scotoma in right eye

A week ago I developed a scotoma in my right eye in my peripheral vision.  I have had my eyes checked out, dialated a visual field test and an MRI and blood tests to rule out anything serious.  Everything came back negative including the visual field test.  At about 1 foot away I have a blind spot about the size of a grapefruit and it's in my extreme right side.  When I sit in a car looking forward, the passenger door rear view mirror is completely blacked out and I can trace around it when I hold paper up to a window.  When I did the visual field test it did not pick up on this.  I told the technician that when I was looking through the optic that the blind spot was not in the middle of it and the it was off to the side of the optic outside of where the lights were flashing.  Is this possible?  Does this make sense?  I don't know how to convince my doctors that I do in fact have a big gaping hole in my vision.  Should I just wait, or should I be doing something else.  I know if they flashed lights further off to my field of view that I would not be able to see in the blind spot.  Also the blind spot in the right lighting pulsates blue/white wavy lines.  I also have a mild continuous temporal headache.

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

Loss of peripheral vision and/or scotomas are a very very serious symptom and require an extensive work up. I suggest you see a neuro-ophthalmologist. Find one at www.aao.org

JCH IIMD

[doldrick]

Thank you.  This is a huge help and a great forum!  One more related question if I may.

So even with all those tests I should still consult a Neuro Ophthalmologist?  I feel silly only because no one has found any evidence of this (other then myslef).  I especially thought they would find it in the visual field test.

Here is the really weird thing I just discovered last night.  The spot is pitch black in any kind of bright light.  But using the dimmer on my lights, it nearly goes away in as the light levels go down.  Could it be that portion of my optic nerve is overly sensitive all of a sudden?  Maybe that's why they didn't find it on the visual field test.

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

I wouold still advise seeing a neuro-ophthalmologist.  Any sudden sensitivity of the optic nerve still needs and explanation.

JCH II MD

[doldrick]

I have an apt with a neuro-ophthalmologist, but it's a month away.  In the meantime I'm heading back to my ophthalmologist who ordered the initial round of tests.  Thanks for the advice.

Have you ever heard of a scotoma going away in a dimly lit room and then coming on full force in normal and bright light?  It seems to get larger with more light.

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

Yes, I have.

JCH III MD

[doldrick]

My appointment was moved to this coming Friday with the neuro-ophthalmologist.  I'll post for everyone else what happens there, but without trying to providing a diagnosis, what are some of the possibilities of this spot?  What would cause the blind spot (the size of a basketball 1 foot away from my face) to be pitch black blind in light and better (but not 100%) in a dark room.   I would like to read up on a few things so I'm more prepared.

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

You may do your own research but I do not want to provide a long list of possible but not probably things that might scare you.

Good luck. Hope and pray the best.


JCH III MD

[TriadWarrior]

I have the same problem. I devolped 3 scotomas in my eyes. 2 in my  peripheral  vision and 1 next to my central vision. I went to every type of eye doctor ( neuro, opthomologist , retina )and all of them said my eye was healthy (expect having latice degeneration). I did many visual tests and the blind spots they picked up said it was normal for everyone(on my side vision)? They said it isnt noticable but I can really see these dark spots whenever I concentrate   staring on them. Could this be what they calla negative scotoma? The thing that really got me wondering is that all of the 5 different eye doctors ive gone to pretty much gave me  the same type of tests, but the neuro gave me 1 different type of visual test. He recommended me to take an MRI scan  incase some sort of tumor can be causing this. Can anyone give me some type of help in what could be happening to me?

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

We all normally have a blind spot in each eye on the side toward our ears. (physiologic blind spot). The brain through neuroadaptation fills in the picture and we don't see it unless we go looking for it.

A negative scotoma is dark and a positive is light.

I would be happy that the scotomas are not due to tumor, stoke, blood clots in eye, MS, etc.

If the neuro ophthal recommeded a MRI I would consider it strongly.

If its negative and nothing changes than I would try and ignore them.

JCH MD

[coopsmama]

I have been searching  and searching trying to find out about my son's eye. He has explained the black spot and basically described a scotoma to the exact detail. We were just at the optomotrist and he found nothing wrong. But, after reading about scotomas, I realize he did none of the test needed to determine that could be the problem. So, my question is, is it possible for a 6 year old to even have a scotoma? If not, what else could this black spot be? Also, it does not move, he says its like someone colored over part of his eye so he can't see there, so I know it is not a "floater" as his Doctor keeps saying that it pobably is.

[coopsmama]

also... optometrist, sorry I am at work & was hurrying  - no spell check!