Prefoveal floaters as a differential diagnosis to optic neuritis: "mouches dormantes"

Acta Neurol Belg. 2017 Sep;117(3):703-705. doi: 10.1007/s13760-017-0810-y. Epub 2017 Jun 17.

Abstract

This case series describes a new optical coherence tomography (OCT) specific observation relevant to the differential diagnosis of patients with suspected optic neuritis. A tiny prefoveal floater, only detectable by OCT, was found responsible for the symptoms in three patients, one of whom had been referred with unilateral delayed visual evoked potentials. This case series suggests that with increased use of OCT in routine clinical care, entoptic phenomena can be demonstrated as a relevant differential diagnosis to optic neuritis. Patients should be explained the benign nature of their symptoms.

Keywords: Endoptic phenomena; Floater; Mouche; Optic neuritis; Optical coherence tomography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Optic Neuritis / diagnosis*
  • Optic Neuritis / diagnostic imaging
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*
  • Vision, Entoptic / physiology*