Guest guest Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Does anyone know what a staphyloma is and/or how it affects vision? Colleen Feather Ardsley, PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Colleen, A staphyloma is an irregular out-pouching of the back of the eye. The eyeball is supposed to be uniformly round on the outside and inside--this is important in order to get a good image on the back of the eye so we can see well. The outer-most layer of the eye is made of collagen protein and the purpose is to protect the eyeball and provide shape. This layer is the white part of the eye (the sclera). If the sclera has a thin area, then the internal pressure of the eye will push on that spot and cause a protrusion--that is what a staphyloma is. Most people who have staphylomas are pretty near-sighted (can't see distance well), but in most cases can be corrected to normal vision with glasses or preferable contacts (especially if the staphyloma is only on one side and there is a big difference between the two eyes in the prescription). This is because the staphyloma effectively makes the eyeball longer, and the longer the eye the more near-sighted a person is. I had a patient in optometry school with a staphyloma who was a -14.00 Diopters (that's pretty high--the farthest he could hold something in front of his face and have it still be clear was 7 cm or about 3 inches)--to give you a comparison, the big E on a standard eye chart blurs out for most people after about -4.00 or -5.00 D. There can be more serious complications--because all the layers of the eye are being stretched. There is an increased risk of blood vessels from behind the retina growing through the retina (called choroidal neovascularization). This happens because the outer-most layer of the retina that normally prevents these vessels from growing through, stretches to the point that breaks develop. Any change in vision should be investigated by the eye doctor with a dilated examination, particularly if they are sudden or accomanied by distortion. There is also an increased risk of retinal detachment, because again retinal layers are being stretched and are thinner. Symptoms of a detachment are flashing lights, sudden development or sudden increase in the number of floaters, or a " dark curtain " in the peripheral vision. I hope this helps rather than confuses you more. I tried to google a good patient-explanation or diagram...but there weren't any good ones. (mom to Evan, 18 months, and an optometrist) CHRGmom@... wrote: Does anyone know what a staphyloma is and/or how it affects vision? Colleen Feather Ardsley, PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Hi , Thank you for such a great explanation! I, too, tried to google it and came up with very little and very technical. Since posting the question, I was able to contact 's doctor. He told it what the MRI was probably showing was 's coloboma. I wonder if this was where the out-pouching is occuring. We have a visit scheduled with her Ophtho soon so I will bring the MRI results with me. BUt he was very reassuring that he knows about it and we are following it. Thanks again for such a clear answer!! Colleen Feather mom to , 9 > Does anyone know what a staphyloma is and/or how it affects vision? > > Colleen Feather > Ardsley, PA > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Colleen, Since the coloboma is basically an area where the eyeball didn't come together all the way when it was forming, the sclera probably is thinner there (and the other layers are missing too). The coloboma is probably what's showing up on the MRI. Sometimes scans will give wierd results that never can be correllated clinically--I once had a patient at a VA hospital that had two bright spots show up on a CT scan in his optic nerves. It was tempting to assume these were drusen (bilateral, calcified deposits within the nerve that are highly reflective on CT scans or Ultra-sound)--but his nerves looked totally normal! We never did figure out what caused them. Glad I could be of some help, and I hope Miss does not have any new eye diagnosis--she has enough for anyone! chrgemom10497 wrote: Hi , Thank you for such a great explanation! I, too, tried to google it and came up with very little and very technical. Since posting the question, I was able to contact 's doctor. He told it what the MRI was probably showing was 's coloboma. I wonder if this was where the out-pouching is occuring. We have a visit scheduled with her Ophtho soon so I will bring the MRI results with me. BUt he was very reassuring that he knows about it and we are following it. Thanks again for such a clear answer!! Colleen Feather mom to , 9 > Does anyone know what a staphyloma is and/or how it affects vision? > > Colleen Feather > Ardsley, PA > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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