dangerous flash or phosphene??

[jake1111]

Hello, I am a mild myope (-1) and I have some lattice without holes.  Concerning my left eye...a week ago, when I went into a dark room, I noticed a flash in the upper portion of my vision when I looked quickly upwards, and a linear shaped flash in the lower portion of my vision when I looked down. It lasted for a minute or two, every time I looked up or down, there was the flash. After a minute or two, it seemed to go away and I could not reproduce this effect. Now, I can no longer repeat this phenomenon. I recently had a dilated exam by a retina specialist, who told me "no issues, come back in a year". Should I see my ophthalmologist, or was this a classic phosphene???

[Icinapalici]

I have experianced exactly the same but I have it all the time and it goes tigether with eye pain and blurry vision in that eye. I am waiting for the MRI scan and than they will know more

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

If it doesn't reoccur and you have no increase in floaters and no loss of peripheral vision and your mind is "at peace" then generally a re-visit would not be needed. I have lattice also. By some bizzare coincidence I had almost exactly the same thing happen about two weeks ago. I did not go to see my retina surgeon but would have if if it persisted or if it will reoccur.

JCH MD

[jake1111]

Is a visit to the ophthalmologist warranted, or should I watch and see if it happens more or worsens???

Thanks very much for the input.

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

No way to tell for sure. Generally if it can be reproduced most or all of the time its an entopic phenomena like a phosphene. If it just happened that once and you cannot reproduce it maybe vitreous traction.

JCH MD

[jake1111]

just to clarify, the exam was a few weeks BEFORE I saw the flashes