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May Have Papilledema, Swollen Nerves. CT Scan Clear. Can You Tell Me Any Statistics About This?
Question: I saw an eye doctor and he thought that I may have Papilledema after the nerves were showing as being swollen, they did a CT scan and everything was clear. I am having a MRI and Spinal Tap on wednesday so they will no more then. I'm so scared that I will go blind after reading about it on the internet, every story is a horror one. Can you tell me any statistics about this, I feel like I'm going mad not knowing. Oh also they said they suspect it is something called benign intracranial hypertension and everything I have read about that is seriously worrying me too, I feel so awful and panicky. I have also had a ton of blood tests and everything is fine.
Dear XXXXXXX
thanks for sending your query to us.
First of all you should rest assured that there is nothing much wrong with you.
There is disc swelling that does not have any major intracranial reason as your CT is clear.A thorough investigation is very welcome as it rules out any major defect.
Spinal tap and MRI are welcome due to this reason.
As long as your diagnosis is not confirmed till that time doctors keep a list of possibilities which have to be excluded one by one.
With the approach of your doctors apparently you are in good hands.
As you say all your tests are fine then there is all the more reason for you not to panic.
What i would like to know that what were your reasons for seeing the doctor in the first place or it was detected on a routine examination.
any problem please do get back to me and do not worry.
thanks for sending your query to us.
First of all you should rest assured that there is nothing much wrong with you.
There is disc swelling that does not have any major intracranial reason as your CT is clear.A thorough investigation is very welcome as it rules out any major defect.
Spinal tap and MRI are welcome due to this reason.
As long as your diagnosis is not confirmed till that time doctors keep a list of possibilities which have to be excluded one by one.
With the approach of your doctors apparently you are in good hands.
As you say all your tests are fine then there is all the more reason for you not to panic.
What i would like to know that what were your reasons for seeing the doctor in the first place or it was detected on a routine examination.
any problem please do get back to me and do not worry.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for the reassuring words! The reason I saw the doctor in the first place was because I have had numbness above my right eye for 3 years. I reported this many times over that time to my GP she kept telling me it was neuralgia and aniexty as I suffer from that also. So I just got on with it and learned to live with it because apart from that I felt fine.
But the past few months I started to feel ill, I developed rining in my ears and an overall feeling of being unwell, she did blood tests and told me my thyroid has started to dip (it had been borderline for years so never had medication for it) so she said lets start on some thyroid medication and hopfully you will start to feel better.
But I started to feel worse, I developed a few shooting pains and tingling now and again over my body and the numbness over my right eye was now spreading to over my face and my lips where tingly with numbness now and again. So I went back to the doctors and she did a few tests involving pressing on my tender spots and some of them was quite painful. She said you possibly have Fibromyalgia and put me on Amitriptyline but things did not improve and then I thought my eyesight was getting worse in my right eye so I took myself to the doctors again and saw a different doctor they referred me to an eye specialist the same day, who saw I had swollen nerves more in my right eye than left. So they did an CT scan like I said before but that was clear, done a million blood tests they all seem fine so they obviously like you said want to do an MRI and Spinal Tap next. (which is worrying me too)
But the past few months I started to feel ill, I developed rining in my ears and an overall feeling of being unwell, she did blood tests and told me my thyroid has started to dip (it had been borderline for years so never had medication for it) so she said lets start on some thyroid medication and hopfully you will start to feel better.
But I started to feel worse, I developed a few shooting pains and tingling now and again over my body and the numbness over my right eye was now spreading to over my face and my lips where tingly with numbness now and again. So I went back to the doctors and she did a few tests involving pressing on my tender spots and some of them was quite painful. She said you possibly have Fibromyalgia and put me on Amitriptyline but things did not improve and then I thought my eyesight was getting worse in my right eye so I took myself to the doctors again and saw a different doctor they referred me to an eye specialist the same day, who saw I had swollen nerves more in my right eye than left. So they did an CT scan like I said before but that was clear, done a million blood tests they all seem fine so they obviously like you said want to do an MRI and Spinal Tap next. (which is worrying me too)
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for getting back to us.
Your clinical picture is not very clear.The numbness which has been present for a long time is not related to papiiidema as both of them have different origines.
Pappiledema unless of prolong duration does not cause visual difficulty,and has to be bilateral in a majority of cases,other problem which causes visual effect is optic neuritis,which is very rarely bilateral.
I basically do not want to confuse you with all this discussion but i am just trying to suggest that you do not fit into any major disease catagery,that is why you should have all the tests done and they will give normal results and rest assured that there is nothing much wrong with you.
It is important to investigate you thourughly to rule out any defect and that is what is being done to you.
We suspect benign intracranial hypertension when there is normal CT with pappiledema,there spinal tap is done with pressure monitoring,mind you spinal tap should be done with straight legs otherwise the Intra cranial pressure is found to be raised.
Visual field analysis is done to look for enlargement of blind spot.
any further query please do get back to us
Thanks for getting back to us.
Your clinical picture is not very clear.The numbness which has been present for a long time is not related to papiiidema as both of them have different origines.
Pappiledema unless of prolong duration does not cause visual difficulty,and has to be bilateral in a majority of cases,other problem which causes visual effect is optic neuritis,which is very rarely bilateral.
I basically do not want to confuse you with all this discussion but i am just trying to suggest that you do not fit into any major disease catagery,that is why you should have all the tests done and they will give normal results and rest assured that there is nothing much wrong with you.
It is important to investigate you thourughly to rule out any defect and that is what is being done to you.
We suspect benign intracranial hypertension when there is normal CT with pappiledema,there spinal tap is done with pressure monitoring,mind you spinal tap should be done with straight legs otherwise the Intra cranial pressure is found to be raised.
Visual field analysis is done to look for enlargement of blind spot.
any further query please do get back to us
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for getting back to me, I did have a filed test done and they said my eyesight seems alright except of course I am experiencing blurring in my eye.
I have no blind spots and I'm not colorblind either.
If I do have: benign intracranial hypertension , can this be treated easily and will my eyes return to normal?
I have no blind spots and I'm not colorblind either.
If I do have: benign intracranial hypertension , can this be treated easily and will my eyes return to normal?
Dear XXXXXXX
thanks for getting back to us.
Everybody has a blind spot and that is charted by field analysis.If we get a field analysis for you then we should get a enlargement of blind spot and that adds to the confirmation of diagnosis.
Apparently you have BICH and that is easily treated and all this testing is done to rule out any other problem.
Get well soon.
thanks for getting back to us.
Everybody has a blind spot and that is charted by field analysis.If we get a field analysis for you then we should get a enlargement of blind spot and that adds to the confirmation of diagnosis.
Apparently you have BICH and that is easily treated and all this testing is done to rule out any other problem.
Get well soon.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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