A few of our members were watching Doc Martin on ITV when actor Martin Clunes diagnosed a case of Birdshot Chorioretinopathy. (24th October 2011)

Here is a description which we received by email from one of our members in case you want to see for yourself via ITV iplayer.

“The relevant bit occurs around 37 mins into the 46 min episode. Mrs Dingley, played by the splendid Anne Reid, falls off her bike. Doc Martin (Martin Clunes) appears, looks in her eyes to check consciousness, and then, with a simple ophthalmoscope that doctors and opticians use to check the retina,  says he can see spots on the retina, asks about shapes moving around in the eyes and then declares that as well as arcus senilis, she has birdshot chorioretinopathy. ‘At least with steroids and immunosuppressants, you won’t go blind’ he says.   The Anne Reid character is glad about that, as she has to look after her cat sanctuary.

Now, wouldn’t it be good if every optometrist and ophthalmologist in the land could make a birdshot diagnosis out-of-doors, with minimal instruments, and do it straight away with no other tests and with the patient taking it all so calmly?

I’m not sure how long the episode is on www.itv.com/itvplayer – perhaps seven days.

Perhaps Martin Clunes and Anne Reid could give some publicity to the Birdshot Day!”

Rea is already in touch with the programme makers to see if she can find how the Birdshot reference came about.  Certainly for people who suffer from Birdshot Chorioretinopathy all publicity is  good publicity and we are delighted that the eye condition has been highlighted on  the Doc Martin programme.

I checked out our member’s timings and it is pretty accurate if you don’t want to watch the whole episode but are intrigued to see the Birdshot mention.

Annie