Non-KC Eye Enquiry

[Barbara Davis]

I hope this is the right place for this, but I'd be grateful for any thoughts.

My brother is 59 and until now has had no serious eye problems. A month ago he suddenly noticed the pupil of one eye was permanently enlarged, and started getting headaches. The doctors seemed unsure of the cause, but provisionally diagnosed acute glaucoma. Eyedrops and tablets seemed to resolve the problem so last week he had laser treatment, drilling holes in the eye which, he was told, should deal with the glaucoma. This apparently went well, but did not resolve the original problem. As soon as he stopped the eyedrops, the frozen, enlarged pupil returned.

What I've been able to discover suggests that some sort of injury or trauma to the brain or the eye is the probable cause - anything from a localised eye injury (he's not aware of one) to a minor stroke (he has no other stroke sysmptoms) to a brain tumour (again, he has no other symptoms). Clearly doctors are thinking along the same lines as he has a MRI scan booked for tomorrow, another appointment at the eye clinic on Friday and an appointment with a general medical consultant on 6 May. (I do know drugs are another possible cause of dilated pupils but in his case only one eye is affected which seems to rule that out - besides, he hasn't taken any, legal or otherwise.)

So two questions really:
1) does anyone have any further ideas as to causes and whether there's anything else helpful he might do?
2) does anyone know anything about Warwick Hospital and its eye clinic, where he's being treated?

Many thanks for your time,
Barbara

[Andrew MacLean]

Barbara

Your brother seems to have taken the right action, and is going through the series of tests that will, no doubt, produce a clear diagnosis of his condition and set out the appropriate therapeutic interventions.

It is both an advantage and a problem that, in our time, we can all "google" the symptom 'dilated pupils' and find dozens of websites that are sure to scare the living daylights out of us. Only use these sites if you are not going to be unduly upset by what you might find.

One advantage of reading scary stuff is that your brother can equip himself with intelligent questions to raise with the ophthalmologist when he attends the clinic. The disadvantage is that he may worry himself unnecessarily and create more problems than he solves.

All the best

Andrew

[Barbara Davis]

Good points, Andrew, but one can be every bit as frightened by what one does not know as by what one does. As you say, fact finding can be an advantage in that one has a better idea of what to ask the experts, and that's what we are trying to do.

I agree that for some people "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing" but my family are pretty calm and sensible. The nearest we've got so far to hysteria is "Fingers Crossed".

Thanks for your reply.

Barbara

[Andrew MacLean]

All the best Barbara.

Andrew

[Andrew MacLean]

Barbara

How is this working out? Are you any further forward?

You are in our thoughts.

Andrew

[Barbara Davis]

Thank you for your concern, Andrew.

We've had quite a worrying month, but it does now seem to be resolved satisfactorily. My brother's brain scan was fine. It seems, however, that the glaucoma damaged the nerve in his "bad" eye sufficiently for it not to be able to control the fluid pressure properly, even with the laser-drilled holes. He will need eyedrops for the rest of his life, and it has taken some time to find the right combination to maintain the pressure at the right level. A couple of days ago I heard that the clinic now seems to have found the right prescription, and they have also established that his vision hasn't been seriously damaged. The vision in that eye is cloudy at present, but that should clear in time.

To sum up: we are all only too grateful things aren't much, much worse - they easily could have been.

Barbara

[Andrew MacLean]

What a relief! Everybody here knows exactly how worrying eye trouble can be; at least this episode seems to have found a positive resolution.

All the best

Andrew