# A Systematic Approach to Managing Acute Visual Loss: A Comprehensive Review of Literature

**Authors:** Fatima Hajj, Padraig Totten, Doria Stephanie Chavez, Diana Carolina Cortés Jaimes, Diti Patel, Gabriel Andres Soria Behr, Gilberto González, Avin Khushiramani

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102280 · Cureus · 2026-01-25

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how to quickly diagnose and manage sudden vision loss to prevent permanent damage.

## Contribution

The paper provides a systematic approach and highlights red flags for managing acute visual loss.

## Key findings

- Rapid differentiation of causes is crucial for timely treatment.
- Early diagnosis is essential to preserve vision despite improved diagnostics.
- Delayed diagnosis remains a major challenge in clinical practice.

## Abstract

Acute vision loss is a clinical emergency that needs to be diagnosed promptly and managed early in order to prevent irreversible vision loss. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of literature regarding differential diagnosis, diagnostic approaches, management strategies, and red flags of acute vision loss. A systematic review of relevant articles was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Scopus. The findings highlight that the rapid differentiation among various etiologies of acute vision loss through detailed history-taking, thorough ophthalmic examination, and other investigations is crucial for timely intervention. The early diagnosis of the underlying etiology is essential for initiating appropriate treatment and preserving the vision. Despite improvements in diagnostic techniques, delayed diagnosis is still a major challenge. This review outlines a systematic approach to acute vision loss and provides future research directions to enhance early detection and patient outcomes.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CRP (C-reactive protein) [NCBI Gene 1401] {aka PTX1}
- **Diseases:** jaw or limb claudication (MESH:D007383), Monocular deficits (MESH:D001766), photoreceptor damage (MESH:D020263), acute visual loss (MESH:D000208), fever (MESH:D005334), retinal photopsia (MESH:C000726607), Retinal detachment (MESH:D012163), hypotension (MESH:D007022), embolic ischemia (MESH:D007511), neurological symptoms (MESH:D009461), venous (MESH:D014647), stroke (MESH:D020521), vitreous hemorrhage (MESH:D014823), uveitis (MESH:D014605), hemorrhage (MESH:D006470), inflammatory infiltrates (MESH:D017254), nausea (MESH:D009325), anterior segment disorders (MESH:C537775), vasogenic edema (MESH:D001929), Lyme disease (MESH:D008193), edema (MESH:D004487), homonymous hemianopia (MESH:D006423), Ocular pain (MESH:D058447), age-related macular degeneration (MESH:D008268), vascular insufficiency (MESH:D065666), sicca (MESH:D012859), ischemic (MESH:D002545), weakness (MESH:D018908), permanent disability (MESH:D003638), psychiatric (MESH:D001523), acute retinal necrosis (MESH:D015882), venous obstruction (MESH:D006502), sinusitis (MESH:D012852), vascular occlusion (MESH:D008641), area postrema syndrome (MESH:D013577), RAPD (MESH:D011681), vision loss (MESH:D014786), neuro-ophthalmic disorders (MESH:C535922), hereditary conditions (MESH:D009386), corneal (MESH:D003316), jaw pain (MESH:D010146), syphilis (MESH:D013587), ocular tuberculosis (MESH:D014392), carotid artery stenosis (MESH:D016893), inflammatory or infectious optic neuropathies (MESH:D009901), headache (MESH:D006261), inflammation (MESH:D007249), disc edema (MESH:D010211), optic nerve pathologies (MESH:D000080344), optic nerve damage (MESH:D020221), angle-closure glaucoma (MESH:D015812), CRAO (MESH:D015356), unilateral loss (MESH:D046088), hiccups (MESH:D006606), refractive error (MESH:D012030), neuromyelitis optica (MESH:D009471), migraine (MESH:D008881), visual field defects (MESH:D005128), TB (MESH:D014376), retinal arterial ischemia (MESH:D012164)
- **Chemicals:** oxygen (MESH:D010100), steroid (MESH:D013256), fluorescein (MESH:D019793), QFT (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## References

48 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12932673/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12932673