Field Vision Test/Spot on Optic nerve

[buggy1206]

Hello,
I'm a 28 year old female with a completely negative health history other than bad nearsightedness. I have never had any other health issues or diagnoses and have never been placed on meds for anything. I don't have high blood pressure or glaucoma or diabetes or anything that would put me at risk for optic nerve issues. I'm fit and I eat right and exercise and am at a healthy weight. I'm also a registered nurse.
I had my annual eye exam last Thursday. It had been a couple years since I had it. The optometrist dilated my eyes and looked into them and initially said everything looked great. Then she asked if I had ever been told I have a "strange shaped" right optic nerve. I said no. She then asked if I'd ever had a traumatic injury to my right eye and I said no. She took me to another room and took pictures of my right eye and showed me a "spot" on the optic nerve. She said she'd never seen anything like it before and said I could have had an injury I was unaware of or I could have just been born with a weird looking optic nerve. Then she casually mentioned it could, in rare cases, be a tumor. Then she continued on talking like she hadn't scared the pants off of me. She cheerily sent me on my way to the front desk to make an appt for Monday for a field vision test. She said based on those results she'd refer me to an opthamologist or not. Naturally, I'm terrified and have been freaking out all weekend about this. Like I said, I'm a nurse and I'm a level headed, reasonable person but when she said "tumor" I freaked out. This led to Google searches which was an absolutely terrible idea. I'm just trying to hang in here until my appt tomorrow to get further info. Has anyone ever had to take a field vision test? Has anyone ever had issues with their optic nerves? I'm trying to stay calm but this is truly freaking me out quite badly.

[KeeKee]

I've had the field vision test due to flickering vision. It's pretty simple really (or the one i had was). You basically look into this thing and you have to keep your eyes straight ahead and press this clicky thing everytime you see a tiny dot.

I can understand why you're worried but chances are it's something you've had for a very long time.

[buggy1206]

Thanks very much for your kind words. It helps just talking about it somehow. My mind has been running away with the worst possible scenarios and I'm just ready to get tomorrow over with and leave with hopefully good news. I'm nervous about the field vision test but ready to have to behind me.

[Gary A]

Opticians can't see the optic nerve during an exam, what they can see is the optic disc. I disagree that this could be a sign of a tumour, as a tumour would change the appearance of both optic discs, not one.

Optic disc issues can be caused by a condition called pappilledema, where the optic discs swell due to increased intracranial pressure. This can be caused by a tumour, but as I said, it affects both optic discs.

[buggy1206]

Gary, thanks for the reply. She did visualize the optic nerve though when she used a different machine that takes photos of the fundus. She then showed me the picture of the right abnormal optic nerve to compare it with the nerve of my left eye, which she said was completely normal. I left feeling pretty confused by the whole exam in retrospect but hopefully I'll get more answers tomorrow after the field vision test

[Aimee1875]

Hi there,just thought I'd let you know that I went for an eye exam in February to be told that my optic nerve was swollen in one eye. I got referred to the eye hospital and they done a bunch of tests including field vision which is really easy and quick btw so don't worry about it! They said that it wasn't even swollen and just a different shape. I won't say try not to worry because I've been there and was sick with worry but high chances it's something you've been born with as I was told mine looked similar 2 years ago so I'm likely born with it. Take care

[Gary A]

Gary, thanks for the reply. She did visualize the optic nerve though when she used a different machine that takes photos of the fundus. She then showed me the picture of the right abnormal optic nerve to compare it with the nerve of my left eye, which she said was completely normal. I left feeling pretty confused by the whole exam in retrospect but hopefully I'll get more answers tomorrow after the field vision test

Strictly speaking, the optic disc is the entrance to the optic nerve, yes, but the optic nerve itself is never seen upon examination by an optician. As I said, unilateral optic disc conditions are not associated with tumours caused by an increase in intracranial pressure.