WBR0586

Revision as of 15:39, 6 October 2013 by Rim Halaby (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
Author [[PageAuthor::Rim Halaby, M.D. [1]]]
Exam Type ExamType::USMLE Step 1
Main Category MainCategory::Pathophysiology
Sub Category SubCategory::Head and Neck, SubCategory::Neurology
Prompt [[Prompt::A 45 year old woman with past medical history significant for resected breast cancer presents to the emergency department after suffering a tonic-clonic seizure lasting 3 minutes. She explains that she was walking her dog and then found herself on the ground with several people surrounding her, not knowing what had happened. The patient explains that she had been recovering well after her last chemotherapy cycle, and had no complaints except an annoying area of visual field disturbance she noticed recently. On physical exam, you notice the pattern of visual loss shown below. You order a brain MRI that shows a intracranial lesion with high suspicion for metastasis. Where is the most likely location of the lesion given the patient's symptoms?


]]

Answer A AnswerA::
Answer A Explanation [[AnswerAExp::Homonymous hemianopia involves loss of vision on one side. It usually occurs due to a lesion to the optic tracts or a PCA stroke although the latter usually has associated macular sparing. This lesion is not seen in patients with carotid artery aneurysms.]]
Answer B [[AnswerB::]]
Answer B Explanation [[AnswerBExp::Right upper quadrantopia is characterized by loss of vision in the right upper quadrant of the visual field. It usually occurs with left temporal lesions due to the interruption of the left Meyer's loop. This pattern is unusual with carotid artery aneurysms.]]
Answer C [[AnswerC::]]
Answer C Explanation [[AnswerCExp::Left nasal hemianopia usually occurs with lesions of the internal carotid artery (internal carotid thrombosis or anyrysms) at the origin of the ophthalmic artery. The lesion is usually located laterally to the optic chiasm interrupting part of the optic nerve as it becomes the optic tract. Our patient would best fit this pattern of visual field loss.]]
Answer D [[AnswerD::]]
Answer D Explanation AnswerDExp::This lesion portrays bitemporal hemianopia usually seen in large prolactinomas that compress the optic chiasm. It is unusual in cases with internal carotid artery lesions.
Answer E [[AnswerE::]]
Answer E Explanation AnswerEExp::Right lower quadrantopia is characterized by loss of vision in the right lower quadrant of the visual field. It usually occurs with left parietal lesions due to the interruption of the left dorsal optic radiations.
Right Answer RightAnswer::C
Explanation [[Explanation::


Superior quadrantanopia is characterized by loss of vision in the upper quadrant of the visual field. It usually occurs with contralateral temporal lesions due to the interruption of the left Meyer's loop. Although classically associated with the temporal lobe, it can also occur with certain lesions to the contralateral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and certain localized lesions to the contralateral visual cortex. Superior quadrantanopia is commonly seen in patients with direct temporal lobe trauma, temporal lobe tumors commonly metastatic, or MCA infarcts.


Educational objective: Superior quadrantanopia is characteristic of temporal lesions due to the interruption of the Meyer's loop.


References: Jacobson DM. The localizing value of a quadrantanopia. Arch Neurol. 1997;54(4):401-4.
Educational Objective:
References: ]]

Approved Approved::No
Keyword WBRKeyword::Upper quadrantopia, WBRKeyword::Temporal lesions, WBRKeyword::Visual field defects
Linked Question Linked::
Order in Linked Questions LinkedOrder::