UMDNJ-NJMS Ophthalmology: Case of the Month

Case: A 57-year-old, right-handed white woman, whose chief complaint was the presence of a central, hazy patch in the left eye, had an abnormal visual field with a paracentral scotoma OS. She was referred to NJMS Department of Ophthalmology to rule out optic nerve disease.

Chief complaint: “Circular, cloudy spot in my left eye.”

Present illness: Over the 3- to 4-month period preceding evaluation, the patient had noticed a central, circular, stable scotoma in the left eye, which, although not associated with pain, headache, diplopia, photopsia, or neurological complaints, was occasionally associated with pressure sensation.

Medical History		Migraines since age 20
Family History		Father: Abdominal aneurysm
Pharmacological History		Aspirin, Excedrin, or Advil; Antacid
Smoking History		1 pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years
Ophthalmological History		Conjunctivitis treated with Tobramycin 3 years earlier. Black floater that has been present in left eye for 3 years is less noticeable now. High myopia corrected with glasses since age 8.
Laboratory Tests		Cholesterol test (4/17/2000): 295 mg/dL (Refernce range: <200 mg/dL) LDL (4/17/2000): 208 mg/dL (Refernce range: 60 - 130 mg/L)
Allergies		No known or documented allergies

Click to view the results of the visual examination

This site is under development by SciMedWeb'2000