photopsia

Key facts

Medical condition.name

Photopsia

Medical condition.image

Migraine aura.jpg

Medical condition.caption

This is an approximation of the zig-zag visual of a scintillating scotoma as a migraine aura. It moves and vibrates, expanding and slowly fading away over the course of about 20 minutes.

Medical condition.specialty

Ophthalmology, Neurology

Medical condition.symptoms

Flickering lights or flashes in the field of vision, along with pain, loss of colour perception, and eventual vision loss are also part of the damage to the optic nerve during optic neuritis

Medical condition.onset

During pregnancy

Medical condition.duration

Migraine with aura, which includes photopsia 39% of the time, typically lasts 10 to 20 minutes and often is followed by a headache.

Medical condition.causes

Peripheral (Posterior) vitreous detachment, retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration, ocular (retinal) migraine / migraine aura, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, optic neuritis, occipital lobe infarction (similar to occipital stroke), sensory deprivation (ophthalmopathic hallucinations)

Medical condition.risks

Above age 50 (risk of retinal detachment)