Intracranial lesions leading to impaired vision and blindness in Aba, South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To enhance the knowledge of visual symptoms in patients with intracranial space occupying lesions.
Design: A case series study.
Setting: Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, South- East Nigeria.
Subjects: Patients who presented for the first time to the ophthalmic unit of the hospital with features suggestive of intracranial space occupying lesions from June 2017 to May 2018. Ophthalmic assessment and cross-sectional radiological investigations were carried out.
Results: A total of 14 patients with clinical suspicion of intracranial space occupying lesions were seen in the study period. Only 8 were selected for the study as others could not meet up with the required investigations due to financial constraints. The patients’ age ranged from 10 to 54 years. Varied radiological diagnosis were made: bilateral chronic subdural hematoma, pituitary macroadenoma, lipoma of the corpus callosum, cerebral and cerebellar ischemic infarction, craniopharyngioma, cerebral glioma, middle cerebral artery aneurysm and neurodegenerative disease.
Conclusion: Various intracranial lesions present with eye features. There is need for high index of suspicion so that these are promptly diagnosed.