Optic Neuritis is a disease that affects the optic nerve causing visual disabilities. This disease can be episodic ranging in severity of symptoms. The basic symptoms of optic neuritis are decrease in vision, eye pain, headache, and abnormal color vision. Other visual effects can occur such as Uhthroff phenomenon and Pulfrich effect. There is no known cause for optic neuritis, but research has linked an autoimmune reaction on the optic nerve that causes the inflammation to block signals. In this essay the focus will overview atypical optic neuritis and two demyelinating disorders associated with optic neuritis. Atypical optic neuritis is a severe form of optic neuritis that causes permanent damage. There are several differences between typical
Gas in 1968 described Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy (APMPPE) as being a condition that caused acute and rapid loss of central vision due to multiple pale lesions at the level of Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the posterior pole. (1) It is a self-limiting condition which recovers spontaneously over a three weeks period leaving residual pigment epithelial alterations.(2) The typical features in acute phase include cream colored placoid lesions at the level of RPE, early hypofluorescence and late hyperfluorescence of the lesions on Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA).(2) It is usually followed by a viral flu like prodrome in 1/3 of the patients. Neurological manifestations of APMPPE include Headaches being commonest while others are paraesthesias, vertigo, psychosis and more severe complications, Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis stroke and cerebral vasculitis.(3, 4) Association of APMPPE with systemic Vasculitis in the patients with positive perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody has been reported.(5, 6) Other systemic inflammatory diseases suggesting an underlying immune mediated or an inflammatory mechanism include erythema nodosum,(7-9) juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,(10) thyroiditis,(11, 12) nephritis,(5, 6, 13) ulcerative colitis(14) and Adenoviral infections(15) . Many granulomatous diseases have documented associations with APMPPE, including Wegener’s granulomatosis,(16-18) Pulmonary tuberculosis(19) and Sarcoidosis.
MS causes a degeneration of the myelin around axons due to the killing off of oligodendrocytes, which are cells that make up the myelin sheath of an axon; losing myelin decreases the neuron’s ability to propagate an action potential. Since this disease affects the central nervous system, MS can cause dysfunction of both the sensory and the motor aspects of the body. Some common sensory complaints(Lundy-Ekman, 2007) of MS are tingling, numbness, and/or paresthesia in the affected area, which is variable but typically involves one or more limbs (Palace, 2001), as well as partial blindness in one eye, a decrease in vision acuity, and double vision. Lhermitte’s sign, which is a radiating shock that travels down the back or limbs, is another common characteristic of MS that aff...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths, or oligodendrocytes that cover nerve axons in the central nervous system (PubMed Health 2013). This immune response causes inflammation, which triggers immune cells to destroy axons “along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord” (PubMed Health 2013). When the myelin sheath “is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop” thus hindering the propagation of action potentials and limiting function (PubMed Health 2013).
Magro, C., Cohen, D., Bollen, E. L., Buchem M. A., Huizinga, T.W., and Steup-Beekman, G. M. (2013). Demyelinating disease in SLE: is it multiple sclerosis or lupus? Best Practice Res Clinic Rheumatol. 27(3):405-24
The eye is an important sensory organ for vision which houses a sensitive optical apparatus in a relatively isolated tissue compartment. Eye is essentially made of three layers: (1) sclera, (2) uveal tract, and (3) retina with each of these layers performing intricate duties which ensure proper functioning of the eye.
An itchy eye is an issue that is very common. Itchy eyes means an unpleasant itchy sense in the vicinity of the eyes, as the name implies. The situation may be recurring for those that often touch or rub their eyes. For immediate relief, it is possible to look at some simple-to-follow treatments that are natural. Several treatments use easily available ingredients out of your kitchen.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disorder that causes blindness in the people that are affected by it. I chose retinitis pigmentosa because my grandmother has this genetic disorder. The disorder is very costly on those who have it. The disorder has robbed my grandmother of the life she wanted. She is no longer able to do the things she once was. She is legally blind, cannot drive, and has trouble getting around crowded areas. Retinitis pigmentosa was discovered by Doctor Donders in 1857. Retinitis pigmentosa is a very serious disorder in how it occurs, its signs and symptoms, its prevalence, and how its treated.
Imagine an eye disease so rare, it is more common in males and cannot be prevented. Coats disease is a disease that causes a gradual decrease in vision in mainly males. It can lead to retinal detachment and vision loss. Coats disease is a very rare disease that occurs mainly in males; however, it is not hereditary. There is treatment available that can possibly cure Coats but, that is only if it is caught early on. Most of the time, Coats is not diagnosed until later in life which in that case can lead to loss of vision. As I researched more about Coats disease, I hope to learn more about this eye disease to understand more about what my son is going through. The three main things that I will be researching and discussing about Coats will be the causes, diagnosis, and treatment. There is not a lot of research done on Coats due to it being so rare.
