myopia and astigmatism, lattice , paving stone

I wear spectacles since 8 yrs old. My eye vision slowly but gradually deterioted through years and now at 40 yrs old, I still have strong myopia (> 10) and astigmatism problem with both eyes (right and left).
And I also can't see well both long and short distance since 18 months. I wear a apectacle with ultra fine progressive lens.

I recently consulted my local ophthalmologist to do routine eye tests in order to change my spectacles but the tests were not successful because my ophthalmologist told me that he cannot correct any more my eye vision because my myopia has deteriorated furthermore.

So I recently did a funduscopy (eye dilatation) with an eye doctor (under the recommendation of my ophthalmologist).
It seems that I have LATTICE at the right eye and PAVING STONE at both eyes. I did a general blood test which is normal as I have no diabete, no cholestherol etc..
The eye doctor recommend me to do a laser treatment for preventive measure to prevent retinal detachment.

By the way for anti-malaria prevention, I have been taking mefloquine pills (one a week over 6 to 8 weeks on average) during the last 4 years when I go abroad to Africa. Can that regular intake of Mefloquine can affect my eye vision ?

What do you think ?


Thank for your comments.



This discussion is related to eye problems from anesthesia.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

As a retinal specialist, I do not recommend routine treatment of lattice degeneration.  This occurs in about 8 to 10% of the population.  Use the search function regarding floaters.

A possibility  is that you have a very small cataract.  An insignificant cataract in a high myope cause more visual loss than in a eye with normal refraction.

See this report of mefloquine use over 18 months.  Maculopathy but vision was still correctable to 20/20.

Did you ask the doctor why you can not be corrected to 20/20?

Dr. O.


http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cjo/cjo42/i06-093.pdf

[dukey]

Paving stone and lattice is normal in a myope of your age and with your degree of myopia. Indeed it would be rare NOT to find that. You should not consider laser for any of these conditions. It has been suggested that paving stone confers some "protection" against RD but I can't comment on the validity of that statement. A decrease in vision with age in high myopia is classic and is often related to the progressive elongation of the eye and slow choroidal thinning. Astignatism often makes it very difficult to correct to 20/20 as well.  

[alodocter01]

Thank you very much Dr Ovakawa and Dukey for the explanations.

So according to you, lattice and paving stones do not constitute a high risk for future development of retinal detachment. So it’s wiser for the moment to avoid doing a laser treatment for preventive measure, isn’t it ?.
In fact, what are paving stones ?

By the way, I quite often got tears in my eyes (but not for emotional reasons). Is this related to retinal tears ?

I used to wear contact soft lens for some years in the past but I stopped now and wear only spectacles.

Concerning the reason why the doctor told me that my visual acuity cannot be corrected to 20/20, he does not seem to know why…

For information, here are some results of my routine tests for visual acuity given by my ophthalmologist :-

April 2001

R   -10.00 / -2.00   x 180
L   -9.00 / -2.00  x 180

Change contact lens

July 2006

R   -11.00 / -2.00   x 10
L   -10.00 / -1.75  x 170

Mineral High Index blanc mc
(spectacles)

Oct 2007  (my current spectacles)

R   -11.00 / -2.00   x 10
L   -10.00 / -1.75  x 170

Add 1.25

Myotocal Diams

(progressive ultra fine lens)


Do you find anything abnormal with these figures ?

Thank you

[dukey]

You have high degree myopia, often this cannot be corrected to 20/20. In many cases, it is no way near 20/20! Multiple reasons for this.