Visual field loss secondary to radiation-induced cerebral necrosis

Radiation-induced cerebral necrosis has been well documented in the literature. Because radiation induced cerebral necrosis can occur to any part of the central nervous system that falls within the irradiated area, the visual pathway is highly susceptible to damage as it passes from the eye to the visual cortex. With proper visual field testing and interpretation, optometrists may serve as primary diagnosticians in radiation-induced cerebral necrosis and actively participate in the long-term management of these patients. This case presents a patient with visual field loss secondary to a temporal lobe lesion whose etiology was thought to be radiation-induced. The incidence, pathophysiology, and clinical features of radiation-induced cerebral necrosis as well as other differential diagnoses are discussed.