PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review emphasizes the differential diagnosis of visual loss for the neurologist. RECENT FINDINGS: As an expert on the CNS, of which the eye is a part, the neurologist is expected to be able to evaluate a patient's report of visual loss and provide at least a cursory examination of the ocular apparatus and visual pathways. To appropriately localize the lesion within the eye and to generate a diagnosis, the neurologist must at least be aware of the other clinical entities that can cause visual loss, especially sudden visual loss, other than optic nerve damage. Once the problem has been localized to the optic nerve, a complete differential diagnosis will include all the pathophysiologic processes that can affect any tissue, specifically any piece of brain tissue. Intracerebral visual loss from damage to the chiasm or retrochiasmal pathways or to the downstream centers of higher visual processing is also common, given that the visual pathways constitute more than one-third of the supratentorial brain mass and are frequently affected by structural lesions and a wide range of neurologic disorders. The paucity of neuro-ophthalmologists makes it essential for neurologists to feel comfortable evaluating and managing patients with visual loss from presumed optic neuropathies or lesions of the intracranial visual pathways. SUMMARY: The diagnosis of visual loss is not always easy, even for ophthalmologists. Good collaboration between neurologists and ophthalmologists is the key to a correct diagnosis and appropriate management when a neuro-ophthalmologist is not readily available.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review emphasizes the differential diagnosis of visual loss for the neurologist. RECENT FINDINGS: As an expert on the CNS, of which the eye is a part, the neurologist is expected to be able to evaluate a patient's report of visual loss and provide at least a cursory examination of the ocular apparatus and visual pathways. To appropriately localize the lesion within the eye and to generate a diagnosis, the neurologist must at least be aware of the other clinical entities that can cause visual loss, especially sudden visual loss, other than optic nerve damage. Once the problem has been localized to the optic nerve, a complete differential diagnosis will include all the pathophysiologic processes that can affect any tissue, specifically any piece of brain tissue. Intracerebral visual loss from damage to the chiasm or retrochiasmal pathways or to the downstream centers of higher visual processing is also common, given that the visual pathways constitute more than one-third of the supratentorial brain mass and are frequently affected by structural lesions and a wide range of neurologic disorders. The paucity of neuro-ophthalmologists makes it essential for neurologists to feel comfortable evaluating and managing patients with visual loss from presumed optic neuropathies or lesions of the intracranial visual pathways. SUMMARY: The diagnosis of visual loss is not always easy, even for ophthalmologists. Good collaboration between neurologists and ophthalmologists is the key to a correct diagnosis and appropriate management when a neuro-ophthalmologist is not readily available.
Authors: Subahari Raviskanthan; Sydney Wendt; Peter M Ugoh; Peter W Mortensen; Heather E Moss; Andrew G Lee Journal: Surv Ophthalmol Date: 2021-03-15 Impact factor: 6.197