What is Neuro-Ophthalmology?
Neuro-ophthalmology is a specialized field of medicine that focuses on diseases of the nervous system that affect vision, control of eye movements, or pupillary reflexes. It addresses a wide range of conditions that affect both vision and the nervous system. Neuro-ophthalmologists are highly trained experts who possess a deep understanding of neurology, ophthalmology, and the complexities of the visual pathways. Neuro-ophthalmology is the branch of science that treats headaches caused by eye diseases and deals with common diseases of the eye and nervous system.
Conditions We Treat
- Optic Nerve Disorders
- Optic Neuritis: Inflammation of the optic nerve, often associated with conditions like multiple sclerosis.
- Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: Reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, leading to sudden vision loss.
- Visual Field Loss
- Homonymous Hemianopia: Loss of vision in the same visual field of both eyes, typically caused by strokes or brain injuries.
- Bitemporal Hemianopia: Loss of vision in the outer (temporal) portions of both visual fields, often due to pituitary tumors or other lesions near the optic chiasm.
- Double Vision (Diplopia)
- Muscle Disorders: Conditions affecting the muscles that control eye movement, including myasthenia gravis and thyroid eye disease.
- Cranial Nerve Palsies: Dysfunction of the cranial nerves that control eye movement, often caused by conditions like diabetes or tumors.
- Papilledema
- Swelling of the optic nerve head due to increased intracranial pressure, which can result from conditions such as intracranial hypertension or brain tumors.
- Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves’ Ophthalmopathy)
- An autoimmune condition that affects the eyes and eye muscles, often occurring in individuals with thyroid disorders.
- Myasthenia Gravis
- A neuromuscular disorder that can lead to muscle weakness, including the muscles that control eye movement.
- Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri)
- Elevated intracranial pressure of unknown cause, which can lead to papilledema and vision disturbances.
- Unexplained Vision Loss
- Patients with vision loss or changes in vision that cannot be attributed to standard ophthalmic conditions often seek the expertise of neuro-ophthalmologists.
- Tumors and Aneurysms
- Conditions like brain tumors or intracranial aneurysms that can affect the visual pathways and require specialized evaluation.
- Neurological Disorders
Neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or strokes that can have visual manifestations and complications.