What are the causes of monocular diplopia?

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From the Research

Causes of Monocular Diplopia

  • Monocular diplopia is generally explained by intraocular pathology, such as refractive errors, ocular media abnormalities, and dry eyes, causing the image of a single object to fall on the fovea and on the extra-foveal retina of the same eye 1
  • Causes of monocular diplopia include cataract, refractive error, and retinal disease, which can be managed accordingly by an ophthalmologist 2
  • Higher-order aberrations, such as spherical aberration and secondary astigmatism, can also cause monocular diplopia, as seen in a patient with a mild cortical cataract 3
  • Ocular aberrations and hyperopic defocus can also lead to monocular diplopia, as demonstrated by a model that ascribes monocular diplopia to an interaction between defocus and ocular spherical aberration 4
  • In patients with epiretinal membranes, monocular diplopia can be caused by optical/refractive error, although this is a less common cause compared to retinal misregistration and strabismus 5

Intraocular Pathology

  • Refractive errors, such as hyperopia, can contribute to monocular diplopia by causing an interaction between defocus and ocular spherical aberration 4
  • Ocular media abnormalities, such as cataracts, can also cause monocular diplopia by introducing higher-order aberrations, such as spherical aberration and secondary astigmatism 3
  • Retinal disease, such as epiretinal membranes, can lead to monocular diplopia, although the exact cause may be multifactorial and include retinal misregistration, strabismus, and optical/refractive error 5

Neurological Causes

  • Idiopathic intracranial hypertension can present with monocular diplopia, highlighting the importance of careful ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic examination in diagnosing and treating this condition 1
  • Cortical dysfunction can also lead to monocular diplopia, as seen in cerebral polyopia, which describes the perception of multiple images and arises from an occipital disturbance 2

References

Research

Monocular Diplopia in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report and Literature Review.

European journal of case reports in internal medicine, 2021

Research

Double Vision.

Current treatment options in neurology, 2001

Research

Causes of Diplopia in Patients With Epiretinal Membranes.

American journal of ophthalmology, 2017

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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