Significance of scintillating scotoma of late onset

Visual Disturbances Spectrum in Pediatric Migraine

Migraine is a complex neurological disorder with partially unknown pathophysiological mechanisms. The prevalence in childhood ranges from 7.7% to 17.8%, thus representing the most frequent primary headache. In half of the cases, migraine is accompanied or preceded by various neurological disturbances, among which the visual aura is the best known. In literature, other conditions, such as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and Visual Snow syndrome, are characterized by visual manifestations and are often associated with migraine. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the spectrum of visual disturbances in pediatric migraine and their pathophysiological mechanisms.

Can you have a migraine aura without knowing it?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review covers several aspects our understanding of episodic manifestations and unusual symptoms that may be associated with migraine aura.

RECENT FINDINGS

The episodic manifestation of migraine aura is typically visual in nature, although five other types are currently recognized: sensory, speech and/or language, motor, brainstem, and retinal. Other transitory perceptions or experiences such as emotional, olfactory, or auditory have been reported as possible migraine auras. As underlined by the much higher reported prevalence of aura manifestation in individuals with professional knowledge of its possible manifestations, it appears that a number of migraine auras may remain unnoticed, unreported, or misdiagnosed.

SUMMARY

Aura manifestations may be more common, complex, symptom-rich and variable than previously thought. Clinicians should proactively ask questions beyond those addressing visual symptoms when examining individuals with a potential diagnosis of migraine with aura.

Occult retinal and choroidal vascular disease. The value of timed and directed fluorescein angiography

BACKGROUND

Acute vascular disease of the choroid or large vessels of the retina is usually accompanied by funduscopic signs. In instances of monocular visual loss, such objective signs are important diagnostic clues that the pathology is in the eye and not in the optic nerve.

METHODS

Fluorescein angiography was timed in a consistent manner, and photographs were taken at two frames per second. Orientation of the camera was customized for each patient based on the location of the visual field defect.

RESULTS

Eight patients with monocular visual loss were referred because the cause of the visual loss was not evident. In each patient, fluorescein angiography showed vascular disease of either the choroid or retina, despite normal-appearing fundi.

CONCLUSIONS

Fluorescein angiography can detect otherwise occult vascular disease of the retina or choroid. In eyes with monocular scotomas, the angiogram should be performed with the camera oriented with respect to the location of the visual field defect. Accurately timed, rapid sequence photography provides additional information about rate and symmetry of flow. Focal areas of hypoperfusion often are incidental but deserve added consideration when they correspond to the location of a scotoma.

Visual disturbances of migraine

Migraine, a clinical syndrome of unknown etiology, is a common cause of a variety of visual disturbances. This review describes the visual alterations associated with migraine syndromes of particular interest to the ophthalmologist; acephalgic, ocular, and ophthalmoplegic. Several current theories of migraine pathophysiology are discussed. Migrainous episodes are common and must be differentiated from neurologic dysfunction due to ischemia, inflammation, seizure, and compression. The differentiating characteristics of these conditions as well as a diagnostic algorithm are presented.

Clinical significance of transient visual phenomena in the elderly

To evaluate the significance of transient visual phenomena in the elderly patient, a retrospective study of 43 patients over 40 years of age (mean, 58) presenting between 1971 and 1982 was conducted. Historical, clinical and diagnostic features were collated and analyzed by computer. The study revealed that 31 patients were diagnosed as migraine and 12 as vertebrobasilar insufficiency based on features identified in this review. Follow-up was obtained in 90% of the patients with a mean follow-up of 2.4 years. In general, prognosis proved to be excellent, with two deaths of cardiac origin and an 81% incidence of remission or symptomatic improvement of the visual events. No retinal or cerebral strokes were observed and TIAs occurred in only 9% of the population. This study suggests that transient visual phenomena in the elderly are benign.