What Is The Cause And Treatment For Decreased Vision In Eye With Optic Cupping?

Posted on Sat, 11 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 11 Jan 2014 Answered on

Thu, 6 Feb 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I had an eye exam a month ago. It showed optic cupping in only the right eye with normal pressure in both eyes. My vision had decreased a great deal in the right eye and some in the left. The eye doctor is in a rural area and said that I should wait until May when he rents the more advanced equipment in order to do further testing to see why I have the optic cupping at greater than 60%. Everything I read on line says brain tumor or multiple sclerosis. I have lots of issues with memory, headaches, confusion, etc. I am 41 years old. Should I wait until May for further testing, or should I go now to another doctor with access to all needed equipment. I am very worried.

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (6 hours later)

Brief Answer: You need to visit another eye doctor. Detailed Answer: Hello Welcome to Health care magic Iam Dr. Dadapeer K , an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye. I reviewed the history given by you, You are having decreased vision in right eye with optic cupping in right eye with normal pressure in both the eyes as told by your eye doctor. Optic cupping greater than 60% is not normal and it is because of glaucoma. Though glaucoma affects both the eyes, it can be asymmetrical to begin with. Not all glaucomas are associated with raised intraocular pressure, a group of glaucomas called as normal tension glaucomas are associated with normal intraocular pressure. Hence I advice you to rule out glaucoma by further investigations like visual field examination. Brain tumor, multiple sclerosis...., all these cause optic disc pallor and not cupping. If it is optic disc pallor then need to investigate for all these causes by tests like CT scan or MRI imaging. Hence I advice first to confirm whether it is optic disc cupping or optic disc pallor and then undergo relevant investigations. In both the conditions waiting for another 4-5 months is not advisable as these can progress leading to further decrease in vision. Hence I advice you to visit another eye hospital with all the facilities available for confirmation of diagnosis and treatment accordingly. Hope I have answered your query and the information is helpful to you. Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar