Amaurosis fugax: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
==Background==
*Transient painless visual loss caused by either circulatory, ocular or a neurologic condition. Vision loss can last a few seconds to minutes.<ref>Fisher CM et al. "'Transient monocular blindness' versus 'amaurosis fugax'". Neurology. December 1989. 39 (12): 1622–4. doi:10.1212/wnl.39.12.1622. PMID 2685658</ref>
*Transient painless [[visual loss]] caused by either circulatory, ocular or a neurologic condition. Vision loss can last a few seconds to minutes.<ref>Fisher CM et al. "'Transient monocular blindness' versus 'amaurosis fugax'". Neurology. December 1989. 39 (12): 1622–4. doi:10.1212/wnl.39.12.1622. PMID 2685658</ref>
*Fugax is greek for "fleeing"
*Fugax is greek for "fleeing"
*Greatest suspicion in assessing these patients should be to evaluation for acute stroke and embolic phenomenon as that will carry the greatest mortality<ref>Benavente O et al. "Prognosis after transient monocular blindness associated with carotid-artery stenosis". N. Engl. J. Med. 345 (15): 1084–90. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa002994. PMID 11596587 [http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa002994 Full text]</ref>
*Greatest suspicion in assessing these patients should be to evaluation for acute [[stroke]] and embolic phenomenon as that will carry the greatest mortality<ref>Benavente O et al. "Prognosis after transient monocular blindness associated with carotid-artery stenosis". N. Engl. J. Med. 345 (15): 1084–90. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa002994. PMID 11596587 [http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa002994 Full text]</ref>
==Clinical Features==
==Clinical Features==
*Patients report complete blackening of vision.
*Patients report complete blackening of vision.
==Differential Diagnosis==
==Differential Diagnosis==
''Causes are divided into '''embolic''', '''hemodynamic''', '''ocular''', '''neurologic''', and '''idiopathic''' <ref> "Current management of amaurosis fugax. The Amaurosis Fugax Study Group". Stroke 21 (2): 201–8. February 1990. doi:10.1161/01.STR.21.2.201. PMID 2406992 [http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/21/2/201.full.pdf Full Text]</ref>
''Causes are divided into '''embolic''', '''hemodynamic''', '''ocular''', '''neurologic''', and '''idiopathic''' <ref> "Current management of amaurosis fugax. The Amaurosis Fugax Study Group". Stroke 21 (2): 201–8. February 1990. doi:10.1161/01.STR.21.2.201. PMID 2406992 [http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/21/2/201.full.pdf Full Text]</ref>
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**[[Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)]]
**[[Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)]]
*Drug abuse-related intravascular emboli
*Drug abuse-related intravascular emboli
===Hemodynamic===
===Vascular/Hemodynamic===
*[[Carotid stenosis]]
*[[Carotid stenosis]]
*Arteritis ([[Temporal arteritis]], [[Takayasu arteritis]])
*Arteritis ([[Temporal arteritis]], [[Takayasu arteritis]])
*Hypoperfusion ([[CHF]], [[Hyperviscosity syndrome]], hyper coagulable state)<ref>Bacigalupi M et al. "Amaurosis Fugax-A Clinical Review". The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2006 4 (2): 1–6.[http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/vol4num2/Bacigalupi.pdf Fulltext]</ref><ref>Mundall J, Quintero P, Von Kaulla KN, Harmon R, Austin J (March 1972). "Transient monocular blindness and increased platelet aggregability treated with aspirin. A case report". Neurology 22 (3): 280–5.</ref>
*Hypoperfusion ([[CHF]], [[Hyperviscosity syndrome]], hypercoagulable state)<ref>Bacigalupi M et al. "Amaurosis Fugax-A Clinical Review". The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2006 4 (2): 1–6.[http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/vol4num2/Bacigalupi.pdf Fulltext]</ref><ref>Mundall J, Quintero P, Von Kaulla KN, Harmon R, Austin J (March 1972). "Transient monocular blindness and increased platelet aggregability treated with aspirin. A case report". Neurology 22 (3): 280–5.</ref>


