Visual white lines and spots

Hi,

My daughter, age 7, told us in March that she has been seeing white vertical lines and spots since before Christmas (!!).  There are approximately 50 lines and are permanent, even when her eyes are closed.  The optician results are perfectly clear, she is seeing a specialist on Thursday this week.  The doctor and the optician can only suggest it might be abnormal migraine, but are confused by these lines being present at all times.  She is always doing gymnastics i.e. upside down, etc. but she cannot relate them to any bang on her head, etc. She can remember a time when they weren't there.   I asked her how she sees things and she says she looks between the lines.  Her vision was great at the opticians and she has never complained or shown signs that she can't see properly (knocked into things, unbalanced, etc).  We are obviously very worried.  Any thoughts or comments would be most appreciated, especially from eye specialists, before or after Thursday, given our very slow medical system.


This discussion is related to White lines when tired/bloated plus one other issue (back of eye itch).

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Lines that come and go or spots that come and go do raise the possibility of childhood migraine however if they are there all the time and do not come and go migraine is unlikely.  You likely will need to eventually see a neuroophthalmologist.

Note also that some of these work ups reveal nothing and the likely cause if avery active imagination or secondary gains to get attention or manipulate parents.

JCH MD

[Sahuw]

Thanks very much John, that's very interesting.  I am giving her some easy opt-outs for her to change her mind about them (it had crossed our mind that gaining attention may be the reason) but although she is terrified of going to the hospital on Thursday, she maintains that she can see them.  Could they be performance/expectation related?  She expects an awful lot of herself, not instigated consciously by us, her parents.  I am a Psychologist and could understand the mind bit, it's the mind/body/medical nature of it I find more difficult to grasp.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Sahuw]

Hi John, I'm just wondering if this reply was supposed to be blank?  If you had written a reply, I would very much appreciate your sending it again.  Best Wishes, Sarah

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No "-" means that I have read the last post and do not feel that additional comments are needed.
JCH MD