S19 Visual defects

Question 1

Which visual problems cause blurred vision?

Answer 1

Refractive - cornea, lens, eye shape.

Macular problem.

Question 2

What is the visual problem of glare? What is it due to?

Answer 2

Difficulty seeing in bright light (low sun, night driving, fluorescent lighting).
Corneal or lens problem: often cataract.

Question 3

What causes distorted vision?

Answer 3

Conditions affecting the retina: wet macular degeneration, macular hole, macular pucker, retinal detachment.

Question 4

Which visual problems causes things to look pale?

Answer 4

Optic nerve disease: neuritis, compressive.

Retina: wet macular degeneration, central serous retinopathy.

Question 5

What causes a floater? (visual problem).

Answer 5

Opacity in vitreous.

Question 6

What is drusen, and what is it caused by?

Answer 6

Fatty yellow deposits at back of eye caused by reduced function of the retinal pigment epithelium.

Question 7

What are the signs of dry ARMD? (Age related macular degeneration).
Treatment?

Answer 7

Drusen. RPE pigmentation and atrophy.

Stop smoking, diet changes, wear dark glasses.

Question 8

What is wet ARMD?

Treatment?

Answer 8

Fluid between photoreceptors and epithelium, leading to choroidal neovascular membrane. Rapid vision loss.
VEGF stimulates CNM growth, so antiVEGF may reverse visual loss.

Question 9

What causes central retinal artery occlusion?

Answer 9

Carotid artery disease/valve disease.

Giant cell arteritis.

Question 10

What is giant cell arteritis?

How is the visual loss caused?

Answer 10

Systemic vasculitis.
Central retinal artery occlusion or anterior ischaemic neuropathy.
Irreversible visual loss.