Can MS cause double vision?
 

My doctors are very puzzled with my symptoms. A month ago I did have an MRI on my left eye which is the one with double vision. Radiologist noted that I have "pseudotumor" however my symptoms do not add up to that. So neurologist is going back to MS. My brain MRI's are nornmal. Does this make sense?

To answer your question, yes.

Here's a link to the NMSS site with a list of symptoms. This may help explain the double vision question for you.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...oms/index.aspx

Hello Patch and as I see you're fairly new, I wanted to welcome you to NeuroTalk.

Av8rgirl has given you an excellent reference to visual symptoms of MS (along with lots of other things), and hopefully you'll get some good information from that link. It's good to know that Diplopia (as it's called) usually resolves without treatment, but some doctors like to give a short course of steroids to the hurry the resolution up a bit.

I know it must be frustrating for you not having a definite diagnosis even though your neurologist is thinking you could have a neurological condition, but you may not be aware that approximately 5% of people with MS have "normal" MRIs.

I guess you already know that MS is diagnosed on a heap on investigations and past medical history is big part of the equation. MRIs are only one part of the process, so try not to put too much emphasis on just one investigation.

Anyway, welcome to the site. I hope you get some answers soon.

To answer the question based on my own personal experience.

Yep! It can cause diplopia.

I developed optic neuritis in my left eye in August of 2006. It obscured about 2/3rds of my vision. The giant blind spots had backed off within about 3 months. But my vision was extremely dim for over a year.

I got diagnosed with MS in January of 2007. I didnt think my eye would ever improve. In June of 2007 I had a second opinion done at the local MS Clinic.

It was during that exam that I noticed that I had double vision in my right eye when I look to the right while keeping my head facing straight forward.

The diplopia is finally starting to improve a little bit. Where I'd get two distinct images while looking to the right, now I get two images that are not exactly doubled all the time.

It hasnt exactly bothered me much. Since I only see it if I look to the right. I think my body adapted to the double vision by turning my head a little bit more when looking to the right, rather than just moving my eyes.

I'm hoping it continues to improve. I think it will. My left eye is almost back to what it was before things went all wonky on me. It's been just in the last few weeks that I've noticed that when I look thru my left eye by itself, that I feel like I'm seeing almost everything and am not "missing" information coming thru the eye into my brain.

I've had at least three or four separate incidents of optic neuritis since 2006. One, might have been actually a pseudo-exacerbation when I had the flu last fall, but my eye doctor has told me that he thinks that I've had ON at least two or three times in my right eye...which, strangely enough didnt develop dyschromatopsia (loss of color vision) like my left eye did.

My left eye had the worst case of ON. It was my worst and pretty much my first big exacerbation to date too. (I had some dysthesia in my right thigh and leg for about 4 or 5 months before the ON hit...but had been told that was a pinched nerve)

Thank you so much for the info, but I have some questions. What is ON? Also with my situation they at first thought it was myasthenia gravis. I was having double vision where my vision would split into two. Then it was a little over a month ago that I noticed when I look to the left I would see two images but when I look to the right I would see normal. When looking to the left and then looking straight forward I would continue seeing two images and my family had said that my left eye turns towards my nose. Now when I walk and looking down it's double.
I have to wear a patch to do things around the house and driving well let's say I do that if I have to because it's very hard. I was on steroids but it did not work at all. So now I have another MRI set next weekend to compare my eye from a month ago till now. I went to Shands Hospital yesterday in Gainsville, Fl and the new doctor wants to run a test where they put wires on my head and I stare at a computer and record my eye movement. He said that it can also help on maybe seeing if I have MS. He also talked about a lumbar punture.

Thanks again

What kind of steroids did they give you?

Optic Neuritis is basically, inflammation of the optic nerve.

Optic means "pertaining to the eye".

Neuritis means "inflammation of nerves".

(I love it when I can use what I learned in my Medical Terminology classes)

It's commonly the presenting symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. But, it can be a "clinically isolated event" too. (meaning it might not have anything to do with MS)

Have you had any problems with your color vision in that eye since this started? Does the color red look like it's got gray in it?

Did they see anything on your last MRI? (optic neuritis can usually be seen on MRI, but sometimes it's not. They couldnt see it on my brain MRI, but it was pretty obvious that I had it)

No I had no problems since this all started in December of 2007. Does the color red look like it's got gray in it?

Radiology reports reads:
There is abnormal enhancement on the left side surrounding the optic nerve intraconal location. The optic globe appears symmmetric bilaterally. The ocular muscles are symmetric bilaterally. Minimal degree of enhancement partially involves the left optic nerve;however, most of it appears to be intraconalin location. The brain itself appears intact. The diffusion potionand FLAIR sequences are intact. Findings are mostly consistent with a pseudotumor.

Hopefully if you have a pseudo tumor like the MRI suggests, that you'll be able to successfully treat it without having to resort to surgery and without too much damage to your vision.

If they do an LP, they're probably doing it to rule out MS or a pseudo tumor. Both MS and pseudo tumor are diagnosis' of exclusion...which means they have to exclude all the other diseases that can cause the symptoms before they can decide on the proper diagnosis.

Hopefully it's something benign that will go away on it's own without harming you.

Thank you for all the great information. I do have another question. Are you on medication and how are you able to function and living a "normal" life?

Thank you so much for the link. I went and printed out allot of information that helps me understand all of my symptoms.