===Ocular===
===Ocular===
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===Idiopathic===
===Idiopathic===
*Diagnosis of exclusion
*Diagnosis of exclusion
==Evaluation==
==Evaluation==
''Workup will focus will vary significantly based on the differential and clinical presentation''
''Workup will focus will vary significantly based on the differential and clinical presentation''
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In general it includes:
In general it includes:
*[[ECG]]
*[[ECG]]
*CT Brain non con and CTA head and neck
*[[CT brain]] non con and CTA head and neck
*Chest Xray
*[[CXR]]
*Basic Metabolic Panel
*Basic Metabolic Panel
*CBC (to assess for severe anemia or thrombocytosis)
*CBC (to assess for severe anemia or thrombocytosis)
*INR (if patient is anticogulated)
*INR (if patient is anticoagulated)
*MRI (if suspicion for [[CVA]], [[Multiple Sclerosis]], or undifferentiated mass lesion)
*MRI (if suspicion for [[CVA]], [[Multiple Sclerosis]], or undifferentiated mass lesion)
*Ocular ultrasound (evaluate for retinal detachment or hemorrhage)
*[[Ocular ultrasound]] (evaluate for retinal detachment or hemorrhage)


==Management==
==Management==
''Management also varies also based final diagnosis''
''Management also varies also based final diagnosis''
*Intrinsic ocular causes require ophtho evaluation and referral
*Intrinsic ocular causes require ophtho evaluation and referral
*Cardiologic cause requires medicine admission and cardiology consultation
*Cardiologic cause requires admission and cardiology consultation
*Neurologic causes require medicine admission and neurologic consultation  
*Neurologic causes require admission and neurologic consultation  
*Hematologic causes or vasculatisis related causes will require medicine evaluation and sub specialist consultation
*Hematologic causes or vasculitis related causes will require sub specialist consultation


==Disposition==
==Disposition==

Revision as of 14:09, 14 September 2019

Background

  • Transient painless visual loss caused by either circulatory, ocular or a neurologic condition. Vision loss can last a few seconds to minutes.[1]
  • Fugax is greek for "fleeing"
  • Greatest suspicion in assessing these patients should be to evaluation for acute stroke and embolic phenomenon as that will carry the greatest mortality[2]

Clinical Features

  • Patients report complete blackening of vision.

Differential Diagnosis

Causes are divided into embolic, hemodynamic, ocular, neurologic, and idiopathic [3]

Embolic

Vascular/Hemodynamic

Ocular

Neurologic

Idiopathic

  • Diagnosis of exclusion

Evaluation

Workup will focus will vary significantly based on the differential and clinical presentation

In general it includes:

  • ECG
  • CT brain non con and CTA head and neck
  • CXR
  • Basic Metabolic Panel
  • CBC (to assess for severe anemia or thrombocytosis)
  • INR (if patient is anticoagulated)
  • MRI (if suspicion for CVA, Multiple Sclerosis, or undifferentiated mass lesion)
  • Ocular ultrasound (evaluate for retinal detachment or hemorrhage)

Management

Management also varies also based final diagnosis

  • Intrinsic ocular causes require ophtho evaluation and referral
  • Cardiologic cause requires admission and cardiology consultation
  • Neurologic causes require admission and neurologic consultation
  • Hematologic causes or vasculitis related causes will require sub specialist consultation

Disposition

  • Close follow-up or admission depending on the final determined cause

See Also

Acute Vision Loss (Noninflamed)

External Links

References

  1. Fisher CM et al. "'Transient monocular blindness' versus 'amaurosis fugax'". Neurology. December 1989. 39 (12): 1622–4. doi:10.1212/wnl.39.12.1622. PMID 2685658
  2. Benavente O et al. "Prognosis after transient monocular blindness associated with carotid-artery stenosis". N. Engl. J. Med. 345 (15): 1084–90. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa002994. PMID 11596587 Full text
  3. "Current management of amaurosis fugax. The Amaurosis Fugax Study Group". Stroke 21 (2): 201–8. February 1990. doi:10.1161/01.STR.21.2.201. PMID 2406992 Full Text
  4. Bacigalupi M et al. "Amaurosis Fugax-A Clinical Review". The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2006 4 (2): 1–6.Fulltext
  5. Mundall J, Quintero P, Von Kaulla KN, Harmon R, Austin J (March 1972). "Transient monocular blindness and increased platelet aggregability treated with aspirin. A case report". Neurology 22 (3): 280–5.
  6. Mattsson, P, Lundberg, PO. Characteristics and prevalence of transient visual disturbances indicative of migraine visual aura. Cephalalgia. Jun 1999;19(5):477.