Sudden nontraumatic visual loss. The challenge in primary care

A number of causes need to be considered in the patient with acute, nontraumatic visual loss at or below the 20/200 level. Etiologic factors include several anterior segment diseases, as well as posterior segment (vitreoretinal) and retrobulbar (optic nerve) conditions. Normal slit-lamp and funduscopic findings make identification of the true cause of decreased visual acuity more difficult. The physician must not rush immediately to the diagnosis of functional disease without first ruling out the other causes.