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Resources for those not getting adequate treatment

Published on October 9, 2023Author: taynico

Hi, I’m 26F and have been dealing with intermediate uveitis since May 2023. I’ve had a trickle down of neurological symptoms since March 2023, new/worsening symptoms over time are severely affecting me and my life. I was on a low dose of prednisone up until October 2023, which helped... View Details

Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis with Dietary Interventions

Published on August 18, 2023Author: Alison Justus

By Zihan Yu and Frances Foster, MS, NP Review of the article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5682732/ This blog is a summary of the effects of various diets on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but we feel this can be applied to ocular inflammatory disease as well. It is has been reported in some studies... View Details

Rare disease 2022

Published on February 28, 2022Author: Alison Justus

Do you know what day it is today? It is Rare Disease Day 2022! Uveitis is a rare disease that accounts for the third leading cause of blindness worldwide. It has a global impact with a significant burden of disease. First, it is a major cause of legal blindness, and... View Details

Office Virus Prevention Guidelines

Published on June 17, 2020Author: Alison Justus

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) COVID19 Patient Information Update for MERSI Eye Center and OIUF Under Governor Baker’s Phase 2 reopening guidelines for Massachusetts, medical practices are now able to provide all care, including routine appointments.  MERSI has remained open throughout the pandemic, treating our essential patients with great success.  We have... View Details

ESSENTIAL Medical Visits requiring an Office Appointment

Published on March 23, 2020Author: Alison Justus

COVID19 Patient Information Update for MERSI Eye Center and OIUF As you may have heard, Governor Baker has issued “A Stay in Place Order” for the state of Massachusetts for all non-essential businesses beginning at noon on March 24, 2020.   MERSI is considered essential, but we will need to restrict... View Details

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Published on March 12, 2020Author: Alison Justus

Dear Patients, We always recommend for those of you on immunomodulatory therapy to be vigilant about practicing universal precautions to prevent getting ill (see below). The flu is a concern each year, which is why we recommend and encourage you to get the flu shot and now, we have... View Details

Uveitis/OID is the Third Leading Cause of Blindness

Published on January 14, 2020Author: Alison Justus

By C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR Did you know that Uveitis/OID is the third leading cause of blindness in developed countries? It is the third leading cause of blindness because patients are left on chronic steroid therapy, which causes vision-robbing problems of glaucoma and cataract, or they are... View Details

Looking Forward to 2020: The Year of Vision a Self-Reflection

Published on December 27, 2019Author: Stephen Anesi

By Stephen D. Anesi, MD, FACS This time of year is always a time for reflection, but also a time to look to the future. As we enter into this new decade, starting with the year 2020, I wanted to share some of the thoughts I have had during... View Details

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month: Healthy Eye Vision Screening

Published on August 13, 2019Author: C. Stephen Foster, MD

By C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR and Frances Foster, MS, NP In Highlight of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, We Advocate, of course, eyewear protection and sunglasses, but will focus on the importance of vision screening in this blog. Undetected and untreated vision problems can interfere with... View Details

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Uveitis: What is it and what is its effect on the eye?

Published on July 16, 2019Author: C. Stephen Foster, MD

by C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR Uveitis is a serious complication of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Approximately 6% of all cases of uveitis occur in children, and up to 80% of all cases of anterior uveitis in childhood are associated with JIA. Although remarkable progress has been made... View Details

Cataract Surgery and Uveitis

Published on June 13, 2019Author: C. Stephen Foster, MD

by C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR Cataract develops in patients with uveitis because of the uveitis itself and also because of the steroids which is the cornerstone of treating uveitis. Cataract developing in an eye with a history of chronic or recurrent uveitis has historically been called cataracta... View Details

Recent Research Relating to Cicatricial Pemphigoid and the Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)

Published on May 6, 2019Author: Alison Justus

C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR Dr. Foster et al. recently published a chart review of all Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid (OCP) patients seen at the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution (MERSI) between 2005 and 2015 to look at the management of OCP with Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) as the... View Details

AIDS and the Eye

Published on October 8, 2018Author: Alison Justus

AIDS and the Eye C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR The ocular manifestations of AIDS revolve primarily around infectious and malignant disease. Prior to the advent of multi-drug “cocktail” therapy for HIV infection, opportunistic infectious disease of the eye was extremely common, and, in fact was a sentinel “marker”... View Details

Association of Ocular Inflammatory Disease with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Published on September 28, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Association of Ocular Inflammatory Disease with Inflammatory Bowel Disease C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. Even more surprising than the association between arthritis and eye inflammation, at least to some people, is the association between bowel inflammation and eye inflammation. But history tells us that such an association exists.... View Details

Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy

Published on September 21, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. What is Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy? Birdshot retinochoroidopathy, commonly referred to simply as “birdshot”, is a rare form of posterior uveitis which mainly affects the retina and choroid. The disease occurs in women more often than men, typically Caucasian, and most often between... View Details

