The Second Sight Series is a dedicated case-report segment of Vision Science Academy created to showcase intriguing, challenging, unusual, and clinically meaningful cases from across the field of vision sciences.
The series is built around a simple idea: a second look can often reveal what the first look misses. We welcome case reports that encourage deeper clinical reasoning, critical thinking, observation, and evidence-based learning.
A case does not necessarily need to be rare to be considered. An unusual presentation, unexpected finding, diagnostic challenge, overlooked clinical clue, or case with an important educational message may provide valuable learning for the wider vision science community.
We welcome submissions from Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Vision Scientists, Researchers, Educators, Students, and other vision science professionals from around the world.
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
A case report submitted to The Second Sight Series will be reviewed with the understanding that it is being submitted to Vision Science Academy for consideration and has not been simultaneously submitted, accepted, or published elsewhere.
We accept case reports describing:
- Rare or unusual clinical presentations
- Challenging or unexpected diagnoses
- Interesting clinical or diagnostic findings
- Unusual associations or manifestations
- Cases highlighting important clinical concepts
- Cases demonstrating diagnostic reasoning or decision-making
- Cases with significant educational or scientific relevance
- Cases where an unexpected finding changed the clinical approach
- Common presentations that provide an important or unusual clinical lesson
All submissions will initially be assessed by the editorial team for suitability. Submissions may not be considered if they demonstrate insufficient originality, do not adhere to the submission guidelines, contain significant scientific or technical concerns, lack a meaningful educational message, or do not meet the ethical requirements for publication.
The editorial team may request revisions before publication. The Editor’s decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection will be final.
MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS
Word Limit
The case report should contain 450-500 words, excluding:
- References
- Figure legends
- Tables and their legends
Submissions exceeding the recommended word limit may be returned to the author for modification before editorial review.
Document Format
- Language: English
- English style: UK/British English
- Font: Arial
- Text: 12-point, regular, black
- Title: 16-point, bold
- Subheadings: 14-point, bold
- Figure and table legends: 10-point, italic
- Text alignment: Left
- Page numbers: Required
- File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
Authors are requested to perform a thorough grammar and spelling check before submission.
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and may result in rejection of the submission.
TITLE PAGE
The title page should include:
- Title of the case report
- Full name of each author
- Highest qualification
- Current designation
- Department
- Institution/organisation
- City
- State/province, where applicable
- Country
- Email address of the corresponding author
The corresponding author should be clearly identified.
The title should be concise, informative, and relevant to the key clinical or educational aspect of the case.
KEYWORDS
Please provide a minimum of 3 keywords relevant to the case report.
Keywords should reflect the principal condition, clinical finding, diagnostic modality, or major concept discussed in the case.
CONTENT PREPARATION GUIDELINES
Case reports should be written in a clear, concise, and clinically focused manner.
Authors are encouraged to structure the report under the following headings:
- Case Title
The title should capture the principal clinical feature, diagnostic challenge, or learning point of the case.
- Case Presentation
Provide the relevant patient history and presenting complaint. This may include age and sex, relevant ocular history, relevant systemic history, family history where applicable, presenting symptoms, duration and progression of symptoms, and previous treatment or investigations. Only clinically relevant information should be included.
- Clinical Examination
Describe the important examination findings relevant to the case. Depending on the case, this may include visual acuity, refraction, anterior segment findings, intraocular pressure, posterior segment findings, visual fields, binocular vision findings, imaging findings, or other relevant clinical assessments. Authors do not need to report every examination parameter. Focus on findings that contribute to understanding the case.
- Investigations
Describe the investigations undertaken and their relevant findings. These may include imaging, laboratory investigations, electrophysiological testing, genetic investigations, visual fields, optical coherence tomography, fundus photography, corneal imaging, neuroimaging, or other appropriate diagnostic procedures.
- Diagnosis and Clinical Reasoning
State the final diagnosis, where established. Where appropriate, discuss the differential diagnosis and explain the clinical findings or investigations that contributed to reaching the diagnosis. Cases involving diagnostic uncertainty may also be considered when the uncertainty provides an important educational lesson.
- Management and Outcome
Describe the management provided and the clinical outcome. Where relevant, include follow-up findings, response to treatment, complications, further investigations, referrals, or changes in management.
THE SECOND LOOK
A mandatory section of every submission
The “The Second Look” section is the distinctive element of the series.
Authors should briefly explain what makes the case worth sharing and what another clinician or learner should notice when looking at the case more carefully.
This section may address:
- What was initially overlooked?
- What prompted a second assessment?
- What unexpected finding changed the clinical impression?
- What made the diagnosis challenging?
- What important clinical clue emerged?
- What could easily have been missed?
- What did the case teach the treating clinician?
- How might this case influence future clinical practice?
This section should focus on the clinical lesson behind the case, rather than simply repeating the case presentation.
DISCUSSION
The discussion should explain the significance of the case in the context of existing clinical or scientific knowledge.
