Bitemporal hemianopia

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief:Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]

Synonyms and keywords: Bitemporal hemianopsia

Overview

Bitemporal hemianopia is a specific type of visual disturbance in which sight in the outer half of the visual field of each eye is lost. As a result, the patient retains central vision but loses sight at the edges of his or her vision. This is not always obvious to a patient because one tends to focus conscious attention more on objects in the center of the visual field.

Hemianopia signifies a loss of half of the visual field, and bitemporal denotes the two lateral, or temporal, sides of the head. By contrast, homonymous hemianopia signifies that the same half of each visual field is lost, ie all vision on the left, or on the right, of the midline. Such a pattern of visual loss is caused by damage to the more distal part of the optic radiation, most commonly by a stroke.

Etymology

"Bitemporal hemianopia" can be broken down as follows:

• bi-: involves both left and right visual fields
• temporal: involves the temporal visual field
• hemi-: involves half of each visual field
• anopsia: blindness (formed by a(n) ^no + opsis ^vision + ia)

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms |Physical Examination |Laboratory tests |Electrocardiogram | Chest X Ray | CT | MRI | Echocardiography or Ultrasound | Other imaging studies | Alternative diagnostics

Treatment

Medical therapy | Surgical therapy

Related Chapters

• Binasal hemianopsia
• Homonymous hemianopsia