Optic chiasmal syndrome due to arteriosclerotic vascular changes is rate. To our knowledge, there has been no report of arteriosclerotic chiasmal syndrome in Korea. In our two cases, other causes of chiasmal syndrome were not detected by MRI, four-vessel cerebral angiography, CSF study, and special laboratory examinations including ANA test, RA factor, and LE cell. With conservative treatment, the visual fields of the two patients are showing progressive improvement. We report here two cases of suspected arteriosclerotic optic chiasmal syndrome.
Adult ; Arteriosclerosis/diagnosis/*physiopathology/radiography ; Humans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Chiasm/*physiopathology ; Syndrome ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; *Visual Fields

PURPOSE: Our objective was to estimate the maximum color contrast sensitivity (MCCS) thresholds in individuals with chiasma opticum damage. METHODS: The pilot study tested 41 people with pituitary adenoma (PA) and 100 age- and gender-matched controls. Patients were divided into two groups according to PA size, PA ≤1 cm or PA >1 cm. A new MCCS test program was used for color discrimination. RESULTS: The mean total error score (TES) of MCCS was 1.8 in the PA ≤1 cm group (standard deviation [SD], 0.38), 3.5 in the PA >1 cm group (SD, 0.96), and 1.4 in the control group (SD, 0.31; p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between tumor size and MCCS result (r = 0.648, p < 0.01). In the group that had PA-producing hormones, the TES was 2.5 (SD, 1.09), compared to 4.2 value in the non-functioning PA group of patients that did not have clinically significant hormone excess (SD, 3.16; p < 0.01). In patients with normal visual acuity (VA) or visual field MCCS, the TES was 3.3 (SD, 1.8), while that in patients with VA <0.00 was 4.6 (SD, 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: Results of the MCCS test TES were 1.9 times better in patients with PA ≤1 cm compared to patients with PA >1 cm (p < 0.01). In PA patients with normal VA, the TES was 2.35 times worse than that of healthy persons (p < 0.01).
Adenoma/*complications/diagnosis ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Color Perception/physiology ; Color Perception Tests/*methods ; Contrast Sensitivity/*physiology ; *Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Optic Chiasm ; Pilot Projects ; Pituitary Neoplasms/*complications/diagnosis ; Time Factors ; Vision Disorders/*diagnosis/etiology/physiopathology ; Visual Fields ; Young Adult