It is a single attack of optic neuritis, horizontal myelitis or any other lesions limited to one anatomic localization at one point in time. It represents first incident of multiple sclerosis. It shares similar symptoms and covers a broad spectrum of other neurologic disorders. More than half of the cases have abnormal MRI, with other subclinical lesions in other parts of central nervous system. Time factor differentiates this disease from multiple sclerosis. Presence of another lesion after MRI done a month later will imply multiple sclerosis.
It is also estimated that approximately two and half million people are living with the disease... The name multiple sclerosis refers to the scars that are present in the brain and spinal cord is seen on an MRI. An autoimmune disorder is where a person’s immune system mistakes its own white blood cells as invaders and begins to attack itself damaging healthy body tissue. In these types of disorders, the immune system cannot tell the difference between healthy cells and antigens, which are foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Because of the damage, it does to the nerve cells; nerve signals can either slow down or stop completely. Inflammation, or the body’s reaction to infection, is what causes this nerve damage to happen. Multiple sclerosis is most commonly seen in the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord and often leads to physical and cognitive
It is a rare condition that affects 2 % of Americans. Signs of pathological myopia include: Bending or distortion of straight lines, altered color perception, reduced contrast sensitivity, and increasing gloss of central vision. It is a quick severe progression of myopia and loss of vision is the end result. There is an increased risk of retinal detachment and other degenerative changes in the back of the eye (bleeding from abnormal blood vessel growth). If any of these things occur the risk of cataracts could increase. Treatment calls for a combination of a drug and a laser procedure called photodynamic therapy. It is reported to be the seventh ranking cause of legal blindness in the United States of America the fourth ranking cause in Hong Kong and the second in parts of China and Japan this form of myopia frequently progresses in adult life, with small intermittent steps of elongation being observable at any age. The adult progression appears to be due to the stretching of the walls of the eye. Genetically weak elements of the scleral wall are prone to thinning and stretching. One of the major forces at work in this stretching process appears to be the normal intra-ocular pressure (Ward
Many signs include a "white pupil," also known as leukocoria. Retinoblastoma can occur in either one or two eyes (Paul T. Finger, Pg. 1). This abnormal white pupillary reflex is sometimes referred to as a cat's eye reflex. Another sign of retinoblastoma is a crossed eye (Ambramson, Ch3). Leukocoria doesn't always end up as being retinoblastoma, it can even result in: congenital cataract, Toxocara canis, Coat's disease, and persistent hypertrophic primary vitreous (PHPV) (Finger, Pg.2). Retinoblastoma occurs when there's a mutation or deletion of the q14 band of chromosome 13 (Finger, Pg. 1). Symptoms can be painful if not treated quickly. Some include a red, painful eye, swelling of the surrounding eye, poor vision, dilated pupil, even extra fingers or toes, and retardation (Ambramson, Ch3).
Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that cause blindness by hurting the optic nerve, which is the large nerve that is responsible for vision. In glaucoma, the optic nerve damage is related to a change in the fluid pressure that circulates around the eyeball. In many cases, Glaucoma occurs when the eye's fluid pressure is high, but it can also occur when the pressure is measured as normal.
One of the special sense organs is the eye. The main structures of the eye are the sclera, choroid, and the retina. The sclera is known to protect the outer layer of the eye, the sclera have six tiny muscles that connect to it to help control the eye movement. The main function of the choroid is to prevent the scattering of light via the pigmented vascular layer. The choroid is divided into four parts: the haller’s layer, sattler’s layer, choriocapillaris and brunch’s membrane. The iris and cornea make up the front part of the choroid and the center of the iris is pupil of the eye. The retina is the innermost layer of the eyeball. The main function of the retina is to detect light per the photoreceptor cells. These photoreceptor cells are microscopic and are called cones and rods due to their shape.
The patient is a 43 year-old female insurance sale agent who came to the clinic for annual eye examination. She complained from symptoms of ocular irritation and burning when she wakes up in the morning. She felt ocular dryness in the afternoon and the eyes look red. She has also noted different height of her eyelids when putting make-up on. She denied significant problems with driving, TV watching, computer use or reading. She also denied flashes, floaters or diplopia. The patient was myopia with no prior eye surgeries, previous history of eye trauma, amblyopia or strabismus. She did not use any medication. The past ocular family history was negative. Social history was negative, too.