I had an OCT scan done a year ago to determine if the blurriness/color desaturation/light contrast issues I experienced two years ago may have been optic neuritis.
Last year, my OCT scan showed an average thickness of 92 right eye, 82 left eye with a 10 point difference. I was told that for someone my age, my RNFL should be 102. I was diagnosed with optic nerve thinning but he never did diagnose optic neuritis.
I had VEP's done at the neuroophthalmologist with a P100 latency of 111 and 113. Borderline abnormal, perhaps? She was unsure of the diagnosis and said that if there were bigger difference in my RNFL values she would have diagnosed optic neuritis that day but her scan showed 82 left eye, 86 right eye. I wondered about subclinical damage but was told to return in one year if needed.
I had another OCT scan today and the ophthalmologist said everything was normal. My printout of the OCT scan shows an average thickness of 104 right eye, 78 left eye with a 26 point difference. The diagnosis comment states "No evidence of retinal thinning". Um, excuse me? I went from 82 to 78 in my left eye and 92 to 104 in my right eye? It sounds to me like my left optic nerve has thinned even more and my right optic nerve may be swollen. Either that or my right eye miraculously healed itself?
When I asked him if he thought it was optic neuritis, he said he didn't know for sure but he could tell me all of the things it's not. "Besides," he said, "That's for your neurologist to diagnose. What difference does it make anyway? There's no way to treat it."
I am stunned, you guys. I never liked this doctor but his lack of knowledge is astounding. And his lack of being willing to diagnose it is what's holding up my diagnosis. That would give an official CIS diagnosis. I have multiple lesions in the brain but without a solid CIS diagnosis I'm left to wait until more damage occurs.
Has anyone else had this much trouble getting diagnosed with optic neuritis? I already called my doctor to get a referral for a second opinion from another ophthalmologist. I don't want to go back to the neuroophthalmologist as the wait list is months long and it is over 50 miles away. It's a huge hassle.
Last year, my OCT scan showed an average thickness of 92 right eye, 82 left eye with a 10 point difference. I was told that for someone my age, my RNFL should be 102. I was diagnosed with optic nerve thinning but he never did diagnose optic neuritis.
I had VEP's done at the neuroophthalmologist with a P100 latency of 111 and 113. Borderline abnormal, perhaps? She was unsure of the diagnosis and said that if there were bigger difference in my RNFL values she would have diagnosed optic neuritis that day but her scan showed 82 left eye, 86 right eye. I wondered about subclinical damage but was told to return in one year if needed.
I had another OCT scan today and the ophthalmologist said everything was normal. My printout of the OCT scan shows an average thickness of 104 right eye, 78 left eye with a 26 point difference. The diagnosis comment states "No evidence of retinal thinning". Um, excuse me? I went from 82 to 78 in my left eye and 92 to 104 in my right eye? It sounds to me like my left optic nerve has thinned even more and my right optic nerve may be swollen. Either that or my right eye miraculously healed itself?
When I asked him if he thought it was optic neuritis, he said he didn't know for sure but he could tell me all of the things it's not. "Besides," he said, "That's for your neurologist to diagnose. What difference does it make anyway? There's no way to treat it."
I am stunned, you guys. I never liked this doctor but his lack of knowledge is astounding. And his lack of being willing to diagnose it is what's holding up my diagnosis. That would give an official CIS diagnosis. I have multiple lesions in the brain but without a solid CIS diagnosis I'm left to wait until more damage occurs.
Has anyone else had this much trouble getting diagnosed with optic neuritis? I already called my doctor to get a referral for a second opinion from another ophthalmologist. I don't want to go back to the neuroophthalmologist as the wait list is months long and it is over 50 miles away. It's a huge hassle.
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