Authors may discuss:
- The clinical significance of the presentation
- Relevant pathophysiology
- Diagnostic considerations
- Comparison with previously reported cases
- Important clinical or scientific evidence
- Implications for clinical practice
- Key lessons for clinicians, students, or researchers
The discussion should remain focused on the case and should not become an unnecessarily broad literature review.
KEY LEARNING POINTS
Each submission should conclude with 3–5 concise key learning points.
These should communicate the most important lessons that readers should take away from the case.
The learning points should be practical, evidence-informed, and directly related to the case.
TABLES
- Self-explanatory
- Relevant to the case
- Numbered sequentially using Arabic numerals (Table 1, Table 2, etc.)
- Included within the manuscript
- Clearly referenced in the text
Tables should not duplicate information already presented in the main text.
Explanatory information should be provided in footnotes rather than incorporated into the table heading.
FIGURES AND CLINICAL IMAGES
High-quality clinical images are encouraged where they add educational value to the case.
Examples include:
- External photographs
- Slit-lamp photographs
- Fundus photographs
- Optical coherence tomography images
- Optical coherence tomography angiography
- Visual field plots
- Corneal topography/tomography
- Ultrasound
- Neuroimaging
- Histopathology
- Other relevant diagnostic images
Figure requirements
- Maximum of 5 figures
- Figures may comprise a combination of images, graphs, or other relevant visual material
- Preferred formats: JPEG or TIFF
- Recommended resolution: 300 dpi
- Maximum file size: 2 MB
- Figures should be numbered sequentially according to their first citation in the text
- Each figure must have a clear, self-explanatory legend
- Figure legends should be in Arial 10-point italic
- Upon acceptance, figures may be requested as separate JPEG/TIFF files
If an image has been obtained from a website, publication, database, or other external source, appropriate permission and/or acknowledgement must be provided.
All patient-identifying information must be removed from images.
Patient privacy must be maintained at all times.
PATIENT CONSENT AND ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS
Any case report containing personal medical information, clinical photographs, imaging, or other material relating to an identifiable living individual requires explicit patient consent before publication.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that appropriate informed consent has been obtained from the patient or legally authorised representative.
Patient names, hospital numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and other identifying information must not be included in the manuscript or figures.
Where applicable, authors should include a statement such as:
“Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying clinical images.”
If institutional ethical approval or a waiver was obtained, this should also be stated.
ABBREVIATIONS AND BRAND NAMES
The full term should be written at the first occurrence of an abbreviation, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For example: Optical coherence tomography (OCT).
For branded instruments, devices, diagnostic systems, or technologies, authors should provide the manufacturer’s name and location (city and country) where relevant.
REFERENCES
Scientific sources referred to during preparation of the case report should be cited and included in the reference list.
References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the manuscript.
References cited in the text, tables, and figure captions should be identified using Arabic numerals in the appropriate superscript format.
The referencing style should be consistent throughout the manuscript.
Vancouver or APA style is preferred.
Authors are encouraged to use relevant, credible, and recent scientific literature where appropriate.
DECLARATION OF INTEREST
All authors must disclose any financial, professional, commercial, or other relationships that could potentially influence the content of the case report.
For example, where a particular technology, device, diagnostic system, or treatment is discussed, any relevant financial sponsorship or relationship with the manufacturer should be disclosed.
If there are no interests to declare, authors may state:
“The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this case report.”
FUNDING
Any financial support received in relation to the case report should be disclosed.
If there was no external financial support, authors may state:
“No external funding was received for this case report.”
ORIGINALITY
The submitted case report should be original and should not have been previously published in another publication.
Cases previously presented at conferences or academic meetings may be considered, provided that the authors disclose the previous presentation and the submission meets the originality and educational requirements of The Second Sight Series.
Previously published material must not be reproduced without appropriate permission and acknowledgement.
SUBMISSION FEE
Case reports can be submitted for free. An option for availing Fast Track is available.
All submissions remain subject to editorial assessment and review, and the final decision regarding publication rests with the editorial team.
EDITORIAL REVIEW PROCESS
All submitted case reports will undergo an initial editorial assessment for suitability.
The editorial team will consider:
- Clinical relevance
- Educational value
- Scientific quality
- Originality
- Clarity of presentation
- Quality of supporting evidence
- Quality and relevance of figures
- Ethical and patient-consent requirements
- Adherence to the submission guidelines
The manuscript may subsequently undergo scientific/content review.
Authors may be requested to make revisions based on editorial or reviewer feedback.
Accepted submissions may require further editing for grammar, punctuation, formatting, and publication style before final publication.
The Editor’s decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection will be final.
Submission Portal
Submit your cases via email, at casereports@visionscienceacademy.org
SHARE A CASE. INSPIRE A SECOND LOOK.
The Second Sight Series is not simply looking for the rarest diagnosis.
We are looking for cases that make us pause, question, investigate, and look again.
Your case may reveal an unusual presentation, an unexpected finding, a diagnostic challenge, or an important clinical lesson.
Because sometimes, the second look is where the real story begins.
THE SECOND SIGHT SERIES
Vision Science Academy
LOOK TWICE. THINK DEEPER. LEARN MORE.
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