Acute visual loss explained

Acute visual loss
Synonyms:Acute vision loss

Acute visual loss is a rapid loss of the ability to see. It is caused by many ocular conditions like retinal detachment, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and giant cell arteritis, etc.

Main causes

Retinal detachment

See main article: Retinal detachment. Retinal detachment should be considered if there were preceding flashes or floaters, or if there is a new visual field defect in one eye.[1] [2] If treated early enough, retinal tear and detachment can have a good outcome.[1]

Glaucoma

See main article: Glaucoma. Angle-closure glaucoma should be considered if there is painful loss of vision with a red eye, nausea or vomiting.[3] The eye pressure will be very high typically greater than 40 mmHg.[4] Emergent laser treatment to the iris may prevent blindness.[3]

Macular degeneration

See main article: Macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration should be considered in older people with new distortion of their vision with bleeding in the macula.[5] [6] Vision can often be regained with prompt eye injections with anti-VEGF agents.[5]

Giant cell arteritis

See main article: Giant-cell arteritis. Giant cell arteritis should be considered in an older person with jaw claudication, temporal pain, and tiredness.[7] Placing the person on steroids might save both their vision and decrease their risk of stroke.[8] Without treatment a person can quickly go blind in both eyes.[9]

Vascular occlusions

Vitreous hemorrhage

See main article: Vitreous hemorrhage. It is one of the most common causes of acute or subacute decrease in vision. [14]

Hyphema

See main article: Hyphema. Blood in the anterior chamber of the eye is known as hyphema. Severe hyphema covering pupillary area can cause sudden decrease in vision.

Notes and References

  1. Fraser. S. Steel. D. Retinal detachment.. BMJ Clinical Evidence. 24 November 2010. 2010. 21406128. 3275330.
  2. Web site: Facts About Retinal Detachment. National Eye Institute. 26 July 2016. October 2009. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160728001956/https://nei.nih.gov/health/retinaldetach/retinaldetach. 28 July 2016.
  3. Web site: Facts About Glaucoma. National Eye Institute. 29 March 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160328122443/https://nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts. 28 March 2016.
  4. Book: Simcock . Peter . Burger . Andre . Fast Facts: Ophthalmology . 2015 . Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers . 9781908541727 . 25 . en.
  5. Web site: Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration . National Eye Institute . 21 December 2015 . June 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222151236/https://nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts . 22 December 2015 .
  6. Book: Brown . Thomas Andrew . Shah . Sonali J. . USMLE Step 1 Secrets3: USMLE Step 1 Secrets . 2013 . Elsevier Health Sciences . 978-0323085144 . 576 . en.
  7. Web site: Giant Cell Arteritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. 21 October 2017. en. 13 April 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171022033026/https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/giant-cell-arteritis/advanced#tab-symptoms. 22 October 2017.
  8. Web site: Giant Cell Arteritis . National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases . 19 October 2018 . en . 13 April 2017.
  9. Solomon . Caren G. . Weyand . Cornelia M. . Goronzy . Jörg J. . Giant-Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica . New England Journal of Medicine . 371 . 1 . 50–7 . 2014 . 24988557 . 4277693 . 10.1056/NEJMcp1214825 .
  10. Varma DD, Cugati S, Lee AW, Chen CS . A review of central retinal artery occlusion: clinical presentation and management . Eye . 27 . 6 . 688–97 . June 2013 . 23470793 . 3682348 . 10.1038/eye.2013.25 .
  11. Web site: Eye Strokes: CRAO, BRVO And Other Retinal Artery And Vein Occlusions.
  12. Web site: Branch retinal vein occlusion. Musa Abdelaziz, MD, Mahdi Rostamizadeh, Baseer Ahmad, MD.
  13. Web site: Branch retinal artery occlusion. Matthew Santos, Robert H. Janigian, Jr. M.D..
  14. Web site: Vitreous Hemorrhage: Diagnosis and Treatment. John P. Berdahl, MD, and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD. March 2007.

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