Cataract Surgery and Uveitis

Published on September 7, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Cataract Surgery and Uveitis C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. Cataract develops in patients with uveitis because of the uveitis itself and also because of the steroids which is the cornerstone of treating uveitis. Cataract developing in an eye with a history of chronic or recurrent uveitis has historically... View Details

Cataract Surgery in Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid

Published on August 31, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Cataract Surgery in Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. We reported the results of our experience with cataract surgery in 20 patients (26 eyes) with biopsy-proven cicatricial pemphigoid. All patients were on systemic immunosuppression at the time of surgery (dapsone, azathioprine, cyclophsophamide, or combinations) and were... View Details

Connection Between Arthritis and Ocular Disease

Published on August 27, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Connection Between Arthritis and Ocular Disease C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. The eye is made up primarily of collagen, as are ligaments, tendons, and tissue within joint spaces. It is, perhaps, primarily because of this similarity in composition that the eye is often affected by many of the... View Details

Connection Between Skin Disorders and Ocular Disease

Published on August 6, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Connection Between Skin Disorders and Ocular Disease C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.R. Most individuals do not realize the extraordinary connection between skin and eye, much less the fact that many skin diseases have concomitant ocular manifestations. These may range from the relatively trivial, nuisance consequences of acne rosacea,... View Details

Corneal Transplantation and Immunologic Tolerance

Published on July 19, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Corneal Transplantation and Immunologic Tolerance C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Corneal transplants, more often than not, are “tolerated (i.e., not rejected), unlike solid organ transplants such as heart, lung, kidney and skin. For 40 years it was imagined that this phenomenon occurred because of the lack of blood... View Details

Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy

Published on July 6, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, and, indeed, in all developed countries. Sixteen million Americans have diabetes; only about half are aware that they have it. One type, Type 1, has its onset... View Details

Dry Eye

Published on June 18, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Dry Eye C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Dry Eye or Keratoconjunctivitis sicca syndrome (KCS or dry eye) is a problem of major epidemiologic importance. It affects literally millions of people around the globe, with women dramatically over represented, particularly those women who have entered menopause. The problem may... View Details

Episcleritis

Published on June 7, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Episcleritis C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. What is episcleritis? Episcleritis is inflammation of the episclera, which is the thin vascular outer coating of the eye wall, the sclera. Episclera lies underneath the more superficial layers of conjunctiva and other connective tissues. Unlike the more severe disease scleritis, episcleritis... View Details

Herpes and the Eye

Published on May 31, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Herpes and the Eye C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Herpes! The first thought in most people’s mind is venereal disease, sexual transmitted disease (STD). But, in fact most instances of herpes, at least those affecting the eye, are not sexually transmitted, and are not even the type of... View Details

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Uveitis: What is it and what is its effect on the eye?

Published on May 21, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Uveitis C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Uveitis is a serious complication of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Approximately 6% of all cases of uveitis occur in children, and up to 80% of all cases of anterior uveitis in childhood are associated with JIA. Although remarkable... View Details

Systemic Treatment of Ocular Inflammatory Disease (OID)

Published on May 11, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Systemic Treatment of Ocular Inflammatory Disease (OID) C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R Most eye diseases which are treatable are treated with eye drops. In fact, the number of instances in which patients attending a general ophthalmologist’s office might be prescribed a systemic medication (i.e., one which is taken,... View Details

Chemotherapy: Risks and Outcomes

Published on May 9, 2018Author: Alison Justus

Chemotherapy: Risks and Outcomes C. Stephen Foster, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.R. Inflammatory eye disease has blinded countless numbers of individuals during both ancient and modern times. And while most of such instances have occurred on the basis of infectious inflammation, not a trivial number of instances has occurred on the... View Details

Cost of Care of Patients with Uveitis

Published on February 19, 2018Author: Alison Justus

C. Stephen Foster MD Increasingly restrictive “gate keeping” policies of health maintenance organizations, insurance companies, and other medical insurance plans have created increasing pressure on ophthalmologists to be parsimonious in their use of medical services in both the diagnostic and therapeutic care of patients with a variety of medical... View Details

Did you know the Connection between Arthritis and Ocular Disease?

Published on December 12, 2017Author: Alison Justus

Connection Between Arthritis and Ocular Disease C. Stephen Foster, M.D. The eye is made up primarily of collagen, as are ligaments, tendons, and tissue within joint spaces. It is, perhaps, primarily because of this similarity in composition that the eye is often affected by many of the same diseases... View Details

Pediatric Uveitis

Published on July 11, 2017Author: Alison Justus

Uveitis is the third leading cause of blindness in America, and 5% to 10% of the cases occur in children under the age of 16. But Uveitis in children blinds a larger percentage of those affected than in adults, since 40% of the cases occurring in children are posterior... View Details

  • Educational Audio

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     Uveitis and Steroid-Sparing Therapy

    Presented by C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR

    Audio-Digest Ophthalmology Volume 56, Issue 15

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