Problem with left eye?

I am crossposting this to sci.astro.amateur because folks here tend to take
good care of their eyes and because I am also an amateur astronomer.
Since two years ago I developed a strange problem with my left eye:

http://misc.virtualcomposer2000.com/VisionProblem.gif

The left panel shows how my left eye perceives the right panel, when I look at
the red dot. My right eye perceives it as it is on the right.

I did some extensive search on this problem a year ago, and it seems to be
related to what's called "central idiopathic retinopathy", coming with old age
(I am 42) and often accompanying stress. It was suggested to me to have a
fluoroangiogram performed, so I just had one.

The problem is, from the three exams I had while I had this problem, no eye
doctor finds anything wrong with my eye. The fluoroangiogram finds no retinal
leaks and no abnormalities of the retina.

Does anyone know more about this problem and what causes it? Is it reversible?
What scares me is that it seems to be progressing, but so far the 3 eye exams
I had turned nothing useful on it. I learned more about it on my own than from
the eye doctors.

Thanks much in advance,
--
I.N. Galidakis
http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/

Ioannis wrote (of "central idiopathic retinopathy"):
> Does anyone know more about this problem and what causes it? Is it
> reversible? What scares me is that it seems to be progressing, but so
> far the 3 eye exams I had turned nothing useful on it. I learned more
> about it on my own than from the eye doctors.

I'm afraid that's probably because there's not much to know about it.
The name is very impressive sounding, but I think "central" means that
it's not peripheral, "idiopathic" simply means that it doesn't arise as
a result of some other disease (such as diabetes), and "retinopathy"
just means there's something wrong with your retina. Often, the term
"idiopathic" is used if no one knows *what* the heck causes it. Maybe
the sci.med.vision folks can elaborate.

IANAD. That should be obvious.

--
Brian Tung <(E-Mail Removed)>
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.html

Ioannis wrote:
> I am crossposting this to sci.astro.amateur because folks here tend to take
> good care of their eyes and because I am also an amateur astronomer.
> Since two years ago I developed a strange problem with my left eye:
>
> http://misc.virtualcomposer2000.com/VisionProblem.gif
>
> The left panel shows how my left eye perceives the right panel, when I look at
> the red dot. My right eye perceives it as it is on the right.
>
> I did some extensive search on this problem a year ago, and it seems to be
> related to what's called "central idiopathic retinopathy", coming with old age
> (I am 42) and often accompanying stress. It was suggested to me to have a
> fluoroangiogram performed, so I just had one.
>
> The problem is, from the three exams I had while I had this problem, no eye
> doctor finds anything wrong with my eye. The fluoroangiogram finds no retinal
> leaks and no abnormalities of the retina.
>
> Does anyone know more about this problem and what causes it? Is it reversible?
> What scares me is that it seems to be progressing, but so far the 3 eye exams
> I had turned nothing useful on it. I learned more about it on my own than from
> the eye doctors.


This type of distortion may be caused by the formation of drusen
under the photoreceptors. That would cause the shift in the straight
line. If there is no bleeding (or leaks), the FA would look "normal".
Drusen might be seen in a fundus photograph of the retina.

Good luck.

Don W.

Also wondering if you have had an OCT test?

Don W.

"Don W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
[snip]

> This type of distortion may be caused by the formation of drusen
> under the photoreceptors. That would cause the shift in the straight
> line. If there is no bleeding (or leaks), the FA would look "normal".
> Drusen might be seen in a fundus photograph of the retina.

I assume that by "fundus photograph" you mean photos such as these:
http://tinyurl.com/25lhdm

The Fluoroangiogram includes two color 4 inch such photographs, one for each
eye, in addition to the black and white ones showing fluorescence. The
eye-surgeon reported nothing wrong with either one of them, so no sign of
drusen or retinal leaks.

> Good luck.
>
> Don W.
--
I.N. Galidakis
http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/

> I assume that by "fundus photograph" you mean photos such as these:
> http://tinyurl.com/25lhdm
>
> The Fluoroangiogram includes two color 4 inch such photographs, one for each
> eye, in addition to the black and white ones showing fluorescence. The
> eye-surgeon reported nothing wrong with either one of them, so no sign of
> drusen or retinal leaks.


The OCT test??

Also just wondering, the graph that you show is roughly (like very
roughly) an Amsler grid test. I am not sure how your sampling of the
deviation was made. That is, the subtended angle. If you increase the
number of lines per inch you should get some handle as to the position
and the extent of this "bend(s)". Probably worth a try.

Don W.

"Don W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
[snip]

> The OCT test??

I didn't know what "OCT" was, so I did a Google search:
http://tinyurl.com/yw3km2

The eye-surgeon's folder which contains the photos from the fluoroangiogram,
also includes two photos like those shown on photos 1, 11 and 12 on the Google
search page. This was a separate test done after the FA. The eye-surgeon saw
these and his diagnosis is that there's nothing wrong.

> Also just wondering, the graph that you show is roughly (like very
> roughly) an Amsler grid test.

Exactly.

> I am not sure how your sampling of the
> deviation was made. That is, the subtended angle. If you increase the
> number of lines per inch you should get some handle as to the position
> and the extent of this "bend(s)". Probably worth a try.

On a "real" Amsler grid test, the situation reveals itself as worse. I
perceive aberrations on both the ttwo immediate left lines from center and a
small aberration on the two horizontal lines above and below the distorted
vertical lines. The aberration resembles having aa small convex lens above the
grid on the Amsler grid test, slightly left of the optical center. The
aberration is therefore spherical, which supports the fact that the
photoreceptors are condensed in a spherical manner, probably from fluid below
the retina.

One of the older eye-surgeons that examined me, inferred that I was lucky in
that the idiopathic retinopathy probably occured once, two years ago, left a
scar on the retina and then went away, without additional leaks.

Whatever this scar is, is probably so small that it shows neither on the FA or
on the OCT test.

Thanks to all for the replies.

> Don W.
--
I.N. Galidakis
http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/