SCOTOMA

SCOTOMA: Excerpt from Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs

Ask the Following Questions:

1. Is it transient? If the scotomas are transient, then migraine, transient ischemic attacks, and retrobulbar neuritis should be suspected.
2. Are there abnormalities on the eye examination other than the optic nerve? On a careful eye examination, the clinician may find corneal opacities, muscae volitantes, cataracts, choroiditis, glaucoma, retinitis, retinal hemorrhage, and detached retina.
3. Are there other neurologic signs? The presence of other neurologic signs may suggest multiple sclerosis, carotid artery thrombosis or insufficiency, basilar artery thrombosis or insufficiency, and pseudotumor cerebri, among other disorders.

DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP

This should include a careful eye examination with slit lamp, tonometry, and visual field examinations. If the initial findings suggest an ocular disorder, referral to an ophthalmologist should be made. If the neurologic examination is abnormal, the patient should be referred to a neurologist, rather than ordering expensive tests such as a CT scan, MRI scan, VEP studies, angiography, and spinal fluid examinations.

Book Source Details

• Book Title: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs
• Author(s): R. Douglas Collins
• Year of Publication: 2003
• Copyright Details: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs, Copyright © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

More About This Book: Title: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs Authors: R. Douglas Collins Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Copyright: 2003 ISBN: 0-7817-3805-9

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