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Amaurosis fugax (Greek: fugax meaning fugitive, amaurosis meaning darkening, dark, or obscure) is a painless, temporary loss of vision in one eye caused by decreased blood flow (ischemia) to the retina. It is a type of transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The lack of blood flow can be caused by emboli (moving clots) obstructing blood flow in the retinal artery or ophthalmic artery. The most common causes are a clot of plaque or a blood clot from a stenosed carotid artery, other sources are heart or heart valves and arterial spasm. Vision loss lasts for the period of time the clot obstructs blood flow. Amaurosis fugax may also be a symptom of Temporal arteritis, an inflammation of the vessel wall.
The experience of amaurosis fugax is often described as a "curtain coming down vertically into the field of vision in one eye". Partial or complete vision loss typically lasts only a few seconds but may last minutes or even hours.
Management
Despite the temporary nature of the blindness, those experiencing amaurosis fugax are usually advised to consult a physician immediately as it is a symptom that usually heralds serious vascular events, including stroke.
External links
"Amaurosis fugax"