Visual disturbances - a borderline between ophthalmology and neurology

Abstract

Visual acuity loss can be due to eyeball diseases or to lesions of the optic nerves, visual pathway or cortical projection of vision. The differential diagnosis can be challenging and though patients go first to the ophthalmologist, there is not always the ophthalmologist who can diagnose and treat the patient. For a great number of causes/diseases, a neurologist should also see the patient, even if there is a transient or persistent monocular or binocular visual acuity loss a disturbance of the visual fi eld or of the perception of colours. Visual acuity loss can be more than this. It can be a symptom or a sign of a neurological or systemic disease and a rapid diagnosis and specific treatment are mandatory in order to treat the symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Keywords

• visual acuity loss
• retinopathies
• optic neuritis
• blindness
• visual field disturbances