Retinal Conditions – 3 Most Common Misdiagnosis Instances

Medical misdiagnosis – we may have heard a lot about this, and may also have cursed the medical industry or practitioners for it, if we would be a victim. But, we must understand that none of this is done intentionally. There are many medical conditions that mimic one another in terms of symptoms, which is why the confusion or misunderstanding arises. For example, if we look at the current scenario across the world, there is so much confusion about distinguishing the coronavirus from other similar infections like flu, cold, and seasonal allergies. Even if one coughs or sneezes due to a common allergy, he is suspected to be a victim of coronavirus.

Same is the case with retinal conditions. There are many conditions that have similar symptoms, which is why one condition is misunderstood for another. In fact, there are certain conditions that are overlooked by even the most sophisticated diagnostic equipment. But, that doesn’t mean that healthcare providers aren’t doing their job well. Doctors are always trying their best to come up to accurate conclusions about their patients’ health. Just like the best retina specialist in Mumbai at Arohi Eye Hospital is always striving to identify the most accurate condition of every patient, and provide them with the most precise treatments.

However, let us look at the 3 most common retinal conditions that may be misdiagnosed.

Macular hole versus lamellar macular hole

Macular hole is a condition in which there is a small break or hole in the macula located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina, which otherwise provides for sharp central vision that is required for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. Macular hole is generally misdiagnosed for lamellar macular hole, which is actually less severe. The lamellar macular hole generally affects only one layer of the macula, while macular hole affects all the layers in the retina. Lamella macular hole may not require any surgery, but a macular hole definitely requires a surgery to be corrected.

Central retinal vein occlusion versus diabetic retinopathy

Central retinal vein occlusion is a condition in which small blots or haemorrhages may appear in all four quadrants of the eye. But, this is also a symptom of diabetic retinopathy, which is why the two conditions may be confused. Apart from this, both the conditions can also cause macular edema, which is visually significant during an eye examination. It is only the presence of disc edema and venous tortuosity in the eye that indicates central retinal vein occlusion instead of diabetic retinopathy, which can be diagnosed by a professional retina specialist.

Peripheral retinoschisis versus retinal detachment

Peripheral retinoschisis often gets misdiagnosed as retinal detachment, as both the conditions involve the elevation of the retina. The difference between both the conditions is that peripheral retinoschisis brings white dots on the retina, and a particular shape and thickness of the retina. It is important to make the right diagnosis because while peripheral retinoschisis requires no surgery, retinal detachment definitely requires immediate surgery to prevent vision loss.

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