Pranotosh Sarkar (not real name), in his mid-40s, went for an eye check-up to Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai. On a routine ophthalmic test, he was found to have weak optic nerves, suggestive of some “acute systemic disease”.

His blood pressure was abnormally high and he was admitted immediately. A brain angiography revealed a large aneurysm (a balloon-like swelling) in one of the brain’s arteries — a time bomb ticking away. Sarkar had to undergo an emergency brain surgery to remove the aneurysm, which cured his eye problem as well.

Early detection of serious nerve-related eye disorders is now possible in Calcutta. Sunetra Family Eye Care Centre, on the Bypass, next to the Santoshpur connector, has set up a “dedicated neuro-ophthalmology clinic” under the leadership of neuro-ophthalmologist Navin Jayakumar.

“This is the first centre of its kind in Calcutta. Neuro-ophthalmology is a complex speciality, which deals with the association of vision and the brain. Despite a significant number of eye patients having associated neuro-ophthalmic problems, this speciality has long been neglected and patients have to travel to other parts of the country for treatment,” says eye surgeon Amitava Biswas.

He and wife Neena Biswas — both formerly with Sankara Nethralaya — had set up Sunetra, a unit of Calcutta Eye Research Foundation and a non-profit organisation managed by a board of trustees. It is housed in Unnayan, the community centre-cum-shopping block at Udayan, The Condoville.

Jayakumar, who was the director of the neuro-ophthalmology clinic at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, for over 15 years, lamented that there are “less than 10 well-trained neuro-ophthalmologists” in the country. “Strange, since almost 25 per cent of the human brain is dedicated to the eyes and vision-related activities,” he pointed out.

Lack of awareness and specialised work-up facilities often result in serious neuro-ophthalmic conditions “slipping through the crack”, warns the neuro-ophthalmologist, leading to both potentially sight and life-threatening situations.

“Take the example of this woman doctor from Calcutta, who reported in Chennai for a routine diabetic eye check-up. Close observation revealed nystagmus, or unstable involuntary eye ball movements. Further tests revealed pale-looking optic nerve heads and visual field defects in both her eyes. An MRI scan of the brain showed a pituitary tumour,” he narrated.