An Analysis of Visual Fields in Patients with Post-traumatic Functional Visual Loss.

Kim, So Young; Lee, Dong Hun; Park, Song Hee

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2004;45(3):469-479.
Published online March 1, 2004.

An Analysis of Visual Fields in Patients with Post-traumatic Functional Visual Loss.

So Young Kim, Dong Hun Lee, Song Hee Park

Department of Ophthalmology, Soonchunhyang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. scheye@hosp.sch.ac.kr

외상 후 기능성 시각장애로 진단된 환자에 대한 시야분석

김소영 ( Kim So Yeong ) , 이동헌 ( Lee Dong Heon ) , 박성희 ( Park Seong Hui )

Abstract

PURPOSE
Recently, patients complaining visual disability following an accident is increasing. Using detailed ophthalmological test, the authors estimated the incidence of the functional visual loss(FVL) and its characteristics. METHODS: Sixty nine patients were evaluated because of visual complaints after traffic accidents. Goldmann perimetry, Humphrey field analyzer, tangent screen, or confrontation test was used to test visual field. FVL was diagnosed when patients in patients complained but visual field loss which was inconsistent with clinical symptom and sign. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients(55%) were identified to have functional visual loss. Higher incidence was documented in women (16 of 20, 80%) than in men (22 of 49, 45%). All of them showed the visual fields findings which were compatible with FVL including visual field constriction, spiral field, "clover-leaf" pattern or tubular field. CONCLUSIONS: Although the visual field examination is no more than a subjective test, it is one of the most useful method for disclosing FVL. To correlate the patient's symptoms and visual field findings, detailed ophthalmic examination and patient's socio-economic backgrounds should be taken into account.

Key Words: Functional visual loss (FVL);Visual disability;Visual field finding