Arab Board Ophthalmology Clinical & Oral study guide
Arab Board Ophthalmology Clinical & Oral · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Arab Board of Ophthalmology final examination is the summative clinical and oral assessment that caps specialty training in ophthalmology for candidates training under Arab Board programmes. It is intended for residents who have completed their structured training and are ready to practise independently, and it tests whether you can reason like a consultant rather than recite like a student. The Arab Board Ophthalmology Clinical & Oral study guide has 10 sections and about 2,106 words.
01Anterior Segment and Cornea
Master the layered anatomy of the cornea and how each layer maps to disease: epithelium (recurrent erosion, epithelial basement membrane dystrophy), stroma (scarring, keratoconus, dystrophies), Descemet membrane (posterior polymorphous, Fuchs), and endothelium (pump failure, guttae). Know the corneal dystrophy classification by layer and inheritance, the difference between degeneration (bilateral, non-familial, limbal) and dystrophy (often inherited, central), and the infectious keratitis decision tree: bacterial (contact lens, purulent), fungal (agricultural trauma, feathery margins, satellite lesions), acanthamoeba (contact lens, ring infiltrate, severe pain out of proportion), and HSV (dendrite with terminal bulbs, reduced sensation).
265 words, about 1 min02Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Understand cataract grading (LOCS), biometry (optical vs. ultrasound, IOL power formulas - SRK/T for average eyes, Barrett/Hoffer for extremes), and the shift toward swept-source OCT biometry .
240 words, about 1 min03Glaucoma
Know the open-angle vs. closed-angle framework and the mechanisms of each.
237 words, about 1 min04Retina and Vitreous (Medical and Surgical)
Master the retinal vascular diseases : diabetic retinopathy (NPDR/PDR, ETDRS grading, macular edema), retinal vein occlusion (CRVO vs. non-ischemic), and retinal artery occlusion (cherry-red spot, embolic sources).
221 words, about 1 min05Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation
Know the anatomical classification (anterior, intermediate, posterior, panuveitis) and the SUN criteria for grading. Understand the differential by pattern: HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis (ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis), sarcoidosis (granulomatous, mutton-fat keratic precipitates), VKH (bilateral granulomatous panuveitis with exudative detachment), Behçet (hypopyon, retinal vasculitis), and infectious causes (toxoplasmosis, TB, syphilis, herpes).
197 words, under 1 min06Neuro-ophthalmology
Master the afferent vs. efferent pathway and the pupil light reflex.
218 words, about 1 min07Oculoplastics and Orbital Disease
Know eyelid anatomy (orbicularis, levator, Müller muscle) and the causes of ptosis (aponeurotic, myogenic, neurogenic, mechanical). Understand orbital cellulitis vs.
188 words, under 1 min08Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Understand visual development and the critical period for amblyopia. Know the types of strabismus (esotropia, exotropia, hypertropia), the cover test and Hirschberg estimation, and the accommodative esotropia (hyperopia-driven, responds to glasses).
162 words, under 1 min09Ocular Oncology and Pathology
Know the intraocular tumors : uveal melanoma (choroidal, iris, ciliary body), retinoblastoma (leukocoria, calcification, RB1 gene), and metastasis (most common intraocular malignancy in adults). Understand retinoblastoma staging and treatment (enucleation, chemotherapy, focal therapy).
178 words, under 1 min10Ocular Emergencies and Trauma
Master the trauma ABCs : chemical injury (irrigate immediately with copious saline), penetrating trauma (do not remove foreign bodies, shield the eye), and blunt trauma (hyphema, retinal detachment, globe rupture). Know chemical burns (alkali worse than acid), hyphema management (bed rest, avoid aspirin, monitor for rebleed), and traumatic optic neuropathy .
200 words, about 1 min