Care through content: the novel diagnostic aid for ophthalmologists and pathologists

Ophthalmologists and pathologists are set to benefit from the launch of an innovative and essential reference tool, created by Unilabs Pathologie Paris (UPP)’s President, Paris, Dr Marc Putterman. The Anatomoclinical Atlas in Ophthalmology is a reference guide focussing specifically on oculo-orbital pathologies in adults and children. It’s the first French publication of its kind in more than 30 years and is available from October 2024 in both hard copy and digital formats. It’s now being translated for broader impact.

We sat down with Dr Putterman to find out what inspired him to create this Atlas and what he believes it can do for ophthalmology practitioners and patients.

Congratulations on the publication of the Anatomoclinical Atlas in Ophthalmology. Tell us what makes it such a powerful tool.

This 350-page Atlas is richly illustrated with 600 images and focuses purely on oculo-orbital pathologies in adults and children. It’s a visual and practical guide which offers ophthalmologists and pathologists rapid access to complete iconographic documentation. Unlike other works of the same type, this Atlas is structured into two main chapters; the first is dedicated to adult pathologies and the second focuses on paediatric pathologies. Another thing that makes the Atlas unique is the fact that, for the first time, we have brought together both clinical images and histological images of the same lesions of oculo-orbital localisation.

How do you hope to see the Atlas used?

It’s an educational tool for young ophthalmologists or pathologists, but also for experienced doctors. It’s been designed to allow them to access imagery of both the most common and the rarest lesions. The palpebral, conjunctival, orbital, and lacrimal duct tumours are richly illustrated in both the adult and paediatric sections and the diversity of these illustrations makes it possible to understand the clinical variability of diseases. It also allows practitioners to better anticipate any atypical or evolving forms that they may encounter.

How do you believe your Atlas can help to transform the diagnostic experience for practitioners and patients?

My first-hand experience of more than 30 years of oculo-orbital pathology — through my private practice as well as through my work in various French hospitals and Swiss clinics — has allowed me to better understand the expectations of ophthalmologists, and I’ve used these insights to set this reference guide apart. While other atlases are dedicated specifically to just the ophthalmological clinic or, more rarely, only to ocular pathology, this one combines both disciplines.

I have also made sure the clinical examination is supplemented by radiological, histopathological, immunohistochemical, or molecular biology examinations, specific to the oculo-orbital pathology, to allow users to specify the exact nature of a lesion. This ensures patients receive the best possible care for their treatment.

What encouraged you to embark on this project and what was the biggest challenge you faced along the way?

The Atlas’ publisher, Elsevier, a global group specialising in scientific and medical publishing, contacted me to write it, since the last French publication of its kind dates back more than 30 years. I enthusiastically accepted!

The biggest challenge in writing the Atlas was to associate the clinical images with the histological images, and to ensure that the histological descriptions were completed with the most recent immunohistochemical studies and molecular biology techniques.

I managed to achieve this by consulting many recent articles or publications for each of the lesions covered, and combined these insights with my own knowledge, as well as the expertise of other ophthalmologists and pathologists, who are thanked in this book.