ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To describe a patient with branch retinal artery occlusion that was misdiagnosed as normal tension glaucoma (NTG). CASE PRESENTATION: A female 76-year-old patient presenting inferior nasal visual field scotoma, neuroretinal thinning in the optic disk of the right eye with corresponding atrophy of superior retinal nerve fiber layer in optical coherence tomography (OCT). She was treated with latanoprost eye drops for NTG. However macular OCT angiography showed a localized thinning of the inner retina following the superior temporal branch retinal artery path, along with a superficial and medium capillary plexus reduction and superior macular ganglion cell layer atrophy. Further investigation with carotid arteries angio-tomography revealed an atheromatous lesion in the right and left carotid bulb with stenosis of 50-60%, in addition to aneurysms of the cavernous, pituitary and communicating segments of the left and right internal carotid artery, reinforcing the diagnosis of superior temporal branch retinal artery ischemic. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of establishing differential diagnosis in cases of presumed NTG and reinforces the use of the OCT angiography in clinical practice.
Subject(s)
Low Tension Glaucoma , Macular Degeneration , Retinal Artery Occlusion , Humans , Female , Aged , Low Tension Glaucoma/diagnosis , Low Tension Glaucoma/drug therapy , Low Tension Glaucoma/pathology , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Intraocular Pressure , Retinal Artery Occlusion/diagnosis , Retinal Artery Occlusion/drug therapy , Retinal Artery Occlusion/pathology , Angiography , AtrophyABSTRACT
Differentiating glaucomatous from nonglaucomatous optic disc cupping remains challenging. We present a case of a 48-year-old woman with an internal carotid aneurysm of approximately 3.5 mm × 6.5 mm that mimicked normal-tension glaucoma. The patient had a 2-year history of low vision acuity in her left eye and frontal oppressive headache. Owing to the carotid aneurysm, she developed an asymmetric vertical cup-to-disc ratio above 0.2, and marked inferotemporal neuronal rim loss and pallor of the residual rim were noted in the left disc. She also developed a visual field defect with an arcuate scotoma in the left eye. The patient was referred to a neurosurgeon and underwent endovascular aneurysm occlusion. This case highlights the diagnostic importance of recognizing that many neurological defects remain underdiagnosed.
Subject(s)
Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery, Internal/diagnostic imaging , Low Tension Glaucoma/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery Diseases/pathology , Carotid Artery Diseases/physiopathology , Carotid Artery, Internal/pathology , Carotid Artery, Internal/physiopathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Intraocular Pressure , Low Tension Glaucoma/pathology , Low Tension Glaucoma/physiopathology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Middle Aged , Retina/diagnostic imaging , Visual Field TestsABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Differentiating glaucomatous from nonglaucomatous optic disc cupping remains challenging. We present a case of a 48-year-old woman with an internal carotid aneurysm of approximately 3.5 mm × 6.5 mm that mimicked normal-tension glaucoma. The patient had a 2-year history of low vision acuity in her left eye and frontal oppressive headache. Owing to the carotid aneurysm, she developed an asymmetric vertical cup-to-disc ratio above 0.2, and marked inferotemporal neuronal rim loss and pallor of the residual rim were noted in the left disc. She also developed a visual field defect with an arcuate scotoma in the left eye. The patient was referred to a neurosurgeon and underwent endovascular aneurysm occlusion. This case highlights the diagnostic importance of recognizing that many neurological defects remain underdiagnosed.
RESUMO diferenciação de escavações glaucomatosas e não glaucomatosas ainda permanece um desafio ainda nos dias de hoje. Nos descrevemos um caso de aneurisma de carótida interna medindo 3.5mm x 6.5mm que simulava um glaucoma de pressão normal. O caso é sobre uma paciente feminino de 48 anos com história de 2 anos de baixa acuidade visual no olho esquerdo e cefaléia frontal. Devido ao aneurisma de carótida a paciente desenvolveu uma assimetria de escavação vertical maior que 0.2 no olho esquerdo em relação ao direito com defeito localizado da camada de fibras nervosas temporal inferior. Ela também apresentava um defeito arqueado temporal superior a esquerda, cruzando a linha média vertical consistente. Após o diagnostico confirmado pela ressonância magnética funcional, a paciente foi enviada para o neurocirurgião para realização de uma oclusão endovascular do aneurisma. Esse caso nos alerta da importância de se lembrar que não apenas o glaucoma gera escavações suspeitas no disco óptico e que ainda muitos defeitos por causas neurológicas são subdiagnosticados.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery, Internal/diagnostic imaging , Low Tension Glaucoma/diagnostic imaging , Aneurysm/diagnosis , Retina/diagnostic imaging , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Carotid Artery Diseases/physiopathology , Carotid Artery Diseases/pathology , Carotid Artery, Internal/physiopathology , Carotid Artery, Internal/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Low Tension Glaucoma/physiopathology , Low Tension Glaucoma/pathology , Visual Field Tests , Intraocular PressureABSTRACT
Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a progressive optic neuropathy with intraocular pressure (IOP) within the statistically normal range (≤21 mmHg). The prevalence of NTG varies widely among different population studies, being the most prevalent open-angle glaucoma subtype in some reports. The etiology of NTG possibly is multifactorial and still not well defined. Alternative treatments have been proposed based on pathogenesis details. However, in clinical practice, adequate reduction of IOP remains the keystone of managing patients with NTG. We review the pathogenesis of NTG and the available therapies for this optic neuropathy.
Subject(s)
Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Low Tension Glaucoma/pathology , Low Tension Glaucoma/physiopathology , Low Tension Glaucoma/therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Disease Progression , Glaucoma, Open-Angle/pathology , Glaucoma, Open-Angle/physiopathology , Glaucoma, Open-Angle/therapy , Humans , Risk Factors , Visual Fields/physiologyABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a progressive optic neuropathy with intraocular pressure (IOP) within the statistically normal range (≤21 mmHg). The prevalence of NTG varies widely among different population studies, being the most prevalent open-angle glaucoma subtype in some reports. The etiology of NTG possibly is multifactorial and still not well defined. Alternative treatments have been proposed based on pathogenesis details. However, in clinical practice, adequate reduction of IOP remains the keystone of managing patients with NTG. We review the pathogenesis of NTG and the available therapies for this optic neuropathy.
RESUMO O glaucoma de pressão normal (GPN) é uma neuropatia óptica progressiva que cursa com a pressão intraocular (PIO) dentro da faixa de normalidade (≤21 mmHg). A prevalência do glaucoma de pressão normal varia entre os estudos populacionais, sendo em alguns o principal subtipo de glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto. A etiologia do glaucoma de pressão normal possivelmente é multifatorial e ainda não foi totalmente esclarecida. Tratamentos alternativos baseados nos diferentes detalhes da patogenia foram recentemente propostos. Entretanto, na prática clínica, a redução adequada da pressão intraocular continua sendo a base do tratamento do glaucoma de pressão normal. O objetivo deste artigo é revisar a patogênese do glaucoma de pressão normal e as formas de terapia disponíveis.