Gaze-evoked amaurosis: a report of five cases

Abstract

Objective: To highlight the various causes of gaze-evoked amaurosis.

Design: Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series.

Participants: Five patients treated at our facility over the past 6 years.

Methods: Clinical presentation, radiologic studies, surgical management, and postsurgical results are presented.

Main outcome measures: Visual acuity, clinical findings of gaze-evoked amaurosis.

Results: Only two patients had classic intraorbital etiologies, one with an intraconal cavernous hemangioma and one with an intraconal foreign body. Three patients had extraorbital processes, two with orbital fractures and one with a sinus tumor. Only two of our patients initially were aware of the gaze-evoked amaurosis at presentation. Appropriate surgery was curative in all cases.

Conclusions: Gaze-evoked amaurosis is a rare condition, classically implicating intraconal orbital pathology. In one of the largest case series published to date, we found extraorbital etiologies are also capable of producing gaze-evoked vision loss. Gaze-evoked amaurosis should be suspected and tested for in any orbital condition.