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Temporary chromatopsia and alternate umbropsia in multiple sclerosis
1Neurological Out-Patient's Department, Warsaw, Poland.
Schweizer Archiv Fur Neurologie Und Psychiatrie (Zurich, Switzerland : 1985)
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Two women with multiple sclerosis experienced unusual vision changes, including temporary color vision disturbances (chromatopsia) and intermittent vision loss (umbropsia). These symptoms may indicate specific optic nerve fiber dysfunction in multiple sclerosis patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Multiple Sclerosis Research
Background:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- Visual disturbances are common symptoms in MS, often related to optic nerve inflammation (optic neuritis).
- Uncommon visual phenomena can provide insights into the specific mechanisms of nerve damage in MS.
Observation:
- Two female patients with clinically definite, remittent multiple sclerosis presented with rare visual symptoms.
- Case 1: Right optic atrophy with transient blue chromatopsia and left-sided paroxysmal umbopsia (vision fading and brightening).
- Case 2: Bilateral optic atrophy with transient green chromatopsia and short-lived fading vision during target fixation.
Findings:
- Chromatopsia (altered color perception) suggests impaired function in specific optic nerve fibers connected to limited retinal ganglion cells.
- Alternate umbopsia and transient vision fading likely result from paroxysmal, frequency-related conduction blocks in optic nerve fibers or synaptic elements.
Implications:
- These findings highlight specific, uncommon visual symptoms that can occur in multiple sclerosis.
- Understanding these symptoms may help in diagnosing and understanding the pathophysiology of MS-related optic nerve damage.
- Further research into these visual disturbances could refine diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies for MS patients.