ABO Advanced case studies
ABO Advanced · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The American Board of Optometry (ABO) offers voluntary board certification for optometrists who want to demonstrate competence beyond entry level. Candidates begin by applying to become an Active Candidate, which initiates a verification process, and then sit for the board certification examination during a scheduled examination window. The ABO Advanced case studies are 5 cases and about 2,451 words.
1A 6-Year-Old with Intermittent Exotropia and Reduced Stereoacuity
A 6-year-old is brought in by a parent who reports that the child's right eye 'drifts out' when she is tired or daydreaming, and that she sometimes closes one eye in bright sunlight. Best-corrected acuity is 20/25 OD and 20/20 OS with a cycloplegic refraction of +1.50 DS OU.
533 words, about 3 min2Sudden Painless Vision Loss in a 68-Year-Old with Vascular Risk Factors
A 68-year-old man presents the same morning with sudden, painless loss of the superior half of the vision in his left eye, noticed on waking. History includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and a 30 pack-year smoking history; he stopped his antihypertensives two weeks ago because of dizziness.
477 words, about 2 min3Progressive Myopia in a 9-Year-Old: When to Intervene
A 9-year-old girl has been followed for three years. Refractions (cycloplegic): age 6 = -1.25 DS OU; age 7 = -2.00 DS OU; age 8 = -2.75 DS OU; today = -3.50 DS OU with 0.75 D of against-the-rule astigmatism.
475 words, about 2 min4A Monocular Patient Presenting with a Red, Painful Eye
A 55-year-old woman presents with a 2-day history of a red, painful right eye with photophobia and blurred vision. She is functionally monocular: her left eye has been blind since childhood from trauma with a phthisical globe.
452 words, about 2 min5A 72-Year-Old with Fluctuating Vision and a Family History of Glaucoma
A 72-year-old woman reports gradually worsening vision, especially glare and haloes at night, and says her glasses 'never seem right.' She has a family history of glaucoma in her mother. Examination: best-corrected acuity 20/40 OD and 20/30 OS; IOP 22 mmHg OD and 21 mmHg OS by Goldmann tonometry; central corneal thickness 545 µm OD and 550 µm OS; gonioscopy shows open angles with mild pigment; optic discs show a cup-to-disc ratio of 0.6 OD and 0.55 OS with healthy neuroretinal rims.
514 words, about 3 min