Unit 2: Visual field defects, double vision & optic disc swelling
1: Visual Field Defects
Patient Assessment
History
- Patients are usually more symptomatic of field defects encroaching the central vision.
Symptoms
Establish if field defect is sudden onset or gradual onset.
Other Associated symptoms
- Headache
- Neurological symptoms
- Photopsia
- Pain
- Cardiovascular problems
- Pituitary problems
In addition to visual field testing also assess
- Visual Acuity
- Motility
- Pupils
- Ptosis
- Blood pressure
- Colour vision
- Optic nerve head assessment
- Intra ocular pressure and anterior chamber depth measurement where slit lamp available.
Differential Diagnosis
- Retinal detachment
- Central retinal vein occlusion
- Optic nerve disease
- Visual pathway pathology
- Glaucoma
- Stroke
- Pituitary tumour
