Blurry Vision Chism lesion

Hi, I'm very new to this.  I'm a 45 y/o female.  In Dec 07 I had central loss of vision in left eye with white sparkly aura, no headache, and since that first one my distant vision (past 2 feet) is very blurry.  The eye doc said it couldn't be silent migraine, because the vision is only effected during the 20 minutes or so that you have the aura.  I've had 7 episodes since Dec that lasted 20 minutes or so each.  The distance vision in my left eye never came back.I have never had a problem with distant vision, reading glasses only.  It feels like I have suntan lotion in my eye and I can't clear it.  I had pain in that eye when this all started and it was red too.  My neuro ordered a brain and orbits MRI with and without gadolinium and it showed something on the optic chiasm (possible the beginning of Optic Neuritis).   The brain Mri also showed 3 lesions in white matter (right frontal lobe, right frontal horn, right atrium) possible ms.  I thought I was just getting old.  Now I was told I have left foot drop.  I feel weakness, pain and pins and needles in left arm and leg.  Everything seems to be wrong on the left.  I'm having repeat MRIs with new T-3 machine on my brain, orbits and cervical spine with and without contrast.  I requested the new MRIs because the ophthalmologist said the images weren't that good on the orbits mri that I had with T-1 &T-2 machine.  I've been reading a lot on here and I have a lot of stuff going on:  Left Calf leg cramps in the night, ringing in my Left ear (Loud), weakness in my left foot, arm, leg and alot of pain and fatigue. As a side note, I was hospitalized 4 years ago with really bad Epstein Barr Virus that has come back a few times since (maybe that was ms all along?  I guess my question is, have you ever heard of optic neuritis in the optic chiasm (not the optic nerve that they can see when they dialate your eyes) and do you all think this sounds like ms?  This has all come about since December and now, thinking back, I have had these symptoms come and go for years, I always thought it was a pinched nerve, I worked too hard, old age, etc.  But now that I can't really see that well at all out of my left eye, I'm worried.  Please let me know what you think.  I don't see the Neuro for a couple of weeks.  Thanks for your help.

[Momzilla]

Hi, Cowgirl!  I'm so glad you found us, and I want to welcome you to the forum.  There are so many here that will be able to help you through the questions and concerns you have.  

I'm sorry you are in the position to be needing us, however.  Wow!  What a lot you have going on!  The loss of vision must be frightening.  I'm afraid I haven't heard of the eye lesion you are speaking of.  Quix, our resident expert, is on today, and she'll probably beat me to the punch.  I bet she knows, or will quickly find out.  Although to me, it does sound so much like optic neuritis.

Your other symptoms and signs do sound so much like you need to press your doctor for a diagnosis, Cowgirl.  They are not caused by pinched nerves or aging.  (You're not that OLD!!!)  I am glad you will see him soon.  I hope you stick around here, and let us know how you are doing.  We can help you through this difficult time.  

Lots of hugs,

Momzilla*

[Cowgirl37]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome.  I actually feel like I'm in the right place for once.  I can't wait for Quix to get on the case, from what I'm reading, she's figure it out.      

Do you have ms?  How long did it take for them to diagnose you?  Or are you still wondering?

Thanks

[Momzilla]

Hi, Cowgirl~

I'm bumping you up, so you can see.

I hope Quix sees this, too.  She's awesome, and will no doubt add her thoughts at some point.

No, I'm afraid I'm still wondering, but have a wonderful doctor (my 6th, I'm embarrassed to say!).  One doctor referred me to a psychiatrist who in turn sent me for further neuro testing, thinking I had MS.

Time will tell.  Your case is much more clear cut in my humble opinion.  Hang in there, Cowgirl, and feel well in the meantime.

Zilla*

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Welcome to the forum.  You have a lot going on and I will comment on it later.  But I will answer your question about the optic chiasm.  The two optic nerves to back towards the brain a ways and then they join and become one nerve in what is known as the optic chiasm.  Then they split again and go back to the brain.  Optic Neuitis can occur any where along these nerves before, on, or after the chiasm.

Heres an illustration of what I'm saying.  When the damage is at the chiasm or behind it, the ophthalmologist cant see evidence of it on physical exam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optic_nerve

Be back later.  Quix

[Cowgirl37]

Hi,
Momzilla taught me how to bump myself (or anyone else) up yesterday.  I'm not trying to jump the line, but I am curious if anyone has ever known anyone who had Optic Neuritis that showed up in the Optic Chiasm on their MRI, instead of the Optic Nerve area that the Doctor can see on exam.  

I know Quix will get back to me about this and my other symptoms,as soon as she has a chance, but I'm just putting this out there again.  Yesterday she sent me to a link about the optic nerve and that helped a lot.  I have my MRI on a disk and I can see the lesion on the right margin of the optic chiasm.  They pointed it out on the images.  It's driving me nuts because I don't know if it could be a tumor or something else.  Feel free to chime in :)

Thanks
Cowgirl37

[Quixotic1]

The optic chiasm is still the optic nerve, it's just the combined nerves.  It's still ON.  It's not unusual - or really any different.  Q

[Cowgirl37]

Ok, thank you.  I have only read about people referring to ON you can see when you look in the eyeball.  That's why when I saw the 2 ophthalmologists, they looked in my eye and they said it seems fine.  Then this came up on the MRI.  I'll just have to wait for the new one.

Be well,

Cowgirl

[Jenn0030]

When I first developed ON about 6 months ago my optic nerves both looked fine.  (I have bilateral ON, left worse than right) The only obvious external symptom that the doctor could tell by looking at my eyes was an afferent pupillary defect, meaning that my pupils don't react to light the way that they are supposed to.
Retrobulbar ON is that portion of the optic nerve that can't been seen during the eye exam. That is how mine started.

[Cowgirl37]

To: Jenn0030

I'm sorry to hear that you have this too.  I'm having another MRI tomorrow, so we'll see (no pun intended!).  Did you end up with any other symptoms of MS and were you diagnosed?  I think it might be effecting my right eye too, but on the close up vision.  Can that be possible?  The neuro didn't mention my pupil reaction, but he sure is all over me about getting to the bottom of this.  It's scary.  Did you do the IV steroids?  Did it help?