactly that.