Double vision, or diplopia, is a relatively infrequent presenting symptom in the emergency setting, representing 0.1% of Emergency Department (ED) complaints (1). Diplopia can result from benign processes, such as dry eyes or idiopathic cranial nerve palsy, to emergent conditions with high morbidity, such as stroke, aneurysm, or inflammatory processes. Given a wide range of possible outcomes for a less common presenting complaint, it is worth reviewing the neuroanatomy and etiologies of diplopia, as well as a generalized approach to the patient presenting to the ED with double vision.
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32-Approach-to-a-patient-with-diplopia-battu.ppt
1. Approach to a patient with diplopia
Dr. R.R.Battu
Narayana Nethralaya
2. What does the faculty of BSV
require?
Perfect ( or near perfect ) alignment of the
visual axes simultaneously on the object of
regard
Perfect ( or near perfect ) retinal
correspondence
Perfect central ( or paracentral ) fusional
capability.
Perfect ( or near perfect ) alignment of the
retinal receptors
Perfect ( or near perfect ) optics to allow
only one image to be formed on the retina
and the same single image to be formed on
the other
3. What is Diplopia ?
It is when more than one image ( two ) of the
object of regard are seen simultaneously
This occurs when.(Mechanisms)
More than one image of the object of regard is formed
in the retinae of one or both eyes ( monocular
diplopia)
The eyes lose their simultaneous alignment with the
object of regard in one or more directions ( or
distances ) of gaze (incomitance of ocular alignment
binocular diplopia)
The eyes although aligned, send images to the brain
which disallow fusion ( aniseikonia )
Local retinocerebral adaptations to misalignments in
early life go askew (paradoxical diplopia, loss of
suppression)
Rarely, purely cerebral mechanisms
4. Monocular vs Binocular Diplopia
Key question
Is the double vision present even on
monocular eye closure?
5. Monocular diplopia
More than one image of the object of
regard is formed in the retinae of one or
both eyes..
Irregular astigmatism ( nebular scars, haze,
corneal distortion)
Subluxated clear lenses
Poorly fitting contact lenses
Early cataract
Iridodialysis, polycoria, large iridotomies
Macular disorders edema, CNVM etc
6. Binocular Diplopia
The eyes lose their simultaneous alignment with the
object of regard in one or more directions ( or
distances ) of gaze (incomitance of ocular alignment
binocular diplopia)
Key clues
Anomalous Head Position
Vision Blurry in one gaze position, better in another
Vestibular signs
Long tract signs
Obviously misaligned eyes, proptosis
Presence of partial ptosis
Nystagmus
7. Questions to be asked
Is there a mis alignment?
If so, in which directions ( or
distances ) of gaze?
Which are the hypofunctioning (
and hyperfunctioning ) muscles?
Do they have a neurogenic pattern,
or a restrictive pattern or a
neuromuscular pattern or a
myogenic pattern?
9. Diplopia -
Key questions
Is the diplopia more for distance or near?
Is the diplopia predominantly horizontal or
vertical?
In which direction of gaze are the images
maximally separated?
To which eye does the outer image
belong?
Is there a predominant tilt?
In which position of gaze does the tilt
increase maximally?
10. Diplopia charting
Diplopia is maximum ( separation
of images) in the field of action of
the paralysed muscle.
The false image ( the image
belonging to the eye with the
hypofunctioning muscle ) is always
peripherally situated
Higher in upgaze, lower in downgaze,
on the right in right gaze and on the
left in left gaze
11. Hess Charting
Based on the principle of confusion
Allows for identifying the position
of one eye, while the other eye fixes
in different positions of gaze.
Effectively demonstrates
Sherringtons and Herings laws
Allows for more objective follow up
also.
12. The cover-uncover and alternate
cover tests
Probably the most important
objective tests to evaluate muscle
palsies
Measurements with a prism bar
allow for measurement
Measure in the 9 cardinal gaze
positions
Distance and near
13. Versions & Ductions
Allow to assess actual rotation
limits
Allow assessment of underactions
and overactions of synergists
14. Saccadic Velocity
Floating saccades are suggestive
of a nerve palsy or paresis
Indirectly oblique saccade testing
can be done.
Normal saccadic velocity with
limitation indicates a restricted
muscle
15. Forced Duction Testing
Allows to assess forced movement
in direction of restriction
Important in Blow out fractures, TED,
long standing strabismus with
contractures
Important to lift the globe and rotate
16. Force Generation Testing
Allows to identify residual power in
a suspected paretic muscle.
Usually done to direct management
6th N palsy
Recess resect or muscle transposition
17. Pointers to primary orbital disease
Restrictive muscle hypofunction
Proptosis
Signs of orbital inflammation
Signs of anterior segment, lid and
adnexal hyperemia or inflammation
18. Look for supranuclear, nuclear and
infranuclear patterns
Look for sensory ( visual ) abnormalities
Look for nystagmus
Look for vestibular auditory symptoms
Look for other cranial nerve involvement
Look for long tract signs
Neurological disease
19. CNS and orbital imaging
Done for obvious neurological
patterns
Orbital inflammatory disease,
proptosis
Occasionally may avoid or delay
Pupil sparing 3rd in a diabetic
6th Nerve in a hypertensive, image if
no spontaneous recovery in a few
weeks