afections
Papilledema
DEFINItion
The optic nerve is an organ or tissue behind the eyeball. From the inside of the eye, is seen as a flat round disc. It is pink color disc of about 1,5 mm diameter. Edema of the optic nerve or optic disc may result in blurry vision or decreased vision. Other symptoms may include decreased periphereral visual field, narrowing of the visual field or decreased color vision.
symptoms
When optic nerve edema presents in both eyes it’s indicative of high intracranial pressure or intracranial hypertension. This can be caused by brain tumors or other conditions such as head trauma, stroke or the so called pseudotumor cerebri. This last entity, is commonly suffered by people who are overweight.
causes
When optic nerve edema presents in both eyes it’s indicative of high intracranial pressure or intracranial hypertension. This can be caused by brain tumors or other conditions such as head trauma, stroke or the so called pseudotumor cerebri. This last entity, is commonly suffered by people who are overweight.
treatment
It depends on the cause of papilledema. In inflammatory sic edema, caused by temporal artritis, steroids are indicated. In edema due to neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, intravenous corticoisteroids or interferon are indicated.
FAQ
I have papilledema. Could it be cancer?
If edema occurs in one eye, it is not a tumor. If it affects both, brain screening tests are prescribed to confirm the diagnosis.
Is papilledema curable?
If caused by a neurological disease, it can be treated. When the source is a vascular disease, it is possible to control it. And if there is high pressure in the brain, the way to treat it is to reduce that pressure.