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What Causes Purple Circular Flashes In Vision?
Question: I was diagnosed with Best's Disease/Vitelliform Pattern Macular Dystrophy last year (Best's Disease Dx based on my childhood ophth history). I am 52 yr old female. Taking AREDS2 formula pills. Corrected vision 20/150 dominant eye, 20/200 non-dominant eye. I have been seeing purple circular flashes past 7 months that are increasing in frequency, occurring several times daily. They usually only occur in one eye at a time, and last only a moment. I notice them when I blink. They are not after-flashes. They are a light purple hue, are circular, dead center of my visual range, fairly large (40% area of my field of vision) and appear very similar to the old traffic lights that used to not be visible unless your car was positioned exactly in the XXXXXXX just perfectly. The purple circular flashes have a "reflector" quality to them, and half the circle appears darker than the other half, as though the light was moving across the reflective field. No migraine. Any time of day or night. Usually when I blink. Can I assume this is just part of the progression of my eye disease, or should I see my retinal specialist? My optometrist did not know what to make of it.
Brief Answer:
You need to consult retina specialist.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to health care magic
I am Dr. Dadapeer K, an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history. It seems from the history that you are diagnosed with Best dystrophy. It is a autosomal dominant dystrophy affecting the macular part of retina. It is characterized by yellow egg yolk lesion of the macula. It presents with impairment of central vision. But not to worry as it has got fairly good prognosis compared to other dystroohies of macula.
It will not cause flashes of light.
Flashes of light lasting for few moments with each blink of the eye are typically seen in peripheral retinal degenerations or in thinning of the peripheral retina or in retinal tears, hence this requires examination by a ophthalmologist preferably by a retina specialist for examination of the periphery of retina by indirect oohthalmoscopy to rule out above mentioned conditions.
The examination by a retina specialist will rule out all these conditions which predispose to complications like retinal detachment.
Treatment by simple laser will prevent this complication. Hence I advice you to consult retina specialist for examination and treatment accordingly.
Hope the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
You need to consult retina specialist.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to health care magic
I am Dr. Dadapeer K, an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history. It seems from the history that you are diagnosed with Best dystrophy. It is a autosomal dominant dystrophy affecting the macular part of retina. It is characterized by yellow egg yolk lesion of the macula. It presents with impairment of central vision. But not to worry as it has got fairly good prognosis compared to other dystroohies of macula.
It will not cause flashes of light.
Flashes of light lasting for few moments with each blink of the eye are typically seen in peripheral retinal degenerations or in thinning of the peripheral retina or in retinal tears, hence this requires examination by a ophthalmologist preferably by a retina specialist for examination of the periphery of retina by indirect oohthalmoscopy to rule out above mentioned conditions.
The examination by a retina specialist will rule out all these conditions which predispose to complications like retinal detachment.
Treatment by simple laser will prevent this complication. Hence I advice you to consult retina specialist for examination and treatment accordingly.
Hope the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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