The role of medical imaging in the practice of neuro-ophthalmology.

The neuro-ophthalmologist is concerned with the myriad afflictions that can cause transient or permanent visual loss, derangement of ocular motor function, pupillary dysfunction, abnormality of lid position or function, and headache or facial pain syndrome. Once preliminary clinical evaluation has implicated dysfunction of a certain anatomic locale, the practitioner must precisely confirm or eliminate possible etiologies. This article examines pathology in six areas: orbital contents and optic nerve; cavernous sinus; chiasm; posterior visual pathway and cerebral cortex; brain stem and posterior fossa; and spinal cord. Through discussion of lesions in these areas the value of CT versus MR in making an accurate diagnosis is elucidated.