Amaurosis fugax is a condition in which a person cannot see out of one or both eyes due to a lack of blood flow to the eye.

 It is a symptom of an underlying problem, such as a blood clot or insufficient blood flow to the blood vessels that supply the eye. Other names for amaurosis fugax include transient monocular blindness, transient monocular visual loss, or temporary visual loss.

CLINICAL FEATURES

 Sudden onset of painless monocular blindness, vision may suddenly appear to cloud over. This is typically a temporary effect that can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Some people have described the occurrence of amaurosis fugax as feeling as if someone has pulled a shade over their eye.

CAUSES

Most common cause of the condition is plaque or a blood clot in the same carotid artery where a person experiences the blindness.

• brain tumor
• head injury
• history of multiple sclerosis
• history of systemic lupus erythematosus
• migraine headaches
• optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve
• polyarteritis nodosa, a disease that affects the blood vessels

DIAGNOSIS

Basic : CBC,differential count, ESR, PT, PTT, FBS, lipid profile, RPR, electrolytes; consider also SPEP, fibrinogen, proteins C & S, ANA, antiphospholipid antibody, antithrombin III, factor V Leiden

• Chestx-ray
• Cranial MRI; cranial & cervical MRA
• carotid duplex ultrasonography may reveal localized disease
• Cardiac studies : ECG, echo

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT:

Aconite: Sudden and complete blindness, with anguish bitter complaints and reproaches; fear of death; total blindness after catching cold: vision as if through a veil, difficult to distinguish faces, with anxiety and vertigo; optical illusions in dark colors or black.

 Agaricus : Feeling of weakness in eyes without having exerted them; indistinct sight; focal distance changes while reading, first grow shorter, then longer, types seems to move, things look obscure as from turbid water; muscae volitantes; vibrating spectra; nystagmus; if she grasped at any object held before her, the hand did not generally come near it; diplopia from over work at the desk; frequent twitching in eyeball while reading.

 Ammoniacum : Dimness and obstruction of sight in the evening, amounting almost to blindness; amblyopia after a blow.

 Anacardium : Flickering before the eyes during the day, blind at night; indistinct vision; blackness before eyes, with vertigo.

 Antimonium-tart: Vertigo with flickering before eyes; amblyopia after strong emotion; eyes feel tired, as if the lids would close; dim swimming eyes.

 Argentum-met: Amaurosis of left eye, contracted pupil, insensible to light.

 Argentum-nit: Sight vanishes while reading or writing; at twilight feels as if he would become blind; fiery bodies flash before his eyes; pupils insensible to light; complete but transitory blindness; yellowish complexion; taciturn and apathetic.

 Asafoetida  : Mist before eyes; boring pain above the eyebrow; burning pain in eyeballs; of syphilitic orign.

 Aurum-met : Hemiopia, black spots floating before eyes; tension in eyes, sees things double or mixed up, (<) from straining eyes; strong pressure from within outward and from above downward in both eyeballs; accompanied by heavy, dull aching deep in both globes; sudden amaurosis after scarlatina and during childbed (Aurum mur.).

 Baryta-carb : Amblyopia of old people; weakness of eyes, especially in the evening by candlelight; during the day a cloud before the eyes; after a meal, sensation as of a gauze before eyes.

 Belladonna  : Amaurosis, with much vertigo, pressing pain and feeling of fullness in eyeballs; black spots before eyes; apoplexy of retina; half open, protruding, starting eyes; pupils contracted or dilated; from a cold, from stoppage of menses, from suppression of exanthemata; flashes of light before eyes; flickering before eyes diplopia and triplopia; optic neuritis, veins large; flashes of light before eyes and pains in head.

 Bovista : Blindness of right eye from paralysis of the optic nerve; weak eyes, without lustre or snap; sensation as of a veil before eyes in morning; all her visual perception is distorted.

 Cactus-grand: Weakness of sight appearing periodically; hyperaemia of fundus, sight blurred, cannot see at distance.

Calcarea-carb : Mistiness of sight, gauze before the eyes, especially when reading, or after eating, with black motes before the eyes, EXTREME PHOTOPHOBIA, with dazzling of the eyes by light; DILATED PUPILS; pressure or feeling of coldness in the eyes. Affections of onanists or drunkards.

 Capsicum  : Pupils dilated eyes protruding; aching in eyes as from a foreign body; red, burning and inflamed eyes; red face; objects appear black, dim vision; anguish, capriciousness, homesickness.

Carbo-veg : Weak eyes from overwork or fine work; eyes dull, lustreless, pupils do not react to light; black floating spots before eyes; heavy weight seems to rest upon eyes; must make exertion to distinguish letters when reading.

Causticum  : For sudden and frequent loss of sight, with sensation as if a pellicle were stretched over the eyes; or dimsightedness as if looking through a cloth or mist; black threads or mists; scintillations; photophobia.

Chelidonium : Retinitis apoplectica, amblyopia with vomiting and coma; dimness of vision and weakness of sight from rheumatic troubles or after suppression of ringworm; when reading or writing, letters run together and seem blurred; blackish-gray specks before eyes.