Section

General

This course expired on 31 December 2025. If you have completed this course, you can print your certificate here. 

This course has been replaced with our Glaucoma: Part 5 - Assessment of the optic disc course, reissued in February 2026.



Domains:  Clinical practice, Professionalism

CPD Ref: C-101730

CPD Points: 

CPD Type: Non-interactive

Closing Date: 31 December 2025

 

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and affects 60 million people worldwide. This eight-part series will deal with all relevant key areas, including: 

Before you start the fifth part of the series, please ensure that you have either completed the following courses or are familiar with their content:


The fifth part covers glaucoma assessment of the optic disc.

Unit 7 - Optic disc

Unit 7 looks at how to assess the optic disc to identify important signs of glaucoma.

The key areas covered are: 

  • The normal optic disc
  • Optic disc changes in glaucoma
  • How to measure optic disc size, the C/D ratio and its relevance in glaucoma referral
  • How to assess the optic disc - indirect ophthalmoscopy and understanding OCT results
  • Case studies.

NICE NG81 and SIGN 144 guidance is discussed and their relevance to referral and management of glaucoma suspects.

At the end of the course you can complete the CPD quiz to gain one non-interactive CPD point. 

To learn more about how to assess the visual fields to identify important signs of glaucoma, please go to Glaucoma: Part Six – Visual Fields.


First published: January 2020
Last reviewed: March 2022

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    Professionalism

    s.10 Work collaboratively with colleagues in the interests of patients

    • Understand the NICE and SIGN guidance in relation to glaucoma referrals and so to refer or monitor patients at risk of glaucoma appropriately.

    Clinical Practice

    s.7 Conduct appropriate assessments, examinations, treatments and referrals

    • Understand how to use the slit lamp and indirect ophthalmoscopy to examine the optic disc for signs of glaucoma and how to assess the optic disc size.
    • Understand how to use an OCT to assess the optic disc for signs of glaucoma and glaucoma progression.

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      When you have successfully completed the course you can download your certificate in PDF format.

      Save this document and upload it to your MyGOC account to claim your CPD points.